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versadies · 1 year

Note

it's the pink apron phenomenon. everybody, i present; how do scara, diluc & xiao (seperate) take care of their beloved pink apron and how did they get it?

house husband au ofc ! apologies if ur reqs arent open (;´༎ຶٹ༎ຶ`)

the origins of the pink apron ! (the way of the househusband au)

SALUTATIONS. THE ORIGINS OF THE PINK APRON (twothhau)

ADDRESSED. diluc ragnvindr, xiao, scaramouche/wanderer (w/ gn!reader)

CONTENT. fluff/no-angst, modern!au, househusband!characters, cheesiness, ooc?, mentions of yakuza, wanderer is referred to as “scaramouche” here, not proofread properly (couldnt access to google docs and my grammar checker atm so i apologize for any grammar errors 😰😰)

STAMP. after some inconveniences, the houshusbands find themselves in a situation where they now have to wear pink aprons, and to your surprise, they like it ! (or, how they get their pink aprons and why they kept it)

PENPALS. @scaraslover @saving-for-xiao @dawgimsohot @ragnvdnr @chiruru @aqualesha @renamichii @mrkamisato @shenhesl0ver @serami00 @serenareiss @hiqhkey @emperatris-rinaka @bystander36 @irisxiel @ladycoleigh @034ven @dear-dairiess @owozi8 @hadesaedes @chiro-chiro-kun @hersscherofyatta @mariusvonhangme @yuzuricebun @nejibot @hoshikistarlette @solaaresque @crowbird @lordbugs @flowersforayato @headintheclouddd @estelwrld @giyusimpsassemble @irethepotatosblog @moonlightaangel @alice0blog @shotosbrainrot @sniffoat @chihawari @mxsomn @kuni-kuzushii @jiminscarmex @mitsukii14 @nejibot @ylimeprive @sachispet @loreleis-world @sn-owo @starforecasts @someonetookmynamelmao @ceylestia @astrequa @ymikkos @reallysporadicarcade @melodyyamino @dudufodd @somberrock @yevenly @lemontum @nghing

POST-SCRIPT. it’s been so long since ive written a househusband fic sooo here you go my lovelies <333 !! enjoy the wholesomeness and cheesiness as always (might make a part two w other househusbands if the people demand so)

LINKS. TWOTHHAU MASTERLIST || MAIN MASTERLIST || TAGLIST

diluc.

It was supposed to be a joke for your husband.

You thought it would be great to buy an apron for him before you go home after finding out that it got destroyed, knowing how your husband would definitely need one for his baking classes and whenever he cooks. Out of all the aprons you could’ve chosen though, you just had to pick the one that made you laugh from imagining your lover wearing it.

When you first see a cute pink apron, you just know you have to buy it, giggling to yourself at the image of Diluc wearing it. Of course, you bought another one that’s actually for him and planned on giving it to him the day after he receives your pink apron gift.

Diluc didn’t mind how you were grinning mischievously when you gave him a paper bag that contained something he couldn’t tell until he brought it out. The image of your husband’s soft expression turning to utter confusion and horror will forever remain in your head.

“Is… This for me?” He asks hesitantly.

You nodded, trying to contain your laughter. “Yes.”

He didn’t ask further after that, nodding slowly before putting the apron back to the paper bag, and you thought that was the end of it.

It wasn’t.

The next day after getting ready for the day, you were about to give your husband his actual apron you bought for him until you noticed something different when you entered the kitchen.

No, it wasn’t the fact that your breakfast is a new and different meal like everyday, nor the music that’s playing on the radio, but rather your husband’s current style.

Lo and behold stands your loving husband, an ex-yakuza boss and one of the fiercest men in the land, wearing a cute pink apron that has a cartoon bear with a chef hat on it.

You try not to laugh. “..You’re actually wearing it?”

Diluc stops preparing your meal for a moment, turning his head to look at you. “Does it look… ridiculous?”

You covered your mouth to stop yourself from laughing, clearing your throat. “N-No I was just surprised you’d wear it.”

“Of course since it’s from you.” He responds, proceeding with his task once again.

You decided to hand over the paper bag that has his apron to him. “I was just kidding about that pink apron, this is the one I actually bought for you.” You explain.

He takes one look at the paper bag you’re holding before looking away. “I’ll try it out later. You should eat your breakfast before you’re late again.”

Your eyes widened a bit at his response, surprised that he didn’t instantly change it. It’s as if he wants to keep wearing it.

Not that you’re complaining though, it is quite a sight to see.

By the time you came back home from work after that shenanigan, you thought you’d see your husband wearing the black apron you bought for him, only for your jaws to drop when you saw him still wearing the same pink apron you bought for shits and giggles.

“Did the black apron not fit you?” You asked as Diluc grabs your bag and keeps it somewhere.

Your husband pauses for a moment. “...I forgot to try it on.”

You fight the urge to laugh again. “Really?”

No, actually. Diluc did try the black apron on as soon as he finished cleaning the house away but decided to continue wearing the pink apron. As much as he didn’t want to admit, the pink apron managed to rub on him after wearing it for only half a day.

What stopped him from removing it was the memory of you trying to hold your laughter whilst smiling so wide at the sight of him wearing it, causing him to decide to wear it from now on just so he could see you smile and laugh more.

Not that you’d know of course, he’d rather get teased for wearing this apron than get teased for being such a “big ol’ sweetheart” as you comment about him.

When it comes to this apron, he sees it as a reminder of what made life worth more than he thought: you. So it’s a responsibility to take care of it.

Other than that, the pink apron has also made him less intimidating to other people whenever he wears it outside (either because he forgot or just because he felt like it)! It’s a slight change when people start coming up to you two every now and then whenever you go out.

He made sure to thoroughly clean it whenever he makes a mess sometimes, making sure that no stain has been left ignored and missed. He also made sure he won’t make the same mistake that he did with his previous apron, so he’s very careful with not ripping it with his undeniable strength whenever he puts it on and removes it.

When he finds himself in a situation where he’s required to fight – which is a rare situation, really – he’ll make sure not one single person will lay a hand on him and on the apron. He’ll be disappointed in himself if he gets it destroyed!

Of course, he did not put your money on the black apron to waste. He’ll use it whenever he goes to baking class and whenever his pink apron is in the laundry. Either that, or you use it yourself whenever you cook with Diluc despite its size! It’s quite an endearing sight to see you and Diluc cooking together while wearing the aprons.

Eventually, it’ll be a normal sight to see your husband wearing such a cute apron, even if you sometimes chuckle or grin at it. To Diluc, it’s worth wearing it if it makes you happy, especially if he’s the reason for your cute smile <3

Plus, pink kinda suits his striking red hair as much as he doesn’t want to admit it hehe

xiao.

Xiao is a different story.

For someone like Xiao, no one had ever thought about him wearing something such as a pink apron – not when it seems to be something that someone with a cold and mysterious demeanor that neighbors tend to be intimidated by wouldn’t wear. If it weren’t for you, people might’ve thought he was a criminal who’s staying in a small town in order to hide from the police that’s looking for him.

So when the well-known aloof househusband comes out of your humble home wearing a pink apron with a cheesy text on it one day after a week of moving in, everyone is hella curious and hella shocked.

Is this the same man who everyone was scared of?!

It didn’t help that he looked as if he wasn’t bothered by wearing such a cute garment, as if he’s been wearing it for ages without the neighbors knowing it until now.

The real question is: why and how?

It’s simple really, all you had to do was nothing.

In reality, the apron he’s wearing is something he willingly wore by choice just because of the memories it brought.

As mentioned before in another post, Xiao rarely cooks back when he was still serving his boss and prefers instant foods since it’s faster and easier for him. But now that he’s a full time househusband who absolutely cannot afford to let you eat instant foods everyday, he knows he has to start cooking.

Cooking is no problem for Xiao, it’s just the mess he makes when cooking that he has a problem with.

He really can’t help himself making a mess, even when he makes sure to clean after himself, he always finds himself having stains and marks all over his clothing!

So when he tells you about his frustrations one night while lying down on your lap comfortably, you remember an old garment that you saw from your box while you were unpacking your things after moving in.

The apron was a gift from your friend as a joke, and you didn’t have the heart to throw it away since it would be a waste of money for your friend, hence how it got stuck in the old box for quite a while until your husband came along and needed one.

“I know it’s not something you like since it’s not really your color,” You said with a light laugh as you show him the apron that you managed to find among the boxes that were kept by the storage room, “but you can just use this until I buy a new one for you to use. With this apron, I’m sure you won’t put a mess on your clothes since it’ll fit you!”

“You don’t need to buy another one.” Xiao says as he grabs the pink apron from you without any signs of hesitation. “This is already good enough for me. I just needed something to make sure my clothes are clean when cooking meals, so thank you.”

Your eyes slightly widen in surprise, not expecting your husband to accept your offer so willingly without a complaint. “O-Oh? Alright then.”

And so began the days when you see your husband wearing the pink apron.

It felt like you’re still dreaming when you stumble to the kitchen after waking up and see your husband cooking a liyuean dish, wearing the apron that’s now cleaned and tended to by yours truly. You had to pinch yourself to be completely convinced that you’re in a reality where Xiao, one of the most well-known dangerous members in his organization, is wearing a pink frilly apron that has a big text that says “cook lover!” on it.

It turns out that he liked it a lot since it indeed prevented himself from making a mess on his clothing – besides the ones on his arms, but it’s completely better than having a mess all over him – thanking you once again for handing him the apron.

To be fair, Xiao didn’t really think he’d like it either since he only wanted something that can help him with his little problem, it was only when he decided to try cooking Adeptus' Temptation that he changed his mind.

When he first removed his apron, he was relieved that there wasn’t much of a mess! So he decided that yes, this is worth using everyday.

He takes care of it greatly, making sure that it gets cleaned and kept well. It’s as if it’s his most prized treasure, as you jokingly said. To your amusement, he didn’t have the heart to tell you you’re wrong, because you’re right, it is something that’s valuable to him. After all, he only wore it because it’s you who gave it to him.

Perhaps you didn’t know this, but your husband is always willing to wear anything you give him – like the cute green onesie you gave him that matches yours, the nice bracelet you bought that matches his beautiful amber eyes, the pink apron and so much more that he lost count of it. If you even gave him a chicken mascot, he’ll wear it without question.

Though, this particular apron is quite special for him, because it’s the first thing you’ve ever given him after he started his househusband lifestyle. He never thought he would enjoy being a househusband – let alone becoming one in this life after everything he went through. So this apron is somewhat a reminder of how far he’s gotten in this life and how he’s free to spend the rest of his life with the one he loves most.

It started to grow on him, he’ll admit. Sometimes he forgets to remove it after cooking, finding himself spending the whole day wearing it until he finally looks at himself in the mirror and realizes he hasn't removed it.

The time when he gives up on removing his apron after cooking was all thanks to when you forgot to bring your lunch with you, causing Xiao to run after you not knowing that he still has his apron on. It was only when you pointed out that he realized what he was wearing.

He lets out a sigh. Oh well, he might as well wear it the whole day instead of only when he’s cooking.

As long as Rex Lapis doesn’t see him in it, then he could care less.

Besides, wearing the apron outside made himself look approachable and friendly to most people in the neighborhood – particularly the kids, who all stare at him in awe because of how cool his hair is.

Sometimes, whenever he looks at the apron, he’s reminded of one cherished moment between the two of you whereas you prepare your meals together for the first time since he wore his apron, with you wearing your own apron that matches his as you share hushed laughs and smiles with one another.

He closes his eyes with a small fond smile at the memory.

Oh how he could never forget the taste of your love from the meals the two of you cooked.

scaramouche.

Honestly, getting that guy to wear an apron that has hello kitty designs on it is almost impossible, especially when it’s obvious that he’d rather bury himself than wear it.

Well, it would’ve been completely impossible if he wasn’t currently making tea in your kitchen wearing such a garment, looking unbothered despite hearing your giggles at the sight.

Your imagination came true thanks to timing.

You see, the way your lover works with cooking is that he always has to wear an apron even if he never makes that much of a mess. It’s just something he finds as a required thing to do since he doesn’t want his clothes to be dirty from making meals, so he’s always found wearing his black apron in the kitchen making dishes.

One thing led to another though, said black apron was ripped after an accident that he refuses to tell you, leading him to leave no choice but to buy a new one from the only store in town that sells aprons.

Bad timing for him really, because the store unfortunately ran out of aprons that are his size due to a client that ordered loads of it for baking classes. The man was horrified when he saw that the only aprons that were available and adjustable to his size were pink aprons with hello kitty designs on them.

What made it worse was that the store won’t be able to restock until next month or more, and so he was thinking: should he just wait for a month and not wear an apron until then? Or should he just go buy the pink apron so he can go on with his day peacefully?

He thought about it, and he wanted to wait for another month since pink isn’t really his color…

But he wonders what your reaction would be when you see him in such a garment…

“…I’ll buy that apron then.” He says, plastering his usual fake kind smile to keep up his kind charade, internally grinning to himself at the thought of your shocked face. “It’s not like anything will be different if I wear this one.”

And he’s right about that - if you exclude the fact that you’ve been staring at him as though he has two heads.

When you first came home unaware of the new change, you thought you were in another universe when your husband walks out from the kitchen to greet you with the apron.

Scaramouche knew he made a good decision when he noticed you staring at him for almost the entire night, trying to hold his cackling as he continued to act as if he wasn't wearing something he wouldn’t dare to wear.

“Since when did you have that apron?” You questioned with an amused smile as the two of you ate dinner together.

Your husband innocently looks at you. “What do you mean? This is something I’ve always been wearing?”

“Don’t try to gaslight me again..”

“Hehe, just wanted to check if it still does the trick.”

To tell you the truth, he actually just thought that he could just wear the apron until the apron he wanted was available in the shop. Just like what he said to the seller, nothing would really change from wearing the cute garment, and besides, seeing your reaction of him wearing it for the first time made it all worth it.

What he didn’t expect was how by the time the shop restocks the apron he wanted, he’s still wearing the pink apron.

It’s safe to say that he got used to wearing it. He takes care of it dedicatedly and dare say even more than how he took care of his old one. He makes sure to get it carefully cleaned after times when he gets a bit messier than normal. Sometimes he even unintentionally makes his outfits match with it, something you didn’t have the heart to tell him about since you thought it was cute of him.

Of course, unlike both Xiao and Diluc, Scaramouche refuses to come out of your beloved home wearing the garment. He doesn’t forget easily nor does he not mind others seeing him wearing it. The one time when he actually wore it was when you won a bet and made him wear it outside, causing him to reluctantly do it with his usual kind facade as he plans his revenge on you.

To be honest, the real reason why Scaramouche is still wearing the apron is because of its pockets.

With Scaramouch’s old apron, there was only one pocket that’s enough to fit only one item. The pink apron on the other hand has three big pockets that a few items can fit in – particularly his hand-sized recipe notebook, kitchen tools, and spices that he received from a dear friend of his who lives in Sumeru.

So yeah, it really is worth it getting the pink apron rather than waiting.

As you watch your husband making tea for the two of you on a chill weekend, you decided to bring up something about the apron.

“Hehe, remember when you were planning to keep the apron away back then as soon as the store restocked the black ones?” You said teasingly.

Scaramouche finally brings your drinks towards your table. “It would’ve been rotting in our attic by now but,” as he places the drinks in front of you, he places his hands on his hips with a proud smile, as though he’s showing off his outfit, “I realized it does fit my color after all.”

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space-writes · 8 months

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I have a couple more obsidian templates I wanted to share! They’re fairly simple, but they’re what I use for writing fic and for scene tracking.

Also: I post these kinds of thing to show examples of what you can do with obsidian. I came to these setups through trial and error and reworking of processes, borrowing other people's ideas and tweaking them to what made sense for my workflow. I encourage you always to do the same: don't force my templates into your mould, use them as a jumping off point instead

Under the cut you'll find a fic template and a scene metadata template, with screenshot examples, pastebin links, and explanations. Enjoy!

Fic Template

pastebin link

This is the base template I use for all my fanfiction, but it can easily be modified for original fic by removing the fandom-specific terms. The callouts are custom callouts, so to get them looking like mine, here’s a json you can use in the ‘Admonitions’ plugin.

(download it, save it as a .json file, then in the Admonitions plugin settings, use the ‘import’ option)

As with my other templates I’ve shared, I’ve left the CSS class field blank so you can add your own if you want.

This example has the template, plus what it looks like filled out with a fic. (fonts/colours/etc come from my theme which is a franken-css mess built on top of the typomagical theme. source mode font is spectral, preview mode is ia writer quattro s)

The ‘datecreated’ field being filled out as {{date}} means that when you apply the template, it will automatically fill in with today’s date. I use the ‘date’ field then to log the date I finish a fic. That’s the one I use to sort my auto-tables of ‘fic what i have finished’.

‘pwa’ stands for ‘prowritingaid’, and is there so I can mark if I’ve done a grammar check or not. feel free to stubstitute with your own grammar checker of choice.

‘readaloud’ is what it sounds like - I read all my writing out loud as an edit pass, then mark when I’ve done it.

Scene metadata

pastebin link

This is a very simple way you can set up metadata for scenes in a longer work. A few notes:

number is for which number scene it is, so you can sort them in queries. this can get finicky if you’re moving scenes around because you have to do it manually, so I usually don’t number scenes until I’ve planned things out a lot in other ways

wordcount is also a thing to fill out manually, but again, it’s useful for queries - it allows me to see if my scene lengths are balanced nicely

The example dataview I have is for my fic-novel, since that’s the main thing I’ve been working on, so there are a few things that are different but the theory is the same (mostly it’s that instead of ‘subplot’ i have ‘pornplot’ because. it’s an erotic romance. so.)

this example shows it pulling wordcount and scene summary. I do find pulling everything in one query can make things way too cramped, so I tend to make seperate tables to look at different things. For example, whilst I was editing this fic, I had one sorting by status, so I could see which scenes were still a first draft and needing more work, and which were second or third drafts, and needed less.

To break down the query a little:

table without id produces a table without the file-link being auto added

the ‘link’ section is to have the file linked with the title of the note as the link, but under a heading of scene instead of file. it just looks nicer

everything in ‘from’ is just pulling notes from the right section because my folder structure is A Very Special Mess

sort number - this is where that number field comes in, for sorting the scenes in the right order

the other great thing you can do with this metadata setup is pull out specific plot threads by scene, like so:

the important part is the ‘where contains’ field (which I have a template for that query structure because I need it all the time and I can never remember the format.) What that does is pull all notes where the field ‘plot’ has the thread listed in the quotation marks (so in this example, that’s rizeths research). Then you get a nice little list! I find this great for tracking threads, especially subplotty ones.

To do it you do have to remember to list all your plot threads in the metadata but that’s on you /shrug

#writeblr #obsidian md #obsidian.md #obsidian templates #writing templates #writing resources #writing tools #it is once again obsidian posting time #i love making templates for things its so useful

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bittersweet-kelly · 7 months

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Superman saves a cat from a tree. Chapter 2 - Clark's in the dog house at Daily Planet

Superman saves a cat from a tree: part 1, part 2

Summery: Clark gets in trouble for being late to work. Inevitably runs into his ex, Lois Lane, who also works at Daily Planet.

Rating: Explicit. 18+ Minors DNI

Pairings: Clark Kent

Warnings: None yet (Smut in later chapter)

Word count: 989

Disclaimer: I do not own Henry or have any connections to Henry. This story was made by me and my own filthy mind from the wanting of henry to ruin me in more ways than one. I don't own any characters from the DC Comics. Although my first language is English, I have dyslexia so expect grammar mistakes, spelling mistakes and sometimes sentences that could seem confusing. Not beta'd or proof read. Header made by me using pictures on the internet.

Enjoy

****************

Clark was stood in the elevator staring up at the sign that showed what floor he was on, groaning to himself for being late. What excuse could he make up this time to avoid being fired or Perry's errand boy for the week. Once at his floor, Clark squeezed passed the others in the lift "Excuse me. Sorry." Letting out a sigh of relief; he adjusted his glasses, tie and hair in the reflective surface opposite the door he just came through. Wearing a muted blue checkered shirt, a black tie and a pair of jeans that hugged his body in all the correct spaces, mostly due to the man's physique. The jeans elevated his glutes, not that they needed to, his thighs and calves. Unfortunately for Clark they also gave emphasis around the groin area. The unwanted attention bulged outwards at his crotch which was often the subject of gossip around the office.

Getting to his seat, he took off his messenger bag and set it on top of his desk before flopping back into his chair. He made it without running in Perry and his top dog. He just managed to log in before noticing half of the office was empty. Looking up over the dividers he peered around the office… Most of the seniors weren't there… The meeting room door finally opened.

"Nice of you to join us Farmer Kent." Perry announced as he came out spotting Clark's desk was no longer empty.

"Morning Perry, sorry I got caugh-" Perry held his hand up cutting off Kent mid speech.

"I don't care for your excuses today, Kent. Not when you volunteered yourself for our annual charity event." Clark looked bewildered at Perry, blinking a few times in confusion. "I think you're gonna love this years theme." Perry walked off with a chuckle. Before Clark could even register what just happened, the bombshell of the office - Lois Lane walked up to Clark.

"I had to save your ass again." She said to him while watching Perry walk off. Ah Perry's top dog. Her gaze then fell onto Clark. "I had to volunteer you. Otherwise Perry was going to toss you out. Consider us even from all the times you've saved me." Not sure being saved from being fired and being saved from falling from a building has the same karma rating, but there's no arguing with Lois.

"Thanks… I guess." He placed his hands between his legs on the chair he was sat on while talking to Lois. "What's the charity event? Not naked painting classes again is it? Don't fancy more gossip about my body around the office." He rolled his eyes. Lois looked amused.

"Don't worry, you won't need to take your clothes off. Unless the date goes well." 'Date?' Clark thought to himself. Almost like she could read his mind she added. "Yep, you heard me, a date. I figured it was time you moved on." It had been a few months since Clark and Lois decided to part ways. With Clark being Superman it made things hard on Lois, with her dating the guy it made her a target to the supervillains that found out their secret. Also Lois was a career woman and Clark eventually wanted kids whereas Lois didn't as she believed the stereotype that a woman's career died after having kids. "…Okay. I can go on a date with a random stranger. Just hope it's not your sister that wins it." Clark chuckled before turning his attention to his desk.

Lois rolled her eyes before they lit up with joy. "Ah! Excuse me. I've just spotted someone I need to speak to and I'll enjoy the reaction from it." Lois walked over to the newest addition to the team. A young woman named Kelly. Clark watched the interaction until the postie came around, handing him a letter. For that split second he turned his gaze away Kelly let out a shriek in terror.

"Not Gotham. It's dangerous, I can't report anything from Gotham other than my obituary." She began to sob. Clark went to get out of his seat, but paused. As he noticed the letter he was handed was stamped with the Wayne family Sigil. Having it take a hold of his attention, he plopped his butt back down and opened the letter to read it.

'Clark, I have to let you know something, there's no easy way to say this. I need your help to protect Gotham. Soon I'll be away dealing with a developing problem that needs my attention. The citizens and thugs of Gotham will no doubt notice my absence. Things will get crazy on the streets. Those that run the underworld of Gotham will no doubt make a power play.

My kids aren't ready to take on Gotham without me. They need someone with a strong sense of justice and heroism to guide them to being the best they can. Only a few will know where I've disappeared to. I'm dealing with the League of Assassins. Talia Al Ghul has a plan that can stop them from destroying the world and needs my help to do it. Some will be annoyed I'm helping her, but her heart is in the right place. You of all people would know what that means in the dark world we live in.

Burn this letter once read.

Bruce Wayne.'

Clark looked left. Clark looked right. He then shoved the letter in his briefcase and rushed towards the exit before being stopped by Lois. "In a rush?" She asked, perking a brow at him. Knowing it was a Superman emergency. Clark adjusted his glasses.

"Got to get myself ready for the charity date." He replied before slipping into the lift, going to the ground floor. Lois threw her hands up in a shrug.

"It needs to be won by a reader first!" She shook her head only to huff. "…Idiot."

#henry cavill #fanfiction #henry cavill fanfiction #henry cavill smut #catwoman #batman

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liz-allyn · 1 year

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how can I get my fics to get attention like yours do? working your ass off and then getting 20 notes sucks. and I’m trying to become a better writer and honestly crave the validation like you get from your followers. hopefully you’ll see this! Obsessed with S&V

Hi my fellow 🖋️!

Thank you so much for your comment, and thank you for thinking so highly of me!

answers for fic writers after the cut

So honestly? I don't know how to get followers. This blog has been running since 2021, and I only started writing fic < 1 year ago. I've become so much more well known (ha) in the TASM fandom because I've hung out here a long time. I don't have a secret to engagement or understand how tumblr 'works' that well (ie the algorithm that social media sites use to decide what to put in front of you). There are still people I freakin' worship on this site who don't interact with my fics at all, haha. AND flip side, some of the best writers I've ever seen are on here and their fics have less than 100 notes. I have learned that persistently I'll look over into other peoples' yards and be like "fuck. how did they get 4K followers?" or like "wow, she just posted this yesterday and it has over 1k notes."

as for working your ass off and getting 20 notes—CAN CONFIRM: that sucks. some fics I wrote for fun. some fics I wrote for the creative challenge. but pretty much on all of them I've left a little piece of me, of my soul and the lessons i've learned in my meandering partial journey. blood on the keyboard. and those fics? the really great ones (or ones just as good as sugar and vice)? they still don't have many notes.

But I will acknowledge that my following dramatically increased when I started posting S&V. I think I had ~900 and that blew up to 1.5k. There are a few factors in this:

Always post fics with fic art (with gifs! if possible) - This is the number one thing that draws me to read fic. I like art that looks cool. I also have been playing around with Canva Pro for 3-4 years (it's my fav) and I'm animation-adjacent as a day job, so pushing myself to think about graphic design has been really good for me. I find it fun to come up with a whole aesthetic for your story, whether it's a mood board or a color scheme (I usually have 'branding' on the brain). If you don't want to play with fic art, at least find an appropriate gif. Use the actor's face. I also think the gif search on Tumblr sucks balls but it's really worth it to have the right gif.

Pay attention to the hashtags of other popular fics in your fandom - when I started paying attention to notes, this was the best advice. I was using all kinds of tags that made sense to me, but weren't effective. In the web version of Tumblr, I can search for a tag and see how many followers it has. It's significant if #peter parker x reader has way more followers than #tasm!peter x reader. Also trends come and go, tumblr has their hotboy of the month and it rotates. there have been months were TASM Peter was non-existent in the last year, and months where we're getting *fed*. Pro tip with tags: I have a separate Google Doc with a list of hashtags that I copy and paste to save time. After a while, you should try reblogging with different hashtags

Use a spelling or grammar checker - I'm not a grammar fac*st but if I open a fic and everything is misspelled, almost no punctuation is used, and I have to work really hard to understand your story, then it's not going to go far. (With respect to writers who post work in English, and it's their second language). I never pay much attention to the occasional misspelling or grammar mistake, but when it looks like you sent your fic via text message or tinder chat, I just can't. I personally use Grammarly, but I also hate it and think it's buggy and overpriced. If anyone else has a better option that works with Google Docs, let me know!

Never write your fics in Tumblr's post editor. That has nothing to do with engagement but that shit is buggy as hell.

Avoid putting too much text up front before the fic. I put author's notes at the end. I try to keep summaries short. I try to focus on what someone absolutely needs to know to understand this fic, and I *mostly* try to avoid apologizing to the reader ahead of time for what they're about to read, for it being too long, for it being weird, bleh bleh bleh

If you're writing a series, make people reblog to be tagged. I've seen lots of people do taglists and then they give up because it's a pain to manage (and it is), plus you have a bunch of people that go "add me to the taglist!" or "next part, when?" and they didn't even reblog what you've already written. I think that's been one of the really big factors behind S&V's success

Make navigation as easy as possible - this is web design 101 (which I flunked repeatedly), but a masterlist is good to have. If you're in a series, a link back to the previous chapter + next chapter is good to have, I've also recently started putting a link back to the masterlist. people that know more things about stuff than me told me that you want to make things as simple as possible for viewers to get from one page to another. (that's why youtube links are shit on tumblr, even videos are meh, but GIFs work so well and attract so much attention). this is a visual site, so big images or headings or links with color help to draw the eye's attention.

Write what you want to write. Because you really need to gain enjoyment from writing, and it should never feel like you're a content factory. Do this 9 out of 10 times. The 10th time, write what people want to read. My first mob fic was These Violet Delights which I thought was so smart, and I was so proud of, and I planned this whole series out for. But also I tag things accurately, and some people (even my moots) are uncomfortable reading about those topics. Then when I started S&V I was extremely self-critical because I didn't want to write something filled with tropes and cliches. And then I sort of got off my soapbox and let S&V be its own thing, full of tropes and cliches, because they're popular for a reason, and they're fun to read, and it's okay to have candy for dinner every once in a while. And I've been able to pivot my plans and create something I'm pretty proud of.

It does help to stay consistent in the fandom you're writing for. Either by writing or reblogging other writers. Just don't make yourself feel like you're a slave to Tumblr and you must stay active at all times f o r e n g a g e m e n t. Everyone should take breaks when they need to.

Don't listen to my advice because no one knows how to hack tumblr. There are some posts that have sooooo many notes and I'm like 'why?' Meanwhile, my heart's been ripped open in LED pixels on screen and sometimes it passes by.

I hope that this was useful! And if not, I'm sorry for the long post. I look forward to reading your fic (whoever you are), and feel free to tag me when you write your next thing!

💜

#on writing #writing advice #fanfiction #fanfic advice #peter parker fanfiction #tasm fanfiction #writing #writers on tumblr

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diana-fortyseven · 8 months

Note

🛠🍷🥰

Wow, that's a huge glass of wine! Thank you (for the ask, not for the drink lol)!

(But also, thank you for the drink.)

🍷 Do you drink and write?

Usually not, but sometimes it's fun. There's this very particular type of creativity only red wine can unlock. Other drinks only make me sleepy, not creative.

Always edit sober, though! :D

🥰 How do you feel about reader interaction? Are you open to receiving questions about your fics?

Y E S! My comments on AO3 are unrestricted on all fics, please go ahead and ask whatever you want to know about any of them. I'm not looking for constructive criticism, though. (But if you find a typo or a punctuation fail, please do let me know lol. It shouldn't happen with multiple layers of spell and grammar checkers, but sometimes I add something last second before hitting "publish", and sometimes my brain is not braining while I do so.)

🛠 What tools/programs/apps do you use to write?

Sit down and enjoy that glass of wine, this'll take a while... xD

For spontaneous short fics (and for plot bunnies that came out of nowhere), I use Google Docs. It's great because it auto-saves, and I can access my docs on any device.

Then I have Scrivener for fics that require a bit more planning or are more than just one scene.

I made different templates for the different kind of fics I usually write (and should I ever feel like I'm 100% happy with my ever-evolving templates, I'll happily share them!); and it's perfect to organise and keep all plot bunnies in check.

How was I ever able to live without the Corkboard and without being able to shuffle scenes and around like index cards? I love this fucking Corkboard, I love the binder, I love that I have a template that groups all "Save the Cat!" plot beats into the three acts of the three-act structure. And my god, do I love that I'm also able to customise the theme of my Scrivener and turn it into a pastel rainbow. Absolute eye candy! <3

I very recently treated myself to Scrivener for iOS, and I'm so happy that I did! Again, Google Docs is great for some quick note-taking, but being able to add a new index card to my WIP's Corkboard wherever I am? Priceless!

For mind maps, I use Scapple. It's from the same company that makes Scrivener, Literature & Latte. Good to organise thoughts, not necessarily a must-have. There are free mind map tools out there. I just want to support Literature & Latte.

I also use voice-to-text, because that's something that really helps me whenever I feel like I can't write. The words are there, the stories are there, but I can't fucking write them down for whatever reason.

After experimenting with different free options (let me know if you're interested in my thoughts on them and which I would recommend), I settled for Nuance Dragon Professional 16, the best dictation software on the market, but also fucking expensive. I don't regret this. It's probably overkill if you're only using it for fanfic.

I don't use the mobile version, Dragon Anywhere, because it's a subscription based service now, and fuck that. It's probably really awesome and all, but I am not paying €150 per year for this.

So, to save money, I use my €1,000 dictation software with the free dictation app ALON Dictaphone to dictate chapters or scenes on my phone. There are probably better apps out there, but I've been using this one for more than ten years and I like it. You can organise your voice notes with labels, so you always know which fic they belong to. It also synchs with all cloud services out there (I use it with my free Dropbox), and I can access the files on my laptop when I need them. Dragon 16 can transcribe these files without playing them, which is really nice, because a) I don't have to listen to my own voice and b) I can do something else on my laptop and don't have to stay quiet while it's transcribing.

For spelling and grammar, I use LanguageTool. The free plan offers all I need, and it integrates with Google Docs and my browser. The best thing about it is that you can choose which English accent to write in, and it will tell you if an expression you used belongs to a different accent and offer you an alternative.

For a quick final edit, I use ProWritingAid and Hemingway Editor. I like that you can choose the genre in PWA. I dismiss a lot of their suggestions, though. There's a reason I chose passive voice for this one sentence, dammit! xD

AutoCrit also offers interesting editing tools. I'll give it a go at one point, but for now I've only played around with the example text a little.

So, yeah. That's basically it, I think.

#Ask Game #Fanfic Meme #Fanfic Asks

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onthevirgeofdestruction · 2 years

Note

what do you use to write? Like the program/ app?

Oh yeah if you've never seen it before I bet that screenshot was weird.

I use Scrivener! (I also use Scrapple by them for the Narrative game I'm making but it's useful for brainstorming if you're a person who does that) It allows you to put a story, your notes, chapters, drafts, table of contents, and all your references in one place and access it easily all at once in a few different ways.

as you can see I took that to mean all the things I write in one place. (I just opened up a few of my dice-rolled prompt options) My therapy notes are also in there. You can organize things in folders, by labels, or even make a folder out of another document. I use that one in particular mostly to save the snippets I cut. You can also put Photos in there for reference and open them in-program. There's this like pin-board thing, too, for quick ref.

My colours and stuff are all custom because I'm photosensitive, there are other themes if you don't like all this darkness. You can customize the fonts and stuff too but I just use dyslexie for everything to make it more legible for my dyslexic ass. You could easily make and switch between different Scrivener files but I basically just have all my fanfic in one file because ADHD.

I normally use the sidebar to keep the notes/outline open while I write the draft. Then I just edit the draft up to the final draft rather than make new documents. There is a draft system, Status, Labels, ect. I don't really use those personally (other than the labels to colour the folders so they're separated and to make the notes/taglist stick out) but they are very cool. I bought it because I wanted everything in one place and a way to have notes open while I write. You can also set writing word-count goals for the day, see your writing statistics, and lots of other little cool things.

There's a mobile app you have to buy separately, that if your scrivener backs up to the cloud you can open your scrivener files and write on the go, too.

I highly recommend it. Not that expensive (in comparison to other big names in writing programs at least), has lots of cool features, lets me ADHD all over the place with ease

I use ProWritingAid for editing but it's kinda buggy with Scrivener as a warning. Once I'm done editing it goes to google docs for the betas to submit comments/changes and also gets a pass from grammarly and google docs' spell/grammar check. Scrivener doesn't have a good grammar/spelling checker is the only downside, but there's so many free apps for that now it's hard to care.

#anonymous #ayri

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outcider · 18 days

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Scrivener stop posting about AI and pissing off your community challenge

I subscribe to an RSS feed of Scrivener's blog. I know the past they posted about using AI to create free book covers and took down the post due to backlash. I went today to clear out my feed to read their post about using grammar and spell check tools. My experiences with Grammarly have been complete shit, but I wanted to see about other options.

But, what do I see in the blog post:

"All of these spelling and grammar checkers also include AI tools in their paid plans. Many of these AI tools are available in other ways, using the many AI options available today, but having them in a spelling and grammar checker may be useful. You can use these tools to rewrite sections of texts, rephrase long sentences, get bullet points for articles, compose descriptions, shorten and simplify texts, and more. These tools are mostly useful for non-fiction and academic writing."

So, I click through to the website to tell them to knock off with this crap and lo and behold:

I am too late, the post is already gone. I wonder why? Maybe the same reason as last time??? The tweet to promote this blog post is also gone.

Dear Scriviner, none of your audience wants this shit. You are pissing off the people who give you money. You are a trusted writing program and all this AI-friendlyness makes your users nervous.

Note: I have screenshots of the RSS post with full text. I think my RSS doesn't save posts once I've read them? So I just screenshot. If anyone wants the original text for any reason let me know.

Note2: If Grammarly is useful to you, that's fine, but it flags a lot of perfectly grammatical statements and just hates certain writing styles. It's bad for me, specifically. Technically, even Grammarly's basic grammar stuff is also called AI, but that's just because nothing being called AI these days is really AI and also despite all the attempts at future shock a year ago none of this tech is really as new as it seems, the 'breakthrough' was turbo-charging it with plagiarism and hoping people would be okay with that

#scrivener #writeblr #stop ai

0 notes

briarcrawford · 1 month

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📝 Writers Tool Share: LanguageTool

I understand AI is controversial, but this one is just for minor mistakes, rather than writing your story for you. It is free with a premium advanced version, does not save personal data, and is open-source.

"LanguageTool is an AI-based spelling, style, and grammar checker that helps correct or paraphrase texts across languages."

Edit: someone just informed me that the basic free features do not use AI.

#writing #writer #author #writingadvice #writing advice #writing tool #write #open source #opensource

0 notes

inuyashamybeloved · 4 months

Note

Hi! I’m here for the 2023 Review Ask Game☺️

#15,22, 25,&30

HI NIKKI! 🥰🥰🥰

15. Rec a fic you wrote or posted in 2023

Since most of my Inuyasha fics were posted in 2023, I’m going to pick a non-Inukag one: “A Most Peculiar Family”. I greatly enjoy writing the family dynamics between Toga, Inukimi, Izayoi, and their boys. We know so little about them in canon and how the three parents interacted with each other that it’s so much fun to play around with them.

——

22. Share an excerpt from your favorite scene.

I have a couple, but I have to go with Miroku showing up to pick up his cousin Kagome in the most ridiculous prom suit in “The Prom Conundrum”

Kagome’s jaw dropped as she stared at Miroku. This had to be a nightmare and a bad joke, all wrapped in a prom suit. An utterly hideous prom suit right out of some tacky 80s movie. And she would have to walk next to that.

Her dear cousin was wearing a powder-blue tux—cummerbund, bowtie, and ruffled tuxedo shirt included—that made him stick out like a sore thumb and would no doubt make him the butt of every joke.

And she was his escort. Why did the universe have it out for her? Who did she piss off in a past life to be punished in this one in such a way?

“You're joking, right? Right?!” She tried and failed to control her tone and volume; Miroku gave her a sheepish smile, and she lost it. “What the heck is that?! You look like you just hopped off great-aunt Kikyo's wedding cake! You remember the pictures, right?! Those cake toppers were ridiculous!” She gestured wildly with her hand, taking in the fashion tragedy in front of her.

——

25. What did you use to write? (e.g. writing programs, paper & pen, etc.)

I use Google Docs because it automatically saves into Google Drive and it has a great grammar/spelling checker (plus I use Grammarly on top of that. I used to use Microsoft Word long ago, but the autosave failed me a lot and lost fics in the past.

——

30. What’s something that you want to write in 2024?

I certainly would like to finish my 3 current WIPs (2 Inukag, 1 kid Inu and soon-to-be adopted mom), but there are a couple of ideas I’d like to publish. One is already in the process of being written (A crossover of Inuyasha and Rurouni Kenshin), and the other is only in the stage of notes taking and plotting (A canon divergence where after 5 years the well opens for Inuyasha and he crosses to her side one last time. I honestly love the idea of him ending in the future, but most fics have him go through 500 years until finally meeting her and that scenario is a slippery slope for me).

Thank you for the questions, Nikki! ❤️💚

#heynikkiyousofine #scar plays asks games

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prodigitalyofficial · 6 months

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crowncursed · 7 months

Note

(Sideblog @the-human-fionna) munday questions 4 and 7

Munday Asks // accepting

4. What grammar rule you think you cannot overcome even though you train through writing replies? I don't do it as much anymore, but I had a phase where dashes were my best friend, and I would use them liberally, for no reason, and incorrectly. I'd just break up a sentence for dramatic effect. Nowadays, spell checker kind of saves my ass from grammatical errors, but I think the one that sticks around is writing non-sentences. Like I could have just tacked it on with a comma. My college professor would be so disappointed. 7. What is something you didn’t think you have a problem writing it and now you stopped writing it? Anything sexual. I've had... a lot of bad experiences in the past surrounding a particular writing partner I had. It was a huge turn-off for years, and I'd only dabbled occasionally since, but I just don't think it's for me.

#( out of character. )#( munday asks. )#( i got my wifi to work but now it's almost time for bed. -_-

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josephthesnailshow · 7 months

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Burnt Luigi (Post #2)

Ah, look at that, post #2. I recently found this blog thanks to my brother. I had a huge problem trying to record this for him, like he requested; apparently, he told me something about a story called “Burnt Luigi." Am I being correct on that? It’s kind of a stupid name; why would you name a story that? Eh, I won’t care too much; he’s my brother anyway.

For a proper introduction to whoever is reading this post, my name is Joseph. I did not write the original post that was locked; my brother did. Recently, I got a hold of this post, so I’m writing it now. Well, enough dellydialing. You wanted a post about something creepy, right? Well, you’re probably going to get it now.

If you knew my work on the internet, I love writing and creating games as a little hobby, and I knew this was my opportunity. So, I gladly agreed to take this blog that my brother was trying to write. One thing I noticed about this post is the use of bad grammar and crap. (For those grammar checker experts who like correcting others’ grammar on the internet, my grammar is terrible too, but I’m sure it will be way better than my brother’s grammar, I tell you that.) Well, back to what I’m talking about: I recently stumbled across the ROM that my brother posted on the web.

I thought it was a virus at first, but if it came from my brother, I had to trust him, right? And besides, it was Super Mario 64; how could I not? It’s definitely a favorite of mine, next to Super Mario World and Luigi’s Mansion on the Nintendo GameCube. Of course, you are expecting a bloody and totally scary mess out of this post, right? Well, I’m expecting to write about one too. Just stick with me; we will see together.

Anyway, I started downloading the ROM, and judging by how I have Project 64, I could play this easily and record the thing, in case you think I’m lying. Either way, my way of recording things like this may seem like I’m just lying and writing a story to scare others. The ROM finally downloaded, and I was able to play it; though, I had to drag it into a folder with my other games, and luckily, it’s been converted into a Z64 file in the first place (heck yeah, I can play this now).

youtube

The game started with Mario’s head, of course, like anyone would when they play this game. I decided to play around with Mario’s face, pulling on his ear, nose, you name it. I pressed start, and it took me straight to the selection screen.

One thing I noticed is the save folder from the time my brother was using this blog (it was refreshed to 1 star from before for some odd reason). I opened it and was met with something quite odd; it was a still frame of Mario in the basement, completely flooded with water. Of course, you know, it was in the original game anyway.

Lord, I was hoping I would have a day where I don’t mention anything creepy (something that children may see creepy only) in a post, but instead, I did. Basically, Mario was lying in the water, basically dead, not moving at all, still as a picture, and the water was reddish, and it was mixed with blood. It would've been obvious anyway; it was playing Bowser’s laugh on repeat, and it got deeper at the last frame.

How long was this going to take? God knows how long, but it finally took me back to the selection screen.

This time, the original save file (Mario A) had Mario’s head in the center of the gray square but with his eyes completely closed, and he’s puking red water out of his mouth. The HUD that had the stars and “new” text was completely gone; there’s no way I could open the save file back up; my only options were B, C, and D.

I opened B, but the same thing happened, though. This time, it showed a close-up of the lava in Lethal Lava Land, and there was Luigi’s hand coming out of the lava. I don’t know why Luigi was in this, as he was never in Super Mario 64 in the first place, only when the game was still being worked on.

FYI, he was found afterwards after the “rumors” of him being in the game were spreading like wildfire.

Though there was audio of Luigi screaming in the background, sounding A.I.-generated, it should be noted that Charles, the voice actor of Mario and Luigi, originally quit his role, unfortunately. This might’ve been off-topic, but it’s worth knowing because it was tragic for people who grew up with their voices. (It was tragic for me to hear too.) Back to the post: I’m sorry if I keep talking and going off-topic; I’m pretty talkative.

There were frames of Luigi; they weren’t very fast, so I could see them and describe them to you. It was a photo of Luigi, clearly edited and taken in game; he was burned, and the photo was black and white, as if it were taken during the older days. His mustache was completely gone, as was his flesh, revealing his skeleton. His clothing was also torn, revealing some bone underneath. You can see this in the video as well, if you’re following along. Some things had to be cut because I wanted you to figure them out yourself or because I didn’t find them important enough.

As with the first save file, it took me straight to the file selection screen after a little while, now this time showing Luigi's burnt and disfigured look in the center of the gray box, though it got refreshed back to a new file.

My only options were C and D.

I entered the “C” save file and prayed to God that it would grant me at least one game.

It didn't grant me a game, sadly, though instead of that, I got an in-game photo again. It turns out, my job was done in the first place; Bowser was destroyed, though he was decapitated. Who did it? Well, if you’ve been around since the first post, you would know that Luigi drowned Mario, and he might’ve been the one that killed Bowser.

It was playing the Big Boo’s Haunt theme (but deeper and slower for some reason) on repeat, and after a little while, it took me to the selection screen. Though the background was completely distorted and had Luigi’s face flashing on the screen, Bowser’s head was on the center of the buttons like Mario and Luigi, again not pressable, and my only option is D. I hoped for a game, or else I'm wasting my time.

I pressed the final save file, and it was actually a game, though it took me directly to Bob-Omb Battlefield level, though the scene was dark and depressing, and there was the music that you would hear in dire dire docks. The audio was peaceful, but it gave me an uncomfortable feeling of abandonment.

What I meant by that is, do you remember what happened with King Bob-omb? He died, and the battlefield has been left to rot. I don't know who runs it now, but you will find out in this post.

I climbed up the mountain, dodging the black balls going down the hills, and when I reached the top, my screen started glitching and going out of frame.

The man on top was indeed green, burnt, and fleshless.

It was Luigi.

When I saw him and approached, my screen got darker and darker, then flashes of the Luigi picture again started appearing faster and faster.

Randomly, there was a video of a man staring at me, overlaying the flashes of Luigi’s face. This wasn’t Shigeru Miyamoto or Charles Martinet, but this man who flashed on the screen was definitely an employee at Nintendo; how did I know that? He had a uniform on. I don’t know about this man yet, but he might have importance with this file and explain why this version of Super Mario 64 is the way it is.

My theory is that this man could be the one who added Luigi, but he did it in this way without Miyamoto’s knowledge. From what I’m thinking, he might’ve done this because Luigi was his favorite character, and he got angry over the fact that Nintendo didn’t add him to the game, so before launch, he broke into one of the copies and snuck it into my brother and I’s nearby GameStop that’s located in my Walmart submall (no, I don’t live at a store, I live in a town that I won’t give my address to).

Though that’s my theory, it shouldn’t be true.

I also forgot to mention the fact that my screen capture of the Bob-omb Battlefield broke, so you may only hear audio, though the beginning of the video where it shows the selection screen has been shown working perfectly; however, my screen capture usually flashes now and then when it happens, but in the recording, you may see some weird stuff. Let me know what you see.

In the video, you may also notice how choppy the video is. I apologize for that; my computer isn’t very good. Anyway, I can’t continue this post any longer. Before I end this post, this is being recorded with OBS Studio, which is something I’ve been using for a while.

Well, please have a good day. I will continue this again in Post #3 if I ever find anything interesting. Oh wait, I’m getting a call from a curator on the Mario Amino. Let’s see here. It’s TakeASoda? I will answer this.

#creepypasta #arg #alternative reality game #burnt luigi #nintendo 64 #super mario 64 #haunted gaming #josephthesnail #spiral nightmares #Youtube

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babyjakes · 1 year

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〈 disclaimer: this blog posts content not suitable for individuals under the age of 18. minors are strictly prohibited from viewing, sharing, or interacting with this blog. for more information on this blog's commitment to protecting minors, read our full statement here. 〉

nav | masterlist | rules | library

a collection of eun's favorite online writing tools. please feel free to add suggestions through reblogging, or send them in to eun through an ask or dm!

grammarly | my in-browser spell and grammar checker of choice! sign-up and use are free.

word counter | calculates word, character, sentence, and paragraph count as well as other cool stats such as reading level, most frequently used words, and more!

thesaurus | my best friend! my saving grace! the only thing that keeps me from using the same 10 words over and over in my writing! helps expand vocabulary by providing extensive lists of synonyms (conveniently organized by part of speech.) also allows you to compare suggested synonyms by definition, helping you make the best choice for your writing.

dialogue tool | a list of over 300 words to use in place of "said" when writing dialogue, organized by emotion.

description resources | a huge collection of various descriptions for settings, weather, and more!

points of view masterclass | a simple guide on writing from different points of view, including tips on picking a point of view to write from and using point of view as a literary device.

#tools for writers #important

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condensedmatters · 1 year

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I fucking love TeX

Professional graphic designers like to think they're pushing the world of typography forward, but they're delusional—the real heroes are all the middle-aged dudes on the TeX User Group making typefaces and packages for TeX's many distributions.

Do you honestly think scientists use InDesign? Please, we have better things to spend grant money on—we use TeX (and some use Word and get other people to do the TeX for them). We program our documents and we like it.

Oh what's that? Adobe's charging you a shitload of fuck every month to keep using their shitty page layout software? Oh me? I just downloaded a professional bit of software for free, along with like 10 Gb worth of extra packages for free. The source code? Oh yeah, I can edit that too.

And TeX does exactly what you tell it—no fucking stupid Office/InDesign "oh you're clicking this button so I'll destroy your whole document" bullshit, no stupid AI grammar checker, no long menus, no dialogue trees, no using all your computer's resources. Just type in your command and you're done. If I want to put a picture in a document at the top of a page, all I need to do is

\begin{figure}[t]

\includegraphics{foo}

\caption{Eat my ass, Adobe!}

\end{figure}

The best part is using pandoc with LaTeX, so you don't have to do much programming at all, you just type a markdown document—which is so easy to do it's supported on tumblr—and tell pandoc to make it a PDF. You can program your own templates and everything, it's just wonderful. I use XeTeX with pandoc, so I can use OpenType and TrueType fonts, and get all their cozy features, without using Word or some shit.

TeX also has the best math typesetting, bar none. If you're doing any kind of stuff with math at all, you're going to use TeX without question—if you've ever been on a forum with a bunch of nerds that has a math typesetting thing, that's TeX right there.

And want to know something else? People think you're goddamn Alan Turing for typing shit up in TeX. People think you might as well be Jesus Christ, son of Tony fucking Hawk for typing "\emph{foo}" in your document.

In some ways TeX is even easier than HTML—you don't have to remember how to use all those stupid XML tags, you just do \foo for your commands, and play with brackets, and that's it.

If you've never tried it, I highly suggest you play around with TeX for a bit. Overleaf has some wonderful documentation for TeX—specifically LaTeX—and you can use their free website to learn TeX without installing anything on your computer.

Citations? Oh yeah, TeX does that. If you use a plain TeX distribution, BibLaTeX is your best friend—it's easy to use, super powerful, and handles your citations automatically from a bibliography file—you can just use Zotero to manage your bibliography and research, then export your bibliography to a BibLaTeX file. If you're using pandoc, it can do CSL citations, which means you can really easily find, say, MLA, Chicago/Turabian, and niche journal citation styles. It is literally a godsend—you can just type in "\cite{foo}" (TeX) or "[@foo]" (pandoc) and cite your source.

If you've never done it before, by god consider trying TeX. I can't say it's easy—the time you save not doing GUI bullshit will be spent reading documentation—and the learning curve is high, but it's so worth it in the end.

There will be headaches learning it, you will struggle to know what "overfull hbox" means; you will struggle to remember the names of a few symbols; you will, by god, misalign brackets, or use square brackets where you should have used curly braces. But in the end it all works, it all comes together almost divinely.

What I suggest for new learners is to get the TeX basics down first, then transition to pandoc and make your own TeX template to use—it will give you the necessary TeX experience to make something that works good, and eventually help you save a lot of time.

#computers #typesetting #programming

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