#and I understand the frustration with not being able to run glaze but don't lose hope

[lemonwerewolf]

There are a few things to do if your computer is not strong enough to efficiently run Nightshade and Glaze, or if you are still waiting to get a Web Glaze account.

Artshield

Artshield is another web-based and free tool to watermark your art and help protect your art against AI-training. It might not be as strong as Glaze and Nightshade, but it is quicker. It is also constantly being worked on, and sometimes might not be able to shield certain pieces of art, but you can help it by making sure the art you're submitting doesn't have a whole lot of pure white in the image. They also have a section on the website where you can check and see if your Shopify has been used to train AI programs. They are also currently working on being able to scan Etsy.

Artshield Website

Artshield Twitter

Post your art at a lower resolution.

It may make the art grainier, but posting art a smaller resolution with a 72 dpi can also help.

Watermark your art

Post any and all art with a watermark of your name and/or handle and the year.

[etheries1015]

Hello! I really hope you're doing well and that all is fine on your end<3

Could I pretty please request some comfort fluff hcs for Zhongli and Artem with a fem s/o that's studying real hard and losing sleep and such. But she's determined to achieve her dream job in the long run of being a legal counsellor/lawyer💪

Tysm and have a good day! Mwah!❤️

Studying and Affection What better way to pull you away from the woes of your work than your lover making an abrupt interruption in your cycle of unhealthy developing habits?

General warnings: Gender neutral reader, since I did not use pronouns. However, pet names ARE used, such as "dear" and whatnot. You can read it as any gender <3

TW: None! If I missed any, please let me know and I shall update this section accordingly~

featuring: Zhongli, Artem

Zhongli

The archon knew just how much you wanted this job, how long you had yearned to make a difference in people's lives, and how much you would sacrifice to reach your dreams. Having ambitions and all is a wonderful thing that he understands drives humans to find fulfillment in their lives, however, he began to notice signs that even he, the geo archon himself, was able to perceive was getting out of hand.

"Dear," Zhongli called out for the third time as you sat at your desk with papers spread out and large books opened. By the fourth time when you had not noticed his presence, the tall male snuck his hands around your body plucking the pencil you held with an iron grip with ease. Shocked, you gasped slightly sitting up and turning to face your lover. You seldom see Zhongli in a state of annoyance, however it was clear as day the way he furrowed his eyebrows and folded his arms.

"My love, I have called your name multiple times now," He said in his deep, honey like voice, "Why don't you take a break?" Zhongli's expression softened, setting the pencil down gently upon the table. You sighed and rubbed your temples, frustration also clear as day upon your features.

"Morax," You sighed, "This is important to me. I HAVE to get this job, If I don't all those years I spent studying and practicing will be for nothing! The exams are coming up and if I don't-" He quickly shushed you by leaning down to your level, grabbing your wrists with his strong hands and pulling them apart, forcing your gaze to look into his own.

"You are avoiding my gaze," He grunted, "Look at you. You have dark circles under your eyes," He began to rub your wrists and eye you up and down, "And you seem to have lost a significant amount of weight. You are not properly taking care of yourself, Come," He pulled you off the chair and began to lead you away from your work, to which you groaned in annoyance however did not protest. You knew deep down you needed some sort of break, and knew better than to avoid your dragon lover any longer.

"Let us take a stroll and make our way to Wanmin restaurant," Zhongli intertwined his fingers with your own, "Take a break. Humans are fragile creatures, you must take care of yourself, my love." You bit your bottom lip and sighed in defeat, leaning your tired body against his strong lean one.

"Alright," You exasperated with a slight smile upon your lips, "You win. I will take a short break, but after I need to go back to-" Zhongli spun you around, one arm wrapping around your waist while using his other one to tilt your chin to look into his mesmerizing golden brown eyes. His lips inched closer to you and with a sultry voice hushed and intimate, your face flushed a bright shade of red with his bold statement;

"I am not doing this just for you, my precious glaze lily," He pointed out, "I have also been neglected in the time you have spent away to your studies. I'm afraid I will have to put a pause in your schedule for the rest of the day, for I am not letting you go so easily."

Artem

Artem was always known to be stoic and strict, consistently instilling pressure upon his subordinates. Yet it was obvious he held clear favoritism for one particular person- you.

You were dedicated from the start, you held similar views to him, your heart of gold shining brighter than anyone else in the office. From the moment you stepped into his life, he knew you were the one for him. He hadn't realized his very position was cause for your distress- he is all you wished to be; A successful, young, talented, well-put-together lawyer. The pressure seemed to turn up as exams came close for you, however thankful for the support Artem had given to you, recent struggles came to the surface throwing you into a string of all-nighters, missed meals, and increasingly short and frequent naps on your desk had become more and more apparent to your boyfriend.

He tapped against your desk to gain your attention, yet your concentration was left unwavering.

"Let me finish this chapter," You sighed, jotting down yet another note, "I don't have it perfected yet..." Artem pursed his lips in worry and set his hand above your own, causing you to set down your pencil and look up at the blue-eyed man.

"You said that an hour ago," He said gently, "You had promised we would have a date today, do you recall?" You bit your bottom lip, letting out a shaky sigh and nodding.

"I know I did- but the exams are coming up so fast and I'm so unprepared, I have to-" you were quickly interrupted by Artem spinning the chair around for you to fully face him, his arms caging each side of your head as his forehead pressed against yours gently.

"I appreciate your dedication, and it's good to work hard for your goals. But..." His hand moved to trail your face, "You're pale and tired. It's just as important to rest," He muttered, now using both of his hands to trail your cheeks. You felt tears prick the side of your eyes and a frown deepen upon your features, Artem's eyes widening slightly at the sudden display of vulnerability. There you spilled your heart, how tired you were of feeling so far behind in life, feeling unaccomplished and unworthy of his love. How tired you were of spending sleepless nights trying to catch up, tired of losing motivation for a job you had dreamed of having for years yet seemed too far to actually reach.

"(y/n)..." He choked up, "..Come. Let's...take a break, together. Okay?" He ran a warm bath for you, cooking a nutritious meal and bundling up the couch with pillows and blankets as he set up your favorite movie/tv series. When you came out freshly clean and seeing all of your favorite foods and your favorite person set up in the living room, his arms opened wide for you to snuggly fit between his legs and lean against his back. Artem trailed kisses against the back of your ear to your neck, his black hair tickling the side of your face.

"Today is a day for a break and rejuvenation, and tomorrow, I will help you with your studies, okay? We will go over the parts you're struggling with together. You have a good drive, and a beautiful heart. That's what made me fall in love with you. Do not feel the need to struggle alone, I will always be here for you through thick and thin. Do not doubt that ever again, okay? Caring for your mind and body is just as important as work, your body and your mind does a lot for you, take care of them, my love."

~~~~

Thank you for the request! I actually had a lot of fun writing this one!! I hope for all of you people studying in college, or struggling with work or whatever else you are going through, please remember to take care of yourselves. drink lots of water and consistent breaks, your health and well-being is more important than any job you have. I'm proud of you, lovelies. Standing amidst the face of adversity is the mark of true strength

[kiramartinauthor]

These are what makes readers put down your book after giving it a glance through at a bookstore or library. 

1. Filter words. Filter words (including excess adjectives) weigh down your writing and readers would rather not wade through it. They’re the first warning sign of an amateur and few will put up with it. If they’re in the first paragraph, you can bet your butt the rest of the book is exactly like it. It’s clunky, frustrating, and easy to put down.

2. First person flubs. Normal people don't describe to themselves what color their eyes are when they’re looking at something. I get wanting to describe your character's physical appearance early on, but stop it. This includes poorly incorporating a character’s thoughts and personality into their POV--especially a first person self-introduction.

3. Run on sentences. If it’s hard to read... why would anyone waste time/money on a book like that? You want to keep things short and snappy--it’s something that pulls your readers in. On the first page, they aren’t invested enough yet. If used rarely, you might get away with a few. But only if you make sure the flow of your story isn’t affected by putting a short sentence at either end. That being said, breaking up a run on isn’t hard.

4. Too many names. If you’re introducing too many characters right off the bat, you’ve already lost them. Try to introduce a few strong characters at the beginning--these are supposed to be the characters that are the most important. You might be able to hold all your characters in your head at the same time, but the reader can’t keep them straight.

5. On the nose dialogue. This means they can’t picture a human being saying what your character just said and it’s making them cringe. This is a quick turn off for most. Cheesy dialogue entertains few and alienates the reader. It’s understandable wanting to provide exposition with dialogue, but if you can’t do it subtly, don’t.

6. No conflict. Nothing makes the beginning of your story more boring than the absence of a hook. Your characters have to shine bright to make up for this gap. If nothing is going on, the reader if left wondering why this story is even being told. You need there to be some sort of conflict that gets people curious about the plot.

7. Too much description. If you're going on for pages about the setting in your first scene, you’re gonna lose readers. More than four sentences of description at a time and eyes start glazing. This is a more flexible rule later on in your book, but right now, you’re showing them what you’re about. Make your descriptions powerful and sparing--in general but especially here.

8. Boring main character. If they feel flat with no drive, your reader isn’t going to care about what happens to them, and thus you lose a reader. Let their personalities shine. Make it so that if you swapped them out for any other character, the situation would change. Greatly. This includes overpowered characters that are part of a conflict but aren’t concerned about it at all. If they have it all handled why do I care?

9. Cliches. Don’t start with your characters waking up. Please, please don’t open with a dream. It’s not as creative as you think it is. Start in a fresh and interesting way. Make it different than any other book opening you’ve read before. This will draw your readers in because they don’t see where your story is going to go. You’ll stand out and in a good way.

10. Info-Dumping. No one wants to read pages of backstory, especially in the beginning. They’re not invested in your character yet, so why would they want to listen to pages of telling? Your first chapter is for showing--show necessary background, show who your characters are. Anything else is unnecessary.

Also, as a bonus: Your first line should immediately pull readers in and make them ask questions. This goes for any chapter, but especially the first. Try to keep it short and impactful. (I'm very picky about first sentences. Feel free to send me the first sentence and I'll tell you what I think!)

Interested in an example? Check out the first page of Clover Raine and the Black Dragon.