#I almost put it under one but then just ap8syd;foiajsd I don't know got weirdly anxious about it

[gintamajustaway]

Hey Aero! Quick ? Has having a tumblr helped you with your writing career? You seem to do well with everything you do and it doesn't seem like you need a tumblr (don't get me wrong plz don't ever leave) I just wonder if having tumblrs has helped you transitin from fanfic writer to orignal writer?

THIS IS SUCH A COOL ASK!! YOU SHOULD KNOW THAT THIS ASK IS RAD AS HELL AND I REALLY LIKE IT!! Because hell yes having these tumblrs before I fully stepped into the world of original works has made an enormous difference. I’ve always been writing original works alongside fanfiction, so my transition wasn’t from fanfiction to original works. Fanfiction has only ever been just a side hobby I do in my spare time and I’ve always wanted to be a writer. 

What I have really, really valued from having these tumblrs before excelling in the ~real world~ is the sheer amount of exposure I’ve had. The situations and experiences I’ve had while running this blog and my main one have been completely invaluable. So, I’m going to make a short list of things I’ve learned through this experience. I wish someone had told me these things before I got started with all this because it would have saved a lot of time and probably some turmoil as well. 

People will hate you. This sounds to terrible and in theory it definitely is, but everyone should know this or at least be aware that it’s a thing that happens. People you don’t know, people you’ve never spoken to, people you’ve never ever done anything to – they will hate you. The reasons will be entirely shallow like they’ll take a look at your favorite ship and they’ll go, “Well I hate that ship so I hate that person!” This is an actual thing that happens and if that person is within a group of like-minded people, there’s a chance you will be targeted and bullied. For me, I had people hate reading my fanfiction and trashing it on twitter. Those people hated me and I’d never done anything to them. They’d advocate for Kyuubei’s gender identity, but then assign me an identity and trash me for that, too. I learned a hell of a lot from those experiences and it’s a good thing to be able to understand what kinds of people do that and also understand why no one should ever let those kinds of people get to you. 

People will hold you accountable for things that are not your responsibility. Some people will expect you to cater to them. They’ll act like what you produce is for them specifically and they will get offended if you don’t give them exactly what they want from you. 

People will turn on you the first opportunity they get if it suits them. This is a new one for me, but I’m much better off with the knowledge. You can treat someone with utmost respect, you can love them, you can give them things and always support them, but they can and will turn on you. This applies to everyone, really – friends, family, significant other – but the lesson is really that you should be careful who you put your time and energy into. You obviously won’t know if someone is trustworthy or not, so you take that chance, but learning how to cope and handle it when someone you really liked/trusted turns on you without actual justifiable reason or without even speaking to you first is knowledge I’m glad I have now. It hurt this time, but I think if it ever happens again I have a better feel for the types of people that do that and I’ll have a much more solid way of handling it.

You will not be able to get rid of some people. This is extremely important and I personally need to work really hard on this point. You can be really turned off by someone – as in: really not like them as a person – and you can leave them alone, you can not interact with them, you can ignore them, but sometimes they will continuously appear. I am not good at handling it when people I don’t like won’t go away despite how much I leave them alone. It is so good I’ve learned more about this on here because we all have things, you know? Those things that you just do not handle well and need to put more effort into fixing about yourself. This is one of my things. I have not yet experienced this type of person with original works ((which I am so grateful for)) but just knowing how I react when someone reappears too many times for me to feel safe or comfortable anymore is good knowledge to have because I believe that through what I’ve learned, I’ll be able to protect myself better in the future. This ties into when I was abused and you’d think I’d know by now that I don’t handle feeling trapped very well, but ahaa //flops

Time management. Not going to lie, my time management was pretty impressive before I became an online presence and now with running these blogs, going to school, being a writer, having a social life, working out, and traveling – my time management skills are off the charts. I have found such a great way to make things work and I kind of really love it in a way I honestly never thought I would since I’m such an introvert. I love talking with my followers, I enjoy anons, I enjoy asks, I LOVE supporting people with their craft – working in time to speak and engage with people on here has been so important and has really helped me grow as a person.

Making friends through my craft is one of the greatest highlights. I have made some truly remarkable friends through my time online and these are people I know without a shadow of doubt that I will remain friends with for the rest of my life. They are just incredible people and it was my fanfiction that brought them to me. Likewise, I have made friends through my original works, but I made strong and lasting friendships on here first and so I’ve known these people longer and have a more solidified bond with them. Learning to navigate my way through and find the people I click with the most is a good skill to have and the only way you can really learn it is through experience. 

Sometimes people will only suck up to you because they want something from you. This is a sad truth, but the good thing is that when people do this, it’s usually pretty easy to tell. Avoid these people, they will just exhaust you. 

Some people can’t be reasoned with. This one should be obvious, but it sure as hell wasn’t to me when I first got started on here LOL I’m the type of person that really doesn’t like to be at odds with people and so if I have a disagreement with someone, it’s usually important for me to speak to them and clear things up so that there’s a mutual understanding. FUN FACT: this does not always work with people. Another fun fact: sometimes trying to talk to the person rationally only makes things worse. Dealing with these kinds of people has been excellent for me because I’d never come across people like that before and so before being on here, I didn’t know how to handle them.

Something will always be Problematic. There is too much for me to say on this point since I feel so strongly about it, but basically, avoid people that go around calling stuff out for being Problematic. And I’d like to place a little reminder here as well: Just because a writer writes about something that is Problematic, that does not mean that the writer believes in or practices that Problematic thing. 

Stick with your values. I have values that I always do my best to uphold. I believe in supporting people, spreading positivity, being patient with others, making people happy, and oh my god making people laugh and smile is one my favorite things ever! Having these tumblrs has affirmed my values and strengthened my resolve. I love having a positive influence on others and I want to make others feel good about themselves. I’ve learned a lot of different ways to do that and I’ve been able to take what I’ve learned from here and apply it to other areas of my life. 

I’ve had a ton of great experiences on this site! I’ve had a few not so great ones, a couple of which actually made me cry, but all in all, I’m better for it. The good has infinitely outweighed the bad and being exposed to all this has for sure helped me with my writing career. You can’t learn how to handle situations until you experience them, ne? Hopefully this ask will help someone and anyone can come talk something out with me if they want! We are all learning and growing all the time and 100% I feel being on tumblr and being exposed to ~fandom~ has taught me a lot of great things!