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sotwk · 8 months

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Behind the Scenes: SotWK's Writing Process

Welcome to a little "behind the scenes" of my attempts to keep my growing list of WIPS and story requests/ideas organized!

My Fic and HC Requests are (for the most part), always open, and open to Anons. Occasionally, I also invite requests in relation to writing events or games. Needless to say, I get quite a lot of requests, and I am both flattered and thrilled by that.

However, I also work full-time (albeit always in front of a computer), and I have two little kids (who attend preschool, whew), so I have much less time to focus on writing than most creators here.

But I love writing, and I love using it to make people happy even more. My rule is, I will accept any requests (that reasonably fall within my guidelines, but I can be flexible!) as long as you can wait patiently for me to deliver on them. I always give my best effort to make it worth your while, and I will never ignore your request or give up on it without checking with you first (yes, this includes Anons).

I have no wait list. I do not work on requests "in the order they were received". I work on whatever story speaks to and cooperates with me that day, and that means shuffling amongst up to five WIPs at a time. That's simply how my brain works, unfortunately.

All my fanfics / your requests are always, and forever will be, FREE. They're gifts I am honored to give.

I am constantly saying, "I'm working on it" or "It's on my list", and I would like to offer just a bit of proof of that. So, especially for those who have been waiting a long time (and those who might have to wait even longer), I present my Google Drive's Organized Chaos to show how I keep all those WIPs in check:

Drafts in Progress: Stories that are closest to completion, and the ones I am currently trying to focus on.

Drafts on Hold: Drafts that I have started, but have stalled, so they're on the back burner for now.

Headcanons: I usually draft my headcanon requests straight on Tumblr, but sometimes they go on here.

Ask Screenshots: Where I save Asks that I responded to/deleted, but I needed to save the text for the sake of notes. Also lovely Asks that I save for posterity.

Valentine Event: I received so many Asks for this event that it required its own folder.

Gifted Graphics: Always hoping for new contributions to this one! (not subtle enough?)

And now, for my Fic Tracker Spreadsheet, which tracks ALL Tolkien fics I write, both requests and my personal projects:

I redacted the "Requestor" column to preserve some surprises. I track the estimated "Status" aka percentage of completion as a way to motivate myself, because getting to that blessed 100% is the Holy Grail for me!

WIP: Every fic that's on the "front burner" and I'm actively fighting to complete.

Requests/Concepts: Contains details of all requests and ideas I have which will eventually jump into the WIP tab.

Valentine: Remember how I said I received so many responses to this event? Yeah. I'm still determined to finish them all, though!

To Read: Yup, I track all the fics of friends that I intent to read here, too. That's how important those are to me.

I truly hope all this info doesn't scare anyone off from sending in more requests! I hope this gives Readers/Followers a little more faith in me and show that I take all requests I receive very seriously. They are the most important part of what I do as a fanfic writer.

I may be slow, but I'm committed and determined!

If you have any questions about the above, or about your requests, I'm open! Please keep sending in requests! Thank you for your support and patience!

Link to my FANFIC REQUEST GUIDELINES

Tagging some of those folks who are currently waiting on requests: @quickslvxrr @laneynoir @ladyweaslette @scyllas-revenge @lathalea @g-m-kaye @absentmindeduniverse @aduialel @friendofthefellowshipsnerdblog @jordie-your-local-halfling @ladyk8tie @blueberryrock @the-phantom-of-arda @tamurilofrivendell @achromaticerebus @klytemnestra13 @glassgulls @the-fragile-heart-of-a-lady @guardianofrivendell @a-burr-a-hobbit @literary-eclair

#sotwk announcement #sotwk fanfiction #fanfiction requests #lotr #lotr fanfiction #the hobbit #tolkien #fanfiction writer #fanfiction #fanfiction writing #writer things #writer stuff

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tj99er · 3 months

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I'm sick and tired of social media, but I can't stop myself from logging in to Twitter and looking at toxic discourse. I still don't know what's wrong with me...

When it comes to curbing a social media obsession, will-power alone often isn't enough and there is nothing wrong with you for struggling with that.

As much as I love the internet and the social media found amongst it, most social media websites are intentionally designed to be addictive.

But IMO social media is still worth engaging with as long as the media that keeps you coming back is something that makes you happy.

But with Twitter in particular, I've noticed that, more and more, that is no longer the case. When it reaches that point, you should

0. Identify when it reaches the point of obsession. Of realizing that a hub of your free time has gone from something you enjoy engaging with to one that is involuntarily stealing your attention and making you unhappy.

When you do inevitably notice this, there are a number of steps you should take, either short term just to redirect your focus or long-term if you're committing to a full exitus like I have been.

1. Uninstall the app from your phone. No good can come from having the source of your problems in your pocket and 1 button press away. AT BARE MINIMUM remove the shortcut from your phone's background. It is more confrontational to delegate your primary Twitter access as something you can only see on your main computer.

At least there, any time you spend on Twitter is directly proportional to the time you could spend doing literally anything else. This should automatically make you care less about it since now competes with everything else you could possibly want/need to so and it can no longer permeate the between-spaces of your day as much.

If you're like me and the main reason you keep your Twitter account at all is to keep up with notifications...

1b. Stop ALL forms of non-essential posting INCLUDING RETWEETS of things you like. After being conditioned for years as the guy who retweets every Orin post he sees, this has been a slow unlearning process, but for every single post you make - even if it's just sharing someone else's art - is an open prompt that gives you more reason to return.

Copy a link and share it in a discord server if you MUST, but any time you open the website and see a number next to the notification tab, it is a validation that you have reason to keep coming back.

If limiting it to your main computer isn't enough...

2. Completely log out. You know what's even more confrontational than needing to already be in your recreational space? A big ass screen plastered with the website's branding that requires you to manually enter your information.

If your browser has your login info saved, remove that shit. Your mission is to make signing into your account as inconvenient as possible.

Doing this much has historically been enough to keep me away most of the time, but some people may need to go farther...

3. Change your password. Create a completely incomprehensible and string of characters and store it somewhere inconvenient, but in a place you will never lose it. This is where things can get a bit risky, but if you truly and utterly misplace your password, you got a recovery email and 2FA for a reason.

And if forcing yourself to jump through all of these hoops isn't enough, you may just have to face that it's time to

4. Delete your account. Look, if you are struggling to control yourself to a point where you can STILL notice your usage habits are out of your own control - even after jumping through every single one of these hoops - this is an extreme problem and the time for cautious self-created barriers is probably over.

If you truly and utterly can't fight off the urge to return to a platform that you can confidently recognize as being harmful to your well-being, then the only thing left to do is to give yourself nowhere to return to.

Take a day to archive any personal favorite posts or bookmarks, and wipe the slate clean. Twitter may very well continue existing but you can at least ensure your own space within it does not.

Just as your addiction can be fed by the press of a single button, so too can it be cut off. Social media is given value through the connections you make over it. Although you technically CAN just create a new account, it will never be the same as your old one and that gives way you less to return to.

#tjytcomments #social media #addiction #obsession

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palfriendpatine66 · 6 months

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Deleted Scene - Criminal Minds

Ok @imjusttoofunky @wibzenadarksiderwithasoftheart Instead of a snippet for the next chapter of Criminal Minds, how about a scene/some letters that have been left on the editing room floor? These 100% happened, they're just not making it into the story. [catch up on chapters 1&2 of Criminal Minds here]

* Anakin stopped by the post office just off campus, not expecting to find anything in the little box he rented but unable to tamp down the flutter of nerves in his stomach all the same. It had been over two weeks since he had set up the PO Box - he wasn’t going to just let a convicted killer know exactly where to find him, he wasn’t stupid - and mailed out his letter.

He figured it would take two days to get there, maybe three. Then maybe a couple days for it to actually get delivered within the jail, not that he knew how any of that would work. And then a couple of days to get back. That should have been about a week, he thought. But a week came and went and he’d gotten no response. Then two. Each day that passed Anakin felt just a little more on edge.

Why wouldn’t Kenobi write back? What else did he possibly have to do all day? Was Anakin supposed to just pretend he hadn’t put himself out there only to be rejected once again? This time by someone who didn’t even have any other options?

He glared at the post office key as he shoved it into the box, as though it was to blame for the continued silence.

Silence.

He was surrounded by silence everywhere he went. No one would talk to him during class. He didn't have hangouts with friends, not anymore. Really he didn't have friends any longer at all. No more dates with his beautiful angel. No written correspondence from his intriguing inmate of choice.

All he had were averted eyes when he approached. Official university letters with notices of probation. Automated messages stating the number you are trying to reach has been disconnected: please try again or hang up. An empty fucking post office box.

And his own thoughts, of course, alternating between simmering anger at everyone who had left him alone and the bitter voice that reminded him it was all his fault.

Anakin did a double take when he noticed there was a letter waiting for him. He grabbed it with shaking hands and turned it over, almost unable to believe it was real. It was marked as processed through the state penitentiary; his finger traced over the official seal.

Anakin slammed the little door closed and went straight to his favorite spot on campus - a little nook tucked behind an abstract statue on an out of the way path. No one could see him from the other side, but with his back against the cool stone the world was quiet and he had a private view of the little garden, blooming with color no matter the time of year. It reminded him of the window box planter his mother had carefully tended, attempting to infuse some color and life into their dreary, run down apartment.

It was only when settled in his spot and sheltered from the rest of the campus around him that he took a steadying breath and allowed his trembling fingers to tear open the letter.

Dear Ani, I suppose I should be flattered that you consider me an expert on the inner workings of the mind, but as you noted yourself it is only the mark of a good reporter to understand people and their motivations, what makes them “tick” if you will. These things you could learn from someone much more qualified than myself. You might look into an elective course in psychology.

I note that it isn’t my actual area of expertise in which you are interested (journalism, of course). That is an area in which I found some success, before the unfortunate events that lead to my arrest and my current address in the state penitentiary. I might add that investigation and gathering information is a skill which is highly useful in the field of journalism, should you harbor any future interest. I can’t say my name currently carries any positive weight to put in a recommendation on your behalf, but I am still knowledgeable in the field and am sure I could offer you some advice, should you wish.

I cannot recommend a stay in prison; the comforts are few and far between. I couldn’t tell you my opinions on other institutions that I have not yet experienced, such as marriage. Perhaps it is you who should tell me about that particular institution. That is one area in which it seems you may be more experienced than myself. I don’t believe holy matrimony is an experience I will find, even if I somehow make it past these walls one day. Options are limited for a man branded by society with a scarlet letter.

I am sorry to hear of your troubles in your relationships. I wonder what it is you expect to find in me, a middle aged man isolated from society for nearly half his life. I cannot say I have had the opportunity to practice my social skills while I serve out my sentence, the population here less then friendly, and before all this I was more the type to keep to myself. I wonder if you might be better served communing with individuals in your own age and circumstance. Join a book club or a student group. Learn a new skill. Maybe pick up an instrument; guitar is a good choice. That was very popular among some in my own college days, to set up and play in the quad for whoever is drawn in by your song. Make yourself approachable and they come to you.

Whatever it is that truly drew you to put pen to paper, I thank you for bringing a change of pace to my rather monotonous day. Perhaps one day you will share what it is that moved you to seek me out, among so many.

Sincerely, Obi-Wan Kenobi

Ani’s letter had given Obi-Wan new food for thought, for which he was thankful. There were only so many times he could participate in the same conversations, read the same books, and watch the same movies. Everything happened at the same time every day, and rarely did the people changed. It was nice to have something new to turn over in his mind as he did in the days after penning his own reply.

He couldn’t say he loved the idea of some young and impressionable person getting the wrong idea from a made for TV special with poorly done dramatic reenactments and more speculation than fact and then seeking him out in some kind of misplaced hero worship. But at the same time, how much could it really hurt to indulge someone lonely and searching for connection? He’d probably be asked to share a couple of prison “fun facts” and answer a few questions about crime scenes he’d reported on many years ago. Neither was particularly scintillating nor taxing.

And in exchange he’d get a break from the monotony. Something new to puzzle over and occupy his thoughts. There was much to think about when it came to Ani. So many possibilities. The next letter didn’t disappoint.

Obi-Wan

I feel honored that you recognize my investigatory skills. I have other skills I could impress you with as well if given the chance. I’m really good with technology. Probably in ways you couldn’t even imagine, there’s been a lot of advances since you’ve been on the inside.

I am too far into my major to take any classes in psychology. All the credits I have left are in advanced and applied maths. I don’t know if I will be able to finish my degree, I’m on academic probation. It’s so stupid, because I know more than everyone here already. I’ve had to correct the textbook that the professor wrote. Multiple times.

They don’t appreciate that, by the way. You’d think it would be something they want to know, right? But they aren’t interested in the knowledge and learning and all of that. They really just want the power and authority of their position. They like being the expert. And they really don’t like when some student can challenge that.

But they won't let me pass if I don’t attend class. The “grace period” I was extended after my mom died is up, and apparently their calendars told them it’s time to show up to class and “accept responsibilities” or “face the consequences.” They don’t really care. I could have aced all the finals on the first day. In my sleep. It’s just a waste of everybody’s time.

What do you do with all your time? You have a lot of it to fill up. I can’t imagine you get to play the guitar. How do you keep busy? Did you start a prison newspaper? I can’t imagine the guards would like that any. Do they give you problems, the guards? Do you like, have a roommate or a friend on the inside after all this time? It sucks to be alone. I hope you aren't too lonely.

Ani.

Hours later Obi-Wan was still thinking through the letter, his thoughts so distant he could almost forget where he was, feeling almost as though he was taking a leisurely stroll through the park in the hopes that a change in scenery would provide a spark of inspiration when writer’s block hit and he was pushing up against a deadline.

He shook his head as he walked the perimeter of the yard.

Ani, Ani, Ani. A disaster waiting to happen.

Feeling isolated, alone. Desperate for connection. Eager to please, eager to learn. Very confident in his own abilities. Slighted when they weren’t recognized by others.

A prime candidate to be pulled into a cult, Obi-Wan mused. He stopped in a patch of sunlight, turning his face up to the warmth. It was only a matter of time before Ani fell under someone’s influence.

There was no knowing whose it might be. It could even be someone setting a worse example than his own.

He smirked to himself, with no one to share in the irony. Doubtful, but possible.

#wip wednesday #sort of #deleted scene #my fic #criminal minds #obikin serial killer au

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bleachbleachbleach · 2 months

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2/24 - 3/2/2024

For the last couple months, I've been working my way through Pravesh Bhardwaj's favorite short stories of 2023, and not enjoying a lot of them. Maybe Bhardwaj and I just have different taste, but I kept thinking to myself, "so what? why did we just spend this time with these characters?" or, alternately, grating at the "reveals," because I kept receiving them as weirdly trite. Trite in ways that I guess I don't associate with contemporary fiction. Like, ohhh he killed the friend for drugs! or She was in a mental hospital! Like, what is this, an episode of Law and Order?

But there is also a voice inside me that's like, I think you're reading these uncharitably, because these writers aren't stupid and don't seem like the type to condescend to the sensational and probably aren't actually doing that. Maybe it's YOUR brain failing to read for nuance. And in the case of "spending time with these characters," I was like, what am I wanting, exactly? A plot? A thesis? The former doesn't sound like me; I almost never read anything for the plot. As for theses, maybe?? But it's not like I wanted some heavy-handed symbol or Meaning-Laden Scene to come bursting through the door like the Kool-Aid Man. I like reading things that are just studies of a character's life. "People sitting around" is my favorite genre. I still felt like I kept coming up short after reading them, though, like, is that it? Is there no meaning to this? (Am I blind to the meaning? Am I blinding myself because I'm imposing some rigid set of expectations or "shoulds" onto things instead of reading openly and with some semblance of intelligence?)

I thought maybe I just don't want a short story right now, and need something longer. I really enjoyed the novella Make it Black by Andre Dubus III, which really is just a lady sitting with people and driving around. But even then, toward the end I felt like the meaning got a little too pointed, even though I've been grumbling this whole time about the ~meaning of it all not being pointed enough.

But then I was like, oh, lmao, you know what all of this actually sounds like? I'M PROBABLY JUST DEPRESSED AND BURNT OUT. (Cue realization hitting as though these things haven't been true for years, albeit manifested in ways other than these very specific ruminations on short stories.)

Writing-wise, I can only hope that what I am writing is also secretly good, like those short stories probably are. I didn't write very much this week, though I read the aforementioned Make it Black, and Chapters 86-88 of Bleach. I did write for a couple hours yesterday, which was a decent enough time. I found myself wanting to write a lot this week, and then not doing it. In addition to my generally just being a wet husk of a person, this week has been acutely sad. My sister had to put her dog to sleep on Sunday, so this week I've spent most of my free time energy being sporadically weepy about that and trying to send my sister long-distance love. It's one of those things where I was like, god, I really want to write, because I want to process this grief through fanfic. But after going to job-work and doing the laborious work of Being Sad, I was just like, I am too exhausted to do anything else, I barely did THOSE things.

I was struggling to remember what, exactly, I wrote yesterday--because it continues to be drop-in scenes in the Hisagi chapter--but it looks like it was some overwrought Hisagi thoughts about Matsumoto I'll probably delete, some Hitsugaya paragraphs that took 19 years to write apiece, some jinzen lore, and this exchange between Hisagi and Rukia:

“We’re not going anywhere. No one’s going anywhere. Just rest,” Hisagi says. How he manages to make the truth sound so unconvincing is beyond him. There’s an unbridled terror in her eyes that Hisagi does not know how to handle. The 4th makes it look so easy.

Kuchiki locks onto Hisagi. Maybe she can see his terror, too. He watches as hers closes itself behind an impassive mask, eyes hardening into dark stones. She, too, makes it look easy, though the green tinge to her cheeks and the new beads of sweat at her brow, already weeping down her temples, betray her.

“The thing I did with the hell butterfly. That’s what you’re feeling. It should help. It will help.” Hisagi tries to sound as reassuring as possible.

Kuchiki looks less than reassured, though more put out by the notion than terrified by it. So there’s that.

"In the Living World, Kurosaki Isshin is a human doctor. But I also saw him successfully operate on a dog once," Kuchiki informs him. “He was very good at it. Even so, I don’t know that I would expect a dog doctor to operate on a human.”

It’s unclear whether the statement is encouragement or insult, but Hisagi has published enough Kuchiki poetry to know that it is likely intended as both.

“Akon handled the actual surgery,” Hisagi offers.

This Kuchiki cannot be won over. “Perhaps it would suffice if it were Ichigo. If Ichigo needed the operation, I mean. He’s very good at that.”

“At... being a dog?”

“At enduring what he’s given.”

#stories for the sea

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hephaestiions · 10 days

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Hello! 18, 24 & 29 :)

thank you for the ask, anon, these were fun!!

18. if you keep them, share a deleted sentence or paragraph from a published fic.

from Every Breath You Take, an earlier cut, when the relationship between harry and draco, in the aftermath of an already failed marriage wasn't total silence, but relentless arguments about nothing. i scrapped it (and then changed the dynamic in general) because the dialogue felt both clunky and chunky, neither of which i try to go for when writing people speak:

“Do you find joy in being this hateful? Did this stupid fucking hold-up— I have a job, Draco, Merlin, what was the goddamn point— at least tell me it made you happy. That all this rotten rubbish I put up with every day is worth something in that twisted little head of yours, that you smile for a second thinking, yeah, I ruined Harry's breakfast, pat on my fucking back." “Fuck you! Happy? Happy, really, Harry? I haven't been happy in years! Not in years! Is that— is that good enough for you? To know I am just as miserable here as you, I get nothing out of any of this—" "Why do it at all, then?" Harry asks, throwing his hands up and spinning on his heel. He goes and rests his head against a pillar in the living room. If he weren't furious, he'd appreciate how ridiculous he looks right now. Muffled into the wall, he says, "If you're so fucking miserable—" "There's one thing," Draco says with a watery laugh that doesn't carry much humour at all. He stalks over to where Harry's standing and tugs on his robes until he's facing Draco and his endless, endless rage, always his rage, never— Jesus. Draco leans in and jabs his pointer finger into Harry's chest. "There's one thing I've been good at all my life, and it's riling you up. You think— what? A marriage fails, and I just— what? Let the opportunity go?"

24. how do you recharge when you're not feeling creative?

the short, unhelpful answer is i try to go out and live my life. the slightly longer, still probably unhelpful, but wordier answer is: i go out on the lawns and spend the late afternoon fading into dusk reading books on the grass, i go to town with my friends and enjoy how the world looks when we're all giggling and tipsy, i focus on finishing things i've been procrastinating on, i clean my room and my desk and my wardrobe and i throw out half my things to make space for new ideas, i pick up new hobbies and i hyperfixate on some new fascination and find out everything i can about it, i sit in cafes and public transport and art galleries and take little notes on what people are doing and what they're saying and how they're living their lives, i write bad poetry and laugh about it, i sing terrible songs and laugh about it, i start some embroidery wips and look at them with great affection knowing i'll never finish them. and after months, or maybe even years of not sitting at the keyboard or picking up a pen to do more than write two lines of floating ideas, i think to myself— imagine if that thing was to happen. and imagine if that other thing was to happen right after. imagine, imagine, imagine, and suddenly the imagination can't be contained anymore, spilling out all over my hands.

29. how easy is it for you to come up with titles?

quite difficult if i'm trying to find a title from within the fic— i'm awful with wordplay of the smart & referential kind that makes for good titles. but usually, i have some song on repeat while writing a fic or a poem that comes to me in fragments, and i pick a lyric/line from there and it's the easiest part of the process.

send me some more fic writer asks while i procrastinate on my assignments!

#thoughts on these ones are that to write is to live #and sometimes when you're stuck with writing you have to remind yourself to live #thank you for the ask!#ask games #geets.txt #lovely anon

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evaswarner · 16 days

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i really need to start my healing journey so if anybody else is also in that situation where they need to heal, let me drop you some tips. :)

1. do not try to manifest anything when you are broken. i listen to subliminals/make my own and like to affirm but if you are listening/affirming when you’re in an insecure or broken mindset, you will only attract more insecurity. take care of yourself first. if you are religious, pray to God for help since praying and manifesting are different in that sense. God is always listening.

2. detox from the apps that are ruining your mental health and causing you insecurity. for me this is mainly instagram so i deleted the app and my accounts for now. i am also trying to limit my screen time altogether as much as possible, because if you grew up with parents saying “it’s all because of that damn phone” they’re actually right 😭

3. seek out things that make you happy that don’t require your phone. this can be anything from baking/cooking, sewing, crochet, reading (!!), exercising, or study for that upcoming test! (think what did rapunzel do when she was locked up in her tower for 18 years? she didn’t have a phone) if you need to use a device for help on something, use a laptop and ONLY search up that which you need on google.

4. watch self-help videos. when i was in my heartbroken era i binge watched tons and tons of thewizardliz and persephonesmind. these women know how to instantly change your mindset.

5. if you are religious, focus on getting closer to God. also when i was heartbroken, i focused on my religion a lot which was also a crucial part of my healing. i asked Him to help me heal and while doing what i also could to help myself feel better, He built me right back up in front of the very people that broke me. my confidence was literally unwavering

6. focus on your essential needs as a human. if you are not getting a full 8-9 hour sleep every night, you’re not eating healthy most of the time, not drinking enough water, you’re not exercising etc etc., fix that. if you’re lethargic and feeling crappy most of the time, this is why.

7. be kind and patient with yourself. you cannot expect yourself to heal within a set amount of time. i usually start feeling better in a month but sometimes this can take longer — and that’s more than okay! everyone has their pace of healing. don’t rush the process, otherwise you’ll end up going back to square one. shift your focus away from the end result to the process and the present moment instead.

8. journal. i absolutely love journaling, it’s the best way to get emotions out and to be able to really talk with yourself. do some shadow work to connect with and reparent your inner child, because many of the issues we have as adults occurred first in childhood. you can search up journaling and shadow work prompts to help.

9. talk to yourself as you are a best friend or a little child. would you let a friend or a child talk badly about themselves? would you tell them they’re stupid, ugly, don’t deserve anything? if you wouldn’t let a little child/friend think of themselves that way, then why do you talk to yourself that way? every time you feel insecure about something, imagine a child feeling insecure and hating themselves. you would obviously comfort them the best you can, so do the same with yourself. people think it’s “delusional” to talk to yourself but honestly? they’re the same people that think negatively of themselves and don’t even try to heal. so talk to yourself, be kind to yourself, comfort YOURSELF.

okay this is all i can think of atm, i hope it helps <3

#evasramblings #healing #self help #self love #self ship #self improvement

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dastardlydandelion · 2 months

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a 2024 update

i keep circling back to the idea of deleting my tumblr. i’m not as active as I once was, my schedule changed (and workload intensified) in the time i began this blog to where i am now. the AI is really freaking me out but that’s not just a tumblr problem, (it’s everywhere 😱) so much less of a factor in my contemplation because i know i can't avoid it.

i’m also not the same as i was three years ago and euuugh, some of my early stuff makes me cringe so hard i want to delete just to distance myself from it!!! but like, evolution and change are just natural in the process of existing as a human being. in another three years, i’ll be even more different (albeit my pre-frontal cortex will remain fully developed so the changes will potentially be less pronounced). soo what am i gonna do, reset every three years like a robot getting a new computer chip??

this is going to get longer than i expected, so explanation continues under the cut:

nah. i may not be as active as i used to be and my opinions/interests may have shifted/evolved, but still, so many of my friends are here and there’s all this cool art, and gifsets, and what have you.

since this was and remains mainly a fandom blog, i’ll briefly summarize my major attitude shifts regarding fandom:

on the yellowjackets front, a significant decrease in hostility toward one travis martinez. like…okay I still don’t love that ben sent travis out alone hunting with nat after he pointed a gun! at her fucking face! and I still don’t love the portion of fandumb that straight up ignores that travis pointed a gun at natalie’s face, and yes it was kind of frustrating that the male characters in general got so much screen time in a show that’s supposed to be about female characters but like. none of that is travis the character’s fault— actually ykw, that’s one of my problems generally that i noticed, that i want to grow from— i keep letting fandumb (and content burnout) influence my perception of and response to characters/plot lines/ships rather than organically formulating my interpretations separate from that influence. i mean fandumb generally, not just YJ. blah blah blah, anyway, i apologize, travis martinez. you had to eat your baby brother. you sank your teeth into his freshly carved out raw heart. i want to both examine you from a more organic angle going forward and hug you now.

okay, okay, i was gonna break down my notable shifts in opinion by fandom, but going off of the aforementioned pattern that i have, maybe i should...no, no, let's keep going by fandom, i have that problem in *every* fandom, so.

ST! I FINALLY WATCHED IT. holy cannoli, okay, @lucdarling and @foxgirlontherun are buds that i remember telling for sure, but i know for sure i didn't tell all of my ST pals so i'll touch on that. watched it over the holidays with my grandma, who had been trying to get me to watch for some time and i finally caved.

1.) we get more glimpses of the demogorgon in the first season than i ever gave it credit for. myself of...however many years ago was just too damn impatient waiting to see the whole damn monster. we get a claw here, a growl there, a moving shadow, etc. its introduction was actually well done, so. years-ago me, you were WRONG. WRONG, I TELL YOU, WRONG.

2.) eleven does not have pyrokinesis. i knew she was telepathic (to a degree) and telekinetic, but for some reason, in the past i *also* believed she could set things on fire with her mind. i just thought she used that power less because fire is so destructive. well...now i know she doesn't have pyrokinesis at all!

3.) the byers do NOT live in a trailer. this i did actually learn before watching the show, i learned in 2022 when a bud sent me like, a pic of their lego byers house and i was like, oh. neat. that's not a trailer. 🙃 so that i did become aware before watching, but seeing it onscreen reminded me that i knew.

4.) billy has more canon depth than i had given him credit for, previously having just watched scenes for fic-reference out of context. i apologize, billiam (i don't attribute a shred of that depth to the duffballs, but that's a different rant). i think since i entered the fandom side of things long before watching, i got certain portions of fanon and canon confused. also-- much like with travis and some other examples i'm going to get into-- i let too much fandumb influence my response to him + impression of his role in canon.

5.) steve is nowhere nearly as irritating in canon as i thought he was. the things that i find irritating about steve are-- once again, see above examples --not really anything that has to do with the character himself! i'm sorry, steve!

on that note, sorry hairygrove friends!! i love you guys and it's been a gift getting to know each of you over the last few years, but i was pretty damn mean to steve sometimes! i should've been nicer to steve...and maybe bill, for that matter, but i mean, i'd written so much from his POV i think it goes without saying that i've always had affection for the latter, even if i probably should've given him more credit for canon characterization and been less presumptuous.

obviously having seen the show, i have more developed thoughts on ST overall, but i think those are just...the main differentiations between opinions formulated in the early days of this blog versus where i'm at now. friends of mine who watch ST, if you want to talk about it, i'm happy to! but please DM me personally and don't send asks about it. i don't want to answer asks because those get posted on the main blog. on the main blog the algorithm reads what's posted and sends you suggestions accordingly.

certain parts of ST S4VOL2 make me *extremely* uncomfortable. i scroll past gifs, art, edits, etc, of those parts on occasion already since i have so many ST friends and the algorithm suggests related content. and it's fine...but i don't want to give the algorithm more reasons to show me even more things that make me uncomfortable, you know what i mean?

guess that's it for ST.

so let's revisit the scream franchise!

might as well go ahead and get the biggest change out of the way: i no longer hate dewey riley!

good lord, for years i was just the stabbiest damn crab at that character. 🦀🔪 opinion officially evolved, evolved BIG time. i was once so irritated with dewey i straight up celebrated when he got killed off . the glee at his demise pushed the ghostface that killed him right up to the top of my ranking.

BOOOOOOOOO. BOOOOOOOOO ME.

...okay. i. i'm sorry, dewey.

once again, here goes me with this pattern that i need to stop. me raising up my hackles at fandumb and components of the character that are not *the* character. i don't like the hero cop trope. i don't. the copaganda of it all...but. a character's mere status of falling into a category of trope or cliche shouldn't discourage thorough examination of them, their personalities, role in the story, or other traits. that's a very small way to interact with fiction, isn't it? i've since moved on from that knee-jerk dismissal.

i also was also a huge flipping grinch when it came to romance for a long ass time (will touch on this later) and so much of dewey's story is about the romance between him and gale. which is...actually a pretty solid romantic storyline, i realize after multiple earnest re-watches of the franchises. dewey has a solid arc! gale has a solid arc! their romance has a solid arc! should not have complained about this nearly as much as i did. maybe it's because of the chemistry between the performers, but all their banter throughout the movies that i once rolled my eyes at...it...it works! okay, it works, they made it work.

i no longer rejoice that dewey is killed off (albeit the scene itself is still pretty freaking cool). amber definitely *isn't* my ghostfave. she's NOT at the bottom of my list but NOT at the top. actually-- wait, no, that can wait, i'm not done with dewey yet...or am i, do i have anything else to say about dewey?

okay, he's not my favorite character, but. he's a classic and he's lovable and i won't fight it anymore because of petty irritations or my personal issues with a trope that in no way makes up the whole of his character.

since we're on scream, whoa, GHOSTFACE RANKING HAS EVOLVED 11/10!

yes, oh, that is so much different than where it was when i started this blog! also very different after recency bias + initial script + the dewey kill scene undeservedly shot amber to the top of my ranking in early 2022.

i'm not going to detail my ranking in this post. that could easily be its own post with its own thorough dissections of which ghostface takes which slot and why. but i will bring up another scream character whose opinion of mine has greatly changed over time: richie kirsch.

i was so irritated by this guy before. couldn't stand him! and you guessed it, for the wrong reasons! i was put off by a lot of the outpouring of the horny focus on him in fandom. not shaming anybody for their preferences by the way! look, i have my own villain crushes (see beth, who is at the top of my ranking again although we'll save the details for another day). it's just...it was kind of frustrating back then to want to gush about the carpenter sisters and mostly find myself surrounded by risque white male centered content instead. i hope that's understandable. so i got burned out on richie content and dismissed the whole character. i was also VERY put off by radio silence's interpretation of their ghostface duo in 2022 but that's a different conversation and again, not richie the character's fault.

richie is funny! okay, he's funny, yes, the "boner pills" line is still irritating, but now...now when i re-watch 5cream i can appreciate him more and the humor of richie *mostly* lands for me! i also think scream VI made me appreciate richie more, because his family is so underdeveloped and wayne's actor made...choices with that performance. but again, that's something i would get into more if i were to detail the evolution of my ghostface ranking.

i think that's it for the major changes in my scream feelings...what other fandoms...

okay, cobra kai? how have my opinions evolved there?

ykw, that one might be mostly the same. the show got worse. it got so bad. it's so bad now, it just bums me out. the one thing i truly wanted from that show was for tory nichols to get the screentime she deserved and for the show to deliver on her hidden depths alluded to the first three seasons. my wish was granted in sheer monkey paw fashion, because they finally did that and pretty much the rest of the show went to shit, go figure. 💩

um...hmm...SHIPPING.

oh, okay, shipping. yeah, let's talk about that. not fandom specific, just um. okay, at the time i started this blog i was never what the kids call 'antis' in that i have some moral beef with fan content of fictional characters falling in love or doing sex things. no, no, that's pretty silly. BUT what i was, was a huge grinch!!! just the mention of romance made me scrunch my face. wouldn't read/write/engage with any shippy things beyond some extremely particular F/F content.

as someone who prefers F/F because it's what i relate to, i know at some point i was just burned out on everything fandom being so heavily M/M focused and everything canon being so heavily F/M focused. i also have feelings about the way M/F is portrayed in canon media due to misogynistic tropes and storylines. but even where F/F was concerned, i was so picky. picky as a damn porcupine.

i believe a combination of things has finally let me to loosen up when it comes to shipping and romance in general.

1.) limiting my engagement with it, allowing me to recover from the burnout.

2.) getting over personal romantic issues IRL that tainted my engagement in fictional romance.

3.) YELLOWJACKETS. i have many complaints with s2 but nevertheless, YJ has given us so many complex, rich female characters with interesting dynamics. and the exploration of those dynamics is abundant, varied, and so thoughtfully explored in YJ fandom that i am hooked! i feel more invested in expanding my F/F pool and i feel less overrun by the greater amount of M/M and M/F content because these fascinating characters and the earnest effort fandom puts into depicting multilayered relationships between them just...evens the playing field, i guess, if we're gonna make a soccer pun. ⚽️

4.) watching romances + romantic subplots with women behind the camera. turns out, the less misogyny involved, the more genuinely i can enjoy an M/F ship. go figure, huh.

anyway, i'm not such a stab crab about romance anymore. i know i have many fandom friends who *are* interested in shipping and i apologize if i was ever cramping your style or bringing you down when i would express my disgruntlement. i hope you can forgive me, i promise to be less of a grinch now. 💚

🦀🔪 fandom opinions that have not changed:

1.) THE BLACK PHONE. waited a year, paid $30 to watch ethan hawke put plates on the floor for an hour! NO! i want a refund!!! WASTED POTENTIAL. GONNA HOLD THIS GRUDGE FOREVER.

2.) the CAOS finale was absolutely disgusting! it was never a great show, sarah rees brennan who wrote the tie-in novels should've been in charge of the screenplay, imo. the novels did so much, so much better, but i digress...mediocre show or not, that fourth season took bad to a whole new level. 🤢

3.) ALEX SAXON CANNOT ACT. i appreciate nancy drew (2019) presenting to me F/M ships (namely fanson) i could actually get into because of the way the dynamics were written but the nace obsessions baffles me when the acting in MTV scream was oscar-worthy compared to this man's sheer lack of ability to emote.

...unless....unless the editors of the show hated alex saxon and only used edits they knew were bad in the finalized episodes in order to sabotage his career going forward. but i have no proof, it's just a possible conspiracy theory. 🤔

non-fandom relevant blog thoughts:

i love interacting with my friends, building connections, and admiring the creativity people put out into the world in various forms. i want to be more focused on that, online and offline, than negativity. i also don't want my apprehension surrounding AI to prevent me from engaging with the digital world and the wonderful human people i've gotten to know through it.

i want to think about nature more than the things that make me so angry, so beyond my control. i want to share animal facts and pictures of forests and funnily shaped rocks. i want to spend more time making people laugh than spiraling into personal insecurities...i don't think my blog was ever a *particularly* negative place, but oh boy, i could certainly be a crab with TWO knives...

there's plenty to be afraid of and be angry about with the expansion of AI and its grip on the digital world. i guess the whole purpose of this post was just to express 'these are the things that have changed and my priorities have also changed.' with that, i really want to focus more on creative things, fun things, funny things, and share more joy than anything else.

there's only so much time. i want to spend the bulk of it cherishing the connections we make, more than anything else.

#personal #blogging #fandom #media #AI #the shift from early 20s to late 20s is so real #i am making peace with the goals i've failed to accomplish and that acceptance has helped me mellow out A LOT #edit: setting new goals has also helped a lot #accpetance of past failures is not giving up on future achievments

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tmsbooks · 2 months

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Self reflection time... That you might need to read as well.

Do I go through the effort to delete and block bloggers that : steal others art off of Pinterest / other social media sites without putting links to credit the artists from my blog and queue, or do I just sigh and know that I can do nothing to stop such things in the first place? Like I never agreed with it, yet I participate in reblogging these things anyways because 'it fits my aesthetic'... and that's just such a lame excuse.

I'm an artist myself; I hate that ai steals and takes jobs away from so many that it replaces the whole process, rather than it being used to help / aide one's creativity. I hate that it's not guiding people through the process and teaching them like a reference should, but is instead replacing the effort to build your (writing, photography, and drawing etc.) skills entirely.

So why, with this opinion, do I practice the other large problem in the online community that is supporting reposting art thieves? Why am I reblogging a post that has no text/link under it to guide the viewer towards the real artist? Why would liking the post to bookmark it under my own references/inspirations be okay if that Like/Heart isn't actually going to the right person? This just encourages the thieves to continue.

Reposting without crediting is just as toxic to artists as the machines that steal because no love is being sent to the craftsman that took their time, their life, to build their skills to create.

Please credit sources to all your stim boards or aesthetic what-have-you's, and don't shrug off photography versus traditional arts either. Photography too is a beautiful art form that gets overlooked as 'okay to steal' versus someone reposting someone's drawing without credit. (But yes, there's a difference between junk journaling/creating collages from magazine clippings to make an entirely new thing, then there is just slapping nine stolen images together in a neat little square.)

Plagiarism is everywhere and it's scary how normalized it is to have even myself fall into its cycle again and again despite my strong morals about it.

All this rambling to say to myself that I'll no longer be reblogging such posts, and once my queue is empty of them I'll hope to put more effort into righting this behavior that has led me to feel so sour.

#ai discussion #bookblr #text post #self reflection #bookaddict #book blog #artists on tumblr #writers on tumblr #open discussion #rambles #bookaholic #bookish #small artist

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hatredmadeofgold · 11 months

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Unfortunately not a new chapter but a current status update (same text as in the link):

Sorry, this isn’t Chapter 7 yet, but a status update and I will NOT abandon this don’t worry

Hey hello, Pulsar here. No worries, this fic not going on hiatus, I just felt bad that there’s radio silence and no new chapter update yet. Also, I had no idea how to reach many of my readers in any other way because my username until a few weeks ago didn’t match my handle anywhere else, but I’ll be linking to my social media at the end of this message.

I can assure you though, I will never abandon this project. My therapist pointed out to me that writing this helps me a lot with my own mental health and recovery, so basically, I must write this as if my life depends on it. /hj And honestly, I noticed that as well after he pointed it out, and recovery is my number one priority in life anyway, so. Hope that’s reassuring enough for you guys that this fic will be finished in full, including all the additional stories, even if it takes 5 years or longer than that. I am one of those people who stick to the same main interest/fandom for a decade.

Anyway, let’s get to the actual status update:

I absolutely underestimated how much work it takes to finish the script, originally I wanted to continue writing when the script for Arc 1 is finished but hahaha that’s unfortunately not how that’s going to work out and I hate having to make people wait for ages (I am not that patient myself), but I wanted to be transparent about the current writing process 😊

Chapter 7 will come out still this month (June 2023), and I am very sure that I can guarantee that. But I recently discovered that I misinterpreted some aspects of MGR itself while watching the Japanese dub out of curiosity, and I am not satisfied anymore with the 2nd version of my script as I already said when I published Chapter 6, which the first 4 chapters were based on. Hence, I will have to edit (almost) all of them, but thankfully it’s really minor changes and additions as well as some formatting, and none of these changes affects the story so far. But if you want to, you can read them again from the beginning once Chapter 7 goes online. I will delete this announcement then and move some of the info here to the author comment section at the end of Chapter 7. With the addition of the prequel I Come With Knives, Sam got an entire backstory now that did not exist in the 2nd version of the script and it affects the story very positively. It makes it a lot more complex, a lot more consistent and a lot more enjoyable for me to write and (hopefully) also a lot more enjoyable for you guys to read. The downside is, that with the 3rd version of the script, all the additional stories also came and the ‘lore’ of Sing to Me became very fucking massive – I am not joking when I say this is nearly as complex as the Solid series – and that makes the development of the script a little more ‘difficult’. I am not a perfectionist, but my brain is only satisfied when things make sense. I have 29 script files at this point and they will become even more (but at least it’s very organised). Not that I cannot handle it, but at this point I have a small development team who help me with research and discussing ideas, giving me feedback etc. I am just a tiny bit insane about this project but in the best way possible (One of my mutuals even joked that I am a fusion of Hideo Kojima and Rohan Kishibe when it comes to being an author lmao). Honestly, another reason I decided to rework my script is also the fact that it focused too much on Raiden and too little on Sam in the first and second versions. And I think there’s enough focus on Raiden already everywhere else (not that that’s a bad thing), but Sam deserves as much attention as Raiden does – and during the 3rd script development I was sometimes scared that it would now be imbalanced in the other direction, where the focus lies too much on Sam lol. But thankfully that didn’t happen, it’s pretty 50-50. Also, I am sure that even 75 chapters won’t come close to how long this fic will be, like, at this point I believe 100-125 chapters is more realistic but who the fuck knows. I know this is insane. I am enjoying every bit of it <3

Long story short, the two paragraphs above explain why I couldn’t get back to my insane writing speed from January in which I legit wrote 5 chapters in a single month yet. But hopefully, I might get that speed back as soon as I finished the preparations that need to be done for me to continue. However, I’ll also go back to vocational school sometime around August and I’ll have to see how I manage my studies and writing together. Also, dragonfly1212 asked me a while ago that due to the amount of research that I am doing for this story if I would share it eventually, and he’s got a point. My plan is to probably make a tumblr side blog where I will share all the lore over time, as well as reference sheets, character information, inspiration, etc. Drawings I commissioned as well as ‘fanart’, playlists, and fic updates. With the amount of detail and complexity this fic project has, a ‘wiki’ certainly would help I guess lol. Since it’s unrealistic for me to finish the entire Arc 1 script as fast as I’d like to, I will do this in smaller steps instead. As for now, I have nearly finished the fine-tuned scripts for Chapter 7 until Chapter 13, which will finalise the first smaller arc of Arc 1 :D Chapter 13 is probably going to be my next favourite one to write after Chapters 5 and 6, but the fine-tuned script for it is already 8 pages long and it doesn’t make sense to split it up because it would kill the tension if I were to do that. I hope that it will NOT be extremely long, but I am afraid I will have to ‘assault’ you guys with a chapter that’s going to be over 10k words long. Oh well, please don’t hate me. With Chapter 13 this fic will also officially move its rating from Mature to Explicit. If you’re somebody who does not like to read sexually explicit scenes though, I already decided that chapters with such scenes, first of all, will not solely consist of that alone, and secondly, I will also give a marking/note in the top author comment above such chapters where it starts and where it ends, so you can CTRL/Cmd + F and skip over those. I am not sure yet how, but I might use symbols for that as well, so it’s easier to skip, especially for those of you who prefer to read on mobile devices (I am one of those people myself). Also, it’s unlikely that there will be a lot of such scenes in this story anyway, at least in proportion to the length. I care a little bit more about the plot and the drama hahaha.

Community Discord Y/N? Additionally, I’ve been asked now by 3 different people if there’s a discord server about this fic. I didn’t think people would be so curious or interested in my creative work that people would ask if there’s a server lmao but honestly? If there’s enough interest, then I might make one – and please give me feedback if you’d be interested in joining such a community. In the case I might make a discord server though, it would not be exclusively about Samuraiden, Metal Gear or any ship or fandom in particular, and not just Sing to Me, although the main focus would still be on this project. I thought, if anything, it would be a small creative exchange between artists and authors or just people who enjoy reading this story and want to talk to me about it or others as well. This server then would also have an additional corner for you to share your own creative work, be that art, writing, or any other form of artistic expression, and it doesn’t have to be fandom-specific or fanwork at all, it can be original as well. I thought that I may also use such a server to help and support other authors and artists, and maybe give feedback on other people’s stuff when I have the time and energy to do so. Additionally, I could use that server to give updates on the progress of the fic overall, which is a lot better than inappropriately using AO3 like I am doing it right now. This will be the only time I will make an announcement like this anyway.

I’ve otherwise made such announcements already on my social media accounts before, but I haven’t had them linked in my AO3 profile until recently either. You can find me here: Twitter: R3DR4G3dotEXE tumblr: R3DR4G3 Instagram: R3DR4G3.exe Carrd: R3DR4G3 Discord ID: R3DR4G3#3952 (Yes, if you read my fic of course you can add me, I’d love to chat!) Anyway! Thanks for reading, I am sorry that this isn’t Chapter 7 yet and I hope to see you guys soon! ;^;

#sing to me #mgr #mgrr #metal gear rising #metal gear rising revengeance #samuraiden #jetstream sam #raiden mgr #raiden mgs #raiden #samuel rodrigues #samrai #redrage writing #my thoughts #my writing #golden writing #golden thoughts

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badassxbirdy · 4 months

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January Activity Update (Pinned Post)

It’s time once again for an activity update! If you’re new here: these posts help me to keep track of what the frick I’ve been doing, particularly when tumblr breaks or the brainfog strikes. It’s been a while since I’ve been able to do a full monthly update, so this one includes posts and drafts for October, November, and December. Everything else can be found in previous monthly updates under this tag. There’s also the full thread tracker here.

The full activity update (along with OOC house keeping) is below the cut. Bold text = links.

If you want to see all IC interactions without the other stuff, click here. If you’d like to start something new, there are opens and memes, or you can just hit up the DM’s. You can also add Ty on Wire for IC texting.

Now onto the update!

Housekeeping:

A couple of little tweaks have been made to the guidelines page. Nothing huge, mainly just an update on formatting in threads and fc’s.

Ty’s Wire is now working again! 🥳 If you didn’t get a reply last time you messaged her, please resend your message. Or just send her a new one/start a new convo if you’d rather. I also have regained access to the discord account. Same username as here so feel free to add me, just let me know who you are if you do. I only log in when I’m here actively working on drafts, so you may still prefer to use the DM’s to chat.

I don’t do this often, but I’m going to be giving my inbox a bit of a reset by deleting most of the unanswered memes. Even though those ones aren’t being posted, thank you for sending them!

I’m getting notifications for old reblogs and things I was tagged in a month ago, a few even longer ago than that. Some are repeated ones that I saw in my activity feed when they were first posted, but some are brand new to me so I’m very confused rn.

In a similar vein, it’s currently hit or miss as to whether I get a notification for being tagged in a post. It also doesn’t always show up in my actual tracked tag. With that being the case, If there is something I haven’t replied to that is not listed in this post, please let me know.

Still in the process of changing up my medication. We’re taking it slowly as I’m coming off one that is notoriously a pain in the neck for withdrawal symptoms. It’s been absolutely kicking my arse, so if I’m slow to respond to ooc messages, please do not feel ignored. I will answer when my brain is not making dialup noises. Thread replies will happen when they happen. I’m trying to put less pressure on myself, but as an anxious human and chronic people pleaser it’s a struggle. 😂

Threads, replies, and other IC interactions:

(In alphabetical order by username.)

@astormymind

Library ghost hunting with Finn (drafted)

@beastbitten

Extreme awkwardness. 😂 (link)

@demcnsinmymind

At the motel (link)

Azzy proved a point (link)

Taking Lance on a hunt (link)

Doing Lance’s hair! 😭 (link)

Mischief at the bar (link)

Car trouble (drafted)

An unwanted visitor, and Ty finds out the boy has powers! 👀 (queued)

@demonstigma

A weird conversation (queued)

@derschwarzeengel

Tyler is not sick. Definitely not. (link)

Damon? Talking about his trauma? It seems miracles do happen. (queued)

Ty finds Vampire!Damon (queued)

Roasting 50 shades (drafted)

“She’s a ghost AND a bitch!” (drafted)

@destroyerscved

“How did you find me?” (link) Sorry for the repost!

Magic bean juice (queued)

@discipulusmaleficus

Abandoned house (drafted)

@hellomynameisfuckyou

A tackle hug for Damsel (link)

@hvbris

A questionable attempt to cheer up Olive (link)

An appointment with Dr Soliman (link)

Meeting the captain (link)

Ty is confused by Wednesday (drafted. Sorry this one slipped through the cracks for so long!)

@imprvdente

Birthday fun (link)

At the motel with FBI!Fish (drafted)

@innerwar

Ty rescues Damon (link)

Being grumpy at Homelander (link)

Babysitting Jude/the Doc (drafted)

Bad jokes with Charm (queued. Sorry this one slipped through the cracks for so long!)

@kxllerblond

“You owe me a dinner. A very nice dinner.” (link)

@loyaltyguided

Birthday cuteness! (link)

@loyaltylanced

“Destiny can’t be changed.” (link)

@magaprima

Demon problems (queued)

Demon problems part 2: electric boogaloo (link)

@nightiingaled

KilliTy cuteness! (link)

Even more KilliTy cuteness! (link)

@tmrrwppl

I just couldn’t resist okay. Don’t question it. 😂 (link)

@vyrulent

Tyler meets Orobus Jones! (drafted)

Headcanon, dash games, and assorted silliness:

ELEVEN YEARS. ❤️ (link)

“Nothing to steal” (link)

Wanted poster dash game (link)

Damon’s birthday gift (link)

Say My Name drabble by Bramble! (link)

Pinterest dash game (link)

Ty’s Christmas mischief! (link)

I think that’s everything! As always: please let me know if I’ve missed something. I never intentionally drop threads without notifying, rest assured that if it’s not here I am either having a brain fart or I simply have not seen it. Remember to be kind to yourselves, and stay safe! ❤️ — Em

#activity update #pinned post

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screadingchallenge · 2 years

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Behind the Keyboard Volume 26

Behind the Keyboard is a series of interviews with different Schitt’s Creek fanfic authors. The series will last as long as there is interest (from authors) and capacity (from me). If you are an author from the Schitt’s Creek fandom who would like to participate, send a DM to this account.

Each author was given ten questions. The first five questions are the same for every author, the last five will vary.

Let’s meet our next author:

@maxbegone / maxbegone

How many fics have you written? Oh, so many. Overall, 87 on ao3.

When did you publish your first fic on AO3? I’ll admit that I deleted an entire docket prior to starting up again a few years back, but my earliest listed is back in January of 2018 for Critical Role.

Describe your writing process from “Oh, I have an idea” to pushing publish on AO3. I complain about it to myself, talk (re: complain) about it to my friends, and flesh it out in multiple very messy documents, including my notes app on my phone. My eventual process is bullet-pointing a bunch of things I want to include, breaking it down by chapter if need be, and bolding the text I haven’t written into the fic yet. If I get an idea while I’m in the middle of writing a scene for something later on, I immediately add it to the bottom of the document and keep going, otherwise I’ll forget. I also tend to write scenes out of order exactly on what I just said; if the scene comes to mind and I know it won’t happen for a long time within the story, I write that first just to grind it out. Regardless, it still means I’m writing, even if it’s not linear. Have I mentioned this method is messy?

Tell me about your most recent fic? What do you love about it? Is there anything you think you could have done better? My most recent fic isn’t for SC, but the last SC fic I posted was here comes the jackpot question in advance back on new years eve and I still love it. The Kacey Musgraves version of New Year’s Eve played continuously throughout the holidays at work, and the more I heard it, the more I wanted to write something having to do with it. To me, it’s cozy and representative of my favorite time of year (winter in Manhattan). It’s comfort to me, and I know I’m not the only one when I say I tend to write things that are pretty self-indulgent. This was one of them.

What advice would you give to someone who’s thinking about publishing their fic for the first time? Just go for it. It doesn’t matter whether or not it lands, what matters is that you hit “publish” and took that leap. Try not to look at kudos or hit counts too obsessively either, because someone is going to find it and love it — the numbers don’t dictate the quality of what you’ve written. Just because the fic doesn’t make its rounds and skyrocket doesn’t mean it isn’t good. It’s hard, but try not to compare yourself. This goes for more than just fanfic.

Do you write for any other fandoms? Which ones? I started out with Critical Role, delved into a few pieces for The Last of Us, a game and story that holds a very near and dear place in my heart (this piece in particular is one of my favorite things I’ve written), and I’m currently writing for 9-1-1: Lone Star. Who would’ve thought a procedural drama would come to mean so much to me? Then again, who would’ve thought that about a half hour comedy, too? Yet, here we are!

What’s one question you would like to ask Dan Levy about writing? What does your process look like? As in, what’s your ideal time of day, what sort of environment do you look for, do you have background noise or music, or complete silence?

Fill in the blank. You couldn't pay me enough money to write…kink. I just. No.

Do your IRL friends and family know you write fic? I would sooner frisbee throw my computer out a window and follow suit. Nope, no, nada, no.

What are your three favorite tropes? You know, I’ve been writing for a long time and I’ve been on Tumblr for longer than I care to acknowledge, and I still have trouble defining tropes. I legitimately just had to Google the definition again because I feel like I never get it quite right — found family, whoops this grumpy old man is now suddenly the father figure to some kid, idiots to lovers.

#behind the keyboard #meet the authors #sc fanfic #schitt’s creek #schitts creek

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ellesliterarycorner · 2 years

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Writing Your Second Draft

The infamous second draft. Allegedly it’s supposed to be slightly easier to get through than it’s little brother the terrible first draft. I normally don’t feel very good about any of my WIPs until at least the third draft, and honesty, in some aspects writing the second draft can be more difficult than first drafts. At least for me, first drafts are harder to write, but second drafts feel like they have all of these expectations on them. Making it even harder, there’s so much advice out there about writing first drafts, but not nearly as much, imo, out there about writing second drafts. So, here are a few tips that helped me writing the second drafts of my novels.

Did You Take A Nice Long Break?

I think we’ve all heard of the advice that you need to take a nice long break after you finish your first draft. Some people say a week or two is enough, but I finished the first draft of my current wip in September of 2020 and I started the second draft in December/January. Taking that long of a break worked really well for me. I didn’t write anything related to that wip during that time, but I did write other things sparingly. I focused mostly on reading, and I rewatched both of the tv shows that inspired my wip (Game of Thrones and the Tudors) to remind me why I wanted to write the story so much in the first place. Oftentimes, your first draft will be a hot mess. It’s good to take a nice long break and remember why you started to write it before you come back to it with fresh eyes and a rested mind. Taking longer breaks will also allow you to see things from a different angle. I had a birthday in that time period, and I think growing up a little definitely allowed me to become a better writer.

What Was Past Elle Thinking?

No, seriously, what was she thinking? I ask myself this question almost daily, and not just with things relating to writing, unfortunately. Reading through first drafts can be a little bit of a humbling experience, and by a little bit, I mean a lot a bit. First drafts are like chaotic little toddlers, and a second draft is supposed to turn them into like a semi-coherent five year old, not completely perfect, but way more understandable. I think a lot of people get discouraged during the second draft process because it often requires a lot of changes from the first draft. First drafts just get your ideas down. They create some semblance of a beginning, middle, and end. From the first draft to the second draft, I cut whole chapters, deleted characters, and almost 10,000 words which I was really upset about, but it’s also completely normal. Going through the whole thing the first time can be a little overwhelming. Take a little bit more of a break if you feel yourself getting too overwhelmed. But, don’t be afraid to make the big changes and improvements that your story may need. That’s what second drafts are for.

Confusing Continuity Errors

It’s the way I have a semi-major plot point revolving around a character being allergic to almonds, and she’s literally eating almonds the first we meet her. I also have described a character’s eye color at least seven different ways in three chapters. Those type of continuity errors are extremely common in first drafts, and unfortunately, in some published books as well. Whole editors have the job to go through books about to be published in order to make sure there aren’t any glaring continuity errors. Before I even start changing anything in my first draft, I simply read through it with another blank Google doc on spilt screen. I write down anything that I personally find confusing, things that are just plain wrong, or contradicting facts or details that could lead to plot holes or continuity errors. That gives me a little bit of a gameplan before I start changing things, and it’s something relatively easy to start with.

Hills Not Mountains

Going off of that: make a gameplan. Another reason I find people get discouraged is that they jump into their second draft without a clear goal in mind. Unfortunately, just making it better than your first draft isn’t a clear goal. It’s vague, and you’re bound to get frustrated that way. Breaking up your second draft edits into smaller hills instead of an 100k mountain, makes everything that much more feasible. For example, I knew that all of my fight scenes were extremely bad because as we’ve established, I’m not good at writing fight scenes. Starting out with all of those scenes gave me something clear to work on. After that I worked on making sure the plot and the climax went together because they absolutely did not. Setting smaller goals to address each element of my first draft definitely helped me divide and conquer all of the important parts of my story, so that they could come together in a cohesive way. Once all these elements have been solidified individually, you can piece them together in a way that makes your second draft feel more manageable.

Get Some Eyes On It

As terrifying and nerve-wracking as it can be, sometimes you just have to get some outside eyes on your work. Some people like to leave this to later drafts because I know my first drafts make it seem as though I can’t write, but I like to do it between all of my drafts. Especially between the first draft and the second draft because up until that point I have been the only person reading my work. Sometimes that can make us a little blind to certain issues in our writing. I have always been a character over plot reader, and I am most definitely a character over plot writer. I have a really hard time deleting character that need to go, and having someone else point out what I already know is true forced me to face the truth. I send my best friend almost all of my first drafts, and she sends me back a list of all the things she liked, she didn’t like, and things that confused her. I know my story, so sometimes I don’t see everything that’s confusing. Having outside eyes from someone who doesn’t know my story as well as I do, always helps immensely.

Elle’s Bonus Tip: Retype It

Retyping your story is incredibly helpful, imo. It takes forever, but to me it’s always been worth it. I take my first draft and open up a blank Google doc in spilt screen, then I go and retype every single word. Okay, not every single word, if I know I really like a scene, I’ll copy paste it. But, I go and retype almost every single word. It forces me to get back to the basics of my story, and it forces me to notice every little thing. I would almost consider it akin to reading an essay or something aloud before you submit it. It forces you to kind of see the story naked for lack of a better word, and seeing your story this way forces you to look at elements you normally wouldn’t see even with close editing. It’s definitely not for everyone because it takes forever, and it’s a massive undertaking, but I definitely would recommend it if you can!

#writers on tumblr #writers #writer #writer tips #writer things #writing tip #writing tips #writing advice #writing #writing resources #writing related #writers of instagram #writers of ig #writersofinstagram #writersofig #writers ref #writing ref #writing reference

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wa-kaizen · 2 years

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Look, guys, I am a poor teenager with no stable way of income. I have to worry everyday about how I will solve x and y. I am in an abusive situation - no, I don't want help - and have to care for people in situations worse than mine.

tw / suicide

I have to stop myself everyday from killing myself and barely have energy for basic things like brushing my teeth or hair. I carry the guilt of barely having any life in me for my work even tho I love to do it.

So tell me, what's fun about threatening a teenager? I don't understand what does anyone get out of it. Maybe 'hey, I am having a hard time but if you ask for your donation back you will get it.' is hard to understand for some but hey, it's true.

The last anon got their donation back too. She was happy to do so. I did not release any private information about her.

I listened to her when she asked to keep her last ask unpublished.

I can do this for any of you. Return your donation and keep you private.

If the ask is genuine, stop saying 'kindly'. You are not. You went ahead on purpose to threaten me, and potentially harm my mental health. You knew this. Alongside speaking for other people. Not saying no one will agree with you. I am saying do not speak instead of other people. If you want your donation back, you can tell me. Guess what! I am not going to be mad! I will even email you kindly about my response if you are on anon so you aren't left hanging incase you send your private information! However acting harmful on purpose and pretending it's kindness will make me mad. You could even message me, why go on anon? If you are scared then why threaten? I know big words are easy if you hide your identity but I promise that being genuine like the previous anon will bring you much further than being rude.

If that's a troll, congratulations, you are a fool! What did you gain out of it? Attention? I would have answered you and have given you attention if you would have said something silly, or a joke, or anything related to spirituality. I will answer you. But do you think it's cool to act like this? Like I am wondering if it's not a genuine ask but made out of boredom, what do you gain out of it? Are you trying to be like the other anon who was having a hard time causing her mental health to be affected? Is that what this is? Stop.

If you have a problem communicate your needs properly instead of copying someone else and harming someone else's mental health in the process.

I promise you that 'hey, i did donate but i no longer feel comfortable as i am in need for money.' is much more humane and will make you look better than 'hey give us our money back or else'.

A donation is something that is given to charity or a cause. To people who are struggling or are fighting for a cause. If you are not comfortable donating to people, never do it. I don't care if it's 1$, 10$, 100$ or 1000$. If you aren't in a mental, emotional or financial position to donate without it causing you problems down the line do not donate you will only harm your very own mental health. I will give you your money back, but don't do things that you cannot afford to do. There are many ways you can help. A reblog, a link, spread the world. I say this about anything. If you cannot donate to anyone then don't donate to them. Sure, it's your money you can decide to do whatever you want. But don't self sabotage.

I will delete this. Just felt like making this post.

#will delete #anon was not cool

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reikeip · 2 years

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Crossroad ♱ Monologue

Location: Student Council Room

Six days later

Rei: ~...♪

Keito: …Sakuma-san? I know you can see well in the dark, so I’m sure you’re fine, but at least turn on the lights.

Ah well, I guess it’ll save on the electricity bill. …You came back earlier than expected, the day you agreed to come back was tomorrow.

Rei: I know. I was itchin’ with excitement, so I came back home ‘cause I couldn’t wait any longer.

I’m only fuckin’ with ya. I just settled my work abroad faster than I thought I would.

The game, the fun, will start tomorrow. That ain’t changin’, so you can rest easy~

I’ll be workin’ in the student council room today, so ya can go prepare yourself for tomorrow, ‘til the very second the date changes.

In your stead, I’ll be workin’ on some student council work that’s been left undone for some reason.

Keito: Ah… I’ve been doing a lot of prep work for tomorrow, so I guess I’ve neglected my normal duties.

I came to the student council room to get it all done today, even if it meant I’d have to stay up all night.

What a surprise, seeing you here. It’s not like you—did you really feel like carrying out your duties as student council president?

Rei: Yep. Ain’t it like me, to work only one day of the whole week? The Sabbath, no less.

One sheet, two sheets, three sheets~...♪

Keito: What are you doing!? Don’t tear up those documents! It’s improper for a civilized person to commit such an act of barbarity!

Rei: If ya wanna hold bein’ civilized over me or somethin’, ya could at least process your data into a computer.

It’s convenient how ya can correct an’ delete stuff with just the push of a button. Plus, writin’ the same amount of work by hand can give ya tendonitis and all that crap.

It’s pretty hard to get rid of paper documents. If ya committed a crime, they’d be left as evidence an’ become a real hazard.

Really, it feels like you’re keepin’ record of every little detail—it’s unnecessary.

Is that it? If ya don’t make a livin’ as an idol after Yumenosaki Academy are ya gonna become a manga artist or somethin’?

It’s what all these documents are for, huh? Feel like you’re savin’ up a treasure trove of material?

Keito: …As you should know, my dream of becoming a mangaka is currently on hold. I don’t expect myself to be able to do anything and everything, I’m not that skilled.

Rei: Ahaha. Don’t just give up an’ abandon it—go for it, go for it. For humans, nothin’ is impossible~

Become insatiable, chase after multiple dreams at the same time an’ bring ‘em all to fruition!

Keito: Don’t speak based on yourself, monster. I’m leaving such detailed records behind in case our ambitions are destroyed halfway.

If someone wants to inherit this dream, then it’ll be easier.

It’s difficult to fumble through an unexplored jungle. To an extent, it’s easier to walk on a path that’s been cleared out and put on the map.

Rei: Sounds like ya plan on failin’ halfway in, the way you’re talkin’.

Ahh… Well, Bouzu, puttin’ ya aside for now—I heard that precious childhood buddy of yours is the type to not know if he’ll live to see the sun rise tomorrow.

Look, I’ve wanted to ask ya this for a while. Becomin’ a better idol, and reformin’ the idol industry to do so…

Who the hell’s dream is that, anyway?

Is that your own dream? Or could it be, you just wanna fulfill the wish of someone important to ya? ‘Cause if it’s the latter—you know you’re stupid, right, Bouzu?

If ya give up your whole life for someone else, what guarantee do ya have that it’ll pay off?

Ya can’t reach your personal destination carryin’ such an unnecessary burden on your back, the world ain’t structured to be that kind~

Keito: ……

Rei: Ah well, apologies for tellin’ ya off. These documents are useless now, so I’m tearin’ up up and throwin’ ‘em away.

Sure there’s a paper shredder, but I find it’s faster to rip ‘em with my own hands.

Keito: Useless… What do you mean?

Rei: Told ya already. To kill time, I solved some of the student council’s problems. I called around ya see, just like sayin’ bippity boppity boo ♪

If ya doubt me, ya can take a look for yourself. Well, I am gettin’ rid of all the documents that ain’t needed anymore ‘cause of it.

My work has changed the timeline, so there’s no use keepin’ documents of a future that’s been lost.

It’s just a waste of resources to keep them around, the least we could do is recycle ‘em.

Keito: …It’s really odd, you’re actually doing your job as the student council president.

What is going on here, some weird turn of events? Have you agreed with my plans and decided to move accordingly?

Rei: The opposite actually, Bouzu. Tomorrow, my path an’ yours are gonna split of, never ever to cross again. So, well, I decided to be of help to ya one last time.

As for tomorrow, I’m not really expectin’ ya to forgive me for it~ This won't make up for anythin’... So, well, just take it as a sentiment from me.

Keito: ? I don’t get the meaning of this. You’re a clever man, who should be more than able to explain things in a way anybody could understand. And yet you’re purposefully talking in such a puzzling way—why?

Rei: For ya to think it over, I guess. Life would be easy-peasy if momma bird always came back to feed ya, but then you’d never become strong enough to do anythin’ for yourself, stayin’ forever unable to spread your wings.

Keito: …Like I said, I don’t get it.

Rei: You’ll get it one day. Well, now, commit this to memory. These are the final words of Student Council President Sakuma Rei.

It’ll be troublesome if I baby ya too much, so I’m givin’ ya prior notice. Though it’s a game, I’m not going to go easy on you tomorrow—you’re gonna have to put somethin’ important on the line too.

Rei: So, if you don’t use me well… If ya can’t handle me, I’m done with ya.

I’ll resign from my position as student council president forever, an’ hand it over to someone more fittin’.

If ya don’t wanna part with me, give it all you’ve got, an’ keep your wits about ya. I still got some hope, Bouzu.

So don’t disappoint me~ I wanna see a good time.

I’m so bored, bored, bored, to the point I can’t stand it any longer… I don’t get any stimulation—feels like I’m barely livin’ at all these days~

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#reikeiptls #rei sakuma #keito hasumi

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