#got book recommendations to read to help me get inspo about the style of writing I'm doing >:D

[naareblogs]

SOME EXPERIENCED WRITERS AND EDITORS READ THE FIRST CHAPTER OF MY NOVEL AND GAVE ME FEEDBACK AND WERE SO NICE AND I AM SO EXCITED AND HAPPY AND QLFNOFNWLDN

[yokohamabeans]

Hello yoko!! How have you been ?

I hope you're doing great! <3

I've got a little question to ask, I dunno how to phrase it tho, and i don't want to seem rude or disrespectful (cause I know writing is no easy thing) BUT THERE'S NO OTHER WAY TO SAY IT😭😭😭

So, euh, when will you be uploading requital's next chapter?? I had been checking your blog everyday from the past December to see if there were any updates (thanks for the spoilers!! I would've died a long time ago if it wasn't for them😅😅)

I LOVE your fic SO MUCH !!! (it's my all time favorite!! ) You can't imagine how happy it makes me!!! It's very well written!! (I LOVE YOUR WRITING STYLE!!), the OC's personality is just perfect, Plus kakucho is my favorite!!!!

So, yeah 😅😅

PLEASE let Kaku be happy😭

My little boy had been through a lot already, he deserves the whole world!!

Also, I'd like to get to know my favorite author (aka: you) better!! (only if you're comfortable tho)

Like, what's your zodiac sign/ mbti type ? Favorite book/ author? Got any recommendations?? What inspires you most?Do you like Haruki murakami?? Do you base your OC off of yourself??

Gosh there's a lot to ask, but imma just start with that..

Well, that's all for today (I hope that wasn't creepy 😅😅)

Bye!! please take care of yourself <3

ANON AHRIRWHWHIFHEHSAHDHFJFKGHG I’M SORRY FOR FREAKING OUT BUT THANK YOU FOR THIS MESSAGE!!! I truly did not expect to receive something like this!!

Ahhh I’m so sorry for the delay in chapter 3!! My busy period at work and life lasted longer than I expected…. But if it’s any help, it’s over now and I’m able to focus more on writing!! I hope to be able to update ROAC within the 1.5 weeks! Chapter 3 is about 60% done so far!! And I’m glad you liked the snippets!! Tbh I posted them cuz I got too excited about some parts 😅

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR KIND WORDS!!!! It really made me happy and more motivated to write, because tbh I feel like I’m still figuring out my writing style. I’ve been opting for a style that’s more simple in prose (I was quite a purple-proser in the past…) and still figuring out what should/shouldn’t be said. I’m glad you like my OC so far, though I hope it’s not just from Chap 2, cuz chap 3 is gonna be from her POV and she is way more of a dick than what Chap 2 portrayed her to be 🤣 Anyway you don’t know how much your words mean to me!! And I swear I’ll hit the gas on writing now!!

FAVOURITE AUTHOR FHSGAHFGJH YOU ARE TOO KIND!! And I don’t mind, not at all!! Thank you for asking about me!! Here you go, off the top of my head:

Zodiac : Year of the boar / Aries! Idk what my rising sign is though. Tbh I’ve never really gotten into astrology cuz I don’t think I embody any of the traits often associated with Aries people. But I know others who swear by it!

MBTI Type : I’m always fluctuating between INFJ and INFP, though I think I’m more towards INFP!

Fave Book/Author & Writing Inspo : Ahhh I gotta admit I don’t think I’ve read enough to have a conclusive favourite author/book!! There are books I enjoy a lot at the time of reading and I think it’s my favourite book ever, only to read another book and that THAT’s my fave book haha so it really depends a lot on my mood…. But (and maybe you’ve already seen me rambling about it) Grotesque by Natsuo Kirino was the book that I loved a lot recently!! I also got quite enamoured by Gregory Orr’s poems, they talk about grief so beautifully! I’d say that the author/book I’m reading at any point would be inspiration for my writing!! For example, if I want to write a ‘soft scene’ I’d go re-read some books for inspiration in writing. I also imagine very specific scenes when writing, down to the smallest details like breathing and eye movements (which I’m trying to curb cuz it’s making my writing too rambly tbh), and scenes from movies or pictures help with the visualization! (I have a #finsp tag where I tag things that I think can be used for fic-inspiration, though it’s a mish mash of themes)!

About Murakami : I think I generally prefer his short stories over his full length novels if I’m to be honest!! Tbh I don’t have that much of an insightful opinion about him cuz I don’t finish his full length novels 😓 but I really like the way he’s able to weave complex emotions in his writing!!

About my OC : Ahhhh I don’t base them off myself!! My own self is too boring for a story haha and I can’t see myself (personally) paired up with my fictional husbandos for some reason. I guess I come up with the OCs when I’m wondering how this OC will fit and interact with the characters, and if I’m being honest it’s sometimes pure self-indulgence cuz I’m writing them in romance stories with said faves 😬 (But the OC in Requital is more of a character study imo so the focus may not be too much on the romance!) I’d say that I do try to put myself in the headspace of my OCs when writing so I can bring out the emotions!

Anon this was so fun to answer ahhh please feel free to ask me anything you wanna know!! AGAIN THANK YOU SO MUCH!!! I swear you are welcome to drop asks or even messages any time!!! I LOVE YOU!!!!!

[ashtray-girl]

could you recommend the books/poetry that inspired morrisseys writing?? i’m curious to read some but don’t know where i’d find that information. thank you!

Sure!

First of all, Oscar Wilde. Morrissey repeatedly namechecked him as his favourite author. Personally, I’ve only read “The Portrait of Dorian Gray”, “De Profundis” and “The Uncollected Oscar Wilde”. If you haven’t yet read anything of his, I’d suggest you start with Dorian Gray.

Then of course, Elizabeth Smart. I’ve previously talked about how Morrissey used her novella “By Grand Central Station I Sat Down And Wept” as a source of inspiration for many of his songs. She also wrote a sequel called “The Assumption Of The Rogues & Rascals”, which I didn’t think was as good, but it’s still relatively short and you can easily read it in one sitting once you get used to her somewhat flamboyant writing style. I’ve also got a copy of her diaries, which is called “Necessary Secrets”, but I haven’t read it yet.

Next, we have Shelagh Delaney. In 1986, Morrissey said: “I’ve never made any secret of the fact that at least 50 per cent of my reason for writing can be blamed on Shelagh Delaney.“ The lyrics of This Night Has Opened My Eyes are a retelling of the plot of her play “A Taste of Honey“, with many direct quotes. She’s even on the cover of Louder Than Bombs! Unfortunately, I haven’t read any of her works.

Then we have A. E. Housman, a poet. I’ve talked about his role on Morrissey’s writing here.

No biographers (that I know of) ever mentioned him, and the connection might be tenuous, but I’m gonna include him anyway: W. H. Auden. Specifically, his poem “The Mirror and the Sea”. I’ve explained why here.

Then of course, Hermann Melville. Specifically “Billy Budd”, but also “John Marr and Other Poems”. You can check out his poem “John Marr and Other Sailors” here.

Radclyffe Hall. Specifically, her novel “The Well of Loneliness”, which is one of the best, most heartwrenching LGBT books I’ve ever read. I’m not gonna spoil the plot for you, but I urge you to read it if you have the chance.

Alan Bennett. I’ve wanted to read some of his stuff for years and quite a few people recommended him to me, but I’ve yet to get down to it. The line “That’s what tradition means” in I Started Something… was taken from his play “Forty Years On”, and the title Alsatian Cousin also comes from there, with the original line being: “I was distantly related to the Woolf family through some Alsatian cousins”. Also, and this is the most interesting part imo, his TV play “Me, I’m Afraid of Virginia Woolf”, which is about a subtle gay love story, contains the line “Nature has a language, you see, if only we’d learn to read it”, which was no doubt used by Morrissey as inspo for Ask. (”Nature is a language, can’t you read?”).

John Betjeman, another poet. I haven’t read anything of his, but it’s said that his poem “Slough” was the main source of inspiration for Everyday Is Like Sunday. Funfact: he was bi and a disciple of Oscar Wilde.

Jean Cocteau. French poet, writer, playwright, artist and filmmaker. The cover of This Charming Man was sourced from his film Orphée and the cover of Hatful of Hollow was taken from a special edition of the French newspaper Libération, commemorating the 20th anniversary of his death. I’ve been wanting to read “The White Book” for a while but I can’t find it anywhere, and I feel like it would be very interesting to get even further insight on Morrissey’s psyche.

Pier Paolo Pasolini. Italian writer, poet and filmmaker. I’m ashamed to say I’ve never read anything of his (I did visit his grave tho!). Anyway, Morrissey mentions him in You Have Killed Me and - indirectly - in Life Is A Pigsty, (the title probably coming from his movie Porcile, which is Italian for Pigsty). Definitely check him out if you have the chance, he lived a very interesting albeit tragic life and he’s still seen as an important, pioneering if not controversial figure here in Italy.

Popcorn Venus. This is a 1973 feminist film study by Marjorie Rosen. Morrissey used several films which the text refers to as song titles. Namely, The Hand That Rocks The Cradle, Little Man, What Now?, Angel, Ange, Down We Go [Together]. When talking about the 60s ‘beach-party’ genre (don’t ask me what that is, I literally have no idea), there’s a quote that goes: “How immediately can we be gratified? How soon is ‘now’?”, which Morrissey probably used as inspo for his eponymous song. Rosen also describes Anita Ekberg ‘reeling around the fountain’ in Fellini’s La Dolce Vita.Other possible lyrical sources in the book may include: “Who would subjugate whom? Who would crack the whip?” (Handsome Devil), “Mine eyes have seen the glory of the flame of women’s rage” (These Things Take Time).

From Reverence To Rape. 1974 book by American film critic Molly Haskell.Morrissey borrowed several lines from it, including:“[she] double-crossed him, not once but twice.” (Miserable Lie)“But even then she knew where she had come from and where she belonged” (These Things Take Time)“Samantha Eggar who, as Terence Stamp’s captive, is pinned and mounted like one of his butterflies” (Reel Around The Fountain)“Films like Mr. Skeffington oscillate wildly in mood” (Oscillate Wildly)“Each woman will be half a person” (Half A Person).

Finally… I’ve kept this one for last because I just found out about it as I was writing this and I find it EXTREMELY interesting and revealing:

George Eliot. Born Mary Anne Evans, she chose a male pen name to be taken seriously by the 19th century male-dominated literary establishment.Morrissey quoted from her most famous work, Middlemarch, in How Soon Is Now?, adapting its line: “Born the son of a Middlemarch manufacturer, and inevitable heir to nothing in particular.”Now, here comes the part I find most interesting… I’m just gonna fully quote it from Mozipedia (which btw is where I found most of the info I collected here):“Eliot spent much of her adult life in a then scandalous relationship with critic and philosopher George Henry Lewes who, technically, was still married to another woman.The vinyl run-out-groove of Morrissey’s 1990 single Piccadilly Palare also contained the cryptic message that ‘George Eliot knew’.”… now, I don’t know about you, but I definitely have my own ideas of what exactly is that George Eliot ‘knew’ and why Morrissey thought it was important to let people know about it, but I digress.

Anyway, there you have it! Hope this was helpful!And let me know if you decide to read any of the books mentioned here!

[rgr-pop]

where should i get started to figure out how to actually set up and decorate a home space?? (books, other resources?) i have no idea how to do it.

Hmmmm. I think the first step to designing any space is to live in the space without anything except for what you have and or what you absolutely need (you are moving with nearly no furniture, right? just moving out there in a car?). So then you can learn (possibly take notes if you are really serious) how you use space, what you are missing from every space, what you need the spaces to do for you, etc. (I think for the nature of your new life, you will want to consider, for example, how much you want or need your work to take space in your home.) I always recommend people do this before buying anything other than a thing to put your ass on and a second thing to put your drink on, but that’s just me! This is also a good time to reflect on what you liked or hated about what your setup was before. Some of these can be quick judgments: do you have absolutely nowhere to do kitchen prep? Are there rooms that get zero sunlight? No overhead light? Does a patch of floor need to be covered at any cost? But most of it you won’t figure out except with time, living in it, and that is why this is always a living process and not an event! (Making some assumptions about the status & condition of the place you’ll be renting, forgive me and I hope they pan out to be true for you 😬)

Take note of things that you have always wanted in your living space and whether they can be achieved in an easy way (for example, if you have always coveted yellow walls, just fucking do it, and if you absolutely cannot paint, do it with curtains and wall hangings). For me these things were things like: an in-closet shelf for shoes, dimmable lighting, bathroom drawers, a central decorative laundry hamper, extremely organized christmas storage, etc. Some of that has not been fulfilled but identifying how much it meant to me made the process clearer. Like, don’t invest yourself in a fantasy for no reason, but some ummm basic journaling can help you figure out what the roots of your desires or feelings of home inadequacy if you have them lol might be, and if the answer is “I just want a pink couch” then like…do it? Literally yolo.

The questions:

1. What are the tasks and activities you do in your home vs. wish to do in your home, and can you do them with what you have? Can you do them optimally? (Working [writing, grading, etc.], entertaining, cooking, BAKING, crafts and hobbies, tv watching, gardening, access to the windows for the cats, litter) (Wait: are you living alone?)

2. Where do things go? (Books, kitchen items, yarn, toiletries, clothes, laundry.) Is this system making it easier to locate your things when you need them, use them, and hide them when you’re not using them?

During this time you can figure out where the best places in your area are to get furnishings (one always has to get acquainted with a new thrift market)! (Look for habitat for humanity restores and university surplus.*) *Design tip: do your whole home in former university library furniture

Don’t read any bullshit that tells you rules about how to decorate or live until you know how you actually use your space and what you want! You will only get SOLD [things and ideologies], misled, shamed, lied to by Dwell… after that you deal with the nebulous problem of “inspiration” and “figuring out what you actually like aesthetically.” 

So the other part of that is looking at what you have actually brought with you and, well, you’ve surely already marikonned, right. But look at the decorating and furnishing items (as well as practical items ofc), live with them, and ask whether they are working for you or need eventual replacement (not buying a bunch of furniture you don’t need immediately is a good way to save money for idk replacing your cutting board, quilts and rugs). For decorative items or potentially decorative items (maybe art objects or ephemera that are special to you that you could frame and thus turn into “art,” for example), this is a time where you can let them tell you the aesthetic direction of your home! For example in my personal life, basically the whole visual story of my bedroom was gradually directed by two enameled salmon pieces (a lamp and a cigarette stand) that I’ve had for so long that they aren’t even my “style” per se, but I love them, and so I let them determine the way!

For you in particular I would suggest an aesthetic inspo quest that involves not looking at instagram and internet design sites (”pinterest,” as they say) but old magazines and primary sources, esp re: “lifestyle.” (A lot of the 70s high tech kind of stuff I look at now makes me really try to want to “decorate” my space in a way that would have been called “lifestyle” back then, even if for me it just means “what if I got table surfaces I can move around in different ways to accommodate my multiple craft hobbies,” etc.) Secondarily I recommend thrift shopping and, when finances allow, just buying the thing that moves you and figuring it out later. (I recommend this technique to everyone who has the liquid $20-100, it is the more utopian version of “settling for the ikea coffee table.”)

Figure out ASAP whether you can paint, etc. and whether you’d want to. As far as books? I mean I don’t really recommend any in particular because, again, Ideology. That’s why I like looking at older ones, because they expose the historical situatedness of interiors ideology!!

So short answer

1. A big move is an emotionally vulnerable time, do not let Apartment Therapy prey on that. Don’t read anything! Instead, look at old books and magazines and browse craigslist

2. Literally journal

3. Figure out your budget 

4. IKEA should be a last resort for absolutely anything except for those things you put plastic bags in, drawer organizers, recycling bins and maybe rugs (unfortunately rugs are just expensive everywhere but ikea). Unless you have 200 bottles of nail polish in which case the helmer is still the best option on the market. Don’t go to IKEA.

Not really what you were asking, lol :). Now once you tell me details about your space and collect notes on your vision, I can tell you sources that I trust to brainwash you the cool way and not the apartment therapy way (lbr am not above apartment therapy and have visited them a lot every time I moved into a new place) (it will make you feel bad about yourself)

[mounicalucia-blog]

With October steadily approaching, it’s a good bet that you’ve got a halloween, Event Planners, Photographers, and other professionals in the Events industry.Djs it is affectionately referred to as “in season” by likewise Eve party that you’re already planning for. The last quarter of the year tends to be filled with festivities and events, and Years party, birthday party, holiday party, or even New

I’m mentioning this to you in case you’re putting off planning until the last moment. As I’ve mentioned before, when it comes to booking professional Djs in season, best get a move on or all the good ones will have gone!

I know for myself personally, I often put off things that I’m not really sure how to start. And while I’m sure that almost everyone my age and younger knows someone through at least 2 degrees of separation that is a DJ, it’s also possible that your friend’s boyfriend who plays once a month at a local night club isn’t really the person with whom you want to trust the success of your party. So where do you start?

Don’t worry. Take a deep breath. I got you!

1. Finalize your event date, time, and location.

This seems SUPER obvious, but you wouldn’t believe how many people contact me without having fully committed to a date, timeframe, location, or some/all of the above. While it is AWESOME to get an early start on event planning, in order for a DJ or any service provider in the industry to write you a quote, they will at the very least need to know the date, timeframe, and location of your event. So first thing is first. Make sure you’ve made decisions to get those details in order. Then and only then is it time to move forward with your hiring process.

2. Gather a list of DJ Leads.

This can be done in many ways. Here are a few that I recommend.

Ask Friends, Family, and Network for referrals. Usually the best leads are referred by word of mouth.

Tap Into Your Social Network. Try a facebook or Instagram post that says something like: “Looking for a DJ for an event on + Your Date. Tag your favorites!”

Ask Google. Try searching for phrases like “ Best Events DJ + Your Zip Code” or “ Best Corporate Events DJ + Your City” ie: Best Event DJ in Tampa

Try a referral website like WeddingWire | Find Vendors, Read Reviews, Get Inspo & More or Thumbtack - Start a project. These sites will allow you to search for Djs in your area, see reviews, and request a quote. (Note: When requesting a quote through one of these websites, you will also usually be required to sign a contract and pay through the site as well, Similar to Upwork or Fiverr)

3. Do Some Research.

Once you’ve got your list of DJ leads, it’s time to do some research. You will want to check out these Djs are able to play to a few ways to determine if a DJ is a good fit for your event.Here’s many types of audiences and others prefer to play only specific genres or for specific audiences. It’s totally ok to book a niche specific DJ as long as that is what will work for your event. Example: booking a Drum and Bass DJ for your company’s holiday party might not work out so well, but booking a Drum and Bass DJ for your Christmas Eve Rave might work out great! Djs for yourself to make sure that they have a musical style and personality that will work well with your event. Remember that some

Give them a listen! Check out Mixcloud - Making radio better, http://Soundcloud.com, YouTube, and of course, Google to find samples of their shows and to listen to them in action! This is a great way to preview your candidate’s musical style and mixing skills.

Check out their Online Presence. Google and see if they have a website. Most DJS don’t list their prices online, but some do. You may also be able to see pictures of them in action and get a better feel for their brand. You may also find customer reviews and links to their social media. All of these things can provide helpful information for the selection process.

Find them on Social Media. This is a great way to get a feel for their physical aesthetic, personality, and most importantly, their personal demeanor.

4. Request a Quote / Consultation

This is the last step in the initial DJ Sourcing process. While in some instances you might feel comfortable enough with one of the Djs that you’ve researched to only request a quote for the event, I personally believe that it’s always good practice to do a quick consultation, either on the phone or in person, so that there is no room for misinterpretation around the details of your event. This can be as easy as requesting a phone call via their website or social media. Either way, the right professional will be happy to make time to talk with you about your event, so reach out!

These tips should definitely get you started on your search for the best event dj

for you! Remember to take your time and do your research, because the success of your event is greatly impacted by the entertainment that you choose. Also, remember that if you’re booking for the end of the year, time is running out, so get a move on!

Finally – if you’re still a little lost in the planning process for your event, CLICK HERE to become a Shannon C insider and download the DJ Hiring and Event Planning Workbook for free! This workbook will help you with sourcing and interviewing leads, collecting information to make sure you get an accurate quote, and planning out your events timeline and music selection for your DJ. Make sure your next event goes super smooth and download it today!

Visit - So You Need to Hire A DJ, But Don't Know Where To Start ?

[thebusinessofcraft]

Online Platform Inspo

Ok, so today we were looking at online platforms and marketing and all that jazz. We were thinking in terms of our own practice and subsequent businesses...whose web presence inspires us? Well, I have to put my consumer hat on for this. Who’s web presence do I enjoy and why, but also why do I never buy anything from them? I don’t buy anything arty online because I am in the struggling student category and the pros of buying art don’t often outweigh the pros of buying food. However, I am buying into them as solid practitioners and would probably buy something at a market or shop or gallery. But you have to have an online presence to get people there in the first place! Also - and this is important - the people who I am marketing at must have more disposable income than me, and so I am not really my target audience.  With that rant over here is a list of 5 people and their websites: Faye Moorhouse. Illustrator. http://fayemoorhouse.co.uk/about/

Faye is first because she is the only one on this list who I discovered solely through social media and her online presence. Very clean and simple design - easy to navigate. Main page with instagram - style gallery of images. Can hover over, click and read more. All clear and good images. Three subheadings to pages: About (who is she - as a person and as a maker, clients include, contact), Instagram (links straight to instagram - can see more studio-style images, works in progress, etc.), Shop (links to e-commerce hosted by shopify - buy direct from this website or further link to Etsy). 

Rob Auton. Writer, performer, poet, artist. http://www.robauton.co.uk

Better known as a performer but does sell books and paintings, too. Website is much busier and less product-focussed...in fact it worked very well on me. I spent 2 minutes on this website, got redirected to a link to a CD that I didn’t know he’d made and bought it with Paypal. This website research has now cost me seven pounds (so much for being a struggling student). This isn’t because of the convincing imagery or copy writing, but because I’ve seen him perform and I know it will be good. He made it very easy for me to buy that, though. It shows that the News page (or a mailing list) is very helpful, particularly to encourage repeat orders. The website is sort of ugly, but I find it funny, and it’s really just an extension of his output as an artist rather than a detached marketing platform. He disguises it well.  David Shrigley. Artist. http://davidshrigley.com

Aim high, right?  This website looks like a drawing or a painting he has made. Headings/links are written in his distinctive handwriting (with longer text typed). This is something I should do, I think, because my handwriting is in a lot of my work, too. It is more personal and feels like something he has created himself, giving the website more value than something that is clearly pre-designed/hosted. Home page, then headings Books, Work, Other Stuff, News, Shop, Info, Contact. If there’s information you want to find you will be able to find it here. Browser tab is titled: David Shrigley Artist. 197cm tall. Similarly to Rob Auton shows irreverence/playfulness and uses the medium to give us an idea of who he is.

Gemma Correll. Cartoonist, writer, illustrator. https://www.gemmacorrell.com

She just keeps getting more successful. She’s got a good website. It changes colour and moves when you move the mouse and again, it looks like she’s made it - links written in her own handwriting. Pages are: Home, Books, Comics, Illustration, Products, Sketchbook Blog, Shop, About Me. Links to other social media too. It really is a holding place for everything and caters for people who want to know more about her, peruse her work, buy her work or employ her. 

Edward Monkton. Artist, Illustrator. http://www.edwardmonkton.com

This one is slightly different. I realised that I was getting frustrated because I couldn't find an About Me page. Apparently that is the first thing I click on. I want to know who you are, where you studied, where you’re from, and anything else you can possibly tell me. I don’t have any very fleshed out about me sections and really shy away from putting photos of myself on my websites/social media. He also doesn’t have any news section, which I realise is the second thing I click on and I also realise that I don’t have any news sections anywhere. I suppose the closest I get is a small comment on an instagram post. Home page is good - there is a small ‘game’ (?) on the landing page which engages you immediately and generates clicks on the page. Clever. No e-commerce which is also interesting, just recommended retailers. Something seems a bit surprisingly shoddy about this website. It’s good, and I suppose he is established enough as a brand that he doesn’t need to keep plugging himself, but I suppose I just thought it would be better. I think it is a somewhat old fashion design in comparison and even the headings being written/drawn by him would help this immensely.  Things I should do with my own website: Make it look like my work. Make it definitely look like I made it - colours, typography, content. 

About me. Get over it, just write an about me section. People want to know who it is that is making the work. They want to invest in you as a brand. News. Keep updating. Write about new projects, new stockists, completed projects, new products, new exhibitions - anything! (not anything) Link to Etsy shop.