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autoirishlitdiscourses · 4 years ago

Text

Discourse of Sunday, 29 August 2021

Preparing for and serving as a bridge to question 1 and 2 and pointed to. Arrangement was enjoyable and you'd clearly spent some time and/or social construction of your discussion around a male visions of beautiful women, and I know that for you to speak eventually if you have any other questions, though. Two student musical performances have been doing. You reacted to it? I'm sorry you're so inclined. If you have any questions, OK? Sigh. I felt like you were also a fertile hunting ground. Questions and answers for the registrar to release grades, explained below was 87. There were several small errors, your attention should primarily be on the final, you should do now, you have a nuanced analysis. Good question. It's OK to hold a discussion with the Clitheroes in The Walking Dead, which at least apparently reaction to the course website: good reading of the spreadsheet, because there are some available on it not in many ways that looking at the Recitation Assignment Guidelines handout, which words and ideas in a couple of ways. Too, your paper in on time.

There are a couple of suggestions. Race is a weaker assertion that takes a directly historical perspective on it before, and I've gone ahead and changed that the ideas you had a B paper turned in a competition that valorizes certain characteristics by denying the opportunity to explore variations on standard essay structure instead of electronically.

You picked a longer-than-required selection. Hawthorn in the text of Pearse's speech without too much, but you picked a good number of things would have helped to have gone to your secondary sources. Deadline this week, but rather to set up the image properties, then V for Vendetta seems to me, I also think about might be to prioritize senior English majors trying to assess attendance now, you should have the effect of giving your attendance/participation that is, specifically? But there are a fair number of important ways.

You have a word out in the early bits of the math, then please come talk to me, I will cut you off. Dennis Redmond 2. A particular way of thinking about specifics before you ask ask them to argue that one thing, I just won't see that you're likely to be helpful. One of these various types and weave them into a Fish. They should also give a more fluid, impassioned performance; but make sure that you're making a claim about exactly what is your central claim about Yeats's relationship to each other than the top of page 6 to Let's stop talking for four minutes, so it hasn't hurt your grade further, and I hope you're feeling better now.

If it's not a play. All in all, you lose the opportunity may not have any questions, and your close-reading individual passages, but I absolutely meant what I would have liked to have been to let me know what you intend to accept it by 10 a. A on a different text on a specific claim of what I'm trying to take so long to get an incomplete petition which requires you to leave your paper, is the best way to be absolutely sure. I'll see you tomorrow morning. I distribute during class for instance, if any of that first draft I often do, or the viewer is likely to be more careful about the distrust of the University, and mechanics are mostly solid, though I think that your body paragraphs don't wander too far afield. Travel safely and enjoy your time and managed to introduce a large gap for recall before the quarter. Hi! I'll see you in lecture tomorrow and I'll get back to you. Is late, you really have produced some excellent work at the point value of the people not warming up to me, and no special equipment is required. A lot of your plans by ten a. Oversleeping, even if it's necessary to come to both, although I would recommend that, and none of them. There are a core opportunity for you to be a hint or not this lifts you to become familiar with any passages talked about topics 1. You are in fact up this week. Administrative Issues: 1 ratio. You picked a good background to the connections between the poem, Parnell which is full of rather depictions that are not present last night, but Seamus Heaney I'm extending this backwards a bit because this book has similar interpretive problems for Ulysses recitations is over and in a different relationship to each other. The maximum possible discussion credit if you feel better soon. Ultimately, you'll still want people to reflect on the assumption that you were on track throughout your time and managed to convey or build up to this document is an awfully slow recitation.

I had your paper and I enjoyed having you in lecture but didn't address the question so that you do will depend on what it means: are you using a number of good plays: thanks to! Sunk himself by taking the absolute minimum standards for a job well done, both of you is so strong that it is. It is also quite short and contains some hesitations that deserve a bit like they've been represented by men in literary texts such as background information. The Stolen Child second half of the poem. Let me know what works for you to demonstrate what a very very close and, say, an A-is if you have any more questions, and religion, and your material very effectively. You have a 91. If you have been pushed even further, though, overall. Whatever is appropriate for quick questions, OK? —You've got some good ideas in there what I'm really saying here is going to be as specific and nuanced readings by a bus or abducted by aliens over the last sentence of the total grade for the bus, walking between classes, you in lecture, and your presence in front of the class warmed up and see what he thought just so that we have seen here would have been to be more specific, particular idea is that you can make absolutely sure that I'll be looking through the Disabled Students Program. Again, thank you for a late paper/must be killed except as a whole. Have a good idea to skim the first line of thought, that what I'll expect is that you realized that each of you this quarter you've worked hard and it's documented on the syllabus for Thursday, December 10 30% of course, it allows you to achieve goals that you realized that your choice of texts to think about it in the front of the guinea actually fluctuated a fair amount of what they'd discussed, then we'll figure out what you most need to let you know how you're going, including absolutely everything except the final that gets deep into the discussion go on! Let me know, and any other race I think that there are some ways in the back of your analysis more specifically what the implications that this would have to do this would not be everything that I've pointed to some punctuation and formatting issues—none genuinely hurt you a photocopy from it, in this case. You must also provide me with a very good ideas.

Romance has or has not removed the price tag from his hat. I'm glad your schedule to drop a photocopy of the text and helping them to pick up more points than you already have a copy of Ulysses that's sitting in a productive exercise I myself am less than thrilled about with this paper would have been pushed even further, and you exhibit a very good job here. If you are performing—for instance, if you'd like them to larger-scale concerns with other representations of very good work here in a way of thinking even more care than you to make progress toward graduation that satisfies the include an audio/visual text of some parts of the novel's characters are, and nearly three-syllable metrical foot, accented-unaccented-unaccented-unaccented-unaccented-unaccented-unaccented.

Hi! Truthfully, I feel that it wasn't assigned in class that you are thinking about how you'll effectively fill time and perhaps other poems, as well. There are not by any means the only or best way to think if there was anything else around, it's impossible to do anything differently on your life, you had an excellent job. I'll have your grade should be substantiating some aspect of love, but I'll say a selection from McCabe in your thesis to say, Italian Futurism Giacomo Balla, for instance, if you have a good student this quarter, though they'll probably require a fair amount of detail. I think it will boost your attendance/participation grade that was helpful rather than a path that you'd have to speak with me in an in-section responses, OK? I think making a clear argument that is also a thinking process, but may not know yourself yet, I don't know that I built in the assignment handout. I'll see you next quarter we have tentatively arranged to work with, and they will benefit from an assigned course text is fine with me in a Darwinian sense? But you've been very close to their hearts, you have disclosed any part at all you receive a failing grade policy. Be excellent. I'll see you in section Wednesday night with details about the negative sides of nationalism, exactly, surely there are places where attention to how other people have done some very, very good job with it—it was written too close to convenient and painless as possible, OK? That is to write a draft, letting it sit for two or three people together may perform a recitation/discussion segment. For one thing that will be given away on a Leash has been trying hard with limited success to motivate to talk about, but made up for them to move up, then feel free to let you know what's going to be worth emphasizing that your first question, for instance, you must email me a handout or other information, at 7 am for session A but could make it difficult for you if you have a fully developed idea yet, and that neither one has stolen them, and your reading for class must represent your thoughts might be hidden in the symbolism of motherhood, those who. Here are some real contributions in a donut shop is less reliable than a merely solid job, but also the only student who missed the midterm to avoid specificity, and that missing more than happy to discuss Francie's stream of consciousness is potentially very productive move, given Ulysses, is a good weekend! Could you email a description of your discussion. 1% of the contracting party, based entirely upon attendance I won't be assessed until after the meeting you'd have to leave it. Thank you so much for being so long as to avoid hesitation, backing up your final grade for the quarter, and I'm happy to send it along. I said verbally, any your grade I'd just like to see models, there is also a traditional vampire repellent and, Godot TBD, McCabe TBD, please let me know by Friday afternoon for posting on the final exam; b they showed a substantial number of things that would mean that you can bring your copy of your new score for the Self. Was that helpful? You have a good thumbnail background sketch of your own section, and this question lies at the context of your argument and graceful, nuanced close readings and comments into the perspective of a combination that would be a hard time distancing themselves from their topics and themes, looking closely at whether every word, every B paper turned in on the assignment requirements next week: Patrick Kavanagh, I think that there are many other possibilities, and you're certainly on track throughout your paper topic is a mark of professionalism that I think that the rather thin time slice that Joyce gives us of their material. Think about the play with which you dealt. Hi! Hi! My suggestion, then waited four days.

One recall. At the root of these are impressive moves. What is his point is a bit more slowly would have helped to have particular specific takes on all of Godot is already an impressive move, which is entitled to demand from the syllabus, but I think that Easter 1916 is a bit due to strep throat, so it is, I think that's a good student this quarter. If you can get the group develop its own interests while staying on task. IV: lyrics and discussion and question provoked close readings would help to motivate you to get to people that I really did enjoy your long weekend. The cost of a paper that pays off as abrasive, which is entitled Odysseus or Myth and Enlightenment. I know that I think, is the instructor of record for classes that I think that you should rightfully be proud of it. You picked a good weekend, and the way that mothers and motherhood are used as standalone software although it's never bad to have a strong understanding of the poem to music. Don't forget to mention that you are nervous or feel that there is going to be ready to write questions on the rest of your passage, but I think. Lesson Plan for Week 7:00. Absolutely. See Wikipedia's article on the Mad Hatter's hat in Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland. Batteries die, power cords fray, hard drives crash, printers break or run out of it to be as effective as it could, theoretically informed paper, and more specifically, to be on the section website and see whether I was happier then. I won't post them tomorrow night!

Anyway. This was not acceptable, that there are two common practices that students have jobs and sports and family emergencies and about nine billion other things, that I could give you the opportunity to recite, the discrepancy, the average score would be after lecture tomorrow and offline for several reasons, including the fact that you will have failed to satisfy breadth requirements, major requirements, and that not doing so. Distribution of paper handout. —You have a good impression and pick up his midterm; talked exactly twice in section. The Plough and the larger-scale questions may also, if you're leaving town. One of the Heaney poems that will occasionally have reminders, announcements, and Margaret Atwood's Oryx and Crake, all of the room, were engaged, thoughtful performance that you'd have to be helpful. I think you've prepared more material than was required by the Easter Rising, the notes my students: You changed before to as in just a little bit and will have an excellent sense of harmony and rhythm.

I suspect that this would be to find sources that disagree with it. Both of these are worth cleaning up, I've attached a copy of the group to read, and if you have unusual, stressful, or any sheet music during a week when we're discussing the selection you made to the texts as a bridge to a lot of things well. That's very good work. Don't just pick the shortest acceptable one, I really will take as many students who can tell you where he is the day: Every act of conscious learning requires the willingness to suffer an injury to one's self-control, etc.

I'm proctoring a make-up of the analysis that supports your larger-scale questions may also benefit from and to engage other students and integrated their interests and observations Again, very well here. That's a good way to make sure that I may find that action of little importance Though never indifferent. This is not necessarily the order I will take up some important things to do this well enough to juxtapose particular texts side by side? Hi! On another hand, and nicely grounded in a very good plan here. Thank you. The Butcher Boy can best be read in ways other than that would be grateful if you fall back on it before, and you do, in part just because you're bright and articulate and the to smell of perfume; changed off he went; dropped as a member of her religion finds that to happen differently for this, but that you attribute to them; this means that you have a clear logico-narrative path through your questions touches on things that people run up against was that I try to recall what information there is a deep connection to the perception of absurdity this is. I hope it's helpful to build up the section develop its own logic. The study of 'Ulysses' is, in all, Chris! This is not unusual in the argumentative baggage associated with love, for your material effectively and in a nuanced understanding of the landscape itself, just sending me an email saying Welp, guess I'll have one of these announcements. Section. A perhaps complexifying point: every picture I've seen any of the analysis fits into the poem, and this paid off for you than for recall and some gaps for recall, and only on genuinely tiny errors, which sounds like a natural end or otherwise just want the experience to develop. Professor Waid, who told your aunt in Ohio, who is the amount of what you're saying and look at it with the rest of your head as you write, but they're also specific; #4 is also constantly thinking in his collection Illuminations. I'll try hard to get back to you on Thursday. Again, thank you for a more accurate translation of the texts you've chosen as a result of from as a serial killer. You might look specifically at Bottle and Fishes; Clarinet and Bottle of Rum on a first and foremost, I haven't been able to find. But it's entirely normal when you see the text than an omnivore would? In particular, there are some alternate scenarios that assume less-than-required selection and changed grade to demonstrate what a bright student you are welcome to leave campus by four today. Nicely done this week Yeats is almost no work for you so much thought and writing a draft of a woman's affections and body by developing a more rigorous, incisive analysis on other assignments. Responses below. Crashing? I'm trying to eat up time that you needed to happen differently in this way.

Even without the genuinely astounding bonus, this is that you turn in a way that shows you paid close attention to the aspects of some parts of the midterm, based on my shelf at home, if you really do have some interesting comments about the actual facts behind some of the two elements plough, stars and then think about their relationship, but you still have to ask what your overall grade is. If the other Godot groups for several reasons, too, and an estimate based on The Plough and the way in this particular offer for several hours tonight. McCabe yet if they're cuing off of the texts as a whole is 26 lines. Anyone at all. Either way is OK with me or with the poem. You changed where to go this coming Sunday night, and that you tell me when large numbers of fingers to let me know. —You've got some breathing room too, that you should do whatever is most called for, and I will make life easier if you have any more information is needed than you were on track throughout your time off.

I mean: you had a good job, and safe travels if you're planning on using equipment. It's perfectly OK to ask people to discuss you may be that your own thought, then built on it, but certainly not beyond you, then a single goal. If neither of those three things, you will have the room. If you have rocked the cradle of genius. Remember that the Irish status to people that I have open chairs in both sections in terms of which is rather tricky to do Yeats next week. One thing that might ultimately constitute a larger scale, but I think that paying more attention to at least one email from n asking whether she can take you. Where I feel that your own purpose. As it stands, I think that you may ameliorate the conditions producing your anxiety. This is not to claim that Yeats didn't have the gaze. Let me know immediately. Hi, Megan! As it is probably difficult to read. One of the text, and so I suppose, is 50, some people did it because he'd been focusing on other classes and do a perfect job, which had been properly formatted for instance, it could be.

Discussion notes for week 5. Section; c you can be found on the section as a group is one of the poem I've heard, and I think, and you really want to make any changes made I have only three students raised their hand; one is simply a straight numerical calculation that was strong in several ideas for other ways that you could benefit from hearing your thoughts are sophisticated and clear. I think that one or more implicit assertions to support it. For instance, you really do have several options: 1. Some students improved their score between 105 and 118 on the section. Thanks for your recitation needs to be without feedback at the last minute and two-minute lecture on Thursday, and Bates Motel thank you for doing such a good thumbnail background to the course website, and deployed secondary sources. You are absolutely welcome to propose this, and then asking them questions about what kinds of background, and it would have needed to be my student, has interesting and important topics to discuss and/or how to discuss and haven't quite punched through to being perceptive. You might look specifically at Bottle and Fishes; Clarinet and Bottle of Rum on a Leash has been known to bill clients in guineas to this and settled on this will just not show, take the discussion component of your weekend so that they should not be clear on parts of your political poster; and added and before I leave town. —This will not be tolerated. Looks good.

Of course! 277 in the narrative from which stakes for vampires should be watching that show off for you. B papers take risks and do a genuinely collaborative, rather than a merely solid job here, I do before I get for going short, but really, your writing, despite the few comparatively minor textual grammatical, formatting issues that you've put a printed copy of your education, and the Stars How would you prefer to do well. Currently, you don't already use Twitter, you have any other race I think that one way to do at this question would help you make meaningful contributions to discussion problem if it is 4. Those who are reciting that week; it sounds, because asking people where they could stand? You've done a lot of similarities to yours, though I felt that it should be set next to each other. I offer you to work harder for the recitation, you should rightfully be proud of the texts that you're actually talking about a the specific language of your thoughts might be a TA or instructor of record. Attendance. I told him to use Downton Abbey, too, that examining your own narrative dominate your analysis what is it necessarily mean that I didn't foresee at the structural schema given to friends: Carlo Linati; Stuart Gilbert J. In addition to doing it is unwise to email me a right of way. This is a bit more guidance while also bringing them back to you. Aside from the class, with absolutely everything calculated except for the last sentence of the next thing what does it really mean it when I saw you come out and with your ideas develop naturally out of town this weekend has just been crazy and I'm certainly happy to proctor it if you miss more than three sections, you did a very thoughtful comments about some kind of interesting. Then re-instantiate an argument from going for, though, you've done a very small but very well be questions that you made constant insightful, meaningful contributions to the poem. Right now, though I think that the overarching goal is to say that making an audible tone. I'm trying to finish off Arrested Development and Buffy the Vampire Slayer. November: Pearse's The Mother, recited in lecture yesterday: Laurel & Hardy's/The Music Box/1932: There will be 500 total points for section in a grading daze and haven't impacted your grade is unfair. You Are Old. Students who are having difficulties with the professor wants is a strongly religious woman whose son is not too late to pick out the issues.

And what kind of viewer? Let me know what you wanted to discuss with the but this is a pretty good at picking up cues that tell me when large numbers of fingers to let me know if you want to discuss your paper are yours and which lines you're reciting. I think that it is that you look at the end of your discussion tonight. Thank you again for doing such a good plan here. Again, thank you for the quarter as I said, looking at the end of the criteria that I'll be in my office hours are 3:50 or so.

I'll get you one in front of the room. I think that finding ways to proceed with your paper is worth. Before I forget to bring in other places, and have a section you have elements of the course Twitter stream for the conversation without badgering or threats or even if you feel good about yourself although, in the paper has frequent, severe grammatical/mechanical problems can receive, regardless of the text, you provided a good paper. I expected, and a bit too much on track for an excellent Thanksgiving and that you've got a potentially productive ways to answer this question, but I'm pretty sure that every phrase, and that, counting absolutely everything calculated except for the quarter, so I realize that right now your primary insights are and what these differences might mean by passionate, and, say, and went above and beyond the length requirements. I feel that you want your argument will be reciting as soon as I can post a slightly modified version of your grade on that without also pulling in the manner of A-is entirely possible if you have any questions, though this overlaps at least represents itself as a result of curving grades, discussed in a 1:30 to discuss the readings in a lot of payoff for your third source nor, for instance, if that doesn't mean that you'd thought about the Irish identity are instantiated in the middle—91.

#Irish literature #automatically generated text #Patrick Mooney #Python #Markov chains

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eyrieofsynapses · 1 year ago

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Aggregating some of the tips in the notes, plus adding a few.

Anyone telling you that you have to read X book to be a "true reader" is a snobbish lying asshole. Don't get caught in their superiority complex.

Audiobooks! If you just can't stay focused on a text, you can listen while you do chores or drive or whatever you want. (As someone with ADHD, I adore audiobooks, because they make boring tasks tolerable and even fun sometimes.)

Find the format that works for you! Don't like physical books? Use e-books. Don't like reading text? Listen to audiobooks/audio dramas. Don't like texts or audio? Try graphic novels/mangas/webcomics/comic collections/etc. Don't like long stories? Check out some literary magazines or poetry. Hell, you can go read online blogs, news articles, whatever. None of these are more or less valid than the other.

Read it out loud to yourself! Try silly voices! Or, even better, find a reading buddy to read out loud to.

You don't need to challenge yourself; you're more than welcome to stay in your comfort zone. If that zone is one specific genre or plot, go for it! (there's a reason why fanfic tropes exist, you're hardly alone)

On the flip side, sometimes challenging yourself to try something new is the spice that you need to stay focused or interested. Of course, you don't have to stick to the challenge if you don't want to--like everything else, you can drop it at any time.

You can come back to things! Think you'll enjoy a book, but you just can't quite get through it right now? Pick it up again in a couple years and see what's different.

There is no superior genre or form of literature. Kid's books, ancient Greek epics, young adult, poetry, nonfiction essays, educational books, purely for-fun sci-fi and/or fantasy, philosophy, classics, short stories, Wild West, mechas, mystery novels, erotica, horror, high fantasy, it literally does not matter. If you like it, it has just as much value as anything else.

Don't know what to read or what you'd like? Ask around! A librarian can chat with you and match you to a book; a friend can point you to what they know you might like; ask around on social media, whether that be a Discord server, Tumblr, whatever. Be as specific or as general as you please.

Chances are good that the thing you want is out there somewhere. It might take some digging to find, but it'll be there.

Don't just pick up whatever you find at the front of the library or bookstore. Go wander around the shelves, pull things off at random, read the first paragraph or two, and put them back on if you want. (This is sadly harder with e-book apps, but not impossible; usually there are collections you can skim through. They do provide samples.) Librarians won't be mad if you pull ten books and return nine (or all!) of them unread; you're just figuring out what you like.

Fond of a TV show or movie series or games or something similar? Ask readers in those communities what they like to read. If you've got similar taste in shows/games/etc., you'll likely have similar tastes in reading.

Check out some open mic nights! Yeah, it's not reading a text or anything, but you're enjoying stories. That's what it's all about, at the end of the day.

From personal experience: if you enjoy writing, it's absolutely worth joining a writing community and reading other people's WIPs and drafts. I have absolutely loved my writing workshops, because I get to read some fantastic work from my classmates. Too many times have I read a manuscript and gone "...well fuck, I want this as a book." Plus, writers often have good taste, so they can point you to good stuff.

Two things I've learned about through writing classes that I didn't know otherwise:

Take a look at nonfiction essay collections. (Essays in the sense of short stories, mostly.) One of my best friends writes the most delightful short stories based on his experiences, varying from eye-opening reflections to laugh-out-loud fun. Plus, nonfiction essays can be pretty dang short--sometimes nonfiction essays only run a page long, occasionally even shorter.

POETRY IS NOT JUST RHYMES AND MIND PUZZLES (for fuck's sake, education systems). There's free verse! There's modern poetry that is gorgeous and also hilarious! There's poetry to raise awareness, to educate, to rage at oppressors! There's poetry that's just there to make you laugh! Poetry is not a genre, it is a form. Here's two opening stanzas from Tim Seibles's "Ambition II: Mosquito in the Mist" (I could only find it online in that article, so just scroll down a little):

You human-types, you two-legged sapien-sapiens, you guys are walking smoothies ta me, milkshakes wearin’ trousers, a cup’a coffee mowing a lawn. I gotta hand it to you though— all the colors, the smells, tall, petite, skinny-minnies or whoppin’ whale-sized motha’ humphries—you got variety: I’m zippin’ around some summa’ nights and it’s like an all-you-can-eat situation.

And that's just the first two stanzas! I promise you, if they taught this type of poetry in high school people would fucking love it.

And finally: if you don't want to read, don't. There's only so much time to be enjoyed in life.

Don't make yourself do something you don't like just because everyone tells you to. "Be yourself" applies to reading just as much as it does to everything else.

people will read books they Do Not Like™ and then wonder why they hate reading

#whoops left this in my drafts apparently #anyway! there's a million ways to read if you want to y'know? don't limit yourself by other people's requirements #reading #synapse talks #libraries

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thisisallthehattersfault · 4 years ago

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Write With Me - From Concept To Finished Draft part 3

A couple days ago I put together a premise and partial skeleton for a fic I plan to write for Spinaraki week. Yesterday was DND day, so I didn’t get any work done on finishing that skeleton, but today my goal is to have a complete skeleton laid out! Let’s get to it!

One of the really cool things about fanfiction is that there aren’t any set rules -- or even really any solidly defined guidelines -- for how long or short your fic should be. It really is entirely based on what the writer has in mind for pacing, length, and plot. It gives a lot of wiggle room and, imo, makes it easier to tell exactly the kind of story you want to tell. It also makes it an absolutely goddamn bitch to plot, because every story structure out there is built for novel writing. The more detailed ones, at least. The more vague plot outlines will remind you of what important story beats you need to hit, but the problem with those is that story beats aren’t scenes. Most of them are only a moment -- a page, sometimes just a paragraph. The stuff all around and between those moments is still left completely vague. I like that empty canvas when I’m working on my novel, but I can also admit that the majority of the reason that novel is taking me so long to finish is specifically because I’m flying blind so much of the time. I don’t wanna do that for a fic I only have a month to write, alongside five other fics I only have a month to write, none of which are my current ongoing major projects. So, I decided to put together my own plot outline. Ten chapters, all the major story beats, with notes for important events that need to take place in each chapter. I spent all day today looking at different story structures and cherry picking what I liked and what I didn’t, and put together something that turned out to be pretty useful! I won’t post the plot structure on it’s own just yet -- it needs some more tweaking before I’m comfortable presenting it as a writing tool -- but I do now have a full plot for this fic figured out and outlined.

Chapter 1: Spinner is on the run from Overhaul’s goons. The setting and Spinner’s goal of tracking down and joining Stain are established. He’s nearly captured and dragged back to the freakshow when he literally runs into Shigaraki. Chapter 2: Shigaraki protects Spinner from the thugs, which Spinner only sees part of, as his exhaustion and injuries cause him to lose consciousness. He wakes up in a trailer having been patched up, and Shigaraki offers to let him stay with their troupe. Spinner, terrified of being another freakshow attraction, refuses and storms off. Chapter 3: Spinner manages a few days on his own, but is ultimately found by members of his old circus, who he struggles to fight off. Just as he’s starting to think his escape was for nothing, he’s rescued by Dabi and Magne. Reluctantly, he agrees to go back with them as a temporary solution, at least until he can figure out a better plan. Chapter 4: With Shigaraki’s troupe, Spinner finds himself treated like a person for the first time in his life, and surrounded by people who respect and sympathize with him. Many of them also share his admiration of Stain. However, the circus is going down a different path than Spinner is, and he reminds himself this is only temporary. Chapter 5: Spinner spends more time with the villains, and his budding feelings for Shigaraki grow deeper. He gets confirmation of something that’s been hinted at -- that Shigaraki’s powers are the result of quirk experiments preformed by Doctor Ujiko, and that if he fails to prove himself “worthy” of these powers, the doctor will take them back. Spinner’s concern for Shigaraki is interrupted when Overhaul’s gang go after the troupe. Chapter 6: Spinner’s new friends are in danger, and he has a choice to make -- use the distraction to run off and save himself, or stick around and fight alongside the league. Of course he chooses to stay, and in the fight he overhears Overhaul saying he learned the league’s location from the doctor. Shigaraki is dragged off, and Spinner and the rest of the league just manage to retreat. Chapter 7: The league find shelter, take a few minutes to freak out, and immediately begin planning a counter-attack. Spinner takes on a personal mission -- confront and distract Overhaul, and learn what ties he has to the doctor and Shigaraki’s mysterious master. The others recognize Spinner’s connection with Shigaraki, and Spinner admits he’s in love. Chapter 8: Spinner dives into his reckless plan, using tricks and techniques he’s learned from his time with the league and putting the muscle and strength he’s gained from living out of a cage to good use. Even with that though, it’s all Spinner can do to keep Overhaul distracted. Still, he succeeds long enough for the rest of the league to dispatch of Overhaul’s thugs, and it seems like they’ll succeed after all. Then the Nomus arrive. Chapter 9: All hell has broken loose, the real threat has presented itself, and Shigaraki is still unconscious. With newfound determination, Spinner dives in to drag their leader away from death’s door. He manages to wake Shigaraki up, and the league bands together for the next half of the fight. Chapter 10: The league manages to take down the army of Nomu crawling out of seemingly nowhere, and return to their caravan to lick their wounds. This is only a break -- Shigaraki is still being tested, and it’s likely things will only get more dangerous from here. Stain is spotted a few cities over, and Shigaraki offers to drop Spinner off on their way through. Spinner says he’s happy right where he is. Shigaraki impulsively kisses Spinner, who bluescreens. The league all get together to plan their next step, Spinner shyly holding Shigaraki’s hand under the table.

Alright! I won’t worry about word count -- I know what needs to happen in what order, so I’ll give each chapter as much room as feels right. I don’t think I’ll ever end up turning this into a series, but I like having the option. Now all that’s left is to write it. See you all in a month!

#Spinaraki #spinner #shuichi iguchi #tomura shigaraki #bnha #writeblr #fanfiction #writing liveblog #not writing #shut up alice #write with me

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resetpermalik · 5 years ago

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Mass Music Measurements Survey Form

A freeCodeCampChallenge

Gaining Speed

This marks my second freeCodeCamp challenge. As I mentioned in my after action report from the first FCC challenge (tribute page), it took some time to finally gain traction and fully complete that project. That was a problem with (one) unnecessary complexity of design and (two) a lack of planning (before I began to code.) It was my assumption that if I laced the project with many working parts, I would learn much, much faster; also, that by getting right to the code, I could pick up the syntax, semantics and general knack for writing (code) in less time. And wow, I was very incorrect in thinking so.

As a response to my previous poor start (with my tribute page,) this time I was better able to address some lessons which had only occurred to me when halfway through the last project. So this time, I really dialed in the importance of streamlining my initial paperwork designs, learning how to more proficiently use Figma and some of its tools, how to better approach icon design with Photoshop and vastly improve my entire workflow. This provided (not only) an easier build, but also a more efficient angle by which I was empowered to catch more lessons along the way.

In the next few paragraphs, I will detail just which specific advantages I picked up in terms of HTML5, CSS3 and JavaScript capability. In addition, I will move through some of the tactics I employed to help me finish this challenge with much more confidence than the last.

Planning Stages

When I set out to hand-write the marked goals (set down by FCC’s challenge,) I do find it tedious. The thing is, I am copying (in my own words) precisely what the challenge is demanding of me. Let me elaborate…

With every line, I am telling myself that I really do not need to do this. I mean, I can pretty easily peer over at the other browser window (when necessary) and see exactly what my marching orders are. Though albeit true, there are a couple of key differences in (one) reading from FCC and (two) writing/reading my own notes.

As I write out every expected step of my project, I can build an image immediately for how I would like my creation to take shape. This falls in line with the visual aspects and design, the color scheme, the functionality of each element and the code itself. It is a powerful method to which I will pay better respect going forward. (I already have plenty of ideas on how to implement more potent procedures — like larger drafting paper, (which will allow for a greater landscape on my pages, maybe using a tablet for notation and perhaps a few voice recordings along the way)). Now, I may be getting ahead of myself! Back to the plans..

And so writing out the objectives is terrific for lots of reasons, but moving to the drawn design itself — this may be the most crucial bit yet. Here’s the deal. When I physically drew the (expected) survey form, I may have well completed the whole project. So what does that mean?

I took so much liberty in imagining what the design should resemble. More specifically, I let my mind wander and allowed thoughts to spill out onto the legal pad before me. This (in combination with my understanding of how everything needed be expressed in code) let me structure my rough draft with such a degree that the next step made the actual coding like an exercise in copy and paste. I’ll expound…

I was drawing parts which were effectively elements of HTML. This was followed by some (more precise) markings of pseudo-code (which amounted to about all of the HTML I required to code for the whole challenge.) So, when I say the planning has proved to be useful, this would be an undestatement. This attention to planning has made it possible for me to avoid the ‘nuts and bolts’ in my code editor. Now, this advancement is massive, because the saved time and effort was a testement to why I was then able to better learn more intricate detail when coding. And now let’s get to those lessons and the code at large.

Within Earshot of Paper and Pencil

My goal is not to elaborate on the use of specific technologies, but more-so the process itself. however, I will briefly touch on Figma and Photoshop…

Using Figma helped me focus on each element and understand how they more literally fit together in the puzzle. I was able to name every piece such that it would show me what my HTML element should be in code and how each need be named. Also, I took those separate entities and grouped them such that I could postion everything exactly as I wished. My next goal with Figma will be to utilize the ‘component’ feature and truly unroll some strong functionality of the software.

Regarding Photoshop, I made a logo for my survey and spun it into a favicon with relative ease. In an attempt to create animations and advertisements for my affiliate site, I have better come to understand Photoshop’s effectiveness. Thereby, building my icon was fairly straightforward. I simply pieced it together with a couple of layers and exported the PNG. I still want to be able to employ SVGs for this application; but until now, I haven’t perfected the craft. I will leave that for the coming FCC challenge. Onward!

Coding the Beast

The first topic to address here is quite obvious for me… SUITE TESTING.

When I began coding this project, I wrote my HTML boilerplate and immediately tied in the FCC testing script so I could begin verifying my code at every turn. I’ll elaborate…

I ran into a few issues with debugging throughout my last project; those were problems which resulted in code errors piling up on me simultaneously. And, while an error (for which you don’t know the remedy) is frustrating…several of those errors (all at once) becomes infuriating. Luckily, I ran into a great solution. Unit testing.

By instantiating the FCC test suite before I began coding the bulk of my project, I was then gifted the opportunity of verifying each of the sixteen goal posts.

In more detail, nearly no problems snuck up on me while coding the breadth of this project because I was adamant on addressing them in real time (as they appeared). What a true life-saver...

Input Text (element, attribute)

I found it repetitive and annoying at first, when the 10th goal of this challenge asked me to give both the input and label elements their own respective and corresponding ids. This was because I (very simply) did not understand the request. Along with that, I definitely didn’t understand why it was being asked (to begin with.)

That said, I now realize that the goal was to identify the label for the text field, in addition to the field itself. In understanding this distinction, I have now been able to find value in this very feature.

By giving ids to both my labels and input texts, I was then able to style each distinctly and find them with more ease (while peering though my HTML.) Now here’s real solid tip which I will not soon forget.

Don’t Pick More Than One Option!

So, I was writing the code for my radio buttons and what happened next is certainly a rookie mistake. When I navigated to my browser (in order to test the options,) I found that EVERY one of my buttons was clickable. And this, for obvious reasons, is not ideal.

This solution was super easy. All I needed to do was unify (or make each value the same for) the input-radio buttons. After I placed cloned values for each radio button, only one option could then be chosen. Success!

Nitpick the Name and Ids

This is something which should possibly be glossed over. But, when working with various input fields, I was asked to employ many names and ids for each.

While I’m not entirely certain (even now) whether there is a standard for which comes first, I have come to realize that name attributes should possibly supercede id attributes.

Using Visual Studio Code, it seems to like placing names before ids. And in a real life estimation, using name over id seems to be old-fashioned, but admirable.

More seriously, I understand in code, name will be less subjective (while more actionable) and ids will more far more particular and prone to alteration.

Dropdown

I was in a position to use dropdown boxes twice in this project. The problem I came across was that my options continued to begin with the default option as selectable. While I learned the solution quickly and with ease, I believe it should be recorded as vital.

When inserting a placeholder option in a dropdown box, in order to keep it from being a clickable entity, you have to style it as such.

I called the id of the option in my CSS sheet and set its display as none. That easy.

Pseudo Class and Element Selectors

Very little of my experience with this challenge dealt with pseudo class or pseudo element selectors. But, I will cover (in short) what I did learn (with these topics in mind.)

Using a pseudo element selector is the best (or maybe only) way to call an attribute from an HTML element and style with CSS.

This is how I was able to change the appearance of my placeholder text in each input-text.

I know pseudo class selectors are the way to alter elements (in a certain state) like ‘hover’ or ‘before’, but I haven’t used them enough to expand this monologue. That said, I’ll press on…

Attribute Selectors

In confluence with my previous words, I may have provided a misnomer to exactly what was being modified with pseudo-elements. But, I digress (and hopefully you see what I mean).

Using attribute selectors is quite different from other selectors, because you will be placing true brackets in as your selector which house your attribute, followed by an equal sign and a set of quotations (housing your value.)

Looks like this [attribute=“value”]. And that’s that!

Media Queries

While I employed media queries for this project, I have yet to fully grasp exactly how to use them (in reference to appropriation and context.) Therefore, I will not go into detail; but, only mention that I used them to alter my CTA button across pixel-widths. Also, I realized that setting a new media query works better when starting with the immediate values from your last screen size.

A Bit of JavaScript

The big task I pushed for in this project was this: change the client-side font family for a text area as the user types. And by big, I mean, it took me about as long as the rest of the whole challenge to learn this functionality with JavaScript. That said, I now understand much better how JS semantics are employed. And, that’s pretty priceless…

For this goal, I inserted a script with an event listener. First, I started with DOMContentLoaded, which allows for firing without the images or styling need be loaded.

The next bit lets my document be called by its (element) id.

Then, it states that my id will be triggered by any input (via an eventListener) and will force my later instantiated function.

The function declared will let the charCode number equal a string which will be console.log(ed) out as my target.value (of Nunito, sans-serif) with proper style.fontFamily.

Conclusion

Attempting to wrap this project up in a nice bow is difficult, as I have onboarded a great deal of information (from one simple survey page.) After completing this task, I am left with a split-brain. While I have learned so much from something, seemingly straightforward, now I am thrilled to make it to the next project and take on those new expectations.

I suppose my takeaway is that I should fine-tune my HTML and CSS understanding and seriously crack open all that is JavaScript. All which, can wait until tomorrow. Cheers!

#freecodecamp #html5 #css3 #javascript #design #coding

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brynwrites · 6 years ago

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Let’s Talk about Querying!

(And why I stopped querying my novel.)

As some of you know, I was querying Iron From Fire on and off from March through May, and I recently decided to quit, despite it being overall a good story written in what one editor described as ‘on par’ for the genre.

And I think it’s important to talk about the process I went through, because my ill preparation hurt my mental health a lot, and you all deserve to know how to avoid the same fate.

First, this is the general process of querying, in case anyone is unfamiliar:

You finish the manuscript. And I mean finish it. Beta rounds, line edits, formatting, the whole nine yards.

You write the query letter. This includes a blurb meant to draw the agent in, a paragraph with stats and the names of a couple contemporary books that resemble yours, and a short bio about your previous book-related experience.

You send the query letter to a bunch of agents. A positive request rate right now is somewhere around 6 or 7%, which means if you have a stellar manuscript then 7% of the agents you query will want to read more of it to see if they’re willing to represent you.

You receive a mixture of rejections and requests, with a lot of silence in between. Most rejections are form rejections so you have no idea why they didn’t like your manuscript. Some requests turn into delayed form rejections. Everything hurts.

You either get an agent who signs you or you decide to quit. If you have a book you think will sell and are having positive responses from agents, the general rule of thumb is to keep querying until you’ve sent a letter to every agent you’d be interested in working with. This can mean anywhere from 30 to 130 agents.

Putting the rest under the cut.

Keep reading for:

Why I quit.

The things I learned from querying.

What I would have done differently if I’d known better.

[While this has some rather personal mental health things, please feel free to reblog it so other writers can learn from my experience!]

Why I quit querying.

This is going to get personal for a hot second so bare with me.

I was querying the first novel in an adult fantasy trilogy I had worked on for over seven years. All the work from the first five years had been trashed three years before, and the rough draft I built the final manuscript on was rewritten three times after, so the actual story itself was only a couple years old, but I had the emotional attachment of seven years of love and heartache.

This being a trilogy, I had already written the second book and poured a lot of energy into the third book’s brainstorming by the time I fully finished the first manuscript. So not only was there over seven years of emotional attachment, but nearly 300k words of fairly decent story written in the series.

I hit a bunch of road blocks right when I first began querying:

My story, while it had all the things a query needs like stakes and conflict, was very hard to break down to a 200 word blurb.

The blurb I did end up with, no matter how I wrote it, sounded like a rather traditional fantasy plot, despite the story itself going places I’ve yet to read about in any other book.

I could not find contemporaries (books published recently which have elements similar to mine) to save my life, to the point where I was scrambling to read new books in hopes something would appear.

Most agents ask for the first five or ten pages, and I have fifteen pages of status quo before I got to the real plot, so that meant most agents would never even see the story I had outlined in my blurb.

On top of all that, I had a book which went a little over the word count most agents seek for a debut novel in its genre and it wasn’t even a standalone.

Those things compiled were a mess, and they should have clued me in that this wasn’t a book that would be worth the effort of selling as a debut. But this wasn’t what did me in. These things alone I might have been overcome by sheer determination. So why did I quit, then?

I stopped querying my manuscript because I realized I wasn’t just querying a manuscript, I was querying my baby.

I had put all seven years and many rewrites and an entire sequel I loved more than life on the line for this sale, and it fucked me over like a moon-sized meteor fucks over a planet.

My mental health, which I’d finally gotten under control after almost a decade of chronic depression and anxiety, plummeted back to levels it hadn’t reached in years. I hated everything I wrote. I cried over my writing. I cried over things that had nothing to do with writing. I became very negative and angry with my friends. Everyone else’s success felt like my personal failure. I began tipping into the realm of suicidal idealization.

That was what finally broke me; the knowledge that I’d been happy with my life, exactly as it was before I started querying, and now I suddenly didn’t find it worth living despite the query process being the only thing I’d added.

I adored and despised my manuscript in equal parts. I’d thought the mounds of critique I’d gotten for it in the past would make it easier for me to handle the rejections because I’d handled them all before from beta readers, and that the time between writing it and querying it would provide distance. It didn’t.

It turned this manuscript into the single part of my life I’d poured the most love and attention and frustration into, more then college degrees and individual relationships and work; even more than the book I’d already indie published. And setting that out for agents to reject at their whims was not healthy for me.

Once I looked that in the face, I realized something else as well: I didn’t want this book to be my debut.

The story was publishable, yes, but it had a funky structure I had reworked countless times just to make bearable, and the second book was the real gem of the series.

The writing was adequate, but it was also kind of bland compared to the style it’d developed since I’d written it. I preferred the style I was currently writing in and I wanted to sell that instead.

I really, really didn’t want to edit this book again for an agent or an editor. I’d poured so much energy into it already and I was sick: sick with love, sick with hate. Every edit I had made through the querying process had been wrapped in a mixture of forced disinterest and panicky dependence, and that was not the way I wanted to feel when I edited my debut for traditional publishing.

And this is not to say that Iron From Fire and its trilogy will never sell, or that no one would want to read it if it did. I’m shelving it, not throwing it out. But sometimes we have to admit to ourselves that it’s not the right time, and let a project go for a while, especially when its the one project we don’t want to let go.

Things I’ve Learned.

I’m prefacing this with the note that there are exceptions to every rule. None of these things will stop you from getting an agent or selling a manuscript, it’ll just make it harder to do so. And querying is hard enough without stacking the cards against yourself.

These are a mixture of experience and things I’ve seen agents talk about at length.

1. Word count is important.

It’s common knowledge that there are word count guidelines, but when most of the books on your shelf vary (sometimes drastically) from those guidelines, do they really matter? The fucking do. Agents will see too high word count and assume straight off that you don’t know how to create a streamline story and have wandering plot threads or useless scenes, and they’ll see a too low word count and assume you didn’t explore your world building and character development properly.

It you want to increase your chances of selling a manuscript, write it within the suggested word count guidelines.

2. Make your manuscript a solid, wonderful standalone.

You’ll hear ‘standalone with series potential’ thrown around a lot. This means you should have a first book which ends in a place that readers can feel satisfied permanently walking away from, but which doesn’t tie up so many threads that another story can’t come after it.

Less brought up but equally important is this: if you do have series potential, the rest of your series can’t be the better part of it. You aren’t selling a series, you’re selling a first book, so that first book must be able to stand for itself and say that it’s fantastic and more than worth reading on its own. It’s can’t be a gateway to a better book. It must already be the best book you can write.

3. If you have potential sequels, don’t write them yet.

From a writer’s perspective this is bad because it puts more of your soul into the series, and when it comes time to offer that part of your soul up to agents and editors, you want it to be as small as possible. Having six months of work rejected hurts. Having six years of work rejected kills. Be kind to yourself.

This is also bad from an agent’s perspective! Agents are looking for career oriented writers (even if that career is part time), who will write other books, with other plots and other characters, so if they sell your first book and its sales are mediocre they know they’ll have another chance with you on a different project. If you seem to be stuck in one world or series, that hinders their ability to market you as a writer.

3. Your first five pages are everything.

Five to ten pages is all most agents will ever see of your book. This is a lot less than many readers will read before putting a book down. Even if you’ve structured your opening to attract readers, it may not be fit enough to attract agents.

The first 2500 words of your manuscript should:

Display a clear narrative voice.

Introduce the world building and setting you described in your query with little to no exposition.

Introduce the main character’s personality and goals as described in your query with no exposition.

Show the main character doing the things you said they do in your query.

Show the inciting event you described in your query.

Show or at least hint at how the conflicts you described in your query will come to pass.

This is not always something you can edit into your manuscript at the last minute, so structuring your project this way up front is very helpful. If you can’t hit all these points with your story no matter how you rework it, you might want to consider querying a different project instead.

4. Young Adult is a harder sell.

The market is drenched in YA manuscripts. This doesn’t mean no one should write them, but if you don’t have a good reason why the story works best a YA (ie, it has themes targeted toward teenagers) then it might be worthwhile to adjust it to be MG and or adult (but not New Adult! NA is also a hard sell, because there are few editors actually buying it.)

5. The market matters.

On that note, it’s incredibly important to know what’s going on in the publishing market before you query.

What types of books are selling?

Is your manuscript a good twist on ideas, themes, or tones present in popular books from the last few years?

Does your manuscript align with what agents are asking for in their manuscript wishlists?

Is your writing style on par with the books what made decent sales in the last few years in your genre and target audience?

When you condense your story down to a few sentences, do you have a pitch that’s both unique and references popular contemporary stories?

In order to sell a book through traditional publishing, you have to first find an agent who falls in love with the book and has an immediate idea of how to sell it, and then have them find an editor who also falls in love with it and knows they and their marketing team can market it well.

Good writing makes a good book, but it’s the marketing which sells the book. If you don’t have a way to market your book in the current market, it’s not likely anyone else will.

What I would have done differently.

The top three things I would have changed if I had known what I know now.

1. Wrote the query letter earlier.

Writing the query letter as I wrote the manuscript would’ve helped me reformat the structure of the story up front. It would also have eliminated the desperate rewrites I did to both the query and the manuscript in an attempt to produce something concise enough to actually sell.

2. Followed agents well in advance.

There are tons of agents on twitter who routinely post tips, talk about what they want to see in future books, and boost resent publishing deals. Keeping tabs on them is incredibly helpful when it comes to figuring out where your manuscript fits in the current market and whether/how you should be querying it.

3. Let my baby go in favor of a new, shorter standalone.

A standalone within the word count guidelines might have persuaded undecided agents to take a chance on reading more, but the important thing here is that I should not have tried to query the work I’d put my soul into.

My mental health is more important than making my baby a best seller, firstly because there’s more to my life than just writing, and secondly because there are other great books left in my soul, and without stable mental health, I won’t be able to write and query them.

So, what am I doing now?

I’m writing a book with a strong contemporary I know agents are interested in, but with enough of a spin that it’ll feel fresh.

I’ve structured the story so that the opening engulfs the reader with the conflicts and world building that’ll be important throughout the whole story and the inciting event happens immediately.

I wrote the blurb after only having written 20k words on the rough draft, and the blurb both contains all the necessary plot threads I need to describe the compelling heart of the story and reads as a unique and engaging manuscript.

I’m writing a standalone novel with series potential that fits perfectly within the genre’s word count guidelines.

I’m writing something that’s fresh for me and I’m madly in love with, but not dependent on. It’s a puppy I want to lather with attention, not a disappointing spouse I’ve been married to for eight years and now half loath but also can’t live without.

Annnd that is all the things I have to say! If you learned something here maybe support me by buying my fun, cheap indie book? It has sirens and a soft freckly pirate and lots of diversity, and comes in both ebook and paperback. Click here for links and things.

#writeblr #querying #mental health #writing help #writing advice #writing resources #writers on writing #creative writing #writers on tumblr #authors on tumblr #writing tag: publishing

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lonelyandlovelorn · 6 years ago

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Flirty

A/N: I’m not sure what this is, I found a draft with a couple paragraphs on it and kept going.

Genre: fluff

Warning: a few curses, a suggestive joke or two

Word count: 1800

Pairing: Steve Rogers x fem reader

Summary: You flirted with everyone but Steve and he wanted to know why.

Masterlist

“Howdy soldiers,” you greeted as you walked into the kitchen, sending a wink at the super soldiers eating breakfast. You didn’t bother putting on actual clothes in the morning with people who had seen you at your worst, so you were just wearing a big t-shirt and some jogging shorts.

“Hey Y/N,” they responded, Bucky laughing at your exaggerated wink.

“What’s on the agenda for today, boys?” you questioned as you reached up into a cupboard for your cereal. When there was a silence in return, you turned around in time to see Bucky looking at Steve in what looked like a teasing manner as Steve cleared his throat. You looked between them, waiting for one of them to either answer your question or explain what was going on.

“Training,” Steve blurted, scratching the back of his neck, “as usual.”

You looked at them both suspiciously before deciding it wasn’t nearly as important as getting yourself fed. You went back to getting your bowl of cereal, humming something offkey, not even sure what song it was. For some reason, you were feeling pretty good for a morning.

“Something got you in a good mood today, Y/N?” Bucky asked, noticing your chipper demeanor.

You shook your head. “Nothing in particular,” you answered, smiling in Steve’s direction, seeing as he hadn’t really contributed to the conversation so far. You sat next to him with your bowl and started eating, scrolling through your timeline and pretending not to notice that you didn’t need to be sitting as close to the Captain as you were. Oh well. Life’s too short to worry about that.

Once you finished your bowl, you set it in the sink and headed towards your room to get ready for training. You slipped into some leggings and a shirt that wasn’t too loose so you could spar. When you arrived, you saw you had beat a few of your teammates, so you wandered over to the group of people already waiting in the gym.

“Sup, Robin?” you greeted as you leaned on Sam’s shoulder and smirked. He just shrugged you off and returned your greeting.

“Hey, Donatello, what’s shakin’?” All you could do was roll your eyes. As if to back him up, though, you pulled the compact bo staff out of your clothes and pressed the button to make it expand. It wasn’t your favorite, but it was good for training or in a pinch.

The sudden expansion of the staff startled Sam as he backed up. “Damn, Y/N, no need to get so excited,” he joked.

You simply shrugged and replied with the usual, “What can I say? I’m more of a grower than a shower.” You smirked at the slightly uncomfortable expression on Clint’s face behind Sam.

You kept up your banter with your teammates until everyone arrived. Steve stepped in front of the team and your smirk softened into a smile directed at him. You didn’t notice you did it, but everyone else certainly did. None of them would ever call you inconsiderate, but it was even nicer than usual for you to be so sweet instead of suggestive. It was a nice change, for sure, if a bit odd.

You paired off to practice sparring, first with weapons and then without. Your first partner was poor Clint. He was about as good with a staff as you were, but you were good at throwing off his rhythm. Maybe you made a dirty joke or maybe you just got too close, you were good at messing him up enough to win. You then got to spar with Bucky, who got to use blunt knives as stand-ins for weapons. He was better at not letting you get in his head, but you were still pretty good at fighting him, even with his strength and speed. Your skills depended on exploiting your opponent’s weaknesses instead of brute force, seeing as you weren’t actually enhanced in any way.

The next partner switch was to no weapons sparring. You were matched with Natasha, which was always interesting. You were fairly evenly matched in skills, but she was slightly more lithe, graceful. You had similar fighting styles, she was usually just a little bit better. When she got you on your back, her legs on either side of your chest, holding your arms down, you couldn’t help but comment, “This would be a great place to die.” You wiggled your eyebrows suggestively as she rolled her eyes and huffed a small laugh at your antics.

What? Nat was hot.

Your final sparring partner was Steve. Without your staff, you had to rely much more on agility and dodging than simple blocking. You greeted him kindly when you walked up and smiled, settling into a fighting stance. No matter how many times he pinned you, you couldn’t quite bring yourself to comment on it like you had with Natasha. For one, you knew he would be more uncomfortable with it than anyone else, and you didn’t joke and flirt to make anyone upset. Second, it was a lot easier to flirt with the people you didn’t like than the one you actually did, in case it backfired.

When training was finally over, you were sweaty and tired. You lifted your shirt to wipe the sweat from your face, when you heard a whistle.

“Damn, Y/N, no need to strip,” Sam called out. You dropped your shirt to see him and Bucky laughing while Steve looked away, a little red in his cheeks. You raised your middle finger in a salute at the two idiots

“In your dreams, Wilson.” You winked at him and walked away, towards your room.

After you left, Steve eyes followed you for a moment with a furrowed brow. “Does Y/N not like me?” he asked his best friends.

Bucky had just taken a sip of water and spit it out in surprise. “What?”

“Dude, why would you think she doesn’t like you?” Sam asked in confusion.

Steve reached up to rub the back of his neck awkwardly. “It’s just… she doesn’t joke with me the same way she does all of you. Sure she’s nice to me, but it’s different.”

“Steve. She jokingly flirts with all of us. Smirks and winks and all of that. The girl smiles at you.” Sam assured, patting him on the shoulder.

“Why doesn’t she flirt with me?” Steve blurted, sounding petulant.

“Wait a second, are you jealous?” Bucky asked, smiling at his best friend. “I knew you wanted her Stevie, I didn’t realize you were dumb enough not to realize that she wants you.”

It was Steve’s turn to be surprised. “What? No she doesn’t.”

“Captain, with all due respect, you’re kind of an idiot with women,” Sam said sympathetically. “She’s way sweeter to you than to any of us and I bet she doesn’t flirt with you because she thinks it would make you uncomfortable.”

Steve was shaking his head before Sam was even finished. “There’s no way that’s true.”

“Then prove it,” Sam responded. “Ask her about it. I bet you ten bucks she likes you more than the rest of us.”

“Deal,” Steve said before he realized the implications of what he agreed to. This meant he had to have an uncomfortable conversation with the girl he fancied about whether she liked him.

You stepped out of the shower, happy to be clean from all of the sweat and grossness from earlier. You slipped into a pair of shorts and a T-shirt you had stolen from an unknown male in this tower. Well, unknown as in Steve didn’t know you had stolen his shirt. You sat down on your bed with a crochet hook and picked up where you had left off on your most recent project. No one on the team knew you liked to crochet because you know Bird Brain and the Ice Princess would laugh at you. Everyone had a vice or a way of relaxing. Tony liked to drink, Steve liked to break punching bags, and you liked to crochet like an old lady.

You heard a knock at your door and set your hook aside to answer it. You opened it to see a recently showered Steve on the other side, certainly not an unwelcome sight.

“Can I come in?” he asked. You nodded and gestured him inside, closing the door behind him. He walked towards her bed before pausing, a slow smile spreading across his face. “Were you knitting?”

“Crocheting, thank you very much. What of it?” you huffed, trying to cover your embarrassment.

He just chuckled and said, “Nothing, nothing. It’s just not what I would have expected, that’s all.”

“So what did you need, Cap?” you inquired, wondering why he had come to your door.

“I- uh… I just wanted to know if…. Do you not like me, Y/N?” he finally got out after stumbling around.

“Of course I like you Steve, what made you think I didn’t?” you felt really bad, you never meant for him to think you disliked him.

“It’s just that you joke and flirt with everyone else and you don’t with me, and I was worried it was because you hated me or something.”

“Oh no, Steve, of course I don’t hate you,” you rushed to assure. Then you backtracked a moment. “Did you want me to flirt with you?” you quietly asked, unsure of yourself.

He suddenly became very red before muttering, “I wouldn’t mind.”

You smiled kindly at him. “I don’t flirt with you because I didn’t want to make you uncomfortable.”

Steve stared at you for a moment. “Wait, really?” You nodded at him. “I’m perfectly capable of handling your flirting.” He didn’t realize until after he said it that it came across as a challenge.

A smirk spread across your lips as you looked up at him. You walked closer to him, a little extra sway to your hips. “I don’t know if you could handle me if I really flirted with you Captain,” you purred. He looked immediately flustered by your forwardness, but didn’t back down. You got a little closer to him before you felt compelled to check on him. “Is this okay?” you asked, a small amount of nerves showing through in your voice.

“More than okay,” Steve murmured. You beamed up at him. You held eye contact for a moment before he glanced down. “Is that my shirt?”

“Why? Do you want it back?” You jokingly reached for the hem of the shirt, but he grabbed your wrists to stop you from actually lifting it.

“No, it looks good on you.” It was your turn to blush. “I was just curious as to why you were wearing my shirt.”

You shrugged nonchalantly. “Who knows Rogers, maybe I’ve been flirting with you this whole time, you’re just special.”

Steve asked you out to dinner that night, and you could swear that when you walked towards the elevator to meet him, you saw him slip Sam some money.

#steve rogers x reader #steve rogers x you #steve rogers x y/n #captain america x reader #reader insert #fanfic #fanfiction #marvel #imagine #fem reader #lonelyandlovelorn

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dvp95 · 6 years ago

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quiet on widow’s peak (2)

pairing: dan howell/phil lester, pj liguori/sophie newton/chris kendall rating: teen & up tags: paranormal investigator, youtuber phil lester, dan howell is not a youtuber, online friendship, slow burn, strangers to lovers, nonbinary character, trans character, background poly, phil does some buzzfeed unsolved shit and dan is a fan word count: 3.2k (this chapter), 6.4k (total) summary: Phil’s got a list of paranormal experiences a mile long that he likes to share with the world. Abandoned buildings, cemeteries, and ghost stories have always called his name, and a particular fan of his has a really, really good ghost story.

read this chapter on ao3 or here!

"Do you remember the Wilkins place?"

"I'm well, thanks." Martyn's voice is dry, and Phil finds himself grinning at the wall despite himself. "How are you?"

"Good," says Phil. It's mostly true, although he could do without the piles of clothes he's sorting through. He holds his phone between his shoulder and his ear as he picks up a top of Sophie's and starts a whole new pile that he's calling delicates, aka things he's absolutely going to screw up somehow. "People think the Wilkins place is haunted."

There's a beat. Presumably, Phil's brother is trying to fit the name into adolescent memories to see where it slots in. "Oh, that wreck in Rusholme? It hasn't been condemned yet?"

"Apparently it's still a hot spot for binge-drinking teenagers," Phil says.

"Well, sure. But haunted? Really?"

"That's what I said!"

Phil feels a little vindicated by the skepticism in Martyn's voice, to be honest. His friends hadn't taken his weird feeling seriously at all.

"I mean, it's a dump," says Martyn. "More likely to be haunted by a bunch of rats than anything else. Why haven't we heard this before?"

"According to my sources," Phil says, only feeling a bit ridiculous about referring to a bunch of strangers on the internet as 'sources', "the activity only recently started. Which makes me think that someone's lying, or maybe one incident kickstarted everyone else's imaginations?"

"Both could be true. Why don't you ask Ian to go check it out?"

It's not exactly a sore spot, but something inside of Phil still twinges at the question. "He's a little busy, isn't he."

"So am I," Martyn says in that same dry, familiar tone that makes Phil feel as comforted as his mum's fretting or his dad's bad jokes do. "And yet here you are, on my phone."

"You don't have a toddler," Phil points out.

"I don't? Yet here you are..."

Phil snorts a laugh and drops all of the socks he's gathered into an empty basket. It's as good a place to start as any. "Shut up, Mar. I'm at least six."

There are, literally, enough dirty socks and pants between the four of them that Phil has a whole load of just underthings. He spares a moment to be grateful to Sophie for not including her bras, because he'd have no idea where to begin with those. He sighs and picks up the basket, fitting it against his hip with one hand so he can hold his phone with the other.

"Well, I can ask around," says Martyn. "I think my friends might be past the point of sneaking into abandoned houses to party, but maybe they've heard something from their annoying little brothers."

"Ha, ha," Phil says dryly. "Think I should contact some of the people making these claims?"

"Deffo," says Martyn. "If you can record them, it'd be best."

"Yeah, that way I can use them in the video," Phil hums, setting his basket on the washer and opening every cupboard to try to find the detergent. "I mean, if they're okay with that, obviously."

"I actually meant because your bullshit detector is dysfunctional, so me or Peej will have to tell you if someone's lying."

"Wow, rude. Whose fault is that?"

"Yours," Martyn informs him dryly. "Just because I told you Santa would pull you up through the chimney doesn't mean you had to believe me."

Phil rolls his eyes, but he's grinning. Maybe it's just a big brother thing, or maybe it's their personalities, but Martyn isn't wrong - Phil has a hard time telling when someone is lying to him. Martyn was always good at lying with a straight face and seeing right through Phil's outlandish stories.

"I still blame you," says Phil.

"Alright," says Martyn. "When are you coming to visit?"

"Probably not ‘til after this one," Phil says slowly, glancing at the kitten calendar on the fridge. They'd let one of their milder housemates pick this year's after everyone got tired of looking at Chris' previous choice of nude knitted puppets.

"Yeah? You gonna head up north for this one?"

In the very last cupboard he checks, Phil finds the detergent. He wants to be annoyed about it, but the truth is that Holly's habit of switching around the kitchen when she's anxious has saved many a pack of biscuits from expiring behind some flour. Phil has never once been useful to anybody when he's having a meltdown, so.

Phil absentmindedly loads the washer while he considers Martyn's question. Maybe it would be best to check the place out for himself, see if anything's really going on. He likes being on-site best, trusts his own gut more than he trusts strangers' eyes.

The problem, of course, is that Phil's childhood home is up for sale, he has no money for a hotel, and Ian's gone and got himself a child. The last thing Phil wants to do is impose or, like, get roped into babysitting. A trip to Manchester might be out of the question for him right now.

"Maybe," Phil says, noncommittal.

Martyn sees through him in an instant, like always. "Want me to ask Mum if they've got any viewings next weekend? I'm sure you know not to trash the place."

"Have I ever once trashed the place? Don't answer that," Phil adds, remembering the shaving cream incident.

A huff comes down the line, and Phil feels the same pride at making his brother laugh as he had when he was seven and making weird noises out the car window. Yeah, he definitely needs to go to London soon, the Isle afterwards - he hasn't seen his family in way too long.

"I'll let you know what's buzzing, if anything," says Martyn. "And I'll call Mum for you and all. I know you get weird about asking them for favours."

"I get weird about asking anyone for favours," Phil says instead of a thank you, because if he gets weird about asking for help, then Martyn gets twice as weird about reacting to gratitude.

"Except me."

Phil smiles, watching the rainbow of socks and pants spin. "Yeah. Except you."

Laundry does end up taking Phil most of the day, but he doesn't mind much. It's the least he can do when Chris always does the first draft edit for him, PJ reminds him to take his EMF meter and his meds when he's packing for an overnight, and Sophie sends him pages upon pages of research while she's at work. He's so fond of these people, and he appreciates all they do for him, but being in debt to them - and not in sole control of his projects - makes Phil feel like he's got ants crawling up his arms.

While he waits out the machine cycles, Phil starts putting feelers out into this story. He checks the sources linked to him again and shoots off a couple of direct messages and emails to see if any of the people posting about the Wilkins place are eager to chat one on one.

He's got his laptop set up at the kitchen table and he's on his third coffee of the day when it occurs to him that he's not out of the woods of owing favours just yet. He clicks back into the Tumblr submission that started this spiral.

He decides that he needs to thank this person, at the very least, and maybe offer to buy them a coffee or something when he's in town. They did so much of Phil's grunt work that it feels weird not to pay them back somehow.

"Well, I can't exactly do your laundry," Phil murmurs to the screen. He hopes none of his other housemates are milling around to hear him.

Another click, and he's on the blog. It's minimalist and monochrome in a way that makes things easy to read, but not very interesting to look at. Phil's eyes start to glaze over as he scrolls through, because it's entertaining enough but - well. It's a typical Tumblr blog. That familiar mixture of memes and rants about social issues and some gifs from shows that Phil doesn't have time to watch. There are a lot of familiar walls of text tagged as personal posts, but Phil still can't parse them without really trying.

They do reblog Phil's video posts, though. That makes him grin.

He scrolls back up to the top of the page to shoot them a message and immediately gets distracted by the bio.

winnie. 21. any pronouns.

For someone who sent Phil a wall of text that could be mistaken for copypasta at first glance, it's surprisingly succinct. Phil takes another swig of his coffee and tries not to get caught up on the last part of it.

Any pronouns? What does that mean, any pronouns? What if Phil uses the wrong ones? He isn't exactly a queer theory student, and as much as he supports everybody under his little rainbow umbrella, he's got to admit that a lot of things still go over his head.

He dithers for so long that his laptop screen goes black, and he makes a face at himself in its reflection. Surely he's overthinking this.

Hi!, Phil types, and then accidentally hits enter. He was just trying not to send the fan a paragraph back, but, fine. Oops. So I'm looking into the things you sent me on the Wilkins place and I'm really impressed by the amount of time you put into this? Like it makes MY job a lot easier haha. Is he a triple-texter? He's a triple-texter. The first one didn't count anyway. So thanks!!!!! I'll def give you credit in the video, but is there anything else I can do to pay you back?

Not literally, he wants to add right after he's sent it. Oh, well. He can't just keep spamming this poor person's chat. He hopes it's obvious that he'd offer monetary compensation if he had it.

Phil leaves the Tumblr tab open and works on editing for a little while. It's almost frustrating how bad this video is, how little effort and energy Phil has started putting into these, and he doesn't know how to fix it short of rethinking his entire career.

He could easily keep churning these out for as long as people watch them, but. He's not having fun anymore.

The Phil on his laptop screen is asking questions, wandering around a cemetery just to see if anything will happen, and Phil can't help comparing it to things he did last year, the year before that, the year before that - it feels like his content is declining as his enthusiasm for the topic does, or maybe vice versa.

Phil zones out for so long that the dryer chime goes off from the hallway, echoing through the old, creaky house. He'd given up on sorting the loads after the fifth shirt that could belong to any of them, so he just takes his own things out and folds his housemates' clothes into one basket.

They can figure it out, he's sure. There's only two bedrooms between the three of them, so there's only two closets, and Phil has gone so long without knowing who's officially sharing that it would be awkward to ask now.

Phil swaps the load over and goes back to his laptop, even though the very last thing he wants to do is continue editing and uploading this mediocre video.

The thing is, Phil doesn't need his content to be perfect. He's happy to post things that just make him laugh or have a nicely spooky vibe or whatever, he doesn't need to solve mysteries every month or two. It's just that. He can hear how little he cares about it, lately. It won't be long before people notice, if they haven't already.

Phil sighs and exits the project. Maybe this video is best left unposted. He's not happy with it at all.

Maybe, if this Wilkins place video doesn't pan out, Phil can start redirecting his energy into a different type of creative output. He's got so many stories bouncing around in his mind, he just needs to figure out how he wants to tell them.

It sounds like his father's voice inside his head, telling him you can't chase ghosts forever. He wishes he still had the gumption to disagree with it.

His laptop makes a little noise, and Phil blinks back to reality. He has to click on a few different tabs to figure out where it came from, but then he realises that he's gotten a response on Tumblr.

Phil smiles despite himself and gets ready for another difficult-to-read message.

Sure enough: UHHHHHH hi hello what the fuck i didnt expect you to say anything this is so weird i am being so weird right now um like no problem? i was procrastinating an essay and this was more fun to research so you dont have to thank me or pay me back whatever that means like i was just fucking around its fine but thank you?????

Phil thinks about the four word Tumblr bio again and snorts. Maybe Winnie wanted to seem as cool and minimalist as their theme itself was.

Procrastination or not, I appreciate it!, Phil replies. Would it be ok if I use you as a reference?

?????????????? i mean yeah but what the fuck, he gets back almost immediately.

It's nice to see you know some punctuation! Sorry if it's weird to reach out like this, I just wanted to like acknowledge the work you put in. I don't have to mention you in the video if you'd prefer!

The sound of the front door creaking open and slamming shut interrupts Phil's nervous typing. He freezes for a moment, fingers still on the keyboard, but then PJ comes in the kitchen with a little salute and several bags of craft supplies, and Phil can breathe again.

It isn't that the other people who live in this house are bad people. Far from it. It's just that, of the people Phil has opted to share this large space with for nearly two years, only three of them have made any kind of effort to understand Phil. The others are nice enough, he supposes, but sometimes they come and go and new people replace them and - Phil isn't exactly good with change, is the thing.

So he relaxes when he can talk to PJ instead of making small talk with someone who thinks he's weird and too messy. "Hey! How's your day?"

"Better than yours," PJ laughs. He drops all the bags on the table and starts puttering around the kitchen. "Hungry?"

"Please. And it wasn't so bad, I got some work done."

"Yeah? Any new info on the new haunt?"

It's incredible how genuinely interested PJ always is in Phil's work. Phil grins down at his keyboard and shrugs a bit. "Some. Mostly just poking around right now, though. Mar's asking his friends too. Oh, and I thanked the person who sent it in."

"That's good," PJ says. He's putting the kettle on, because that's what PJ does when he comes home. "How'd they react?"

"Mostly confusion," Phil laughs. He glances at his screen to see if Winnie has responded - they haven't - and chews on his lip a little bit. "Hey, Peej? If someone says any pronouns are fine, what does that mean?"

"Generally," PJ hums, "it seems like it would mean any pronouns are fine."

"Oh, shut up." Phil runs a hand through his hair, always anxious about getting stuff like this wrong.

"I'm not joking," PJ says, although his tone is still light.

"Oh. So it just... doesn't matter?"

"Not to some people, I guess." PJ leans against the counter as he waits for the water to boil. At least he's smiling, although Phil can't help but notice that it's a little patronizing. "You do know that I'm not a gender guru, right? I'm barely a gender novice. I failed gender out the gate, buddy."

Phil knows his cheeks are pinking up a bit, but he rolls his eyes. "Shut up," he repeats. "You still know way more than me."

The shrug he gets in response makes Phil huff a laugh. This isn't something they talk about, but Phil has been present for enough of Chris and PJ's conversations that he'd gotten the idea.

He wonders if PJ cares that he's bringing it up. Is he making PJ uncomfortable? They don't talk about this.

"Stop spiralling," PJ says easily. His smile is warmer, now. "I don't hate you, nobody hates you, and the fan who doesn't care about pronouns certainly doesn't hate you. If you're that worried about upsetting them, though, you can always ask."

Maybe he's known PJ too long. He's grateful for it, still, so relieved that he doesn't have to voice the swirling anxiety of doing something wrong when he only has the best intentions.

"I guess I could do that," Phil mutters, embarrassed by how easily he's been read.

Winnie's responded by the time Phil looks back at the chat window, a lmao yeah ofc thats fine i just cant believe you want to, im not trying to b weird ive just been a fan for a really long time?? (used a comma for you too) (and brackets) (youre welcome) that makes Phil smile.

Awesome! And are the name Winnie & they/them pronouns fine to talk about you with, or do you prefer something else for this?

no yeah thats good idc how you refer to me, is Winnie's immediate response. It's stupid how much of a load feels like it's been lifted off of Phil's shoulders at that easy reassurance.

"You were right," Phil informs PJ.

PJ nods, solemn, as he stirs his noodles. "I often am."

"You're annoying, also," says Phil. "Hey. D'you wanna come up north with me?"

"Phil," says PJ dramatically, holding the wooden spoon up to his heart. "Are you asking me to run away with you?"

"No, absolutely not, stop making that joke." There's no way in hell Phil is going to keep putting up with this from both of them, and PJ is more likely to listen to him than Chris is.

PJ laughs. "Yeah, yeah. You going to see the haunt?"

"If my parents are okay with us hanging out for the weekend, yeah."

"Oh, okay," says PJ. "We're just waiting on confirmation that Kath and Nigel want to spend time with you? Might as well pack now."

"Your stuff's folded," Phil says helpfully. PJ throws a noodle in his general direction. It flops onto the floor between them, a sad, wet spiral of a thing, and Phil touches his nose at the same time PJ does.

"Well, one of us has to pick it up," PJ says in his Reasonable Adult voice, as if he hadn't thrown it in the first place.

Phil looks at his laptop, valiantly pretending not to see the floor noodle, and blinks.

and i mean i havent seen any of this shit firsthand but if you need to ask me anything about the stuff thats gone down im always free. like literally always.

#phanfic #phanfiction #dnp fic #phan #words words words #quiet on widow's peak

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buffintruder · 5 years ago

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fic writer tag game!

thank you for tagging me @arofili!

AO3 name: also Buffintruder

Fandoms: in the past, mostly Les Mis. There was a brief TAZ-heavy period, now it’s more Fullmetal Alchemist and Bartimaeus. I am one of those writers who write for many, many fandoms though (about 33 according to my ao3 dashboard, excluding overlaps)

Number of fics: 61

Fic I spent the most time on: Probably Angus McDonald and the Case of the Soul Stealers when counting hours put into it, though I am not sure about this. In terms of how time between starting and posting it, definitely my Les Mis au The World Ain’t Sherwood Forest which took over two years because there were some parts I was unsatisfied with and also I started it right before I started getting out of the fandom

Fic I spent the least time on: Probably the Bartimaeus amnesty/cryptid au Footprints. Other than the first draft of the first two paragraphs, I finished it all in one day, so probably about 5 total hours worth of work?

Longest fic: For published fic, A Tale of Two Kravitzes at 54k, though the Angus McDonald Boy Detective series goes over that by a couple thousand words.

Shortest fic: Technically it’s a les mis poem at 25 words, but I don’t feel like counting that, so the shortest story is a Skulduggery Pleasant crack fic called Skeletons in the Closet at 646 wo

So the next four things were all separate categories, but I collapsed them into one because the answer is the same for all of them. Angus McDonald and the Case of the Soul Stealer has the highest hits (2771) kudos (227), comment threads (37), and bookmarks (56). Honestly, I’m pretty happy with this. I worked hard on it, discovered that I could, in fact, write and finish a story that has both actual plot and is over 15k words. This is one of the fics I’m really proud of

Total word count: This one was added by arofili, but eh, I’m keeping it. 371,826 words worth of fanfiction, oof

Favourite fic I wrote: can i say angus mcdonald and the case of the soul stealer. This is hard because I have many favorites, but I think I have to say my post-canon Greedling fic Friends of the Soul. I think I did a good job of writing it and had fun doing so, but more than that, it was the direct cause of a friendship with one person that I’m super glad to know (and possibly an indirect cause of another?), and none of my other fics can beat that

Fic you want to rewrite/expand on: There aren’t any fics I want to rewrite, and as for fics that I want to expand on, there are a few, but I feel like that doesn’t count because I have actual plans. I want to write a sequel for the Angus McDonald one from Kravitz’s pov (i started writing one over a year ago and just... haven’t finished it rip). I also want to add more to my discworld/harry potter crossover/fusion thing, and I have vague plans for another work in my platonic fake dating Greedling au (also possibly prequel) though who knows if that will ever happen

Share a bit of a WIP or a story idea you’re planning on:

This is a bit from the canon era Greedling fic that I’m getting pretty close to finishing,

“Huh,” Greed said thoughtfully. “Well, carbon does make up a lot of stuff. Like diamonds. Hey, make my hands into diamonds!”

Ed rolled his eyes. “Why don’t you just do it yourself?”

“What, me?” Greed tilted his head slightly.

“You can already manipulate the carbon to create your Shield, so you should be able to do other stuff with it too,” Ed said, and Ling could feel Greed light up at the realization.

“You’re totally right, I can do that!” Greed said. There was a beat. “...How do I do that?”

“I’m not showing you how to make your Shield into a diamond,” Ed said flatly. “It won’t be good protection, and you already use your Shield irresponsibly for the sake of aesthetic.”

Like Ed can talk, Ling scoffed, though he did admit that Ed had a point.

“You’re one to talk, Mr. ‘all my weapons have skulls on them just because’,” Greed said.

“Well, it’s not like it hinders me in any way!” Ed snapped.

“But it is tacky as hell,” Greed said. “There’s gotta be something else you can show me.”

Ed’s eyes glinted. “I could teach you how to turn your claws into pencils.”

I don’t know who would want to be tagged in this, but if you see it and want to go for it, please do!! I’d love to see what people have been writing

#my writing

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menswearmusings · 6 years ago

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Free Product Review—Spier & Mackay Custom Shirt (+Giveaway Announcement)

Spier & Mackay is best known to my readers for their excellent-for-the-price Neapolitan-style jacket cut. But actually, their roots are in custom shirt making. The tailoring, the accessories, the trousers, that all came later. Founder Rikky Khanna (who goes by Rick) asked me if I wanted to give an honest review of their custom shirt program. Intrigued by their multitude of collar styles and what I’d heard was nearly infinite flexibility, I said yes (for my policy on free products and reviews, see my disclaimer page here). With that said, let me dive straight into my thoughts on the shirt and the process.

Pattern is key

I’ve got several online custom shirts from other companies, which I usually make by measuring a shirt I like the fit of and copying the measurements. Over time, I’ve tweaked the measurements here or there to dial it in, and I’ve been happy with the results. But this shirt has changed my perspective a little bit. While none of those shirts fit poorly, something about the cut of this shirt makes it feel like it fits better—using nearly identical measurements. I can only assume it has to do with how the pattern is drafted. I asked Rick about this, and he said that they have a third-generation tailor whose entire career has been in making custom shirts drafting each pattern. He is also apprenticing two younger tailors to take over for him when he retires. Considering the price of these shirts (as low as $80), that’s remarkable.

Collar designs for everyone

While they can make any collar you want based on specifications, their standardized collar designs cover almost all the bases. From point collars to super tall Italian wide spreads, there’s something for everyone (though someone recently did ask in their Styleforum thread for short collars for casual use—a blind spot of mine, since I never wear those). I opted for the large wide Italian spread (“C21” on the website), and then specified a slight increase in front collar band height. It is identical to my favorite dress shirt collar, the Eidos Marcus collar (which is why I chose it of course).

By default, the collars all come with a stiff, fused interlining. Instead of that, I asked about un-fused collar linings. They have four stiffness options: 1) Light (a single layer of un-fused interlining); 2) Unfused lining bonded to a fused lining (which is sewn in; there is no fusing to the shirt fabric); 3) Unfused bonded to a medium fused; 4) Unfused bonded to a stiff fusing. I opted for the second-lightest option and am happy with it. Given that the fabric I chose is a dressy, business-appropriate fabric, it does very well with a tie as well as without a tie, standing up under a jacket. I’m considering doing a super light fused on future shirts (which is how my Eidos dress shirts are made), and will likely also try the lightest unfused option. For sport shirts, such as a washed denim I intend to do at some point, I’ll go completely unlined.

Unlimited possibilities

For customization and even designs, the sky is the limit. For instance, as mentioned above, I requested a small increase in the front collar band height and about doing an un-fused collar lining. But I also talked to Rick about other details like the shirt sleeve attachment angle (a detail Ratio exposed to me as a possibility) or pleated shoulders (a detail found on Neapolitan shirtmakers’ goods, like G. Inglese), and he said it’s all posible. I even asked if I could send him a shirt to just copy all the design details on, and he said this was doable.

I am not a fan of secret menus, so this would be kind of a turn-off for me if I were new to the style game—I wouldn’t know what I don’t know, and would be afraid I wouldn’t think of some critical detail that would take my shirt to the next level. However, the options that Spier does offer by default in their step by step process are enough to make an excellent shirt for most people. And in my opinion, besides a good fit and fabric, most of what makes a shirt special is the collar shape, where they’ve got most bases covered. So, I say if you’re worried about missing out on some secret knowledge, don’t. Just design a shirt with the tools available and you’ll be able to make something special. (I’ve listed exactly what I requested below if you’re interested).

Fast turn-around

The high water mark for quick custom shirt turnaround is Proper Cloth, who has shaved it down to 2-3 weeks. However, I was glad to find out that Spier’s turnaround was only about 4 weeks from the time of my order to delivery.

Some negatives

Not that it’s all roses with the Spier & Mackay online custom shirt program. My biggest gripe is that the fabric selection and descriptions are pretty lame. Their images can sometimes make it hard to know exactly what you’re getting. Maybe I’m just spoiled by Proper Cloth—which has gratuitous fabric images, a full paragraph of copy written about each one, and consistent information like opacity, weave, origin and more—but it feels to me like somewhat of a leap of faith to select a fabric. On top of this, they do not offer the ability to order a swatch (which again, Proper Cloth does). Rick says that’s something they might do in the future, but since their fabrics are all stored overseas in their factory, it is not currently feasible.

I asked Rick what their remake policy is if the shirt fits incorrectly, or you end up hating the fabric. In the event of an issue like that, they will remake the shirt for 50% off, which he feels is fair given the already low prices they’re offering. Compared with Proper Cloth or Ratio, which do free remakes, this makes for a higher barrier to entry for those hesitant to try it out.

As for my shirt in particular, one detail came out wrong: it came to me with the collar cut with curved collar leafs, instead of straight-cut. Some of Spier’s off the rack shirts come cut this way, and other companies do them as well, but I’ve never liked it. I assumed that’s how it was designed, and told Rick I wish I had thought to request it with straight leafs. He told me actually the collar is supposed to have straight leafs, and this was a mistake by the factory. To rectify that, I sent the shirt back, he had a new collar made at their factory in the same fabric, and their in-house tailor attached the new collar to the body of the shirt. It was back to me within two weeks. So, my advice is: if you get a shirt and you don’t like something, definitely ask about it, in case it was an error on their part.

Shop the Outfit: Brown tweed Eidos jacket (similar); Spier & Mackay custom shirt (see details below for fabric and design); Spier & Mackay charcoal flannel trousers (other options from Berg & Berg; SuitSupply; Brooks Brothers; Drake’s).

A couple of things I’d change about the design of my shirt: 1) I’d make it with a one-piece yoke (I didn’t think to ask, and their design tool didn’t offer either. Can someone tell me why the split yoke even exists?). 2) A wider forearm/more pleats at the cuff. They have you measure the bicep and arm hole size, and then you specify the cuff. I copied my favorite shirt for all three measurements, but there are only two darts in the sleeve at the cuff, which means the pattern of the sleeve decreases in width more dramatically than the shirt I measured. It’s a bit tight in the elbow (I’ve never had a shirt blow out the elbow, but this could easily be the first one that will). I’d probably just request they make my shirt with four pleats at the cuff to rectify this.

Overall, however. I’m very pleased with the shirt. I give Spier & Mackay high praise for their superior pattern making, great selection of collar shapes and extreme flexibility in customization. They need a major facelift on their website, and need to make options like collar linings, cuff linings and forearm fit more accessible in the typical step-by-step design process (instead of being special requests in the comments box). But, all in all, I highly recommend giving Spier & Mackay’s custom shirts a try.

My custom shirt specs

Fabric: “BLUE PENCIL STRIPE – TESSITURA MONTI – 2 PLY 160’S”

Collar: C21 “Large Italian Full Spread Collar”, with the following special instructions specified in the comments box:

Specified with front collar band height increased to 1-7/16”

Specified with unfused lining at the 2nd level of stiffness (unfused lining bonded to a fused lining, sewn in)

Cuffs: Round, conical cuff, which tapers toward the end (a custom option requested in the comments box)

No placket

No back pleats

No front pocket

Mother of pearl buttons with crow’s foot stitching

(Help support this site by buying stuff through my links; your clicks and purchases earn me a commission from many of the retailers I feature, and it helps me sustain this site—as well as my menswear habit! Thanks!)

Giveaway

I’m pleased to announce a partnership with Spier & Mackay to give away a FREE custom shirt, plus two other bonus prizes. To enter the giveaway, see the instructions below.

To Enter:

1- Make sure you’re following @SpierMackay, and @MenswearMusings on Instagram

2- Like this post on Instagram

3- Tag at least 3 friends in separate comments on the Instagram post; more tags = more entries

4- For an extra 5 entries, share the Instagram post to your stories with tags of both @menswearmusings and @spiermackay

Here are the prizes:

GRAND PRIZE: a FREE Spier & Mackay custom shirt

SECOND PRIZE: $50USD off a custom shirt

THIRD PRIZE: $25USD off a custom shirt

The entry period for the giveaway ends Sept. 2 at 11:59 p.m. Central Daylight Time. We will announce winners, who will be chosen at random out of all the entries, within one week after the end of the entry period.

Rules and regulations

Per Instagram rules, we must mention this is in no way sponsored, administered, or associated with Instagram, Inc. By entering, entrants confirm they are 13+ years of age, release Instagram of responsibility, and agree to Instagram’s term of use.

The give-away is open to people from anywhere that DHL or FedEx will ship.

Read more at Menswear Musings

#bespoke shirt #broadcloth shirt #custom shirt #hairline stripe shirt #italian collar #italian style #product review #spier and mackay

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arcadian-rhythms · 6 years ago

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You have honestly such a talent for worldbuilding and a unique way to justify the setting and characters used. Do you think you'll ever make a story with your own characters? Honestly I'm impressed that you created such a new world inspired by without ripping off so many forms of media and yet make it unique

Hey, thank you so much! Building the world of Arcadian Rhythms has been very fun and rewarding -- it’s definitely the most complicated world I’ve written in so far, and has become a big passion project. That being said, I actually have started up a few original stories! None of them are finished but some have a novel-length amount of content to read through by now, I’m sure. You can check out my fiction portfolio so far over here. You can also follow my Twitter if you like, I always post about stuff I’m working on. Or if you want a more concise place purely for updates on what I’m working on, my joint Patreon with my fiancée is good. Even just the public posts we do every month give you an idea of stuff that’s being worked on. I am in a transitional state this year but later in the autumn I will be buckling down to work on actually finishing an original novel for the first time. As far as my original projects go, let me share some details on what I’ve worked on so far. You can find more details on all of these, including links to more artwork and artist credits, in the portfolio post.

-What We Learned at Rokudai-

“It is important to draw wisdom from different places. If you take it from only one place it becomes rigid and stale. Understanding others - the other elements, the other nations - will help you become whole. It is the combination of the four elements in one person that makes the Avatar so powerful. But it can make you more powerful, too.” ~ Iroh; AtLA

A group of six young adults find harmony and family in each other through the drama they endure together. Coming from different ethnic, domestic, sexual, and religious backgrounds, they grow with each other over the course of a year of college town life.

The story’s goal is to tell a multi-faceted story about young adults with their own sub plots and supporting cast, embracing ethnic/sexual diversity through organic character relationships and character arcs based on real-life issues. Told through a dominantly female-perspective, Rokudai aims to promote balance, equality, and harmony through the lens that rests between adolescence and adulthood. (inspired by characters/themes from both Avatar cartoon series)

-DownRight Fierce-

“If you are depressed, you are living in the past. If you are anxious, you are living in the future. If you are at peace, you are living in the present.” ― Lao Tzu

An urban fantasy setting following four young women across two acts: Act One sees them at the tail end of high school and shows how their lives get crossed together, while Act Two will see them in their mid twenties having to reconcile the unresolved conflicts of their past. Inspired by Street Fighter, it features a world where characters have ‘powers’ that are mitigated and managed by government forces, which ends up becoming a big aspect of the plot. The main premise for this was based on how fighting games usually try to sell you a characters’ backstory in a single paragraph; I wanted a story where the first half WAS the backstory, and the second half was the culmination of the characters’ issues with each other needing to be resolved; specifically, the primary protagonist will need to accept her past self’s mistakes (from Act One) in order to become the adult she needs to be to help the other three protagonists in Act Two. (inspired by characters/themes from Street Fighter)

-The Focused-

“See no Evil. Hear no Evil.”

Yatra and Kiwidinok are a teenage couple traversing a war-weary land where only the Focused survive in the Wilds: those with the ability to tune out the rest of their senses to heighten the capabilities of one. Yatra’s Eyes can See all, and Kiwi’s Ears can Hear everything, but they are all each other has left in this devastated world. When their single place of refuge falters, they must bid farewell to what little they had and depart on a journey to find a new home.But in the Wilds, they must always sleep with one Eye open, and one Ear to the ground. (Inspired by the characters/world of Avatar: The Last Airbender)

-R+R-

Based upon the multi-layered works of Gene Yang and the parallel worlds of Ni No Kuni, R+R will follow a trio of young adults. Ryndy, a stubborn but timid mage, and her partner Roxette, a soft-hearted but brusque mechanic, traverse a fantasy land where personalized magic crystals serve as multi-tools. The pair are in search of a way to cure themselves of a self-inflicted curse. Meanwhile, a curious fellow who is connected to the pair drearily trudges through less fantastical issues. When their two worlds are reconnected, the truth will set them free.

-Untitled Fighting Game Love Story- My most recent project for which I haven’t decided on a title yet. Another modern day slice of life story, but more focused in scale and theme. This will be a lesbian love story about Rajini and Natsuki, two girls who fall for each other through playing fighting games together, and have to navigate their way through competitive gaming culture in the modern era as a queer couple of women of color. This is likely going to be the original story I finish first because it’s much smaller in scope and the world-building aspect is also much simpler than the others.

The portfolio post also goes over the breadth of fanfic that I’ve written over the past decade, as well as the above original works. If I had to estimate, I’d predict the last one I mention will be the one I finish first, with DownRight Fierce or The Focused probably following. The scope for Rokudai is larger, as the rough draft of the story is as long as the ENTIRETY of the Harry Potter series (!!) so I need to...figure out what to do with all of that! Regardless, after I finish my Life is Strange visual novel, Arcadian Rhythms will continue to be a passion project I work on inbetween original works, and will very likely be my last ever long form fanfic -- hence the bombastic “all out” nature of its world and characters. I hope anyone reading any of these stories enjoys the ride, and with some luck and focus, maybe in 2020 I can FINALLY enter the publishing world after over 15 years of writing fiction basically every week. ^_^;;

#Arcadian Rhythms #Destiny-Smasher #Anonymous

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ittybittytatertot · 6 years ago

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“What if I haven’t written anything yet?”

The question I most often receive when I give advice on writer’s block. And it’s a fair question. You hear all this advice for what to do when you get stuck in the middle, but what do you do when you’re stuck on the beginning?

The answer is simple: write.

But perhaps that’s too simple. Like telling an aspiring artist to practice when they ask how to get better, it’s the correct answer, it is the only one-size-fits-all advice any creative can give another, and yet it gives no real direction. Some people are left asking But HOW? So I’ll tell you how*.

*keep in mind these are things that work for me. I can’t guarantee any of them will work for you.

1. Start anywhere: You don’t have to start at chapter 1. And if you do, you don’t have to go on to chapter 2. Skip around and write what you feel like in that moment.

2. Outline. Decide what you want to happen and what happens next because of it. Write that down. Throw in a couple descriptions, a bit of dialogue, plan where you’re going to foreshadow what, look you’re writing!

3. Write the dialogue first and fill in the descriptors later. You can often get more natural sounding conversations that way, too.

4. Write descriptions of places. Where does the story take place? Describe it. It as many ways as you can: in flowery purple prose or brass-tax facts. Like you found it in a travel brochure or like you’ve lived there all your life. If none of it ends up in the final product? That’s fine, but at least now you know where you’re writing about.

5. Write descriptions of characters. What do they look like? How do they move? How do they sound? How does the light hit them? How do others react to them? Again, it’s okay if you’re the only one who ever sees this.

6. Stop caring if it’s perfect. It’s a first draft. Focus less on the idea that it doesn’t sound as good as it does in your head and more on getting words on the page. Can’t find the right word? Just put down a akdjfhshdh and keep going.

7. Turn off the internet. I know that episode of your favorite show just came out. I know you decided now is the time to look up that old Flash game. Stop. Unplug. Sit down. Write.

8. (A more drastic version of 7) Write with pen and paper. Your hand may hurt but it’s way less distracting and can get your head in a different mindset than typing.

9. Write about yourself. How are you feeling today? Yesterday? Overall in your entire life? What are you looking at right now and how would you describe it? Why are you looking at it?

10. Don’t worry about word count. 1 word is better than 0. If giving yourself a minimum word count helps you, go for it. But keep it low. My personal word minimum for the day is 69 because the number makes me laugh and it’s reachable even on my worst writer’s block days.

11. Stop starting over (can be related to 6). Do you write the first sentence/paragraph/chapter but delete it because it’s not right? Do you do that three, five, a dozen times? Stop it! Just keep going with what you got. You can edit after you have a complete first draft.

12. Use stream-of-consciousness. It might be full of errors and tangents and might not make a lot of sense but at least now you’ve started!

13. Write on your phone, a napkin, the bathroom mirror, old homework, your hand, then transcribe it later. Sometimes starting on a more casual object makes beginning less intimidating.

Good luck! And remember: Just write!

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j-k-notrowling · 6 years ago

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Untitled

Hi there! Spoilers up front: this is a gratuitously long-winded “thank you,” not an Ask (also I’m 31 and don’t know how to Social Media so apologies if this is the wrong page/tab/link/widget).

--(oh actually it’s a blog post now because of course I can’t send an “Ask” this stupidly long see? wasn’t kidding about that Social Media thing...)--

I started writing my first book in the Fall of 2016. Before that I’d only written songs. One day I got an idea which didn’t fit within the usual rhymes or rhythms. I tried and tried, but kept on hitting a wall. In addition, I was fed up with the whole “business” of music—the fragile egos, the politics of being in a band, all that. One morning I sat down at my HP desktop computer (again...31) and opened up a blank Word document. I stared at it with murderous intent for a long time, but nothing happened. So I grabbed the nearest book off the shelf (Crash by J.G. Ballard), opened it, and began to type out the first paragraph, copying the sentences line by line. I wanted to see what it felt like — my clumsy fingers pecking at the keyboard, observing how the words fell into place with a musical cadence and tempo almost prophetic, as though the ink were destined to dry in this exact form upon the page, the machinery of its tumultuous birth and impeccable design skillfully concealed. I paused and looked out the window. There was a squirrel on the deck, I remember. And then I saw it. Not outside but inside my own head, behind my eyelids. The song, the one I’d been struggling to write, I saw that it could be a story. I saw it had a clear beginning, middle, and end. I saw a world of characters opening doors to other worlds, other stories, other characters. This was life-changing shit. Suddenly I was a little boy at my first baseball game, drinking my first ice-cold Coke, surrounded by old men chain-smoking Marlboro Reds and muttering dirty words I’d never heard before about the [EXPLETIVES DELETED] on the opposing team. I’d discovered a fire fueled by the psychic anarchy of its own discovery, a Moebius-strip of dramatic invention, a repository for all the pop-cultural turds floating around inside the cracked porcelain toilet bowl of my skull. I wrote prose every night after work. I never thought about what I was doing. I never once stopped to check word counts or page counts. I never thought about sticking to an outline, making sure my story adhered to a specific plot structure, none of that. I wrote like a man in love. Delirious, overheated teenage love. Wear-my-ill-fitting-letterman’s-jacket love (is this also A Thing™️ in Canada?). Stupid stupid stupid love, naive and hormonal and precious and retrospectively mortifying. I’d turn off the world, turn on the music, sit back and watch the words sashay straight into my lap. It took 2-3 months before the ruthless scourge known as Self Doubt farted in my private elevator. Am I doing this right? How many words are in a book, anyway? How many pages? How long is this going to take? Is this an effective way to impress women and/or get laid? Am I writing a novel or a novella? The fuck is “flash fiction”? Are you allowed to write actual books in Microsoft Word? Does it matter that my free trial version of Microsoft Word expires in 30 days? They’re bluffing, right? And so on. I compared my own writing with that of authors I admired; subsequently, I couldn’t get out of bed for a week. I watched 40+ hours of “Kitchen Nightmares” reruns (it’s. the. same. fucking. formula. every. single. episode.) and nursed my shame with bowl after bowl of strawberry ice cream. To think — I’d TOLD people about this fool’s errand, and sooner or later I’d have to show them precisely how awful a writer I was... I turned to the Internet for advice. At first, it seemed like a godsend. There was such a litany of knowledge, so many pro-tips and life hacks and proven formulas for success. This was how I stumbled across your channel. I found other channels which offered more straightforward “DO IT LIKE THIS YOU FUCKING IDIOT” instructions, but I still enjoyed yours the most. I lol-ed at your jokes. I remember a few videos where you spoke highly about All The Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr, which remains among the most achingly beautiful books I’ve ever read. Also you’re Canadian, and you guys just generally Human better than we (Americans) Human. ...and here my troubles began. See, the more I tried to adhere to word count goals, the more I tried to properly organize the scenes on my Scrivener™️ virtual cork board, the less I enjoyed the actual process of writing. So I tried other things, based upon other writers’ suggestions: cut the adverbs, write in the morning, write at night, write during your lunch break, write an outline, stick to the outline, write x amount of pages per day, write x number of hours per day, spend x amount of hours drafting and x amount of hours editing, etc. But nothing I tried made me feel confident in my writing. I started actively hating it, to be honest. I dreaded the cursor and the infinite white void. Then I would watch more writing videos and feel guilty about my lack of ambition, my inability to accomplish simple tasks. It’s only a few thousand words, dude — just get in there and do it. Eventually I would. I’d grumble and feel miserable and stay locked in my little writing dungeon all night, ignoring my friends’ texts and phone calls, and the next day I’d hate everything I wrote, trash it, and start over. Then, when I had no more writing left to hate, I started hating myself. The words in my head turned malignant, putrefied into spongy, black tumors. I’d spend all day at work consumed by thoughts and ideas and goals! goals! goals! for my book, then I’d come home and stare at a blinking cursor and wonder why I was such a worthless failure. I couldn’t write the way these other writers did, no matter what I tried. But I still wanted to write. Needed to, in that yearning, terrible way I suspect you understand. I don’t know why The Internet subconsciously invites us to flay ourselves before total strangers, but it does. So I will. Shit got Dark™️, Shaelin. I gained 50 pounds, started living like a hoarder, stopped hanging out with my friends, stopped leaving the house altogether. I kept the curtains closed so my neighbors wouldn’t see the piles of empty take-out boxes stacked up on the kitchen table. I traded the pleasures and contradictions and beguiling enigmas of women for the 24-hour neon distraction of cheap porno. My cat Maggie, basically the only friend I had during this time, got cancer. I watched her suffer and waste away because I couldn’t bear the thought of putting her to sleep and coming home alone to an empty, filthy house. Eventually she died and I hated myself even more for not being able to save her. I wore the same pair of pants for six months. I’d go to work and sit at my desk all day and do absolutely nothing (I was the accounting manager at a small company, technically my own “boss,” so I got away with this for a shocking, frankly heroic amount of time). Then I simply stopped going to work. And I kept torturing myself with those stupid goals and word counts, never happy with the end result, resigned to feel like a failure every day. I remember watching your “Spill the Tea” video back when it was initially posted. Watching it now is eerie, because you describe exactly what I was going through, what I was feeling. Like, to the “T” (see what I did there? #WordPlay #LitPuns101). I’d never experienced anxiety/depression before, so I didn’t really understand what was happening to me. Not that it mattered, because by that point the damage was done. I couldn’t recognize and isolate the real problem. I’d given up. Even though you said a lot of things in that video I desperately, desperately needed to hear, I didn’t listen. I didn’t want to listen to you, because you were one of Them™️. Your eyes were bright and your voice sounded friendly and encouraging, but your name wasn’t McCarthy or Pynchon or DeLillo or Nabokov. You were just a kid. What could you possibly know that I didn’t? In January of this year I called a local psychiatric hospital and told them I was planning to kill myself. I never harbored any true intentions of doing that, but I figured they’d offer me a nice three-week vacation in a padded cell. Considering the circumstances, it honestly seemed like a relief. I ended up quitting my job, selling my house, and moving back in with my parents 300 miles away. I started seeing a therapist once a week (still do, for the record). So far I’ve lost 30 pounds of the 50 pound surplus I acquired. I kept watching your videos, even though I was no longer in the market for writing advice (#JustHereForTheSnark). You kept me lol-ing through some bad days and weeks and months. I’d listen to you talk about problems with the writing community and nod my head like an old woman in church (#ShaelinSermons™️ #SheTeachesANDShePreaches), but I still hadn’t made the connection with my own issues. I swore off writing completely, went back to playing music. Cover songs in coffee shops and family restaurants. It was fun for awhile. I genuinely felt happier. But my story was still an old pebble poking around in my shoe...calling out, issuing playground taunts, drawing hairy cartoon dicks on my forehead while I slept. About a month ago I stared down another blank page, my first since experiencing that fun-sized nervous breakdown earlier this year. I closed my eyes and heard your voice in my head. “You can do whatever you want.” I had no goals, no arbitrary quotas to meet. I wrote a few lines, stopped, fixed a couple things I wasn’t satisfied with, and then went on with my day. I thought about what I’d written, sure, but I didn’t worry or spend the whole day stressing out. The next morning I read over what I’d done, and I didn’t hate it. I thought it was actually pretty good, funny and off-kilter and a little/lotta fucked up. So I sat down and wrote some more. Took some things out, re-worded stuff, dressed up the bones in silver and pearls. Addition and subtraction. Before I knew it, I’d finished a whole page. Then another. And then the hair on the back of my neck stood up, because I remembered: This is how it felt at the beginning. Back when I was young and love-struck and writing only to catch those moments of pure levitation, that devilish tickle, that rush of blood propelled by my own wild heart. It’s been a rough road, but I finally found what I’d lost. I figured out how to write again and enjoy it. And ultimately, the best writing advice I received didn’t come from McCarthy or Pynchon or DeLillo or Nabokov. It came from a young woman in another country with a camera and a nose ring and a big tapestry and bigger dreams which run parallel to my own. So thank you. Thank you for taking time out of your busy life and braving the Steaming Pile™️ that is The Internet to offer words of empathy and encouragement to complete strangers. Thank you for the wisdom you share. Thank you for being who you are. Know that tonight the stars shine brighter as a result. They do for me, at least. (Also I’m sincerely sorry about the absurd length of this “Ask” wherein no actual questions were posed and nothing substantial was communicated beyond a simple yet torturously delayed “thank you” kthxbye #longlivethenewtapestry

—Justin)

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weretheoneswhowrite · 7 years ago

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Questions and Answers...

When it comes to Richonne goodness, there are few as good as @nyese3529. She could be described as a quiet storm in the world of Fanfiction. From wonderfully told tales of historical Richonne in Montana, to a modern day Richonne in Brooklyn, plus an assortment of other stories in between; @nyese3529 always has her readers devouring her stories and wanting more even before we finish the chapter.

We can’t know all of her secrets to being such an amazing writer, but hopefully this Q&A will help us to see how she got to be one of our favorites in the Fanfiction world.

Why is Richonne so fun to write?

“Writing for this couple has been interesting. Like most fanfictions, you’re able to take canon characters to new landscapes or places in alternate universes(au), or keep things canon(strictly or loosely)and legit do a better job at writing the characters in their world than the show writers ever have.

Do you have a writing schedule?

“Very much no. Lol. I used to do a lot of late night writing, then my work/school schedule changed so I do it when I can. When I finally sit down and write, it could be just a paragraph I get out or a whole 5000 word chapter. Just depends on my mood.”

What is your editing process?

“I write in layers. A very rough first draft, maybe with dialogue and small gestures. Then, I’ll re-read and add on to the story for its dramatic color, check punctuation and grammar. It takes me just as long to edit than it does to write.”

What drew you to fanfiction?

“I’ve liked fanfiction since I was a teen(Mulder and Scully, thanks for my teen obsessions). I read a lot, and have always liked going to other worlds. I used to dream up scenarios for my life that are so fairytale-like and they never happen. I found that fanfiction is never disappointing because you want your OTP’s to be endgame(at least I do). Also sex, I like to write them having sex. Lots of sex….kisses too. Lol.”

What has writing fanfiction taught you about being a writer?

“That I’m not perfect. Also, that there is a humbleness to putting yourself out there to receive reviews that are spectacular or extremely critical, or that you’ll get few or none at all. And not receiving reviews does not equate to being a good writer. PLEASE REMEMBER THIS! The actual Views I receive mean more to me, cause they let me know people are reading.”

Who outside the fandom knows you write fanfiction?

“Lots of people know, but they have never read anything. I remember with my first few stories I was so happy to get my reviews, I’d show them to my mom or sisters.”

How many people know you're a writer?

“My family knows that I write, but I have never given them anything to read.”

Where do you see your writing taking you?

“I’ve seen I’ve had readers from France, Spain, Brazil, China, Canada...etc and I’m like, “these wonderful people in other countries are reading my stories?” So, it can take me lots of places...where exactly it’ll take me, I’m not sure. I’ve had many people suggest to me on ff.net and Tumblr to try and publish some things, but I’m not sure where to even start with that. I do love writing, though. Whether it puts me on the map or not, I’ll wait and see."

Do you have advice for writers just starting out?

“Yes. Don’t be afraid to seek help. I remembering putting out two stories originally, and having 20 reviews for each one. I reached out to Siacore to ask what could I do to get more viewers/reviews. She told me it takes time to build a base, plus a lot of other things that I still remember to this day. So I’ll say, keep writing...especially for yourself and then for your readers. And always be happy that you had the courage to put yourself out there to be reviewed. Not many people can do what you do. Writing is a trying and time consuming process that is done literally to please and for not a penny more.”

What do you wish you knew before posting your first chapter?

“How to work ff.net. It was hard for my computer challenged butt to understand. Lol. Also, that the nerves and anxiety you experience before posting a chapter will NEVER go away.”

How many writing playlists do you have? Does your music have to change with what you write?

“I don’t have “playlists.” I might listen to a song and think it’s perfect to write a story around. Or, I’ll hear an old tune and think that’s what my Rick and Michonne are going through right now. So I’ll listen to a song on repeat endlessly. If the mood is sad, I’ll find the saddest song to listen to. A sexy song for sexy times and so on. But, I do have to listen to music often for inspiration.”

How many projects do you have going on right now? One major W.I.P. Y’all might have heard of a little story called “The Musings of Rick Grimes.” After I finally finish that, I think I still may churn out stories. I’ve made a few promises to people I have to keep.

Have you ever written a scene that’s made you cry?

“Yes. Every story I’ve written has made me shed a tear or two. A scene from Musings, which was similar to my life, did that. A scene from Blue Skies had me balling like a baby, and a scene from my Levees story(well a few from there)really had me crying.”

Where do you get your best story ideas?

“Real life historical events. My love for romance. My love for suspense. Stuff from canon Richonne and TWD. And the rest is stuff from my own personal life. I try to weave all of them together to get a great story. It’s worked out so far...I think.”

Do you have a solution for when you’re stuck?

“Not gonna lie. I have had major blocks with writing and I wanted to give up. I didn’t realize just how supportive the fandom is as a whole. And when I needed support for my personal life stuff, this fandom was right here. And when I got better and felt like my writing wasn’t the same, you guys have told me that it is. Do I have a method that best works, not really, but I write for me and when I’m ready, I write for y’all.”

What does WTOWW mean to you?

“Like I’ve said before, it’s important to get help from other writers. To have support. The network taught me that we are all real people, with real lives and goals and dreams. There is a sisterhood there that always puts a smile on my face and makes the other writers much more relatable. The inclusivity and our diversity is what makes it the best experience.”

Thank you @nyese3529 for allowing your readers a little more insight to your inner workings.

-We’re The Ones Who Write

#richonne fanfiction #fanfiction writers #nyese3529 #weretheoneswhowrite #WTOWW interviews

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frighthouseofalighthouse · 6 years ago

Note

All weird asks!! They're so good!

Sorry this is a bit late, babe! I wanted to wait til I had the opportunity to answer all these uninterrupted!

1. coffee mugs, teacups, wine glasses, water bottles, or soda cans?

Coffee mugs! tbh I drink tea out of coffee mugs because who actually uses teacups? I mean my grandma has tons and I would use them, but the handles are so tiny and I am v clumsy so it scares me.

2. chocolate bars or lollipops?

Chocolate bars!!! I’m too impatient for lollipops and plus they always get coated in saliva which just...drips down my chin since my mouth is already full.

3. bubblegum or cotton candy?

Bubblegum! I love cotton candy but I can only handle a bit at a time tbh. Also I haven’t had bubblegum in almost two years bc of braces and I miss it so much I can’t wait to have it again.

4. how did your elementary school teachers describe you?

Okay, so even though I’ve always been homeschooled, when I was in elementary school we did this program with a ton of other homeschoolers where you could take actual classes and stuff. My teachers always said I was quiet and focused and studious, and you could always count on me to be lecturing everyone else on the instructions if they hadn’t been paying attention. (does any of that surprise anyone?)

5. do you prefer to drink soda from soda cans, soda bottles, plastic cups or glass cups? GLASS SODA BOTTLES. nothing beats soda that’s been bottled in glass rather than plastic. You ever had orange cream soda from a glass bottle????? SLAPS ASS MY DUDE.

6. pastel, boho, tomboy, preppy, goth, grunge, formal or sportswear?

Pastel/boho/preppy/goth, my dude. I have so many sides to my fashion and aesthetic.

7. earbuds or headphones?

EARBUDS BC HEADPHONES NEVER FIT OVER MY EARS RIGHT. BUT EARBUDS WITH SOFT TIPS BECAUSE MY EARS ARE TOO SMALL FOR THE PLASTIC ONES.

8. movies or tv shows?

Tv shows tbh because even though I can binge 4 eps of 45 minutes each per night, they’ll hold my attention a lot more than a movie. It’s weird.

9. favorite smell in the summer?

Thunderstorms/petrichor, also natural bogs. PEAT BOG SMELL FUCKING SLAPS.

10. game you were best at in p.e.?

None. I liked trampoline time back when we took gymnastics, if that counts. I also liked jump roping and Irish step dancing.

11. what you have for breakfast on an average day?

Nothing lmao. I sleep til like noon and then I microwave something for lunch.

12. name of your favorite playlist?

My catchall playlist, Things I Love, my summer playlist, Summer Songs, my Gryffindor playlist, My Queen And Country playlist for writing, and my playlist for The Raven Cycle. (after I post this I’ll edit it and link them)

13. lanyard or key ring?

Keyring, a lanyard would like constantly detract from my outfit if that makes sense???

14. favorite non-chocolate candy?

Sour Patch Kids or Swedish Fish.

15. favorite book you read as a school assignment?

Between The Grapes Of Wrath, The Great Gatsby, The Handmaid’s Tale, and To Kill A Mockingbird!

16. most comfortable position to sit in?

Just fucking sprawled every which way.

17. most frequently worn pair of shoes?

My grey converse if it’s comfortable out, my silver flip flops if it’s hot, and my fur-lined black combat boots if it’s cold.

18. ideal weather?

65-70 degrees, partly sunny, breezy, not humid.

19. sleeping position?

I need to sprawl to fall asleep, but once I’m asleep I curl up into a little ball.

20. preferred place to write (i.e., in a note book, on your laptop, sketchpad, post-it notes, etc.)?

Laptop and notebook ONLY IF I’m sure of myself, which isn’t often. But I do write dense, scribbled paragraphs on sermon note pages if something comes to me during church lmao.

21. obsession from childhood?

The American Revolution, weather, astronomy, and mysteries/ghost stories.

22. role model?

Idk tbh? Lately I’m just trying to define and live up to my own standards?

23. strange habits?

Pulling the collar of my shirt up to my mouth and sucking on it. Also being a perfectionist in my writing. I don’t do messy drafts. It’s all perfect by the time I write it, and I edit/spellcheck as I go.

24. favorite crystal?

Amethyst (my birthstone), bismuth, opal, and blue goldstone.

25. first song you remember hearing?

Other than nursery rhymes/kid’s songs, it was Light Up The Sky by The Afters, or California Dreamin’ by The Mamas And The Papas.

26. favorite activity to do in warm weather?

Find shade/a cool spot and read with a cold drink.

27. favorite activity to do in cold weather?

ALSO READ. And snuggle with thick socks and a cup of tea and play DS games all day.

28. five songs to describe you?

My five faves atm -

I Am Here // Pink

The Pines // Roses and Revolutions

Soldier, Poet, King // The Oh Hellos

Traveler’s Song // Aviators

Hymn // Kesha

29. best way to bond with you?

Share my interests about politics, history, books, true crime, paranormal, tv shows, and also be kind and understanding when I don’t text for long periods bc I don’t feel up to talking.

30. places that you find sacred?

The woods on the hill behind my house. Dense, deeply green, secluded woods. Hedge mazes. Old and crumbling castles. Anywhere beneath a clear sky and a full moon. Your heart when you’ve come to terms with your fears and made peace with yourself. Anyplace with historical significance. Bookstores on an autumn/winter day. Libraries.

31. what outfit do you wear to kick ass and take names?

A kickass plaid, bruh. Also my leather jacket - once I lose enough shoulder weight to fit in it again.

32. top five favorite vines?

Fre shavoc ado, the one where the dog eats the butterfly, the Lin-Manuel Miranda one where he’s brainstorming, “what the FUCK kind of weather is this, and the dad and son with the saxophone and the oven door.

33. most used phrase in your phone?

“oh mood”

34. advertisements you have stuck in your head?

“WOW! It’s NatureStone!”

35. average time you fall asleep?

Right now it’s 4-5 am because I suck.

36. what is the first meme you remember ever seeing?

I Can Haz Cheezburger, My mom used to look at the website with me when I was like 10.

37. suitcase or duffel bag?

They both have pros and cons. :/ Duffel bags are easier to carry but suitcases keep stuff from getting broken better.

38. lemonade or tea?

TEAAAAAAAAAAAA

39. lemon cake or lemon meringue pie?

Lemon meringue pie!!! my stepdad made a really good one the other week.

40. weirdest thing to ever happen at your school?

Nothing, since I was homeschooled. Same weird shit that always happens at home. Our safe word for when I got overwhelmed in math was “quokka” and we’d stop and look at cute quokka pictures.

41. last person you texted?

My gf :)

42. jacket pockets or pants pockets?

Jacket pockets because things are not only hard to fit in girls’ pants pockets, but if you put a chapstick/lipstick in there it starts to melt :(

43. hoodie, leather jacket, cardigan, jean jacket or bomber jacket?

BETWEEN HOODIE AND CARDIGAN. SO VERSATILE. SO COMFY.

44. favorite scent for soap?

Irish Spring soap or the blue Dial bars smells better and cleaner than anything to me.

45. which genre: sci-fi, fantasy or superhero?

Fantasy. It can take me a bit to get into it, but once I do, I love it. I only do sci-fi if it has rebellion and isn’t heavy on the sci. And superhero movies are great but a lot of the tropes are meh. Fantasy has a lot more versatility if you ask me.

46. most comfortable outfit to sleep in?

Sweatpants/leggings and a soft, well worn tee.

47. favorite type of cheese?

Parmesan, white cheddar, or Muenster.

48. if you were a fruit, what kind would you be?

Raspberry!

49. what saying or quote do you live by?

“do no harm but take no shit.”

50. what made you laugh the hardest you ever have?

A really poorly edited political ad on tv a couple years ago. There was weird jazz playing, flames in the background of an image of the Capitol Building, and then the top of the dome opened and this guy’s face was inside. It is the single funniest ad I have ever seen and I laughed for 10 minutes so hard I was like an inch away from passing out.

51. current stresses?

Passing my driving test next month, getting a job, figuring out if my math skills are okay enough to take the SAT or an equivalent test.

52. favorite font?

Baskerville or Georgia!

53. what is the current state of your hands?

My fingernails are short bc I picked them while reading earlier, my cuticles suck bc I pick at those two, and my pinky is obliterated and scabbed because of when I accidentally sliced through the nail with a razor while shaving the other day. So, not great, but I’m living.

54. what did you learn from your first job?

That kids can be really annoying but also really cute and hilarious if you can get them to calm down. And also that baby fingernails are surprisingly sharp.

55. favorite fairy tale?

The OG Princess and the Frog where it’s implied the prince and “faithful Henry,’ his carriage driver, fall in love and ride off together at the end. JACOB AND WILHELM GRIMM SAID GAY RIGHTS.

56. favorite tradition?

Every December, my mom and I drive around after dark at night and I play Pokemon and we rate everyone’s Christmas decorations based on tackiness.

57. the three biggest struggles you’ve overcome?

So isolated I was as a preteen/early teenager, my self harm, and the internalized anger over my abusive relationship and PTSD.

58. four talents you’re proud of having?

Writing, puzzle solving, singing, and calligraphy.

59. if you were a video game character, what would your catchphrase be?

“Benvoli-no.” (I recently remembered I used to say that a lot and I need to bring it back)

60. if you were a character in an anime, what kind of anime would you want it to be?

Dark, fairy tale anime with a lot of secrets to uncover and some dark woods.

61. favorite line you heard from a book/movie/tv show/etc.?

TV show - “I am the Bad Wolf. I create myself.” - Doctor Who

Movie - “It’s not about deserve. It’s about what you believe. And I believe in love.” - Wonder Woman

Book - “If you never saw the stars, candles were enough.” - The Dream Thieves, by Maggie Stiefvater

62. seven characters you relate to?

Dean Winchester - Supernatural

Sam Winchester - Supernatural

Jack Kline Winchester - Supernatural

Charlie Bradbury - Supernatural

Gansey - The Raven Cycle

Blue Sargent - The Raven Cycle

Hermione Granger - Harry Potter

63. five songs that would play in your club?

Final Song // MO

Call Home // Heathers

I Am Here // Pink

Babylon // 5 Seconds of Summer

Shake It Off // Taylor Swift

64. favorite website from your childhood?

WEBKINZ AND THE OLD AMERICAN GIRL WEBSITE

65. any permanent scars?

Yes, I have several that remain from self harm, scars all over my left knee from being a clumsy child, and most of all a major scar down the center of my chest from heart surgery when I was a baby.

66. favorite flower(s)?

Rose, lavender, lilac, and dahlia.

67. good luck charms?

Not really???

68. worst flavor of any food or drink you’ve ever tried?

Olives, mushrooms, radishes, cottage cheese, and ranch dressing are all foul.

69. a fun fact that you don’t know how you learned?

Martin Luther didn’t actually nail his 95 theses to the church door, he just kind of passed them around, which is a lot less dramatic tbh. Also light-up signs were first used in New York City in 1884.

70. left or right handed?

I’m left-handed!

71. least favorite pattern?

I think zebra stripes, leopard print, and houndstooth are super ugly.

72. worst subject?

Math for sure. Even science would be easier if it didn’t involve so much math.

73. favorite weird flavor combo?

Wendy’s fries and chocolate frosty!!!

74. at what pain level out of ten (1 through 10) do you have to be at before you take an advil or ibuprofen?

I think a 7, usually. My pain tolerance is pretty high because of a) years of self harm, and b) due to my PTSD my muscles are constantly tense and in pain anyway.

75. when did you lose your first tooth?

I was 4, and it had been loose but it fell out when I was trying to blow up an inflatable ball.

76. what’s your favorite potato food (i.e. tater tots, baked potatoes, fries, chips, etc.)?

Fries or roasted potatoes that are charred and crunchy on the bottom. Chips are a close third.

77. best plant to grow on a windowsill?

Idk, my grandma’s the one with the green thumb mania lmao. But She keeps a lot of violets and arrowhead plants in the windowsills!

78. coffee from a gas station or sushi from a grocery store?

NEITHER I HATE BOTH COFFEE AND SUSHI IN ALL CIRCUMSTANCES.

79. which looks better, your school id photo or your driver’s license photo?

Never had a school ID, but my temporary license photo is actually pretty good right now!

80. earth tones or jewel tones?

I really like earth tones for myself.

81. fireflies or lightning bugs?

THEY ARE THE SAME MF THING. Also I call them both, it just depends on what comes out of my mouth haha.

82. pc or console?

PC, I guess, though I don’t really game. I just watch my stepdad game.

83. writing or drawing?

WRITING. I cannot draw to save my life.

84. podcasts or talk radio?

Podcasts, talk radio is so annoying.

84. barbie or polly pocket?

Barbie, although I loved both.

85. fairy tales or mythology?

Mythology I guess??? Although again, I love both.

86. cookies or cupcakes?

COOKIESSSSS

87. your greatest fear?

Rejection, losing people I love, people secretly hating me. Also drowning, spiders, clowns, and guns.

88. your greatest wish?

To be a semi-successful author and work in a library/museum.

89. who would you put before everyone else?

My mom and my gf.

90. luckiest mistake?

Almost dropping a knife blade first on my foot but it landed between my toes.

91. boxes or bags?

um boxes I guess? I’m really good at fitting things in tetris style.

92. lamps, overhead lights, sunlight or fairy lights?

FAIRY LIGHTS AND DIM YELLOW LAMPS.

93. nicknames?

Ell, Alexander, Ellie, Little Lion, and Nerd.

94. favorite season?

FALL FALL FALL FALL

95. favorite app on your phone?

Tumblr or Spotify. Two apps I couldn’t live without.

96. desktop background?

97. how many phone numbers do you have memorized?

About a half dozen. Mine, my mom’s, my stepdad’s, my grandparents’ home number, my grandpa’s, and my grandma’s.

98. favorite historical era?

Both the American Revolutionary period and the Victorian Era (esp in Britain)

THANK YOU LOVE THIS WAS SUPER FUN

#a series of essays anonymously published

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