goblin-alchemist

[goblin-alchemist]

This was funny in the moment, but it gets even funnier when you realize that you spend all of Endwalker pretending to be Azem's familiar in Elpis.

Yeah... he's totally lost without "the familiar". 😏

[goblin-alchemist]

Cosplayed as Gabriel Agreste again at Holmat this year on Friday (and Sunday, damn my Saturday Alisaie boots for killing my feet) for the sole purpose of getting a picture with Keith Silverstein while dressed as Gabriel. And mission accomplished!

(I was holding an akuma in my hands in the middle pic, but the camera didn't pick that up.)

[goblin-alchemist]

Prepping for Holmat has made me want to write another installment in my Unconventional Scenarios series, despite leaving the fandom.

[goblin-alchemist]

WHY IS WRITING IS SO FUCKING HARD?

Ten types of fuckery that stop you from writing the thing:

1. Imposter syndrome

You think you're not good enough or everyone else is better than you and you're just winging it AKA ye olde imposter syndrome bullshit. Yeah nah you're fine. No really, you're exactly where you need to be right now, and you'll keep getting better and better so long as you don't stop. Chances are, if you're filled with doubt about your abilities it means you've actually improved to the point where you can really start to understand what makes good writing. It means you know where you wanna end up and goshdarn it you're gonna get there.

Read this: 4 tips to kick imposter syndrome in the face and also genitals

And also this: How to silence the inner critic

2. Fear of rejection and/or failure

Yeah, us too. It fuckin sucks. BUT. Not all rejections are equal. And rejection is a necessary part of the process. Sometimes it takes a rejection to realise that a story isn't ready. Sometimes a rejection is entirely subjective and has ZERO reflection on the quality of your work. But shying away from the very idea of possibly maybe hypothetically getting rejected is only going to hold you back from even trying. And knowing why you got rejected and how to learn from it is one of the most valuable writing skills.

Read this: The different types of rejection (and how to deal with 'em)

Then read this: How to cope with rejection

And also this: Writing lessons from Groundhog Day

3. Not enough planning / too much planning

Leaping into a new story with nothing but a glimmer of an idea is exciting as heck (and can sometimes be a great way to begin) but at some point you're gonna need some sort of outline or plan to keep you on track. HOWEVER. Planning your story to within an inch of its life can also sometimes be a hindrance - leaving you stuck in the hypothetical stage of the process where your story doesn't quite exist yet (and therefore avoiding the prospect of it sucking). The sweet spot is in the middle. Having just enough of a plan to know where tf you're going, but enough freedom and flexibility to let the story lead the way...

Read this: Planning vs pantsing

Then read this: Five plotting techniques

And also this: The perils of overplanning

4. Your WIP just isn't working

Sometimes things just fall flat. Sometimes you work on the same story for yeeeeears and then it just kinda... dies. Sometimes you have the best plans (see above) and the best intentions and things still don't work out. Sometimes it's just time to move on. And sometimes it's not! Sometimes a story can be revived, fixed or changed. Sometimes you just need time. Sometimes YOU'RE the one that's changed and this isn't the story you need to be writing right now. Many variables. Muchly personal. Read the things below for more advice cos this is a big question:

Read this: What to do when your WIP isn't working

And also this: Give it space - how to grow a story in your head

Or how about this? Editing 101

5. You keep deprioritising it

Ah the irony of writing being the thing you love/want to do most of all AND YET the thing you procrastinate over and avoid and shove to the very bottom of your to-do list all the freakin' time. Maybe it's the comodification of art destroying our freedom to create without pressure. Maybe it's late capitalism sucking up all our available time and energy. Maybe it's a lack of self-belief subconsciously telling us our 'little hobby' doesn't really matter. Maybe it's maybelline. Whatever it is, you have the power to reclaim and revalue your writing. To say, "I'm a fucking writer, goddamnit!" and mean it. To ringfence your creative time so nothing and nobody gets to interrupt it. To do that thing you love.

Read this: Prioritise your writing

Read this: How to write in 30 second bursts

6. Shiny Thing Syndrome

You know that feeling when you're just getting stuck into a writing project and then — SQUIRREL! — you get distracted by another, better, more shiny writing project? Or maybe you're deep in the editing phase and your current WIP just isn't feeling very shiny at all and pretty much ANYTHING seems more exciting? Or you simply can't decide which of the many squirrelly writing ideas to actually start? You, fine writerperson, may be suffering from Shiny Thing Syndrome (STS). But fear not! There are a few ways to combat it, depending on the cause, and most of them involve embracing the squirrel-brain and injecting a bit of fun into your writing, like so:

Read this: Shiny thing syndrome - a writer's malady

Aaaand read this: Get excited about your writing again

And also this: Write like a kid

7. Perfectionism/self-sabotage

Look. Writing is scary as shit. What if someone READS it? What if they don't like it? What if they see into your soul and gain a deeper understanding of you through your words? Writing your truth, being vulnerable, smearing your heart juice all over the page? No thank you. But also, that's where the good shit is, so actually yes please. Just make sure you smear responsibly. And rest assured, even the most 'successful' and experienced writers ALSO feel like this sometimes, so you're in good company. It's just part of the art, bruh.

Read this: Why writing is scary (and why that's a good thing)

Read this: Beginning a story - what stops us starting?

And also this: Get out of your own way

8. The dreaded blank page

Oh godddd the blank page. It should be an exciting palimseset of possibility but is somehow also the most terrifying thing known to humankind. You wanna write something but where to start? HOW to start? You type that first line and immediately delete it. You watch the cursor blinking at you—taunting you—until you just give up and shut your laptop again. It's probably tied up with a bunch of things we've already covered so far: perfectionism, imposter syndrome, fear of failure, maybe a lack of planning or faith in your story or whatever. But it doesn't have to be this way. A blank page IS exciting and full of possibility. We just have to get over ourselves and learn to embrace the unknown...

Read this: Don't fear the blank page

And also this: The moaning method

9. Not enough time/energy/motivation/gnuuuughh

Dude, same x 1000. But you don't have to get up at 5am, do hot yoga, drink a kale smoothie and write a thousand words before sunrise to be a Proper Writer. You don't even have to write every day. But what you can do is hack your writing brain and figure out when, where, how, and why you write most effectively. Then tweak your schedule, your habits, and your attitude to ensure you're making the most of your time. Productivity is a big ol' lie but finding the secret to getting in your own personal writing zone is actual MAGIC.

Read this: Maximise your writing time

And also this: Get in the writing zone

And also unto this: The Writers' HQ Guide to Productivity

10. You're just fucken stuck

Got the writing morbs? In need of some literary sudafed? Stuck as a pig in a poke? Writing is a whole puzzle of a process—and to be honest that's what makes it so fun and exciting and addictive, because your writing brain is hardwired to both create AND solve the wordy puzzles within your story. Sometimes the answer is time. Sometimes it's a second opinion or a fresh eye. Sometimes a totally different approach or just a hefty kick up the bum. But whatever the problem, there IS a solution. You just gotta keep going and trust that you'll find it...

Read this: Troubleshoot your writing - why are you stuck?

And also this: Break through the writing blockage

And also also this: Write yourself into a pit (and then dig your way out again)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Alright, that's it for today. Now go write, you flithy animals.

(And if we missed anything, stick a question in our ask box or check out the rest of our shit here)

[goblin-alchemist]

This hit home, and I think it will resonate hard with all my creative friends, here. You are amazing and brilliant and I BEG YOU to keep creating!! ❤️❤️❤️

[goblin-alchemist]

Hades: "Stop striking poses and help us!"

I love Hyth and Hades so much! I gotta get back to finishing the set of these. ♡

[goblin-alchemist]

I know I'm no longer part of the fandom anymore, but this came across my dash and I can't remain quiet about it.

This is straight up sexual assault.

Let me say that again:

Adrien Agreste sexually assaulted Marinette Dupain-Cheng.

She did not consent to kissing Adrien. He knew that and still kissed her, knowing she would never consent to the kiss if she knew who he really was.

"But she said she didn't care who was under the mask!"

Not quite. She has convinced herself time and time again that there is no way Adrien could be Chat Noir. Multiple episodes have shown us that Adrien has cleverly diverted suspicion from his identity and reinforced to Marinette that there is no way Adrien and Chat Noir are the same person. In her mind, "I don't care who is under the mask" means "I don't care who you are, because I already know who you aren't".

This is known as Rape by Deception, and is the crux of the controversy surrounding the movie Revenge of the Nerds, in which one of the main characters has sex with his crush while wearing a mask. His crush mistakenly believes the main character is her boyfriend, and thus consents to the act under that belief, only to be proven wrong afterward when it's revealed she had sex with the "nerd". The woman is overjoyed because of course the nerd has to be amazing at sex, and everyone lives happily ever after.

Adrien did the same thing. Marinette consented to the kiss under the belief that he was "anyone but Adrien" and Adrien, knowing that she would never consent to kissing him, decides to act on impulse and kiss her anyway.

How would Marinette have reacted if Chat Noir revealed himself to be Adrien after the kiss? Would she be overjoyed? Or would she be feeling pissed? Betrayed? Violated? I know exactly what I would feel in her situation.

And this is a children's show - meant to show kids what is right and wrong. Framing this as okay because we know the "true story" behind the kiss is wrong! What happens when a boy decides "I'll just pretend to be someone else, because once she sees it's me, she'll fall in love because the kiss was amazing" and actually does it because, hey, it worked out for those crazy kids in that TV show he watched yesterday, right? And worse, what happens if the girl is just told that what the boy did to her was "romantic" and they "were meant to be"?

This whole thing sickened me to my stomach, and I cannot believe the fandom is actually happy that their "Marichat" kiss happened and feel sorry for Adrien because he apologized after he kissed her. Because that makes it okay.

Do better, fandom.

As frustrating as it may be, Adrien’s concern over potentially taking advantage of Marinette/a fan by leveraging his superhero status is very considerate. 🥺

[goblin-alchemist]

I'm so glad they finally added Gaius to the All Saints' Wake transformation options this year!

[goblin-alchemist]

Ok time to uh share the edit I did that has been living rent free in my head ever since I made it 😳❤️

I saw some people talk about who would play live action Edmont on here a while back and HEAR ME OUT...

Jason Isaacs is perfect for the role. I've had a huge crush on him ever since he did the live action 2003 Peter pan movie. Where he plays both the kids father and Captain Hook.

His facial structure is similar enough and he is as of this year the same age as Edmont is in canon (at least at the start of HW).

So I present to you my dream live action Edmont de Fortemps...

I rest my case... 😎

[goblin-alchemist]

There's one for artists, too.

Just came right for us, huh.

Every RPer/writer:

[goblin-alchemist]

[goblin-alchemist]

Hmm, where have I seen something about eating coblyns before...

I really want a follow up quest for Chatbert now.

[goblin-alchemist]

#relatable

[goblin-alchemist]

6.2 update:

Estinien: They've upgraded the vault's guardians to contend with voidsent. A task which was made easier by the surplus of broken units.

... One could argue that I did them a favor.

Estinien, there's only room for one idiot in the Scions and that's me. Get your act together.

Varshahn: ...He laid waste to them ere I could utter a single word. <sigh>

Y'shtola: Poor Vrtra - he really should have spoken with Estinien before we left. I shudder to think what we've cost them in terms of construct materials.

Estinien: I thought we cleared this place of constructs the last time we came through. 'Twould seem a few stragglers remained.

The only thing going through Estinien's brain is the "Pa-paya" song on loop.

[goblin-alchemist]

That feel when you have to rewrite your entire novel because a friend pointed out a fantastic change to your main character's backstory.

And the more you think about it, the more you realize the change would enhance the novel by inserting natural conflict into the story by enhancing the internal conflict of the main character and the external conflict of the supporting characters. Plus it would fuel characters' motivations better and also heighten the previous relationship drama.

But dammit if i'm not sick of writing this already!

[goblin-alchemist]

Abortion Access Resources

Abortion is still legal in some US states, despite the Dobbs decision.

Hey, everyone, it’s a horrible day here in the United States with Roe and Casey being overturned. But rather than lose hope, let’s keep the fight going because there’s a lot of incredible work being done on the ground. 

Here are some places you can donate to, and some further info:

Independent Clinics: Abortion Care Network Abortion Funds:  National Network of Abortion Funds, funds by State, Midwest Access Coalition

Information on Medication Abortions (abortion pills)

State by State trigger laws map with Roe being overturned 

RewireNews  (legislative tracker) and the excellent Boom! Lawyered podcast for repro rights news and analysis

New Handbook for a Post-Roe America: The Complete Guide to Abortion Legality, Access, and Practical Support by Robin Marty. Also! Consider requesting your local public library for this book if they don’t have it in their catalogue yet. 

Let’s be kind to ourselves and each other today, but let’s not lose hope. The fight continues. 

[goblin-alchemist]

A document about Roe v Wade, and the things you can do.