#because of the character limit in tags this is pretty restrictive but i am not JUST thinking about women in this case

[uncanny-tranny]

I promise you can speak about and denounce undesirable behaviour without attributing it to some in-born, immutable, unchanging trait that you must "civilize" away.

In this specific instance that inspired this, you really don't need to attribute bad behaviour that's done by a man with unchanging character traits. This isn't even solely about men, because doing this affects everyone, men included.

"Men needed to be civilized out of behaving this way!" Who are you expecting to be doing the civilizing and why? This is just defending the idea that women are responsible for training up men - the millenia-old idea that a man's failings are actually a woman's fault, not his.

As a man, I am responsible for my actions. You don't need to dehumanize me in order to preserve your misogyny and your need to hate a group of men. Don't get me wrong, this rhetoric absolutely is not good for men to face. It especially targets men who have experiences with marginalized identities. If you're on my page, you know that this is something I deal with personally, have personal stakes in that affect my life daily. I just also think we really need to remember that this issue exists in a context where women and other folks will inevitably be punished as a direct result of these ideas as well.

I need to make that last part emphatically clear: even if this rhetoric (somehow) only hurt men, it would still be wrong. It would still be wrong! I want to - as a man - remind people (especially those who already have decided to dehumanize entire groups of people) that nobody is safe from being exempt from punishment due to this rhetoric.

[pseudonymphomania]

If you haven't already answered it (I can't find your FAQ >A< My tumblr literacy is GONE!) it's been on my mind since I first saw your username. Is it Pseudo or Pseudonym? What is the story behind it too?

Thank you for asking! ISTG my tumblr has been under construction for so long that I keep forgetting I actually have to construct it. Let this be the first thing I link to for my FAQs because it comes up often.

I went through many name changes over the years as a fan of things, but the time came when I could no longer be contained by the label Enjoyer and finally evolved into my ultimate form; Creator.

I started playing god back in the grand old times of February 2023 (this blog was created around March 2023 in the midst of me writing my first story so I could make press-releases about it because having-fun-is-an-all-ages-activity). This was before I thought I could even make art; I was purely a writer and not a very good one at th I was pretty decent at it.

There are a few things going on with my username. Pseudonym (fictitious name), and Nymphomania (excessive sexual desire), and together Pseudonymphomania is fictitious excessive sexual desire (because I write smut haha). I'm on the asexual spectrum and the process of writing enables me and others to experience it theoretically (you can even say Fictitiously).

In terms of what kind of fan I am, I veer on the silly side of things. I am a purveyor of comedy and I often make literary or meme references or a mashup of the two. On the flip-side, I'm also an essayist and fan-academic. A Pseudonym is something that is used in the writerly world and especially in the fan space, so why shouldn't I be a little silly and call-back to it?

The real question is, what the fuck I decided to use as my icons back then:

Since I wasn't a digital artist until after I finished my first story, I used Canva and free assets to create my first one. I had a kind of bland beige background with four different coloured hands reaching toward a strawberry ice cream cone. The ice cream is phallic imagery, especially with the pink head making it look like a peen. I used a serif font (evokes an image of classic literature) for the username. And it was a visual travesty.

I soon refined my taste and I made a second pfp with an all-white background to imitate the pages of a book. For clarity, I used a sans-serif font for the username this time and curved it into a circle, added two hands grasping it like looking into a crystal ball (the process of writing). The ice cream is dripping/melting [.............] and there's a little heart (universal visual for love) at the tip of it, acting as a sprinkle (representing "Prn with Feelings", an AO3 tag)

The thought process behind this kind of nonsense is what you can expect from me for literally everything. I've since stopped using cryptic symbolism and just use my own art, but that doesn't mean I stopped being ridiculous.

If you've seen me in the other places I hang around and wonder why it's not Pseudonymphomania everywhere even though I sign all my works as that...

PseudonymFanfic (Reddit): Created April 2023. Character Limits for username. At the time, I was only a writer. I couldn't change it after.

PseudonymDicks (Twitter): Created March 2023. Character Limits for username. Used to be called PseudonymFanfic like my Reddit and hosted all my works, including SFW and NSFW) until I was shadowbanned for containing too much flavor and never taken off it. This became NSFW only and my name changed to Dicks to reflect that. PseudonymDicks is also what I'll be using for my NSFW patreon when I get that set up, unless there's a restriction on that kind of naming that will force me to be PseudonymDix or something, oh my lords. Please no.

PseudonymWorks (Twitter): Created January 2024. SFW and Suggestive works only. The second twitter exists because a tree falling in a forest should be heard by someone who wants to harvest the firewood. PseudonymWorks is also what I'll be using for Etsy, Kofi, Patreon, etc. when I get those set up.

I continue to be Pseudonymphomania on here, AO3 and Bluesky and wherever else I am not limited by how long my name is that everyone knows who I am but nobody knows how to spell my name. (The mirth this gives me feels delightful)

"How are you so prolific?" Obsession. Some things become a catalyst for improvement that you will never see coming. How could I predict liking DiaLuci so much that it would spawn a million works from my abused hands when I originally started playing Obey Me for a whim and a lark?

Fandom is an island in Hell and I am determined to enjoy it.

I hope you enjoyed reading my personal lore. Thank you for being here. :)

[transmonstera]

In regards to your posts about ao3 and how vile it is in actuality, I wanna say thank you. I've not put much thought into the website I've been using but this has put things into perspective. I no longer want my work (work that I am proud of) on a website like that. Ao3 doesn't align with my values and I'm assuming many other people's who use the site.

Do you have any suggestions on a better site everyone can use?

(Side note: I absolutely adore your work!)

sure thing!

while there are no websites quite like ao3 in terms of filtering, curation, bookmarks, likes/comments etc there are a few alternatives out there!

Wattpad - I know people make fun of this one because it's where all the rpf for bands went back in the day but it is still operating and many people use it so you'll likely just switch viewers from ao3 to wattpad pretty seamlessly

Tumblr - you can always post directly on here! there is a character limit i believe of 4k so it's great for showing previews or even cutting up a small fic into parts 1, 2, 3, etc. a little clunky but it's an option if you only write short stuff! (Twitter threads can even be an option for this though again, a lil restrictive and works better for super short works!)

Google Docs + Linktree - if you have a linktree account you can always just link a view only (make sure people can't edit!) google doc of the fic! having the fics on a linktree still give people the ability to see all of your work in one place, and you can even see on linktree the click statistics for each fic! while it doesn't give the reader the ability to like/comment, you can always encourage those who do like it to leave a message on your tumblr!

Discord (or any groupchat tbh!) - similar to above you can always set up a discord server and post your fics view docs links there! it gives a curated experience and you can see the comments of people directly in the server

AO3 has seemingly made people believe that each and everyone one of their fan creations must be thrown out into the void where you hope everyone sees it and loves it. I think this has really stifled people's abilities to truly be creative in terms of making content of their favourite medias (and even with transitioning to making original work!) because you may subconsciously be adhering the current trends and whatnot of everyone else, even if you don't really like it yourself! I mean look at how common modern/high school aus still are today when I have yet to meet anyone who actually likes them. Look at how many books that have been published lately that painfully follow AO3 tag systems, where they don't even havea blurb anymore and instead just have "friends to lovers meet blah blah blah! read it now!". (Not to mention the quality of the books being published is fucking atrocious)

AO3 has ruined publishing and I am being entirely serious about that.

But back to where you wanna go with your fics now. Don't be afraid to restructure how you interact with your hobbies! It doesn't have to be so exposed and vulnerable to anyone and everyone having their say on it. I used to participate massively in fandom and I'll be honest, it made me miserable. I constantly felt like I couldn't keep up, that my ideas were wrong because another idea was more popular, and I really struggled. So I took about a hundred steps back and only interact with the media I like through my friends who also like it! And it's a lot better! You may not get hundreds and thousands of likes on fics from here on out if that's what you're used to, but I guarantee you'll have more meaningful interactions that you actually hold dear to you far more than any "a guest has left a kudos on your work" notification.

(Also just a pre-emptive thing of anyone who wants to defend AO3 on this post because "it's an integral part of fandom!" or "they need that much money because they run a site with no ads!", or you want to try and tell me that the fics on there are fine because it's fiction regardless of what the fics is (including literal fucking CSAM), just know you are completely unserious and I don't value a single thing you say. So don't even try it. How about you donate to a marginalised person's mutual aid for the first time in your life and you'll calm down.)

[wolame-o-ccx]

would genuinely love to see your process for sketching out your comics!! ive wanted to make my own but i have never really figured out the process and end up overwhelmed- and you're one of the folks who makes stuff in a style that I kinda draw close to, and u do ur comics with pencil and paper- so if you wouldn't mind in the future, it'd be really cool to see how you actually get everything planned :)

This ask is so cute :( probably genuinely the biggest compliment I've ever received! Well, no waiting in the future! I'll tell you now what happens behind the scenes! :)

SO FIRSTLY, I'd like to clarify I am in no way a professional or even close to one, I never even looked up how to do comics, I just kinda do them and use what I've read from DC comics and Pinterest tips.

But! Personally, I find that making comics is fun and that's what I strive on. I won't lie when I say my comics are pretty bland, the surroundings are empty and lame but I think the character's expressions and body language make up for it, and especially the script. So altogether in this post, I'll be breaking down how my comics are made!

↓↓↓ if you're interested, open up the full post!

1 - Scripting

In both dialogue and character detail/placing!

I use a notes app for when I get ideas!

* I usually don't do specific dialogue, only stating the idea and then coming up with dialogue in my head, but there are some exceptions where I do write down pre-thought-out dialogues you can see in the examples I put below!

With the idea / dialogue in tow, we can go to character detail / placing. I don't know the actual word for it but basically how the character acts in a specific scene / dialogue!

Character expression is especially important when it comes to any type of art, be it comics or animation as it can tell a story with little to no dialogue!

* panels taken from 1 and 2 for context

From here you can clearly tell their expressions well! Be sure to exaggerate!

2 - Limit planning

With Tumblr's 10 images limit, as well as Instagram if you post there, it's important to note that limit and know when to end the comic with a good panel where it doesn't feel like it's supposed to continue UNLESS you're making two parts!

I can't tell you how many times I've ruined my sketchbook papers trying to get a perfect script but I've been doing it long enough that my brain has adapted to the limit and every comic I've done since adapting had been a perfect ≤10.

But even if you decide to go with two (or maybe even more) parts, you should make sure it ends well still! Like a book! Those spaces between paragraphs and chapters and such!

Take these for examples too!

* panels taken from 1 and 2 for context

So treat it like a book! I guess ?

3 - Panel placement

This isn't a necessity, but my personal way of drawing each panel is having it scattered around randomly around my sketchbook. I don't use strips or anything like that as it restricts me because using strips on paper is a whole lot harder than on digital. Because I have such a wide area to draw, I'm less restricted from drawing any excess things I want to add in case my dialogue doesn't fit the panel or so!

4 - Draw

Now to put it all together and make the comic! I usually already have my vision in mind so I can just go draw it without a light sketch layer, but I do recommend it!

What that is is essentially a sketch but drawn like.. your pencil is hovered above the page? Like you don't press down on it or something like that. Basically a guideline! So do that if you need it, and when you're satisfied with how it looks, you can draw it! And make sure it's clear!

After that, it's just picture and post! (Make sure you crop it right tho!)

4.5 - BONUS / TIPS

When I started posting Belos drawings, I never expected it to get any attention or even end up as a whole AU 😭 I just drew him in a babygirl hoodie and people ate that shit up so now it's an AU 💀 and because of that you need to prepare personalized tags!

Tags like pitmdau or sharing caleb au ! Very very useful for navigation

More important than tags, make sure you have a Masterpost!

I'm aware mine are unfinished and very messy and I'm trying to work on that right now but it's very difficult but people really need it so when making Masterposts, YOU HAVE KEEP UP WITH IT. I slacked of for ONE POST and now it's a mess.

Also another important note you can only put 100 links in one post so you have to make more Masterposts to navigate through the comics 😭

5 - Have fun!

When getting into comic making, I think really the most important thing to keep in mind is your enjoyment in making said comics. Sometimes some things can burn you out very quickly so when you're getting into things like this, especially when you're not getting paid, you gotta make sure you have fun doing it. It doesn't matter if it doesn't get a lot of traction or not, it only matters that you are enjoying making and posting them!

I've experienced MULTIPLE burn outs from making too many comics for my TOH AUs that at some point I just completely died and lacked motivation. But what drives me into making them are other people's enjoyment! Their enjoyment gives me enjoyment which gives me motivation to make more. Someday I'll know the AUs I've created will inevitably be over, at some point, but right now I'm just having fun with the small community I've built!

So make comics, and have fun!

I hope this was helpful in any way. I just want to clarify that, again, this is my way of making comics, and you don't have to follow anything I put into the post. I'm mostly hoping this was easy to understand as well. I'm more of a visual learner so making up the words to make this was kinda hard so I'm sorry if some parts didn't make sense. If anything, feel free to hit me with another ask or a PM! I know me not posting seems like I'm inactive but I promise I check Tumblr frequently 😭

Happy posting!!! :3

[hexedsouls]

Disclaimer:

I am not in any way associated to the creators of any existing series on this blog.

I expect it to be understood that the actions and views of my muses are not reflective of my own values, they are reflective of the character in their environment. Mun ≠ muse.

About the Blog

Many of my muses are divergent. Fanon and word of god especially hold no sway here.

This blog is 21+ If your blog does not say that you are 21+ ( doesn’t need to be specific ), I will not follow / write with you. I will block minors that follow me. My blog will contain content not suitable for those under 18.

I don’t format. I don’t mind if my partners do. My use of icons is sporadic at best.

I don’t like posts, I’ll reply instead. I am the maniac that actually utilizes likes for organization- and I cannot stand ‘ghost likes’. Generally instead of hitting the like button, I’ll drop an emoji or short comment using the reply box.

Interaction

PLEASE DO NOT REBLOG DOSSIERS, HEADCANONS, VERSES, OR META. You are free to ‘like’ whatever you wish!

Following:

I do not follow for follow. Most interactions are mutuals only. I follow blogs that I want to interact with. I may unfollow if the interest is not reciprocated, or we aren’t super close & haven’t interacted in a while. There are no hard feelings! We can always reconnect later!

I do look at all blogs that follow me, though it may take me a week or two do do so & follow back if I am going to.

I will unfollow / softblock for — Abundant real-life politics / news — Callouts, bullying, ship/character/actor/etc bashing, ship wars, etc — Any other discourse / drama

I will only interact with OCs that I approach first. Meaning if I follow your OC without prompting, we’re gucci, but please don’t ask to to RP with your OC if I haven’t followed you first / followed back. It’s not because I think OCs are trash, it’s because I have trouble interacting with characters I don’t have at least a baseline familiarity with.

Activity & Partners:

With very few exceptions, I do not do mains/exclusives. I am however here pretty much purely at the behest of @holmesdepot, as a resident purse bunny.

My blog is very low-activity, and I don’t seek out many new partners. Please don’t be offended by this. I’m a busy self-employed artist with low spoons. Mainly, I meet RP partners because they are friends-of-friends.

Inbox & Starter Calls: HC Memes/General Questions ⯎ Open to all Interaction Memes ⯎ Mutuals only Starter Calls ⯎ Mutuals only Anon/Inbox Interactions ⯎ TENTATIVELY open to all (I make no promises about replying to inbox interactions, but these were fun back in the day! Just keep it light!)

)

NOTICE: If you need fast replies / daily communication, I am not the blog for you. I am slow. I have limited energy. I am a busy. Just because I don’t send messages every day does not mean I love my friends & partners any less.

Triggers & Adult Content

Potentially triggering & adult content will be present on this blog. I tag any triggers I can think of using ‘trigger cw’. If you need something tagged, you are free to ask and I will do my best to accommodate.

Do NOT under any circumstances attempt to police my writing. I will not ever fight over the moral high ground. I expect my partners to be aware of the warning labels and curate their own content, rather than restricting mine. If there is questionable content happening in a thread, you can bet it’s been thoroughly discussed with my partner, & we are both aware of its nature.

I will not actively write the following topics. Those marked with a #, I would greatly appreciate being tagged so that I can block. Those marked with a * may appear in backstories, be mentioned off-screen, or in headcanon, but will not actively be written about.

— #Animal violence / death / injury — *Acts of sexual violence — #Zombie Apocalypse Scenarios ( zombie-like & undead characters are fine- it’s the whole apocalypse/hoards of endless infected thing for me ) — Racism & Transphobia

Please be aware that, because I write queer characters in historical settings, mild homophobia may be a relevant topic to some muses. This will always be tagged, and you are more than welcome to tell me to avoid it even in passing in our threads if we interact.

Shipping & NSFW

All muns and muses must be adults to ship.

⯎ Feel free to tell me if you ship our muses, ask about OTPs/NoTPs/OT3s/etc, and send fluffy memes to test the waters ⯎ Please do NOT assume a ship without discussion, assume canon ships are acknowledged/automatically okay, or send unsolicited NSFW interaction memes if we are not already shipping.

I will not auto-ship. This means that whether or not I ship the thing OOC, I may not automatically ship the thing with your interpretation.

I will never pressure someone into shipping. Chemistry that is agreed upon by both partners is a must.

I will typically utilize fade-to-black rather than writing smut. I do write sexual themes, and will participate in Sinday through memes, drabbles, and suggestive starters. All suggestive text will be tagged ‘ mind the citrus ’.

NSFW imagery may be present on my blog. This includes but is not limited to NSFW fanart and image/gifsets, however all suggestive imagery will be tagged ‘ NSFT ’ (Not Safe For Tumblr). I am looking into the idea of implimenting citrus scale in tagging as well.

[ir0n-angel]

I posted 17,622 times in 2022

That's 2,641 more posts than 2021!

104 posts created (1%)

17,518 posts reblogged (99%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@madangel19

@crackinglamb

@steamcaptain

@lilbittymonster

@taygertot

I tagged 10,640 of my posts in 2022

Only 40% of my posts had no tags

#minerals - 1,851 posts

#hahahahahahahahahahahahahaha - 1,066 posts

#i'm hungry - 873 posts

#awesome art - 685 posts

#gaming dice - 496 posts

#sound on - 406 posts

#this - 249 posts

#but also - 241 posts

#cute art - 237 posts

#for reference - 179 posts

Longest Tag: 140 characters

#can you imagine what the world would be like if our governments weren't run by people with fortunes tied to harmful environmental practices?

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

Please use punctuation.

Please use punctuation, especially if you’re making a long post. I don’t care if it’s the wrong one. It can be all commas all the time. Or periods. Or be radical and use a semicolon. It’s hard enough to read walls of text. It’s impossible to read them when there’s nothing to break up the sentences.

This message brought to you by one of the millions of users with dyslexia.

18 notes - Posted October 2, 2022

#4

@fiadhaisteach 

A present for you.

21 notes - Posted November 23, 2022

#3

*skin crawls* *hits the block button*

Okay, because there seems to be a little bit of miscommunication here, please take note of the following:

I’m a bi/pan-romantic demisexual, ADHD sufferer, and I have a tenuous acquaintanceship with gender at best. I’m an atheist omnivore that believes black lives matter, trans men are men, trans women are women, nonbinaries are awesome, children are real people and not property, love is love, vaccines save lives, climate crisis is a real problem, platonic love is just as important as romantic love, abortion should be safe and legal and none of your damn business, social media is bad for your health, no one should own assault weapons, and diet culture and capitalism and cult of celebrity should die in a fire.

We got that? Good. I’m not interested in having a debate with y’all over this. I don’t care to hear your point of view and I don’t dance with devil’s advocates. I’m here for rocks, recipes, and the occasional awful pun. If it ain’t enough for you to sit quietly and enjoy the pretty pictures, get blocked. Do not pass Go, do not collect $200. Good riddance.

29 notes - Posted July 20, 2022

#2

If you have the spoons (& willingness), I am curious & would love it if you could tell me why so many pretty minerals look like red lyrium.

Manganese! Also traces of iron, magnesium and/or calcium. But mostly manganese! Manganese gives you red!

I assume we're talking about this bad boy right here:

Rhodochrosite.

Also known as manganese carbonate (MnCO3), it occurs as a hydrothermal vein mineral along with other manganese minerals in low temperature ore deposits such as silver. In its purest form, it creates beautiful crystals like the one pictured above. However, calcium (and sometimes magnesium and zinc) frequently replaces the manganese in the structure, leading to shades of pink, the most common color encountered:

See the full post

31 notes - Posted February 18, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

💙Back again for the third year in a row, with new prompts!💙

FLUFF-uary is a creation celebration designed to display all your sweetness and light for the whole month of February. There will be a prompt for each day and you can do as many as you like, in any combination or order.

Feel free to write, draw, edit photos/videos...whatever you're inspired to create. Have fun, it's not a contest. You can join in for the whole month, do one or two, or even come up with your own. Do it at your own pace, even after February is over. There's no word or size limits or restrictions other than to keep it sweet (no whump, please – we're all about the comfort zone here).

When uploading your fluffs, please tag properly with the prompt, the tag fluffuary2022, and any other applicable tags (like genre, characters, any content warnings if you decide to go NSFW etc.) Any questions can be directed @ir0n-angel​ and @crackinglamb.   As always, we hope everyone has a good time.

(reader-friendly plain text under the cut)

1. Holding Hands

2. Long Conversations

3. Trust

4. Being Silly

5. Moral Support

6. Shopping Together

7. Love Letters

8. Taking a nap together

9. Caretaking

10. Cooking Together

11. Compliments

12. First 'I love you'

13. Night Out

14. Mutual Pining

15. Love Bites

16. Flower Crowns/Putting Flowers In Their Hair

17. 'This Made Me Think of You'

18. Domestic Intimacy

19. Spooning

20. Acts of Devotion

21. Trying Something New

22. Bearhugs

23. Reminiscing

24. Wearing/Stealing Each Other's Clothes

25. Adopting a plant/pet

See the full post

358 notes - Posted January 26, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

[jxgi]

an independent roleplay blog for hokuto no ken's jagi; with verses based in final fantasy, resident evil, modern / realistic aus and more. a study in jealousy and hate - a life lost and the exploration of the sadness beneath sociopathy.

ambition tearing out the heart of you, carving lines into you

[ carrd ] | [ main ] | [ ask ]

  001   This is an independent roleplay blog for the character of Jagi from the manga / anime / game, Fist of the North Star aka Hokuto No Ken. Obviously, this character doesn't belong to me. The character of Jagi is a mean, villainous character and his backstory has a good amount of triggering content. Please keep this in mind when interacting. This blog is 18+ (adults only) and low activity.

  002   Triggering content that you can expect to see frequently on this blog will be violence, murder, aggression, blood and general fighting / battle themes. Sexual content will be present, as will consensual-rough sex. Explicitly dark themes such as rape / sexual violence / dubcon etc, will be alluded to in terms of backstory but not necessarily written. Everything will be tagged. Example is - 'tw.triggerhere'. I, myself, have no triggers.

  003   Mun's name is Han, you may know me from such blogs as 'cwarscars' (a badly written attempt at a military general in a fantasy world) and 'mencnfire' (a multimuse attempt at some veteran type characters who all have issues). Are you noticing a theme? Lol. I'm 29, work full time and like to do all sorts of stuff so I wont be super active. I'm pretty friendly and very chilled out, discord is available on the carrd - just tell me who you are if you add me please.

  004   This blog is low activity; primarily because I work full-time hours and have other stuff going on outside of the online world. Generally, I like to restrict myself from being online too much. It's never anything personal if I'm not online, don't reply to a message or favour one thread over another. I just have limited time to work with and am terrible at messages. I do like communication, but I also appreciate realism, understanding and patience. I give exactly what I expect of partners. Be laid-back and just have fun!

  005   Generally, I prefer longer threads and planned threads. I will do the odd starter or random thread about random thing, but I love a good, juicy, well-thought-out thing. If we're going to plot, I love to have a beginning, middle and end. They are my favourite kinds of threads to write. I don't like too much exposition and prefer a slow burn when it comes to all manner of relationships etc. I can't be bothered to use icons and fancy formatting gives me migraines, so I'll just stick to standard small text.

  006   In terms of character / shipping. I base my Jagi's backstory off of his story in Jagi Gaiden. If you're not a fan of HNK / barely know it, don't worry - Jagi has a tonne of verses I have thrown him into and I am more than open to writing a new verse to base around our muses! Regarding shipping - I am open to it! But keep in mind that Jagi is a sociopath and a dangerous murderer. As you can imagine, I'm willing to write most kinds of ships, be they romantic, dark, family, dark-romance etc. However, Jagi will not sexually assault or rape your muse. I've got ten years+ of writing villains under my belt and people trying to force that on you is never enjoyable.

  007   Please don't block-evade, hound me for replies, do any creepy shit like stalk my blog / discord, talk shit etc. This is a weird, slightly vague rule but I'm just not down for the high-school side of the RPC nor am I down for the weird things such as block-evading and the like. Please don't pretend to be someone you're not to me (as in, literally pretend to be another person), it's very unsettling behaviour.

  008   I have approximately minus interest in getting involved in any slapfights between pro-ship & anti-ship content. I believe in freedom of expression and am anti-censorship, but I also believe that people are allowed to be unsettled / turned-off by certain content. Generally, I'm open-minded but also do my best to be respectful. As said previously, stuff is tagged, dark content will be written, but I also have limits and I respect others' limits, too.

 009   My main blog is CWARSCARS and generally, I'll be over there. I just needed to get the rascal that is Jagi off of my chest for a little while as I replenish my writing juices (gross lol).Have fun and I hope we have good rp times! :-)

[tomhollandfics]

NOW CLOSED (Masterlist will be posted soon)

WELCOME TO MY VERY OWN 2022 FIC EVENT ♡︎

IF YOU HAPPEN TO WRITE FICS FOR TOM HOLLAND ALREADY, OR WANT TO GET STARTED, THIS IS THE EVENT FOR YOU.

FEW RESTRICTIONS, A SUPPORTIVE COMMUNITY & UNTIL THE 1ST OF MARCH TO SUBMIT A FIC YOU'RE HAPPY WITH.

STEP 1: Choose a prompt or an idea

I do not want to limit creativity, therefore, you can use the suggested prompts below but you are free to write about anything of your choosing - as long as it is about tom holland & respectful.

---

PROMPTS; feel free to combine multiple prompts within one fic

1. "You're not alone, I promise."

2. “How mad would you be if i kissed you?”

3. "Sure, we can snuggle if it will make you feel better."

4. “That was the prettiest sound i’ve ever heard.”

5. "There's no shame in crying. I promise."

6. “I think we just found a new kink.”

7. "That’s the sixth time you’ve complimented me today."

8. “As beautiful as you look, all i want to do is rip that dress off right now.”

9. “If you loved me, you wouldn’t have done it.”

10. "Oh. Oh. Even till now, after all these years, you're still blaming me?"

11. "Leave me alone. That's what you're best at, anyway."

12. “You’re lucky you’re hot.”

13. “Ten? I only need five.”

14. “I act like I'm jealous because I am!”

15. "And risk ruining our friendship?"

16. "Something tells me I'm going to regret this."

17. “I thought bad things only happened to people who deserved it…”

18. “Kiss me like you mean it.”

19. “Come on, love, let’s get you home.”

20. "Now what’s your safe word, baby?”

21. “I can’t believe you remembered.”

22. “Why does it sound like you’re saying goodbye?”

23. "Here’s my hotel room number."

24. “You were always there for me. Let me be there for you.”

25. “Come here and make me.”

---

STEP 2: Begin writing

As I mentioned, I do not want to limit anyone's creativity. Angst, smut and fluff (etc) are all allowed.

Also, you are not restricted to a female reader. Feel free to write about tom and a reader (or an OC character), whether they are male, non-binary, transgender, gay, bisexual...etc

I will try to read through all fics before reblogging & posting them onto a masterlist.

BUT, I will not be judging or scrutinising anyone's work - please do not feel pressured to produce a masterpiece!

However, I will NOT allow disrespectful, bigoted fics to be submitted nor posted on this blog.

To add, this event is solely for Tom Holland fics, not Peter Parker (or any other characters played by Tom Holland) - I apologise to those writers, however I will plan to create another event in the future, dedicated to your work.

But you are more than welcome to write a Tom Holland AU.

NO WORD LIMIT!

---

STEP 3: Submit

Once you're finished writing, post your fic!

Tag me within the post.

Also, use the tag #tomhollandficsevent2022

If you want to, you can send the posts link to me directly. Only do this if you are unsure that I have seen your fic.

I will reblog your fic!! I will also make sure to add the fic to a masterlist that I will create as I begin to receive entries.

SUBMISSIONS NEED TO BE MADE BY THE 1ST OF MARCH!

---

If anyone has any questions, it is probably better to message me privately rather than sending an ask - my inbox is pretty full so I am more likely to see it in my messages.

HAPPY WRITING EVERYONE! x

[bookofmirth]

What’s a kink meme lol

The way that it worked before was there was a submission process for requesting fanfiction or fan art, and basically you put:

1) the character(s) you wanted in the work, and

2) the tropes or scenarios you wanted

So someone would submit a request for mesta (Mor/Nesta) and the trope "fuck or die". Or they would submit Tamlin/Rhys with the one bed trope. Or they would ask for feysand and ask for her making him crawl in front of the Court of Nightmares (like sub/dom dynamics). Things like that.

People could fulfill requests anonymously, in addition to requesting works anonymously. This means that people are... less inhibited. Less shy about saying what sort of things they are interested in seeing from the fandom.

I ran the acotar one back in the day and it was super interesting seeing what kind of requests people would have. They can be run differently and I am sure that, depending on the nature of the canon content and who the fans are, the vibe can be very, very different. I fulfilled a few requests back in the day but I can't remember how I tagged them or I would give you examples.

The thing that's different about a kink meme compared to people just deciding to create whatever they want, is that it tends to expose the fandom to different ideas, pairings or ot3s, scenarios, tropes, etc. that they wouldn't have thought of before. The fact that it can be anonymous means, like I said, that people can be more out there with their requests, and maybe ask for things they are too afraid to say they want.

We had to section off the triggering content from other, softer or fluffier content. It can get intense, but that's also the nice thing about a kink meme, is that (theoretically) there is no judgement.

The reason I brought it up yesterday is this - in fandom, there is this whole world of possibilities and ways we can be creative and explore these characters and explore parts of ourselves that maybe we don't feel comfortable exploring in other spaces. The acotar fandom has gotten pretty basic. I was talking to @symphonyofbleedingshadows yesterday about the things people used to write and she was surprised because this fandom is, comparatively, pretty tame. I think something like a kink meme is what it needs to spice things up and make people stop thinking about the ship war and canon, and start thinking about having fun again.

But it also takes work to organize and idk if I have that in me. I could if I had help, for sure.

The thing people would need to realize is that there would be literally zero, zilch, NO restrictions on content. There would be rarepairs and slash and noncon and dubcon and the fluffiest fluff, abusive relationships and the healthiest relationships ever. Nothing would be off limits.

[perpetual-stories]

How To Fight Writers Block

hello, hello. hope everyone is doing well. as you can all tell, this post will be about how to fight writers block.

it’s really annoying to me when I hear people say “oh you don’t have writers block, you’re just lazy.”

first of all, yes, I am naturally lazy. second of all, how dare you. writing isn’t as easy as many think. granted, all you have to do is write down words on paper, but it’s not always easy to find the right words to express what you are feeling, or what you wish to say.

I have had terrible writer’s block for the last few days and it’s horrible! as a business owner or a small writing store, I have to be ready to write and fulfill my clients’ ideas and orders.

it’s not easy. It takes a heavy toll on my imagination, and digs me a deep pit of blockage, drowning in the lack of originality because of the constant writing and repetition or certain phrases and sentences in different projects.

i am making this post in the hopes to remind myself about over coming the dreaded and sometimes skeptically believed writer’s block.

What is writer’s block?

Yeah, I know. We all know what that is, but let me define it.

is the state of being unable to proceed with writing, and/or the inability to start writing something new

some people believe it to be a real problem, others believe it's “all in your head”

What Causes Writer’s Block?

in the 1970s, clinical psychologists Jerome Singer and Michael Barrios decided to find out

they concluded that there are four broad causes of writer's block:

Excessively harsh self-criticism

Fear of comparison to other writers

Lack of external motivation, like attention and praise

Lack of internal motivation, like the desire to tell one's story

How to overcome writer's block: 20 tips

1. Develop a writing routine:

Author and artist Twyla Tharp once wrote: “Creativity is a habit, and the best creativity is a result of good work habits.”

it might seem counterintuitive

if you only write when you “feel creative,” you're bound to get stuck in a tar pit of writer's block

The only way to push through is by disciplining yourself to write on a regular schedule. It might be every day, every other day, or just on weekends — but whatever it is, stick to it!

2. Use "imperfect" words:

A writer can spend hours looking for the perfect word or phrase to illustrate a concept

You can avoid this fruitless endeavor by putting, “In other words…” and simply writing what you’re thinking, whether it’s eloquent or not

You can then come back and refine it later by doing a CTRL+F search for “in other words.”

3. Do non-writing activities:

one of the best ways to climb out of a writing funk is to take yourself out of your own work and into someone else’s

Go to an exhibition, to the cinema, to a play, a gig, eat a delicious meal

immerse yourself in great STUFF and get your synapses crackling in a different way

Snippets of conversations, sounds, colors, sensations will creep into the space that once felt empty

4. Freewrite through it:

free-writing involves writing for a pre-set amount of time without pause — and without regard for grammar, spelling, or topic. You just write.

The goal of freewriting is to write without second-guessing yourself — free from doubt, apathy, or self-consciousness, all of which contribute to writer's block. Here’s how:

Find the right surroundings. Go somewhere you won't be disturbed.

Pick your writing utensils. Will you type at your computer, or write with pen and paper? (Tip: if you're prone to hitting the backspace button, you should freewrite the old-fashioned way!)

Settle on a time-limit. Your first time around, set your timer for just 10 minutes to get the feel for it. You can gradually increase this interval as you grow more comfortable with freewriting.

5. Relax on your first draft:

Many writers suffer form perfectionism, which is especially debilitating during a first draft

“Blocks often occur because writers put a lot of pressure on themselves to sound ‘right’ the first time. A good way to loosen up and have fun again in a draft is to give yourself permission to write imperfectly.” — editor Lauren Hughes

perfect is the enemy of good,” so don't agonize about getting it exactly right! You can always go back and edit, maybe even get a second pair of eyes on the manuscript

6. Don’t start at the beginning:

the most intimidating part of writing is the start, when you have a whole empty book to fill with coherent words

instead of starting with the chronological beginning of whatever it is you’re trying to write, dive into middle, or wherever you feel confident

7. Take a shower:

Have you ever noticed that the best ideas tend to arrive while in the shower, or while doing other “mindless” tasks?

research shows that when you’re doing something monotonous (such as showering, walking, or cleaning), your brain goes on autopilot, leaving your unconscious free to wander without logic-driven restrictions

showering is my favourite thing to do if I may add

8. Balance your inner critic:

successful writers have in common is the ability to hear their inner critic, respectfully acknowledge its points, and move forward

You don't need to completely ignore that critical voice, nor should you cower before it

you must establish a respectful, balanced relationship, so you can address what's necessary and skip over what's insecure and irrelevant

9. Switch up your tool:

a change of scenery can really help with writer's block. However, that scenery doesn't have to be your physical location — changing up your writing tool can be just as big a help!

if you’ve been typing on your word processor of choice, try switching to pen and paper. Or if you're just sick of Google Docs, consider using specialized novel writing software.

10. Change your POV:

great advice from editor Lauren Hughes: “When blocked, try to see your story from another perspective ‘in the room’ to help yourself move beyond the block. How might a minor character narrate the scene if they were witnessing it? A ‘fly on the wall’ or another inanimate object?

11. Exercise your creative muscles:

Any skill requires practice if you want to improve, and writing is no different! So if you’re feeling stuck, perhaps it’s time for a strengthening scribble-session to bolster your abilities

12. Map out your story:

If your story has stopped chugging along, help it pick up steam by taking a more structured approach — specifically, by writing an outline

13. Write something else:

Though it's important to try and push through writer's block with what you're actually working on, sometimes it's simply impossible

feel free to push your current piece to the side for now and write something new

14. Work on your characters:

It follows that if your characters are not clearly defined, you’re more likely to run into writer’s block

15. Stop writing for readers:

write for yourself, not your potential readers

this will help you reclaim the joy of being creative and get you back in touch with what matters: the story.

this is something I really need to do. because of my etsy business i don't write for fun anymore, but instead as a business and a deadline. i'm going to have to pull out my old crappy wattled fanfics or write some new ones.

16. Try a more visual process:

when words fail you, forget them and get visual. Create mind maps, drawings, Lego structures — ideally related to your story, but whatever unblocks your mind!

17. Look for the root of it:

writer’s block often comes from a problem deeper than simple “lack of inspiration.” So let's dig deep: why are you really blocked? Ask yourself the following questions:

Do I feel pressure to succeed and/or competition with other writers?

Have I lost sight of what my story is about, or interest in where it's going?

Do I lack confidence in my own abilities, even if I've written plenty before?

Have I not written for so long that I feel intimidated by the mere act?

Am I simply feeling tired and run-down?

once you identify what's wrong, it'll be so much easier to fix.

18. Quit the Internet:

If willpower isn’t your strong suit and your biggest challenge is staying focused, try a site blocker like Freedom or an app like Cold Turkey

19. Let the words find you:

meditate, go for a walk, take that shower

Word Palette is a great app that features a keyboard of random words, allowing you to simply click your way to your next masterpiece.

You can also try AI auto-completers like Talk to Transformer, where you can enter a phrase and let the app “guess what comes next.”

even though they often produce nonsense, it's a great way to help that writer's block.

20. Write like Hemingway:

And if your biggest block is your own self-doubt about your prose, Hemingway offers suggestions to improve your writing as you go

it's a pretty cool app if you ask me.

it highlights your sentences (if need be) and makes suggestions on how to improve them!

well, there you have it! a lengthy post on how to fight writer's block. now i just hope i can combat my own soon.

like, comment and reblog if you find this useful! feel free to reblog in instagram and tag me perpetualstories

Follow me on instagram and tumblr for more writing and grammar tips and more!

[dsudis]

Here’s the thing.

Not being passive aggressive this time, just... blunt. 

I was excited when I first saw that there was going to be an @eskelbigbang​! I was writing Eskel fic when there were less than 20 Eskel/Geralt fics on AO3, and it’s been so great to spend the last year watching the growing Witcher fandom latch on to and fall in love with this character--and now a big bang! Sweet! I am feeling a bit better lately, getting some writing mojo back, and it would be fun to have an artist create stuff for a story while I’m writing it--that’s very motivating, having someone else invested in your story like that before it’s even posted! It would be a big help to me and doubtless lots of other authors, to help us write and finish something to be proud of.

So I popped into their Discord, where I noticed that “dead dove topics” were banned even in NSFW channels, and I began to think, uh, maybe this event is Not For Me. Maybe I do not get to join in the fun. I’ve already been kicked out of at least one Discord for wanting to discuss the fic which convinced me to OTP Geralt and Eskel while I was writing it; I don’t want to set myself up for that again, and even if I managed to follow that rule enough not to get kicked out... that’s a pretty unwelcoming vibe, knowing I would always have to be on my Best Behavior. 

And then--months after announcing this simply as an Eskel Big Bang, which I took to mean, as it normally does, that any long fic centered on Eskel would be welcome, and artists and fellow authors would simply scroll on by the summaries of fics that didn't interest them for any reason--the mods announced the content rules for the bang, which forbid, no matter how correctly tagged and warned for: rape/non-con, graphic torture, incest, underage, hard kink and, as of the last ask they answered on this topic, also any variety of dub-con including intoxication before/during sex, and sex with incubi or succubi.

(In case you are wondering: yeah, Eskel IS the witcher who canonically both has used fisstech--in-universe cocaine--and had sex with a succubus. Off the top of my head I can’t remember if he explicitly said that he did both things on the same occasion, but that is the most common fannish interpretation of what he said.)

So now I’m feeling really unwelcome in this bang, since forbidding “hard kink” as far as I’ve seen generally works out to “kinks the mod(s) personally find disgusting or upsetting” and that’s the kind of slippery slope and kinkshaming that I do not feel even a little bit comfortable around, never mind the rest of the restrictions. It's entirely likely that I would have written a fic that didn't run afoul of any of those limits--but knowing that I would be subject to the mods' personal, subjective judgment of what's too kinky, or too graphic, or not good enough consent, or too much focus on, e.g., teenage Geralt and Eskel's sexual adventures, would be enough to paralyze me. I just could not sign up for such an event and expect to succeed in writing a story.

Which is why I’m finding it really ironic that the mods, when questioned about these restrictions, are defending them by saying that "we’re trying to be welcoming of as many people as we can, and some people are uncomfortable with those things.” Because by definition, when you start forbidding content and making rules like this, you are making it clear that quite a lot of people are not welcome at all. 

Now, of course, the mods are the mods; it’s their event to run as they see fit. But if they intended it to be restrictive in this way--if they intended to be running a Vanilla, No Archive Warnings Apply Only Eskel Big Bang--then I wish they had been up front about that from the start, because damn, you guys. I was really excited.

[agent-bash]

What is your honest opinion about the OC fandom here on tumblr? I’m debating setting up a blog but just scrolling through Twitter and IG has me a little hesitant.

Oof, Nonny, I feel ya. Twitter can be a shit show. It honestly highlights most of my issues with fandoms (not just OC, but all of them). Shipping wars, hypersensitivity and over defence of faves when what was said wasn’t really that bad. Tag abuse, bait and switch. It’s a mess over there.

I can’t speak to the entirety of the oc fandom here on tumblr, because I’m really mostly just CPD, and I’m not a super popular blog. So I’m going to tag a couple people who are in the broader scope of the fandom for you at the end here Nonny, who’ll probably be able to shed light that I can’t. But for me and in my experience, barring honestly one day not too long ago where there was a troll going around I think things are pretty calm over here, especially compared to Twitter. Part of that is because we don’t have the same character restrictions, another part is it’s a lot easier to filter out the things you don’t want to see.

My advice: The tag system isn’t perfect, but it is a good idea to learn how they work because it is useful. If there is something that is a complete no go for you, a ship, a character, tumblr has a block feature. Again it’s not perfect, it doesn’t catch everything because not everyone tags or whatever (e.g I’ve seen Br*dgerton stuff, even though I have the tag and the word blocked because people don’t always tag or add something like ‘look at this Br*dgerton stuff’ when they do.) Know that there is a difference between running a search for a character or a ship and searching a tag (which so many seem to forget then complain about). Don’t do what people do on Insta and just tag every tag that pops up. If it’s not relevant to your post, don’t use the tag. We have a few here that do mis-tag but not to the level of insta (again in my experience). And if things get really bad it’s very easy to turn off asks, even just the anonymously feature.

Occasionally Twitter drama will make its way over here. Either in the form of (usually anonymous) asks. Either wanting elaboration or to try and stir the same shit up here. It doesn’t usually work. Or people will be venting their frustrations about it in a space with a far larger character limit. Then there’s me who posts about it as a laugh on my roommate who is on twitter and gets increasing frustrated by it and its really funny.

I’m gonna tag @sylviesunshine, and @fighterkimburgess, for you Nonny to see if they have anything to add. Both are more involved with the Fire and Med side of things than I am. Both have more followers, and are more likely to have had issues that I, in my own little corner, just haven’t experienced. Plus they have super awesome blogs, and are both very sweet people, so if you do end up creating a blog, I highly recommend giving them a follow.

[fytheuntamed]

Do you have any thoughts on why the novel might be so popular among lgbt people despite (sometimes quite obviously) being written by a straight women for straight women. I think this is quite evident in for example the sex scenes

Why do I think the novel is so popular amongst LGBTQ+ people despite being written by a straight woman for straight women? Simple! It’s a good story and the characters are complex and intriguing. No piece of media is ever perfect, so it simply comes down to whether an individual feels the positive aspects of the media outweigh the negative aspects of the media. Are there problematic aspects within the novel? Of course! But that doesn’t mean the novel as a whole should be disregarded. You can consume media while still being critical of it, just like you can like a character while acknowledging that they’re not a good person. LGBTQ+ people, like everyone else, value a good story and interesting characters, so even if there are aspects of the story that we dislike, we may still stick around if we think it’s worth it! Also, I think there’s a shortage of stories like “Mo Dao Zu Shi” where you have LGBTQ+ characters whose sexuality isn’t the focus of the story. Yes, Wangxian are soulmates and very much in love, but that isn’t the whole point. You have a delightful bundle of politics, magic, familial ties, concepts of right and wrong, mystery, etc etc that also features a beautiful love story between two men. I guess my point is, LGBTQ+ people are flawed just like everyone else and sometimes we consume content even if we don’t agree with every part of it.

I’ve avoided getting involved in any discourse surrounding the various versions of MDZS because I wanted to keep this blog drama free, however I would like to take this chance to offer my own thoughts on the “problematic” aspects of the novel. Before I get into it, I just want to make three things clear: 1) I’m white, 2) I’m not mlm, I’m a lesbian, and 3) I’ve only read the second half of the novel and honestly I can’t remember too much of the specifics. The relevance of my opinion on the matter, therefore, is limited and my words should be read with this fact in mind. I would love to hear everyone’s thoughts and feelings on this matter, so do feel free to either leave a comment or reblog and add your two-cents. All I ask is that we keep it respectful so this can continue to be an enjoyable space for all fans.

I’ve been going through the untamed’s tumblr tag daily since the start of this blog in August 2019, so I’ve seen the whole spectrum of opinions on this matter. Some people feel very strongly that some of the ways in which MXTX writes particular aspects of the novel are “problematic,” some people are indifferent, and others feel that criticism of MXTX’s writing comes from a lack of knowledge of Chinese culture (particularly LGBTQ+ Chinese culture). (I remember seeing a post touching upon this last matter, but I didn’t save it, so unfortunately I can’t link it.)

I think the two most common criticisms of the novel that I have come across pertain to matters of consent and the imposing of heteronormative concepts onto Wangxian. Again, I want to stress that I haven’t read the novel in its entirety and my memory of it is foggy. Talking about consent first, some felt the scene in the novel where LWJ kisses an unexpecting blindfolded WWX was a big no no, while others thought it was a very sweet, romantic scene. (To give context for those who have only seen the drama, this scene would have been placed in episode 25 had they included it). For this matter, I’m of the belief that consent is a must. Regardless of whether WWX enjoyed the kiss, the fact stands that no one is entitled to another’s body, and this is why consent is, in my eyes, non-negotiable. For those who have no problem with this scene, I do think it is worth considering how you would feel about this scene had it involved, say, Jin Zixuan kissing a blindfolded Jiang Yanli. If that had been the case, I do think the majority of readers would have found the scene in poor taste (I could be wrong, though!). I will say that the trope of the forceful kiss is extremely common and can be found in every genre; it’s definitely not restricted to LGBTQ+ couples. For the aforementioned reason, I don’t like the forceful kiss scenario irregardless of the genders of the people involved. I do think writing such scenes for LGBTQ+ couples in particular can perpetuate harmful stereotypes, particularly that LGBTQ+ people have no respect for personal boundaries and can’t control their physical desires. I think the situation is doubly bad if the person who is being kissed is “not yet gay,” because again, it perpetuates the idea of the big bad gay person and the innocent “straight” person who is at the whims of said big bad gay.

Moving on to WWX and LWJ’s sex life, I have seen multiple people in the tag mentioning WWX having a “rape kink” and their discomfort with this fact. Logically, I understand that we are all allowed, as human beings with different tastes and preferences, to enjoy the things that bring us pleasure (excluding certain obvious things). That being said, I do not personally enjoy rape fantasies in my media and try to stay far away from it. As I mentioned, we are all welcome to our own tastes and preferences, but I do think it is important that we realize that we are all also the product of our environments. Things, including kinks, do not exist in vacuums, and therefore they must arise as a result of some mixture of external and internal forces. Does MXTX giving WWX a rape kink automatically make her demon spawn? Not really. Does MXTX giving WWX a rape kink add anything to his character or the story? Also not really. All this being said, I do think LGBTQ+ media is oversaturated with consent issues and I’d personally like to see this come to an end, because once again, it perpetuates harmful stereotypes that do have a real impact on LGBTQ+ individuals.

As for the imposing of heteronormative concepts onto Wangxian, I think the biggest complaint I’ve seen is about WWX being referred to as the “mom” or the “wife” within the Wangxian couple. I would like to state here that this may be a situation in which cultural differences come into play. Additionally, because the novel is not originally written in English, it may be a case of telephone in which the true meaning becomes distorted as it is translated from one language to another and then to another and so on and so forth. Therefore, I am going to proceed with my thoughts on the matter in a more generalized way. For me, this is a big pet peeve of mine, to the point where I will not reblog content that refers to any of the male characters as “mom” or “wife.” My reasoning is simple: WWX is a man, so he would be someone’s “dad” or “husband,” not their “mom” or “wife.” I know from first-hand experience that non-LGBTQ+ people will often try to place a gay couple within a heterosexual context to make it easier for them to process how two women or two men could be together. I understand the reasoning behind this way of thinking, but that does not mean this way of thinking should be encouraged. It’s bad enough that non-LGBTQ+ couples are ensnared in an endless maze of gendered ways of being and thinking - let’s not force that on LGBTQ+ couples as well. My other issue is that the words “mom” and “wife” not only have gendered connotations, but they have implicit sexual connotations as well. In this context, “mom” and “wife” are just another way of saying “bottom.” Just think about it; nobody’s out there calling LWJ “mom” or “wife.” The whole idea of “top” and “bottom” in gay media is so……..it’s almost like an obsession? And for those of you who may be thinking it’s not that deep and has no bearing on real life….I really wish that were true. Go look at the comments section of any gay couple’s youtube video and you will invariably find someone asking who is the top and who is the bottom. That’s invasive as fuck, y’all, and you don’t see that shit on straight couple’s videos (again, because the assumption is that women are always in the submissive, therefore there’s no need to ask because it’s assumed the answer will always be that the woman “bottoms” and the man “tops”). All this being said, I can only speak about this matter from my viewpoint as a lesbian. If one day I were to get married, I wouldn’t want people referring to my wife as my “husband,” because the whole point is that we’re both the wife! I know there isn’t one rule/mindset that applies to all gay people, so I would love to hear others’ feelings on this matter.

Finally, I would also like to briefly touch upon Mo Xuanyu, who we don’t really get to see in the drama. I don’t know whether LWJ or WWX ever explicitly state their sexualities or which gender(s) they’re attracted to, but I’m pretty sure Mo Xuanyu is explicitly stated to be strictly into men (please correct me if I’m wrong!). I do wonder what MXTX’s intentions were (if there were any) when she decided to make Mo Xuanyu gay, because what I’ve grasped of his characterization is that he is written similarly to other gay male characters that give the impression they were created by checking off a list of every popular stereotype about gay men. I guess I’m just curious, as someone who knows very little about Mo Xuanyu, how others felt about his character in terms of complexity and stereotypes.

If you took the time to read all this, thank you! Let me know your thoughts~

[ive-lost-my-effervescent-mind]

thTWILIGHT TAG GAME!

Thank you to @whyrweheretwilight2020 for tagging me. I may have overthought some of the answers, but this was really fun🐌

Favorite Book: Eclipse, before I realized that Stephanie killed Jacob’s character in order to establish Edward as Bella’s true love. I’m currently rereading New Moon along with the Twilight Phase Podcast, so that’s where I’m leaning more these days, but I might reread Twilight until I can get my hands on Midnight Sun. 

Favorite Movie: Again, Eclipse before I knew why Jacob’s character did a 180. I mainly liked Eclipse for the story, mainly because I feel like it’s the only one with a consistent plot, in both the books and movies. I also really liked Rosalie’s backstory. But, judging the movies as their respective wholes, I’d have to say either New Moon or Twilight. I love the second installment’s soundtrack and the way it is intertwined with the story. The decision to limit the amounts of red in the movie until the Saint Marcus festival and the overall green and gold tones made the movie visually impressive. When watching Twilight, you can really feel Catherine Hardwick’s love for the books. The movie accurately captured the awkwardness of first love. Also, the blue tint established the general moody-ness of the vampire genre.

Human or Animal Blood: Here’s the thing: blood isn’t kosher. And while I don’t keep kashrut very strictly, I don’t eat the things I’m not supposed to eat, or in this case, consume. Even if I were to make an exception to the no blood rule, it opens up more questions as to what blood I would eat? drink? consume? I don’t think I could bring myself to hurt someone, let alone kill them, so no on human blood. But when it comes to animal blood, how do the laws of kashrut apply? Since I’ve already thrown out the no blood rule, do I drink the blood of all animals, even those un-permitted? Do I just drink the blood of kosher animals? If I only drink the blood of kosher animals, then I’m restricted as to where I live. Not to mention the fact that under my bloodlust as a newborn, I might lack the self control to a) not eat a human and b) eat the right type of animal. In conclusion, I don’t know.

Favorite Character: Esme, Kate, Victoria, amd Irina. I know Irina caused some problems in BD, but I understand wanting to follow the rules when it endangers so many and especially when you have past experience with the repercussions. I’m a firm believer that she wanted to save her sisters and Eleazar in case the Volturi some how wanted to punish them as well for immortal child since their two covens are connected.

Most Hated Character: The Cullens, and the Volturi. Also James, to both a lesser and greater extent.

Favorite Underdeveloped Side Character: Pretty much every single one of the witnesses in BD. Yes, even that couple from the Volturi’s witnesses. Also: the wives.

OTP: Hands down Garrett and Kate. When it comes to non-cannon ships, Leah and Angela.

NOTP: There really isn’t a healthy and/or unproblematic couple in the series. I would say save for a few, but the fact that a majority of the characters are vampires, there always seems to be a large age discrepancy (except for Rosalie and Emmett). Additionally, Imprinting is really gross and takes away the pack’s agency. All that being said, the worst relationships and the ones I am vehemently against are Jacob and Renesme, And Quil and Claire. It’s child grooming and it’s disgusting. It’s not a coincidence Jacob and Quil are Native Americans and I can’t believe someone let it get published 

Personal Headcanon: I have a few, some of which I’ve posted about and others that I’m still developing, but Esme having a blog and her sharing a garden with Bella are currently my favorites.

You become a vampire, and are lucky enough to get an ability. What is it?: This is a tough question, especially if we’re going off the idea that a skill/ability you have when you’re human informs the one you have in your second life. The unique abilities I have are so deeply rooted in the human experience that it’s impossible for them transfer over. These skills are: 

holding in my sneezes

having a relatively large bladder

touching my tongue to my nose

Vampires don’t sneeze. Vampires don’t pee. How could touching my tongue to my nose transform into an ability? I’d be a vampire, not a member of the X-men. The abilities that we know of are very abstract, as in they don’t manifest physically. The only exception to this is that one guy who can be invisible (I think he’s Heidi or Chelsea’s mate?), but I’m not 100% sure if he’s even cannon. But I had to choose one, it’d be making plants grow, kinda like the girl from sky high.

I tag @lesboaliceswan @carlislesscarf @team-ziploc-bag-of-eggs @that-crooked-smile  @the-cullens-deserved-better and anyone else who wants too!

[thefudge]

love in the time of Tumblr, an imperfect essay

(initially written for a publication that shall remain nameless)

The year was 1964. The case was Jacobellis vs. Ohio. Yes, the whole state of Ohio against one guy. What the hell did he do? His big crime? Screening a movie at his local theater. The problem was that the movie was called “Les Amants” (dir. Louis Malle) and the title alone telegraphed two things to the God-fearing Ohio populace: 1) this was a disgustingly smutty French film full of disgustingly smutty French things and 2) it was about adultery and it portrayed adultery on the screen, so naturally, it glorified living in sin.

I watched “Les Amants”. I expected to come out of it thinking that those Ohio Bible-thumpers were a bunch of repressed sissies. But my expectations were somewhat subverted. 

Yes, “Les Amants” is pretty tame by today’s standards and yes, the love scenes are very tasteful and discreet, but I immediately understood why the Ohio public was alarmed when they watched this movie. It isn’t the fact that at one point you can see the woman’s nipples in the corner of the frame and it isn’t even that the actors are kissing each other like they’re in a zombie apocalypse and they’ve been infected with a flesh-eating virus*. No, it’s the element of undiluted, unvarnished pleasure. The two people on screen are caught up in the passion and the hunger - the eroticism of the moment. Especially the young woman, whose face and mouth express quiet but joyous ecstasy.

What the Ohio movie-goers found scandalous was this unbridled joy found in the body and the senses.

And I get it. Real pornography is far easier to cope with. In actual, professional smut no one is there to process emotions or show vulnerability – you know, the really scary parts of intimacy. Pornography is a screen. It is a filter that protects you from accessing certain parts of yourself that are unlovable, that are uncontrollable. In a porn shoot, everyone knows their cue. In “Les Amants”, the directing is chaotic – the lovers thrash and stumble as they kiss, they knock into objects, they even embrace in front of the window where anyone could see. They are graceless, and happy to be graceless.

This is what probably scared Ohio more than anything and it’s what still scares most of us, no matter how liberated we may think we are.

Corporations know this. Apple & Co. know that it’s not about protecting the kids. It’s about protecting the adults from the really icky and human and non-profitable aspect of eroticism. Porn is all right. Porn makes money. Porn can be found and consumed under certain parameters. There’s a restrictive but highly domestic element about it. Eroticism on the other hand is like the air you breathe; it could be anywhere, it could be about anything. Eroticism is a way of feeling, a way of being in the world inside your body; it is a gestural hypothetical. Everything can happen inside your head. You could be walking down the street and nobody would know. Nothing about this is sellable to Apple.

This is where fandom comes in. Fandom will usually mine the potential eroticism of a media product, whether the potential is there or not. Of course there is a degree of good old-fashioned fun in it. We joke about how we just want some characters to bone and it doesn’t have to be more complicated than that. “It’s not that deep, Karen.” Alternately, we’ll tag it as PWP – porn without plot on AO3. But most of the time, it’s not PWP. Even when we tag it as such, fandom content is rarely just “porn”. And that’s the problem. Fandom erotica is equivocal and all-encompassing. It’s about possibilities more than actualities. It’s about the narrative more than the climax. Sometimes an erotic moment may be captured in a skillfully edited gifset, even though the people in those gifs may have no actual connection on the TV show you’re watching. It’s a hazy, uncertain, intensely creative terrain and the great thing about it is that anyone can get in on the game. Yes, white fandoms thrive more than others because they can generate more erotic content, but on platforms like Tumblr and the like, other voices have begun to experiment with the limits of pleasure and the body.

Well, they used to experiment.

I’m not going to address the already obnoxious problem of Tumblr algorithms removing perfectly innocuous images of cats because they accidentally looked “sexual”. Enough has been written about this demeaning, ineffectual purge on that account. What I want to focus on is not the accidental mistakes, but the content that Tumblr judges to be non-corporate-friendly and which would possibly fit into the permeable bounds of the erotic. Think adult fanart, gifsets, even fanfic (I have had to re-upload posts about my stories because they would not show up in the tags, no matter how modestly I tagged or presented them). Such fan-created content is suddenly being curated and found unfit because it does not comply with a simple worldview: for corporations there is only porn and non-porn and nothing in between. There is no room for “Les Amants”. There is no room for fanart where pleasure is central and emotionally motivated, where hunger is gestured and hinted at, where what matters is the agency and affirmation of a human being.

It’s either PornHub or Kidz Bop. And that’s the scariest thing about this purge, that it removes the erotic and leaves us only with the hollow emptiness of faceless dolls, grinding against each other on the “clean” and “mom-approved” version of a Drake song. More importantly, it removes the spark of joy and creativity that erotica brings to fandoms. Sadly, it is women and women of color, in particular, who are getting the short end of the stick. Isn’t that always the case? There is already a shortage of good erotica for women of color on Tumblr and now the platform has made sure it will stay that way.

I remain hopeful and place my hope in the fans, because I interact with women on Tumblr every day and we find ways to make lemons (older fans will understand the pun) out of this lemonade. Yes, I am reversing the equation. We are being served a watery, sugary, lukewarm beverage, when what we want is the full, luscious, sour fruit. And by God, we will get that fruit, one way or another.

Jacobellis vs. Ohio, you’ll be happy to know, was settled and ruled in favor of Jacobellis. One of the judges deemed that “Les Amants” was not pornography, after all. Incidentally, it was that judge who made the famous remark about pornography. You know the one. “I know it when I see it”.

The Tumblr staff is supposedly acting on the same premise. They insist that “real people” are now checking the flagged posts with their own “eyes”. Let’s hope they know it when they see it.

* fun fact, French philosopher and erotica-fan Georges Bataille defines a kiss as “the beginning of cannibalism”.

[supportforindieauthors]

What are all these "author rules" we're supposedly breaking?

It happens at least once a week. I receive a newsletter in my inbox telling me about the top 10 rules I’m accidentally breaking as an author or the top 5 rules I should NEVER break as an author. . .

First of all, I haven’t published a book in 4 years, so I KNOW that I haven’t broken any of these rules recently, but I can’t help but wonder where all these rules are coming from and what’s going to happen if I’ve broken one of them. Is my college professor who ruled over her grammar class like a dictator going to show up and lock me in grammar prison? 

Based on all these articles that I continue to receive on a weekly basis and read because I just can’t help myself, I have determined that these rules are nothing more than grammar, punctuation, and plot development suggestions to make publications feel important and needed. 

Does that mean that these suggestions are bad? Not at all! In fact, if you find that they help you improve your writing, then that’s fantastic! But let’s not pretend like someone is going to lock away your book for all of eternity if you break one of these “rules.”

All of this being said, Riley and I thought we would review some of these rules and what we think about them as indie authors, and then we would go over a different kind of advice, one that is absolutely important for this day and age.

So let’s get started!

Always be consistent with point of view

Riley: Why is this a rule? I could never understand that. What better way to show two different points of view for differing characters. After all, what your narrator sees is different than your protagonist or antagonist.

Ann: I think this rule is more a reminder to the author to be conscious of how you’re speaking to your readers. Jumping around from first person to second person to even third person can be very jarring. That being said, if you have a creative reason for changing up your point of view, go with it! Let those creative juices flow and have fun with it. 

Never start a story with the character waking up

Riley: This is just ridiculous. Our jobs as authors is to connect our characters with our readers. A simple way to do this is to use little actions we all use, like waking up.

Ann: Who are we (or who is anyone really) to tell you how to start your story? Each day we wake up is potentially a new start to something exciting, something traumatic, or something completely life changing. We have no idea. If that’s how you want to begin your work, you have every right to do so. There are a lot of books out there. To say that you have to be fully original in the way you begin you work is a tad ridiculous. Start it the way you want to start it. Be you. Don’t worry about whether or not it’s been “overdone.” Your work is unique to you. As long as you’re not plagiarizing, we won’t judge. 

Never use adverbs, and especially not with speech tags

Riley: I get it, too many people use "like" all the time. That doesn't mean you should restrict creative juices. A few are fine, and I believe they enhance your work, as long as you don't carry them too far.

Ann: I think anything in moderation is fine. Honestly, the only reason to consider looking this in depth at your individual sentences and paragraphs is to intensify the action your characters are taking. If your work feel disjointed and a bit passive, then maybe you should look to this as a recommendation. But really, let’s all just calm down, shall we? 

Never give main characters names that begin with the same letter

Ann: Sigh...So many of us authors feel the same way about our characters. They name themselves. We’re merely transcribing the story. It’s possible that some people who aren’t carefully reading your work will become confused, but the people who really care will be able to keep track of your characters as long as they’re memorable. I don’t even remember a time when I confused Eowyn with Arwen, even though they’re pretty similar. . .but my husband doesn’t even remember that there were two main female characters in Lord of the Rings. The people who are invested in your work will know the difference. 

Riley: I really can't add anything to this. Besides, you should be striving to make your characters individual enough that you could almost name them all the same thing.

Never info dump

Ann: Info dumps can be beneficial. I think it’s important to keep it entertaining and make it pertinent to the plot, but when done well, I fully enjoy being caught up on what I need to know about the world an author has worked so hard to create. 

Riley: Aye, exposition used in the correct way can really further your books. Look at how George RR Martin uses sex in his books. There are a ton of plot points dropped in between all the genitalia.

Kill your darlings (crutch phrases)

Riley: Actually I would tell you to do what your story tells you to. You never know when you'll suddenly be struck by an idea. Besides, if you really don't like it, take it out at editing time.

Ann: I think this is from Stephen King’s advice about the written work, but you can look at it from a variety of perspectives. If we’re talking about characters, you’re allowed to kill off any character you like - just have some good reasoning for it if it’s a particular fan favorite. (Looking at you George R.R. Martin) If we’re talking about crutch phrases, I think this is something to keep in mind just to ensure you’re not overusing a phrase. I recently listened to a podcast in which the interviewer used the phrase “100%” at least 30 times. Just be aware of the words you’re using. I don’t think there’s any set limit. Maybe your character has a favorite phrase that she or he uses consistently. Maybe it’s for comedic purposes. Regardless, do what works for your book.

Riley: And thus we see the joy of English. I took that rule literally!

Don’t use passive phrases

Riley: Passive phrasing has been a weakness of mine since I started writing. I don't think I'll ever be able to get over it, as I believe it offers versatility. I could be wrong, but I don't believe I am.

Ann: Why are suggestions often confused with rules? Don’t people realize that authors see the word “Don’t” as a challenge? Should we overuse passive phrases? Probably not as it makes for weak paragraphs and tends to make our readers feel left out of the action. But should we NEVER use it? That seems extreme. An occasional passive phrase isn’t going to sabotage your work.

Never open a book with weather

Riley: Again with the inane rules about how to start your book. Whatever the first words are that get you started and fit the story, they're the correct ones.

Ann: *rolls up sleeves* Is that a challenge? Seriously. DO. WHAT. YOU. WANT. Maybe your character is watching the incoming storm and thinking about how cliche it is that a storm would happen on THIS of ALL nights. As long as you’ve got a good hook, roll with it. A plot device can be used poorly or incredibly well. Just because some people have used it poorly doesn’t mean that you can’t use it to your advantage. I imagine that a lot of real life stories have begun with a turn in the weather. 

Never use a verb other than “said” to carry dialogue

& then Never use an adverb to modify the verb “said”

Ann: To quote John Locke, “DON’T TELL ME WHAT I CAN’T DO!” Seriously, let’s find a happy medium, shall we? I feel like I’m just repeating myself with each of these. An argument can be made either way. I try to use a variety of phrases and words and I’ve never felt that my work has suffered as a result of it. 

Riley: Besides, I read somewhere that readers skip 90% of your dialogue tags. So what does it matter? Use what you want!

Avoid cliches

Ann: Do you know how many cliches there are out there? And do you know how often we identify with cliches because they are so common? One of my college professors would mark down our grades for any cliches used. She and I did not get along very well. Can cliches be used to your advantage? Yes, yes, absolutely, 100%, yes. Should you attempt to use every single cliche in one work? …. Again, that seems like a challenge...

Riley: Just look at a hero's journey. How many books are based off of this "cliche" idea. Remember, it's all in the eyes of the beholder.

Don’t attempt to use semicolons

Ann: We have so many resources at our disposal. Do your research. Learn to understand, love, and utilize the semicolon. The internet is vast. If my husband can learn to install a toilet via YouTube, you can learn to use the semicolon and have a very successful relationship with it.

Riley: Yes! Use Google, use YouTube, use the resources afforded to us in these modern ages, and work that language.

Show don’t tell

Riley: Why shouldn't I show? What's wrong with painting a clear line that's easy for readers to follow? Not every story has to have a mystery or a twist. Some can be straightforward.

Ann: Sometimes you should show and sometimes you should tell. Only you can decide which is the right course in your particular work. Listen to your beta readers. Listen to your own instincts. Use what feels right to you and what feels right to the words you’re writing. I think that both can be an effective means of communicating to your readers. 

Never start your book at the end of the story

Riley: What better way to get the tone for the rest of the book? I mean, there's a lot that can happen between the start and the finish, and some stories change over time. What better way to prepare your readers for the insane ride ahead?

Ann: “The end is only the beginning.” From The Mummy, right? But still true. If you have a reason for doing it, then by all means, stride boldly forward. Be confident in your decision. 

Turn off the TV 

Riley: Some of my best writing is done with a TV on! The sound of the voices in the background offer just enough of a distraction for my ADD addled brain. It helps me focus in the long run, and inspires me to do better than what I hear and see.

Ann: No, there is no singular right way to write a book. If you’re distracted by the television, radio, etc, then change your setting up. Find what works best for you and stick with that. I listen to music or have movies playing in the background as I work. Sometimes I need distractions because I get lost in my own thoughts and can’t force my fingers to type with all the conflicting plot points. A distraction helps me zone out and move forward. I can edit the dust bunnies out later. 

Stay away from sentences that start with the words “there are” or “there is"

Riley: There is something wrong with this rule. There are people who truly believe this, and that makes me sad. English is a flexible language, use it.

Ann: A truly masterful answer, Riley. Enough said. 

Write what you know

Riley: How do I expand my point of view then? I have never once done heroin, but people have told me Everyone Dies At The End did a great job of explaining heroin addiction and the demons it causes. Research, and write what you don't know.

Ann: Does no one know how to use the internet? Or a library? Or even discussing with your friends who know about the subject when you don’t? We have some pretty powerful brains. Use the opportunity to learn something new. If you’re determined to write about a topic you know very little about, then you’ll do your due diligence and learn about it in order to write about it. And you’ll be a better person for it in the end. We should all be attempting to expand our horizons with a little research every now and then. 

Treat writing as a job

Riley: Maybe you’re lucky, maybe you're in the minority of people and you love your job. Most people don't. I love to write, I wish I had more time to devote to it. I love the freedom it gives me, especially in our modern age where I can literally pick up my phone at any time and start writing. Don't treat writing like a job, treat it like something you love to do.

Ann: Why, so I can hate it? You know what I did when I worked? I wrote. You know what I do now that I’m a stay at home mom who home schools her kiddos and designs websites? I don’t write because I feel like I SHOULD be writing. Find the joy it in it and stick with that. If sitting down at your computer from 9-5 with the sole purpose of writing brings you joy, then do it. But that doesn’t work for me and I refuse to adhere to that. 

Focus on quality over quantity

Ann: What are we talking about here? Word count? Published book count? Pseudonym count? It’s so vague. If you’re capable of publishing a book a month and you feel passionate about that, then you go! Should we be working to put our best foot forward? Yes. But only you can decide when you’re ready to publish your book. Don’t let someone tell you that you shouldn’t just because you published a book a mere six months ago and you can’t possibly have completed another book since then that’s worth anyone’s time. Do what you feel led to do. And don’t let anyone shame you for that. 

Riley: The most prolific author of our times has an entire religion based around some of his writings. Love him or hate him, L. Ron Hubbard has shown me that less isn't necessarily better. The man wrote in the golden age of pulp fiction, and had grammatical errors throughout his works. And yet, there are millions of people that follow his words to a point of reverence. This is not an endorsement or a chastisement of Scientology. Just something I always think about when people mention quality over quantity.

If you’ve read through all of our answers above, you’ve seen a common theme. A confusion over “rules” versus suggestions given to make us really examine our work prior to publishing. Don’t confuse the two or you’ll end up driving yourself (and everyone around you) completely insane with your constant recitation of grammar and writing rules.

I personally believe that any suggestion that makes you take a second look or a fresh look at your current WIP is helpful. But that doesn’t mean that you should lose sleep over the idea that one might have slipped by you during your editing process.

Sleep well. Write on. And Support Indie Authors!

-Ann Livi Andrews and Riley Amos Westbrook

Looking for more?

Our moderator, Dwayne Fry recently published his thoughts on Self Publishing in a book titled: Things I’ve Learned as an Indie Author. Some of the above rules are addressed as well as a multitude of others. If you’re looking for a fresh perspective on your work, I highly recommend giving it a read. You may see your work in an entirely new light.