strkamand

[strkamand]

Chakotay????? A boring character?????

[strkamand]

Anniversary

Today marks the anniversary of the death of a friend due to lack of access to mental health options.

He was a brilliant, beautiful soul.

And every year, I post this thing I wrote for/about him. To remind and keep me focused on looking.

--💜--

I believe in our power to talk about difficult things. To say the hardest words to each other so we can all heal. I believe in our ability to check shame at the door to find a deeper connection than we ever thought possible. I believe in the power of a hug. A good long one where nobody tries to let go because they worry about looking silly or weak. I believe in the power of empathy and vulnerability and kindness and tenderness. I believe in the power of getting reassurance from others. I believe that no words have ever damaged the human race more than “self-soothing” Horse shit. I believe that we are tribal, connected creatures who need each other. That getting help from each other is not only ok, it is crucial to our survival. I believe that isolation just makes it worse. I believe that strength and independence do NOT mean the same thing. (Yep, I blame the Victorians.) I believe that assuming people ‘hurt themselves for attention’ is a system of silencing the vulnerable, keeping their needs out of sight. I believe that people with mental illness deserve whatever we can invent or do to make medication a non-issue, something that doesn’t require them to have to choose… what a cruel thing for an ableist culture to do to those who need support the most. I believe that we can address these things without blaming one another (Cepting those dang Victorians, ha). I believe that we can look at each other and say ‘things need to change’ without there needing to be ‘sides’ or turn it into an argument. I believe in our power to connect and grow and learn and do better and hold onto each other. I believe with more passion than I can articulate that we can do better for one another. I just wanted you to know - I'm going to be looking. I might not be perfect at finding you, at first. But I'm going to keep looking. And hopefully, we can all learn how to see you. To see what you need and give it to you.

[strkamand]

Everyone in sense and sensibility

[strkamand]

Fanfic Q&A

Got this here unintentional tag from @pc-corner

1. Why do you write fanfic?

I want to hear the characters talking in my head about topics that matter to me. I want to get spontaneous scene ideas for a gripping plot. To spur my own original characters in my other writing.

2. Which of your posted stories do you think about the most, even though the story is “finished”?

Recovery on AO3. It was always meant to be a series. I love building that series in my head because there's an ultimate point I'm trying to get to with a whole J/C arc.

3. If you could give yourself fic advice from when you first started writing fic, what would that advice be?

I first started handwriting fanfic back in the pre-internet days and felt like I was less of a writer because I wasn't creating my own characters. I'd tell that isolated kid that it was completely normal and cool to write about her favorite characters and interact with them in that way.

For my first publish on AO3 (which was not that long ago), I wish I could tell myself not to listen to that 'fan' who first love-bombed it and then made cruel remarks about it without invitation (and after it was published!) I didn't realize how much one person's assumptions and devaluation could affect my other projects.

Ultimately, the advice would be about joining communities so I know I'm not alone.

4. What’s your relationship to fic stats?

I like tracking them because I like to make spreadsheets. I also like to see the audience's responses to things. But if I wanna write about something and I don't feel like it'll be popular, I'll post it and ignore the stats.

5. Is there a pairing or scenario or friendship you miss writing? If so, why? If not, why not?

I just write it. I don't always publish the things I write, but I have some little decades-old goldens that have led to fun moments in published fics. For example, I wanna chat with the Golden Girls? I will absolutely join them on the Lanai for a chapter or two in a fic.

6. What motivates you to write?

The need to get a scene out of my head and on the page. The need to share healing tools I've found that work for my IRL communities. The need to explore the worst of humanity's suffering and the greatest triumphs of survival.

Sometimes, it's about being witty and clever. But I'm not so good at that, so I have to practice lots and lots.

7. Why do you write for the fandom(s) that you write for?

Trek has been part of the fabric of my personality since I was tiny. And the other fandoms are usually spurred by a desire to explore the characters' limits. I'm drawn to strong characters who endure a lot.

8. If you’re stuck writing a WIP, what do you do?

Try to break it wide open by writing the worst possible plot point - like a bad narrative or the most unbelievable option for a story element. Helps with reminding me that I'm the author, damnit, and if I want a plot to be bad, I can MAKE it bad!

I also typically have 7-10 WIPs in any given level of progress, so I just switch.

9. What do you wish people knew about comments?

My very first comment on AO3 made me cry because I was certain no one would read my little canon deviation and like it. Even the simplest comments about how people felt while reading have inspired and motivated me. Comments are huge and have nothing to do with compliments. They're about feeling seen.

10. Maybe there’s a question you wish had been on here. What’s that question (and answer)?

The question would be something about how the world is shite, but bonding over fanfic can be a factor in promoting mental health?

The answer would be yes, yes fanfic (writing or reading) is good mental health.

Who to tag?

I know this post is old. So if you've already been tagged... sorry... how about @magdalenejaneway, @divinemissem13, and @cnroth...

[strkamand]

I think there's something that needs to be said about encouraging readers to leave feedback.

For me it's not about "tell me my writing is amazing and stroke my ego"

It's more about "please engage with me so that I can experience your joy secondhand and foster a connection with you"

I understand that not everyone wants this in their reading experience, some people are shy and a million other reasons why maybe someone wouldn't want to engage and that's perfectly fine!

But what I'm trying to steer away from is being a passive content creator with passive consumers. What I want to steer toward is fostering a community that is essential to fandom. I want to see your reactions because it makes me feel like I'm a part of something.

On encouraging reblogs —

I understand that not everyone is comfortable reblogging, especially explicit content. This is ok!

But just consider that the only reason you were able to enjoy a fic or fanart is because someone else shared it, and by not sharing it yourself you are potentially robbing someone else of the opportunity to enjoy it as much as you did.

As OPs our reach only goes so far and this website relies on reblogs in order for anything to truly get seen by a wider audience.

So that's really it! That's why I encourage these two things at the end of every story I post. Not because I'm trying to be demanding and "make people feel bad" if they don't do it.

I know most other social media sites encourage mindless content consumption and that's just the way of the world nowadays, but I am from a time when community was at the heart of fandom and I just don't want to lose that.

[strkamand]

Just had an interesting conversation with my brother about an episode of Star Trek Discovery that I thought was laughably bad, and I had this whole big rant about it, but he comes back with his own perspective and why it was actually one of his favorite episodes. Blew my mind and kind of jogged my perspective a little because it was an angle I hadn't considered.

This is why it's so important not to be attached to a black and white "this is bad and this is good" view of shows, movies, or books. Others might like things that you hate and have very valid reasons for that, but if your attitude toward a work is "I hate this and anybody who likes it is stupid" you could miss some very interesting and thought provoking points that you wouldn't have noticed on your own. Understanding and *respecting* that other perspectives might conflict with your own can broaden your own perspective, and you might never agree, but I will always believe it's better to have respectful, thought-provoking conversations about art than to stick to your guns and demean anybody who has a different perspective.

[strkamand]

Nah, fam. Kashyk wasn’t some great lover. And he wasn’t even a great enough actor to fool her.

Kathryn was just lonely as fuck.

Let this be a lesson Starfleet. In the hands of a CO with lesser willpower (lookin at you, Riker… and Kirk…), Kashyk woulda been dragging in 2 dozen telepaths and winning all the awards for a single hour of srsly mediocre sex.

And Kathryn Janeway is a badass of epic proportions for facing that loneliness head on.

[strkamand]

Good hell did this woman declare my Bi to my whole young psyche. And that dark haired therapist certainly didn’t help.

Star Trek: The Next Generation [4x19 "The Nth Degree"]

[strkamand]

Pretty sure all shipping fan fic is based on yearnful. But none as bad as Trek yearnful.

In honor of "Attached" airing on this day three yearnful decades ago.

[strkamand]

PARKS AND REC 7.09

[strkamand]

[strkamand]

Friendly reminder that fan-made content (fanart, fanfic, fanvids, etc) are:

extremely time consuming. Remember someone actually took time out of their life to create that, time they could’ve used to, idk, sleep, for example

entertainment you’re consuming for free. I can’t stress this enough: you’re enjoying someone else’s craft for free. You paid exactly zero money to look at/read/watch it.

S H A R E D  with you, not made for you. This is the most important point: someone created that, put it online and you found it. No one forced you to consume that fanwork, you C H O S E  to do it. 

Whenever you feel like leaving a mean comment, anonymous hate or make a ~clever post about how ‘lol look at all of these overused tropes every fic writer crams into their fics’ remember you’re being a dick to someone who shared their work with you. You’re not being funny, you’re not being edgy, you’re not being brave for calling something out - you’re being a dick.

[strkamand]

LOVING this series!!! 😍

And here we come to the end of The Year of Hell, Part 1... to be continued...

[strkamand]

may i offer you some janeway/chakotay moments i love in these trying times?

[strkamand]

[strkamand]

I wonder from where so many Americans get the idea that voting is supposed to be some expression of your deepest, most beloved values and virtues rather than a pragmatic, political move meant to shift your country as much closer to your ideal as possible. This strikes me as another example of extreme individualism. Voting isn’t about *you*. It’s about your city, state, and/or country. It doesn’t have to feel transcendently good deep down in your bones. It just has to *do* as much good as you can do, in this particular moment in time.

[strkamand]

Yay!

New chapter, filled with angst and fluff and one really cute kiddo!

art by @denahi 💜