#I don't get paid for recommending this podcast

[lucas-grey]

As you know, John Hopkins, the voice actor of our beloved Lucas Grey, hosts the Podcast "A short history of..." by NOISER. But he also hosts the podcast "Real survival stories" from the same Network. Here he talks about people who got into dangerous situations, surviving these.

So if you can't get enough of Greys voice, I can recommend you this podcast. If you need some validation, start with the episode "Tsunami in Sri Lanka". I swear I have never heard him with such a deep voice as in the beginning of that episode.

You can find the podcasts on Spotify and I guess everywhere else where you can listen to Podcasts.

[brehaaorgana]

ADHD money/budgeting system I'm currently using for my benefit is going well (I've been using it for like half a year now?), and I wanna recommend it.

You Need a Budget is EXCELLENT. 10/10 do recommend. Uhhh rambling about it and my generic disclaimers + gushing extensively under the cut but TL;DR I think it's great for ADHD ppl, I've used it for 6+ months now and I find it super SUPER helpful. also weirdly fun.

DISCLAIMERS:

Budgeting helps you understand/know your money, it can't make money appear where there is none.

Everyone should learn to budget even if you don't have much money (especially then)

This is NOT a magic trick solution. Just like everything else, it is an assistive tool. This is one of those adult things we can't simply opt out of without negative consequences, though.

My advice is based on something I am currently able to do. That is, I can spend an amount of money on this specific thing that works well for me. If you have no extra money to spend then previously I was tracking things in a notebook. So you can still do this.

I believe Dave Ramsey is a fundie fraud/hack and no one should listen to him about money.

DID YOU KNOW THEY CANCELLED MINT???

Okay? OKAY.

Ahem.

You Need a Budget is EXCELLENT.

It is called YNAB for short. The first 34 days are your free trial, and that is my referral link. If anyone uses it and then signs up for a subscription, we both get a month free. Also you can share a subscription with up to six people (account owner can see everything but individuals can pick and choose what they share amongst each other) so like...idk your whole polycule can be on one account. Or your kids. Whatever.

If you are a student, it's free for a year. If you aren't, a subscription is $99 for a year (paid all at once) or $14.99 monthly, which is equivalent to paying Amazon prime. Go cancel Prime and get this instead tbh.

They got a whole article just on ynab and ADHD. They also have like...a big variety of ways to access their info? They have a book, podcast episodes, YouTube videos, blog posts, q&A's, free live workshops you can join (you can request live captioning), emails they can send (if you want) a wiki, and so on. They got workshops on all kinds of topics!!

So whatever ends up working for your brain. It also has a matching app.

If you lost Mint this year they have a gajillion things for moving from Mint.

Also they have a "got five minutes?" Page which has a slider so you can decide how much attention/time you have before going on lol:

They only have 4 rules of the budget, they're simple and practical, and it doesn't get judgey or like...mean about your spending.

1. Give every dollar a job 2. Embrace your true expenses 3. Roll with the punches 4. Age your money.

THEN THEY BREAK THESE DOWN INTO SMALL STEPS FOR YOU! They even have a printable! Also these rules are great because there's built in expectations that things WILL HAPPEN and it's NOT all or nothing with a fear of total collapse into failure. Reality and The Plan don't always align, especially if you have ADHD. So it's directing our energy towards the true expenses and not clinging to The Plan!! over reality.

You can automate a lot of shit (you can sync with your bank accounts just like mint, but also automate tagging the categories of regular expenses/transactions). And if for whatever reason you accidentally do something that makes the budget look weird or wrong:

A) you can usually fix it somehow OR b) they have like, a button you can press that gives you a clean slate and archives the previous version of the budget for you.

So if you forget for a few weeks or months, or accidentally input something wildly wrong, or just don't want to look at a really terrible month anymore and feel like you need a fresh start you can usually either fix it or start fresh which is really nice.

The app also (for whatever reason) scratches my itch to have things like...have incentives or little game-like goals in a way mint never did? I don't know why. Filling up the bars or putting money into the categories to cover my expenses is satisfying lmao. You can also make a big wish expense category for all the fun shit you want, and fund it whenever you can and then you can see the little bar go up and that's fun.

Anyways I've been using it for like 6+ months now and I think it's really helped me when I use it.

[hotvintagepoll]

Propaganda

Ansa Ikonen (Kaikki rakastavat, Kulkurin valssi and Vaivaisukon morsian)— Arguably one of the biggest 30s movie stars in Finland. She also acted in theatre and radio but is mainly remembered for the 40 movies she acted in. She is especially beloved for acting as a pair with the actor Tauno Palo, who she had incredible chemistry with on screen.

Kay Francis (Jewel Robbery, I Loved A Woman, British Agent)— kay francis was an icon of glamor in her time and a top star of the 30s - she was the highest-paid actress at warner bros from 1930 to 1936. she tended to play characters who were charming, sophisticated, and elegantly dressed, and starred in at least one legitimate masterpiece, the sublime 1932 comedy trouble in paradise. her first big role was in the marx brothers movie the cocoanuts in 1929, and she and william powell made seven movies together between 1930 and 1932. even in her sillier movies she always elevates the material with her charm and presence - she never phones it in and there’s a sort of warm, knowing wittiness about her. a really good short promo from a retrospective of her movies that i think really gets her Vibe across

This is round 1 of the tournament. All other polls in this bracket can be found here. Please reblog with further support of your beloved hot sexy vintage woman.

[additional propaganda submitted under the cut]

Kay Francis:

trailer for jewel robbery with william powell, an unhinged movie that i highly recommend

Jewel Robbery clip

"From 1932 through 1936, Francis was the queen of the Warner Bros. lot, and, increasingly, her films were developed as star vehicles. By 1935, Francis was one of the highest-paid actors, earning a yearly salary of $115,000, dwarfing the $18,000 Bette Davis – who would one day occupy Francis's dressing room – made. From 1930 to 1937, Francis appeared on the covers of 38 film magazines, second only to child sensation Shirley Temple's 138." Source: Wikipedia. Kay Francis is like the MOST FAMOUS Actress from the 1930s you've never heard of--and it was her and Norma Shearer who wore and made classic the 1930s tall, slim, bias cut silhouette. She ALSO has a WHOLE PODCAST episode devoted to her life and career in Hollywood--it's fascinating! She is both tough and a total wet cat.

One of the TALLEST Warner Brother stars at 5’9” and known as a “clothes horse” for her glamorous roles wearing the height of 1930s fashion. She fell out of popularity in the 40s, but her 30s work sizzles. The scene with her and Herbert Marshall in Trouble in Paradise where she says she doesn’t care about his reputation (because she’d rather sleep with him?) HAWOOGA

melted my gay heart with her butch look in stolen holiday

"My life? Well, I get up at a quarter to six in the morning if I'm going to wear an evening dress on camera. That sentence sounds a little ga-ga, doesn't it? But never mind, that's my life ... As long as they pay me my salary, they can give me a broom and I'll sweep the stage. I don't give a damn. I want the money ... When I die, I want to be cremated so that no sign of my existence is left on this earth. I can't wait to be forgotten." —From Kay Francis's private diaries, c. 1938

[copperbadge]

[ID: Two line graphs from the ADHD phone app EndeavorOTC, showing my "focus score" over time. The first graphic shows me starting on October 7th with a score of 36, which rises steadily to a score of 59 on October 20th. The second shows my latest scores, from November 14th to today, December 5th, showing several scores of 63 and 64 but nothing higher.]

It really has been hard to know whether EndeavorOTC is having a solid impact on my focus, or whether it would be lasting if I stopped playing. The initial spike to 59 is nice but also it's in keeping with a skills improvement as you just...learn to play a video game. Since October 23, my scores have been between 61 and 64, and while that does include a recommended a two-week break, it's still a little frustrating not to be able to crack 65, to see such a visible plateau basically "since getting good at the game".

Skills plateaus are natural and I know that, so I'm not necessarily disappointed or disillusioned. As a metric, the Focus Score really just measures how good you are at hitting goals in the game; because ADHD is perception-based it's also tough to measure, outside of the game, if I'm more focused, have better executive function, etc. Especially since the company can be vague about what "improvements" we're meant to see. Which I also understand -- specificity would drive a placebo effect in addition to frustrating people who aren't mapping onto their specific trajectory. But it's still a struggle.

I don't need my headphones as often in public, or audio in general for tasks as often (I did the dishes the other day without a podcast for the first time in probably a solid decade) but that could also be medication, or just...getting older and more tolerant. I think I'm socially more inhibited, which I should note is a good thing -- I'm less likely to interrupt or backtrack to previous conversations or accidentally dominate a conversation. But again, I don't know exactly where that's coming from.

I keep telling myself I already paid for the year so I shouldn't really try to seriously assess any of this until I've been "treating" with the game for a year, which will be another four six-week treatments after this one. That does take some pressure off because the game's already paid for through October and it's only 25 minutes a day, so whether it works or not I might as well keep going.

But patience is something I am still learning, it appears. :D

[kipperlillyforpresident]

I received an anon ask which I found to be... well, really interesting. I agree with a lot of the points they make. But I also disagree with the way that they've presented their argument in many aspects.

I considered not responding to it, but it's my policy to answer all asks which are sent in good faith (at the moment, at least). And I could just answer it as-is, but I didn't really want to do that either.

So, instead I'm answering it with this disclaimer. Opinions of anonymous users do not represent the beliefs of Kipperlillyforpresident.tumblr.com, etc etc. With that out of the way, here is the ask:

I want Gorgug to go to Artificer class and try to explain to Henry why his nephew wasn't worth saving, but Aelwyn was. Ragh was. I want Fabian to sit alone at his house because Mazey won't talk to him, and think about how his last words to Ivy just reflected his own thoughts about himself, because he'd never learnt anything about her. Fabian is a vindictive, vain, sex obsessed rich kid with no person in his life who wants to really listen to him. I want Fig to see Henry in the corridors on her way to Paladin class, not meeting his gaze because doing so she would have to explain to him that his nephew wasn't worth the justice her Goddess promises. I want Riz to go to a psychiatrist – not Jawbone – and I want him to talk about the fact that he hates a version of himself so much he couldn't possibly allow her to live, and he in fact relished in the idea that she'd never come back. I want Lucy to come back and hear what The Bad Kids did in her name, and I want her to absolutely tear them a new one. I want her eyes – that they all thought of as sorrowful and deep while never having paid attention to them before her death – to be cold and unwelcome as she looks them up and down and asks them to explain their actions. I want her voice to raise well above the level of what any of them had envisioned of her when they studied her desecrated and fragile body in the woods. I want her to ask them if they knew where Mary Ann lived, or if Reuben had any siblings that would miss him. I want her to hear the podcast episode written about her by a person having a wild guess based on her lifeless form and a handful of anecdotes from her now deceased friends. I probably won't get it, but it's nice to imagine.

So to start off with: I really do like the premise of this. Dealing with the consequences of rage is the part of the story - both in TRG and TBK - that I'm most interested in. And a part of my frustration with the narrative is that I don't think we'll be getting any consequences along this line, and that everything is going to be tied up in a neat bow for a happily ever after.

I do agree/find myself interested in almost all of the scenarios you present. Gorgug and Henry in particular - I think that really needs to come back and haunt the narrative. My personal headcanon is that Henry strongly recommends he take dual credit classes for Artificer at the local community college, because he knows he'll be unable to be fair to him.

And god, Fig and Ankarna! How is she going to justify redeeming the one who caused all of this conquest and rage, yet brutally and cruelly torturing people who were infected by it? It's really compelling. Although for the Riz thing - I don't think he'd willingly go to a psychiatrist at any point, lmao.

And Lucy, holy shit, Lucy, I hate so badly how TBK talk about Lucy. I always talk about her being "dead wife montage", because that really does feel like how she's been treated. Going into battle and murdering all of her friends and claiming its "for Lucy"??? It's really dark. I do NOT want Lucy to like TBK after everything is over.

All that said... I really don't enjoy the way anon has characterized Fabian here. I've been on the record as being deeply uncomfortable with how he treated Ivy. And I want him to face consequences for it. I want him to realize he never learned anything about her, and that the fact she rejected him is almost certainly a part of why he hates her so much. I want him to remember that we "don't talk about women like that"!

But to call him a "vindictive, vain, sex obsessed rich kid"...? It doesn't fully sit right with me. I suppose that it's not entirely wrong, but it's leaving out a lot of aspects of his character. It's painting him exclusively in the most negative light possible.

This ask is treating Fabian - and TBK in general, I suppose - in the exact same way that most of the fandom treats TRG. Exclusively focusing on their worst aspects and ignoring any extenuating circumstances.

And if I'm going to crusade for TRG to be treated with more respect in the narrative, then I suppose my natural inclination is to do the same for TBK. Not that anybody is mandated to do so. You're allowed to engage with media however you'd like, and if fully despising TBK is what brings you the most enjoyment, then go ahead. But it's not my own philosophy.

I appreciate anon for sending this ask, because it did make me think about a lot of stuff! I hope that everybody interacts with this post in a respectful manner, but if discourse happens, it happens ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[altraviolet]

Out of curiosity, do you have any tips for writing a long multichapter fic?? I have recently come up with a fic idea that I realize is going to take... multiple chapters. How do you stay motivated/what's your process for planning? Tysm for answering and if you've answered before sorry! Do you have a tag for your writing advice?

Hi!

I have a lot of tips :)

I do have a tag for writing advice. It's "writing advice." My writing advice is on my pinned post and I just double checked and made sure all the posts under "Writing Advice" are properly tagged. There's a post there that talks about my organization, which is something you've asked about, but you may find other helpful info there as well. If, after you read the answer to your ask and all the writing advice posts, you still have questions, feel free to hit up the ask box again :)

Cut for length!

>How do you stay motivated?

Sometimes I don't, honestly. People who read TEG while it was being updated know this xD There were a few times when 6 months passed between chapters, and then 3 chapters would be updated within a week. Since it's fanfic - it doesn't have due dates or deadlines and you're not getting paid - all that motivation really does need to come from inside. And if it's too draining? Then maybe fic doesn't get written that day.

I can honestly tell you that motivation on TEG waxed and waned quite a bit. It didn't help that right as I started posting it, the pandemic hit. Seeing as how we in the US are about to embark on a newly destructive four years, I say: if you don't have have the motivation, if you're really drained, don't push yourself. Fic is supposed to be fun. There were a lot of times TEG really wasn't fun, but I pushed through it because I felt a lot of pressure to do so.

That might not be helpful, lol. But I'm giving you permission to go easy on yourself.

But, let's say you don't want to go easy. Here are ways you can stay motivated:

the story won't get completed unless you complete it. so if you want to see it done, you HAVE to do it. logical and sound reasoning. there is no escape. get to work. call this the Shockwave Motivation Method, lol

excitement. oooh if you're excited about your fic, that will help a lot. getting to write out the scenes you're most looking forward to may help you get through the boring scenes [note: if you the writer find a scene boring, the reader probably will, too. consider changing or removing that scene]. this is probably the most healthy and enjoyable way to keep yourself motivated while writing fanfic

watch videos/read books about writing. or podcasts, or whatever kinda thing you like. absorbing information about writing will help you feel more knowledgeable and confident, even if just a teeny tiny bit

related to 3: go back and read/watch the canon that you adore. rekindle your love for it. remember why you want to write the fic that you're writing

spite? let's be brutally honest, here: if you read something popular that you think sucks, and you think you can do a way better job at it, prove it >D write that thing. show everyone that Premise X can actually be done well, and you're the one who's gonna do it well

schedules? some people do well with scheduling. actually this is what pro novelists do: they have word count goals they meet extremely regularly. if you write 500 words a day, you'll have ~2 novels a year done. make some goals and stick to them. self-imposed deadlines will stick as much as you can make them stick, which is why they don't work for everyone, but the people who can use this method WILL get results

There are tons of videos out there about any/all of these methods (especially scheduling/word goal/sprints related topics). I highly recommend you check some out. It comes down to this: you gotta write in order for the thing to be written. Anything you need to do to get that done is what needs to be done. Barring, like, you know. Illegal stuff. lol

Oftentimes for me, starting is the hardest part. If I can get my damn brain to start, then things will usually flow.

One thing I've found recently that helped jumpstart brainstorming (which isn't the exact same thing as Motivation To Do The Entire Writing Process, but bear with me) was changing the way I usually get my thoughts down. I always type at my desktop into a word processor. That way everything is digital: easy to move around, delete, duplicate, etc etc. For the new fic I'm working on, idk, I just felt like writing on paper with lots of different colored pens. It was soooo fun. I got these pens. Paper Mate Ink Joy Gel 0.7. I'm heckin' not sponsored but I LOVE these pens. They're super vibrant and actually dry pretty quick, and they're pretty. I love them so much I got another 10 pack of just the purple color xD [Note: the pens are thicker than normal gel/ballpoint pens. If you have arthritis or other hand issues, they might be too big to be comfy.] What I enjoyed was being able to write "Rodimus" in red pen and then writing a bunch of stuff about him, then drawing a line, writing "Soundwave" in blue pen and writing a bunch of stuff about him. Which sounds incredibly trite but the colors made me happy, and the full effect on the page lends itself to another layer of organization. I found I couldn't get myself to sit at the computer and write, so I wrote in a notebook. I'd show you some pics of how nice it all looks, but it's spoilers for the next fic.

tl;dr if the current literal method of writing isn't working, try another one. One of my good fic writing buddies goes for walks and takes her phone and records snippets and thoughts as they come to her. Maybe there's a method that will spark your motivation out there :)

Okay hopefully that helped with the motivation question. I didn't get super personal about it - I don't mind, and can, if asked - but let's keep moving.

>what's your process for planning?

Oh boy. Okay. My process will probably not work for you, because it is a MESS. I can describe it for you: maybe something in it will help.

First, please read this post: I've been curious what program(s) you write with and how you manage the organizational part of writing such long works.

That post explains how I organize medium and long length fics. It answers your question from the organizational aspect. There are screenshots xD Here's the tl;dr from the top of that post:

tl;dr I currently write in a free word processor called OpenOffice. I use Headings to generate an index and use that to navigate around a single document. I have multiple documents that each serve a different purpose- at the minimum, there's a doc for the story, Notes, and Graveyard.

And here is the broad summary from the bottom of that post:

To be really honest with you, I enjoy this system because it keeps things broadly organized, but within the docs there is a lot of messy stuff happening. I think of things, jot them down. Forget them. Rethink of them again later, jot them down. Now I have 2 scattered, slightly differently phrased similar ideas. If I think of things while at work, I scribble them madly onto scraps of paper and take them home, then try to fit them into the Notes somewhere. (Then I tape all the little papers into a notebook like a weirdo, lol, but I can't let them go!) I also have a ton of notes in my phone for when I think of stuff while in bed. I move it into Notes or write it into scenes as needed.

I write scenes out of order. I try to make timelines. I write more scenes: the timeline is no longer correct. I try to make a new timeline. I write more scenes. There are words everywhere and I just do my best :'D

The way I wrote TEG partially included keeping everything in it in my head. Obviously not every single sentence verbatim, but, when I was writing it, I knew exact phrases (the phrases are starting to fade, nearly a year later now). So if I was writing a future chapter and wanted to go back and double check what an earlier chapter said, I would do a search for the phrases I knew were in that scene. Towards the end of writing TEG my brain literally hurt. This isn't a method I advise, lol, but it works for me. I've tried to be more organized in the approach for my next fic, but it's already spiraling words over various docs and journals and I even have an ornate diagram going on in Photoshop right now.

You may already know the terms "planner vs pantser" or "gardener" or... whatever the other terms are. There's a spectrum of approaches to planning for writing, with "planner" on one end and "pantser" on the other. Planners do what you think they do: write intricate timelines, write chapters in the order they occur in, stick very strictly to the plan. Pantsers (from "fly by the seat of your pants") just start writing. Haphazardly. Pantsers tend to have to do a lot more editing at the end.

Most people fall within this spectrum somewhere, and many are towards one end for one story, then maybe flop on down to the other end for another story. There are a zillion videos about "planners vs pantsers," so that's another subject you could look into watching. If you know you're definitely on the planning side, you can search for videos by people who are also planners, and may have hints for you.

I'm definitely a pantser that tries really really hard to plan and stay organized. And, interestingly, as a fic goes on, it becomes way easier to plan for me. So maybe it would be more accurate to say: the brainstorming stage and writing the beginning and middle are more pantsy, and writing the end is more planny, for me. It could be any kinda thing for you :) once you know, you'll be able to work to your own strengths.

Hopefully you found something helpful in all the above. Check out the links, find some videos, relax, and dive in. If you have more specific questions, feel free to send 'em.

Happy writing! :)

[mecachrome]

for an incredibly new f1 follower, what would you recommend for getting up to date with teams and racers and performances and history? apart from dts lol

oh that is a good question!!! i don't think i'm even the best person to answer this but honestly i think it all comes naturally if you pick a specific thing/team/person you're interested in and set out to learn more about that topic, because everything is so connected and with time you can fill in those knowledge gaps pretty quickly :') more under the cut:

dts is imo perfectly acceptable for learning names and faces for the first time and basically creating a vague outline of a given subject (i've said it's like using duolingo for learning a new language lol), so if you watch it and are like oh—i'm interested in charles or mercedes or learning more about technical regulations or whatever, then you can just dive deeper into that via wiki / youtube / podcasts + published media + old race archives and build up from there!

otherwise i think the main thing is just to start watching the actual races when the season gets underway, and in order to properly appreciate them then also read up on + watch videos about the technical/strategy side of the sport as well. back in the day i used to really like chain bear and i still always recommend it to anyone who asks! after that i would just seek out like... a community/server/place where other people are discussing news real-time; this could be meeting people on tumblr and twitter, but personally i'm subscribed to r/formula1 because it's the most active composite source of f1 news and Discourse. if you're reddit-averse i also just keep a big list on twitter with a bunch of random data accounts, official driver/team accounts, journalists, etc. that helps me keep up with the season in a tidy fashion—though honestly f1 journalism is so unserious that you don't really need to do that because most journos regurgitate the same three quotes in slightly different formats, so if you want to follow One Guy who won't disseminate bs info i'd recommend chris medland. or just general sport publications like autosport, motosport.com, the athletic if you're already subscribed to it (pretty lacking for f1 though since it's american lol), etc... some sites like the-race are very contentious though so i'd say just tread with caution!!! on the data side i personally enjoy fdatanalysis and f1telemetrydata (i've also used f1-tempo to do my own telemetry analysis but idk if that's useful). but again i'd highly recommend the subreddit since it keeps everything i just mentioned in one place anyway 😭

other media recs:

f1tv, if it's available in your area, has pretty much everything you need to follow f1 in its entirety. i hate to shill for paid media but i genuinely think it's good; you can watch every f1, f2, f3 session real-time, as well as go to the archives and revisit old races for each series from most seasons. it also has technical shows and a whole host of minidocs with bite-sized info that are probably less sensationalized than dts. if you don't have f1tv though then a lot of decent content is cross-posted to the f1 youtube so honestly the official channels are all pretty good for keeping up with the sport.

podcasts: if you're an auditory person then podcasts are a great way to deepdive into f1 history. personally i believe that 80% of men running f1 podcasts should be legally barred from ever having an opinion on motorsport, so i don't listen to that many, but i do enjoy the official f1 podcast beyond the grid (i listen to it on spotify but you can also find full transcripts on the f1 site) since, you know, they get official personnel on and i appreciate the wide range of personalities interviewed—from drivers to tps to various types of engineers. i've also heard good things about shift+f1, the race, and engine braking, but i haven't checked them out so i'd recommend just looking podcasts up yourself and seeing what vibes with you! though some podcasts are just like... I'll eat this because you're interviewing my guy but i would never watch/listen to you otherwise. (cough pit stop...)

books & autobiographies: again if you want to dive more into old f1, then you can always read a book!! i read jenson's autobiography life to the limit earlier and was very endeared, it's a super breezy but charming read ❤️ adrian newey's memoir is also a decent overview of a clearly brilliant and accomplished mind, i enjoyed the technical details and found his early career path especially interesting.

docus, movies, tv: there's also plenty of f1 media outside of f1tv, so you can always check those out; f1 movies aren't necessarily that accurate or frankly good but sometimes it's fun just for the Vibes and the love of the sport. for ex rush (2013) covers james hunt & niki lauda's rivalry, netflix has a schumacher (2021) doc, the brawn gp miniseries ft. jense came out last november, just things like that... some current individual drivers also have their own random miniseries so you can always seek those out, for ex i watched maxv's anatomy of a champion the other day just for the fun of it LOL.

i don't know whether any of this is helpful... but maybe other people can reply with their own recommendations!!!

also if you're interested in f2, f3, etc. then honestly just follow feeder series on whatever platform since they cover everything pretty well; feeder_series on twitter, r/f1feederseries, plus they do interview podcasts on youtube/spotify so i like watching those to keep up with young drivers. you can also watch chasing the dream for succinct f2 narratives; it used to only be on f1tv but it gets uploaded on youtube now so it's fairly accessible. lmk if you have any other questions or something specific you'd like more info about!!!

[thelaurenshippen]

I'm just a starting writer, I did a little nanowrimo this year and wrote 39k words about a vampire gamer, I've always been a vampire girl, but here's the thing I don't know what to do with it.

Currently I'm unemployed for a variety of reasons but I'm lucky enough to have a partner who has a salary that can support us both.

But also I love writing, all my life I just wanted to write and being unemployed this year during nano gave me the opportunity to try and do that.

And now I'm curious is there a way to get paid to be a writer? Not as a marketing copy writer but a fiction writer, or essayist?

So what does one do?

Should I just publish whatever I wrote on a blog and put up a donation button?

Should I just publish on Tumblr?

Should I do it on AO3/Wattpad?

I'm at a loss.

I also don't have social media only use Tumblr and a little BlueSky after twitter exploded, and I really don't want to go and "build an audience on TikTok and booktok" (please gods no).

ah, yes, the eternal question: "how do I make money as a writer?"

I wish I had a good answer. I wish I had any answer. and I would love for other writers on here to chime in with their perspectives, because I am constantly struggling to answer this question for myself!

to answer the specific questions first: there are websites that post jobs for writing gigs - fiction, essays, etc. the one I'm most familiar with is upwork, though I've never gotten a job myself through there so can't speak to the experience. I will say that writing jobs tend to be in high demand and writing in general can be quite competitive, so working on your resume and improving your craft is an important thing to do whether you're just starting out or have been writing professionally for years.

self-publishing is absolutely an option! if you do, I would recommend getting a beta reader (or just a few friends) to read through your manuscript before you publish - it's always good to get feedback and to get other eyes on your work, no matter how complete or polished, for typos/grammar/formatting/etc. I'd also recommend reading about the best ways to self-publish - again, I can't personally speak to this as my three novels were traditionally published, but I know that folks publish through Amazon a lot and there certainly have been successfully novels (and especially graphic novels!) that have started out as blog posts/blogs. I don't recommend publishing an original story to ao3 or Wattpad if you're hoping to make money (if you're publishing for fun, go for it!) - ao3, my beloved, is an archive and therefore does not allow you to link to any kind of patreon/kofi/etc., so can be difficult to monetize. I'm less familiar with Wattpad, but I do know that they are actively trying to get into the publishing game themselves and sometimes pluck stories from their site to bring up to trad publishing, which I've heard can be....a mixed bag.

but there are a lot of authors on here and on their personal websites writing about self-publishing, so there's definitely better info out there about how to do it and how lucrative it can be!

a very good rule for self-publishing imo - whether that's through a site like amazon, your own blog, a podcast, a webcomic, whatever - is always give people the option to pay you. so, yes, put that donation button up. it doesn't matter if no one has read or listened to your thing yet, just making sure the option is there from the start is a good thing!

that's about the extent of the straightforward answer I can give you. if I were to give you a step-by-step guide of how I got to a place where most of my income comes from fiction writing, it would look like this:

write your own fiction podcast, get some actors from acting class to come over to your apartment and record for free, and produce the whole thing yourself

publish said podcast and then spend the next 2 years spending as much time on social media, at conventions, conferences - anywhere there are fiction podcast fans and creators - as you can talking about your show, all while writing and producing the show for free

get lucky and have the show take off. start to get some ad money that allows you to pay your collaborators. watch the show get better as a result. see the show take off even more. keep grinding away at social media

get a cold email from a book agent who wants to talk to you. convince that book agent to represent the YA novel you want to write in the world of your podcast

expend whatever leftover energy you have on ensuring that when people think of fiction podcasting, they think of you, even if other names are coming first. be everywhere. talk to everyone. keep grinding away at social media.

get a cold email from a fiction producer in England who wants you to write on his show. convince him to let you co-showrun it with him.

use your growing network of audio friends to get an agent and manager. use those people to get a pitch to marvel. convince marvel to let you write a podcast for them.

finally quit your day job, after doing 4 seasons of a successful podcast and selling spin-offs to a tech company, getting a 3-book deal with a major publisher, being hired to co-showrun a big budget mystery, and selling a show idea to marvel. then make all of those shows.

finish the podcast you started with, now seven seasons long. try to pitch out other ideas to all the people who wanted to buy that podcast off of you. watch them say no to anything new.

get lucky and sit next to a netflix exec at a dinner. convince her to let you write a stranger things show.

keep pitching. use the money from your other jobs to fund your indie shows. sell one show. lose another halfway through development. have your ideas optioned for television over and over and get used to hearing no's when you go out to pitch. produce and direct as much as you can to pay the bills. keep grinding away at social media.

????????

profit

that's obviously a simplification of my journey but I'm currently in that ???? stage. I don't say all of this to freak you - or anyone else - out. being a creative is hard. it gets easier in some ways and stays just as hard in others. I'm better at my job than I used to, so making shows is easier, but getting jobs and getting audience feels as hard as ever, even if I am several steps ahead than where I started. I thought I could build off the success of @thebrightsessions to make my other originals instant successes and that's just not how it works at all. you're building from the next step up after every success, not the top of the staircase.

but, like I said, I'm not trying to scare you - the thing that's positive in my weird crazy journey is the reality that there is no one right way to do something. there's a million different ways to make a creative career, especially in the age of the internet. which means that my advice to anyone who asks me how to start a career in audio fiction specifically is: just do it. don't wait for someone to give you a budget, don't try to cater to what you think the AD audience wants, just tell your story as you want to and get it out there. the best job application is being able to point to your own original work that's already garnered an audience.

I have no idea if that could as readily apply to prose writing/publishing. that is definitely beyond my knowledge base, but I'd say if you want to get a taste for what it's like to be a freelance creative, apply to jobs on upwork or similar sites, work on your original work, and find a platform that works for you on which you could potentially build an audience. and then get to know as many people as you can in your given field - I would not be where I am at all without folks like Gabriel Urbina, or Jeffrey Cranor, or Jenny Turner Hall. making friends in audio drama from the start who could recommend me for jobs - and being sure that I do the same now that I have more power - is vital. make friends with your peers (also bc they're great and you'll learn so much from them).

finally, I want to pass on advice that my uncles gave me when I was a teenager wanting to go to broadway--both of them work in musical theater (one conductor, one musical director, they are quite the power couple and my heroes) and when I was growing up, they told me "if you can think of anything else that will make you just as happy, do that instead". it sounds like harsh advice, but it's good advice. people don't pick creative careers because it's easy and stable--if there's anything else you're equally passionate about that could make you money and be more stable, there is absolutely nothing wrong in pursuing that and then writing for the love and joy of it, without the pressure of making a living. and that doesn't mean that that won't eventually lead to you being a successful full-time writer! but choosing to pursue writing full-time because it's what you want to do with your life is a very particular kind of path.

anyway, I've gone on way too long. I hope some of this was helpful - the last-last thing I'll say is that a) I obviously have a very limited perspective so nothing I say here is the be-all-end-all way of viewing things b) I had a very stable data entry job while I was making my first show that was very flexible and work-from-home (oh, to be able to get that job back now...since the pandemic, those types of jobs are obviously in high demand) and c) I got lucky. luck and timing are, unfortunately, a huge part of success in creative careers. if anyone tries to sell you on the idea that there's a guaranteed path to success that you can control if you work hard enough, they are lying to you and probably want you to buy something.

finally-finally, a vampire gamer story sounds so fun!! I love that idea!

[traegorn]

1) do we need liability/release forms

2) compensation for guests?

3) recommendations on easy to learn audio editing software. Audacity is scary.

4) a lot of these people are coming from different starting points and all at varying stages of their journey. Is there a way to get ahead of the “you’re doing it wrong” people in the comments if we make it all public?

🙏thank you

Do we need liability/release forms? Probably not, but if you're worried it's an easy thing to do. There are plenty of free boiler plate versions online. The reason you'd want liability/release forms for a podcast is if you're concerned someone might resent the way they were presented afterwards and sue. Having releases protects you against that.

Compensation for guests? I wouldn't. I mean, I'm just going to tell you flat out -- this podcast will likely not make any money. Statistically like 99% of podcasts will never make a penny. And that's okay. It sounds like you're doing this for the purpose of community and posterity, which is good and noble. But it means it won't generate the revenue to pay someone either. I've never paid a single guest on any of my podcasts. I've also never been paid for any of my guest appearances on other people's podcasts.

Recommendations on easy to learn audio editing software. Audacity is scary. Okay, so this is where I'm a bit less helpful. I'm primarily a Mac user, and GarageBand just sort of comes with every Mac for free. It's easy to use and more than enough to edit most podcasts. But I'm betting you don't have a Mac. Audacity is an incredibly powerful piece of software (I actually use it for noise removal on my raw audio files still), but yeah -- it's intimidating. Trust me though, it's worth investing the time to learn it. It can do things that software that costs hundreds of dollars can do, and its free.

A lot of these people are coming from different starting points and all at varying stages of their journey. Is there a way to get ahead of the “you’re doing it wrong” people in the comments if we make it all public? Yeah, don't allow comments. It's a podcast, most folks will be listening with a podcatcher, and there literally won't be a way for them to leave comments. Like yeah, we have comments open on Nerd & Tie Network shows -- but, like, no one ever leaves them. BS-Free Witchcraft has literally thousands of regular listeners, and none of them ever leave comments on the site.

[fans4wga]

To any newcomer joining the industry after they graduated college or just getting into the field, what is your advice on what they should do? Like if they are in LA/NYC or not in LA/NYC, what can they do?

Sorry if this is left field!

That's a huge question with a lot of variables, but fortunately our mods are also newcomers in the industry and have been through this ourselves so hopefully this is helpful :)

A couple things you can do to prepare yourself:

Unpaid internships, though clearly and obviously exploitative of vulnerable populations, are sometimes (UGH) the only or best way to get in the door and have something legit on your resume. (The paid internships are unfortunately so much more competitive, but definitely apply if you can!) A lot of internships and jobs are posted regularly on LinkedIn. This is a good Linkedin group to see job postings for young people working in entertainment.

How do you even make a resume for Hollywood internship/entry-level positions? Great question. Highlight any media experience (yearbook, newspaper, journalism, graphic design) and leadership experience. (Unless it's like, from middle school. That's too far back.) If you have the chance to submit a cover letter, focus less on trying desperately to prove yourself and more on who you are as a person: someone who is determined, yes, but would also be a good, solid coworker; any stories that reveal your talent for narrative and showcase your skills.

If unpaid internships aren't possible for you, consider checking out adjacent jobs in podcasts or journalism or other media, which would still be good on your resume before you make the switch to film/TV.

Get a nice, recent headshot (doesn't have to be a professional shoot, you just want to look professional in your social media and email profile pics.)

Join the picket lines in LA/NY if possible (WGA has the locations here). Everyone out on the picket line is supporting the future of the entire industry. It's not only the current workers on strike, but you and your peers too, who depend on the outcome of these negotiations. Also, if you consider yourself "pre-WGA" (interested in being a writer/WGA member in the future), there are a handful of groups organizing strike support for pre-WGA folks! Get plugged in with them.

Read the trade publications daily, or at least a couple times a week, to stay on top of what's going on in Hollywood. The typical places are Deadline Hollywood, Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, and I also like IndieWire and the NYT movies section personally for their profiles and reviews. Basically you just want to be someone who knows what's going on in your own industry and can talk intelligently about the state of things.

Likewise, podcasts. If you're going into TV writing, I can't recommend Children of Tendu enough. If that's not your specific field, search around for what other people in your field are listening to!

I hate having to say this, but... Twitter. Lots of WGA members, directors, actors, and industry people are active on Twitter, despite the, er, problems with the platform. Look for both pre-WGA and WGA people, connect with them, start building a community, maybe join a writing feedback group. (Again, since I'm a writer, that kinda applies to just writers, but I'm sure you can find other departments there too!)

On a similar note: You've probably heard a lot about the importance of networking—getting to know people in the industry who might be your coworkers in the future. That's important advice, but even better advice than that is to network horizontally, not vertically. Translation: Don't always seek out people who are in more advanced stages of their career than you: they're probably very busy and their lack of interest in lower-level people could be discouraging, even if it's just a reflection on their lack of time and not on you. Instead, network with people at the same stage as you—people who are new in LA/NY/the industry, people who are coming up and have similar passions and goals as you, people who are your coworkers and peers. I'm coming up with a lot of really cool people and it's very likely we'll all be in a position to help or hire each other 10, 20 years from now.

That said, you could also try to find a mentor who knows more than you do, but that's tricky territory because again... Hollywood. People are busy. But if you do get the chance to apply for a formal mentorship program, or if someone you know shows interest, having a mentor to go to for questions/advice is super valuable!

Acquire skills. Microsoft Excel skills. Standard screenplay formatting skills. Final Draft skills. Graphic design skills. Website building skills. A lot of people start in the industry at the assistant level, and these things are invaluable on your resume.

For writers specifically, I've heard the advice that you need to get 5+ shitty scripts out of your system before writing something decent. And from personal experience, that adage holds true. You need to write a significant amount of crap before you find your voice and get a handle on script formatting. Online classes and writing groups can help a lot with this.

Also for writers: You should not be trying to start your career as a professional writer without 3+ SOLID, GOOD SCRIPTS in your portfolio that match your voice as a writer, fit your (ugh) writer "brand", and have been revised based on feedback from writers you trust. If you have any doubt about the state of your sample scripts, go back to the drawing board and write a new pilot script.

If you want to be a creator, watch stuff extensively! Old stuff, new stuff, award-winning stuff, stuff that you'd want to write/direct/act in someday. Pick a director and watch everything they've made (or the same for writer/actor/costume designer/cinematographer.) You need to be decently fluent in what has come before you. This industry is only 100 years old, so it's very possible with time to become someone who knows the art form inside and out. Don't watch shallowly, either; watch deeply for analysis and critical thought.

Some final words from someone who cares deeply about the overall wellness of young people in the industry. This industry terrorizes people, and there are a lot of stories of abuse and breakdowns. (Oh, another recommendation, though pace yourself because it's a difficult book with a lot of potential triggers: Burn it Down by Maureen Ryan talks about industry abuse, written by a journalist who's tackled a lot of breaking news about abuse in Hollywood. Essential reading for people going into the industry.)

So prioritize taking care of yourself, and not just in the uwu self-care way, but the bone-deep "know thyself", "if you don't take care of yourself, you will literally cease to function" way. Love yourself enough to know when to step back and take time off. Love yourself to gain good time management skills so you can live a less stressful life. Love yourself enough to build a community of people who will look out for each other.

Wishing you the best of luck. If any pre-WGA/early career folks in the industry want to continue this conversation, this mod's main is @captaincrais.

[modestbirdwizard]

De-Program The Algorithm: RSS is good and you should be using it.

Escape the algorithm, tune your feed and save the world; or, even though it's old and ugly, RSS can make your life better.

We live in a time of algorythmic feeds that distort our perceptions of events, time, and the people that we care about. Non-stop, hardwired access by large corporations into the pleasure centers of our brains have disrupted human congnition to the point where many wonder how we ever found content we liked without having it served up by angelic machines that live in the cloud, accessing us via the little magic boxes that live in our pockets.

There IS a way out of it, though, and it comes from before Web 1.0. It is called RSS, or Real Simple Syndication.

A more thorough explanation under the jump!

In the even older times, Syndication was a word used by old media to describe an article or show that they'd gotten from somewhere else, and were presenting as content to their own viewers. Star Trek, Garfield, and millions of other comics, stories, TV shows found success not in their initial markets, but in the long running and carefully tuned presentation of existing backlogs to interested audiences.

While syndication was previously a method of showing old content to new audiences, RSS is primarily a method of displaying new content in a feed to an audience of one, or a few. You can set your RSS up to have as much or as little content as you wish, mindlessly scraping vast quantities of podcasts and articles, or as a carefully pruned garden, where each entry lives or dies by the pleasure it brings you.

You can even put porn on it. And webcomics.

Youtube is compatible, which means you could bypass any artificial limiting our curation of your subscription tab with it. Tumblr blogs can be RSS feeds as well, as well as most wordpress sites. RSS is usually a defacto afterthought in this day and age, but sites like twitter don't work natively (Thanks Elon).

Really, the biggest killer for me is that I can create not just a video subscription feed that actually shows all of my subscriptions, I can even create several feeds of content based on genre or subject. No longer will my miniature painting videos be swept away in a tide of tech reviews or drama alerts!

There are self hosted options if you have a server or an unemployed raspberry pi, but for the general user, I highly recommend browser plugins like Feedbro, or apps like Feedly. Many of them have paid features now, but don't be fooled. There is always a free way to get your feed set up, and Feedbro works on mobile anyway. Sadly, this isn't something that firefox can sync, but at least you can export your desktop feed and import it on mobile.

[chaosandstardust]

It's very interesting how you can tell off the bat that someone is an American vs a European by how they react to a lot of Prince Harry's "bombshells". The Americans are celebratory and saying "this is going to be the fall of the British monarchy", while the Brits (that are monarchy critical, not the crazy ones) are like "okay, they're shitty people. yeah? And?"

The fall of the British monarchy will not come because a Prince whined about his family. In the grand scheme of royal family drama, that's a drop in a hat. I'm absolutely not saying that H & M's feelings aren't justified (although I wouldn't call them good people; they're perfectly willing to operate inside that system when people are being nice to them), but to pretend that anyone outside of very intense royal fans will care is a stretch.

And even so, Americans' opinions do not matter in this conversation. Ultimately the only people whose opinions matter are literally the people of Britain and to a lesser degree the Commonwealth. If anything, Americans criticizing the monarchy so much will just drive Britain to defend them more. It would be like if someone from England entered American politics and criticized it without doing the barest research (seriously, the way some of y'all talk about Diana I know you got all your info about her from TikTok; I highly recommend You're Wrong About's podcast series about her).

The royal family has always been dramatic. It's always been scandalous. The last 100 or so years have been drama after drama after drama. They're fine.

Monarchies don't fall because of scandals; they're one tiny piece of a much larger puzzle. They fall because eventually, people get tired of seeing someone sit on a golden throne they paid for. The British monarchy will be around until the people of Britain get tired of paying for them. But until then, this Canadian will be advocating for the dissolution of the Commonwealth.

[youhavenoideahowbadiwantthis]

Let's start this post by saying, this is not an ad. I couldn't get paid to use social media if I wanted to, I just like this service a lot and want people to use it.

If you haven't heard of it, Shudder is a horror focused streaming app and costs $6 a month.

It doesn't have a massive catalog and typically the catalog doesn't include recent horror blockbusters, but it does do a couple things very, very well.

1. Original films

2. Exposure of cultural horror

I can't name every original I've watched, but the ones I've thoroughly enjoyed are:

Deadstream (watch if you love Evil Dead 2 and House(1986))

Glorious (don't read anything about this and go in blind)

Mad God (hated it the first time, enjoyed it the second)

The Sadness (fuckin yikes)

The two most recent V/H/S films along with Kids vs. Aliens (schlocky and wonderful)

Slaxx

The Mortuary Collection

The Beach House

Monstrum

Atterados (pants shittingly terrifying a couple times)

Scare Me (personal favorite; comfort movie)

Given, I've seen many bad movies on the service as well, I think their virtue exceeds their sins.

Now, cultural horror. I mean this very broadly. They did a 4 hour deep dive on Folk Horror (Woodlands Dark and Days Bewitched), African American horror (the incredible documentary and podcast Horror Noire), an actor's struggle with the homoerotic subtext of his film vs. his then, still-closeted homosexuality (Scream Queen! My Nightmare on Elm Street) and a documentary on the Italian horror genre of Giallo (All the Colors of Giallo).

Additionally, Shudder offers a wonderful platform for horror films of all cultures and countries to be broadcast for plebians like me to consume. Whenever a documentary comes out, it's typically accompanied by several of the films that were discussed in that documentary. It is a genius business model.

I harp on my family and friends in real life to get this app all the time and I legitimately can't recommend it enough. It's got a lot of niche stuff that I'd love to discuss beyond an open forum.

Thank you for listening, though I'm not sure why you would.

[kdndigital]

I was so busy and tired the last couple days of Gen Con that I didn't take many pics and didn't write much down. I played in about 8-9 hour of DnD each day and walked a ton, so no surprise that I wore myself out.

But I want to note some highlights so I don't forget about them:

--I played 6 games of dnd 5e, and all except one of them was super fun.

--Dungeons and Doggies was particularly adorable and hilarious. I was even almost moved to tears. Since there were some kids at the table, I let everyone else choose characters first until only 2 were left: a golden retriever wizard or a cattle dog ranger. There was only ever one option for me...

--I also loved playing Dungeons and Desserts with my friend, Chris. It's based on the book Legends and Lattes, which I have just started reading. During the game, I realized my character with a folk hero background would vehemently disagree with the rest of the party's decisions. My artificer would have to go a bit rogue in his attempts to do good. Not my usual style to split off and be secretive, but the GM and the rest of the players helped me roll with it. We ate cookies, successfully established a coffee shop, and turned a mob-like thieves guild into an HOA.

--I saw some cool cosplays, but not as many as previous years. Either there were less cosplayers, or I was so holed up in dnd games that I missed them. I particularly enjoyed the giant balloon gnomes, an excellent Lup with hand-sewn rib cage, Tim the Enchanter, and these two Final Fantasy XIV characters who were super nice people...

--I had a very good time just talking with people. One convinced me that next time I go to Gen Con I should go to one of the burlesque shows because apparently they are phenomenal. Another helped me pick out the perfect color dragon eye earrings and sold me her Urban Dragon book. Some shared their love of NADDPOD and we reminisced about the Band of Boobs and shared thoughts on the latest campaign. Some folks gave good game and podcast recommendations, and other folks shared cosplay tricks and details. A sweet bartender shared her story of sobriety and paid for my NA beer. And most others were just superbly cool.

--In fact, I better give a shout out to Mimic Dice. On Thursday night I was on my own at a busy Thai restaurant, waiting for my food order. I had sat at a high top with another girl waiting for her order, but she had left after her food arrived. I was planning to move out of the way as soon as a group needed my table or I would stay if some other lone person wanted to share. A group of tired folks with matching Tshirts came in, so I told them they should take my table. They insisted that I stay while a couple of them went to wait in line to order food. So I chatted with a woman named Andrea and she was very cool and nice. My food arrived and she insisted that I should stay and eat with them. So I did. I felt a little bad since their food didn't even arrive until I was finished, though I did share some spring rolls. They were fabulous company, with stories of fun and frustrations playing DnD. Of course I made sure to stop by their booth the next day, and I picked up some fabulous dice for me and kiddo. Thanks, Mimic Dice crew!

--Before we left, I hit the dealer's room one more time. I walked away with more tea and stickers, picked up a TS bracelet for kiddo, and bought 5 beautiful art prints for her and myself. I could say I bought too much, but we did skip 5 years of the con, so I had catching up to do, right?

Who knows what will happen next year, but I hope to go again soon :) Thanks, fabulous people at Gen Con!

(Don't ask how many selfies it took to get most of the words to show on the shirt without making myself looking awful and awkward. It was on the long car ride home after 4 days of the con...so this is the best ya get.)

[saucehavemercy]

i Paid $13.00 for This Fried Snapper | Hype or Delight? | Sauce Have Mercy

i Paid $13.00 for This Fried Snapper | Hype or Delight? | Sauce Have Mercy https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j0SHBNq4d3U i Paid $13.50.00 for This Fried snapper | Hype or Delight? | Sauce Have Mercy Join us on a culinary adventure as we visit KC Authentic Caribbean Cuisine on the Danforth to try their famous brown stew Fried Snapper dish! In this video, we dive into the flavors and presentation of this $13.00 meal to determine if it is a Hype or Delight? As we explore the delicious world of Caribbean cuisine we give you our honest take on the Danforth located Jamaican cuisine. Don't forget to hit that like button, subscribe for more food reviews, and let us know in the comments what to try next! #jamaicanfood #foodreview #torontoeats ✅ Subscribe To The Channel Sauce Have Mercy To Get A Taste of Toronto and Beyond!: https://www.youtube.com/@SauceHaveMercy ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ Audio Music is currently on your favourite platforms: 👉 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/sauce-have-mercy/id1464065153 👉 Spotify: https://spoti.fi/2lHMnKK 👉 Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/show/sauce-have-mercy#/ 👉 Google Play Music: https://music.youtube.com/googleplaymusic#/ps/I7lbd5ozsqbfmnlaj5i6y3cszem ✅ Stay Connected With Me. 👉 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saucehavemercy/ 👉 Facebook: https://web.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100064809129709 👉 Twitter: https://twitter.com/saucehavemercy ✅ For Business Inquiries: saucehavemercy@gmail.com ============================= ✅ Recommended Playlists: 👉 EXCUSE MY ETIQUETTE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HxWOrVdTsgg&list=PLiuwm8niSTgdRsouZ4abnjoge2_NHCt_f 👉 PODCAST: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CzgvjLkqfjU&list=PLiuwm8niSTgfnchfIkRPz4YXYxC5_MZ0C ✅ Other Videos You Might Be Interested In Watching: ✅ Other Videos You Might Be Interested In Watching: 👉 WORST Jamaican Food for $35.00 in Toronto 🤬 | Sauce Have Mercy https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4J2KbmImblI 👉 OVERRATED Jerk Chicken in Toronto for $25.00 | Sauce Have Mercy https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9_LxjCs0sT4 👉 Black-Owned Vegan Food in the 6ix | Food Review | Sauce Have Mercy https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WT_7bb2fqaA&t=7s 👉 Authentic Jerk Chicken from a Black-Owned Convenience Store in Toronto (MUST-TRY) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z-QSK0iNtqs&t=19s ============================= #jamaicanfood #torontoeats #foodtour #foodie #torontofoodies #foodvlog #cooking #torontofood #tastetest ✅ About Sauce Have Mercy. Welcome to Sauce Have Mercy! Your go-to destination for mouthwatering food adventures and culinary discoveries. Join us as we explore the best local eats, hidden gems, and must-try dishes in Toronto and beyond. We're on a mission to share our passion for food and bring you along for the ride. Don't forget to subscribe and hit the notification bell to stay updated on our latest foodie escapades! 🍽️ 😋 For Collaboration and Business inquiries, please use the contact information below: 📩 Email: saucehavemercy@gmail.com 🔔 Subscribe To The Channel Sauce Have Mercy To Get A Taste of Toronto and Beyond!: https://www.youtube.com/@SauceHaveMercy ================================= ADD HASHTAGS Disclaimer: We do not accept any liability for any loss or damage incurred by you acting or not acting as a result of listening to any of our publications. For all videos on my channel: This information is for general & educational purposes only. Always consult with an attorney, CPA, or financial professional for advice based on your specific situation. Copyright Disclaimer: Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational, or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use © Sauce Have Mercy. via Sauce Have Mercy https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEavxOwJTKBF-ZxE2tg1SJw July 13, 2024 at 08:47PM

[feuqueerfire]

June 2024 Movies/Shows Wrap-Up

A little monthly (spoilery!) wrap-up of all the shows, movies, and shorts I’ve watched or am watching in June 2024, general thoughts, and ranking of them all.

Recommendation of the month(s): Infernal Affairs (2002) does not need any recommendations because it's so well-known and popular and The Departed is a remake of it. However, I needed a recc for it because I wasn't aware of it until the day I watched it and I'm so glad I found it.

Ranking

The Worst of Evil (2023)

Infernal Affairs (2002)

Oh No! Here Comes Trouble (2023) = Unknown = A Shop for Killers

Spaceless

Currently Watching: Wandee Goodday, My Stand-In, Lovely Runner

Average Rating: 6.6/10

MDL Updates - Added to Watchlist: 

A section because I’m curious about how many shows I decide to add to my Watch List a month and also the ratio of watching them:adding them.

Title MDL (year) - (date added to Considering or finalized to Watchlist): initial reaction

Wandee Goodday - 240601: Only hear good things about the first few episodes and am gripped with the urge to watch it as it airs.

Spaceless (2024)

My Stand-In (2024) - 240618: Thinking of starting this while it's airing and has a few episodes left because everybody's watching it and I'm nervous about getting very spoiled.

25 Ji, Akasaka de (2024) - 244518: Celeb romance? I'll check it out || People seemed to like it and how it ended

I Feel You Linger in the Air (2023) - 240620: everybody loves it, i just missed the timing for when this was airing and so hadn't added it to the watchlist. I did listen to podcasts and didn't skip when they were discussing this one because I thought I wouldn't watch it, so I'm quite spoiled on the plot lol

Mood Indigo (2019) - 240610: has many parts but i think the main relationship has age gap, uncomfortable relationship dynamics, and complex characters, I think I'll really like watching it when I'm in the mood.

Infernal Affairs (2002)

The Midnight Romance in Hagwon: Wi Hajoon lead + noona romance + she was his past teacher/tutor. General good reviews, though maybe slow?

To Watch List At Start Of Month: 65

To Watch List At End Of Month: 62

Removed from To Watch List:

Title (Year) - (date removed): reason

Lucky My Love (2023) - June 18: I initially added this to my watchlist in January because I was like I'll just keep it for when I'm craving a GL even though people don't seem to really like it BUT I realized I don't need to keep it on hand because there are more and more GLs coming out, so I don't need to hold onto shows I'm not excited for. Like literally right now, we have Blank S2, Love Bully, and My Marvelous Dream Is You all airing and I'm hoping to watch the first two. Soon we'll have The Secret of Us, Uranus2324, and Loyal Pin out as well + a bunch of BLs now have GL sides as well (The Trainee, Love Sea).

Legend of Yunze (2021) - June 18: similar reason as above and this one has like 3 minute episodes, which I'm not keen on at all.

Currently Watching

Wandee Goodday

Country: Thailand

Release Dates: May 4, 2024 - Jul 20, 2024

Watch Via: GMMTV Youtube (free)

Watch Dates: June 1 - ONGOING, 2024

Rating: -/10

Overall: - not caught up: 9 eps out, I'm up to ep 8 -

tags: wandee goodday

Also Appears In: Wandee Goodday Live Blogging Eps 1 - 5, Ep 6, Ep 7, Ep 8

My Stand-In

Country: Thailand

Release Dates: Apr 26, 2024 - Jul 12, 2024

Watch Via: iQiyi, so ;>

Watch Dates: June 2 - ONGOING, 2024

Rating: -/10

Overall: - caught up: Ep 10 -

tags: my stand-in

Also Appears In: My Stand-In Live Blogging Eps 1 - 10

Lovely Runner 

Country: South Korea

Release Dates: Apr 8, 2024 - May 28, 2024

Watch Via: Viki (paid)

Watch Dates: June 25 (Ep 1 only)

Rating: -/10

Overall: - Watched 1 episode of Lovely Runner, will binge next month -

tags: lovely runner

Also Appears In: Lovely Runner Live Blogging

Completely Watched

Spaceless (2024)

Country: Thailand

Release Dates: June 4, 2024

Watch Via: Youtube (free)

Watch Dates: June 4, 2024

Rating: 5.5/10

Overall: Got spoiled about the sad ending and what happens, so I prepared myself for that but it was still like you did all this on the first week of pride?! jail!! It did make me look forward to 4 minutes more though, after seeing Bible acting after SO LONG + seeing the natural interactions and chemistry between Bible and Jes. It was also a bit interesting/new to see Bible acting as just a regular guy who has a crush on somebody else rather than Vegas in flashy clothes committing crimes. I would've rated it higher if I felt anything for the characters tbh but I think I knew too much to get involved and also was like man... to both of the characters.

Oh No! Here Comes Trouble (2023)

Country: Taiwan

Release Dates: Apr 15, 2023 - May 13, 2023

Watch Via: iQiyi (so ;>)

Watch Dates: June 5 - 12, 2024

Rating: 6.5/10

Overall: A good watch with engaging smaller story arcs (well, some more engaging than others) that play into the larger story (I love that it relates to family), a good cast of characters, good acting, and coherent story. Although, I must say, it's not necessarily that this show is elusive or confusing but sometimes I felt like I wasn't picking up clues or subtext that I would in a different show, so idk what's up with that. I liked the concept of the calligraphy and the "obsession" where these weren't like actual ghosts but beings that were borne from obsession. I didn't really ship Yiyong and Guangyan romantically, though I thought that I would, but I liked their friendship alongwith Chuying; they're a fun trio and the characters well-realized. I will however likely not think about this show and also it was boring/repetitive sometimes.

tags: oh no! here comes trouble

Also Appears In: Oh No! Here Comes Trouble Live Blogging

Unknown

Country: Taiwan

Release Dates: Feb 24, 2024 - Apr 20, 2024

Watch Via: Youku Youtube (but apparently Viki has better subs)

Watch Dates: June 13 - 17, 2024

Rating: 6.5/10

Overall: I'm so glad I got over my pseudo-incest brother-lover aversion because I can now watch this stuff in delight. Though I must say, my favourite aspect of this show is the little family trio with Qian, Yuan, and Lili, with San Pang occasionally invited as well. I loved how they cared for each other and how though Lili was left out of the romantic duo inside their trio, it didn't feel like she was forgotten or sidelined. The romance itself, I think the development was nice, especially from Yuan's side since we saw how he thought of Qian and how he supported him and we also saw a bit of from Qian's when when Yuan was gone + when he returned. Since there was so much angst and build-up for like 10 episodes, their actual coming together should have been grander. Feels like their relationship actually switching to lovers wasn't treated with enough gravitas and seemed a bit too much too fast and they didn't seem to emotionally struggle with the switch at all, though I would've expected a bit from Qian. Lastly, Qian is so beautiful, like incredibly attractive to me, woah.

tags: unknown

Also Appears In: Unknown Live Blogging

My Stand In Ep 8 released today (June 14) and I already know something about sneezing and saw some photos and a clip and I'm just so nervous that I'm gonna get Extremely Spoiled about this show when I don't... want to. I'm considering starting My Stand In after Unknown, before I jump into my Korean shows... I'll try to time it for ep 9 so that I only have to wait 3 weeks till the end.

Happy Ending Series - Pilot Trailer (June 15): watched full trailer. I've been looking forward to the pilot since like May 21-ish when Jeff's company started teasing it on twitter and teasers/posters started coming out. I'm very intrigued, I love a murder story, serial killers, etc (The artsy killer reminded me of Death's Game part 2 serial killer artist) the vibes are great, it's intriguing, and it seems not BL but I wonder if there'll be homoerotic undertones (sometimes that works better in these sorts of shows, especially if there's not necessarily a happy ending). Supposed to come out next year. I'll try not to be too excited though because the vibes and whimsy of a 6 minute pilot that doesn't necessarily need to be coherent doesn't necessarily translate to a well-written show with the same vibes (not every show can be Strangers From Hell)... but I'm looking forward to it nonetheless.

The Trainee - Official Trailer (June 16): watched full trailer. I don't often watch a full official trailer, especially if I'm planning on watching the series but I did this time because people were saying it looks good. Didn’t end up watching Cooking Crush, so I’m really hoping this one turns out great, I'd love to love a new OffGun show. It’s also interesting that they showed so much of the cast and their storylines in the trailer, usually it tends to focus more on the main couple. Especially excited for the side GL (with a love triangle)!

There seems to be a new trailer every few days this month so far, I think I'll write my thoughts on all of them lol

Century of Love - Official Trailer (June 13): watched full trailer when it was released. It's not a super common trope but there have been several shows with the trope anyway, haven't super enjoyed any of the ones I've watched (First Love Again which I can't remember a single thing about and The Director Buys Me Dinner left a lot to be desired storyline wise). I don't care that the past iteration of Offroad's character is a woman (The Sign also had that), though Daou's dramatic opposition of that is kinda corny. We'll see, I'm hoping it'll turn out well because I wanna watch a DaouOffroad show (I kinda became interested since Daou-Joong-Est are friends)

Sooo many trailers came out for shows or movies I’m keeping an eye on, like Hwang Daseul’s Taekwando movie BL, Battle of the Writer (TutorYim), The Loyal Pin and Uranus 2324 (FreenBecky show and movie), but I’m not watching their trailers because I don’t tend to watch official trailers (The Trainee and Century of Love are random exceptions). There are also a bunch of trailers for shows I don't have interest in, like The Rebound.

A Shop for Killers 

Country: South Korea

Release Dates: Jan 17, 2024 - Feb 7, 2024

Watch Via: ;>

Watch Dates: June 18 - 20, 2024

Rating: 6.5/10

Overall: Interesting premise + interesting execution with all the flashbacks, they way the flashbacks were in Jian's POV, then Jeongmin for 1 ep, then Jinman (we did have some repetition during Jinman's that we already saw through Jian's). The flashbacks cutting through the current action were sometimes bothersome, especially after we'd already established important stuff and then the flashback stuff didn't feel as important as the current. I found Jinman intriguing and mysterious and understood him despite being frustrated with how he treated Jian at times. Jian, I liked way more at the beginning but then started being annoyed toward the end at times. Mihye was soooo cool. It was a surprisingly funny show, especially in regard to how this is just a job for these mercenaries and killers lol The ending was a bit anticlimactic in terms of how things were resolved + there was a bunch of important threads that were unfinished (aiming for a season 2?). I wasn't surprised by the ending but I don't know if they were aiming for that anyway, I think they knew the audience to predict it and were okay with it.

tags: a shop for killers

Also Appears In: A Shop for Killers Live Blogging

Japan: I keep wondering if I should bring in a Japanese section again and watch just 1-2 shows because I wasn't really in the mood for moody Japanese shows while in the section this year. Of the 5 Japanese shows I've watched this year, 2 were rewatches and 2 were Ustukushii Kare sequels, so I only had My Personal Weatherman as a new universe/set of characters that I watched. I legit have 13 Japanese shows on my to-watch list which is a lot considering I have 14 in my Thai show list and I watch so many of those (and only SK has more on my to-watch). Anyway, idk, it'd have to be next month at the earliest (maybe I'll tack it on at the end of my Philipino and Indian sections because both of those have just a few).

The Worst of Evil

Country: South Korea

Release Dates: Sep 27, 2023 - Oct 25, 2023

Watch Via: ;>

Watch Dates: June 21 - 22, 2024

Rating: 7.5/10

Overall: Surprised even myself by binging this in 24 hours (10am-10am June 21-22) when I was planning on watching ~3eps/day for 4 days. Intense, interesting, engaging, exciting, thrilling. How fun. It made me feel like when I had just started watching k-dramas or thrillers, and everything was exciting and I'd just watch it for hours on end. Knew Wi Hajoon is in this (the guy who really had me getting into watching shows and dramas). I wasn't on anybody's side - I knew/suspected the cops and Seungho would win because that's just the kind of story but I wanted more and better from each side, I wanted them to be clever and to outsmart each other. When Gicheol did something clever, I was excited and when Seungho did something clever, I was equally excited. I pity Gicheol, he really only had Seungho and Euijeong left at the end but they both were conspiring against him. But Seungho was right that Gicheol didn't need to do all this, it's an excuse, and it's not surprising that others turned their back on him. Enjoyed Seungho-Junmo constantly pushing farther and doing too much just to keep his cover and have the investigation continue. I liked the main romance at the beginning but it makes sense that they divorced or stopped being together after that mission. Euijeong was underutilized, underwritten, and ultimately not very useful, I wish she was more involved. Miss Lee was so good, she played the spoiled and love-sick fool who still had bite and resources and power well, and I enjoyed her with Seungho. The ending was fitting. I'm curious about whether I will remember this show or think about it later on since I binged it so quickly and didn't develop emotional connection with the characters despite finding them interesting and being invested in the plot.

tags: the worst of evil

Also Appears In: The Worst of Evil Live Blogging

Infernal Affairs (2002)

Country: Taiwan

Release Dates: Dec 12, 2002

Watch Via: ;>

Watch Dates: June 22, 2024

Rating: 7/10

Overall: Watched this the night after I finished The Worst of Evil in the morning because I was still in the high of watching like gangster and mole cop action stuff. This is a movie that I think I'd more out of on a rewatch. It's fast-paced, fairly short (100 minutes), lean, and straight to the point but full of subtlety and quite philosophical in a way. The main characters have both been cosplaying for a decade and their lives have been shaped by their current lives, so despite technically being a cop and a gangster, are they still now more like their mole identities? Yan was a cop but nobody other than himself and Wong knew it, so after a decade, what difference does it even make that he's a cop? It's a tragic ending where Wong and Yan both die while Lau is praised for killing Sam and the other cop mole without being found out as the real mole who was working with the gang for 10 years. Then again, it's a movie where you don't even necessarily want Lau to face retribution because you can see him want to become better and abandon being a mole for the gang. I appreciate the bleakness.

Also Appears In: Infernal Affairs Live Blogging

What happens if I give up my BL/GL watching and become a full-time gangster (and cop) movie/series watcher?

Watched 1 episode of Lovely Runner

I think I'm going to have to switch up how I watch shows because I'm gonna have long commutes and usually I download an episode of a show for it on my iPad but I don't want people on the way to work to watch me watching people making out/getting it on. So I'll probably watch my non-BL shows since they mostly tend to be like thrillers/mysteries and the non-thriler romances are usually chaste or like Twinkling Watermelon which is more friendgroup based than romance. Might watch episodes of BLs or GLs that aren't likely to have a surprise NC /makeout/suggestic scene. But does that mean I'll always have a non-QL going? But if I'm watching thrillers on the train... I love binging thrillers, I always wanna know what's going on, so either I'll have to hold off on watching them during other times or I'm gonna keep binging thrillers and only watching thrillers because I'll pick up a new one for the next train ride. anyway idk, we'll see how it goes ig

Or maybe I'll rewatch stuff? idk...

Okay y'know what, I've decided I'm gonna keep My Lovely Runner in the backburner for 2 more weeks and watch it on the train hehe. I'm on my South Korea round right now and have a few more shows to get through for it but I think I'm gonna pause it and start my Thailand round early, beginning with My Stand-In.

The accidental trend of watching multiple things in a row where the main character is not being themselves/is acting as somebody else. The Worst of Evil: cop going undercover in a gang. Infernal Affairs: cop going undercover as a gang member & a gang member going undercover as a cop. Lovely Runner: girl travels back in time and she's still herself but she's herself from 14 years ago and so can't just say all the stuff she knows. My Stand-In: Our MC Joe is in the body of a different Joe because this guy's mother tried bringing him back but uh... brought the wrong Joe back in this body, so Our MC Joe is now being his stand-in.

What other actors have played vastly different characters/archetypes like Up in Lovely Writer and My Stand-In and Bible in KinnPorsche and 4 Minutes? Most actors stay in the same top-bottom position and general dynamic with their partner while in BLs and even when they switch partners, they may often still stay in the position role they were originally given. Up and Bible are playing opposite different actors and their position role is different (I know there are people who Really dislike that Bible is playing "the bottom" in 4Minutes) and also have played a character like Ming and Vegas. It's just interesting, I'd love to see more actors play a different archetype or dynamic than they usually do but it usually doesn't happen.

Khaotung - Tonhon Chonlatee & The Eclipse: different pair, different position/role

Mark Pakin - Only Friends & The Dentist BL: different pair, different position/role. He's actually done lots of different characters and pairs, though he's been (portrayed as) a good guy in all of them I think (Nick was way more of a red flag asshole than the show made it seem like)

Gawin - Dark Blue Kiss, Not Me, Be My Favourite, Golden Blood: Different pair, different position.

There are a bunch of other actors mentioned in this reddit post about actor range/versatility but I was specifically curious about range not only in the character personality but also the top/bottom position given in BLs.

Ending with My Stand-In catch-up. Usually, I end the month with 0 Currently Watching and sometimes, occasionally, rarely with 1 On-Air show that I'm carrying onto the next month but this month... 3 shows I'm in the middle of. 2 on-air that'll end next month and 1 Lovely Runner which is done but I'm saving it to binge next month on my commute.

To Watch This Month - Planned at the Start of the Month:

On-Airs: Wandee Goodday ⏸️ and My Love Mix-Up! TH ⏭️. hmmm I'm not very good at watching shows as they air but for some reason feel like starting 2 new ones at once, lol. We'll see how it goes.

Taiwain: Lesson In Love ⏭️, Oh no! Here Comes Trouble ✅, Unknown ✅

Korea: 1-2 BLs (including Method), 1 GL (She Makes My Heart Flutter), het romance (Lovely Runner ⏸️), Non-Romance Thriller/Crime/Mystery (Shop for Killers ✅, Worst of Evil ✅).

✅: watched this month, ⏸️: currently watching, ❌: not watching in this iteration/section of country, ⏭️: moved to next month/ran out of time

Next month, I'll be doing a bunch of my watching on the commute, so I'm curious how that'll change things.