#any feedback and every feedback is encouraged. you can send 5 one sentence asks or one 59 sentence ask and they're both valuable data

[isabelguerra]

hi guys!

this feels a little silly to ask, if you have a spare minute and don't mind sending an ask about what you've enjoyed about wizard au so far and what you would like to continue seeing from it moving forward, i'd really appreciate feedback!

we all know it's an izjo-centric character exploration about the paranatural characters, specifically isabel, at wizard school, but is that... is that, like, what engages people? would you guys still read it if there wasn't some big overarching plot about a huge mystery at the school? is a character-driven romcom enough? is it funnier if it's a character-driven romcom that has all the weird mystery shit going on to Max The Protagonist in the background but gains little no to recognition because the narrative is about the two wizardball jocks and their inability to understand their own emotions???? help.

if you have the time, what is it that you actually like about wizard au? i'm working out the beats for the potential first fic, and I’m struggling with what to write. An idea of what my audience actually enjoys about it would really help me narrow down how i want to go about this, map out potential directions to take, and what priorities to focus on. thanks everyone!

[saturnity]

Telling Tenya Iida to take care of himself. Tenya Iida x Gender Neutral, Best Friend Reader.

(authors note: this is my first full length fic in...a while. motivation hit me like a brick and I decided I'd churn something out! this fic is dedicated to a few special friends: @classreptenyaiida, for the interactions I've had with him, @yarozu for being such a great fan and supporter!! @lostcoves for being my first friend on this platform and for being so so kind to me, @uwu-iwanttodie because god I know you're a sucker for tenya just like i am, and @tryingmyves for sticking around and being a wonderful person!! there's also one more special person this fic is dedicated to but I don't know their tumblr url and if they wish to be named LOL // but yes anyway, enjoy! i hope you like this, feel free to send me any feedback, rts and follows appreciated!!!)

warnings: none! all fluff. good for everyone.

Tenya Iida and (f/n l/n). The both of you were inseparable, friends since childhood, in the same class throughout elementary and middle school. You were overjoyed to hear that you’d be in the same class with him again in UA, brimming with excitement to be able to stick by his side for longer. Of course, you had a crush on him ever since you could remember...but you were really too scared, terrified, really, to confess to him- in fear of ruining your 15 years of friendship.

Out of all people, you were the person who knew how determined Tenya was to not only reach, but exceed his goals and aspirations. You knew how much he wanted to satisfy the people around him and meet their expectations. You didn���t exactly understand why he did it, but you knew how driven he was, and how he’d do anything within the law and the rules to get there. And he rarely failed. Tenya was a great inspiration in your life, encouraging you to do better, while growing together. In a way, he influenced you to work hard, train harder and to do your hardest. The both of you became a force to be reckoned with; your parents and Tenya’s parents realised this, and hoped you’d do great things as heroes in the future, allowing you to spend weekends and holidays together.

Throughout your first term, Tenya enthusiastically took up the role as representative of Class 1-A with pride. He’d come to you for feedback for his ideas, always asking your opinion before proceeding, and you’d be his biggest cheerleader. You improved ideas he delivered, making sure small details were tweaked, and ensured logistics ran smoothly. Whenever Tenya needed help, you were the first he’d go to. Tenya presumed the role of a figure of strength within Class 1-A, readily assisting people in need, hosting study groups after school, and going the extra mile to make sure everyone was...more or less, in line. His work towards being a ‘good hero’ started here, and it wouldn’t stop until his last breath. As an Iida, he worked daily to strengthen his reputation as a helpful, strong figure...no, a reputation as a hero.

But inside, you knew Tenya was tired. He was slowly burning himself out. He didn’t need a savior, but he needed someone to shake him awake. There were days where you’d find Tenya a little less awake than usual, even though he seemed to have the same amount of energy as every other day. You’d catch him zoning out after school days ended, maybe he’d drop from his chopsticks once more than normal at lunch, and sometimes he’d even forget to bring certain things to school. Your best friend definitely wasn’t sleeping or resting enough.

You did your best to make sure Tenya was taking care of himself. Sometimes, you would gently remind him to drink more water, or to get more sleep. Other times, you’d deliberately book ‘study sessions’ with him, only to do the exact opposite- taking him to a cafe for a ‘change of environment’, introducing him to several new drinks and cakes, much to his dismay. Or maybe you’d eat lunch on one of the school rooftops, and allow him to take a nap afterwards on your shoulder while you ran your fingers through his coarse, navy hair. Perhaps you’d relax at your house, a movie would be playing on the TV, and while he’d feverishly insist on studying or doing something more ‘productive’, you’d gently but stubbornly insist that he rest. As the days passed, Tenya placed his focus on his ambitions, and your opportunities to ensure his leisure decreased.

One night, you wondered why Tenya pushed himself so hard. Was it because he was a people pleaser? There were definitely times where he would be almost too eager to help others. Or was it because he decided to shoulder his world of responsibility alone? Maybe it was because he was constantly surrounded by good examples of what a hero should be, that he held the burden of his family name, that he was expected to be the next best thing for the hero community...or maybe it was all of the above. Tenya had been working tirelessly for this; yet he didn’t know when or how to take care of himself and to forget to be selfless. He was always running to help others, always thinking in the position of others, or whatever would be better for the future. You didn’t remember the last time he did something for himself. Regardless, you decided that you’d definitely work a little harder to make sure your best friend would care for himself. After all, everyone needed someone else to lean on, right?

You shook your head. “No. I’m serious. You need to rest. Or at least take it easy this weekend.”

Finally, one Friday afternoon, you saw Tenya yawn in class for the first time. He looked close to falling asleep, in fact, you could say he was positively exhausted. His eyelids fluttered downward, their weight becoming heavier and heavier with each blink. Inside, he was praying he wouldn’t get picked on to answer a question- he just wasn’t really following the class material anymore. Or worse, he hoped Mr. Aizawa wouldn’t assign group work- it’d mean he would have to actively interact with other people, which he didn’t have the energy for. Thankfully, the bell rang, and the gray, bleary-eyed teacher dismissed his class, unfurling his sleeping bag and escaping the room to get a nap himself. You walked up to Tenya’s desk and playfully smacked his arm, shocking him a little more awake. He adjusted his glasses and looked up to you.

“Heeey. Someone’s looking tired.”

“I suppose I didn’t sleep quite enough last night, (y/n).” Tenya grinned. To the normal eye, it would seem like one of the class rep’s normal, signature smiles, but to you, there was a fatigued weakness shielded behind its sunny exterior.

You arched an eyebrow. “You’ve said that every day for the last month and a half.”

“I know, I know. There’s so much work I need to get to, in fact, I should return to my dorm soon to st-” Tenya had finished gathering his things and prepared to leave the classroom, until your hand reached out onto one of his broad shoulders and pressed him back down onto his seat.

“No you fucking don’t.” You folded your arms, a frown plastered to your face.

Tenya scowled. “Please, (y/n), can we joke around later? I have to get th-”

“Look, if you’re aiming to be a successful hero in the future, you might as well take your own advice that you give so often to others and rest. You always tell us to make sure we get enough sleep, and you’re not even doing it yourself. If you’re tired or sick, you won’t be able to perform as well as you want to, right? And you always want to be at your best, don’t you, Ten?”

“But-” Tenya protested. He had so much work to do, so much to get to.

“Tenya Iida. In our 15 years of friendship, I’ve never seen you this fucking tired. We’re only in our first year. Are you going to keep doing this throughout school? Or what, the rest of your life? For the love of god, cut yourself some slack.” You almost yelled out in protest, in disgust of seeing your best friend suffer in silence.

Tenya stared at you in shock. You’ve never spoken to him like this before, or at least, it was rare. Usually you played more of a supportive role by his side, and when you were more assertive, you were never this pushy. In fact, he couldn’t remember the last time he heard you shout. The remaining members of Class 1-A who hadn’t yet left the room stared at the both of you in a similar amount of surprise as your bespectacled classmate did. After sighing, you decided to use reason that Tenya would buy into, desperately hoping he would do as you said.

“Then it’s settled. We’re gonna take it easy this weekend, okay? And don’t apologise for making me worry. It’s my job to look out for you, you know. And we haven’t napped together in a while too. I kinda miss that.” You brought Tenya into a hug.

Tenya sighed. You were right. He couldn’t hide that he was tired. And honestly, it was exhausting having to troop through each class with the meager 4-5 hours of shut-eye he was getting. It was a battle that he knew he was losing. He surrendered to your suggestion.

“I...uh...suppose you’re right. Sorry for making you worry.” Right after Tenya had finished that sentence, he yawned. There was really no hiding his tiredness now.

“Hey...(y/n)? Thank you. I appreciate you doing this.” Tenya smiled, as he reciprocated your warmth.

[hayjeon]

Practical Tips on getting your fics out there!

I’ve gotten an influx of these types of questions here recently, and the more i thought about what i was gonna add, it became really long :(  

disclaimer: a lot of the things i bring up are just from personal experience as a writer on this site, what my followers have told me they appreciate, and what i tend to look for when im looking for fics to read! If you don’t like these tips then pls move on :) 

although i’ll mention them, i’m also not going to be focusing on cliche tips like “write for yourself” or “grammar issues” cause those are pretty obvious!

1. accessibility of your blog 

when you’re trying to get your name out there, make sure that you’re creating an inviting experience for any potential followers! this includes:

a memorable url! be creative!

have some fun designing your blog’s aesthetic! (i love cute blogs because it reflects a bit of the writer’s personality), and (i prefer blogs with white backgrounds because it’s easier to look through/read, say, in contrast to a pitch black one where the words need to be white!) 

put your masterlist link in your bio (even better if you can link most recent fic! found this most helpful when i revisit authors that i like and can easily see if they’ve updated or not)

an organized and easy-to-navigate masterlist (personally, i prefer masterlists organized by band, instead of types of fics ie. i hate when i have to choose between drabbles, oneshots, and series masterlists; i really prefer to see them altogether!) --> see section 3 

organized tags (if you’re going to be posting a lot of non-fic-related content like pictures or videos, tag them properly so followers can sort through and find your fics easily!), or (if you’re going to be writing in different mediums like drabbles, or answering asks, make sure to use a unified #mine or #writing or #fics to centralize your content) 

2. get your name out there!

write write write! once you have some fics that show your talent, don’t be shy! 

join writing groups: when i first started out, I joined a bunch of groups that would reblog my fics in the midst of the content of much bigger writers; these blogs developed a following, and as a result of my content mixing in with bigger blogs’ content, so did my own tumblr! there’s been a stigma recently with these groups, but im sure you can find one thats supportive and not clique-y! 

send your fics to rec pages: what’s the harm? the only bad thing that can happen is that they ignore you! who cares! get out there! 

if you can do the above, i really encourage you to ask your fave writers for advice/to read your fic: again, the worst that can happen is that they say no or don’t respond or don’t have enough time, but it’ll be a good opportunity to get some feedback! i for one read (or try to read) every single rec that falls into my inbox. if i like it, i’ll #rec it, and if i don’t, unless the writer asks me for feedback, i move on!! 

utilize your tags!!: i’m not entirely sure if this is still the same or not, but from my memory, it’s the first 3-5 tags that matter the most? so utilize them well; push back the tags that aren’t really relevant (ie. #writing, #fics) and push more the main subject line of what you wrote (ie. jungkook fluff, bts smut, namjoon angst). these will populate your fics into the tags better!

headers!: when i’m scrolling through an infinite page of fics, the headers catch my eye the most; try being creative! you can find a lot of info out there on how to make ur headers super aesthetic, but i can share my tips too! --> see section 3

3. your masterlist 

here are some practical tips! 

organize by band, not type of fic/member/centralize your masterlist: i went onto a blog recently and clicked their bio mlist link to find a page full of 20~ish “JUNGKOOK MASTERLIST”/ “JAEHYUN MASTERLIST” and when i clicked on each one, they only had like 2 or 3 fics per member. i think it would’ve been better if she’d centralized all her fics! that keeps whoever is looking interested and more likely to click on another fic while browsing

add info about the fics!: when scrolling through a masterlist, it’s easy to get lost; try to add some snippets of info (ie. a short sentence you liked from the fic, a quick summary, a description of the au/scenario, or even a header!) this all gives some info about the fics you have tagged! 

headers: this isn’t a requirement, but i personally love a good header on fics i read and i love making them myself as i finish up a fic and get ready to upload it; here are free sources: unsplash for HQ stock pics, crop/edit/filter in VSCO, and then add aesthetic script with fontcandy) 

try to fill it up!: after i visit a blog after reading one good fic, i usually browse through their mlist to see if there are any more that i’d be interested in. if there’s a lot to look forward to, i’ll almost always follow; try to write as much as you can in the first few months to try and fill up your mlist and give blog viewers a reason to visit your blog again, follow, or even reblog your content!) 

4. try not to reproduce cliche fics: 

honestly tumblr’s writing community (and armys) has grown insanely these past few years and, unfortunately, even from my perspective, in the past 3-4 years, all the writers have sort of become blended together in my brain. but, i can say that the ones who consistently stand out are the ones who produce consistent content and think outside of the box! 

i tend to gravitate towards fics that have really interesting plotlines (ex. btssavedmylifeblr’s VOID is always a surprise to read because it’s sO unique! i usually don’t read ot7 fics but this one is legit my fave) 

I know it’s tempting to try and just write typical smut fics to try and gain some traction, but tumblr is already too overloaded by that kind of content; try to write something that’s special and unique! this will set u apart from the thousands of other writers here --> see next section

5. create unique fics: 

this is also personal to my writing style, but i get so bored writing just casual fics about the members, and it affects the fics i choose to read too; i prefer unique fics which you can achieve through: 

circumstance/au: create a fun au!; don’t just create an arranged marriage, create an arranged marriage in joseon dynasty, or between a werewolf and a hunter! (shameless self plug); don’t just give me friends to lovers, but give me spiderman!jungkook friends to lovers! (ie. cupofteaguk’s exchanges)

jobs: give them out-of-the-ordinary jobs; don’t just give me enemies to lovers, but give me rival!anchors who end up loving eachother! (ie. jimlingss The Newscasters)

fun dialogue: create good back-and-forth, (something i’m still working on!)! this will help your characters develop personality, and that way, readers will start to develop that themselves as well (ie. dad!yoongi from insemination wars by prolixitae is such a specific character that i love so much!, or obiwrites’ garden characters were so memorable!)

create memorable personalities: don’t give me a flat character, try to develop 4d personalities in all of your characters! (im still working on this too!) this way you can really make an impression on your followers! a great way to practice/recognize this is: “Ask my Character.” Can your followers ask a specific character a specific question, and would you be able to deliver an answer that is very specific to that character’s tone/voice/personality? If yes, then ur doing well! If not, try to think of ways that you can make tht specific character from a specific story, really unique and separate from your other characters.

6. some practical writing tips

be yourself, write for your own pleasure, blah blah blah; yeah you know already haha but here are a few more practical tips! 

grammar check: if you can, try and hone your grammar! makes for an easier read 

write like you: i personally LOVE this by obiwrites, but even the way she writes exudes her personality and is so specific; try not to be caught up in adding hundreds of synonyms and exquisite language; in fact, simpling it down and being more concise and honest with your writing is better than a superfluous sentence; this will also give ur characters so much more dimension and funk

use those commas/sentence variation: try to use more commas; this will feel like you’re the narrator to your own story; it also makes it more fluid to read in my opinion, over those short. clipped. sentences. (ie. “he came over, sitting down on the corner of your bed with an expression you’d never seen before” over “he walked over. he sat down, looking sad.”) 

half-half dialogue/narration: a fic with too much dialogue can get confusing, and a fic with too much narration can get dry; try to balance them out, and weave in and out of each! 

quality over quantity: don’t feel burdened to write a 30k word fic. in fact, i think some of the shorter fics (ie. any of versigny’s stuff) made a bigger impression on me over the longer fics because they were short, left me wanting more, and were just so high-quality in such small quantities. try out your hand at drabbles and one-shots, and don’t feel too burdened to try and develop a series right off the bat! 

abandon pigeon-holes: i’m guilty of this; i start series and then end up with no vision for the stories and they end up giving me writers block. its okay. just stop or discontinue them or leave them on a hiatus; it’s okay. your priority is yourself, and if abandoning certain works are part of that, then go ahead. it’ll help you progress more. 

and finally.......

i’ll add more as they come up! but if you liked this, then pls lmk! i’d love to give more tips and tricks; i think i started this blog 3-4 years ago when there weren’t as many writers here, but im glad you’re thinking of starting out/wanting to grow more! don’t feel intimidated! it’s not all about the notes/followers but creating a blog you’re proud of. 

so write what you’re proud of, or interested in, and keep going. i truly thoroughly had so much fun writing this post. if there are any writers who read through this and have some more advice, pls msg me! 

all the best to you! 

[roleplay-salt]

About; Rules; FAQ

Welcome to Roleplay Salt! This is a blog for roleplayers to vent & rant anonymously about the things that peeve or hurt them in the roleplaying community.

GENERAL

Your submission will always be posted anonymously; no exceptions. (This includes positivity submissions & shoutouts.)

Your submission’s text will be placed in a graphic and then copied as plain text as its caption for accessibility purposes.

Topics must be roleplay-related. (This can, of course, include experiences with partners doing things that may be unrelated to roleplay, but would still be considered relevant if it impacts your roleplaying experience with that particular partner.)

Anyone following our blog will be allowed to leave replies on submissions, whether in agreement or disagreement, and everyone is allowed (even encouraged) to reblog submissions, with or without their own commentary. However, we will delete any spamming comments, including ones that are or are similar to “Why don’t you come off anon and say that?” Such comments provide nothing to the discussion. In fact, they usually shut down discussion and it completely disregards the entire point of this blog’s existence. No one has to “come off anon” nor are they “cowards” for seeking safety behind anonymity. Your aggressiveness with that sentiment only reinforces the reason why they want to be anonymous in the first place. ADDENDUM: We will delete salt replies that involve simply telling others to, essentially, “shut up and move on already” and “stop sending salt replies in about this”. You’re more than allowed to say this things in the comments, but we will no longer be making them a part of any future debates.

We actively edit and restructure the wording of submissions. We read every single one of your submissions and we care about consistency and readability. We will correct any spelling errors, grammar errors, and odd sentencing structure, and we will often lengthen abbreviations and slang, and we will fill out any curse words or sensitive terms that were originally 'censored' in the submissions. Do not take it personally! Again, we aim for consistency. We will never just copy/paste your submission and then post it. That's terrible.  

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A callout submission is specifically speaking nastily and meanly about someone else, regardless if it’s the truth or not.  All URLs & names in a callout submission will be marked out to preserve the other party’s anonymity as well.  We are a safe place for you to release your anger, frustration and hurt, even if it’s towards someone and not something. But we cannot and will not participate in the true nature of a callout. That will need to be something that you do for yourself if you believe that it’s important for you, your friends and your fandom community.

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All URLs & names in a shoutout submission will remain visible, and the person will be tagged & mentioned on the post so as to better the odds of them seeing it.

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Currently, there is only one operating the blog: Moderator Bull.

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Unfortunately, no. To preserve our own anonymity (for many of the same reasons as the submitters), we have agreed on the terms to never give out our URLs if requested. If we are interested in your blog, then we will follow you at our own discretion!

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Of course! However, we will not remove any corresponding responses to you (except in instances where, if yours is removed, the next comment is made to look like it’s being directed to the person prior to your comment. We don’t want to cause unnecessary conflict.) We will also not be relied upon to keep deleting comments you regret leaving behind. If you’re wanting to leave a public response on submissions, then you must be prepared to have others possibly publicly disagree with you.

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If you don’t want to be associated with us, then we recommend blocking the blog so that we don’t unintentionally follow you again!

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“How does name-calling and swearing and being mean add to a discussion? You and your blog are what are wrong with the roleplaying community!”

Just because someone isn’t being nice to you as they give their side of the argument, doesn’t mean that it cancels out their actual argument. You’re choosing to be offended and distracted by how abrasive they are, and that’s no one’s problem to deal with but your own. You have the ability to block anyone so that you no longer have to see their comments on future submissions. Why would we police what people say, the endgame of which would be to ban them from ever reblogging or commenting on submissions again if they don’t listen to us, if you’re not even willing to try solving the problem first by just blocking them? Wanting to have the last word or being upset that your submission didn’t receive the feedback you wanted is not a reason for us to step in and step on someone else’s right to speak, rudely or otherwise. If you’re not going to block them, then why should we?

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Because we’re a vent blog first and foremost. If we close our ask/submission boxes, then we’re no longer an option for people who might desperately need to vent or talk about something that could have happened to them that day but have no other options. We want to be a healthy alternative to just bottling it up or possibly lashing out at the wrong people.

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We’ve posted submissions about highly controversial roleplay topics like noncon, racism, transphobia, and pedophilia. We reassure you that your salt submission about OCs, theme trends, blog selectivity, etc. is not on that same level, least of all to the point that one of us would delete it. The only submissions that we have deleted, so far, are the ones that have included racial and homophobic slurs.

“[insert OP/commenter] is obviously a rapist/pedophilie!”

If we find that you have accused someone of being a rapist, pedophile, or apologist of either because of their defensive views on noncon/pedophilic ships or roleplay, your comment will be removed and you will be blocked. These are serious accusations that you shouldn’t be throwing at people over fictional content and we refuse to to let you use this blog as a platform to spew such slanderous accusations.

[new-endings]

Do you have any advice for a first time writer? I’ve never made a fic before but I plan on writing one when I have the time. I know you’re a great writer so I thought I’d ask! Thanks and have a good day :)

Hi and of course, I’d be happy to help! Also /)///(\  (❁´◡`❁) I’m so very honored that you like my writing 💕 

I don’t think there’s really a wrong way to write (grammar and spelling aside), but here are some of my beliefs and my own advice! 

I think when it comes down to writing, especially for fanfiction, it’s important to remember that it’s a labor of love and you should write what you love and enjoy! If you’re not having fun while doing it and aren’t writing what you want, then why do it? 

You took the time and energy to create something that’s uniquely yours. It doesn’t matter if it’s any other AU that is considered “popular” among your fandom, this take is uniquely your own. And take pride in your work!

that’s not to say steal from other writers that’s plagiarism and i trust you know already not to do that but because this is the internet, i feel like this caveat has to be made

Also, I do encourage you to tag properly. In many fandoms, there are just too many fics to go through and tagging really helps the reader in finding your work! It also prevents people who may not be into the type of work you’re making from reading it and causing issues down the line.   

So have fun, and again I’m so glad to hear that you want to write! There’s never too many ideas, never too many stories c: Once it’s done, please link me! I’d be more than happy to read~

this is rly long im sry but here’s more

aight here’s some things that I do that personally helps me when I’m writing:

0. FEEL FREE TO DISREGARD ANY OF THE BELOW. Honestly, the way I write may not jive with you and that’s totally fine. This is just what I do. You’ll find your own rhythm or discover it along the way, but these are just some suggestions. 

1. Free write. 

-It sounds like you’re busy and might not have time throughout the day to just sit down and write for hours on end and if this is the case, sometimes just putting something down on paper/typing it up is small progress that gradually builds. It’s okay if it looks disjointed or a bit wonky at first-- you can smooth things over later. 

2. conversely, Write your rough drafts as a story skeleton. I’m a particular sorta creature, so if you have the time, I can recommend

It kinda looks like a play. Example: dead dove do not eat btw 

-C locks the door- 

C  "What are you going to tell the police, angel? That a billionaire is obsessively in love with you, a Soho bookseller, “ -A flinches as C approaches closer- “And kidnapped you all the way to his country villa and forged a completely new life for you?" 

-commotion outside from the storm-

A, pouting as he’s backing up against the wall "...well, you don't have to put it that way."

it can read fine just the way I wrote it lol but the point is-- having the scene already laid out in front of you helps with building the rest of the story and makes filling in details a lot smoother.

I also recommend using this method if you’d like your dialogue to run smoother.

3. Read things out loud. 

-It really helps. especially with dialogue. Think “is this something C/A/an actual human being would say in this manner?” it also helps with sentence structures. If you can read your paragraphs out loud without getting lost or winded, then the reader can too. 

4. Don’t make chunky paragraphs. 

-I need to take this advice lol Our eyes get tired as we read big blocks of letters strung together. Make them digestible. If you’re enjoying the spacing and it looks good to your eyes, chances are, they’re good for the reader too. 

5. Don’t apologize for being a first-time fic writer or antagonize your own writing especially in the summary.

-I see this a lot where the writer says “sorry if summary sucks” or “Sorry, first time writing!” and I think it sends a bad message to the reader. It tells the reader that you’re not confident in your writing skills. If you’re not confident, then the reader isn’t confident in your abilities. 

6. Don’t be afraid to share it! 

-Tumblr, ao3, Wattpad, you name it. Be proud of your work! I can honestly say that I love my own writing and that’s the primary drive to why I write in the first place-- I have an idea that no one else is gonna write for me (because I can’t afford commissions no siree), so if what I got is what I got, then I’m gonna make it good for myself. 

And I’m my own worst critic. If I like it, then I think it’s def gonna be good enough to share with other people so we can enjoy the same thing! 

7. It’s not worth getting upset over feedback.

-Whether it’s getting criticism or if there aren’t a lot of notes, comments, or kudos, it’s okay. Every writer has been there. 

-For negative feedback, remember that unless this person is harassing you or just putting down the fic without anything constructive at all, delete it and move on with your day. If they had no ill intent behind it, it may be worth considering their comment, but in the end, the choice is yours. 

-If there’s not enough feedback, then remind yourself of the reason why you made this fic: was it to gain traction as a writer? To polish your writing skills that you will eventually use to make your own original works or make more fics? If so, then go back to step 6. Promote it, share it, tell your friends and followers about it and there’s absolutely no shame in that. 

-And if you wrote primarily for the fun of it, because this was an idea in your head that you wanted to see, then that’s okay. You made a work you’re proud of and if you’re happy with that work, then don’t let this be a numbers game that will make you sad or upset. Your work is good enough when you’re happy with it; you only need to please yourself for it to have been a success.

Hope this helps~  

[xsixxx]

Bad Influence, chapter one

Authors note: Hi ok so I’ve never done one of these before (full on fan fic virgin) so please go easy on me. I’ve got a rough plan as to what this story is gonna be, but be prepared to commit & be in it for the long haul, sorry! I hope you enjoy it, feedback is welcome encouraged & also I’d love to do requests if you have any! Thanks for reading 🖤

Warnings: Erm none I don’t think, probs just a bit of language & sexual references

I have no tags as I have no followers as I’ve literally made this blog last night 😂 But hopefully in the future, this is where my tags will go, send me an ask if you want tagging!

Spring ‘81

“That was un-fucking-believable! I can’t wait for them to play again!” Maddie yelled, jumping on my back as we left the Starwood.

“Get off”, I grumbled, pushing her off, irritated by her constant childlike excitement that never seemed to fade. “Play again? You barely saw them play this time, they were too busy fighting with the crowd!”

Maddie giggled, “well yeah, that’s part of the fun, Beth! Yanno, it’s their whole image!”

“I thought their image was tight pants & make up”, I said, rolling my eyes. I was already bored of Mötley Crüe. I’d spent the last hour watching them awkwardly & drunkenly, stumble though their set, as well as stumble on stage in the high heels they clearly didn’t know how to walk in. They stopped every 5 minutes to fight someone in the audience or take a swig of Jack from the bottle they were sharing between the 4 of them. To say they weren’t my kind of scene was an understatement, but to my music-loving little sister, they were gods & she had no intention of shutting up about them any time soon.

“Did you see the bassist swing his guitar into that guys head?!” Maddie carried on, still riding that post-gig high. “& when the drummer dived off the stage onto the other guy?! Man, they’re so fucking metal”, she laughed.

“Um hm”, I mumbled, tuning her out & power walking ahead, until I spotted her sparking up a cigarette out the corner of my eye.

“What the hell, Maddie?! Put it out!” I yelled. “Daddy will kill you!”

She laughed, taking a long drag & blowing the smoke directly into my already angry face. “Chill out Beth, he won’t!”

“You’re right, he won’t, he’ll kill me for letting you. I’m supposed to look after you, now put it out!” I tried swiping the cigarette from smirking lips, but Maddie was too quick, dodging me. She laughed again, but noted the growing annoyance on my face &, after taking a few quick drags, she dropped it on the floor & stubbed it out with the tip of her white stiletto.

“Great, now you smell like an ash tray! I can’t risk daddy smelling smoke on you, we’re gonna have to go somewhere to kill some time until he’s gone to bed”, I groaned, thinking of the college paper I’d got waiting for me at home, that I’d already put off to accompany Maddie to this stupid gig at my fathers request. I inwardly cursed them both as I pushed open the door to the overcrowded diner. I was immediately hit by the smell of yet more smoke, partnered with bacon & coffee. The grubby dinner was harshly lit & loud, with the buzz of a Saturday night in West Hollywood. We sat down in one of the few remaining booths, just as an middle aged waitress came up & asked for our order.

“I’ll take some blueberry pancakes & a Jack & Coke please”, Maddie smiled, sitting up straighter & sticking out her chest a little, in a feeble attempt to appear older than her 18 years.

“No she won’t,” I cut in sharply, shooting her a look that told her not to keep pushing me tonight. “We’ll both just take a coffee please, thank you.” The waitress smirked at Maddie & winked, before nodding at me & walking off.

“Maddie, quit while you’re ahead”, I snapped, having had enough of her rebellion for one night. She rolled her eyes & looked away from my glare. Suddenly, something behind me caught her attention because her mouth instantly dropped open & I noticed her cheeks flush a girlish pink.

“Holy shit Beth it’s them, it’s fucking Mötley Crüe!” She whispered, her eyes growing wide & following them as the walked past our table to a booth a few down from where we were sat. “Holy shit, holy shit, I can’t believe it!”

“Mads, seriously, they’re just some guys that have played a couple of crappy shows at the Starwood, they’re not famous. Get a hold of yourself”, I scoffed. I fished in my bag for my textbook just as the waitress came over with our coffee. I thanked her & opened up my book, mentally patting myself on the back for thinking ahead & bringing some sort of study aid with me, being as I couldn’t get started on my paper tonight. I started reading, but Maddies out loud commentary on everything the leather-clad band were doing repeatedly cut in to my studying.

“Oh my god look at them! The bassist is so flirting with that waitress! What th- He’s just started bashing the drummers head on the table!” She laughed. “Beth look! Beth, you’re not looking!”

I sighed & glanced up from my book towards the foursome, just in time to see one of them with long, curly brown hair inhale a cigarette through his nose & blow it out of his mouth. “Charming”, I muttered, getting back to my studies as Maddie giggled like a schoolgirl.

“Do you think I should go over there?” She asked seriously, looking at me with eager eyes.

“Absolutely not!” I snapped, thinking of the heart attack our dad would have if he knew his precious Madeline had hung out with four drunk 20-somethings, dressed head to toe in leather & studs. I looked at Maddie, looking longingly over at this literal motley crew & knew her mind was already made up. “Mads, I mean it!” I hissed at her, as I watched her stand up, playing deaf to my protests.

“I’ll be back in a sec..” & she let her sentence trail off & she strutted over to their table.

“Goddamn it.” I shoved my book back in my bag, zipped it up, left my coffee to go cold & walked over to their table, just as one of them with teased black hair & smeared black lines on his cheekbones pulled Maddie down on to his lap. She was giggling & telling them all how great the show was.

I stopped next to her, hand on my hip & cleared my throat, a little too patronisingly. All five of them looked up at me.

“Maddie, come on, we’ve gotta get home”, I said, making sure that my eyes were conveying to her the anger that I was trying to keep from seeping into my voice.

“Calm down, doll”, the one who’s lap my sister was perched on said, “come join us for a little bit, we’re just getting to know your friend here”. He flashed an arrogant smirk at me that made my skin crawl & my knees go weak all at the same time. I watched his hand slither around Maddies waist & saw her blush once again & giggle.

“She’s not my friend, she’s my little sister & we’re heading home now. Maddie, let’s go.”

“I don’t want to!”, she whined, pouting her lips at me

“Let her have some fun!” exclaimed the beautiful blonde, who I recalled being the singer. “Why don’t you sit down?”, he said, as he grabbed my hand & pulled me into the seat next to him, opposite Maddie & the handsy one with the devilish smirk. “What’s your name?” Handsy asked, downing a shot of Jack.

“Erm, Elizabeth.” I said, a little flustered by how forward they were.

“Lizzy, pleasure to meet you, I’m Nikki Sixx”, he said, removing his hand from stroking my sisters waist & offering it to me for a hand shake.

“Beth, not Lizzy,” I replied, ignoring his outstretched hand. He smirked again, returning his hand, now to my sisters ass. “This is Vince Neil, our singer”, he said, looking at the blonde next to me, “Mick Mars, guitarist”, he nodded towards a slightly older looking man who was sipping from a hip flask before stashing it back in his leather trench coat, “& this is our drummer, To-“

“I’m Tommy, Tommy Lee!”, cut in the boyish, curly haired brunette that I saw smoking through his nose earlier. He was almost as exciteable as Maddie as he stood up & leaned across the table to shake my hand. I instinctively shook it, despite my reservations to shake Nikkis hand. I don’t know what it was, but something about Tommy just felt friendly & warm. I smiled at him as he sat back down.

“So what did you think of the show?” Tommy quizzed, practically bouncing in his seat.

“I loved it! You guys fucking killed it up there.” Maddie gushed, going pink again, as I noticed Nikki grip firmly on her ass as she praised them.

Pig, I thought.

“& what about you Lizzy?” Nikki drawled, that smirk playing on the corners of lips as he followed my eyeline to his hand, reading my mind.

“Not really my sorta thing. Too heavy.” I stated, refusing to break my glare at Nikki. They all laughed at my answer.

“Thank you!” said Nikki, that smirk plastered across his face once again.

“Beth isn’t really into this kinda scene”, Maddie babbled, “she’s always too busy studying to have any actual fun.. I don’t think she even knows how to!” I knew she was only poking fun, but her words irritated & embarrassed me all the same. I gave her a swift kick under the table, only for Nikki to jump as I realised too late that my Dr Marten had instead come in contact with his leg. I blushed awkwardly & he saw, a flash of mischief playing in those pale green eyes as he enjoyed my discomfort.

“You don’t have to play footsie with me doll,” he laughed arrogantly, “just let me know if you’re interested & I’ll swap your sister out for you.”

“Pig,” I mumbled, out loud this time, which only caused him to laugh more.

“Not a fucking chance Sixx, finders keepers.” Grinned Vince, draping his arm around my neck. He looked at me with eyes I knew most girls wouldn’t resist & he gently twisted a piece of my hair around his finger. “So babe, you’re not a fan huh? How can I change your mind?”, he purred, staring at my lips as I scoffed at his advances.

“Write better music”, I laughed. Nikkis head shot round from whispering god knows what in to my little sisters ear & glared at me. “You’ve got a problem with my music?” He snapped, not looking for an answer, but an arguement.

“Told you, it’s not my sort of thing”, I shrugged, not caring if I offended him.

“Of course it’s not”, his voice & his face relaxing slightly, “girls like you never want to admit they like our music. It’s too raw for their clean cut, I’m-too-good-for-everyone image.” He smirked.

“‘Girls like me’?!” I fired back, feeling my face growing hot. “You don’t know the first thing about me.”

“I know all about you, Princess. I’ve fucked enough girls like you to know exactly how it goes.” he started, that smirk growing by the second. “First you pretend my music & my lifestyle is beneath you, like you’re too good to party with us. Then you start to get bored & realise how dull your self-obsessed life actually is & you crave some excitement. Then suddenly, a bad boy in your bed seems like a pretty fucking good idea, because I’ll tell you now Princess, we might wear lipstick, but we’ll fuck you better than your preppy jock boyfriends ever could.” Nikki sat back, that smirk wider than ever, as his band mates sniggered around him. I looked at Maddie, who was desperately trying to stifle her girlish giggle.

I saw red. I was ready to slap that smug face & storm out, but that egotistical smile triggered something in me that made me feel bold & brave. I sat there & smirked right back at him. “First of all, you don’t know me. Second, I’m not ‘too good’ to party with you, more like too busy, studying to get a real job so I’m not stuck playing half-assed gigs for 20 people in the Starwood every other weekend for no pay. Second, being ‘self-obsessed’ has taught me one thing.. I fuck me better than you ever could, so what use are you to me?” I heard Tommy laugh out loud before clapping a hand over his mouth. “But yanno,” I continued without breaking eye contact with Nikki, “a bad boy does seem fun..”, I turned to look at Vince, entangled my fingers in his hair & kissed him. I felt him freeze up, then immediately relax & pull me eagerly on to his lap, holding the back of my neck & pulling me in closer. He tasted like whiskey & cigarettes. I pulled away & looked over at Nikki, that smile suddenly gone from his face. Everyone else at the table was staring at me with their mouths open, except for Vince who was smiling from ear to ear. “You’re right about one thing though Nikki.. I am bored.” & with that, I stood up. “Maddie, we’re leaving.”

I grabbed my sisters hand & pulled her up off the devils lap & strutted away, my head high & my heart racing.

“Fucking bitch”, I heard Nikki mumble.

I pushed open the door to the diner & the brisk midnight air hit me in the face. It was a welcome relief. I stood there for a second, my heart still thumping away in my chest from the adrenaline. “Cigarette.” I said to Maddie, extending my hand without looking at her. She obliged, handing one to me, her eyes wide like she was seeing me for the first time. I lit it & took a long drag, the nicotine flooding my system & calming my nerves.

“Who are you?!” Maddie whispered with a smile, finally finding her voice.

“Please, I smoked way before you did, you fucking teenager.” I laughed, rolling my eyes. “I just know how to hide it from daddy better than you.”

“What in the fuck just happened in there?! You just full on tongued the fucking front man of Mötley Crüe! What have you done with my sister?!” She cackled, absolutely bursting with excitement & laughter once again.

“Hey, there were no tongues, ew!” I laughed, “Urgh I don’t know, that goddamn bassist just got to me, I didnt like how he spoke as if he knew me. I wanted to shock him or something, I don’t know..” I let my sentence trail off. In all honesty, I’m wasn’t sure why I kissed Vince. Nikkis voice was ringing in my ears, mocking me & a part of me just wanted prove him wrong.

“I don’t care why you did it, I’m so fucking proud! My dorky big sister, the groupie!” Joked Maddie, jumping up on my shoulders once again.

“I don’t think so, if I never saw that band again, it’d be too soon. Especially that Nikki Sixx.” I said, rolling my eyes.

“Speak of the devil & he shall appear.” Came a velvet smooth voice from behind me. I turned to see the devil in the form of Nikki, leaning against the wall, sparking up a cigarette. He took a drag & walked towards us, fixing his eyes on mine as he walked up to my little sister. He put his fingers under her chin, tilted her head up & pressed his lips against hers. I watched her melt against him, wrapping her arms around his neck & kissing him back. Anger flooded back through me. Who does this asshole think he is? For just a second before he pulled away, his eyes opened & stared at me once again, hoping to see my reaction. Then he removed himself from my sister, flashed a conceited smile my way before looking back at Maddie.

“I hope to see you at one of my gigs soon, doll”, he murmured to her, lazily kissing her on the cheek & turning to walk back inside. “You too Lizzy.” he said.

“It’s Beth,” I shot back, irritated all over again.

“I know,” he said, smirking at me one last time before the door shut behind him.

God, I hated him.

[leah-halliwell92]

Too Much Love Can Kill You

Summary: Soul marks are found through touch and song, one must sing to find their half and touch completes their connection. To reject your mark is to sentence them to death. you have been on tour with Brian, Roger and Rufus for a year and have known them for nearly four. What happens when you find out along the way that you are the mark of one Brian May?

Previously: 

“And that’s the bell ringing for the both of you to get dressed because we need to head to the rehearsals!” Roger yelled through the door, “And I don’t even want to know if you misfired or not!”

You groaned as you let your head fall on Brian’s shoulder as he laughed.

“We’ll be right out Rog!” He called not letting you move an inch before turning to you, “We will be doing something like this again.”

You blushed at that and said, “You owe me a lap dance.”

He laughed at that and proceeded to help you up to get cleaned up for the evening of work that lay ahead.

Prologue – Chapter 1– Chapter 2 – Chapter 3 — Chapter 4 – Chapter 5 –Chapter 6 – Chapter 7 – Chapter 8 – Chapter 9 – Chapter 10 – Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Rehearsal that evening went as expected with things falling into place when they were supposed to, rigs getting set up and checked, instruments being set up and sound checks being done. All in all, this first night went by without a hitch, and quicker than expected which allowed everyone to get off before midnight and get a good night’s sleep for the concert the following day.

You were practically being dragged by Brian when you all entered the hotel. Brian was grinning like a loon at this. You being pressed to him put him at ease as well as gave him the liberty to be naughty every once in a while running his hand to your bum.

You were ready to elbow him for such making such a scandalous move but stopped when the concierge walked over.

“Pardon me Miss and Sir, there is a couple here saying they are your parents and they wish to speak to you,” he said with a quaint professional grin.

You share a look with Brian and look around to find the Taylors pretending, albeit badly, to look elsewhere affording you a semblance (or not) of privacy.

“They are in the coffee lounge if you wish to see them ma’am,” the concierge said, “Should they not be who they say...”

“It’s them, Mr. Carrey you know that as well as most people here do,” you say with a small grin.

Old Mr. Carrey was your old music teacher, you’d heard from Etta he’d retired from teaching only to come here and work as the concierge. I understand why as well! It’s nice to see familiar faces when visiting home. It’s also good to see the community helping their town when and where they can.

“Just making sure, I know you didn’t leave here on the best of terms with them,” he said kindly.

“Maybe it’s high time I talk to them,” You say with a small shrug.

Mr. Carrey nodded looking proud, “And by the looks of it, you are not lacking in support should things not end well.”

You nod and make your way to the cafe lounge Brian hot on your heels hand his fingers grazing your back keeping contact.

You looked to find them sitting at a table a little ways away from the door to afford them some privacy and took a deep breath.

“You’ll be brilliant,” Brian told you with an encouraging smile, “Go on. I’ll be sitting not too far from you holding back the Taylors.”

You laugh at that and nodded before making your way to your parents’ table. 

“Mom, Papa,” you say with a grin on your face happy to see them.

Your mother turned to you first crying in happiness as she pulled you into a near smothering hug whispering love filled reassurances and affection.

You chuckle and hug your mother back with just as much enthusiasm.

“Oh my baby, come sit,” she said motioning for you to sit on the extra seat. 

You nod at the invitation and went to hug your father when you see him begin to sit without even a greeting grin.

“Papa,” you say, “No welcome home hug?”

You keep your tone neutral and your hurt hidden as he gives no answer to that. 

Your mother pats your knee under the table and gives your father a warning look.

“Come now dear our daughter’s home! Isn’t it fantastic?” Your mother asked him her tone matching the warning glare she was sending him.

He cleared his throat and said, “Yes, yes it is.”

Your mother nodded before turning to you a wide smile on her face, “How are you dear? I hear touring is almost done.”

You smile widely at this and nod before going into telling her all about touring answering any and all questions she may have.

“And your album...is it doing well?” She asked her eyes lighting as she learned what you do for a living.

She finally saw that while you’d have been content settling for a job in meteorology, this being a singer/songwriter made you beyond happy. And it showed...

“Yes! Amazingly so, I never thought it would do as well as it has been and I can’t wait to start working on my second album,” You were grateful to your mother for asking You’d been keeping your distance for fear of what such information could do to the three of you.

Your father scoffed lightly not liking this whatsoever.

“And there’s something else as well,” you say being mindful of keeping your gaze fixed on your mother, “I found my mark.”

Your mother’s eyes lit up at this while a cough was heard from your father’s seat as he set his coffee cup down.

“How wonderful!” Your mother gushed standing to hug you once again before saying, “Who is he? What’s his name? What does he do?”

You laughed at your mother in delight and said, “Before I answer all that i have a question of my own...do you know a band called Queen?”

Your mother looked confused before realization hit.

It wasn’t your mothers reaction that alarmed you but your father’s.

He had gone from shocked throwing his head back in peels of laughter.

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If you wanna be tagged shoot me an ask!!! Thanks for reading don’t forget to like and reblog!!!! Feedback is always appreciated!!

                                                    0º0º0º0

Tag list: @pansexualqueendarling, @queenattheopera, @brianandthemays, @theborhapboysawakenedmywhatever, @ramibaby, @captain–americanna, @awkwardangelshezza, @avengerraven1023, @danamaleksworld, @pastywhiteperson, @readinghorn, @i-was-born-like-this, @redspecialstardust, @reedusteinrambles, @rogertaylorsfalsettogivesmehives, @readinghorn, @subbysharkbabe, @capan-devereaux, @bowieandqueen11, @bellamy1998, @reedusteinrambles, @mazzello-lee-jones-malek, @sincereleygmg, @bleu-jean-baby, @brian-mayonnaise, @0hour9am, @toomuchtellyneck, @kimanne723, @sincereleygmg, @kyleetheeditor, @glamrockmonarch, @rawyld, @queensdivas

[btssavedmylifeblr]

Hi there! I have a writing question for you. I just posted my first fic to AO3 and I'm super proud of it. But only a few people have seen it/liked it and I'm disappointed because I honestly think what I wrote is pretty good. Do you have any tips for attracting readers/remaining encouraged when your work isn't well-received? Thank you! Also I love your blog.

First off, congratulations on posting your first fic!! That is a step lots of people never take! It is an act of bravery. When I posted my first fic, very few people read it or noticed it too. It’s taken me almost two years to get to this point. And I still stare longingly at other fics or blogs and I wish I had their numbers. 

Tips for attracting readers

Tag appropriately - On AO3, I would recommend picking 4-8 of the most relevant tags and sticking to those. You don’t have to tag every sexual position or things like kissing. Readers look at the tags for warnings and a general sense of the fic. No one wants to scroll past a whole paragraph of tags. The brain tunes out. On Tumblr, keep in mind that only the first five tags show up in searches so put the most important tags first. The member smut, fluff and angst tags seem to draw the most traffic, eg. “jungkook smut” or “yoongi angst”.

Keep your summaries short and to the point - If you can’t tell us in two sentences or less what your fic is about, your story is too complicated or you don’t have a good enough sense of it for yourself. Don’t worry too much about spoilers, readers need a sense of what to expect and if you are too cryptic, they just won’t click on it and then spoilers don’t matter anyways. Short summaries prompt readers to click through. Long paragraphs are exhausting before you’ve even clicked on them.

Post in multiple places - I post on both Tumblr and AO3. Posting in multiple places gets more eyeballs onto your work. I have people follow me between platforms. Some stories will do better in different places too.  Reader-inserts and one-shots tend to do better on Tumblr. Member ships and long series tend to do better on AO3. I experimented with posting on Wattpad too but didn’t like it. Their algorithm is based on views only which leads to this weird feedback loop where only the most viewed fics get brought to the top, even if no one actually likes them.

On Tumblr, make a masterlist - Too often I see authors complaining about no one reading their fics and I go to their blog and can’t find any of their work! You need a masterlist and it needs to be mobile friendly and in your description. Here’s an easy explanation of how to do make a masterlist and hyperlink it.

Interact with other writers - Send messages! Send asks! Leave comments! Reblog! Recommend! Share! Every single fanfiction writer started in the same place as you. We are all still hoes for feedback even if we have thousands of followers. It makes other people more likely to check out your blog and if people like the stories you recommend, they may be more likely to read your stuff. 

Tips for remaining encouraged

Look at ratios instead of overall numbers - The most popular fics on AO3 have a less than 5% hits to kudos ratio. If you have a story that got 100 hits, and 10 kudos, that’s a kick ass story! The people who read it are really liking it. It just takes time to get more eyeballs on your work, but the eyeballs that are seeing it are liking it. 

Get a beta reader - Having one person tell you in detail what they like about your story is thousand times more motivating than 100 kudos. Here’s my advice for finding a beta reader.

Get some tracking software - I track my blog with both Google Analytics and StatCounter. I can see where people are coming from and which fics are drawing them in. Most readers never give any feedback at all, but they are there and they may be quite enjoying themselves, but you won’t know without a tracker. 

Set goals for yourself that aren’t related to feedback. - You can’t control feedback and it’s demotivating to set goals around something you can’t control. Instead, try things like “I’m going to write a one-shot.” or “I’m going to try writing in first person” or “I’m going to write angst because I’ve never written angst before.” 

Go read some really terrible stories - So here’s where my inner competitive bitch comes out, but SO MUCH FANFICTION IS TERRIBLE! Many very very popular stories are atrocious! I am motivated by the thought of “if that can get 1000 hits, so can I” and I find the challenge of “I can write a better version of this trope/au” enjoyable.

Don’t give up! It takes time! But you will improve and you will get more readers and more feedback if you keep at it. Wishing you lots of love and luck!

[intothedanvers-e]

Young, Dumb, & Broke

Word Count: 1844

Pairing: Tom Holland x Reader

Summary: You just graduated high school and were ready to embark on your last summer of being a dumb teen and going on adventures before having to face the realities of the adult world. One day you were driving to a lake to meet some of your friends when your car broke down in the middle of nowhere. With no service and no gas stations around you wandered a little down the street and found one house where you went to ask for help. You expected to find an old couple living in the middle of nowhere, but a nice young British guy (Tom) answered the door. Due to unforeseen circumstances you spend the rest of the afternoon and most of the night together, but when it’s time to leave he says he wants to see you again. You exchange numbers with the cute British guy and embark on a long, secretive summer fling. You both lie about what you do for a living and what you were both doing in the middle of nowhere, but the moments you too bonded were all genuine. Will he find out about your plans after summer? Will you find out what he actually does for a living? Will this fling extend past summer?

Authors Note: Once again thank you for all the love on this series! At this point idk how long it’ll be but im having so much fun writing it and i really hope you guys are enjoying it just as much!! if you want to be part of the taglist or have any feedback please dont hesitate in letting me know! also if you want me to write anything else (one shot, blurb, au) you can send me anything to my ask! The italics is the other person on the phone and italics + bold is a text message! ok i love all of u and it really means a lot to me if you read + enjoy this series! bye! <3 (btw he’s my masterlist if ur curious!)

Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 4 Chapter 5

Chapter 3

You and Tom had somehow shifted closer to each other as the night wore on. You were now both seated on the floor with your backs against the couch and only mere inches away from each other. You were both wrapped up in your own blankets, mainly because you’d both just spent an hour trying to figure out how to turn off the AC and failed miserably. It was 2 am now but neither of you were tired, and neither of you wanted to be the baby and tap out to go to sleep first. You had both just been sitting there since after dinner talking about everything from your favorite memories ever to dumb things like whether or not you believed in aliens and ghosts.

“No yeah living with 3 brothers is both the worst and the best, but I wouldn’t trade them for the world. I’m the oldest of us so I think I got the best deck of cards handed to me,” he said running his fingers through his curls.

“That’s adorable! It’s just been me and my mom for as long as I can remember so I’d always wished I would’ve had siblings or even cousins,” you tried to laugh off the last part of the sentence while silently cursing yourself for oversharing.

“You don’t have much family then?”

“Not really. My mom got pregnant at 16 so I never met my dad. It used to be my grandmother, my mom, and I but my grandma passed away when I was like 6 so it’s just been me and my mom since then. Well also my moms best friend and her kids. She’s our neighbor so she’s like my non blood related family. Every time my mom has to leave for work I usually stayed with her so she’s like a second mom to me.”

“What does your mother do?”

“She’s a photographer. Nature, portraits, fashion shows and magazine covers; you name it, my mom’s done it. After my grandma passed she really threw herself into her work, which was all amazing but usually meant she’d spend less time at home. The money was great, and my mom gets invited to all kinds of cool stuff but sometimes I just wanted my mom at home you know? Oh my god why am I telling you all of this? I’m sorry for rambling.”

Your cheeks turned a bright red and you diverted your eyes to the floor avoiding eye contact with Tom. To your surprise he actually extended his arm and gave your arm a sympathetic rub.

“No you’re fine, I can’t imagine where’d I be without my family so I’m sorry you had to deal with all that stuff alone.”

You tried to piece words together but the moment he touched your arm, even though it was over the blanket, it sent your heart doing backflips as you started to hear your heartbeat in your ears. You were staring into her beautiful eyes for a second too long when suddenly the phone in the laundry room started to ring. The both of you jumped.

“I should probably get that,” you said getting up and running toward the phone.

“Sounds good!” he yelled from the living room.

You tried catching your breath before answering the phone.

“Hello?”

“Tom?”

“Uhh no, hold on a sec.”

“Wait if this isn’t Tom who is this?”

The voice on the phone had the same deep British accent as Tom so you assumed it was a family friend. You set the phone down on the washer next to the phone and ran into the living room. “The call’s actually for you,” you said grabbing your blanket and dropping yourself on the couch.

“That’s weird I didn’t know anyone had that phone number,” he said slowly walking over to the laundry room.

“British accent.”

“What?”

“Whoever’s on the phone also has a British accent.”

“Ah.”

He seemed to know exactly who it was but you decided not to inquire. He left the room swiftly. Your phone started buzzing wildly on the coffee table. It was a FaceTime from your best friend, but you didn’t feel like answering it considering you’d been messaging her since 6 pm and she didn’t bother to check up on you once. You were originally planning on asking her to pick you up on her way home but you were so overcome with anger that you suddenly decided you’d take a taxi home if you had to. Anything to not have to see any of your friends for a while, you could even try to give them the silent treatment.

She sent you a message. “hope ur doing something non y/n-ish and having fun. guy must be bored out of his mind. see u tmrw, get home ok.”

You rolled your eyes and put your phone face down on the coffee table. Your friend always teased you about being the safe one in the group. Even though your mom wasn’t usually home much, you didn’t do anything behind her back and you followed most of her rules. There were even times when your mom would encourage you to sneak out to see a boy or go to a party but you never really cared for being a rule breaker and your friends never ceased to remind you how lame that was.

Tom walked back into the living room and smiled at you as he walked over to the couch.

“That was my mate Harrison, he went to visit some family in town and somehow got tricked into having a sleepover with his nieces so he won’t be coming back tonight.”

“Oh I thought you were here alone?”

He froze and started running his hands through his curls.

“Oh yeah Harrison is my best mate and kind of like my assistant, you know for the book writing and stuff so uh he takes every vacation with me he can with the excuse of it being a business trip.”

“Sounds like a fun guy. He sounded so confused when I answered the phone, sorry about that.”

“No worries. He was a bit confused so I basically had to give him the long story short of cute girl with a broken down car in the middle of nowhere seeks help.”

“Why thank you.”

“Uhh no what I meant to say is- “

“Are you really going to take back a compliment now Tom?”

His cheeks turned a light pink as he gave you a goofy grin.

“You got me there.”

The phone rang again.

“That might actually be the tow truck this time.”

You power walked over to the phone and answered it.

“Hello ma’am our tow truck is about 5 to 10 minutes out from getting to you. We will call you as soon as we get word that he’s on his way back, and unfortunately you will have to come till tomorrow morning to get your quote.”

“That’s fine, thank you.”

You walked back into the living room and grabbed your jacket.

“The tow truck will be here in 5 to 10 minutes so I’ll probably wait for it on your front porch. I can’t get a quote till the morning so I’ll probably order a taxi as soon as they leave with my car.”

“Let me just grab a hoodie and I’ll wait out there with you. Also youcanstayhereifyouwantto.”

He said the last part so fast as he tried to dart up the stairs.

“What?” you called from the bottom of the stairs.

He stopped on the second to last step and turned to face you.

“Yeah not to be to forward or anything but I’ve got plenty of rooms and I would hate to put you in a taxi from the middle of nowhere at almost 3 am. I have rooms that lock from the inside if that makes you feel any safer.”

You thought about the text from your best friend and all the times your friends made fun of you for being so “lame” and decided to take a risk.

“You know what I’d love that. Thank you.”

He smiled and shot you a thumbs up before descending into his room. He ran back down and accompanied you outside. It was completely dark outside, the street was just illuminated by the moon and the stars. You could see the tow truck approaching from some ways down the road.

“I have a duffel bag with clothes in my back seat so I’ll probably get that and bring it in.”

He nodded and followed closely behind you. You waited for a bit as the tow truck approached. The guy seemed nice but tired, considering as he made almost no small talk except to ask you to sign certain papers.

“I’ll see you in the morning ma’am,” he said climbing into his tow truck.

You and Tom quietly walked back to his house.

“Do you want me to show you the rooms?” he asked as soon as he locked all the doors behind him.

“Do you have a pool?”

“Yeah why?”

“Is it heated?”

“I believe so.”

“Are you up for a night swim? The sky is too beautiful to pass up a night swim with a new friend in summer, Tom Holland.”

He looked at you confused but intrigued.

“I really like where your head is at Y/N. I think this can be the start of a beautiful relationship-UHH I MEAN FRIENDSHIP.”

You laughed as his cheeks went a deep red this time, traveling all the way up to his ears.

“I’m going to go get changed and get some towels, the bathroom is right through there if you want to change in there,” he said as he started climbing up the stairs.

“Okay I’ll be waiting out there.”

You went into the bathroom and exhaled. This was something you’d never in a million years thought you’d be doing, but you were glad that you were. A cute British guy with a heated pool in the middle of nowhere? Even you weren’t dumb enough to pass up on that opportunity. You quickly changed into the bikini you packed in your duffel bag. You would usually beat yourself up for having the duffel bag in the first place considering you had it in there since the day your mom told you the chances of you needing an overnight bag in case of emergencies and you completely missed the joke about needing it for when you stay over at a guys house, but you were just happy you had an extra pair of everything right now.

You walked out of the bathroom at the same time Tom was walking down the stairs in nothing but swimming trunks. You could see his toned abs and arms and everything. It made your heart race. He walked up to you with a goofy grin and handed you a towel.

“You ready?”

“Of course,” you smiled at him and followed closely behind him admiring his back muscles.

Boy was this the best idea you’ve had for a while.

Tag List: @hollandlovely @greenarrowhead @justanotherfangirl2015 @oh-dear-tommy @marvelnerdxinfinity @lafayettes-baguettes-1 @hollandhugs

strikethrough means u couldn’t be tagged for some reason, sorry :(

[lilyvandersteen]

Puppy Eyes Chapter 9

This is again from Kurt’s point of view. And you’re finally going to find out what it’s going to take to break the dog spell!

This chapter is unbetaed, because once again, I procrastinated writing it and my lovely beta @hkvoyage hasn’t read it yet, seeing as I’ve only just finished writing the last sentence… I’ve been too busy to write this weekend, seeing as @klaineship2 has come to visit me :-)

Thank you so much to everyone who sends me feedback - you’re wonderful and you spur me on to keep writing :-)

This story is also on AO3 and on Fanfiction.net.

The other parts can be found here: Prologue - Chapter 1 - Chapter 2 - Chapter 3 - Chapter 4 - Chapter 5 - Chapter 6 - Chapter 7 - Chapter 8

Chapter 9: A Fighting Chance

It felt a bit weird at first, calling the professor by his first name, and living in his apartment. Kurt kept pinching himself to ascertain that this was real, especially that first morning, when he padded into the living room still half-asleep and found Blaine exercising to a workout video, wearing the skimpiest shorts Kurt had ever seen, and a black muscle shirt that showed off his arms. Kurt stopped in his tracks and just stared with his mouth wide open, until Blaine noticed him and winked. “Come join me?”

Kurt snapped his mouth shut. “I need to go walk some dogs. You’re up early.”

Blaine flashed him a smile. “Always. I crash at nine thirty at the latest, and I’m up with the birds.”

Kurt groaned. “Oh great, I’m living with a morning person again!”

That made Blaine laugh out loud. “I made coffee, if that helps?”

“Oh, yes,” Kurt moaned, making a beeline for the kitchen, where he filled up his travel mug with coffee, taking a long sip before he closed it and humming happily.

Blaine followed him. “I can make you breakfast, too, if you tell me what you want?”

Kurt’s stomach rumbled, but he shook his head. “No time. I always make myself a packed breakfast to eat on the way or in the park.”

He took the box out of the fridge and put it in his backpack after taking out a sandwich and wolfing it down in three bites.

Before he left the apartment, he gave an awkward wave and said bye. Blaine, who’d resumed his exercising, waved back with a smile.

The rest of the weekend was spent comparing their schedules, figuring out how to divide the household tasks and stocking up on groceries for next week’s meals. Oh, and reassuring Burt, who was apprehensive about Kurt moving in with someone nearly ten years his senior, and wouldn’t believe there was nothing going on between them. Burt fired off a barrage of questions at Blaine, who never even blinked, and didn’t seem intimidated by Burt’s glare in the slightest.

Blaine had taken to accompanying Kurt on his scheduled dog walks, chatting his ear off, and Kurt delighted in uncovering new information about Blaine. He had a brother! A famous one! He played five instruments and used to be in his school’s show choir!

Blaine wanted to know about Kurt, too. He was endlessly interested in Kurt’s childhood, his mom, his dad, his friends, his favourite food, his taste in music and books and TV series, encouraging Kurt to talk himself hoarse about it all.

At school, the first week, Professor Scher accosted Kurt in the hallway again and steered him into her office. “I heard from Blaine that you’re living with him now. I’m so glad. He needs someone to look after him when he turns into a dog.”

Kurt, taken of guard, started babbling. “You… You know about… You… don’t mind?”

“Oh, psh,” said the professor. “The two of you belong together. Anyone can see that. But as I said, keep it on the down-low.”

Kurt blinked at her. “We’re not… together, Professor. Just… living together.”

“Oh, that will come in time,” Professor Scher predicted. “Tell Sebastian to call me, okay? I want him to come talk about  R/GA here at school again.”

Kurt promised he’d ask and then scurried off.

Thankfully, everybody else at school assumed he was still working as a dog-sitter, and just asked if he’d found a new place to stay. “Oh, you get to stay longer this time? That’s great. Moving all the time must be such a pain.”

K&B

After a few weeks, Kurt fell into a comfortable routine. In spite of his graphic design minor and his internship at R/GA, he felt like he had more breathing room than last year. Of course, it helped that he lived a short walk away from school and from the R/GA offices now. It helped that he had Blaine at home to help him with any school-related questions he had. And it helped that on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, Blaine had dinner on the table the minute Kurt came home.

Kurt wasn’t used to living with someone who could cook, actually enjoyed cooking, and took that task out of his hands. Burt was a slapdash cook, throwing together ingredients and hoping it would turn out edible. Carole was an excellent cook, but only cooked when Kurt wasn’t at home. She left the kitchen to her stepson anytime he visited. And Rachel was an out-and-out disaster, who had been banned from the stove and the oven after she nearly started a kitchen fire during their first evening at the loft.

Blaine, however, was a gourmet chef, producing cheese soufflés lighter than air, osso bucco that melted in your mouth, and quiches and lasagnes that were golden perfection. Anything he made smelled and tasted so good that Kurt took seconds and begged him for the recipe.

He wasn’t a food snob, though. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, Kurt cooked, and it was nothing special, just a stir fry or pasta with sauce, but Blaine tucked in as if it was the best thing he’d ever eaten and complimented Kurt.

And on weekends, they cooked and baked together, and proved to be a good team.

Kurt loved his new housing arrangements, though it worsened his crush by the day, and he believed that Blaine was happy with his new housemate too. Blaine still pined after Trent, though. Kurt wasn’t entirely sure what their relationship had been, but it had clearly ended on a bad note, and Blaine kept beating himself up about it, blaming himself for the radio silence between him and his ‘friend’. When Kurt suggested that he contact Trent again, though, Blaine got a deer-in-the-headlights look and shut up about it. Scared of confrontation, was he? Kurt filed that away in his Blaine database.

K&B

When the holidays approached, Kurt wasn’t surprised that his dad expected him to come to Ohio. What did surprise him was that Burt wanted Blaine to come, too. “I want to meet him for real, son. See with my own eyes that he treats you right. Nah, don’t roll your eyes at me, let me ask him.”

“Dad!”

“What? I’m just being neighbourly, inviting my son’s housemate so that he’s not alone for the holidays,” said Burt. “And you said he’s from Ohio too, so he can visit his family while he’s here. Let me invite him, go on.”

The invitation surprised Blaine, that was clear, but he seemed to appreciate it, and after conferring with his mother, he agreed to come.

To Kurt’s amusement, Blaine stressed out more about finding a gift for Carole than about meeting Burt. However, Kurt’s grin slid off his face as he realised that was one more sign of Blaine friend-zoning Kurt. Yes, they got along splendidly, and living with Blaine was everything Kurt could have wished for, but he needed to remember that he’d never get more than this.

Every day, he fell for Blaine harder, to the point where it had become so much worse than a crush. Kurt was actually in love with him now, though Blaine had never shown the slightest inkling of being interested in Kurt that way. Maybe he was still hung up on Trent? Maybe Kurt just wasn’t his type? Whatever the reason, Kurt would not get his happily-ever-after, and needed to guard his heart.

It wasn’t easy, though, when everything Blaine did endeared him more to Kurt. He was endlessly attentive, affectionate and nice, and it was hard for Kurt to keep in mind Blaine didn’t like him as more than a friend when he kept hugging and cuddling up to Kurt, remembered how Kurt took his coffee, made his favourite dishes and brought home his favourite dessert.

Kurt shook it off by telling himself that Blaine must have taken over a few characteristics of the dog he kept turning into, and that this was just Blaine showing his loyalty and eagerness to please.

Don’t get your hopes up. Don’t you dare!

K&B

Thanksgiving was lovely. Carole happily surrendered the kitchen to Kurt and Blaine, and together, they whipped up a mouth-watering dinner.

Burt went out of his way to embarrass Kurt, though, convinced that there was something going on between him and Blaine, and not letting up about it.

Blaine’s mother proved to be just as bad, treating Kurt as if he was her son-in-law already.

However much Kurt appreciated her ready acceptance of him, It stung a little, too, because the relationship Pam took for granted was just a figment of her imagination, and no amount of wishing on Kurt’s part would make it real.

The plane trip back to New York turned into a road trip when Blaine turned into a dog at the airport, and by the time they arrived at Blaine’s apartment, Kurt was exhausted, and determined to find a way to break that blasted curse. He’d already asked his dad to contact the people who’d tried to help his mom, way back. If that didn’t help, Kurt would go see the guy who’d cursed Blaine himself.

Accordingly, during their Christmas break, Kurt and Blaine found themselves in the parlour of one curse breaker after another, but they weren’t of any more use than they had been to Kurt’s mom.

“I’m sorry, this curse is too strong. Who did you say cast it?”

And when Blaine told them it had been Alexei Zakharov, they recoiled and pushed him out the door as fast as they could, fear in their eyes.

So three days after Christmas, early in the morning, while Blaine was having breakfast in the kitchen with Carole, Kurt came downstairs dressed in his warmest clothes and toting a suitcase, and told his dad he was going to try and sort out this curse himself.

“I’ve found Mr Zakharov on the internet. He lives in Saint Petersburg. I’m going to confront him and ask him to break the curse.”

Burt gripped Kurt’s arm. “Kurt, no! I don’t want this guy to curse YOU!”

Kurt looked Burt straight in the eye. “I have to do this, Dad. I have to. Look after Blaine while I’m gone, will you?”

With that, Kurt wheeled his suitcase down the hall and let himself out.

Behind him, he heard an anguished whisper of his name, but he squared his shoulders and didn’t look back.

K&B

It took almost a day to get to Saint Petersburg. Kurt stumbled out of the plane as a sleep-deprived wreck, but once arrived at his hotel, he only dropped off his suitcase and strode out again. He was determined to get the curse sorted out first. He could nap after.

Kurt found the headquarters of the company where Mr Zakharov worked, and waited outside the office building for him to come out. He’d memorised the picture he’d found online so that he would recognise him, and sure enough, a few minutes past five, he saw the man walking out the door.

“Mr Zakharov?” Kurt called.

The man turned around, sizing him up. “You’re American.”

“Yes.”

“What do you want with me?” Mr Zakharov asked.

Kurt hesitated, his eyes scanning their surroundings. “Can we talk somewhere more private, please?”

Mr Zakharov let out a booming laugh. “Are you propositioning me?”

Kurt flushed, his eyes going wide. “No!”

That made the man throw his head back and laugh even harder, slapping his thigh. When he’d gotten over his bout of hilarity, he said, “No need to look so scared, boy, I was just joking.”

Kurt exhaled shakily. “Oh…”

“I’m heading home right now, so you can come with me,” Mr Zakharov continued.

Kurt nodded and fell into step with him. They turned left and stopped at a house with a bright blue door.

“This is me,” said Mr Zakharov, and he took out a chain holding at least a hundred keys, finding the right one without even looking.

Kurt followed him in, and then to a sitting room with more doilies than he’d ever seen together, even at his great-aunt’s. He sat down gingerly on an armchair, and looked at Mr Zakharov, trying to figure out where to start.

“You wanted to talk to me?” the man prompted.

“Yes. I… I need to know how to break a spell.”

Well, that was blunt, and to the point, but Kurt figured that a guy who’d taken umbrage at being led on for half a year would appreciate directness.

Mr Zakharov’s eyebrows rose. “A spell? Who cast it?”

“You did,” said Kurt.

Now the man’s eyebrows hit his hairline. “А тебе не занимать мужества, малыш!”

“Sorry?” Kurt asked.

“You’ve got guts, kid!” Mr Zakharov translated. “Stepping up to me to ask how to break one of my spells - the nerve of you! I’ve struck people dead for less!”

Kurt’s eyes widened, but he stayed put, pulling his shoulders back and looking straight at Mr Zakharov. “I meant no offense, sir.”

The man’s expression softened. “You’re lucky you seem so innocent. Plus that I’m curious. What was the curse? What is it you want to turn back? You want to stop someone from dying? Or bring them back from the dead?”

Kurt’s mouth fell open. “Can you do that?”

Mr Zakharov smirked. “For the right price, I might.”

Kurt gaped at him some more, but this was not about his mom, nor did he think she could be brought back after so many years. So he soldiered on. “No, it has nothing to do with life and death. It’s a dog spell.”

That was clearly not what Mr Zakharov had been expecting him to say, but it took him only seconds to catch on. “Blaine!”

Kurt nodded.

The man in front of him clenched and unclenched his fists, a dangerous glint in his eyes, and it took a few minutes for him to speak again. “So he’s into children these days, is he?”

Kurt’s puzzled expression sparked a fit of laughter, and only when it had subsided did Mr Zakharov explain his remark. “He’s dating you now? What are you, sixteen?”

Kurt squashed his indignation and replied, “I’m twenty, sir. And no, I’m not dating Blaine Anderson.”

Mr Zakharov looked as though he was close to laughing again. “But you’d certainly like to. Why else would you be here on his behalf?”

Kurt shifted uncomfortably in his armchair.

Again, the man’s laugh boomed through the room. “Up to his old tricks, is he, Blaine? Making you feel like you’re the only boy in the world to him and then friend-zoning you?”

That felt uncomfortably close to the truth, so Kurt bit his lip and said nothing.

“Aww, you’re too precious,” the man sniggered. “He’s never going to fall for you, you know that, right? You’re just wasting your time.”

Kurt nodded and then ducked his head. He did know that. He’d always known it. But it wasn’t like that made any difference to him. He wanted to help Blaine. Get that curse lifted. He didn’t expect anything from Blaine in return. That was not how love worked. If you loved someone, you had to set them free, right? Even if it broke your heart.

By the time Kurt felt composed enough to look up again, Mr Zakharov’s eyes had lost their teasing glint. He looked at Kurt intently. “You may look like a kid, but you’re really not. You have more strength in you than meets the eye, and the purest heart of anyone I’ve ever met. Which is why I’m going to give you a fighting chance. You deserve that much.”

Kurt mustered up a tiny smile. “Thank you.”

“Oh, don’t thank me just yet,” said the man. “I’m not going to make this easy on you. I’m going to give you two years, starting today. If in that time, you manage to make Blaine fall in love with you, the spell will be broken. Get Blaine to kiss you and mean it, and he’ll never be a dog again.”

Mr Zakharov sniggered. “True love’s kiss and all that. In fact, I should give you until midnight on New Year’s Eve, two years from now, then it’s completely like a fairy tale. So you’ll get two years and two days, kid. A bit more, since you’re from America, and you’re several hours behind.”

Kurt nodded, and Mr Zakharov shook his head, chuckling and fiddling with his beard. “Who’d have known, I’m growing soft! I’m going to need to kill some people after this to prove that I’m still as fearsome as ever.”

Kurt couldn’t help but shiver, and that made the man laugh uproariously. “I wouldn’t kill you, little one! I like you. You’ve got spunk. And you make me laugh. Now… Where was I? Oh, yes. If you don’t manage to make Blaine fall for you, and let’s face it, that’s the more likely scenario, seeing as the guy’s such an idiot at personal relationships…”

Mr Zakharov laughed again, but it sounded sharp this time, and there was something savage about his expression, showing that however long it had been, he still hadn’t forgotten nor forgiven Blaine’s rejection.

“If you fail,” the man continued, “Blaine will become a dog permanently. For the rest of his life.”

Kurt considered this. It wasn’t likely that he’d succeed, but at least Blaine wouldn’t die, not even in the worst case scenario. If Blaine turned into a dog for good, Kurt would look after him. He owed him that much.

So Kurt nodded. “That’s fair. I accept your terms.”

That made Mr Zakharov crack up once more. “So polite, hee, hee, hee!”

Kurt didn’t see what was so funny, but at long last, the man got down to business, focussing his glittering dark eyes back on Kurt and flexing his fingers. “All right then…”

Mr Zakharov started chanting in what Kurt presumed to be Russian, wiggling his fingers at Kurt, who felt like squirming away, but forced himself to sit up straight and still until the magic was done.

“There!” the man said cheerfully. “Oh, and one more thing… You can’t tell Blaine how his curse can be broken. And of course you can’t go telling Blaine that you love him.”

Kurt blanched. “I already have!”

Mr Zakharov raised an eyebrow. “You told him you were in love with him?”

“Yes.”

“And what did he say?” the man inquired.

Kurt bit his lip. “He found it funny.”

Mr Zakharov fixed Kurt with a stare again. “Hmm… Well, if he already knows, it won’t make much difference if you mention it again, I guess. I hope for your sake that you succeed, but he doesn’t deserve you. At all.”

The man seemed indignant on Kurt’s behalf, which would have been funny if Kurt hadn’t been so scared of him.

Kurt thanked his host again politely, declined an offer of refreshment and got out of that house as fast as he could.

It wasn’t until he was back in his hotel room that he lost it, shaking uncontrollably and weeping out all his pent-up emotions. He may not have shown it, but that confrontation had been nerve-racking from the beginning until the end.

Once he felt slightly better, he ordered room service. He wasn’t hungry, per se, but he felt empty, and seeing as there was no-one around to hug him and make him feel better, he was going to fill the void with pizza and cake, so there. It was going to set him back a pretty penny, but no way was he going out again when people like Mr Zakharov roamed the streets here.

While he waited for his food to arrive, he thought of another way to make himself happy again – a phone call to his dad.

Burt picked up the phone after the first ring. “Kurt? What happened? Are you okay? Me and Blaine were having dinner when all of a sudden, pop, he becomes a dog. Wow, that was weird.”

Kurt gasped. He hadn’t thought of that, but of course Blaine had turned into a dog – Kurt had made Mr Zakharov think of him. “Let him run free in the back yard. I’ll clean up his messes when I get back. You’ll have to buy him dog food, though.”

“He can’t eat lasagne?” Burt asked.

“Dad, no!! There’s all sorts of things in that sauce that are bad for dogs, tomatoes and onions and stuff. Do you want to clean up puke all over the house?”

“Ah, no…” said Burt. “I’ll go to the store first thing in the morning. What could I give him to eat for now?”

Kurt thought hard. “I bought extra ground beef to freeze in last time I went grocery-shopping, but I think I forgot to freeze it in. Can you check? It should be on the lowest shelf in the fridge.”

“Uhm… Yep, there it is.”

“Give Blaine about a quarter of that,” Kurt instructed.

“Raw?” Burt asked.

“Yes.”

Kurt heard some clinking and scraping, and then Burt was back. “Okay, done. And he seems to like it. So tell me what happened.”

“Of course he likes it, this is like fine dining for a dog,” Kurt explained.

“Quit stalling, son.”

Kurt sighed. “Well, I went to see him, and we talked.”

“He didn’t curse you, did he?” Burt asked, a tremor in his voice.

Kurt was quick to reassure him. “No. He seemed to like me.”

“And what did he say about the dog spell?”

Kurt hesitated. “It… It can be broken by true love’s kiss.”

There was silence on the other end of the line. Then Burt said, “That easy?”

“What’s easy about true love?” Kurt countered. “I don’t think Blaine is quick to fall in love. And he doesn’t notice it when other people fall for him. That’s what got him into this mess in the first place. I told you about that.”

“Still, he got off easy,” Burt said.

“He only has two more years to do it, though,” Kurt. “Then his time runs out.”

“And then he dies?” Burt gasped.

“No, no! He won’t die. He’s just… going to stay a dog for the rest of his life.”

“Huh. That’s not too bad.”

“No,” Kurt agreed. “It’s not.”

“Why do I get the feeling you’re leaving something out?” Burt asked.

Kurt chuckled wetly. “You always know, don’t you? I… I like Blaine. You know that.”

“Course I do,” Burt said. “I could see it all the way from New York, first time I Face-Timed with Blaine, and you were hovering behind him. Worst case of heart-eyes I’ve ever seen.”

“Dad!” Kurt protested, hoping that Blaine wasn’t listening in. “It was… obvious to Mr Zakharov too. So… It’s me that Blaine has to fall in love with. Someone else won’t do. And I can’t tell Blaine how to break the curse.”

“So everything will stay the same?” Burt asked. “You pining after Blaine and him not even noticing?”

Kurt took a deep breath. “Yeah. Basically, yeah.”

“That sucks.”

“Does it ever,” Kurt agreed. “But that’s life, I guess.”

“If he can’t see how amazing you are, he’s an idiot,” Burt said. “A nice one, but still an idiot.”

“Dad!”

“Just saying it like it is, kiddo.”

“I know, I know. But, Dad… He can’t help not feeling any attraction to me anymore than I can help falling for men instead of women. It’s not something you can force. Maybe he’s asexual.”

“He’s a what now?”

Kurt rolled his eyes. “That means he’s not attracted to anyone. Ever.”

“Is that a thing?”

Kurt laughed. “Yes. It’s a thing. Mind you, I’m not sure. But that could be the reason. He seems to like me well enough, but there’s no spark.”

“I see plenty of sparks between the two of you,” Burt disagreed.

Kurt sighed. “Yeah, coming from my end. Not his. Now drop it, please, Dad.”

Kurt’s food arrived shortly after that, so he ended the phone call and started devouring everything as if he hadn’t eaten for days.

When he crawled into bed a few hours later, he still felt empty, in spite of the phone call and the food.

Two years. I have two years. And two days. Why am I clinging onto this as if I stand a chance? That’s just stupid. Blaine won’t ever fall for me.

[archetype-online-blog]

Blog: So it’s time to write a query letter …

You’ve just finished the perfect short story and want to submit it to your favorite journal or magazine. Or, you’ve finally put the finishing touches on that 80k-word novel and you need an agent to start pitching it to all the big publishers. But how do you approach these intimidating professionals* who have been reviewing masterpieces longer than you’ve been alive? Your best friend throughout this process is going to be a really strong query letter.

If you don’t know what a query letter is, don’t stress! It’s just a short note, almost like a cover letter, that pitches the idea of your story to an agent and asks if they’re interested in representing you. It gives you a chance to specify the title, length, and genre of your story, as well as provide a brief summary, so an agent can decide if your work matches their professional interests. A good one can get you moved to the “keep reading” pile — but a bad one can mean an immediate rejection. Like all first impressions, the way you represent yourself and your work is key.

Read on to see our comments and critiques of example letters, as well as advice on how to create and refine yours.

*The people we’re talking about — agents, editors, publishers, etc — shouldn’t be seen as intimidating. They only want what you do — to find amazing, creative works, and to make them available for everyone to appreciate. If it helps, think of them as giant book nerds like you and your friends.

MAGAZINES/JOURNALS

When submitting a short story to magazines or journals, you don’t really need the long summary and detailed description authors include for novels. Your submission is short enough that editors will be able to read the whole thing! Instead, just give them the basics and thank them for their time. A lot of times, journals will post exactly what information they’re looking for in their calls for submissions.

Here’s a sample:

Dear Editors,

I would like to submit my short story “Hills Like White Elephants” (1,400 words) for publication. I have never previously published a short story.

This is a simultaneous submission. Per your guidelines, if I don’t hear back within three months, I will assume my story does not align with the publication goals of Transition Magazine.

Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely, Ernest Hemingway

This offers all the important information — title, word count, whether you’ve been previously published, and whether this is a simultaneous submission (in other words, if you’re submitting the piece to other journals at the same time). It takes the time to be polite, but it isn’t so long it’ll waste an editor’s valuable time.

The line about the guidelines is optional, though you should definitely follow all guidelines. You can also include any relevant personal information here. Make sure you check the requirements of the journal you choose to see what information they require.

ROUGH QUERY LETTER — MISTAKES TO LEARN FROM

Before we get to a really strong query letter, we though it would be fun to show you one that pretty much misses all the key requirements. See if you can figure out why the mistakes below are so tragic and ill-advised.

Now that you’ve survived that train wreck, here’s why these mistakes might be the last ones you make with that particular agent, and how to avoid them:

1. Agents get TONS of query letters every day, and they want to know you’ve already done your homework and checked whether they’re a good fit for you. So sending the same unpersonalized query letter to every agent listed on a website probably isn’t the best idea! If you didn’t take the time to look up their name and write a separate email, why would they waste time reading the names of your characters and worlds in addition to everyone else’s?

Instead, address the agent by name and always start a new email for each agent.

2. This doesn’t tell us anything particularly interesting about the writer or how their interests connect to the agent, so it’s kind of a waste of time to read. It would be better not to include this paragraph at all.

3. Make sure to mention the title and genre of your work near the top, so the agent knows what they’re about to read. Also, avoid boastful claims or bragging about how good your story is — let your writing speak for itself later on.

4. A lot of people say there’s no such thing as a new story, just new ways to tell it, but you still don’t want your summary to sound like twenty other books or every movie that came out in the 90s. Instead of relying on cliches like “new kid in town” or “chosen one” that we’ve all heard a million times before, focus on the parts of your story that are fresh and exciting!

5. Repeating “mysterious” and “mystery” in the same sentence starts to feel a little sloppy — make sure you read through your letter out loud before you send it off, to catch any embarrassing mistakes.

6. When you read this paragraph, the plot and conflict are really hard to follow. Make sure your summary gives the reader a clear picture of what happens in your story. You can test it out on your friends before you sent it for real — if they can keep track of what’s happening, you’re probably good to go!

7. Again, if a particular sentence doesn’t add very much, cut it — that way, it won’t take up an agent’s time and annoy them.

8. When reading real query letters, the funniest thing is always when people claim their work is “the next Harry Potter” or “following in the footsteps of   J.R.R. Tolkien and George R.R. Martin.” By omitting a claim like this, you’re not saying your work isn’t amazing — but you’re also not setting yourself up for an unfair comparison between you and incredibly sophisticated, famous writers. Think about it — even J.K. Rowling probably wasn’t calling herself the next Roald Dahl or Madeleine L’Engle as she was querying The Sorcerer’s Stone. Statements like this are too bold, and give agents a weird feeling before they even start on the manuscript.

It can be helpful to include works you think are similar to yours if such information will concisely convey the mood or themes of your story to an agent. Try something like, “fans of Neil Gaiman will appreciate the whimsical atmosphere of my setting,” or “my protagonist will captivate people who love the inquisitive nature of Sherlock Holmes and Hercule Poirot.” From these descriptions, I’m prepared to get a similar general feeling from your work. But I’m still expecting you to be a unique, individual author doing your own thing, with all your own artistic choices.

9. Promising your book will make a good movie is also too bold, and feels weird.

10. Be respectful and formal in greetings and closings.

GOOD QUERY LETTER

Strong query letters avoid the mistakes we listed above, and add some other really important information. Here’s one for reference:

1. This writer clearly did their research and found an agent they want a strong partnership with in the future.

2. If you have a really great anecdote, this can be a good way to connect with an agent. If you don’t have something strong and you’re just looking for any way to connect, however, it can be best to omit this section.

Good anecdotes: You’ve interacted with the agent before, either at an event or on social media, and they encouraged you to reach out (this is a REALLY good way to open — get out there and make connections if you can!). Another agent recommended you try querying this one. The agent is particularly interested in minorities or strong women, and that’s a main selling point of your work. This agent stated recently they’re looking for (YA fantasy, middle grade sci-fi, etc) and that’s what you’re going to provide now.

Not-so-good anecdotes: You have a similar taste in books. You think other books they’ve represented are amazing. You strongly suspect based on a few comments in interviews that the agent likes hopeful stories, and your story is hopeful. You just know you’d get along based on something they wrote on Twitter last week.

3. Always mention the name of your work near the beginning, so the writer knows what story they’re about to read and can easily remember it. You can put this in the subject line of your email, too.

You should mention the target age group and genre, too, both in the body and the subject line. Do you write middle grade? YA? New adult? Adult? Is your story fantasy? Sci-fi? Mystery? Dystopian?

4. The summary of your manuscript is arguably the most important part. You want to make it sound interesting and complex, so it stands out among all the other letters the agent will receive. Write it and rewrite it, then rewrite it again. Get feedback from everyone you can.

5. You should specify the word count, and you should also know that your length is right for this kind of story. Agents are going to run away from a middle grade novel that’s 120,000 words, or a high fantasy book with tons of world building and subplots that’s only 30k or 40k. Do some research as you’re writing to make sure you’re hitting the sweet spot, and if your story ends up being too long, consider splitting it into multiple books.

6. Advice varies on whether to mention sequel potential, but if you have a series started, feel free to say so.

7. On their websites, agents will probably tell you how they want work submitted. Are they looking for two separate attachments, a query letter and a manuscript? Do they want the first twenty pages of a manuscript, the first ten chapters, or the whole thing? Do they not want to open attachments at all, and request that you copy everything into the body of the email? MAKE SURE you follow these instructions, as writers that don’t will be rejected immediately.

8. Be respectful and formal in greetings and closings.

As with most of advice, none of these tips apply in all cases at all times. There are always exceptions to any rule, and since you know your work better than anyone, you should trust your judgement if you think something doesn’t apply! But in general, if you stick to this format, agents will be able to move past your query letter and evaluate your work based on its merit.

Want feedback on your query letter? Send it to us at ArchetypeOnlineMag@gmail.com!

Like our blog? Find more posts at https://archetypeonline.org/blog/

[bungoustraypups]

I posted 1,870 times in 2021

94 posts created (5%)

1776 posts reblogged (95%)

For every post I created, I reblogged 18.9 posts.

I added 2,203 tags in 2021

#luck.txt - 699 posts

#luck.rb - 597 posts

#bsd - 292 posts

#save - 168 posts

#art - 109 posts

#luck.org - 81 posts

#template - 72 posts

#me - 66 posts

#crack - 60 posts

#docs - 59 posts

Longest Tag: 89 characters

#its just chumming the terf water and then shooting the terfs who come and try saying smth

My Top Posts in 2021

#5

Fic thing: "I’ve done this song and dance before."

fic title: hopes & dreams & baby things

"I've done this song and dance before, many, many times. I know a look like that when I see one."

Chuuya purposefully turns his face away from Kouyou's eyes as she speaks her next words with purpose: "How long has it been since the two of you started seeing each other again?"

There's really no getting out of this one, is there? Well, at least she only knows half the story so far (he supposes that her reaction would be far less calm if she knew any more than that.)

send me an ask with the first sentence of a fanfic and i’ll write the next five **BONUS FOR ME:** if you send in the title of one i’ve already posted, i’ll write the next five sentences. let’s see if we can build a fic, shall we?

og post

19 notes • Posted 2021-09-11 12:22:14 GMT

#4

hey fellas

if i were to make a BSD fanfic-writer centric server, right. and it’d be a server where all confirmed members could have their own channel (if they wanted) to talk about their fics and share their work/excerpts/etc. and there’d be specific ping roles for specific content like ships/characters/genres, as well as specific user’s (within the server) content. and it was mainly focused on encouraging each other to create and giving feedback.

would anyone here be interested in joining it? or maybe even signal boosting it when/if it goes up? cause i’d love to make one! also it’d be for all fic writers, whether you do reader-insert/self-insert, ocs, canons, whatever!

22 notes • Posted 2021-10-07 05:56:58 GMT

#3

i am majorly inclined to believe that whenever a terf tries talking about how they’ve totally been harassed by just so many trans women/transfems/tras/etc, they are absolutely lying, or at the least, lying by omission, or deliberately misleading people by convincing them that something that was never present in the interaction totally was because um uh they said so, especially when they claim these interactions happened online and yet mysteriously offer absolutely NO viable proof of any kind of said interactions.

and this has nothing to do with like, not believing victims of abuse and such. i myself am a victim of horrific abuse, after all, a good bit of it being sexual in nature, and most of that abuse happening when i was a child (both before and after i came out as trans, btw, my csa had nothing to do with my trans identity bc the feelings i had prior to coming out AND EVEN prior to the csa have remained the same at their core, AKA “im really not a girl at all honestly”). i am even a victim of abuse at the hands of other trans people, only i have the critical thinking skills to realize they didn’t abuse me because they were trans, they abused me because at their core, they were cruel and abusive people with shit personalities, and that’s why they abused me, and also i have this cool thing called a brain which i use frequently enough to not decide to hate an entire diverse group of human beings because some of them hurt me (and i’ve been abused by both transmasc/trans men and transfem/trans women, actually more trans men/transmascs than trans women/transfems, but yknow, that really doesn’t matter, i’m just pointing out why the terf talking points are not gonna work on me lmao). notably, however, most of the major abusers in my life excluding my stepdad have actually been cis women/cis girls, and i see way more similarities between my abusers and terfs than i ever have between trans people of any alignment and my abusers.

the reason why i largely cannot take terfs at their word when they claim they’ve faced harassment by tras/trans women/transfems/trans folk, is simply because: the core of their group and their movement is complete and violent hatred against amab trans folk, and then hatred and violence towards afab trans folk usually in the form of attempted conversion therapy which is by definition literally always non-consensual in some way shape or form and also by definition includes abuse because you can’t do conversion therapy without abusing someone somehow. how the fuck do you expect me to believe someone who ALREADY hates us, who intentionally reads everything we do in bad faith, when they try to tell me that this harassment totally happened?

look at me in my eyes, do you think i am that gullible? do you think i am so naive as to do that? me? a fat disabled neurodivergent mentally ill black gay non-binary trans man living in the south, who has been subject to the testimonies and attacks from various hate groups for various reasons and knows how they operate? do you think i do not learn from my lived experiences what these people do? would you believe a known, loud and proud n/zi if they told you they were totally beat up by just, so many 100% real-not-fake-strawmen jewish people behind the local dennys for no reason at all? would you do that? i hope to whatever god, goddess, or deities you worship that you would not. because i HOPE you can see why that might not be a good idea. it is for the same reason i do this with terfs.

i came to this conclusion after many interactions with terfs against my will, as well as being subject to their posts about supposed “violence” they encountered which, when i did some investigating (when i was able to, or when i was mentally well enough to do so because simply seeing their bios is enough to exhaust me and make me almost physically ill), turned out to be complete and utter bullshit, and what was usually going on was either:

they were claiming that a post someone, trans or otherwise, made about hating/wishing violence on terfs specifically bc terfs are disgusting, was ACTUALLY based on the fact that they were a woman somehow and not because they were a terf, which is the REAL problem, but bc terfs love to pretend to be victims, they insidiously twist words bc they KNOW ppl who are reading stuff online usually don’t go and do deeper research and just accept it at face value, and then are like “omg i can’t believe this violent TRA hates women it’s because i’m a poor widdle uterus-vagina-having woman and totally not because i believe trans women/transfems should all be violently murdered and trans men/transmascs are just poor lost lesbians/gnc women who need literal conversion therapy to convince them they are women! it’s only because im a FEMALE”

they took a post or statement which was not aimed at anyone in particular and are now telling people (whether it be reporters writing these stupid shitty news articles, or via their own platforms like “educational” youtube videos n such) that it was totally directed towards them in particular when in reality it was not

they took a post which was sarcastic and/or meant to be a joke, sometimes even clearly stated to be a joke in its source, and deliberately and in bad faith told others that it was serious, interpreted it as such KNOWING it to be false, and then used it as an example as to why those “horrible violent tras” totally hate real women or whatever, and the rest of the bozos reading it went “omg so true!” because they don’t possess enough critical thinking skills to read something inane and realize “this is probably a joke or something”

they fell for a troll, like, the trolliest of most obvious trolls, because they hate trans people SO MUCH they’re willing to take ANYTHING they can use as a weapon against us and use it, and that and that alone should honestly prove to you why they are untrustworthy

like sorry not sorry. terfs are literally unable to see interactions with trans people as anything other than “violence” against them because that’s how fucking much they hate us. so why in the name of bast would you expect me to believe them at face value just ‘cause some trans people do bad shit? like i already know some trans people are garbage. but 99.9% of the time, that is simply because they suck AS PEOPLE and has zip doodle squat to do with their identity.

i am not a fool. terfs see trans people the same way white supremacists see black and brown folk like myself, the same way eugenicists see disabled/mentally ill/neurodivergent/fat people like myself, the same way n/zis see anyone who isn’t Well You Know like myself, the same way every hate group ever sees anyone who isn’t like them like myself. they’re all wearing the same brand of glasses, it’s just some of ‘em have different tints on the lense, and some people are even wearing more than one at the same time lmao. y’all are transparent as fuck and are terrified of more people seeing right through you just like i do.

keep crying about how TRAs totally definitely harassed and/or abused you cause youre a woman and not cause youre a nasty terf. sure. and when you’re done with that, i have some lovely beachfront property in idaho i’d like to sell you :)

23 notes • Posted 2021-11-07 08:25:47 GMT

#2

See the full post

30 notes • Posted 2021-08-20 21:43:12 GMT

#1

hi pls rb this!

so. this isnt an announcement i ever wanted to make and not something i wanted ppl to know but its gotten to the point where not saying it is only going to end up worse than saying it so! here we go. note, this has nothing to do with anyone aside from myself. its 100% my problem and my decision and nobody here or anywhere else is at fault.

to make an extremely long story short, i literally cannot physically survive in my current home anymore. period. and right now, there is nothing i can do to even *start* working to improve that. i need time away from the home to heal and like, *actually* work on fixing myself, getting help, etc. but the problem with that is i have no money. as well as no reliable source of income. so. one of two things is happening.

im giving myself a deadline. two weeks from today (nov 22), i either manage to get enough money to at least temporarily live somewhere else via donations, OR, i go put myself into inpatient somewhere. the bottom line is i cant keep living where i am, physically. its not an abuse situation dw, it's just. the actual physical conditions are unliveable for me. and i dont have anywhere else to go anymore.

if you can, you can donate to me. if you can't, don't worry about it, but please do at least consider spreading my social media posts im making about it (i'll link them under this when theyre up). i dont really know how to put into words how very serious this is but trust me when i say that it is. nobody *has* to do anything for me, ofc, nobody's obligated. but as my friends, family, n people i care about in general, i think you deserve to know that my limit has officially been reached.

outside of the financial situation im begging everyone to just be kind to me for now, extra kind even. i might be focused mostly on myself/my own creations and maybe a few other people's rn and its not a personal thing. im just trying to find everything and anything that makes me happy so i dont completely drown in the sinking ship that is my mental state. im not saying you *have* to engage with any of my content, but i do kindly ask that if you have the time/energy and see me posting about stuff that engaging with it makes me feel really good and helps me if only for a moment, yknow?

thats all. my cashapp is $kingoffankids and thats really the only way i can accept donations, i cant use paypal :') but. yeah. im sorry if ive disappointed any of you or let any of you down, but i gotta take care of myself, and sometimes that unfortunately means i'm an inconvenience for others. please just be patient and kind with me, and overall compassionate. thanks

if u cant donate im literally begging you to reblog lol. my goal is to try to get idk 1k USD before the 2 weeks are up. even if i get like a few hundred tho ill be happy at least i can get a hotel, i just have to find somewhere pet friendly so i can bring my cats

241 notes • Posted 2021-11-08 20:30:06 GMT

Get your Tumblr 2021 Year in Review →

[teenaway860-blog]

Okcupid Profile Tips For Guys

The Only OkCupid Profile Tips You’ll Ever Need

Okcupid Profile Tip

Okcupid Profile Examples For Women

Okcupid Profile Tips For Guys

OkCupid is among the most well known dating sites around. It is additionally got a success that is good - every week We appear to be reading tales of males and women all over the globe that have discovered love on the website. (Read our expert. OkCupid Profile Examples For Men (Tips & Templates) OkCupid the most popular dating sites around. The first example is grammar errors in the bio. When a man's bio has spelling.

Other OkCupid profile tips lists pile on unimportant, biased suggestions. They don’t create real change in messages and dates. The truth is, few tips truly make a difference. These are the ones we’ll be sharing with you today.

#1 Think of Yourself as a Product

Now is the perfect time to set up your OkCupid profile—you’re just in time for Valentine’s Day, OkCupid is the only dating app with features like Discovery that show off who you really are, and now you have the tips you need to make a great profile! Check out all the video clips here. You'll want to set your profile as Non-monogamous. Once you do so, you will see and be seen by only other people looking for (or open to) a non-monogamous relationship. You will not see or be seen by people who have said that they are monogamous. We also encourage you to read our help page Non-Monogamy on OkCupid for more tips and tricks. Aim For Maximum Attractiveness In Your OkCupid Profile. OkCupid profiles are quite a bit different than other online dating sites like Plenty Of Fish and Match. Instead of one main “About Me” type introduction, OkCupid profiles consist of 9 main sections, with the ability to add more by choosing additional topics from the menu.

What are the best keywords to describe what “you” are? (Ex: An engineer? A creative? An athlete/fitness enthusiast?)

Second, what is the “consumer” getting if they “buy”? (Ex: Your contagious enthusiasm for life? A good listener? Interesting conversation about books? Boozy campfires? Raucous club outings?)

The answers to these questions should go into your written bio.

#2 Remember: Short and Light

Avoid the need to answer questions with filler text like “I’m not sure.” Rather, if you have nothing to say, don’t say anything at all. When you do answer, keep it brief — no rambling.

Also avoid the urge to air your grievances with women or past relationships. Negative language in profiles is an immediate red flag for most people.

That’s not to say you have to “pretend to be someone else” or never be emotionally vulnerable. It just means, for a first impression, you want to approach your profile with the same light and friendly tone that you’d ordinarily take with a total stranger.

#3 Test Your Pics on Photofeeler to Pick the Best Ones

OkCupid’s own data is clear: your pics are, by far, the most important aspect of your profile.

Your profile pictures color the tone of every word on your profile and every message you send. That is, a winky face may feel “cool” next to one photo but “over-eager” next to another.

And too many people unknowingly choose pics that are horribly unflattering to them.

I could give you 1,000 tips for getting the right OkCupid profile photos — but let’s face it — everyone’s different. What works for one doesn’t always work for another.

To be sure you’re not killing your chances with bad pictures, just test yours on Photofeeler.

Go to Photofeeler.com now and give it a try!

If you’ve dated online for any amount time, or even just have stable internet access, you’ve probably heard of OkCupid. At 14 years of age, the company is one of the older online dating services available and boasts a large membership. Unlike other apps and services on the market, OkCupid is all inclusive and isn’t targeted at a specific subset of the dating population, so the odds of your type of people being on the app are pretty good. And OkCupid claims that because of their matching algorithm, the odds of you finding that person in the millions of profiles on the service aren’t bad either.

This step-by-step guide will help you build an attractive OkCupid profile and teach you the ins and outs of the dating app, so you can find what you’re looking for. Let’s get started!

Step 1: Set up your account.

OkCupid is available on both mobile and desktop, so you have a little bit of flexibility on how you want to play. Go ahead and download the app on your mobile device or go to okcupid.com to get started. Like most other online dating services, you have the option to link your Facebook or sign up with an email address. Select either option to move forward.

After signing up, OkCupid will ask for some basic information including your gender (there are lots of options!), your gender of interest (lots of options here too!), your birthday, zip code, ideal relationship length, and a few other basic tidbits.

When you finish up with these, you’ll be able to customize your profile and start getting noticed.

Step 2: Pick your photos, write your bio.

Like most other apps, OkCupid has six photo slots and a short little bio section. There are enough tips to write an article for each, so I’ll spare the nitty gritty points and keep this portion more big picture.

For the photos, you’re going to want to make sure that you have six photos, and most, if not all, should prominently feature you smiling. The first photo should be a headshot in an interesting location like a forest, arcade or well-lit bar. Make sure to include at least one to two full-body shots. Keep the sunglasses and group photos to a minimum.

Okcupid Profile Tip

Photos are also a good opportunity to show off your hobbies and interests. If you’re into active sports of any kind (hiking, skateboarding, skydiving) this is a good way to share it. Active shots can give your profile an extra layer of personality that will help other daters find common ground and get a feel for you.

As for the bio, keep it short and sweet. Four or five sentences should do it. If you’re funny, this is a good place to crack a joke or two. If you’re not, that’s OK. Just write a bit about yourself, your passions, your hobbies, and anything else you think people might want to know. Use a bit of personal flare and keep it honest. The key here is to make readers feel like they’re meeting you for a casual chat.

Once you’re finished with the initial profile setup, you’ll have the option to answer additional prompts to spice up your profile. Look at these as fun bio supplements to touch on anything your bio might not have covered. It’s recommended to fill at least a few of these out.

Step 3: Answer the questions.

If you’ve made it this far, you’re in the final stretch! The last step to completing your profile are the basic questions. Each profile on OkCupid displays an estimated compatibility rate. These percentages are based on your answers to these questions, so be as thorough as possible. The basic questionnaire is 15 questions long and ranges from topics like politics to the tidiness of your room to the length of your last relationship. For each question, there’s an option to skip and there are options to select an answer preference for the person you’re interested in too.

If you’re doubting the accuracy of a compatibility rate calculated from 15 questions, that’s fair. Once the initial account setup is complete, you can answer more questions from your profile settings to increase the supposed accuracy of your match percentage. (And OkCupid will often ask you to answer more.) I’ve answered over 100 questions personally and new ones keep showing up in my profile section, so don’t worry about any shortage of these.

Step 4: Send out your likes.

Okcupid Profile Examples For Women

I’ll say it again: you can answer more questions and fill out more profile prompts once you finish the initial account setup. OkCupid recommends completing as many of these as possible to maximize your matches. Once that’s done, you can go ahead and start liking other daters and see who you match with.

Like most other apps, OkCupid’s runs on a mutual-like system, meaning two singles have to like each other before they can talk. (Or you can pay to see who likes you before you match.) There are also two different ways to go through matches. Using OkCupid’s DoubleTake format, you can swipe left or right like Tinder or Bumble for a breezy, low-investment level matching experience.

Alternatively, you can browse matches by scrolling through multiple profiles. In this option, you can open profiles and like and comment on specific prompts to reach out directly with a message. Even though the other person will only see your message if they like you first, this may be a better way to get noticed and can make you stand out from other daters who just like every person in their queue.

Step 5: It’s a match!

Once you get your first match, go ahead and start chatting. If the conversation goes well, don’t hesitate to ask your match on a date and see where it goes.

If you’re having trouble making matches, try answering a few more questions and tweaking the different profile elements to find a formula that works for you. OkCupid also keeps a list of all of the profiles you’ve liked in the past, so you can always go back and send messages after the initial like if they’ve liked you back. Don’t be afraid to ask your friends what they think of your profile for feedback. Soon, you’ll be on your way.

Step 6: Should you buy?

As always, the paid subscription route is a totally viable way to increase your chances at success if you choose to take it. Just keep in mind there are no limits to messaging or liking in the free version like on other similar services.

So, if you choose to go for the subscription, what are you getting yourself into? First, there are two different types of subscriptions: A-List Basic and A-List Premium. The A-List Basic let’s you access a list of daters who like you, use advanced search filters, search based on profile attractiveness, access message read receipts, and remove ads. The pricing plans begin at $9.95 for one month, $7,95 per month for three months, or $4.95 per month for six months.

A-List Premium offers all the same perks as the basic subscription with the addition of a daily Autoboost, which boosts you to the top of the match queue, increased attractiveness, which allows you to see and be seen by more attractive matches, the ability to see other profiles’ answers, and increased message priority. A Premium A-List subscription runs at $24.90 for one month, $22.90 per month for three months, and $19.90 per month for six months.

Okcupid Profile Tips For Guys

Well, that’s it. You’re now officially a master of OkCupid, one of the the most popular online dating sites. All that’s left is for you to get in there and start firing off those likes. Let Cupid do the rest.

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6 Must-Know Email Marketing Strategies for Successful Event Promotion

No matter what type of event you are planning to execute, one of the best ways to increase the number of attendees is through email marketing.

Email is used by half of the world’s population. Also, it’s proven to be a useful tool for event creators. Eventbrite has recently published some surprising stats supporting this statement.

78% of event presenters agree that email marketing is their most commanding marketing tactic.

26% of recipients open their event emails, and 4.95% click on the links.

45% of event tickets can be sold using event emails.

Now, we know that email marketing is a powerful tool to convey event messages to attendees. Without any delay, we’ll see how to get your message across the audience despite the significant frequency and volume of emails people receive.

1. Pre-Event Email Campaigns to Generate Interest among Audience

Pre-launch event emails can create hype among the audience and boost ticket sales. It works perfectly if you want your engaged mailing list members to book their seats early. This is unusually spot-on if your event comes with limited spaces.

Event presenters can begin with this launch campaign by offering informational content regarding the event that is about to take place. It lets people know what’s coming for them and what to expect from it. A general pre-event campaign consists of a handful of emails that generate interest to join the event. For instance, it looks like this:

The email with an event announcement message.

First teaser consisting of a written interview from a speaker.

Second teaser with video footage from your last event.

Behind the scenes (video/images) of your event.

A personal invitation from the high-profile speaker who’ll be addressing the attendees at the event. Check out this event launch campaign by Litmus.

Litmus instills suspense in the minds of the subscribers by not revealing the history-making announcement that’s about to take place in the “The Email Design Conference.”

2.Come Up With Exclusive Offers in Your Invitation Email

After a successful launch of your event emails, you can giveaway exclusive offers to encourage people to attend your event. The offers could be something like:

Early bird tickets priced below your standard tickets.

Free promotional merchandise such as “Buy a ticket and get your first drink free.”

Some discount codes with an expiration date to build a sense of urgency.

If you didn’t know, 83% of the audience would make an unplanned purchase based on discounts. The human brain is intensely affected by promotions and a limited-time offer, so you can certainly use this trick for marketing your event.

According to Billetto, an event ticket sales cycle based on different offers typically looks like this:

Now take a look at this event promotion with an early bird offer.

This email from Circles speaks about an early bird offer where the ticket price increases otherwise to $357.

3.Encourage Your Subscribers to Invite Others

Why not entice your attendees to bring their friends along? Emails that encourage your recipients to invite their friends and family will improve the awareness about your event.

This word-of-mouth or referral program can work best by including social media share links in your dedicated event email.

Two ways to use email as a tool for spreading the word about your event:

Group Tickets: Releasing group tickets or “Tell a friend” offer helps sell more tickets. You can give a special group rate for people who get three or more people to sign up. This way, people will be motivated to spread the word and invite someone they know, thereby giving you free publicity in the process.

Running Competitions: Tap into the competitive nature of humans. Kick-off regular competitions such as:

Share this event with friends

Tag a friend on social media

Caption a photo

You can also vote for particular topics to speak on Whenever people engage with your competitions

Doing this gives your even a chance to exposed by their friends on social media, and helps you reach a new profile.

Tough Mudder employed this trend with a referral program and grew into a $100 Million organization.

Here, people are invited to get two friends and earn a free race once they sign up. Now, as a promoter, you get to race for free and also two new buddies to team up with.

4. Allow People to Ask Questions about Your Program

No matter how often you inform people about event details, they’ll still come to you with explicit questions as the event approaches. Therefore, in addition to providing accurate information about the event, offer an FAQ or contact form, and encourage them to reply to your emails with their questions. To extend the reach, you can also post on social media inviting questions.

If you’re planning to develop your event FAQs for your ticket sales page, here’s a sample of 10 questions to make a note of:

What fees will I be charged for this event?

Can I buy tickets offline? How?

How will I get my event ticket if I buy it online?

Is there any parking facility, and what is the charge?

What are the different types of payment you accept?

Do you offer refunds?

What if the event gets postponed or canceled?

Are pets allowed?

Do you offer senior citizens, military, or other discounts?

Is there an age limit? Do you require any ID to enter the event?

HallyuPopFest designed FAQ templates for their event. They have multiple events on different dates, and the company released a FAQ for every occasion.

A list of FAQs is a great way to provide information about ID requirements, parking details, who to contact, and more.

So, without any second thought, come up with the FAQ contents for both your email and event page. If not, provide them an option to contact you for any queries.

Need help with your event email marketing campaign?

Book a free call to learn how our team of contest experts can help you increase books for your event today.

5. Send Reminder Emails to Instill a Sense of Urgency

Build anticipation among attendees by continually reminding them about the event. By sending reminder emails, we can show our concern, and also build stronger relations with our audience.

It could be a countdown message or merely a reminder to save the event in the calendar, but make sure it brings a sense of urgency among recipients.

Consider the above example from Sumo Group. Without scrolling down, it’s evident that it is a reminder email about their workshop. The sentences used are short and well structured, with bold and eye-catching CTAs for interested attendees to reserve their slot.

In short, we can say that reminder emails are the real keys to your event success. So, go ahead and try out some event reminders and witness the increment in the number of registrants.

6.Thank the Attendees for Making the Event Happen

Event creators invest a lot of time to plan, organize, and promote any event. They send several marketing emails at different phases of promotion. But then again, what about the after-event activity? Similar to the promotional email, you should also send them a thank you note for making the event a huge success. It’s an excellent way to engage your attendees post-event.

CSS Conference appreciates its event participants by sending this well-crafted thank you email. Here, the attendees are also provided with the link to view the photos and the fun facts from the day.

Other ideas that can be included in the thank you email are:

Questionnaire: Get some feedback about your event by setting up a survey or questionnaire. The feedback helps you improvise the next one.

Post-event news: Use this to update your attendees with the outcome of an event. It could be the money raised for a charity or as simple as reporting the number of people attended it.

Slideshare: Create slides of speakers which can then be made available for download. This would be helpful if the talk was educational.

Your Next Event:Begin with promoting your upcoming event as soon as the last one finishes.

Take Away

Email marketing tactics highlighted in this article can give your event the right boost it requires in less time. But remember to put more effort into your campaign to reap the better outcome.

About the Author

Emily Johnson is a marketing consultant with 10+ years of experience in the execution of marketing strategies. She is interested in writing and helps SMBs and large firms with her rich experience. Currently, she heads the marketing department at Blue Mail Media, a renowned B2B data solution company based out of Irving, Texas. Connect with her on Twitter.

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8 Vital Email Templates Every Online Business Should Steal https://ift.tt/31C4zo8

The average email marketing return on investment (ROI) is a $32 for every $1 spent. What’s more, according to market research firm Econsultancy, marketers rate email marketing as the second easiest digital channel to measure ROI. So, not only does email marketing pay well, you can track how your resources are being used.

To be successful all you need are some strategic, high-performing email templates, and you’re ready to start growing. In this article, you’ll learn about eight vital email types that can help you grow your business. Plus, for each one, you’ll get a swipeable email template that you can use today.

Sound good? First up:

1. Welcome New Subscribers

It’s a special moment when someone subscribes to your mailing list. They’ve initiated a relationship with your brand, and if you play your cards right, it could be a long and mutually beneficial relationship. But make no mistake: First impressions count.

In fact, subscribers who receive a welcome email show, on average, 33% more long-term engagement with that brand. But that’s not all. Welcome emails generate 4x the open rates, and 5x the click rates of other bulk promotions. 

Okay, but can they make you money? Heck, yeah! Welcome emails, on average, make 3x the transactions and revenue per email over regular promotional emails.

Welcome Email Template Examples

Here’s an example of a simple and effective welcome email from Lonely Planet that new subscribers receive after signing up.

Source

This email does a great job of reaffirming the benefits of being a subscriber, saying “We deliver our most inspiring articles and travel tips to your inbox.” Then, they bring it home with an exclusive subscriber discount code. As a new subscriber, what’s not to love?

In this next example from exercise bike workout company Peloton, the email aims to lead subscribers further along the buyer’s journey by offering to help them find the instructors that are right for them.

They do this by inviting the new subscriber to “Take The Quiz.”

Source

It’s short, simple, and benefits the recipient.

The “Welcome” Email Template

Subject Line: Welcome to [Business Name]

Body: Hi [Subscriber’s Name],

We’re thrilled to welcome you to the [Business Name] community! Each [Email Frequency], you’ll receive [Email Features] to [Key Benefit].

Plus, to thank you for subscribing here’s a discount code to receive [Number]% off your first [Business Name] order!

[Call-to-Action]

What the Email Template Looks Like in Action

2. Follow Up Abandoned Carts

Did you know that almost 70% of online shopping carts are abandoned? Yikes. It seems a shame to fall at the last hurdle, doesn’t it?

However, although online retailers could lose as much as $4 trillion to cart abandonment each year, estimates suggest that savvy retailers should be able to recover about 63% of that lost revenue.

One way to do this is with a well-crafted cart abandonment email.

Abandoned Cart Email Template Examples

Here’s a great example from dog and pet supply store Doggy Loot:

Source

This email provides the names, images, and, prices of the items that the recipient left in their cart. Underneath, the call-to-action “Restore My Cart” makes it clear that it’s easy to complete the purchase.

But the real power of this email lies in how it injects urgency through scarcity. Note sentences such as “Items added to your cart are almost sold out,” “Hurry, don’t let these deals run away,” and “Fetch your items before it’s too late!” And Doggy Loot’s personality shines through in the email. From the image of the dog to phrases like “Fetch your items,” and “Lots of licks.”

Adidas begins this next example with the title, “Is Your Wifi Okay?”

This is a great way of relating to a younger audience always on the hunt for a good wifi signal. It also cheekily hints that the Gazelle Silhouette shoe is so good, that bad wifi must be the only reason the recipient didn’t buy it…

Source

The email then hits the recipient with some social proof in the form of reviews (more on this below). Next, Adidas addresses a concern the shopper might have. In this case, if they don’t like the color of the shoe, they can easily customize it.

The Abandoned Cart Email Template

Subject Line: Don’t Worry, We’ve Got You Covered

Body: Hi [Recipient’s Name]!

We know life can be crazy and it can be easy to forget about your shopping cart – even when it contains amazing items.

So we’ve saved your items, and they’re still waiting for you. Your cart contains:

[Item Image, Title, and Price]

Complete Your Purchase with [Number]% Off Today

Complete My Order

Questions? Email us at [Sales Email Address].

What the Email Template Looks Like in Action

3. Follow Up with New Customers to Land Repeat Sales

Boom! You just landed a new customer. Now’s the time to sit back, relax, and order another drink, right? Nope. This is when you can make the real money. Because a 5% increase in customer retention can increase company profits by 25% to 95%.

What’s more, repeat customers spend 67% more than new customers! This is why smart businesses focus on “back-end” revenue.

“Front-end” revenue comes from the first orders your customers make. “Back-end” refers to all the additional purchases a customer makes over their lifetime.

New Customer Email Template Examples

In this example, ProFlowers immediately followed up a first purchase with a discount code:

Instead of sending a dedicated email, you could also include an offer like this in your purchase receipt email. Purchase receipt emails have an average open rate of 71%, compared with the average open rate of 22%. In other words, receipt emails can get the highest engagement scores out of all the emails you send!

The New Customer Email Template

Subject Line: [Recipient’s Name], a welcome gift from us to you

Body: [Recipient’s Name], we wanted to thank you again for your recent purchase – we’re thrilled to officially welcome you to the [Business Name] family!

A Welcome Gift From Us to You

[Number]% Off

Your next purchase with promo code: [Insert Code]

Shop Now

[On-Brand Sign Off]

What the Email Template Looks Like in Action

4. Ask For a Review

According to the Spiegel Research Center, nearly 95% of shoppers read online reviews before making a purchase. Plus, displaying reviews can increase conversion by 270%, and having only five reviews still results in purchase likelihood increasing by a factor of almost four times.

Why are reviews so effective? Because of something called “social proof,” which refers to the fact that people are heavily influenced by others. In other words, there’s security in following the crowd. Social proof reassures visitors that they’re making the right decision in buying from you. So you’ll want to ensure that you get as many positive reviews as possible.

Review Request Email Template Examples

Casper sends an email to customers asking them to review their products.

Source

They lay their cards on the table by saying, “Help us out by writing a review. Your honest opinion will help other Casper shoppers make smart decisions.” It might not be the most compelling call-to-action, but that’s no bad thing.

Remember, you only want honest, positive reviews. So ask for them in an honest, positive way. It’s best to avoid incentivizing people in a way that might encourage bad, ambivalent, or unhelpful reviews.

Mountain Hardwear uses the same approach in their email:

Source

They also list out the products purchased and provide a link to review each one. This allows customers to jump straight to the product they’re most inclined to review.

The Review Request Email Template

Subject Line: What do you think? Write a review

Body: Hey [Recipient’s Name],

We hope you love your recent purchase. Once you’ve had a chance to get to know the product, we’d really appreciate it if you would write a review.

Customer reviews keep us constantly improving while helping other [Name for People in Niche] make the right choice.

Write a Review

It’ll just take a moment, and we’re really grateful for all the feedback we receive.

If you’re not happy for any reason, please give us the opportunity to make it right before leaving negative feedback. Just reply to this email and we’ll be happy to correct the situation immediately.

Thanks again for being our customer, we really appreciate having you onboard and we’re always here if you need us!

[On-Brand Sign Off]

[Name of Real Person at Business]

What the Email Template Looks Like in Action

5. Re-Engage Inactive Subscribers

Let’s get real for a moment. Many of your subscribers and customers will lose interest in your business. They may still like and trust your brand, it could just be that time is short and something’s gotta give.

But don’t let it be your business. Instead, use a tactful re-engagement campaign to stay top-of-mind and center-of-heart. Plus, it’s not just the additional sales that you want. You also need to show Gmail and other email providers that people actually want your emails. Otherwise, you’re in big trouble.

The Gmail Anti-Abuse Team said that they want to “see evidence that your recipients love or at the very least, want your messages, for them to reach the inbox.” So, if a large portion of your email database is inactive (i.e., they don’t open or click your emails), email providers will start sending your precious emails to the promotions tab. Or worse, the dreaded SPAM folder.

Do re-engagement emails work?

Yes, in a case study from MarketingSherpa, they managed to re-engage 8.33 percent of a database with a “win back” email, and then another 8.57 percent with list-cleansing emails. That’s over 16 percent reactivated. So don’t underestimate the importance of re-engagement email campaigns.

A study by Return Path found that 45 percent of recipients who received win-back emails read subsequent messages. That is a huge increase in engagement from just one email! It would be crazy not to be doing this.

Re-Engagement Email Template Examples

Fashion store Missguided did a great job relating to their target market with the design of this re-engagement email:

Source

The text is simple, humorous, and extremely on-brand. The design and emojis are also particularly effective.

Plus, they also offer free next day delivery to help turn those inactive subscribers back into paying customers.

Jack Wills uses a similar approach in their email:

Source

In this email, Jack Wills start with a little humor: “Please say you miss us too!” Then, they’re completely upfront about their discount, saying, “As a little bribe, here’s a £10 off code.”

The Re-Engager Email Template

Subject Line: We miss you (so here’s $10 off…)

Body: Hey [Recipient’s Name],

It’s been too long and we’ve missed you! During our time apart, we’ve been busy – come and see for yourself and shop our new [Product Line]!

Plus, here’s a little something to help us get back to being best friends…

[Offer]

Shop Now

Not interested?

If you want to say goodbye, for now, unsubscribe here.

What the Email Template Looks Like in Action

6. Gather Valuable Information

Knowledge is power. To improve you must learn what works and what doesn’t. And one way to do this is to simply ask your customers using a survey.

Let’s look at the difference between reviews and surveys. When asking for reviews, you’re trying to collect positive feedback to display publicly as social proof. But when emailing customers a survey, it’s the negative feedback you want most. This is because negative feedback provides a clear way for you to improve your business.

There are two main ways to survey your customers. You can ask them to answer set questions or use something called the Net Promoter Score. This is a single-question survey businesses use to measure customer satisfaction. Recipients are asked how likely they are to recommend your product or service on a scale of 1 to 10. Then, respondents are grouped as follows:

To figure out your net promoter score, just subtract the percentage of Detractors from the Percentage of Promoters. To understand whether your score is good or bad, you can compare it to this chart showing the average net promoter score in different industries. Whether people will recommend your product or service is a strong indicator of your customer satisfaction.

Plus, it’s extremely simple to do.

Feedback Request Email Template Examples

Here’s an example of a great net promoter score email from Azendoo:

Source

Using this form of survey makes responding incredibly easy for the recipient, and so you’re likely to receive more responses.

Then, you can always follow up the responses.

If someone is likely to refer your product or service, you can invite them to join your affiliate or rewards program. And if someone is unlikely to give a recommendation, you can ask them if there’s anything you can do to solve the issues your customer is having.

Alternatively, you could create a longer survey of questions.

If you decide to do this, it’s likely you’ll need to offer some sort of incentive to compel people to respond. And ideally, it should be an offer they can’t refuse!

In this email, Tailor Brands ask customers to complete a three-minute survey in exchange for 50% off their next order.

Source

Tailor Brands start with a bold, clear title that’s quickly followed by the benefit offered to the recipient. Then they go on to explain the deal, making sure to mention that it’ll only take three minutes.

Now, 50% for three minutes? That’s a good offer!

The Feedback Request Email Template

Subject Line: Share your thoughts for [Offer]!

Body:

We Want to Hear From You!

(And give you [Offer])

Do you have [Survey Time] to share your valuable opinion?

We’re looking for ways to improve our [Subject of Survey] and we’d LOVE to know how you feel about [Subject of Survey].

As a thank you, we’re offering [Offer] in return for your thoughts on how we can better serve you, and others.

Take the Survey and Get [Offer]

We really appreciate your input!

[On-Brand Sign Off]

What the Email Template Looks Like in Action

7. Connect During Timely Holidays

Holidays like Halloween, Easter, and Black Friday are great excuses to get back in contact with customers. It is the ideal time to remind them to check out a new range of products or introduce a timely offer your customers can’t refuse. 

Each industry has important holidays to celebrate, they are not just limited to the big events. Tailor your email content to your industry and you may find the secret to success. For example, if you sell yoga equipment you should send a holiday email on International Yoga Day on June 21st. Offer your customers 10% off purchases for 24 hours to celebrate the holiday and watch the orders come in.

Make sure that your email adhere to GDPR regulations if your subscribers reside in the EU.

Holiday Email Template Examples

There are many great examples for holiday email templates but I particularly love this Stocksy United’s Black Friday email:

Source

Stocksy United clearly outline the holiday they are celebrating and use an exciting image to catch your attention. Their offer of 33% off until December 31st is reinforced by the price reductions and eye-catching images they use as you scroll down the email. Furthermore they clearly include the option to forward to a friend so that more people can avail of this offer at the end of the email. 

The Holiday Email Template

Subject Line: It’s [Holiday]! Get Excited With our Top Offers

Body:

It’s [Holiday] and it wouldn’t be right if we didn’t celebrate in style. That is why we decided to give [Offer] to everyone today!

Don’t miss out on this exciting offer, visit our website today. We have added some great things to our range since you visited last.

Shop Now

[On-Brand Sign Off]

What the Email Template Looks Like in Action

8. Update Customers With Newsletters

Customers, and brand supporters, like to receive information about your business without having to go look for it. Send newsletters to email subscribers to keep in contact regularly and pass on valuable information about your business and product range.

Newsletters are the most widely used email templates in marketing. But to have successful campaigns you need to make sure that the information in your newsletter is useful to those who receive them. Simply sending a summary of articles you published once a month is not helpful to any of your subscribers. 

Newsletters should tell your potential customers of the value in choosing to buy from you. They can also highlight new products that existing customers might want to purchase. With this in mind a newsletter calendar could be a great way to plan ahead and ensure that your emails are valuable and useful to all your subscribers.

Newsletter Email Template Examples

Roadtrippers provide useful information to their subscribers everytime they send out an email. They include niche advice on travel that will interest people who are just beginning their travel adventures, and also those who are more experienced. 

Source

Notice how they use striking photography with every article to draw people in, in an instant. Between the imagery and the well crafted titles, subscribers can’t help but click through to their blog.

The Newsletter Email Template

Subject Line: May’s Monthly Roundup: How to Solve this [Issue]

Body: Hi [Name]

[Issue] can affect many people. But it doesn’t need to become a problem. In our blog this month we talk all about how to solve this in three quick steps. 

Read Our Blog

What’s more, we have a new [product] range that can really brighten up your day. Drop by our store to browse the colors we have on offer. 

Browse Store

[On-Brand Sign Off]

What the Email Template Looks Like in Action

21 Email Template Tips for 2019

Here are some tips to bear in mind when customizing your email templates. 

Thank the recipient for subscribing.

Reaffirm the benefits to being on your mailing list.

Provide a way to further the relationship, such as a discount code, quiz, or simply by posing a question and asking them to respond.

Inject your unique brand personality!

Personality and humor will go a long way in this email.

Consider adding an additional incentive like a discount or free shipping.

Keep it short and snappy.

Use scarcity when appropriate.

Including a time-sensitive discount.

Introducing them to your loyalty program.

Featuring plenty of product images to compel the reader to revisit your website.

Keep the tone light and friendly.

Be open and upfront about your request.

Encourage dissatisfied customers to reach out so you can resolve any issues and avoid negative reviews.

Playful humor is important.

Pack it with your brand’s personality.

Offer an incentive to re-engage buyers.

Include an offer that’s too good to refuse.

Be absolutely honest about how long the survey will take to complete.

Keep the focus on the benefits that the customer will receive in exchange for their time.

Show appreciation.

Summary

Email marketing can be extremely powerful. Not only does it usually yield a high return on investment, most email software solutions provide a host of analytics for you to review and improve your campaigns. Although you should share your best content and announcements regularly, the eight emails covered in this article are the foundations of your email marketing strategy.

Whatever the content or purpose of your email, don’t forget to:

Inject every email with your brand’s personality.

Always be open and honest when asking for something.

Focus on the benefit that you’re providing to the recipient.

Find a way to move the relationship forward.

Lastly, what works for some brand’s won’t work for others. So make sure you test different emails and subject lines to craft the most effective campaigns possible.

Do you have any email advice or tips that you can share? Let us know about your experiences in the comments below!

Learn More!

10 Ways to Turn Site Visitors Into Email Subscribers for Your Online Store

Comparison of the Best Email Marketing Platforms for eCommerce

Email Marketing Strategies to Turn More Prospects Into Paying Customers

The Beginner’s Guide to Boosting Sales with Email List Segmentation

The post 8 Vital Email Templates Every Online Business Should Steal appeared first on Oberlo.

from Oberlo

The average email marketing return on investment (ROI) is a $32 for every $1 spent. What’s more, according to market research firm Econsultancy, marketers rate email marketing as the second easiest digital channel to measure ROI. So, not only does email marketing pay well, you can track how your resources are being used.

To be successful all you need are some strategic, high-performing email templates, and you’re ready to start growing. In this article, you’ll learn about eight vital email types that can help you grow your business. Plus, for each one, you’ll get a swipeable email template that you can use today.

Sound good? First up:

1. Welcome New Subscribers

It’s a special moment when someone subscribes to your mailing list. They’ve initiated a relationship with your brand, and if you play your cards right, it could be a long and mutually beneficial relationship. But make no mistake: First impressions count.

In fact, subscribers who receive a welcome email show, on average, 33% more long-term engagement with that brand. But that’s not all. Welcome emails generate 4x the open rates, and 5x the click rates of other bulk promotions. 

Okay, but can they make you money? Heck, yeah! Welcome emails, on average, make 3x the transactions and revenue per email over regular promotional emails.

Welcome Email Template Examples

Here’s an example of a simple and effective welcome email from Lonely Planet that new subscribers receive after signing up.

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This email does a great job of reaffirming the benefits of being a subscriber, saying “We deliver our most inspiring articles and travel tips to your inbox.” Then, they bring it home with an exclusive subscriber discount code. As a new subscriber, what’s not to love?

In this next example from exercise bike workout company Peloton, the email aims to lead subscribers further along the buyer’s journey by offering to help them find the instructors that are right for them.

They do this by inviting the new subscriber to “Take The Quiz.”

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It’s short, simple, and benefits the recipient.

The “Welcome” Email Template

Subject Line: Welcome to [Business Name]

Body: Hi [Subscriber’s Name],

We’re thrilled to welcome you to the [Business Name] community! Each [Email Frequency], you’ll receive [Email Features] to [Key Benefit].

Plus, to thank you for subscribing here’s a discount code to receive [Number]% off your first [Business Name] order!

[Call-to-Action]

What the Email Template Looks Like in Action

2. Follow Up Abandoned Carts

Did you know that almost 70% of online shopping carts are abandoned? Yikes. It seems a shame to fall at the last hurdle, doesn’t it?

However, although online retailers could lose as much as $4 trillion to cart abandonment each year, estimates suggest that savvy retailers should be able to recover about 63% of that lost revenue.

One way to do this is with a well-crafted cart abandonment email.

Abandoned Cart Email Template Examples

Here’s a great example from dog and pet supply store Doggy Loot:

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This email provides the names, images, and, prices of the items that the recipient left in their cart. Underneath, the call-to-action “Restore My Cart” makes it clear that it’s easy to complete the purchase.

But the real power of this email lies in how it injects urgency through scarcity. Note sentences such as “Items added to your cart are almost sold out,” “Hurry, don’t let these deals run away,” and “Fetch your items before it’s too late!” And Doggy Loot’s personality shines through in the email. From the image of the dog to phrases like “Fetch your items,” and “Lots of licks.”

Adidas begins this next example with the title, “Is Your Wifi Okay?”

This is a great way of relating to a younger audience always on the hunt for a good wifi signal. It also cheekily hints that the Gazelle Silhouette shoe is so good, that bad wifi must be the only reason the recipient didn’t buy it…

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The email then hits the recipient with some social proof in the form of reviews (more on this below). Next, Adidas addresses a concern the shopper might have. In this case, if they don’t like the color of the shoe, they can easily customize it.

The Abandoned Cart Email Template

Subject Line: Don’t Worry, We’ve Got You Covered

Body: Hi [Recipient’s Name]!

We know life can be crazy and it can be easy to forget about your shopping cart – even when it contains amazing items.

So we’ve saved your items, and they’re still waiting for you. Your cart contains:

[Item Image, Title, and Price]

Complete Your Purchase with [Number]% Off Today

Complete My Order

Questions? Email us at [Sales Email Address].

What the Email Template Looks Like in Action

3. Follow Up with New Customers to Land Repeat Sales

Boom! You just landed a new customer. Now’s the time to sit back, relax, and order another drink, right? Nope. This is when you can make the real money. Because a 5% increase in customer retention can increase company profits by 25% to 95%.

What’s more, repeat customers spend 67% more than new customers! This is why smart businesses focus on “back-end” revenue.

“Front-end” revenue comes from the first orders your customers make. “Back-end” refers to all the additional purchases a customer makes over their lifetime.

New Customer Email Template Examples

In this example, ProFlowers immediately followed up a first purchase with a discount code:

Instead of sending a dedicated email, you could also include an offer like this in your purchase receipt email. Purchase receipt emails have an average open rate of 71%, compared with the average open rate of 22%. In other words, receipt emails can get the highest engagement scores out of all the emails you send!

The New Customer Email Template

Subject Line: [Recipient’s Name], a welcome gift from us to you

Body: [Recipient’s Name], we wanted to thank you again for your recent purchase – we’re thrilled to officially welcome you to the [Business Name] family!

A Welcome Gift From Us to You

[Number]% Off

Your next purchase with promo code: [Insert Code]

Shop Now

[On-Brand Sign Off]

What the Email Template Looks Like in Action

4. Ask For a Review

According to the Spiegel Research Center, nearly 95% of shoppers read online reviews before making a purchase. Plus, displaying reviews can increase conversion by 270%, and having only five reviews still results in purchase likelihood increasing by a factor of almost four times.

Why are reviews so effective? Because of something called “social proof,” which refers to the fact that people are heavily influenced by others. In other words, there’s security in following the crowd. Social proof reassures visitors that they’re making the right decision in buying from you. So you’ll want to ensure that you get as many positive reviews as possible.

Review Request Email Template Examples

Casper sends an email to customers asking them to review their products.

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They lay their cards on the table by saying, “Help us out by writing a review. Your honest opinion will help other Casper shoppers make smart decisions.” It might not be the most compelling call-to-action, but that’s no bad thing.

Remember, you only want honest, positive reviews. So ask for them in an honest, positive way. It’s best to avoid incentivizing people in a way that might encourage bad, ambivalent, or unhelpful reviews.

Mountain Hardwear uses the same approach in their email:

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They also list out the products purchased and provide a link to review each one. This allows customers to jump straight to the product they’re most inclined to review.

The Review Request Email Template

Subject Line: What do you think? Write a review

Body: Hey [Recipient’s Name],

We hope you love your recent purchase. Once you’ve had a chance to get to know the product, we’d really appreciate it if you would write a review.

Customer reviews keep us constantly improving while helping other [Name for People in Niche] make the right choice.

Write a Review

It’ll just take a moment, and we’re really grateful for all the feedback we receive.

If you’re not happy for any reason, please give us the opportunity to make it right before leaving negative feedback. Just reply to this email and we’ll be happy to correct the situation immediately.

Thanks again for being our customer, we really appreciate having you onboard and we’re always here if you need us!

[On-Brand Sign Off]

[Name of Real Person at Business]

What the Email Template Looks Like in Action

5. Re-Engage Inactive Subscribers

Let’s get real for a moment. Many of your subscribers and customers will lose interest in your business. They may still like and trust your brand, it could just be that time is short and something’s gotta give.

But don’t let it be your business. Instead, use a tactful re-engagement campaign to stay top-of-mind and center-of-heart. Plus, it’s not just the additional sales that you want. You also need to show Gmail and other email providers that people actually want your emails. Otherwise, you’re in big trouble.

The Gmail Anti-Abuse Team said that they want to “see evidence that your recipients love or at the very least, want your messages, for them to reach the inbox.” So, if a large portion of your email database is inactive (i.e., they don’t open or click your emails), email providers will start sending your precious emails to the promotions tab. Or worse, the dreaded SPAM folder.

Do re-engagement emails work?

Yes, in a case study from MarketingSherpa, they managed to re-engage 8.33 percent of a database with a “win back” email, and then another 8.57 percent with list-cleansing emails. That’s over 16 percent reactivated. So don’t underestimate the importance of re-engagement email campaigns.

A study by Return Path found that 45 percent of recipients who received win-back emails read subsequent messages. That is a huge increase in engagement from just one email! It would be crazy not to be doing this.

Re-Engagement Email Template Examples

Fashion store Missguided did a great job relating to their target market with the design of this re-engagement email:

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The text is simple, humorous, and extremely on-brand. The design and emojis are also particularly effective.

Plus, they also offer free next day delivery to help turn those inactive subscribers back into paying customers.

Jack Wills uses a similar approach in their email:

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In this email, Jack Wills start with a little humor: “Please say you miss us too!” Then, they’re completely upfront about their discount, saying, “As a little bribe, here’s a £10 off code.”

The Re-Engager Email Template

Subject Line: We miss you (so here’s $10 off…)

Body: Hey [Recipient’s Name],

It’s been too long and we’ve missed you! During our time apart, we’ve been busy – come and see for yourself and shop our new [Product Line]!

Plus, here’s a little something to help us get back to being best friends…

[Offer]

Shop Now

Not interested?

If you want to say goodbye, for now, unsubscribe here.

What the Email Template Looks Like in Action

6. Gather Valuable Information

Knowledge is power. To improve you must learn what works and what doesn’t. And one way to do this is to simply ask your customers using a survey.

Let’s look at the difference between reviews and surveys. When asking for reviews, you’re trying to collect positive feedback to display publicly as social proof. But when emailing customers a survey, it’s the negative feedback you want most. This is because negative feedback provides a clear way for you to improve your business.

There are two main ways to survey your customers. You can ask them to answer set questions or use something called the Net Promoter Score. This is a single-question survey businesses use to measure customer satisfaction. Recipients are asked how likely they are to recommend your product or service on a scale of 1 to 10. Then, respondents are grouped as follows:

To figure out your net promoter score, just subtract the percentage of Detractors from the Percentage of Promoters. To understand whether your score is good or bad, you can compare it to this chart showing the average net promoter score in different industries. Whether people will recommend your product or service is a strong indicator of your customer satisfaction.

Plus, it’s extremely simple to do.

Feedback Request Email Template Examples

Here’s an example of a great net promoter score email from Azendoo:

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Using this form of survey makes responding incredibly easy for the recipient, and so you’re likely to receive more responses.

Then, you can always follow up the responses.

If someone is likely to refer your product or service, you can invite them to join your affiliate or rewards program. And if someone is unlikely to give a recommendation, you can ask them if there’s anything you can do to solve the issues your customer is having.

Alternatively, you could create a longer survey of questions.

If you decide to do this, it’s likely you’ll need to offer some sort of incentive to compel people to respond. And ideally, it should be an offer they can’t refuse!

In this email, Tailor Brands ask customers to complete a three-minute survey in exchange for 50% off their next order.

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Tailor Brands start with a bold, clear title that’s quickly followed by the benefit offered to the recipient. Then they go on to explain the deal, making sure to mention that it’ll only take three minutes.

Now, 50% for three minutes? That’s a good offer!

The Feedback Request Email Template

Subject Line: Share your thoughts for [Offer]!

Body:

We Want to Hear From You!

(And give you [Offer])

Do you have [Survey Time] to share your valuable opinion?

We’re looking for ways to improve our [Subject of Survey] and we’d LOVE to know how you feel about [Subject of Survey].

As a thank you, we’re offering [Offer] in return for your thoughts on how we can better serve you, and others.

Take the Survey and Get [Offer]

We really appreciate your input!

[On-Brand Sign Off]

What the Email Template Looks Like in Action

7. Connect During Timely Holidays

Holidays like Halloween, Easter, and Black Friday are great excuses to get back in contact with customers. It is the ideal time to remind them to check out a new range of products or introduce a timely offer your customers can’t refuse. 

Each industry has important holidays to celebrate, they are not just limited to the big events. Tailor your email content to your industry and you may find the secret to success. For example, if you sell yoga equipment you should send a holiday email on International Yoga Day on June 21st. Offer your customers 10% off purchases for 24 hours to celebrate the holiday and watch the orders come in.

Make sure that your email adhere to GDPR regulations if your subscribers reside in the EU.

Holiday Email Template Examples

There are many great examples for holiday email templates but I particularly love this Stocksy United’s Black Friday email:

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Stocksy United clearly outline the holiday they are celebrating and use an exciting image to catch your attention. Their offer of 33% off until December 31st is reinforced by the price reductions and eye-catching images they use as you scroll down the email. Furthermore they clearly include the option to forward to a friend so that more people can avail of this offer at the end of the email. 

The Holiday Email Template

Subject Line: It’s [Holiday]! Get Excited With our Top Offers

Body:

It’s [Holiday] and it wouldn’t be right if we didn’t celebrate in style. That is why we decided to give [Offer] to everyone today!

Don’t miss out on this exciting offer, visit our website today. We have added some great things to our range since you visited last.

Shop Now

[On-Brand Sign Off]

What the Email Template Looks Like in Action

8. Update Customers With Newsletters

Customers, and brand supporters, like to receive information about your business without having to go look for it. Send newsletters to email subscribers to keep in contact regularly and pass on valuable information about your business and product range.

Newsletters are the most widely used email templates in marketing. But to have successful campaigns you need to make sure that the information in your newsletter is useful to those who receive them. Simply sending a summary of articles you published once a month is not helpful to any of your subscribers. 

Newsletters should tell your potential customers of the value in choosing to buy from you. They can also highlight new products that existing customers might want to purchase. With this in mind a newsletter calendar could be a great way to plan ahead and ensure that your emails are valuable and useful to all your subscribers.

Newsletter Email Template Examples

Roadtrippers provide useful information to their subscribers everytime they send out an email. They include niche advice on travel that will interest people who are just beginning their travel adventures, and also those who are more experienced. 

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Notice how they use striking photography with every article to draw people in, in an instant. Between the imagery and the well crafted titles, subscribers can’t help but click through to their blog.

The Newsletter Email Template

Subject Line: May’s Monthly Roundup: How to Solve this [Issue]

Body: Hi [Name]

[Issue] can affect many people. But it doesn’t need to become a problem. In our blog this month we talk all about how to solve this in three quick steps. 

Read Our Blog

What’s more, we have a new [product] range that can really brighten up your day. Drop by our store to browse the colors we have on offer. 

Browse Store

[On-Brand Sign Off]

What the Email Template Looks Like in Action

21 Email Template Tips for 2019

Here are some tips to bear in mind when customizing your email templates. 

Thank the recipient for subscribing.

Reaffirm the benefits to being on your mailing list.

Provide a way to further the relationship, such as a discount code, quiz, or simply by posing a question and asking them to respond.

Inject your unique brand personality!

Personality and humor will go a long way in this email.

Consider adding an additional incentive like a discount or free shipping.

Keep it short and snappy.

Use scarcity when appropriate.

Including a time-sensitive discount.

Introducing them to your loyalty program.

Featuring plenty of product images to compel the reader to revisit your website.

Keep the tone light and friendly.

Be open and upfront about your request.

Encourage dissatisfied customers to reach out so you can resolve any issues and avoid negative reviews.

Playful humor is important.

Pack it with your brand’s personality.

Offer an incentive to re-engage buyers.

Include an offer that’s too good to refuse.

Be absolutely honest about how long the survey will take to complete.

Keep the focus on the benefits that the customer will receive in exchange for their time.

Show appreciation.

Summary

Email marketing can be extremely powerful. Not only does it usually yield a high return on investment, most email software solutions provide a host of analytics for you to review and improve your campaigns. Although you should share your best content and announcements regularly, the eight emails covered in this article are the foundations of your email marketing strategy.

Whatever the content or purpose of your email, don’t forget to:

Inject every email with your brand’s personality.

Always be open and honest when asking for something.

Focus on the benefit that you’re providing to the recipient.

Find a way to move the relationship forward.

Lastly, what works for some brand’s won’t work for others. So make sure you test different emails and subject lines to craft the most effective campaigns possible.

Do you have any email advice or tips that you can share? Let us know about your experiences in the comments below!

Learn More!

10 Ways to Turn Site Visitors Into Email Subscribers for Your Online Store

Comparison of the Best Email Marketing Platforms for eCommerce

Email Marketing Strategies to Turn More Prospects Into Paying Customers

The Beginner’s Guide to Boosting Sales with Email List Segmentation

The post 8 Vital Email Templates Every Online Business Should Steal appeared first on Oberlo.

https://ift.tt/35WVpG1 October 22, 2019 at 03:21PM https://ift.tt/35YMrrI

[spiritualesoterichighlevel]

Studies of Mind Power

      Studies that Prove the Power of the Mind                                                                                                    

“What we are today comes from our thoughts of yesterday, and our present thoughts build our life of tomorrow: Our life is the creation of our mind.” – Buddha.

There is a tremendous amount of information about the power of the human mind. Discoveries in brain science, coupled with astonishing acts of human will, have solidified the human brain as perhaps the most powerful, life-changing force in the world.                While there is much information available, it is what we ultimately choose to do with this information that dictates how our lives ultimately turn out. Only the practical application of these concepts will constitute a truly life-changing experience.

We strongly encourage, while reading this article that you make a conscious decision to apply this potentially life-changing knowledge to better your own life. If done correctly, you will experience some truly amazing results.                WITHOUT FURTHER ADO, HERE ARE  INCREDIBLE DISCOVERIES THAT PROVE THE POWER OF THE MIND.

STUDY #1: VISUALIZATION CREATES RESULTS:                There are certain physical feats that can only be realized when we choose to become active in its pursuit. However, visualization – the recreation of all the images, sounds and feelings in your mind surrounding an activity – can create some astounding experiences.

Psychologist Alan Richardson set out to prove the power of visualization through an experiment. Richardson, an Australian psychologist, gathered a group of basketball players and split them into three groups. The intent of this study was to demonstrate the effectiveness of visualization in how the players converted free throws.

The three groups were as follows:

– The first group practiced 20 minutes every day.

– The second group visualized themselves making free throws, but didn’t participate in practice.

– The third group did not practice free throws or visualization.

The results were amazing. The group that only visualized demonstrated marked improvement, and were nearly as accurate as the players that actually practiced. The third group, as can be expected, regressed.

STUDY #2: SMILING IMPROVES MOOD                Specifically known as the ‘Facial Feedback Hypothesis’, scientists have known for a long time that changing your body through actions such as smiling, sitting up straight, and relaxing, are followed by positive emotional responses.

One of these studies took place in the late 1980’s. Researchers did not want to reveal that the study was about smiling or emotion, fearing that it could alter the results. As such, they improvised through the use of a common, everyday item: a pencil. Here’s what they did:

– The first group held the pencil horizontally in their mouth, between their teeth, which physically forced them to smile.

– The second group held the pencil horizontally in their mouth using only their lips, which did not force a smile and actually caused somewhat of a frown.

– The third group (control group) simply held the pencil in their hands.

The participants were then asked to view different cartoons and rated them on how funny they were. The first (or “smile”) group gave the cartoons much funnier ratings than the second (or “frown”) group. The third group fell somewhere in the middle of the two groups.

STUDY #3: THOUGHT MANAGEMENT LOWERS STRESS                Something else amazing about the human brain: it cannot tell the difference between a real or imagined threat.

Don Joseph Goeway, the author of Mystic Cool: A proven approach to transcend stress, achieve optimal brain function, and maximize your creative intelligence has plenty of experience in this area. Goeway managed the department of psychiatry at Stanford and assisted parents dealing with the loss of a child, prisoners adjusting to a life sentence, and refugees of the genocidal war in Bosnia struggling with post-traumatic stress.

His work with stress is truly unprecedented. However, he developed the most simple and practical way to eliminate fearful thoughts and escalating stress as any method before it. Goeway calls it the ‘Clear Button’, which works by distracting the primitive brain where fear is known to reside.

The steps for the Clear Button are as follows:

Imagine that there is a button in the center of your left palm; imagine that this button, when pressed, will send a signal to your brain to stop the fearful thinking.        Press the button with your right hand as you become aware of your breath.        Take three easy breaths counting them out.        Imagine a different color for each number.        As you exhale, relax in the present moment.                STUDY #4. THE BRAIN CAN PRODUCE SEROTONIN ON IT’S OWN                Serotonin is an essential brain chemical because it increases will power, delays gratification, and increases attention to detail.

Despite the proliferation of prescription medications and supplements, your brain is more than capable of producing serotonin on its own. If for whatever reason your serotonin level is too low, you will find difficulty in finishing things, being active, and controlling your impulses.                Here are the three ways your brain can produce serotonin:

– Sunlight. It contains UV light; which when absorbed through the skin produces Vitamin D, promoting the production of serotonin.

– Massage. One particular study focused on pregnant women. Women that received massages twice a week from their partner boosted their serotonin levels by 30%.

– Exercise. A well-known method to increase endorphin levels, exercise is effective at boosting serotonin.

STUDY #5. PEOPLE CAN “THINK” THEIR WAY TO RELEASING WEIGHT                This experiment involved a Harvard psychologist and a group of mostly overweight hotel maids. Despite exceeding the recommended amount of exercise, 67% of the maids did not consider themselves physically active. Langer, the psychologist, predicted that the maid’s viewpoints on their physical activity were making it difficult for them to lose weight.

To test her hypothesis, Langer gathered half of the maids, took their physical measurements and explained that they were exceeding the amount of exercise recommended by the surgeon general. The other half were given no information.

After a month, Langer’s team returned to the hotel for reevaluation. The maids that were evaluated and given information had a decrease in systolic blood pressure, weight, and waist-to-hip ratio. The other group’s results were insignificant.

Langer attributes these physical (and likely psychological) benefits to a simple change in mindset.

STUDY #6. POSITIVITY AND MEDITATION PROLONGS LIFE                In 1989, Dr. David Spiegel of Stanford University took on a study consisting of 86 women in the late stages of breast cancer. The group was split into halves; one group received only prescribed medical care, while the other group was given weekly support sessions in addition to the medical care. During these weekly sessions patients shared their feelings, socialized with other patients and had a positive environment in which to cope with their illness.

Upon the conclusion of the study, it was discovered that women in the support group survived twice as long as those that did not. A similar study in 1999 found that cancer patients who have general feelings of helplessness and hopelessness have a lower chance of survival.

Despite being labeled as a “spontaneous remission” by physicians, David Seidler believed it was anything but. Seidler, writer of “The King’s Speech”, battled bladder cancer for years and was scheduled to undergo an operation within two weeks. Seidler decided to use meditation in an effort to battle the cancer. He used meditative practices, specifically imagining a healthy bladder, leading up to his surgery.

When doing the pre-surgery biopsy about two weeks later, the doctor was surprised to discover a complete absence of cancer, even sending the results to four other locations for reevaluation. All other locations agreed: there was no cancer.

STUDY #7. THE PLACEBO EFFECT                Placebos are pills, medications, or procedures that are prescribed only for the psychological benefit of the patient. A phrase commonly seen in pharmaceutical studies, placebos are shown to affect the human mind in other areas as well.

In fact, as researchers are discovering that placebos are at times more effective than actual medication, the pharmaceutical industry has been left worrying about the profitability of its industry. Prozac, a commonly prescribed antidepressant, and other long-tenured prescription drugs are often proven less effective than placebos. As a result, the industry is currently engaging in other neurological studies in an effort to either refute or safeguard their products from common placebos.