#I feel like it influences younger teens too into thinking this kind of behaviour is okay which it is notttt

[clarabowmp3]

So over talking about Joe Alwyn and rewriting history and her love songs about him opposed to you know. Talking about her art, her success, her show and her music. It's just so boring.

right??? Swifties love/loved to say that the media only defines her by the men she’s been with and then turn around and connect everything about her to joe/travis (jobeless kept her in the basement/he lets her bejeweled!)

that’s why I’m simultaneously anticipating and dreading ttpd because this album has some of her most artistically interesting titles (my boy only breaks his favourite toys?? Who’s afraid of little old me???? COME ONNN) but it’s going to take a grand total of 30 seconds for ppl to zero in how any of it can be used as ammunition against an ex. I joined tumblr a few weeks after folklore was dropped and I feel like her emphasis on it NOT being autobiographical encouraged most ppl to look at its artistic value rather than its real-world implications and things were so much more peaceful and enjoyable then

[lieutenantselnia]

A little comparison of Lieutenant Lyste's voice in the English and German dub (+ a little bit of Kallus too); because I find languages interesting and this made me really think about how a voice actor can influence how a character is perceived.

First of all, I've watched Rebels primarily in German so far (though I've seen a good amount of scenes in English as well), partly for nostalgia reasons (I was in my teens, probably around 14 when I first watched the series and my English wasn't that good at the time to just casually watch an entire series, plus I was watching it with my younger sister), but also because I think the voice actors especially for the main and recurring characters are genuinely doing a really good job. Heck, for some characters I might actually prefer their German voice because it is that good! Kallus might actually be a good example for this if he's already here, I think he has such a pleasant roughness in his voice. For Thrawn it's also a pretty close match, he sounds wonderful in both variants but I might prefer his German voice just by a teeny tiny bit.

Who I actually wanted to talk about is Lieutenant Lyste though. I'm mainly familiar with his German voice, and as he's a fictional crush of mine, this is also the voice of his that I've fallen in love with. When I imagine him talking - regardless in which language - the sound is that of his German voice. Personally, I feel like that voice makes him seem a little younger and more naive compared to his English voice. I've always headcanoned him to be fairly young, in his early to mid twenties, and that by the start of the series he had just completed his military training recently (his position as supply master might have been the first one where he had to bear more responsibility). I've always seen him as a guy who's motivated and just trying his best, but at the same time he's lacking experience, plus, if we're being honest, when it comes to his military career he's a pretty average guy. I think he'd learn and improve over the years, but he isn't the "best of his academy year" or "promising young talent with innovative ideas" kind of guy, and he's far from a mastermind like Thrawn. He's literally Just A Guy, and personally, that's actually something I really like about him and that makes him endearing to me.

In contrast, I think his voice in the English dub makes his age a bit more ambiguous (I still wouldn't guess him older than 30, also based on his appearance but I feel he seems less "boyish" than in the German dub). I think it also gives him a bit more of an arrogant tinge and less of the playfulness that at least I hear in his German voice. He still conveys that dutifulness, but he seems a bit more uptight as well. I wouldn't go so far to say that that's bad, and I still like his English voice as well, but I think for me it won't come close to the charm that his German voice has to me.

Towards the end I want to point out though, that the voice, while being an important aspect, is not everything that makes a character. Appearance, behaviour, body language, actions and decisions contribute to that as well. What I found interesting is that most headcanons that I read about Lyste actually still overlap closely with my own as well, even though I heavily assume that not all people who wrote them are familiar with his German voice. I would say that this is a good thing, because his core personality is still conveyed across language barriers, even though the way that different actors voice him may emphasise different aspects of his character more or less.

[yarns-and-d20s]

Just finished watching a YouTube video about JKR and her whole "I'm never going to forgive those young people who disagree with me!" nonsense. The YouTuber made a bit of a throwaway comment about the adults who can't let go of HP because of what it meant to them in their youth, and I had too many thoughts for a YouTube comment, so, here I am.

My HP credentials: the first book came out when I was 15. I borrowed it from a younger person in my life, and ended up DNF'ing at the time because those opening chapters were so brutally mean-spirited and bleak I couldn't handle it. What can I say, I was a pretty fragile little thing. I ended up going back to the franchise in 2001 when my best friend wanted me to see the first movie with her. She'd already seen it, and just desperately wanted to share it with me, but would say no more. She bought my ticket and my popcorn, and, well, I ended up spending several years in the HP fandom, and was with it all through the release of the final film, and then slowly, it just sort of dwindled in my interest, though I did re-listen to the Fry-narrated audiobooks or watch the movies again from time to time, and had my various bits of merch hanging around my room.

But I gotta admit, I feel the same way that YouTuber does about the HP adults. The ones who won't let it go despite JKR, rather than, y'know, holding on because of her. The ones who wail, "But you don't understand what Harry Potter meant to me!"

Because the thing of it is: I do. My Harry Potter was David & Leigh Eddings' Belgariad and Mallorean, which was 10 entire books, that grew up alongside its main character, a very special orphan chosen one boy with magic powers and even a special mark on his body (Garion's was on his hand). Hell, he was also raised by his aunt, though I think Aunt Pol would kick Aunt Petunia's ass, and ends up marrying a redhead.

I started reading Pawn of Prophecy when I was 10 (I was a very precocious reader!). I re-read both series a lot up until 2010; I re-read them so much that all 10 books needed to be replaced because they were falling apart. Yeah, they got bought twice in my house. My best friend--the same one who took me to see Philosopher's Stone--also loved the Belgariad & Mallorean and we bonded over those books, talked about them constantly, the whole nine yards. Not only that, but my only other friend in the entire world as a teen also loved those books. They meant the world to me.

But as I progressed through my 20s, I started noticing the bioessentialism and the thing where people from the north and west were good but the people from the south and east were scary and evil or just plain old strange. The fact that very nearly all the female characters could be described as "beautiful and sassy" and were rewarded with marriage and babies if they were good women but if they were bad women who were too masculine in their appetites or behaviours, they got punished for it. On top of all that, news resurfaced several years ago about how the Eddings had been tried and found guilty of abusing their adopted children. They never adopted again after they served out their punishments, and the Belgariad was envisioned by the couple as, like, a love letter/apology letter to children or something like that.

So, yeah, I actually get it. A lot. And the Eddings are dead now, and can't hurt anybody, but I haven't touched those books in 14 years. They were so important to me, and I can still "hear" the influence of the Eddings' style in my own fiction writing. They'll always be special to me, but, you know, there's... there's other books.

I spent years rolling my eyes at people who would pull the "read other books" line. It was kind of ridiculous; I never knew anybody who was into HP and never read anything else. It was just that HP always inspired a particular fandom and devotion because so many people had it in common. I understand how important the community itself was; remember, I was in it.

But by the same token, because nuance is a thing, I don't fully understand not being able to let it go. Yes, I'm sure it was easier for me to let go of because I was an adult (19, closer to 20 than to 18) when I actually got into the franchise. And there was never really a huge, thriving Belgariad/Mallorean fandom. But if your HP fandom friends are only your friends because of HP, then... they're not really your friends, are they?

The Eddings are dead. They can't use their money to hurt anybody. There are living authors right now who are not raging sacks of shit who are struggling to put food on their plates. There are also lots of shows and games that you can love, and maybe there's a movie occasionally, sometimes (note to self: edit and post mini-essay about how the advent of the DVD was a huge stepping stone that led us to the current state of cinema).

I both do and don't know how hard it is to let go of something that meant so much to you as a kid. I know in so much as I've done it; but my autistic brain is struggling to not understand why if I can do it, other people can't. If it's about friends--guys, gals, non-binary pals, they ain't your friends if they don't want anything to do with you if you can't talk about Harry goddamn Potter. If they will talk to you without it, find that thing to talk about.

I know it'll hurt. I still ache sometimes to go back to [insert setting of Belgariad/Mallorean here], and see all my book friends, but, hey, I've sure read a lot of books since I stopped re-reading the same 10 books every 12-18 months for 13 years.

Sometimes, we outgrow things. That's okay. It's allowed. I gave myself permission to make 2010 the last time I read those 10 books. I give myself permission to miss them. I give myself permission to think fondly of what they meant to me. But it became time to move on, because my soul is bigger than racism, sexism, and two people who beat their children, and needed to be fed with new things.

[feralnumberfive]

Apologies for just zooming into your ask but I'm genuinely interested in hearing your opinion about him. Aidan is extremely talented and brings the role of Five to life, but I've been reading about a few things that he's said in patreon and there's quite a few youtube videos about his behaviour. And there's just an off vibe he gives off through instagram. I'm really trying to like him because he's still young. I guess I just wanted to hear your opinion on him because I just value your opinion.

No need to apologize, you are always welcome here! Thank you so much for valuing my opinion, it means a lot! :]

Well I’d first off like to say I hope I don’t get a lot of shit for anything I’m about to say haha, but if I do, oh well! If anyone gets upset by this, this is my opinion, and you don’t have to agree with it!

Here we go!

Everything you said, anon, is exactly how I feel too. I consider myself slightly lower than a casual fan of Aidan. I think it’s awesome that he really cares for the environment and that he communicates with his fans about climate change and stuff. I am amazed at how good he is at acting. He’s the perfect Five and really knows the ins and outs of Five. 

When it comes to Aidan himself though, he gives me an odd feeling too. I can’t exactly name why, but it’s just like that. I’ve seen the things he’s said to some of his fans, which I took screenshots of the posts, and it’s just downright awful. I sound obsessive when I say I took screenshots, but it’s just a way for me to kind of anchor myself in a way. I know that this has been said many times, but Aidan is young. He just turned 17 and is on his way to being 18. Even though he’s young, he should know some right from wrong ideas, but still at that age not everyone knows (I certainly don’t and I’m only slightly older than him) when something is okay to say/do. This, however, is not an excuse to say certain things about mental illnesses. 

Some of the things he has said sound absolutely crazy, and I can't believe a person would say that. I believe that some of it though isn’t meant the way he said it and rather that he worded it poorly. Some of the things he has said aren’t okay at all. It’s tricky to know though with Aidan because his fandom is quite bonkers and obsessed over him (not all of them though). Rumors about him spread like a wild fire or out of context messages he has sent are taken and made to look like he did something wrong. Maybe what I’m seeing is out of context messages, but I don’t believe a good chunk of them are.

Aidan has stated that he never wanted to be famous but he eventually became famous. He said that he only does some things to please his fans, which is honestly sad but I don’t even know if I believe it. Personally, I believe Aidan is a bit self absorbed. It’s understandable though since he’s young and already quite a famous actor. He knows where he’s at in life and has a good amount of influence on people, especially his fans who are typically younger. He said he doesn’t post as much about the environment anymore or he would lose followers. He said he only takes selfies for his fans and that he doesn't enjoy it. He also said he has to “play celebrity” in order to slip in posts about the environment or else no one would pay attention. If you truly loved the environment though, would you care if you lost followers in order to spread an urgent and important message?

Rumors are spread around and yet Aidan also believes in some of them. He seems to hold himself as an intelligent person who knows everything and that those things are right, yet he himself has blinders on. I think he needs to check more into things before he goes off about them or a person in general. I believe he is falling more and more into a “being famous” mindset where he believes he needs to keep everyone happy and that he has a lot of power over things. His Patreon is a neat way for him to keep in touch with his fans, but I believe it’s kind of ruining him. It seems like he really only focuses on his Patreon fans and not the rest of his fanbase. 

So, Aidan is on thin ice for me. I like him, and I really do want to like him, but I’m quite cautious of him. I always keep the strange/bad things he has said in the back of my mind just as a reminder that he may seem charming but he’s not all that. I’m sure he’s a good kid and means well, but he’s not the best when it comes to wording things and talking with fans. I know he just wants people to be happy, but some of the things he has said about others is not right. I know he’s apologized about a lot of this stuff though and that some of them are rumors or just out of context things. I hope that as he gets older he will do whatever he actually wants to do and realizes that he doesn’t constantly need to give content to his fans and he’ll be at peace with himself. He’s just a young teen who is still figuring out life, but from a famous person point of view. In the end though, I just can’t trust Aidan.  

[sing-for-theongreyjoy]

Equus Interview with Alfie Allen from March 18, 2008

Theatre and Dance Previews

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Alfie Allen

What's Alfie all about?!

Katy Lewis

The brother of Lily and son of Keith, Alfie Allen tells us about his first big stage role ahead of his arrival in Milton Keynes.

Equus

Milton Keynes Theatre

17-22 March 2008

Mon – Sat: 7.30pm Wed & Sat: 2.30pm

Starring Simon Callow, Alfie Allen, Linda Thorson and Laura O’Toole.

Psychiatrist Martin Dysart (Simon Callow) is brought the most challenging case of his career by magistrate Hester Saloman. Alan Strang (Alfie Allen) seems like a normal 17-year-old. His life is routine and his family loving. However, Alan’s passion for horses and his first experience with a girl, stable-hand Jill has led him to behave in the most devastating way. Only Dysart seems able to grasp the answer to this psychological puzzle.

With actor father Keith, music star sister Lily and film producer mother Alison Owen (Shaun of the Dead), it may have been inevitable that Alfie Allen would pursue a career in the spotlight.

He is undoubtedly the latest rising star of the Allen family, having appeared alongside Keira Knightley in the blockbuster film Atonement and who can also be seen at the moment on the big screen in The Other Boleyn Girl.

Alongside that, he has just turned his attention to the stage and can currently be seen in his first major role, alongside Simon Callow in Peter Shaffer’s award winning play Equus, where he plays troubled teen Alan Strang, the role which also brought Daniel Radcliffe critical acclaim in the West End last year.

But Alfie first came to public attention when his sister wrote a song about him - "Derek". OK, it's "Alfie", where the lyrics included the lines:

Ooooo deary me My little brother's in his bedroom smoking weed I tell him he should get up cos it's nearly half past three He can't be bothered cos he's high on THC I ask him very nicely if he'd like a cup of tea I can't even see him cos the room is so smoky

And since then, his various expulsions from school in a turbulent early life have been well-documented. So, what’s Alfie really all about? Well, as it turns out, he seems to be a rather thoughtful young actor who is thoroughly enjoying his new role on the stage. I spoke to him during the Equus tour where he told me more.

How would you describe Equus?

Alfie: It’s a play about a boy’s love for horses and the problems that arise during it – and that’s it in a nutshell, a really short way of putting it. It kind of questions what is normality and who’s got the right to say what is sane and what is insane and why is this boy’s passion for horses so wrong. That’s kind of what Simon Callow’s part, Martin Dysart does. He questions it and gets pulled into it. He’s supposed to be analysing this boy’s behaviour but starts admiring it.

So Alan Strang, your character, has got a kind of condition, and Simon Callow’s role is to look at it and while he’s looking at it, he begins to question whether what Alan is doing is actually normal and everybody else is wrong?

Alfie: That’s completely what it’s a about, yes.

Alfie Allen in Equus

This is a subject that’s always interested me – who has got the right to say what’s normal or not?

Alfie: Completely! That’s what Peter (Shaffer – the playwright) said to me when I had a meeting with him. He said that what made him write the play was that he started thinking about things like, why do some men like blonde girls, what makes us like these things, what makes us who we are? It’s just a very interesting play that raises a lot of issues.

Alan Strang is described as a horse-crazed anguished creative, yet disturbed, teen. Is that how you’d describe him?

Alfie: Yes. In the play there’s a couple of lines where the mother says he’s a very gentle sensitive young boy, which he is, yet he still does these terrible, terrible crimes, which is what it’s kind of all about really.

And he’s under a psychiatrist, but the play is questioning what’s normal and what’s not, so in a sense, is the play having a pop at psychiatry as a profession?

Alfie: Maybe it was when it was written in 1973, but I think that now, the methods of psychiatry have changed so much that I don’t think it’s having a pop at psychiatry, I think it’s almost just having a pop at authority really. I say that, but it’s so broad really, and that’s why I think people should just come and see it because everyone will have their own opinion of it. It really covers so many issues. It’s a very interesting play and I think whoever comes to see it, whatever age they are, or sex they are, they can bring something different away from it.

It’s well known that Daniel Radcliffe played this part in the West End and there was a big hoo hah about him being naked. Obviously you are doing that too – how do you prepare for something like that?

Alfie: You just do it really. I went to the gym a lot to keep myself in shape, not really to make myself look good but to keep healthy because it’s such a demanding part. But in terms of the nudity, funnily enough, it was harder doing it in the rehearsal rooms than on the stage for the first time. Because when you’re doing it in front of 900 people you don’t know, it’s easier than doing it in front of 20 people that you do know. But the first time you do it, you just do it.

You’ve done quite a few films recently but this is your first stage role, was that daunting?

Alfie: It was at first but I’ve learnt so much going along. I thought theatre would be a little but more difficult, but to be honest I don’t think you can even compare the two, I think they’re so different. Obviously in theatre you work chronologically so you kind of know where your emotions are supposed to be and you’re always on top of things, and as an actor you always know what’s coming next.

I haven’t played a huge role like this in TV and film but I think I can basically take what I’ve learned in doing theatre and apply it to TV and film. In those, I could be doing my most important scene on the first day of filming and then go back to the beginning the next day, so you need to know where your emotions are.

Theatre seemed more difficult at first, but once I got into it, you kind of go into autopilot on the stage, and always know where you are supposed to be.

As you say, it’s a very demanding role. Have you found it quite easy to relate to the character?

Alfie: Yes, but I think any actor of my age would find something in this play to relate to. I think that’s how any actor would make their performance convincing, by bringing an element of themselves into the character.

You can say to actors that you’ve got to be the character and really get into it but you have to make it realistic by bringing an element of yourself into it.

I saw a psychiatrist when I was younger because I had ADHD and I had some problems with authority, so I guess I can kind of relate to that in a way. I know what it’s liked to be probed and to be asked questions where people are looking for a certain answer, and are trying to pull something out of your answer. So, in terms of that I knew what it was like to see a psychiatrist, but in terms of the love for horses it was kind of hard to relate to.

During rehearsals I went to a stable up in Wimbledon, and I got to groom horses – and there’s a very important part in the play where I have to groom a horse – and I definitely saw the sensual side of it. It was strange being up close and personal to horses like that but I could kind of see what Peter was thinking when he wrote the play, and about why Alan was like this. I could see where his love for horses came from.

I read a quote from you that said you were born angry! Do say if you didn’t say it, but it’s been well-documented that you’ve been expelled from various schools so are you an anguished creative too?

Alfie: Well, I’m just like any person really, if you are pushed too far you can crack, and get angry but I don’t think I said I was born angry!

Alfie Allen in Equus

It’s also well-known that you come from a family of performers, so was it inevitable that you would act? Were you encouraged or discouraged from performing?

Alfie: Neither, I always wanted to do it. Obviously I saw dad, but I didn’t see him in a film or something and say ‘oh wow that’s what dad does, I want to do that’. It was more seeing him with his friends and with other people and seeing how he made people laugh and suddenly just create a character out of thin air. I think that’s what made me want to be an actor.

It took me a while to realise that’s what dad does for a living, but even at school I was a bit of a class clown, and did impersonations of people and was good at drama – I did GCSE. I always knew I wanted to be an actor, it wasn’t like mum or dad encouraged or discouraged me. To be honest my dad told me when I started acting that 95 per cent of it was about rejection and I soon discovered that by going to auditions and not getting jobs for about three or four years, that was kind of my drama school really. I was going to auditions and being turned away the whole time, but then it started to go well for me.

Harry Enfield was also a kind of step-father to you. Did he have an influence on you do you think?

Alfie: Probably yes. He was a very, very nice person and a very funny guy. Me and my friend went out to dinner with him recently and my friend said he can see a lot of his humour in me so he must have had an influence in some way. As a child I think that any kind of male living in the house would have an influence on you.

The media have put you and your sister in a sort of new cool Britannia set of young up and coming stars – how do you feel about that? Do you think you are?!

Alfie: Well – if people want to call me that great! [laughs] But I don’t really pay attention to all that to be honest, I just get on with the job that I’m doing. I just live in the present I guess and don’t really read the papers.

Obviously you do get press attention – how do you deal with that?

Alfie: I just ignore it! Some friends call me up now and again and say ‘have you seen what they read about you in the paper’ and I say ‘no I didn’t see it and I don’t want to see it’! I just get on with it. I’m an actor - I act - I don’t want to be a celebrity.

Have you read really ridiculous things about yourself that just aren’t true?

Alfie: No – I don’t read much of it but some people tell me some funny things. I know that after my first night in Equus someone put the heading ‘Willy Allen’, which I thought was hilarious! But other than that I don’t really pay attention to it.

What’s next for you? Or do you just play it by ear?

Alfie: I have an idea of what I’m doing after this but at the moment I just want to concentrate on this and see what happens. I really do live by the motto that I just want to live in the present. I don’t really like to plan things too much. I’m quite un-organised to be honest so I just take things as they come.

Do you want to do more stage work?

Alfie: Definitely more stage work! I would love to do more stage, it’s very stimulating, and it’s exhilarating. But people have asked me what would you rather do, film, TV or theatre but I don’t think you can compare them. Film and TV are probably quite similar but theatre is just a thing on its own. It’s a complete learning curve which is fantastic, I’m enjoying every second of it.

Did you like the song that Lily wrote about you?

Alfie: I loved it!

Was it true?

Alfie: At a point it was yes! That was when I was much younger so I’ve grown out of it now!

last updated: 18/03/2008 at 10:25 created: 18/03/2008

source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/threecounties/content/articles/2008/03/18/alfie_allen_equus_feature.shtml

[oliverphisher]

George Ivanoff

George Ivanoff is an author. He lives in the suburbs of Melbourne, Australia.

He has written over 100 books for children and teenagers, including fiction and non-fiction. He has written school readers, library reference books, chapter books, novelettes, novels and even a short story collection. He has books on both the Victorian Premier’s and the NSW Premier’s Reading Challenge booklists.

George’s latest series of books is OTHER WORDS. With this series George has ventured into the realms of science fiction and fantasy, two of his favourite genres, in order to tell stories about ordinary kids facing extraordinary circumstances. There are 4 books so far.

The Treasure of Dead Man’s Cove (You Choose) By George Ivanoff

George’s has written 13 books in his interactive You Choose series. You Choose: The Treasure of Dead Man’s Cove won the 2015 YABBA in the “Fiction for Younger Readers” category; and You Choose: Alien Invasion From Beyond the Stars got an Honour Award in the KOALAs in 2016 and 2017.

His teen science fiction novel, Gamers’ Quest (2009), won a Chronos Award for speculative fiction. The sequel, Gamers’ Challenge (2011), was shortlisted for the same award. And the final book in the Gamers trilogy, Gamers’ Rebellion (2013), also won a Chronos Award.

George has also written a series of adventure books for kids — RFDS Adventures. The four books in this series were published in 2016.

George also writes short stories and articles for adults as well as kids. Of all these, he is most proud to have had the opportunity to write a Doctor Who story for the Short Trips: Defining Patterns anthology (Big Finish, UK, 2008).

Occasionally, George has been known to moonlight as an actor. He has had small roles in numerous productions including the television series Neighbours and the feature films Frozen Butterflies and William Kelly’s War. He recently guest starred in an episode of the audio series Night Terrace.

George eats too much chocolate, drinks too much coffee and watches too much Doctor Who. He will sometimes indulge in a nice bottle of wine or a single malt Scotch.

He has one wife, two children, two cats and several chickens. And he is very content!

What are one to three books that have greatly influenced your life? 

The Wonderful Flight to the Mushroom Planet By Eleanor Cameron

The Wonderful Flight to the Mushroom Planet by Eleanor Cameron  —  This is the book that turned me into a reader.

Doctor Who and the Dalek Invasion of Earth By Terrance Dicks

Doctor Who and the Dalek Invasion of Earth by Terrance Dicks — I have lost count of the number of times I have read this book. Dicks is one of my writing heroes and one of the reasons I wanted to become a writer.

Illuminae (The Illuminae Files) By Amie Kaufman, Jay Kristoff

Illuminae, by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff — This book takes such a different and innovative approach to narrative. It made me want to be a better writer and take more creative risks.

What purchase of $100 or less has most positively impacted your life in the last six months (or in recent memory)?

That $99 bottle of Japanese whiskey had a pretty good impact.

How has a failure, or apparent failure, set you up for later success? 

It taught me to never give up and to never take success for granted.

Are there any quotes you think of often or live your life by?

“Always try to be nice but never fail to be kind. ”

It’s from an episode of Doctor Who – “Twice Upon a Time”, written by Steven Moffat.

What is one of the best investments in a writing resource you’ve ever made? 

Pen and paper.

What is an unusual habit or an absurd thing that you love? 

I collect sonic screwdriver toys. (It’s a Doctor Who thing, for those of you who are wondering.)

In the last five years, what new belief, behaviour, or habit has most improved your life? 

I’ve realised that what other people think of me really isn’t all that important.

What advice would you give to a smart, driven aspiring author? What advice should they ignore? 

Read as much as you can. Write as much as you can. And never give up.

Ignore advice insisting that you write every day. Write whenever you get the chance, be that every day, every second-day, or once a week. The important thing is to write.

What are bad recommendations you hear in your profession often? 

That you need to work on raising your social media profile before approaching publishers with your writing. I think it’s far more important to work on your writing.

In the last five years, what have you become better at saying no to (distractions, invitations, etc.)? 

I’ve become better at saying no to people wanting me to read and comment on their work. I’m really not very good at assessing a piece of writing. I can tell you if I liked it or not, but I’m not great at explaining why or how it could be made better. I guess that’s why I’m an author and not an editor.

What marketing tactics should authors avoid?

Avoid constantly filling your social media with self-promotion. It’s a great way to lose followers.

When you feel overwhelmed or have lost your focus temporarily, what do you do? 

I go jogging. It clears my head and makes me feel better. Great for writer’s block.

Any other tips?

Write what you want to write, rather than what you think other people want you to write.

________

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source https://www.thecommunitywriter.com/blog/george-ivanoff

[oneweekoneband]

THE BEST THING IN TOWN: Welcome to Green Day Week!

Hello everyone! My name’s Jacqui, and I can’t remember a time when I didn’t know and love Green Day. This is probably due to a combination of things including, primarily, the year I was born, the place I grew up, and the kind of person I grew up as.

I’m from a city called Victoria, which is on an island off the coast of British Columbia, and has a reputation as being the Bay Area of Canada; the same combination of rich older folks, leftover hippies, granola-hemp moms, an ignored poorer population, “eco-conscious” yuppies, and a large and visible LGBTQ community that the Bay is known for populate my hometown. There’s also one of the largest homeless populations per capita in Canada there, by simple virtue of the fact that it’s one of the few cities in Canada that they won’t freeze to death in the winter. The drug and associated issues that decimate homeless populations had been holding steady and even sometimes declining for years, thanks to some groundbreaking (and heroic) efforts that span the island and the lower mainland, but right now there’s a severe fentanyl crisis across all of BC. It’s a progressive place, except for when it isn’t.

It’s a fairly boring place for a teenager, just like every place is boring for most teenagers. It’s a pretty good place to grow up when you’re not straight, as much as any place is in a world like ours. It’s an even better place to grow up if you’re the type of person who’s drawn to subcultures and resistance movements, especially white ones. I had an abstract idea, before I left Victoria, that coastal BC is more progressive in a specific way than most of Canada, for instance, but I didn’t realize until I moved away that not everywhere had as many hippies and punks as we did (not all places have special lights in their public washrooms that make it hard to see your veins and thus prevent shooting up, either, but some surprises are good ones).

There’s the word I’ve been circling around: punk. There are a lot of punks in Victoria, or at least there were before the city started a wholescale downtown gentrification project. They might not all be there anymore - I haven’t been back properly in years - but I can’t imagine they’re all gone. There’s a stronghold of punk or at least alternative culture in downtown Victoria that includes tattoo shops, cookbook authors, boutiques the literal size of a medium closet, coffee shops, the poetry slams held in those coffee shops, and several glorious independent record stores. This is the city I grew up in, and these are the places I explored with wholehearted eagerness as a teenager, that I was fascinated by, that I retreated to when I had no idea who I was and trying desperately to figure it out. It’s not always so easy for young people to access the subcultures we’re interested in or feel pulled to - as we’ll see later today, actually - but I was able to find older men and women in my hometown who recommended bands and albums and zines to me (who taught me what a zine was as well), who were good people and looked out for the teens like me just getting into these communities*.

Anyways: Green Day. I don’t remember the first time I heard them because, like I said, I don’t remember ever not knowing them. This isn’t a case of a band or an album or a song coming to you like a lightning bolt out of the dark, saving your life or even just distracting you from it for a while. This is something much more obvious and constant, almost like breathing. Or maybe, to be more or less melodramatic, a soundtrack.

Green Day were already present before I started consciously shaping my own identity and the music I listened to, when I was just a quiet, shy kid who spent more time with my books than anyone else. They exploded with Dookie two months before my fifth birthday, and I’ve probably heard at least one of their songs almost every day since then. They have been and are again ubiquitous on radio, a band so huge they cross standard genre lines.

Green Day were there when I started junior high, and made a group of friends for the first time in my life - a bunch of weirdos and loners who maybe wouldn’t have had any friends if we hadn’t been thrown together in the special program we were all enrolled in. They were there when I and my friends decided we were punks, wearing safety pins in our ears and second-hand combat boots, lending a cred we felt went above the Simple Plan and Sum 41 we started from**. They were there when I bought a Dookie shirt from one of those downtown shops and the guy at the register didn’t scoff at me (although other older people did, later) but just said “nice choice”. They were there, again, with a bang, in senior high, when American Idiot basically reshaped the landscape of pop culture. They were there when I started to figure out why I was so fucking angry all the time, started reading more and more zines, and Bitch Magazine, and Margaret Cho and Inga Muscio’s Cunt.

Then they receded a little bit, but not too far, never out of reach, as I moved abroad and started learning even more, that feminism and politics were a lot more complicated than I’d first thought, that class and race and gender identity were all things that mattered and contributed, too, that those subcultural communities I’d sought out as a teenager probably felt safe to me for a reason, because they’d been borne out of resistance, shaped out of nothing by people who had nowhere else to go.

Green Day were also there when my world shattered around me in grief and pain and I was left trying to figure out where the pieces even were, never mind how to put them back together. I listened to them a lot as I bore out the resulting severe nervous breakdown, because they were simultaneously abrasive and familiar enough to fit my fragile headspace. I listened to them, too, as I crawled my bloody-handed way back out of that hole, stopping every few feet to tell the world and my brain and every single hurt and unfairness I could think of to go fuck itself.

They were there when I finally decided to go to college, and moved away from home a second time to attend the university I’d promised myself I’d attend when I was 13, over a decade later, and I got here and felt out of my depth and unliked and alone and in over my head and like people were expecting me to fail, and I grit my teeth and told myself I’d prove everyone, including me, wrong. They were there as I did, and they’re here now, as I sit in a cafe with newly-pink hair, a newly-minted honours graduate heading into an MA in the fall, as angry about injustice and mistrustful of big narratives as ever, but with an idea about what I can do about it now.

Green Day have been there for me my entire life, and looking back I can see that they’ve had an influence over the paths I’ve taken and the person I’ve become. Maybe they have for you, too. I know a lot of people who feel the way I do. This week, we’re going to celebrate that, and them, and their music.

- Jacqui // @sandovers 

​​                                                          ---

*Not everyone in any scene is a good person, of course. Some people take advantage of the reputation a scene has for safety or progressiveness and use it as a cover for them to indulge in shitty and even predatory behaviour. We’ve had a strong reminder of that recently, but I’d like to reiterate it, especially to younger people still figuring out where and who they belong with: find people who you can trust, and believe them when they warn you away from others, and always - always - trust your gut about people, regardless of what anyone else says. A Dead Kennedys shirt doesn’t magically make someone not a racist or a rapist or even just a toxic, hateful fuck.

**We’ll go deeper into the issue of “punk cred” later this week but for now: it doesn’t actually exist, the entire idea is stupid, and anyone who tries to gate-keep access to punk or any other subculture is exactly the same kind of person who stops a woman in a Mario World tee-shirt to list all the ways in which she can’t possibly be a real gamer.

[projectbrookhaven]

Sample Application #2

Below is another example of a sample application.

Character Name: Greyson Abrams Date of Birth: January 23, 1975 (42) Gender & Preferred Pronouns: Cis-Male, He/Him Sexual & Romantic Orientation: Pansexual/Panromantic Marital/Relationship Status: Divorces (Single) Occupation & Place of Work: Owner of Bob’s Auto Shop

Face Claim: Norman Reedus

About the Muse

TW Drug Use, Criminal Element, Death Mention, Driving Under The Influence

Greyson was born in Brookhaven and from the start of his life it was clear that his path wouldn’t stray far from that of his fathers. A loser - not destined for much more than fucking around town, drinking too much and father more children than he deserved. Greyson hated that reputation, one earned simply by being born into a single parent home with a father who’d been known for sowing seeds, breaking hearts and causing destruction in general.

Greyson was never a good student, and while he did graduate it was clear that he wasn’t destined for an academic life. For most of his early adulthood, Greyson was aimless, often finding himself in and out of prison and involved with local criminal elements - never the mastermind but somehow, always the patsy. It was during this time of his life that he became heavily involved with drugs. On the night of Greyson’s twenty ninth birthday he was involved in an accident in which he was high and drunk behind the wheel and it cost a close friend their life. It was this incident that set him on the straight and narrow, he was sent to prison again for 18 months and upon his release began an intensive rehab program. 

Since his rehabilitation he’s certainly settled down a good bit, holding down a steady job at Bob’s Auto Shop and staying away from hard drugs. He often does miss his old buddies but works hard to stay away from places and people he knows are nothing but trouble. 

In the last few years his life has really started to come together, specifically when he bought Bob’s Auto Shop and became a business owner. He’s still not got it all figured out, but he figures, he’ll settled down completely...one day.

Personality

Greyson is known to be easy-going, he’s certainly a chill guy that prefers to ‘go with the flow’ than to plan things out. life’s too short, right? He’s not lazy though, in fact he’s extremely dedicated to his work and some might call him a workaholic. He’s extremely energetic, even as he gets older and has a unique vibe and thirst for life. Even though he has the spirit of an adventurer, he’s a homebody. 

Despite his many good qualities, Greyson has a string of bad behaviour in his past motivated by his impulsive tendencies and driven forward by his hot temper and aimlessness. he often feels insecure about himself, but it comes across as a sort of ‘I don’t give a fuck’ vibe and he wears it well. As he’s matured he’s gotten a bit less reckless, but he’s a daredevil and that’s a streak that won’t ever fade.

He’s always generous and friendly, he’ll give a stranger the coat off his back if their in need, and for his friends he’ll do almost anything - and he means anything! When it comes to people he doesn’t like, Greyson will carry a grudge for a long time, and with a temper like his vengeance is inevitable. If you cross him, you best watch your back - he’s most certainly coming for you.

Plans for Development

Tell us here how you plan to develop this character while in the group. You can talk about future plans you character might have, goals and dreams, ways you plan to form connections, as well as any future storylines and plots you hope to write going forward!

Wanted Connections

HALF SIBLING ( any fc - younger than 40 years old ) - it’s really no surprise that greyson ended up so fucked up, when his dad was ten times worse than him. and greyson’s half siblings have popped up all over the place. with most of them he’s not close, but when he met this one, they forged a connections that greyson’s clung to, since he really doesn’t have any other family.

UNKNOWN CHILD ( any fc under 22 years old ) - greyson did his own share of ‘seed sowing’ as a teen and young adult and unbeknownst to him, he has an adult child out there - one who’s determined to find the father they’ve never known.

BUSINESS PARTNER ( any fc, any age over twenty five ) - greyson is the kind of person that’s always stayed in the same place. he’s lived in the same town, shops at the same stores, and worked in the same garage his entire life. two and a half years back, when the owner of his garage retired he offered greyson a chance to buy him out. after thinking it over, greyson brought his friend into the deal and together they own and operate the garage, pretty seamlessly. they may not always see eye to eye on everything, but they always have the best interest of their business and employees in mind.

EX-LOVER ( any fc over 30 years old ) - someone who can’t stand the sight of greyson and the feeling is mutual. their love burn bright and hot and died out just as soon, and the lingering feelings were anything but positive. they’re the kind of pair where hate sex is a requirement in their relationship - they probably won’t ever have anything good to say about the other - but if anyone else ever shit talks them - they’re likely to get a fist in the face.

EX-WIFE ( female fc at least 30 years old ) - greyson’s relationship with his ex was a whirlwind romance and even though they met and were married in the span of six months, and while greyson hoped that they could last, in the end his almost childish lifestyle was too much of a contrast to the sort of lifestyle his wife wanted (a family, settling down, etc) and they filed for divorce about nine months into the marriage - they haven’t spoken since.

Non-Playable Characters

Bob Wayland (Jeff Bridges) - Former owner of Greyson’s shop and a community pillar, casually (and mostly endearingly) known as the town’s resident ‘Grumpy Old Man’ - can often be found hanging out at Finnegan’s and talking about ‘the good old days’.

World Building Ideas

Bob’s Auto Shop

Finnegan's Pub (Irish Pub - sort of a ‘hole in the wall’ business.)

[oliverphisher]

George Ivanoff

George Ivanoff is an author. He lives in the suburbs of Melbourne, Australia.

He has written over 100 books for children and teenagers, including fiction and non-fiction. He has written school readers, library reference books, chapter books, novelettes, novels and even a short story collection. He has books on both the Victorian Premier’s and the NSW Premier’s Reading Challenge booklists.

George’s latest series of books is OTHER WORDS. With this series George has ventured into the realms of science fiction and fantasy, two of his favourite genres, in order to tell stories about ordinary kids facing extraordinary circumstances. There are 4 books so far.

George’s has written 13 books in his interactive You Choose series. You Choose: The Treasure of Dead Man’s Cove won the 2015 YABBA in the “Fiction for Younger Readers” category; and You Choose: Alien Invasion From Beyond the Stars got an Honour Award in the KOALAs in 2016 and 2017.

His teen science fiction novel, Gamers’ Quest (2009), won a Chronos Award for speculative fiction. The sequel, Gamers’ Challenge (2011), was shortlisted for the same award. And the final book in the Gamers trilogy, Gamers’ Rebellion (2013), also won a Chronos Award.

George has also written a series of adventure books for kids — RFDS Adventures. The four books in this series were published in 2016.

George also writes short stories and articles for adults as well as kids. Of all these, he is most proud to have had the opportunity to write a Doctor Who story for the Short Trips: Defining Patterns anthology (Big Finish, UK, 2008).

Occasionally, George has been known to moonlight as an actor. He has had small roles in numerous productions including the television series Neighbours and the feature films Frozen Butterflies and William Kelly’s War. He recently guest starred in an episode of the audio series Night Terrace.

George eats too much chocolate, drinks too much coffee and watches too much Doctor Who. He will sometimes indulge in a nice bottle of wine or a single malt Scotch.

He has one wife, two children, two cats and several chickens. And he is very content!

What are one to three books that have greatly influenced your life? 

The Wonderful Flight to the Mushroom Planet by Eleanor Cameron  —  This is the book that turned me into a reader.

Doctor Who and the Dalek Invasion of Earth by Terrance Dicks — I have lost count of the number of times I have read this book. Dicks is one of my writing heroes and one of the reasons I wanted to become a writer.

Illuminae, by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff — This book takes such a different and innovative approach to narrative. It made me want to be a better writer and take more creative risks.

What purchase of $100 or less has most positively impacted your life in the last six months (or in recent memory)?

That $99 bottle of Japanese whiskey had a pretty good impact.

How has a failure, or apparent failure, set you up for later success? 

It taught me to never give up and to never take success for granted.

Are there any quotes you think of often or live your life by?

“Always try to be nice but never fail to be kind. ”

It’s from an episode of Doctor Who – “Twice Upon a Time”, written by Steven Moffat.

What is one of the best investments in a writing resource you’ve ever made? 

Pen and paper.

What is an unusual habit or an absurd thing that you love? 

I collect sonic screwdriver toys. (It’s a Doctor Who thing, for those of you who are wondering.)

In the last five years, what new belief, behaviour, or habit has most improved your life? 

I’ve realised that what other people think of me really isn’t all that important.

What advice would you give to a smart, driven aspiring author? What advice should they ignore? 

Read as much as you can. Write as much as you can. And never give up.

Ignore advice insisting that you write every day. Write whenever you get the chance, be that every day, every second-day, or once a week. The important thing is to write.

What are bad recommendations you hear in your profession often? 

That you need to work on raising your social media profile before approaching publishers with your writing. I think it’s far more important to work on your writing.

In the last five years, what have you become better at saying no to (distractions, invitations, etc.)? 

I’ve become better at saying no to people wanting me to read and comment on their work. I’m really not very good at assessing a piece of writing. I can tell you if I liked it or not, but I’m not great at explaining why or how it could be made better. I guess that’s why I’m an author and not an editor.

What marketing tactics should authors avoid?

Avoid constantly filling your social media with self-promotion. It’s a great way to lose followers.

When you feel overwhelmed or have lost your focus temporarily, what do you do? 

I go jogging. It clears my head and makes me feel better. Great for writer’s block.

Any other tips?

Write what you want to write, rather than what you think other people want you to write.

________

Enjoyed this Q&A? Want to discuss in more depth? Join Community Writers. You'll get access to 100+ exclusive writing tips. Q&As with successful authors, an exclusive ebook on building an audience and much more. Sign-up for free as a community writer here