#also lmk if you have any specific qs

[mingus-archives]

is gyeongseong creature worth the watch? i see a lot of people talk about it on my dash but im still a bit hesitant to watch it

Omg hello bloomingqwarrior! Okay so I just finished ep 9 and I definitely recommend! Now, some info that I feel may be helpful to know about my rec:

-I am a big fan of Han So-Hee from My Name so I will literally watch her eat cold oatmeal and therefore I am biased toward any action series with her

-I personally find the main characters to have a lot of chemistry. I've heard that others don't find that to be the case. For me, I think the chemistry is just different than other kdramas. Because the characters are both caretakers and living in a very hellish period in Korean history, I find that they're kind of quiet love built on respect and protectiveness to be v believable and v wonderful to watch

-There is a cgi monster (you get a hint to that in the trailer). I found it to be believable enough but I know some didn't like the look of it *shrugs*

-I've also heard that people thought it wasn't horror enough. I agree it wasn't a traditional horror movie but I think it was plenty scary and, more importantly, there is plenty in the show that is horrifying

-My biggest rec for the show is that it works phenomenally with the themes of colonization and oppression. The show is set during the Japanese occupation of Korea and the show absolutely focuses on the horror, violence, and evil inflicted upon the Korean people. Although it is fiction, the acts of human experimentation, torture, and cruelty are drawn from real history. It does not shy around to discuss Korean liberation and criticize the japanese occupation (Han So Hee and Park Seo-Joon are reportedly expecting to be banned from Japan due to their roles in this show due to showcasing the often horrible nature of the occupation).

One note, a very important aspect of the show is the switch characters make between speaking korean and japanese. Netflix english subtitles do not indicate when they are speaking each language. I was able to distinguish mostly between the languages just from watching lots of japanese and korean language shows though I don't speak either, but if you cannot def recommend trying to find a version with better subtitles lol

If you watch it please let me know!!! So few people I know have seen it and I wanna talkkkkkk

[phyrestartr]

any tips for new writers

YUH BOI I have a lot lol

Write what you like. You will naturally put more effort/passion into something you're writing for yourself/smth you're writing for fun. Don't do it for clout, and don't write JUST to post. Also, don't write things just because ppl tell you to/request you to. Itsk to let stories perish if they're not working/you don't like it (you might figure out a way to save said story after some thinking, too)

If you read a fanfic/book and really like it, try to figure out why it spoke to you. Did you like the dialogue? Did you like the descriptions? Did you like the stylization? Then, try to incorporate that into your own writing in your own way

If you read a fanfic/book and you really DON'T like it, try to identify what you didn't like LOL. It really helps with crafting your style/story if you identify and avoid shite you personally think is cringe/uninteresting/overdone/cliche-y in a bad way/etc.

Accept that first draft is gonna be clunky and probably kinda bad. You pretty much just gotta get the story down even if it doesn't flow too good because then you can go back, reread, figure out what does and doesn't work in terms of prose and flow and character interactions

Don't feel like you need to write something super long and detailed. Detail and flowery descriptions are good when used in the correct moments, but don't harp on something meaningless for too long if it's not really important in the theme/moment. Writing short stories is the most fun and the best practice for getting into writing since it just has to be like one scene or a very short arc before ending. Lots of readers like the long fics (I mean, same) but they're really hard to write, so don't feel like you need to write a novel or anything. keep it short and sweet for a while!!

Use a thesaurus. Helps you learn new words and new ways to describe something

Themes are helpful for keeping a story feeling coherent. Ex. I use lots of 'godly' descriptors and comparisons of natural disasters (storms, forest fires, earthquakes, tsunamis) to describe how dangerous/powerful a person or feeling is, and I try to stay in that theme to build a better picture of someone/something

Show, don't tell! This is kinda based on your preference, though, since sometimes you just wanna say "bro was mad." It depends on the situation imo. Generally, describing the way someone is physically feeling instead of emotionally is more impactful and lets the reader think and make choices based on the info you've given them. Not everything needs to be spelled out--readers are quite smart and can put together their own conclusions even if it's not what the writer initially had in mind. (Ex. "John felt fury boil in his blood" vs "John's veins ached with heat and his face flushed an angry colour")

It's ok to make mistakes/not perfect a scene. Sometimes you just wanna move on lol

Have fun! If you're not having fun, what's the point homie u-u

hope that's at least a little helpful! LMK if y'all have any other questions/specific Qs or anything. I'm not a pro writer so maybe this is all useless idk LOL

[scriptaed]

Bruh ok so after reading comments and your replies I realize I'm such a small brain about Hshs LIKE I missed so much of this, but also I think I missed a few updates of it and I went back to make sure I read all of them and dkshd I THINK I CONFUSED MYSELF MORE!!! HELP MEEEE!!! (Its okay tho I think I'm starting to get it, just need to analyze some more) Anyways, how are you such an amazing writer????!!!! Teach me your ways 🙇🏻‍♀️🙇🏻‍♀️ also here is a heart bc you deserve one ❤

ahhhh thank you sweetheart. you’re too kind 🥰🥰

and don’t worry!!!! hshs isn’t supposed to be a straightforward series haha. you can either take each chapter as its own fic OR you can try to piece together the actual timeline of the series. basically, each drabble is a fragment of their memories together but they aren’t written in chronological order (as in part 7 could have taken place well before part 1). i’m not sure what you’re confused about so lmk if you have any specific qs!!

[softchink]

i've been trying to get back into reading, especially asian-american/feminist literature & all the recommendations you listed on your about page look amazing! i took a peek at your goodreads too although there's so much to sift through and i was wondering if you had any absolute must-reads you could recommend? you have a wonderful taste from what ive seen!! thank you so much!

hey!! YES thats so exciting!!!

im gonna give you novel recommendations but lmk if u have other genres in mind! this is also a somewhat sino-focused list, lmk if that doesnt work for u :))

everything i never told you by celeste ng

revenge of the mooncake vixen by marilyn chin (ive never met anyone whos read this book but like THERE IS NOTHING OUT THERE LIKE IT LIKE…WHAT AN EXPERIENCE i think about the first chapter like literally every day, nothing more feminist than violent Revenge against white boys tbh)

shelter by jung yun (major tws for abuse, feel free to message me about it) another book with major tws for csa is edinburgh by alexander chee which is just a ridiculously accomplished book

salt fish girl by larissa lai (CHINESE LESBIANS in speculative fiction! super hard book to find though)

an association of small bombs by karan mahajan (THE WRITING IS UNBELIEVABLE! like i still dont believe it!!! he’s so talented i want to cry and what a book)

the god of small things by arundhati roy (a classic, very much part of the canon) 

if u like short stories, i loved in the country by mia alvar! i’ve also heard great things about monique truong and meena alexander. ofc, the classic go-to is maxine hong kingston, i recommend starting with the woman warrior or china men.  people never give her credit for being experimental but she IS.  also another great book that’s experimental is dictee by theresa cha. 

and if u like poetry, Look by solmaz sharif. and anything by bhanu kapil (but especially the vertical interrogation of strangers).  

feel free to message me for something specific!! or if u have qs about the content in any of these, or if u just wanna exchange thoughts on books w/ me :)

[shegs]

how does one get started with digital art? i'm still traditional and i feel so behind everyone else lmao

I don’t know your specifics but I just put some general practical stuff under the readmore! If you have more specific Qs lmk

1- If you can, it’s better to get a decent tablet rather than a cheap one that craps out after a few months. You’ve probably heard Wacom are good and it’s very true, I use a Wacom bamboo which are (relatively... for a decent tablet) cheap esp pre-owned. It’s worth it if you can afford to I’ve never had to replace it or even change the pen nib so

2- If the texture of the tablet itself is difficult for you to work on, you can try taping cartridge paper over it while you get used to the hand-eye coordination! Not all tablets will still function, but it’s worth a shot its SUPER helpful.

3- While you’re getting used to using it (which takes some time.. even experienced digital artists need to re-adjust if they dont use it for too long) use your tablet and pen for everything you possibley can while you’re on your computer. Use it like a mouse, while you’re browsing tumblr, anything that’ll let you practice not drawing directly onto a surface like you’re used to!

4- Fancy photoshop/sai brushes are lovely, but when you first get started it’s best not to jump straight in at the deep end. Just pick a brush and stick to it until you’ve got a feel for the programme and whats happening

5- SUPER IMPORTANT LMAO.... everything will look shit for a while... sometimes a really long while.. I know when I first started I was super frustrated that my standard of drawing digitally looked so much worse than traditional.. there’s a lot to adjust to just like any new tool just keep that in mind and dont give up!!

I hope any of that is helpful??? There’s a lot to say on digital so thats just off the top of my head but theres that 

also I hope you don’t feel bad about only/mainly using traditional! Traditional art has so, so much potential to be beautiful, and if you do end up trying out digital art dont give traditional up.. :,^)