#can't remember what my tag is for this stuff

[the-inkwell-variable]

author ask tag

thank you so much for the tag, @the-golden-comet! ooh this is gonna be fun!

i'm going to focus on my current wip, Why Should I Be Careful? I'm Going To Die Anyway! because it's still very much in the planning stages (despite how much I'm writing for it) and I have Thoughts

What is the main lesson of your story? Why did you choose it?

I'll be honest, I haven't really thought that far ahead. I suppose, if there is a lesson to take from WSIBC?IGTDA!, it might be that you should always chase your goals and desires, and screw what other people think. Maybe put a little more thought and planning into yours than Aura does hers, though. I mean, she almost dies due to her recklessness. Don't be like Aura.

What did you use as inspiration for your worldbuilding?

Well, it's a zombie book - I love zombies, in case you can't tell - so the world is an amalgamation of zombie stuff I love. The zombies are based off of the Train to Busan zombies. This is a self-insert mess, so I'm using the town and people I know in the town as location and characters. Little tropes here and there that I love in movies and books alike. It's just a big chimera of stuff that I grab from stuff I remember and shove into it. It definitely needs polish when it's done, but I'm having a blast so far, so I'm'a keep doing it :3

What is your MC trying to achieve, and what are you, the writer, trying to achieve with them? Do you want to inspire others, teach forgiveness, or help the reader grow as a person?

Uhhhhhh this is a tough question. Right now, Aura is trying to make it to Roger's Grocery Mart to save her girlfriend, but most of the time, she's just trying to have a good time in the zombie apocalypse and hopefully not die. She does eventually grow into a character that (mostly) thinks things through and takes other people's situations into account, so I suppose the lesson is "the world doesn't revolve around you - be kind and helpful to others"?

As for what I'm trying to achieve... mostly, to be honest, I just want people to pick up my book and have a good time reading it. I want to write a zombie book because it's my passion and because there aren't enough zombie books out there. I guess I'm trying to inspire others? To show them that you can survive an impossible situation if you work hard and think things through?

How many chapters is your story going to have?

The only time I've written a full-length book (sorry, the only two times, forgot about Zero: ALPHA), it had about twenty-odd chapters. Z:A had...uh...thirty? That was a long time ago and I sadly no longer have that draft. This one is going to go until it's done. Hopefully more than thirty though!

Is it fanfiction or original content? Where do you plan to post it?

Original content! I have no idea where I'm going to post it. I'm torn between Draft2Digital (originally Smashwords) or Substack. Thing is, I'm really bad at marketing and keywords and all that technical stuff that goes into publicizing, so I'm really hesitant to share it at all. I'm the type of person that gets absolutely morally devastated if my own self-inflicted goals aren't met, and I'm not sure if I can handle that kind of crushing heartbreak with this one lol

So yeah. Might publish, might not. Unsure right now.

When did you start writing?

My dad set up a Windows 95 computer for me in his office, his old one, and taught me the basics of using it. I was five, about to turn six. I immediately sat down and wrote a story about unicorns. I've been writing ever since.

I didn't start writing fanfiction until I was thirteen and had just binge-watched Lord of the Rings for the first time. We don't talk about those works. They were awful.

Do you have any words of encouragement for fellow writers of writeblr? What other writers do you follow?

Write it. Oh it's cringe? Who cares? Write it. Oh, it's a rare pair? Write it. You're worried people will hate it? Fuck the haters. Write it. Writing is about having fun. Writing is about pouring your soul onto the page. Writing is about getting those ideas out of your head so they don't drive you insane. It's about reaching that one person that finds your work and loves it. Even if no one reads it - you still accomplished something. You still wrote it. And no one can take that from you.

I have so many writers in my follow list. Uhh. I have no idea how many are still active, so I'm just going to tag who I know and hope for the best lol

@idyllicocean, @keeping-writing-frosty, @bloodtiesnovel, @asher-writes, @kitswrite, @theink-stainedfolk, @karkkidoeswriting, @lavender-gloom, @orphanheirs, @aquixoticwrites, @alinacapellabooks, @marlowethelibrarian, @flock-from-the-void, @dyrewrites, @storycraftcafe, @writer-imagination, @toragay-writing, @inseasofgreen, @stephtuckerauthor, @thatndginger, @finickyfelix, @eternalwritingstudent, @drchenquill, @paeliae-occasionally, @the-golden-comet, @talesofsorrowandofruin, @watermeezer, @goldfinchwrites, @winterandwords, @badscientist, @clairelsonao3, @i-can-even-burn-salad, @leahpardo-pa-potato, @mjparkerwriting, @rowanwriting, @oliolioxenfreewrites, @emelkae, @rita-rae-siller, @rebelxwriter, @kaylinalexanderbooks, @stesierra, @francineiswriting, @sunset-a-story, @chauceryfairytales, @hollyannewrites, @jaydenswaywrites, @captain-kraken, @violets-in-her-arms-writes, @romy-thewriter, @pure-solomon, @writingmaidenwarrior, @koiwrites

go, go follow them. they're all so good and make my timeline glow.

[whentherewerebicycles]

also some resolutions for 2025:

focus on eating well (specifically more veggies and more fiber) and on preparing nutritionally balanced meals for myself instead of scavenging in the pantry. ok to be forgiving with myself if this is hard for a bit when i go back to work.

try to get back into an exercise routine once the baby is in daycare and i can actually leave the house again to run or lift weights. i don't have specific ambitions here i just want to try to move my body more.

read 100 books! i think i can do it, especially if i prioritize reading for an hour every night before bed instead of scrolling. but it's also ok to adjust this goal if i feel like i am spread too thin with work. i want the goal to feel ambitious in a motivating rather than punishing way.

be thoughtful but not obsessive about budgeting, working, and saving money. some specific sub-goals: i want to focus on getting a clearer sense of how much i actually spend on average in different categories so i can better predict where my money is going. i also want to try doing "no spend" weeks on a regular basis - maybe like, the second week of every month or something. and i want to really see if i can cut down my grocery bill by meal planning more effectively and shopping at the discount grocery store. this is the area where i currently have the most waste (it's hard to cook for one and not have leftovers or unused ingredients go bad!!) so it would be fun to see how much i can cut down there.

do a small outing with the baby every weekend that isn't just going for our usual walk. i think that it's going to be tempting to spend most of my weekends holed up in bed snuggling with the baby and recharging (or working, if i can get tutoring hours) and that's fine to an extent! but i want to try to do new things with him and introduce him to new experiences. to make this possible, i also want to allocate a certain amount of money in my budget each month to Adventures with Baby, so that i can do stuff like take him to the zoo or ride the ferry or whatever without feeling like i should be saving that money instead. i also think it would be fun to start reading parentmap to get ideas of fun activities we could do together. maybe i can think of a way to gamify this goal to make it a fun little challenge for myself... like we do four weekend outings per month and at least one of them has to be something totally new that we've never tried before. maybe i will make a little chart so we can track down the activities each month.

think about picking up a new hobby that isn’t too expensive or continuing an existing one (like maybe a learn to skate class or another agility class with Pip)

these seem like good manageable goals for the year that will measurably improve my quality of life!! i am not going to set any goals around writing/creative projects because i think i am just in a season of my life where that isn't as feasible right now. if writing happens it happens and i will joyfully welcome it back into my life! but i don't want to get too down on myself for not having a lot of creative energy right now.

[queenlucythevaliant]

So

They finally let me rearrange the religion section at The Bookstore after I spent several months complaining about it. By and large, I'm content with the job I did, but I still have some quibbles with the titles we stock.

Here is a selection of books that we apparently have:

Book about how to understand and love your child who smokes pot

Book about how to get a woman to trust you again after you cheat on her, written by the same author as the one about children smoking pot (what is this guy's life???)

A book called "Raising Prophetic Kids" that I was sorely tempted to buy as a gag for my parents

Prosperity Gospel book that claims to teach you how to become an ultra-rich CEO by following the example of King Solomon

Several dozen fringe eschatology books that are categorized by the publisher as "theology and Christian history" (I did not put them there)

"Inspirational" romance novel about Potiphar's wife

I Am Second book that catapulted me straight back to 2013

Book about spiritual lessons you can share with your horse

Amish harlequins

And two books written by my grandma's prayer partner's husband, a man who gave my parents terrible pre-marital counseling and was generally a pretty big hypocrite. That one was kind of a jump scare lol

[sherwind]

I guess I'll edit my blog a little because my about page is barren..... maybe link my neocities soon and look for some more new people to follow! I've also been storyboarding the first chapter for my comic and I think this is the place I'd like to share that stuff whilst I work on it >:3 heheheheh

[novissikat]

[lunarharp]

autumn witches

[californiaquail]

anyone else feeling fundamentally incapable of adjusting to society. also just discovered there's a 30 tag limit which i can't believe i've never hit before

[squarebracket-trickster]

Maybe I could just [square bracket trick] these revisions and leave them for future me...

Future me is gonna be so mad hehe

[sketchehm]

Thinking about how Minecraft NPCs are technically immortal (though not invincible) so Milo and Naomi would still be alive post time skip.. after all this time they love Sapnap so bad and they were like the only thing Sapnap had from team mafia after their deaths. team mafia teasing Sapnap and being like when you were 5 you legitimately had a phase where you thought you were a pet but Sapnap’s forgot since then and it’s :( because he was young so he remembered how he felt but not very much the details? and that feeds into the disconnect that he feels with them. Oh I made this sad

I DIDNT EVEN THINK OF THIS

FUCK.

Once baby sapnap realizes he can't go back to the base anymore, it's him bothering every nutria he can find to take him back. And they all refuse. And he doesn't know why!!! 'It's too dangerous', but it's never dangerous there! (His dads made sure it was never dangerous)

And he's causing tantrums and crying that he needs to go! It's important!!! It won't be until sylvee gets through to him and asks what does he need from there? And he's bawling, barely managing to get out "g-ga-gati-tos..." Oh!

It's nutria 23 with his helicopter and peele accompanying, the two trying to wrangle two Very skittish cats into the very loud helicopter (it was NOT easy), peele looking around the base and feeling. Sad. They know they shouldn't be feeling such things as a robot but. They can't help it. But there's a mission to be completed now!

And the baby is in his new (empty, cold) room in the mountain. Sniffling. He wants milo and naiomi....Shadouni said to take good care and he hasn't...he's been a bad older brother to them :(

It's not until he hears Juan screaming and Peele also yelling, the baby sliding off his bed, poking his head out of his room and seeing two cats chase a running Juan, screaming to get the cats to stop!! He's not food!!! Don't kill him PLEASE!!!

Sapnap! Is so happy!! He's running out his room and scooping up the cats(juan: ay madre mia por fin), one in each arm, so so happy!!! (The cats are struggling to get out of his 7yr old grip lmao)

It's. All he really has left of them. As years go past and he's growing up, all he can recall is Shadoune telling him to take care of them. He can't even remember the exact memory anymore, he just knows it was Shadoune who told him. And when Eon says he should server hop to explore and get out of this forsaken world for a little bit (go grow and learn, we'll still be here), he trusts Eon and the nutrias to take of them for a while!

And once he's grown. And his dads are back. Seeing Shadounes face when he's reunited with the cats. He laughs a bit saying he's suprised Sapnap hadn't managed to kill them by accident (hey!!).

It leads to the guys reminiscing, laughing about old memories. Telling sapnap about how he thought he was a pet. How shadoune had to convince him he's their older brother so he'd take care of them and to stop throwing them out of the base. The rest of the guys laughing and bringing up moments when baby sapnap himself would answer he was their pet. It's a fun time!

For them.

Because Sapnap. Can't recall any of it. He's having. A sudden realization, he can't recall much of when they were all together. It's. Scary. He laughs along though, more out of shock he did those kinds of things and a "I can't believe you guys let that happen haha" kind of way.

And when the guys keep bringing up old memories, find Sapnap's old baby armor. Sapnap will be looking at them like he's never seen them before. Surely he'd remember something like that. It's the guys making inside jokes about Sapnap that he should know, he should. And he won't laugh, confused.

And the others, will look at each other, also confused. They'll bring up his apple slices or the way he used to beg for deditas. Nothing.

And Sapnap feels. Distant from them. Like they're talking about a whole other person. The other guys too will notice, that this grown person isn't the baby they know. The baby in their minds, they had left to go on a mission that would only last a day. But almost 15 years passed by instead. It's. Too jarring.

But Sapnap keeps trying. Going through old photo albums he has access to now, something he never had before (forbidden from leaving the mountain because of the danger). He's trying to recall he is. He remembers nightmares. Of them leaving. That day of them saying goodbye and never coming back. He remembers crying a lot.

He remembers when he was gifted his stuffed rabbit. And he remembers growing up with the nutrias and being told to server hop and all his memories from after that.

He just can't really remember them. But. He remembers feelings. Of being safe with them. Feelings of admiration for Farfa and feelings of comfort from Serpias and Shadoune. Just Knowing Conter was the one to help him with nightmares the most. Just knowing to give Goncho extra apples when he goes out. Just knowing Spreen was always a little annoyed with him.

He remembers their love for him. But he doesn't know if that is enough for them anymore.

[front-facing-pokemon]

[rebouks]

hi! do you have any tips for making good quality screenshots in ts4?

Hi! Let's see what I can come up with..

LIGHTING/GRAPHICS MODS Easy to use/install, lighting mods can change the look of your game drastically with little effort! I use a few:

no-glo

no-blu

graphicsrules override

I use this camera mod too, much less drifty...

Softerhaze makes some bomb ass lighting mods too.. I just switched from twinkle toes to sunblind and I am in LOVE - gamechanger lemme tell you.. so pretty! LOOKIT!!

RESHADE I'm still using g-shade at the moment but after recent events, I'll probably end up switching back again when I can be arsed. The effects you can achieve with reshade presets are amazing tbh.. and it's real fun to mess around with and create your own! Tho lots of people have made awesome ones if that's a bit much for you. If your PC can't handle it all too well you can always just switch it off until it's time to take screenies as well.

COMPOSITION Kinda hard to explain but basically, composition is what's in your frame and how you line it all up. I'd recommend reading some photography guides to get the gist of the concept.. but honestly, the more you mess around the more you'll get the hang of it. I've always loved photography and sims screenies really aren't so different. If you use reshade there's even some templates for thirds/the golden ratio etc you can slap on top for practice. Personally I don't use 'em cos I prefer my own judgement (that sounds rlly obnoxious but we're rolling with it). I found a template to show you what I mean! (ngl I was stoked that the first screenie I thought of for being a good eg. almost perfectly fit into this golden ratio shit LOL) but let's keep in mind how long I scooted around to get a good shot of this.. pretty sure I deleted about 10 other failed shots of this but shhhh, it's trial and error!

ANGLES/FOCUS The way you take a shot and how you angle it can change the whole feel of the image. For example.. in this image I tilted down and bit and filled over two thirds of the shot with the man, he's a big character and quite an intimidating guy so I think it helps get the idea across without pointing it out (at least I think so but idk I could also be talking outta my ass)

Similarly in these two shots below.. the first with the guy on the left gives the feel that he's in control here. The "camera" is tilted above him slightly and he's all up in your face, making the woman look much smaller in comparison. BUT! If you flip around to the second image, tilt down a bit and switch the focus to her, it makes him look more insignificant and less in control. I hope this makes sense??

EDITING/PHOTOSHOP ACTIONS ETC Personally I don't use photoshop actions but there's plenty out there to do the work for you! I think Intramoon? maybe.. has made a few but idk, you guys feel free to jump in with any suggestions! You can also smooth, fix stuff, change the mood/lighting, all sorts.. my advice on this is patchy at best tbh cos I just faff around until I see what I like lmao.. which leads me on tooooooo...

FUCK AROUND AND FIND OUT Lol.. but seriously! I don't know what I'm doing. I've never taken any classes or read up on much, I always just jump in and see what happens. Fuck around with reshade, fuck around with camera mods, fuck around with composition/focus, fuck around with photoshop or gimp or w/e.. just mess about for a while and have fun! I promise you'll get better.

[thatlittledandere]

Have an XOD Evening I'm so good at jokes

[keeps-ache]

buttered noodles 💫💛🍜

[damngoodbabysiitter]

I was tagged by @jennathearcher, thanks lovely! <3

*including David Tennant, Billie Piper, Colin Morgan, and Harry Lloyd

**including Taylor Swift's Wonderstruck and Wonderstruck Enchanted, and Midnight Fantasy by Britney Spears

No pressure tags: @usersallyskellington @beautyinsteadofashes @aroacedean @sircolinmorgan @enchantedtv and/or whoever would like to do it

[kinglazrus]

Sometimes you just need to talk at your brother for an hour until you figure out something you've been stuck on with your story

[residentialsinyomakai]

Here's that update thingy i was talking about ×) haven't shown my wall in a bit but!! Quite a few things have been added