#use what works and ignore the rest

[robyn-goodfellowe]

Hi uhh idk how to say it but any tips on writing in general? I really wanna write my story I have stored in my doc but I don’t know where to start.

hello!! i am very honored that you came to ME to ask because i love to talk about writing, so thank you :) with that being said this might get a little long so ill put everything under a readmore, but all of my advice can be summarized like this

tl;dr: just start!!!

i KNOW. in my soul. that there's genuinely nothing more every aspiring writer hates to hear than "just start" lol but it really does come down to that. just start. whatever you put on the page doesnt have to be PERFECT, it just has to be there. my first drafts for anything are never solid. my initial drafts are NEVER the quality of the final

and its through careful, consistent rewriting that it becomes something more palatable and fun/easy to read. what ive noticed a lot of new writers do (and i used to be very prone to this as well) is that they go into their drafts expecting to drop their final product there, and aim for perfection. i cannot stress enough that perfection is THE ENEMY in literature. you can rewrite things thousands of times for it to turn out imperfect in the end, and thats OKAY. you'll end up with a draft you like eventually, but don't expect yourself to find it right away. it takes me a lot of consistent writing sessions to have a paragraph that im satisfied with. itll come to you naturally

but the best advice i can offer is really just ... START. open google docs and just write down your thought process, whatever that looks like for you. maybe its the summarisation of a few scenes you like, maybe its a chunk of an out of context paragraph. whatevers in your head, put it on paper and see where you can go from there. thats really the only way you can start

outside of that some of my big things are being consistent and READING. i write for at minimum half an hour every day (not always fic lol! i am a creative writing major, am working on my manuscript and also trying to get published in some small-scale literary magazines and sites. so im always working on something, basically) and its probably the only thing in my life i am super consistent about. maintaining a habit and making yourself write even when you dont "feel like it" or cant find motivation is the best way to keep writing long term. and reading, well, how i like to put it to my friends is that creativity is like a well. you cant keep drawing from it without filling it up eventually. you need good writing and good words to inspire you so you can keep drawing from your creative well. when im not writing im reading and you should be too. you really cant have one habit without the other

are really immersing myself in the world that i've created for my silly little guys. i am, at all times of the day, immersed into my stories one way or another. im almost constantly curating pinterest boards, or making playlists, or sharing it with my friends (the last one is highly important. the best way to stay encouraged is to have someone to share with) and so theres not really a day when im not thinking about what i want to write to some extent

but yeah basically thats all of the advice i can offer. write, write, write and don't be afraid for it to be not perfect. nobody is perfect, you are human. so just have fun with it

hope this can help ssomewhat! :)

#answered #writing #tql spoilers #<- used a scene from it as an example! #im not a professional though (YET) so please take all of my advice with a grain of salt #use what works and ignore the rest #also that doodle is very old but i think its still fitting

[biggest-gaudiest-patronuses]

putting my prediction on record now that the coming decade is going to see the rise of viral-marketed fancy at-home water filtration systems, driving and driven by a drastic reduction in the quality of U.S. tap water (given that we are in a 'replacement era' where our current infrastructure is reaching the end of its lifespan--but isn't being replaced). also guessing that by the 2030s access to drinkable tap water will be a mainstream class issue, with low-income & unstably housed people increasingly forced to rely on expensive bottled water when they can't afford the up-front cost of at-home filtration--and with this being portrayed in media as a "moral failing" and short-sighted "choice," rather than a basic failure of our political & economic systems. really hope i'm just being alarmist, but plenty of this already happens in other countries, and the U.S. is in a state of decline, so. here's praying this post ages into irrelevance. timestamped April 2023

#apollo don't fucking touch this one #serious post #not a shitpost #hope i forget about this post and have no reason to ever look back on it one day #fyi i'm aware that access to potable water is already a major issue in parts of the U.S. yes i know flint michigan exists #i'm saying that this issue is going to GROW unless local & federal governments work together to fix it. #so it's a matter of if we trust them to fix it. And well--do you? #what are the chances the government just denies there's a problem until the water actually turns brown #at which point it's already been common knowledge for years and people have just become resigned and that's our new normal #i'm mean come on. how many of us already believe that we're being exposed to dangerous pollutants we don't know about and can't avoid #like that's pretty much just part of being a modern consumer. accepting that companies will happily endanger your life for a few pennies #and the most you'll get is like a $50 gift card as part of a class action rebate 20 years down the line #probably the history books will look back on Flint as a warning and a harbinger that went ignored #luxury condos will advertise their built-in top-of-the-line filtration systems--live here and you can drink water straight from your tap! #watch the elite professional class putting $700 dyson water filtration systems on their wedding registry #while the rest of us figure out how to fit water delivery into our grocery budget while putting 90% of our paycheck towards rent #also eggs are $15

[grandwretch]

i just think that from now on, whenever one of the kids brings up the power of love or friendship being an actual force in their world-- one they can use to fight vecna, especially --steve has to leave the room so he doesn’t cause a scene. eventually robin asks why, and steve scoffs, because he can’t believe it anymore. he’s never loved anyone as much as he loves those kids, and it didn’t save max. neither could lucas. only el and her powers could. and dustin loved eddie so fucking much, used eddie’s last moments on earth to make sure he knew how much-- and eddie loved dustin back, and eddie loved bigger and purer than anyone steve had ever met before. it didn’t save him. eddie is rotting in the upside down, and no amount of love is going to bring him back. 

#shut up az #stranger things truly does say that love and friendship are magic #but ONLY if you're both white heterosexuals and one of you is psychic #mike wheeler can have special captain planet heart powers but like fuck the rest of you besties #idk what characters to tag this as so i'm not tagging it #i just think steve would be so disillusioned after s4 #the kids start talking about using friendship as a shield and steve and nancy make eye contact across the table like #ok so for those of us in the real world plan b will be... #oh gross i just realised stancy might happen because they make each other believe in love again #GROSS i dont want that #every month i discover a new way to make stancy work but only if you ignore like half of nancy's characterization #and i'm pretty sure the duffers are down to do it

[dnangelic]

anytime i think about panelset i cry btw

#*･ﾟ⊰ 𝐎𝐔𝐓 𝐎𝐅 𝐂𝐀𝐑𝐃𝐒. ⊱ ✦ › OUT. #UUUU TOWA UUUU ARGENTINE #THEY'RE SO RESPECTFUL THEY'RE SO GRATEFUL TO HIM. #TO DARK. TO THE FIGUREHEAD. TO THEIR LUCIFER. THE EXALTED. NOBLE HALF OF THE KOKUYOKU #GUY WHO'S BEEN ALONE AND IN EXCRUCIATING PAIN FOR 2000 YEARS STILL DESPERATELY TRYING TO DO SOMETHING RIGHT FOR THE OTHER ARTWORKS #NO MATTER WHAT IT TOOK!!! TRYING TO MAKE UP FOR HIS OWN CREATION AND EXISTENCE!! #clinging to love and meaning no matter his own inherent lack of feeling!!!! doing what he wants n what feels RIGHT #even as krad tells him over and over he could just ignore it all and get away without blame or responsibility!!! #'just let [everyone] die' how could he possibly do that???? how could he possibly?? when manisumea helped him then was destroyed for it?? #the instant he fell into betrayal against the hikari- fury and sorrow and his own tearful sense of betrayal too!!! #it's just the way i knoOOOW dark wished he could refuse it. esp since they've broken at this point #or the way he's just absolutely not used to it. the slightest kindness. anyone's /gratefulness/ #rather than ignorant admiration or criminal cursing like the rest of azumano's populace #all these arts never even once being told they were important by anybody. except the niwa family #dark who always has so many troubles -saying- it and practically never does. but works the hardest #flings himself immediately and consistently into the most danger for anyone and anything he wants to protect #KINDNESS SOWN AMONG THE MEEK IS HARVESTED IN CRISIS!!! #power of love and friendship wins and explodes the enemy. GOD BLESS #the completed kokuyoku too always makes me think of the phrase 'love laying sorrow/hatred to rest' #it's heartbreaking for daisuke but for dark it's his penultimate moment. it really is #there's SO MUCH GOING ONNNNN UAAAAAA -goes to bed- #if i think about how in the published volumes dark actually starts cracking and breaking I'LL CRY.......... NOT MY HOT TOPIC EMO #HES MY BEST FRIEND </3 #reference.

[shirkers2018dirsanditan]

the embarrassing thing about trying and failing to date is whenever i come to my senses and quit i have to in theory walk back all the BS nonsense i was talking about dating and sex but lucky for me most of the friends that i have straight up do not actually care LMAO. and the ones that do understand tbh so its not as embarrassing. in reality i should just let this go fr but i’m literally a 23 year old woman so i’m bound to get caught in this cycle again. oh well

#it all just is what it is #but whenever the next rare occasion that i’m in a friendly group of women my age i’ll just keep my mouth shut about dating honestly #though fortunately i don’t see that happening for the rest of the summer actually #i just cannot for my sake care about any of this anymore #friendship relationships sex etc i just cannot be bothered by this anymore fr #i’m going to be happy with what i have and treasure the friends i have #i have about four friends who are truly great friends to me #and others that are hit and miss but i’m going cherish what we have there and let go what we don’t #get what you get and you don’t throw a fit #and there’s just no use getting upset every time i feel left out or ignored or when i’m reminded x and y friend probably thinks i’m ugly #blah blah blah #i’m not happy with my situation and the way it seems impermeable to change #and i’m not happy that i keep coming to the conclusion that i’m unlikable and repulsive in some innate and subtle way #that blows! it does! it sucks! #i wish was a person people really actually liked #but i’m not and tired of that fact making me sad #and i did say im going to stop making posts like this and i am #but it is work to be apathetic about this #but i shall power through #and eventually it will all pass over me like a fine mist #peace….finally

[capricornsicle]

something something the villain of the season (the one about how fear can give way to extremism if you're not careful and how easy it is for many, many people to become radicalized by one person's radical hate and how genocide is a bad thing actually regardless of whether individuals of the targeted group have themselves done terrible things) being a black woman who survived an incident of indiscriminate mass murder is perhaps. not the best idea considering the themes involved

#teen wolf #tamora monroe #hollywood racism #if I could change one thing about this season it would be to cast anyone else in the role of monroe OR to not make her like that #if you want a woc who gets involved in a radical hate group yeah that can happen but not like that #it's a very tone deaf season overall which reminds me of the line from douglas in 6a where he says scott would be a good nazi youth #when a minority joins a hate group it is to double down on hating who they are because they're afraid of what it means to accept it #i.e. mixed kids being super racist because they are led to believe their non-white heritage is bad and they should try to be whiter #monroe doesn't have that. she has no connection to the supernatural. she is just afraid of the other which she refuses to understand #which would be actually interesting if monroe was a white woman who thinks she's immune to radical hate and extremism #but as a black woman who's a victim of circumstance in a random act of mass murder just for the sake of killing people #that doesn't radicalize you against where that person is from. that radicalizes you against murder. #the setup of her story is that she is essentially the survivor of a hate crime or random killing spree. which is so very relevant #that's not how it explicitly happens on the show but that is the metaphor they walked into with that one #you can't have themes where it's convenient and ignore the other implications and connotations of the rest of your work #and the implication is that they used a black woman as a primary villain (and unredeemable which is interesting bc peter exists) #as the face of the radical hate/genocide group which targets a group of mostly children simply because someone like them was bad #they're using a woc in the role of the aggressor who hates all poc because of one person from one group who did something bad #diversity win the woman of color is racist. the word of the day is 'tone deaf' #tw writers/casting department be like I don't see race and then is racist in a new and unique way

[verinqueerstake]

I don’t see this very often but I have seen it—

You cannot simultaneously say Mormons aren’t Christians but they’re also not a minority religion. Christians are the majority religion in the United States. There is no country where Mormons are the majority. Either we are Christians, and part of the majority religion in the US (and most of the rest of the Americas and Europe), or we are not Christians, and we’re a minority.

It’s, like, not even about us being “oppressed” or whatever. We really aren’t in the US. It’s just that if Christians are the majority religion and you think we’re not a Christian denomination, it doesn’t make sense to claim we’re also a majority. Unless you’re talking about Utah, specifically.

#this is intentionally ignoring our history of oppression at the hands of US federal and state governments (looking at you Missouri) #because since like the late 1970s we have not been oppressed really #I would argue that the institution of the church is currently contributing to oppression #but this is about. like. now. #and how people hate Mormons because we oppress minority religions (listen I have issues with missionary work but Mormons in general have… #you know what that’s a story for another time) #but then will intentionally separate us from the rest of Christianity because *checks notes* our belief in the godhead is the same as other #denominations like Lutheranism #yes actually #okay I’m done

[musical-chick-13]

“A story about gay/bi people can ONLY be good, respectful, and well-written if NONE of the characters EVER suffer from homophobia.”

Please shut up.

#I mean. obviously there's a difference between 'this gay/bi character suffers a disproportional amount to the rest of the cast' or 'their #suffering has no significant impact on the story beyond making them miserable' and 'they experience a realistic level of angst and negative #behavior by their peers' #like yeah if the Suffering™ is excessive then that's not good #but...you know...homophobia/biphobia. is still a thing #expression of this identity is still illegal in a bunch of countries #look at what's happening in the US right now with Thomas saying case laws that codified some of our rights are Next To Go #a not-insignificant amount of my extended family STILL thinks any and all queer people should be ostracized and are Going To Hell #if your story takes place in our world at any point before the year 2000 there is literally NOT ONE PLACE that offered marriage equality #yes we should not be reduced to tragic psa's but to say that NO ONE is EVER allowed to talk about the existence of discrimination/homophobia #in their work because it's disrespectful is...very limiting unfair and honestly ignorant #I STILL FACE ISSUES FOR THIS. DON'T TELL ME I'M NOT ALLOWED TO ADDRESS THOSE ISSUES IN ANYTHING I WRITE. ME. AS A WHOLE-ASS QUEER LADY #UGH #salty mc13 is salty #(also don't even get me started on how this conversation about queer stories never seems to include trans people...)

[futureghost97]

rant in tags bc I want to sob into a pillow

#I can’t describe to you guys what my job is like. I know I post ridiculous funny stuff but it’s very rarely funny in the moment #I’m a substitute teacher‚ which means that even though I’m in the building EVERY DAY OF THE YEAR #and even though I’ve known most of these kids since LAST DECEMBER (2021) #they just. don’t fucking listen to a word I say #it took 14 minutes and a dean of students in the room with me today to get one of my classes to stop talking over/ignoring me #and I’m not even yelling at them‚ I’m literally trying to 1.) say ‘good afternoon folks!’ and 2.) tell them what the assignment is #all day long I’m ignored and disrespected by the same kids and there are no consequences because this is a charter school #and day after day I’m also disrespected by staff because I’m ‘just a sub’ and you #everyone keeps calling out of work #we finally filled the last VACANCY we had TWO WEEKS AGO. we’ve been down 3 full time teachers since the beginning of the year #and as of two weeks ago we finally filled the last vacancy. so I could go back to JUST substituting. #but today the 7th grade ELA teacher just gave us his one-week notice which means that now that I am the ONLY BUILDING SUB #(we started the year with 3‚ now it’s just me) #I have this terrible suspicion that ​I’m gonna get stuck with 7th grade ELA for the rest of the year. while trying to do grad school. #I just… I’m exhausted all the time #and I act like I’m not but I am #this job is so demeaning and exhausting and I love my students (specifically my 8th graders and high schoolers) #but I’m not gonna see them for the rest of the year. I’m gonna be stuck in 7th grade ELA I just know it #when I say that the middle school is like an active war zone I’m not joking #I had to stop a kid from choking out his classmate today #I leave work every day with headaches because it’s always so fucking loud‚ even in the middle of lessons #I want my old job back‚ this year has been exhausting and I don’t know how I’ve ended up taking on so much more than I’m supposed to #I covered 6 out of 7 periods again this week. the most that any full time teacher has to teach is 4 out of 7 #and the subbing coordinator keeps giving me the heaviest coverage loads and then telling me he’s ‘disappointed’ by how tired I am #he also gave every single person on the subbing team specific shoutouts in his daily emails… except me #tldr I’m feeling disrespected by students and overworked by my coordinator and undersupported by admin and taken for granted by coworkers

[novadreii]

Honestly the only remake I'd gladly pay money to see right now would be Twilight. The whole thing. Twist: ALL of it directed by Catherine Hardwicke. Soundtrack is 95% Muse with Iron & Wine thrown in for sappy moments. Casting? Honestly? Kristen Stewart has to come back as Bella, nobody else works for her lmao. Everyone else? Shuffle. There's a permanent blue filter and cloud cover. The camera angles are tight and disorienting the entire time. Jacob is played by someone who can maybe actually act and animate his expressions without scrunching up his face like he's shitting?

#These are just a few ideas #I stg make me creative consultant I spent the entire 2010's steeped in this #Catherine and I would do it the justice it deserves #Twilight is amazing because for so many reasons it is as good as it is bad along every axis #Writing characters story tone #All of it laughably awful but at the same time is redeemed by something I can't help but enjoy so much #I have so much fondness for the bizarroness of it all #the Mormon overtones are cringe but easy to ignore if you just roll your eyes and assume the character in question is just dimwitted #but the rest is so accidentally charming and emblematic of 2009 and so unabashed in its portrayal of obsessive love #Stephenie meter didn't even do it on purpose the gem fell out of her by accident #Even though she put forth her best effort to ruin it in several places lmao #Everything about it is iconic and not reproducible #All the countless spin-offs and somehow even the similar ips that PRECEDED it feel like hollow copies of it how does that work??? #like did you know the vampire diaries books came out BEFORE twilight! #It just got released later as a show to ride us over between twilight movies #there is just no other piece of teen media that is quite as gripping in its simultaneous cringe/indulgence #you want to look away but it grips you by the eyeballs with its unique brand of camp #i wonder what smeyer is up to these days #Twilight

[therealvalkyrie]

I have been cleaning since 11am

#I cleaned: #the car (recycled/threw out all the junk my mom just tosses in the backseat. organized the trunk. shook out the seat covers. #found some treasures) #the kitchen table (containing an entire load of laundry and various other detritus) #the dish counter (including putting dishes away and washing what was in the sink) #the fish counter (that no longer contains a fish bc it died but instead was cluttered with food that doesn’t make it back to the pantry etc) #the fridge (including taking stock of what we’re taking with us on vacation #throwing away anything that had been open too long #and scrubbing the shelves) #and now I’m gonna go: #mail 2 things at the post office #pick up some stuff at Walmart #go grocery shopping for the rest of the stuff we need for vacation #and then pick up my mom #ignore this I’m just keeping track of my to-do list #and I feel good and productive!! this is a celebratory post:) #and this morning when I dropped my mom off at work I went to my fav coffeeshop #and a DIFFERENT cute barista remembered my name!! and spelled it right!! #OH AND I HUNG UP THE LAUNDRY AND TOOK IT DOWN AND FOLDED IT #<the real win #good day good day:) #valkyrie talks

[tmema]

truly do not understand how someone can say “separate the art from the artist” when confronted with the fact that an artist whose work they enjoy is a awful. like, specifically in the case of atwood: your response to finding out that she’s horrendously racist & shitty towards sexual assault victims (among other things) should not be, “well, luckily she’s old, can’t wait to separate art from the artist”. what atwood has said and perpetuated is not automatically canceled out the moment she kicks the bucket. that’s not how it works. even when she’s dead, it’s still racist and shitty. you don’t get a pass just because you’re an artist and you’re dead and i think everyone with critical thinking understands that.

it is normal to find out that someone is shitty and go “wow, i had no idea, how awful.” but when you then try and “separate the art from the artist” you essentially are excusing yourself from any critical analysis or thinking about the material you’re reading or the artist themselves. people have had this discussion regarding sylvia plath and anne sexton as well. you do not get to avoid the truth just because it makes you feel uncomfortable or conflicted. & when you choose to be willfully ignorant you’re not doing anyone any favors, least of all yourself.

#° #i'm not sure if i phrased this correctly i struggled a lot with the wording but do you get my point. #why can't you just say 'wow i didn't know that how shitty' like the rest of us instead of 'well it doesn't matter because she'll be dead!' #like that's not how it works... like idk how to phrase it but something something people would rather sanitize what they read #and stuff than like spare a SECOND of critical thinking or analysis #like the truth is VERY RARELY you will find people who don't have shitty opinions #but that doesn't mean you should just willfully ignore it when it pops up. you know what i mean??? #idk if i said that right but man. what a stupid fucking comment #'separate the art from the artist' THAT'S NOT HOW IT WORKS!!!!!!!

[diabeticgirl4]

I find it very amusing (and idk how intentional it is) how distant percy seems to be from everyone? in the throne room battle he was literally hanging around outside while he waited his turns, and since his fighting style is long-distance and pretty independent he just kinda. waits his turn and does his thing during most battles (or in some cases spends his turn prepping while everyone else ko's the boss without him fsjldfjk). I thought of another specific example but forgot rip anyways in the current ep I'm listening to everyone's arguing over rescuing grog and/or healing vax, meanwhile percy's just "ok but let's sleep. I'm sleeping. gnight >:u" and idk I didn't initially peg him as the loner wolf guy at first, but he really is one huh

#ignore me #maddie liveblogs critical role #I'm only on ep 8 pls don't spoil anything for me;;; #like we've barely even touched on character specific content yet #also 'distant' isn't quite the right word but idk what is. he just feels. separate? from the rest? idk #maybe it's just that his fighting style doesn't rly 'work well w others' kinda #most the others use magic that can work w others or like vax can sneak attack meanwhile percy just. shoots guns lol. #he's my fave character so far but it's hard keeping track of him in battles bc he doesn't do much!! aaaa #but like. I can't tell?? if this lone wolf type persona is intentional or not?? #I'm so intrigued!!! reasons why percy's my fave so far >:o #also like I'm reading the transcript while listening and basically every instance of someone arguing- #-'let's just go to sleep and worry about the rest tomorrow' has almost always been percy. he's so tired lol. #and idk it's funny imagining everyone either worrying about grog or vax and then percy's just off to the side wanting to sleep lol #ok I need to go to sleep but I literally can't stop thinking about this OTL