#I'm really not very good at writing in English so obviously I'm using Google Translate.

[dreams-1864kdj]

HELLO¡¡

Hello Tumblr community, I am writing for the first time on the page.

So... I introduce myself, I'm Moiras (username) I have some dyslexia, ADHD or Autism?? (actually the diagnosis is still not clear but it could be both)

So I guess it's painfully obvious what fandoms I'm involved in (discreetly look at books/fanfics percy jackson, harry potter, crimson rivers...)

I'm a novice artist and fanfic writer (I write for myself and my friends only), and my hyperfixation has increased lately so I freed myself from a writer's block and I'm on the opposite side... I want to write a lot

So I thought I'd share with you some drafts/ideas I'm writing because sometimes it's sad not to find fanfiction of some couples or very specific factics, so now I'm writing it...

And maybe ask for your help a little, if anyone really likes it, I could start publishing it, since I would really like to publish sometime on ao3 and I would need beta readers as well as people who know English/Spanish to be able to help me in the future, because It's not even close to being my first language...

And I am studying so that I can be the second, thank you very much and I hope to publish soon with all of you... .

P.S: I will put many hashtags to find the fandoms and couples that I am supporting

[riceys]

Could you write for schlatt?

I'm thinking an English/German girl who is his graphic design (does like his thumbnails and like website) and after late night and long discord calls he slowly realises he doesn't just see her as an employee or friend but something more? I saw this sort of idea some where recently and it's giving me brain rot. Plus the banter between an English/german person would be unhinged.

YESSS OMG ACTUALLY LOVE THIS ive thought about this so much recently and i know german soo

gonna do hcs for this :)

also im very bad at formatting so sorry about that (ill probably rewrite stuff after i figure out how the fuck to do it)

Jschlatt x german/graphic designer!reader hcs

warnings-some nsfw at the veryyyy end

Wilbur introduced you two after schlatt said something about needing an artist for his channel

'find graphic designer !!!' schlatt mumbled while writing on the dull yellow paper. He was in a call with some friends, not really paying attention to what they were doing as he was busy making a sort of to-do list

"schlatt are you there?" the thick accented voice brought schlatt out of his daze

"hm yea sorry whatd you say willbur"

"i said my mate is a graphic designer, i can send you her info if you want." wilbur repeated with a laugh

"oh shit yeah thatd be great man thanks"

definitely left the call to go talk to you after that

very caught of gaurd by your accent, wilbur had failed to mention the slight language barrier as you were used to doing work in german

"so its a little ram with a sweater" his voice suprised you, wilbur didnt say anything about him being american.

"a what?" you laughed at the foreign word nervously. He sounded intimidating and it was kinda hot???

"a uhh," he laughed pulling out his phone, "einen bock? i think." Any sense of intimidation melted away as he stuttered out the poorly pronounced german.

absolutely melts when you giggle at this ^^

he LOVES your laugh!!! specifically that he can hear the accent come through in it

once you start working for him finds a way to sneak your art into everything he does and pays you way more than he should be

"Schlatt this is like triple my rates, you really dont need to pay me this much"

"consider it a tip, toots"

flies you out to every single event he goes to. merch photoshoots? you're in every photo. creator clash? he bought you the best seats in the house. says its a "business thing". (its not)

gets to the point where you're spending every other month in Austin with him before you move out there.

when chuckle sandwich starts he begs you to do all the art for it too (not that you would've said no)

Also begs ted to have you on as a guest

guest turns into member after the first chuckle week, where schlatt insisted that you be there cause you made the art

finally asks you out the week after the 1st chuckle week where they stay for the week to decompress

took you to boa then going stargazing

asks you out in german

"Sehr Schön" you breath out as you look up at the stars. Schlatt next you is freaking out trying to get the courage to ask you out.

"Du bist Sehr Schön" He misspronounces, still managing to make you blush. He only knew what that meant because he had been studying how to ask you out in german all week.

He puts a finger under your chin to shift your focus to him before speaking, "y/n, Ich mag dich wirklich, wirst du mit mir ausgehen?"

It was obvious he had used google translate and taught himself how to say it as he mispronounced many words and had a slight stutter, but it meant the world to you

Pulling him in for a kiss you paused to look at him, "Du bist dumm, Jschlatt"

asks you to speak to him in German

teases you so much (lovingly obviously)

also (nsfw time)

learns how to call you a slut in german

when he fucks you so good and you start babbling in german

sorry if this wasnt great i kinda got carried away and its my 1st writing thingy

[yeonsols-garden]

Hi, so, I wanted to talk about the fanfics you write, like, how many days, weeks does it take more or less for you to finish one. Or if you have more or less idea when you're going to release a new one (sorry if I'm pressuring you) Bcs unfortunately I'm the type who finishes reading and already wants more, that is, you got me addicted to your fanfics (obviously I love that), I also wanted to know if it's tiring for you to write, Do you have breaks? Or do you write directly? These are the mini-questions — not even half of them — for you. I just really admire the fact that you write such unique and well-crafted things for free, I really appreciate our fandom having someone like you to help you get on your feet! So really, thank you very much. I know how hard it is to come up with ideas to write, and even more so the extensive way you work.

Sorry if this question is a crap to read, all I can do is use Google translate and trust in my little knowledge of English :')

Eagerly waiting for another fanfic, I hope you have a good rest.

Oh my God hi!!!

Don't worry at all I personally love getting asks! It is so fun and I love answering questions so this is great! You're not pestering me at all.

Let's get to the questions shall we!

#1) Well, typically when it comes to writing I write around the night time because it just is a lot easier for me to write at night. I have so much going on during the day but it takes me around 2 hours to write 2K and I try to write everyday. So by the end of the week I have a lot written that's for sure.

It typically takes me a week to write a fic and edit one. And that's only because I read a lot if I were to just write my 2K everyday I would probably have a fic written every day but I cannot do that because most of the time I end up writing more than I first thought i would.

Then there's the process of editing which is a lot of work. TT

#2) I always plan out when I wanted to release my fics. When I finish a chapter I always look at which days I'm able to post it after I have edited and made sure everything is okay so that I can read people's comments as fast as I can.

(Comments terrify me but I love getting them! Gimmie gimme gimme (⁠つ⁠✧⁠ω⁠✧⁠)⁠つ)

Don't worry at all I'm also the type of finishes reading and once more and I have a friend who is a part of the fandom who is just like you who is always asking for more and I love them for that because it keeps me motivated to keep on writing! So I personally love it when people ask for more (as long as they are respectful and not rude of course) because it's just great to know that people like my work enough.

#3) The reason why I write 2K is because after that I do get tired writing more than that a day can be very draining for me so I do take breaks somewhat. It's more like I write 2K and then I go to bed and then I get up and do my day time things and write at night.

Thank you so much for your kind words!

This is so nice I really have trouble with really understanding that people actually like what I make so you saying that you're addicted to my fics makes me so happy hehe. It's nice.

Thank you so much for your kind words and just so you know I love the fanfics that you posted them too.

They are so cute and I love them a lot. I eat them up and every time I get notification that you posted a little fanfic I scream with happiness because they're just so cute.

- sincerely Kami

[dharmasharks]

20 questions for fic writers

Tagged by @voylitscope, thank youuu 💙💙💙! I love reading everyone's answers because I am nosy as heck and you all are very interesting.

1.How many works do you have posted on ao3?

8.

2. What's your total ao3 wordcount?

129,639. I worked really hard to make time for all of 'em, so woop woop for passing 100k this year.

3. What fandoms do you write for?

My reading habits are all over the place but for writing it's still all stucky all the time.

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

The more things change (Wartime, E)

Lonesome no more (Wakanda, E)

You are here (Civil War, M)

In the deepest night (Pre-war, E)

Well-worn (Pre-war 5+1, T)

5. Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

Absolutely. Probably with too much enthusiasm. Posting fic is not always my favorite, but I love talking about stucky in the comments, so it balances out. Sometimes it takes me forever if I'm on a writing roll or if I have to like, work and hang with my family and stuff.

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

I wouldn't call them unhappy endings by any means, but both of my most kudos'd fic have a little twist of pain there at the end, just by the nature of being canon compliant and by engaging with the tragedy looming around the edges of the story. Lonesome no more probably takes the cake, though.

7. What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

Till there were no more wolves in the West, my western/historical AU, has the most unequivocally happy ending I've ever written. The lows are low and the highs are high, I'd say.

8. Do you get hate on fics?

Thankfully, no, because I'm sensitive and would probably flee to the woods. Why do this? Don't be mean!

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

The big feelings, character study kind! But really, my top tags are Angst + Blow Jobs, so there you go. I like writing emotional sex in which closed off, lonely people get to (or have to!) be vulnerable and tender. I've also written non-explicit smut for You are here and Wolves in the West and like it very much, too.

10. Do you write crossovers? What's the craziest one you've written?

I don't. Not to say that I wouldn't, there are just so many toys I still haven't played with yet in the MCU sandbox.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Jeez, I sure hope not.

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

The more things change has been translated into Russian, which is neat.

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

No, but that sounds really fun!

14. What's your all time favorite ship?

SteveBucky, Steve and Bucky, Bucky and Steve. I consume a lot of content and tip my hat appreciatively to a lot of ships, but I don't know, man. There's something about those guys. It has been years! They make me insane every day! What is that!

15. What's a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

I have a pretty extensive graveyard on my gdrive and I'm pretty okay with that. If I've abandoned it, it's because it stopped being fun and if it stops being fun then it's time to work on something else. I do have a 1920s AU that I don't think I'll finish, but that's only because it morphed into something else that I like better.

16. What are your writing strengths?

Characterization, tension, emotions. I think I have a restrained style that works well for the kinds of quiet moments I like to write about.

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

Being the slowest of the slowpokes, ugh. But technically speaking, plotty stuff is hard. Dialogue also takes me a while. I think I've gotten a lot better, but sometimes I'll read something (stucky, obviously) with just the snappiest, most gut punchy exchanges and want to throw my computer out the window.

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic?

Oh gosh, that intimidates me. I've dropped one-word phrases here and there, but I only speak English fluently and would be so embarrassed if I used some google translate gibberish. (Although, apparently that's good enough for Marvel, so maybe my standards are too high.)

19. First fandom you wrote for?

I had a semi-functional desktop computer in my room growing up that wasn't connected to the Internet, so the world will never know how much hurt/comfort Animorphs fic was happening in there. I also wrote a lot of original fiction for most of my young adult life. Stucky is the first fandom I ever posted stuff for, though.

20. Favorite fic you've written?

Wolves in the West is my most favorite thing. I dug so deep on those characters and went so far out of my comfort zone. I quit and un-quit about 5 times. It's my favorite 'verse to hang out in when I'm washing dishes or bored in a meeting, which explains why I'm writing a porn-with-feelings addition...instead of the fic I'm supposed to be working on that has an actual deadline. (*sweats*)

Tagging in @hipsterdiva @dontcallmebree @xoxobuckybarnes @sparkagrace and anyone else who hasn't gone yet but wants to!

[livwritesstuff]

thanks for the tag @cheeky-undead <3 <3

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

55 (according to AO3)

2. What's your total AO3 word count?

435,923 good lord

3. What fandoms do you write for?

used to write for legends of tomorrow (rip) and now it's literally just steddie (and ronance when the inspiration strikes)

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

if we're only talking stranger things (bc tbh i don't really wanna talk LoT lol):

i want your guy (to know)

swing, sucker, swing

plant a seed (we'll watch it grow)

honeydew (you love me, well)

don't look back, love (there's a million people)

5. Do you respond to comments?

yep i try my best to reply to all of them

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

i'm not really one for angst tbh (writing it, anyway, i LOVE reading it). Angstiest overall is probably Covered in the Colors (LoT soulmate au w/an unhappy ending). For ST it's probably hold on (hold you)

7. What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

tbh most of my series The Satellite and the Sky has happy endings, but I guess that depends on your definition of "happy". plant a seed (we’ll watch it grow) is probably the happiest ending overall.

8. Do you get hate on fics?

not very often these days -- i don't think it's ever happened during my time writing for the ST fandom bc i think there's been a shift in awareness that leaving hate comments on fic is generally really shitty and that individuals are ultimately responsible for curating their online experience

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

I personally am not a smut writer. idk why but i always run into weird blockers whenever i try

10. Do you write crossovers?

not at the moment

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

I don't think so -- come to think of it, I should probably being checking in on that every now and then

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

not that i'm aware of

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

nope - not opposed to it except that I move at a glacial pace when it comes to writing and I don't want to put that burden on anyone else lol

14. What's your all-time favorite ship?

ooh fav of all time? idk i’m not really a multi-shipper to be honest. i usually get really into one ship for a while until my interest runs dry. longest running would probably be captain canary from legends of tomorrow, but i see myself ranting about all the ronance missed opportunities for a Long Time

15. What's a WIP you want to finish but doubt you will?

i have bits and pieces of a hadestown au for steddie that i sincerely doubt will ever see the light of day bc I'm so genuinely intimidated by it. that musical is so so good and I couldn't write anything that came even close

16. What are your writing strengths?

i think i’m pretty good at making things feel real. i’m a planner and a bit of an over-thinker so i really like the small details. i also tend to lean on writing what i know which i think helps

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

I have a hard time sticking to just one tense lol i don’t know what that's about.

i’m also a pretty literal thinker so tapping into metaphors and abstract ideas is still a challenge for me.

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic?

there are stronger soldiers than me out there who can do this. generally speaking, i like to write what i know. english is the only language i have total fluency in so if i wanted to write dialogue in another language, i'd have to rely on google translate which is obviously not accurate at all (not for conversational dialogue anyway), and I think some realism slips there

19. First fandom you wrote for?

not sure if it counts, but i used to write little self-insert harry potter stories when i was in elementary school before i even knew that fic was a thing. i think my first published fic would have been for glee (again, rip)

20. Favorite fic you've written?

tbh I think just like honey (you make me melt) is my fav. I had never written Eddie's POV up to that point and I was really nervous going into it, but something about writing from his perspective made it easier for me to face some of my writing challenges

i also had SO much fun writing my tommy pov i want your guy (to know)

[juliamaximoff]

જ⁀➴ about me (if u even care) !

júlia but you can call me juju or lia! (there's julinha too, it's like in the diminutive, like patootie you know?)

18 years old, she/her, brazilian 🇧🇷, scorpio, birthday in november 2nd (yes, in the day of the dead lol), infp-t, i'm 5'5".

♬ — favorite song of the moment (i'm addicted): slim pickins by sabrina carpenter.

hobbies — play video games, sleeping (it counts?😭), writing (only fanfics), editing images (usually for fanfics/fandoms), drawing (i'm very good at it but stopped doing that months ago, i lost the motivation), dancing, roller skating.

artists & actors — bts, evan peters (really? you don't say), pedro pascal, james mcavoy, tom hiddleston, neil newbon, weeekly, bibi.

movies & series — brave, coraline, good omens, grinch (2000), hairspray, mamma mia (2008), httyd 2 (i love all the movies), helluva boss, moon knight, neko no ongaeshi, princess and the frog, rise of the guardians, rush hour 1 & 2, spy x family, steven universe (all), thor 3, wandavision, zootopia.

video games — minecraft, roblox, amour sucré, the sims 3/4/2, stardew valley, bayonetta 1 & 2 (i still didn't played the 3rd one and i refuse to watch gameplays about it!), baldur's gate 3, ori and the will of the wisps, overwatch 2, league of legends, honkai: star rail, tomb raider (2013).

fave characters (in general) — peter/pietro maximoff (quicksilver), wanda maximoff, loki, deadpool, spider-man (tom holland's is my fave), aziraphale, stolas, astarion, garnet, jing yuan.

fandoms (that i still in) — bts, evan peters, pedro pascal, marvel movies and series (i didn't read the hqs, so i think would be cool to explain), honkai: star rail.

if you want to know more about me, don't hesitate to jump in my inbox to chat!this could make my day! 👋✨️

›› random facts/info under the cut.

random facts/info — 01. actually i'm learning english beig self-taught! since kid i play video games and needed to use the google translator to talk to people or understand the games, it turns out i naturally keep memorising every word. so then being a teenager and interacting with fandoms, fanfics and music... it just got better. so now i am just risking it typing (sometimes i use the google translator ngl. but have times that i type an entire paragraph without any mistakes!!! 🥰) aaand rightnow i can watch movies and videos without dubbing, but sometimes i still need english subtitles to compreheend some words.

02. i went with my mother to the BTS concert on may 25 in 2019, when they returned to brazil after 3 years, it seems silly but it was very difficult for a big k-pop group to step foot in a stadium here in brazil at that time. i consider that one of the best days of my life. ♡

03. my mom took my dad and i to ccxp 2022 in december 2nd, and only later did i find out that the day after we went (december 3rd), pedro pascal was there, in my country and state, in the comic con... this was shortly before i started being a fan of his. 🥲 it's not a super cool fact maybe, but i like to remember and laugh about it a little because i see how only destiny (and money, obviously) didn't let this happen😭 (i'm delusional, you don't say)

[and-231-others]

adua, factually, is a good book

this post isn't trying to hate on Adua or anyone who worked on it, people who are represented by its characters, or people who may relate to/be like in any regard the characters in Adua. or english teachers. or teachers in general.

I just have a lot of thoughts about how we're (me and my classmates) are being told to read it in our english class and how it's given to us

Adua is the kind of book that I would read during a long car ride with absolutely zero/spotty reception, meaning that I would very rarely ever actually choose to read it. but I would read it and I would read all of it and I would read it in one sitting (which is better than some books)

Adua, however, is not at all the kind of book that I would ever suggest somebody read in an advanced high school english class. if you really want me to sit down and read this in a very not at all comfortable space, you better give me twenty bucks. I'll do it, but I'm not going to like it

and if you want me to take note of historical and cultural allusions on paper or computer, you better give me five more bucks

and if you want me to do any level of research on any of the allusions that I'm not genuinely interested in and actually write that down, you better give me at least five bucks per chapter because it's absolutely insane (/pos) how much is included. I know that it's kinda stupid that I'll research only what I'm interested in, but I do that all the time anyways and I'm not making myself do it. with google at my fingertips its like a second instinct

so kudos to the author and all for writing a really accurate book (as far as I know), but buddy this book is literally so hard to read with the amount of stuff I don't know and have no context for

I feel like the very bare minimum that a school can do is provide books that can be read easily (ie the formatting throughout the entire book is all uniform and the translation is done in a way that you can actually read it so it's grammar isn't really choppy (that being said, if the version we're reading is true to how it was originally written in italian... that's actually interesting and I would totally look up more about the italian language))

I do understand that this is kind of a high bar because teachers realistically are not getting paid that well at all, but if you're expecting us to do this much work for a book please make it easier for everybody

also I think just universally everybody should be putting trigger warnings at the beginning of chapters and stuff like, yes english teachers should do it because I high schoolers in this day and age have a much more intrinsic knowledge of what will trigger them and is therefore safe for them to be able to read without having actual issues go on during class. but also- just, anybody can get triggered by stuff, therefore ADD MORE TRIGGER WARNINGS AND IF YOU THINK THAT THIS WILL SPOIL A SURPRISE OR RUIN IT FOR PEOPLE, MAKE TWO VERSIONS OF THE BOOK, ONE WITH TRIGGER WARNINGS, AND ONE WITHOUT. MAKE THEM BOTH AVAILABLE FOR EVERYBODY (same price, same locations etc etc) (obviously making clear if a book had them included or not)

on another note, I think that if we're going to be doing something in class, especially if we're required to do it, you should make it interesting. that's not to say that Adua isn't interesting, I just think it's really hard to get into and once you're into it, it's really hard to get out of it. HOWEVER there's just too much going on to easily get into it into the first place (aforementioned lack of trigger warnings (read about my experience with some below), bad formatting etc etc)

in chapter 12, right at the end, there is just absolutely random smut that comes out of literally nowhere. I had no warning for it for it and that kind of thing really gives me the heebiejeebies, in a "gotta shake out the body" kind of way. it completely shuts me off from being able to finish anything for the next hour and (I've learned this because I read a lot of fanfiction. if you know anything about fanfiction, it's that eventually you're going to find a lot of untagged smut)

so I know that this is something that (while it doesn't exactly trigger me) bothers me immensely

and as I mentioned, there is absolutely no warning for this, so all of a sudden all this book that I'm supposed to be putting a lot of work into reading and taking notes on is completely near-impossible for me to do. because I can't focus on the book. because "oh my god what did I just read, I need to change my music, talk to a friend, scroll on my phone, read something else, and change my music again just to ask my friend to read to where it ends so I can finish the chapter because DAMN this is a large portion of my grade"

however... Adua is good. I think it's really informational because of how accurate is and how many historical and cultural references there are in it. and if I was going to be interacting with people from Somalia that were now in Italy and would have like been alive during the events that are talked about or happened in the book? I would totally read this if I knew that this was kind of similar to what they may have gone through

but I'm pretty sure that nobody in my english class is Italian. and I'm pretty sure that nobody in my english class is Somali (but I mean... I don't know that for sure, just a rough guess I've made based on how long I've known these people for and the one discussion about the book I've actually made it to so far). so all twenty-five of us that are reading this have absolutely no context for any event or allusion in the book, which means that we have to put a lot more work into this. also, all the historical background stuff is at the end of the book, so 1) I didn't even know it was there and 2) that's super inconvenient because you're literally flipping through the entire book trying to figure out what they might be talking about (and during the pre-reading that I missed, where this historical context thing starts. because you skip through the whole book to find it leading to spoilers)

a psa to teachers to close this off. if you're printing off a pdf of a book for students to read, please include page numbers because or else you're stuck telling people "oh just look at the online pdf of it for the page numbers" instead and (that's complete bs, that's way too much work on top of what we're already having to do)

[janus-cadet]

Okay, so, how do I explain that.

With a group of friends, we started to create a fanzine. You know, the usual stuff, based on The Lord of the Rings. It's a project for class, you know, and I'm not overly familiar with the universe of LOTR, even tho I really like it.

The thing is in french, because, well, we are french ; but the thing is, I'm doing some drawing to go with it, and why not showing it there ?

Problem is, those drawing are like, what's the english word-

(One google traduction later)

Advertising. To put it simply, those are just here for the fun, between different articles. It's like, advertising, but LOTR style - a kind of parody, if you want, and gosh I'm not good with english words.

So, I did three of those advertising, while being completely new to that kind of art, a cover page, and one drawing of the journalist who's supposed to be writing the fanzine in the first place.

So, here's the cover page. I tried to draw Aragorn's wedding. The fanzine is called "Clairvoyance", as you can see, which I think is also an english word... ? Ah, well.

Here is the journalist. He's an elf, obviously, but while I was drawing him, I realised that he kind of looked like Lucius Malfoy. Which is fitting, really.

The first advertising ! One of us has a big problem with Starbucks, like, he hates it with all of his being. So, as very good friends, we decided to do an advertising on this. Here's Lurtz enjoying his cup of coffee.

To translate what's written : "Faites le plein d'énergie avant chaque bataille" means, in an approximative english, "recharged your batteries before each battle" ; and "Staroumane fait du bon café" means "Staroumane makes good coffee", which is a slogan from our coffee "Grand-Mère".

Second one. I don't know how to draw eagles, so yeah, it's not really impressive.

This one is basically an advertising for an airline company, but, you know, with eagles. I basically redraw the cat bus from Totoro, bird edition.

"Du Mordor à la Comté" translate into "From Modor to The Shire". And, at the bottom left, it's basically "Approved by Gandalf the Grey".

And the last one. What's better that a shampoo advertising ?

It's called L'Orélas, of course, because L'Oréal and Légolas. The slogan above their head is kind of hard to translate for me ; roughly speaking it means "For silky hair, dazzling up to the most boorish of dwarves". As for "Aux extraits de fruit de Nimoth", it's simply "with Nimoth fruit extracts".

And that's it, no more advertising to add ! Hope you liked it. It was fun to do, at least !

[loveletter2you]

Hello! So, I want to start learning a language, but I'm generally clueless in terms of studying (I've never studied a language before ahh). I hear it's good to study in a journal, but I'm not sure how that will work and what I'd write down/how I'd plan it. Do you know of any in detail step by step guides?

hi!! im gonna put this under a cut bc it will probs be long :)

language self-study is one of those things that's easier and more effective when you get used to it and know what works for you, there's so many different methods and you're gonna have to try several of them out to see what works for you!!! here is a really nice video by lýdia machová where she discusses some study methods by successful polyglots for some #inspo

i do think a language journal is a very good idea!! it can track your progress & also writing stuff down helps you memorize it & you can review the material later! the thing is, there's not like one way you're supposed to do a language journal, it's very much dependent on your preferences, and also tbh it's going to look different for any language you do (e.g., if you're learning a language with a different writing system vs. with a writing system you already knew; also it's going to depend on level e.g. if you're starting from the basics or not)

i really recommend searching up youtube videos where people talk about their language journals! some people like to do habit trackers where they have a page at the beginning of the journal tracking what days they studied, personally i don't do that... i usually write down lessons (e.g. vocab lists, grammar rules) like stuff that i could refer back to later in order to study (alternately: if im trying to practice handwriting of another writing system i won't do it in my language journal bc i don't want to look back on that, i'll use like a loose sheet of paper) bc i want to be able to use my journal mostly as a reference rather than to practice (whereas some people like to write journal entries etc., personally i do that digitally when i want to do that bc i don't really need to look back and remember me being like the weather was good today. or whatever) also some people like to make their journals pretty whereas some don't care (tbh i am also one of those people who want their journal entries to look pretty HOWEVER they should be more functional than anything else like im not trying to make a pinterest bullet journal spread but i do like when it looks neat)

ALSO i typically take lessons from textbooks (tbh textbooks are really thoroughly planned so you don't have to worry about what order you're supposed to learn stuff in, though also sometimes i'll want to look up something specific so i'll just google like "german pronoun cases" or whatever if i want to learn that rather than following the textbook religiously), like i don't write everything from the textbook verbatim but like the main takeaways & examples, also another thing i do is i'll read something (this is more for elementary/intermediate level) and write down all the words i don't know & look up the translation and then sometimes write down the context they occurred in (like so: example from my norwegian notebook (which tbh i mostly use for vocab lists bc im pretty solid on grammar at this point) (like i said entries are going to vary depending on level))

(also let's ignore how i just said i prefer my entries to be neat but this looks like shit lmao) if it's not clear: i put the norwegian term first, then the english translation, then the context from the reading w/ the new term underlined - so that would be an example of a vocab entry

but then for new vocab i find that writing them down is not enough to remember them forever obviously, so making flashcards is good (like with anki or quizlet, or else physical flashcards if that's what you prefer) like i think generally at least for me language notebooks are so helpful but not the only thing you need to do, like you also need to review a lot and practice writing and speaking and reading and listening so you're going to need to have several methods but i usually do this to keep track of lessons bc otherwise i can just read a few pages of textbook and be like ok. and not do anything about it, so i like taking notes

i think the main thing: get inspiration from a variety of sources (language learning youtube is wonderful, there's also blogs and instagram accounts that talk about all this) and try out stuff until you find what works for you!!! my methods might not be helpful for you and you might do totally different stuff bc the main thing is to do what feels most effective for you. it can be hard when you're just starting out bc you're like idk what to do!! which is why it's great to hear from a variety of people what their methods are!!! also tbh the more self study i do & especially with a variety of different languages, i am always figuring out new stuff & new methods so like even tho im used to it, my methods change still. so like nothing is always the same & also my approaches change based on the language!

i hope this was helpful at all!! <3

[here-we-blog]

Fic interview tag

tagged by @clarasimone (thanks a lot! ^^)

Name: Mia

Fandoms I write for: Game of Thrones and currently also Loki (Jorleesi & Lokius xD)

Two-shot: (had to google that one, thanks urban dictionary) so, a two shot is basically the same thing as a one shot but with two chapters? cool. I don't write two shots, sorry to disappoint xD BUT I do have a favourite one written by someone else (@fanoftheknight) it's called Come Fly With Me (it's on Ao3) and man, it's great. the perfect Two Shot haha

Most popular multichapter: Jorah's curse - Daenerys Targaryen (also obviously on Ao3)... looking back it's not THAT great, just me writing my first fic ever and having to use a lot of translators and stuff because English is not my native language hA - BUT I must say, that I am indeed proud of it. It's SO LONG and I managed to stay motivated! I didn't only write the whole thing, no, I also translated it, so that's kinda cool yk (took me one year and a half but it was fun, so it was worth it xD)

Actual worst part of writing: Hard one, I never thought about writing having a bad part but right now I'd say finding the right words and formulations? because I sort of stopped writing stuff in German and then translating it, I simply write it in English right away. and that's really hard because my vocabular isn't that big (yet) and I just sometimes need to look words up - but then I can't remember the German word either and... ugh it's horrible lmao

How you choose titles: Me choosing titles is the most random thing ever. Usually it's one of the first thing I do when starting a new WIP. I basically get the idea and then I think of a fitting title. then I start taking notes. and sometimes I start writing after that xD

Do you outline: I know that there are apparently outlining methods but I usually just take notes of whatever comes to my mind and connect those ideas with more ideas? does that count?

Ideas I probably won't get to but it would be nice: ... a Jorleesi Pirate fan fic😶 seriously, I'm obsessed with that idea but I probably won't write it because I literally don't know anything about pirates or ships or how things worked back then... so... hmm :')

Best writing habits: I take notes on EVERYTHING. I'm a person who forgets a lot but thanks to those notes, I usually remember all my ideas. Oh and I'm very good at finding time to write. Doesn't matter where I am, I will find the time to sit down and write a bit as long as I really want to.

Spicy opinions: Ohhhh good question, this has been on my mind since days but I never made a post about it: I don't know that much about genderfluidity YET (currently questioning my entire existence which includes my gender identity and I think I might be genderfluid myself, anyway, that's not the point, what I mean to say, I still have a lot to learn and really don't want to offend anybody with this) but as soon as someone starts using different pronouns for the same character each sentence, I'm off. I mean, I get if you use different pronouns for each chapter or whenever a new day in your fic starts but PLEASE don't use them randomly, it's so confusing! don't get me wrong, I'm so here for pronoun appreciation and all, but it seems so forced (and unnecessary!) when someone shuffles the pronouns for a character every minute. Firstly: it's confusing and off putting. Secondly: As far as I know that's not how genderfluidity "works"? at least not for everyone xD But then again, write whatever you want, I'll read whatever I like, case closed

Tags: I once again don't know who to tag, sorry 💀

[wondereads]

Personal Review (08/08/21)

Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas

Why am I reviewing this book?

I'd been looking forward to this book for a while, and I think it's really good for a debut novel. Also, it's just really sweet, and I think people should read it.

Plot 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Yadriel has been out to his family as trans for a while, but they still refuse to acknowledge him as a brujo, a man who guides spirits to the afterlife, but Yadriel knows he isn't a bruja, a woman who heals through magic. In an attempt to prove himself to his family, Yadriel tries to summon the spirit of his recently deceased cousin, only to accidentally summon Julian Diaz, his delinquent classmate. Yadriel still tries to free Julian's spirit to prove his talents to his family, but Julian and his cousin's death herald something much worse to come.

The plot was fairly predictable; I knew almost immediately who the villain was and what they had done. However, I think the characters more than made up for it, which I'll talk about later.

There's so much Latin American culture wrapped up in this book. To be honest, I don't know enough about it to know how much was changed to fit the plot, but it felt immersive and authentic.

I was very invested in Yadriel's connection with his family. I wanted them to accept him, but I also wanted him to realize that he doesn't need to apologize for or tone down who he is for them. The ending was very sweet, and I was very satisfied overall.

Characters 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Yadriel, Maritza, and Julian are such compelling and genuine characters. All of them are a bit odd in different ways, and I loved that their unique aspects were emphasized but also (except Yadriel's desire to be accepted as a boy) weren't made out to be these huge problems. Maritza is vegan and refuses to use animal blood, so she just doesn't practice magic. Julian comes from a parentless, low-income family, but it's hardly ever brought up except to develop the relationship between him and his brother. Things like that.

Yadriel and Julian's relationship came about very naturally, and I was rooting so hard for them. While it is expedited over only a couple of days, it's a very well-paced progression from allies to friends to lovers. It's obvious they each have the utmost respect and admiration for each other–Julian wholeheartedly supports Yadriel being trans (when he fixed his name in the yearbook I squealed), and Yadriel doesn't care at all about Julian's background. That kind of acceptance was very nice to read, and it made it so easy to love their romance.

Finally, Yadriel's family was tough to get along with. They're not bad people, they're not transphobic, but they really struggle with it and obviously don't take it seriously, and it's easy to see what kind of effect that has on Yadriel. It was nice to get a happy ending with them, but I hope Yadriel sets some boundaries with them after the fact so the years of misgendering won't just be brushed under the rug.

Writing Style 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Thomas' descriptions are great. The scenes that incorporate Latin American culture are are so beautiful to imagine, and it was very easy to picture it all in my head. There were some places that felt a little clunky, but, like I said, this is a debut book, and I'm already loving their writing style.

One thing that particularly stood out to me was that there was quite a bit of Spanish mixed in to the dialogue. Spanish that was then not translated. I had to have Google Translate pulled up while I was reading, but I actually loved it. People living in the US that speak another language are always told to make it "accessible" by translating to English, and there's actually so little tolerance for Spanish in particular in today's society. Of course a book about a Latinx family is going to have Spanish in it! Yadriel certainly isn't going to translate it; he understands it! I just really liked that bit.

Meaning 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Yadriel's struggle with his family is tough; it's never easy to have the people you love invalidate your identity. While it may not end this way for every trans kid, I liked that Yadriel's story in particular had a happy ending. That message of familial acceptance is really important for younger LGBTQ+ people to read about.

Overall 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

The fact that this is a debut book is insane. The plot is a little predictable, but the characters, romance, and writing are all pretty amazing. It works well as a standalone; I don't feel the need to know more about these characters, and there are no outstanding questions or plot points. I'm glad lots of people are reading this book because it's got a super sweet romance and great representation. I would recommend this book to people who enjoy paranormal stories, LGBTQ+ stories, and golden retriever boyfriends.

The Author

Aiden Thomas: American, trans, also wrote Lost in the Never Woods

The Reviewer

My name is Wonderose; I try to post a review every two weeks, and I take recommendations. Check out my about me post for more!

[thorvaenn]

Hi! Hope you're feeling much better! And also I really love your fics. I was wondering when did you started writing fanfiction? And when you started have you ever felt like your skills are not enough or something? I just thought maybe I should try, but tbh I don't think I even should bc I tried to translate a couple works and they really sucked). Hope I'm not bothering you with this question, please just ignore it if I do

Hi, thank you!

I was dabbling in fanfiction, written in Czech, since I was about 13 I think. I did some HP stuff and some boyband stuff, the typical horrors of writing at that age. I remember I first started to toy with the idea of writing fic in English when I was around 20 and tried out some Buffy stuff. But I genuinely only started when I saw Avengers and went for it then.

I think I wasn’t too scared, I was really mainly excited. My first multichapter fic, all the way from 2012, was pretty damn indulgent. I think I boosted my confidence in posting it by having beta-readers - basically once I had a native speaker at least quickly read it over for me, I felt all was good. So that’s something to consider when you’re starting out, and beta readers obviously can help you with much more than just grammar.

The thing with writing is that it really gets so much better with practice. I’ve checked my oldest fics like semi-recently and they’re pretty hilarious, but even back then, there were people who did enjoy them and wanted to read them. Was it a great amount of people? No. But they liked the fics just fine and that’s what matters to me.

What I would maybe suggest when you’re starting out is to make sure the easily learned, technical stuff in your fics is on par from the very beginning:

Make sure you have good formatting (no walls of text). Google how to do direct speech punctuation. Read up on epithets and why they’re Bad. Think about the tenses you’re going to be using. If/when you start publishing on ao3, utilize the tagging system correctly- tag what is in there, don’t over tag with a bazilion of freeform tags etc. Don’t put self-deprecating “this is my first fic and it sucks” type of stuff into your summary or notes. 

Just a couple of easy steps like this and you are already ahead of many just starting writers. This advice doesn’t have much to do with the content of your writing, and not even really the style, because that’s what you’re going to be developing at your own pace and it has no real How To, but what I listed above is Doable by everyone and it really helps.

And you mention translating - don’t judge your skills on that. I personally hate translating. I want to either express myself in Czech or English and translating is harder than either. So maybe give it a shot in whatever language you feel more comfortable in and see what happens. Good luck!

[fremmedsprak]

do you have any tips for learning Norwegian? I'm a beginner.

hello there! :)

i’ll try my best to tell you what i do to learn the language and what i think is important. if anyone has something else to add, please feel free to do it! 

first, it’s really important that you focus on grammar, vocab and your listening and speaking skills. try to find a balance! people will argue that it’s more important to do grammar than vocab or the other way around, but i never thought i had to choose between the two.. i just study grammar one day and vocab the next one. it’s just really important to do both. listening and speaking skills are also super important because they will let you communicate with natives in real life. now i’ll just tell you what i use and how i tend to study!

What I Use:

(or i should say, resources i have saved)

Duolingo: [grammar and vocab] great way to start!!! it sometimes feel like the sentences are useless but they teach you vocabulary and basic grammar, which i think is great.

Memrise: [vocab] so good for vocab! easy to use on the go.

Babbel: [grammar, vocab, speaking, listening] i think it’s one of my favourite apps/websites. it is not free but it’s very well made and it explains grammar much better than duolingo does.

Readlang: [reading] (i don’t use it that much) but you can find many texts written in norwegian to practice reading. it can be really useful, especially if you have a bit of a hard time finding books

Forvo: [listening and speaking] this website lets people record themselves say words so you can listen to them. it shows you the real pronunciation of words (i mean when compared to google translate) and tells you where the speaker is from (which is important with norwegian and its dialects)

NTNU’s Norwegian on the Web: [grammar, vocab, listening] haven’t actually used this one yet, but it’s made by a university in trondheim so i guess it’s not bad!

UiO’s Future Learn Introduction to Norwegian: [grammar, vocab, listening] i took this free online class a couple of months ago and i don’t know when it will be available again, but it was so great! they have videos and grammar lessons, so you have a good balance between grammar and real life use of norwegian.

Get Started in Norwegian / Complete Norwegian / Enjoy Norwegian: [grammar, vocab, listening] i absolutely love these books! i put links to buy them, but maybe you can find a way to download them online. they explain grammar really well and they have exercises to practice what you learn.

Assimil’s Le Norvégien: [grammar, reading, listening] don’t know if available in another language than french. also really great! a good mix of reading, listening and writing!

På Vei (A1-A2) / Stein På Stein (B1) / Her På Berget (B2): [grammar, vocab] my favourite at the moment, i downloaded all the textbooks and exercise books on Scribd and you can find download links here too. i absolutely love them! the first one is kind of childish but the grammar rules are well explained and the textbooks let you read more.

Klar Tale: [reading] news (from norway and around the world) written in simple words. that’s how i first started reading in norwegian and it’s helped me a lot!

How I Study:

Taking notes: after i’m done with a duolingo or memrise lesson or after i learned something new in my grammar books, i like to write down the new words, grammar concepts and other things like that down in my notebook. it helps me remember stuff more easily and helps me review!

Flashcards: helps me learn verbs and vocab. also super easy to bring with you when you want to study on the bus or when you’re waiting somewhere!

Watching TV Shows/Movies: there are quite a lot of norwegian tv shows on netflix, like Nobel, Okkupert, Lillehammer or Øyevitne. and obviously Skam (not on netflix though). when i can, i like to watch the episode with norwegian subtitles to see the words as i’m hearing them. then i watch the episode again with english subs to see what i understood (or didn’t understand).

Listening to music/podcasts: you can find a bunch of norwegian playlist on spotify and it helps so much with your listening skills! I like to read the lyrics while i listen to songs because i can associate the sounds with the written words (and the other way around). i also like the nrk-skampod, because it’s fun and the people on the podcasts speak a variety of dialects.

Reading the news: i like to read the articles, sum them up and write down the words i don’t know. Look up the words and then read the article again to see if i understand it better.

Writing: keep a journal or write to natives (or other learners), because even if you memorize 100 grammar rules by heart, if you never apply them in real context, you won’t learn/remember them. believe me, the natives on this website are really nice and they want to help us learn!

Speaking: i speak to myself (and my cat) a lot, when doing my lessons or when i’m getting ready in the morning. i’m too shy to speak to natives so that’s the best way i found to actually practice my speaking! it’s weird, yes, but effective.

In the End, What Is Important:

obviously you might not have time to study everyday, but i believe it’s important to be around the language at least 20 to 30 minutes a day. sometimes i’m able to sit down and write notes and be really productive. other days, all i can do is listen to music on the way to school/work. i’m rarely able to do grammar, learn vocab, practice my listening or speaking skills all in one day, but i try my best to do everything in the course of a week! it’s better to do a bit every day, than to study 5 hours straight once a week!

That’s it!!

I’m sorry that got so long and i really hope that answers your question. If somehow it didn’t, send me another message and i’ll try my best to answer it :)

[allarrows]

hello,,,,, i'm also a turkish person out here in wild but i've come to realize that my english isn't good as yours. do you have any tips??????? i mean i read a lot and most of the time it's either philoshopical essays or articles abt government but i still talk and write like a.... typical 14-years-old white girl.

selam yavru, 

[my thing with english is sort of weird (as will be my advices, wait for it), i never stayed/studied abroad and although my english education started in the 4th-5th grade i was actually placed in the lower class when we were tested for proficiency, and am sort of v dyslexic and have never been the most academically successful when it comes to english among my peers and my high school’s education wasn’t in english, so considering all these obstacles, i think you can definitely get your english to whatever level you want.]

the first thing i did that i think worked was to. watch. a. lot. of. interviews. this is not a thing that i did to improve my english specifically (i just love watching certain ppl speak) and some of my choices are v specific to my interests (jeremy scahill, mary karr, mary gaitskill etc) but i can give you a few more accessible ones (cate blanchett, daniel day lewis) it doesn’t matter if you don’t understand everything they’re saying, you will, in time. but i think it’s important to find someone whose speech is like a literal performance of what they think and absorb it and sit w it for a while (also it helps if they’re fascinating) this substitutes having an actual native speaker around that you can learn from via quiet observation, and even try it (the way they speak) out on yourself (but always remember that you’re borrowing) which brings me to my next thing.

talk to yourself, at home, practice alone, try to say what you’re exactly feeling/thinking, look for possibilities, don’t try to translate from turkish, at least not always, explore english’s specific possibilities. 

take chances w language, i do this a lot, and use google incessantly to see if that particular way of saying something is used a lot or at all (put it between “ “ & look at the # of results, google books results to see how it’s used/if it’s correct etc) and don’t be freaked out if you’re not following grammar religiously (unless you’re writing a paper or smth ofc), i personally love the specific quirks non-native speakers have when they speak english, you don’t have to obey this ~imperial~ language mot a mot and if some native speaker asshole tries to correct your grammar honestly fuck them (all the ppl who tried to correct my grammar were insecure spineless men tbh) laf uzadı ama demek istediğim, make it your own thing. 

ok this is a lot less doable but find english speakers and talk w them and be friends w them if possible (if they’re nice and you genuinely want to be friends ofc lol). i know this can be a bit intimidating if you’re not comfortable w how u speak and expats can be such arrogant assholes but definitely try to do this.

the reason why i’m focusing on speech in these tips is bc i think there’s smth fundamentally fucked up abt how language is taught, developmentally we all start w speech and then learn to say cool shit on paper but first of all, language has to be a real thing for you, a thing that you do w your body regularly. but in the meantime substitute real life speech w writing in english online, here, in forums, or whereever, you know. if it’s intimidating to do it w native speakers, find a fellow non-native english speaker. 

some more basic tips include watching tv series/movies with english subtitles, if that’s hard to do, maybe watch stuff you really love and love to rewatch so you already know what it’s abt etc. and also obviously, read (this is boring i know) and not only articles/essays but like, novels, poetry etc. like go for it, i don’t know your taste but if you like the quotes/stuff i post, pursue them. articles/essays tend to have a very bland style unless the essayist is really brilliant. 

oh and also podcasts, and not only ~white american~ podcasts but brits, australians & people of color too so you’re exposed to how english can be done differently and maybe that’ll inspire u. 

ok, that’s all i think, you can always ask me to clarify smth ve bana bu dil meselelerinin nasıl gittiğini yazarsan/haber edersen çok sevinirim

[gawaine]

Hey Hanna, firstly the most massive congrats on getting TWO grad entry med places, that is honestly amazing you should be so incredibly proud of yourself! Secondly (in respect to attaining those places), I was just wondering if you could give any advice. I'm about to finish first year biomed, but want to do grad med, and was just wondering when you took the GAMSAT, and when you got work exp, and any general advice because I'm surrounded by smart ppl and feel pretty stupid + demotivated atm lol

Thank you, honey!

Hmm, okay. Well, first of all, I still feel stupid and demotivated, and did even more so back then, so don’t beat yourself up! I think anyone sane would, and it just shows your passion!

Under the cut bc it gets long, but it’s super organised if that’s any consolation

The GAMSAT

I took the GAMSAT 3x in a row: a trial run at the beginning of my 3rd year of uni, in September, which highlighted what I needed to focus on; the GAMSAT Ireland, which I sat in the UK, the following March, and passed; and then I was encouraged by others to try to boost my score that September, which I didn’t.

I passed the second one (obviously) by complete miracle (I was handing in all of my final essays, writing my dissertation, looking after my post-op Mum and my baby brother). I found out in November, when the standardised scores came out for the year and then the cut-offs from the universities, that I was in the top 10-11th percentile.

And honestly? My biggest tip is to play to your strengths.

I met a lot of people during my application who had a biomed background like yourself, and they struggled with Sections 1 & 2, so here are some quick tips:

The texts in S1 are often a lot longer than you’ve prepared for - and harder. You need to read fast, analyse quickly and remember that your answers have to be logical - not necessarily what artistically makes sense.

A computer marks S2. So you need to be hitting those sophisticated levels of grammar and vocabulary. Also (and I can’t remember off the top of my head which, but a quick Google search should suffice), each essay marks different things. One essay is essentially marking your emotional maturity and the other your logical deduction. This was my strength, because... English essays were all I was writing at that point anyway (in March, I was writing all of my final-year essays and my final dissertation), and if this isn’t yours, I recommend you start practicing.In both of the first sections, timing is your killer. Especially in S2. Plan quickly and concisely, and do hand exercises during your practices, as well as on the day of the exam, between sections. Your hands will be killing you by the end anyway, but at least you’ll feel a bit more prepped.

As a biomed student, I’m sure you have S3 down, but don’t underestimate the importance of your stats skills. As someone who has sat it 3x in a row, trust me when I say... They love their collections of bio graphs. A lot of graph-reading skills can be translated into other things useful for the GAMSAT anyway, so even if there isn’t a lot of bio/stat stuff in your paper, it’ll help you with other parts!

Work Experience

The first WE I ever did was during my second year, when I did 3 weeks abroad in a government hospital. It took a lot of planning and honestly, I went more to see if it was something I really had the capability to do more than anything, but it has been so pivotal to my application.

WE is very draining in a different way to uni or anything else, especially when what you’re getting out of it isn’t materially in front of you - at least, not for a long time. Plan accordingly.

In the end, my final application included the following references of work experience:

3 weeks abroad; 1 in General Medicine, 2 in Surgery

Over a year’s worth of volunteering at a specialist children’s hospital in my city

2 years of volunteering with the local Scouts group

Being my Mum’s primary post-op carer, who had a post-op recovery of 6 weeks

Oftentimes, the unis you’re applying to will have a list of different types of work experience that they like, which is what I based mine on. Also, a doctor I know said that choosing a vulnerable age group to work with (because it’s more difficult to get placements) tends to be a good idea - so of the elderly and children, I chose children, because I have more experience!

One thing to remember when applying for work experience is that a lot of places will require you work for them for a significant amount of time before they’ll write you an official reference. Find this out first when you apply and make sure any additional training you have to do is done quickly enough, that you’re eligible for a reference when you need it!

And in regards to feeling stupid and demotivated... I still feel like that, and I got into the better of the 2/3 med schools I applied to! A doctor who I met a few years ago told me that, with med, you always feel like you know less than you did when you started - so take it as a good sign, and know you’re not alone! xx