#i created that blog to keep hockey off my main

[yeonboy]

𝐧𝐨 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮 ♡ choi yeonjun.

If you had known that a fun night out eating junk food with your best friend that you have always harbored a crush on would turn this sour because he misunderstood your words, you would have kept your mouth shut. Now Yeonjun has gone radio silent on you and if you want to salvage your friendship, you will have to get over your feelings first because he will never forgive you if he finds out. Right?

❧ choi yeonjun x f. reader | 16+ | college!au ♡ best friends to lovers!au ♡ angst ♡ humor ♡ fluff

❧ 7 k words

❧ warnings! inaccuracies wrt college sports/scouting/ice hockey, profanity, suggestive language, suggestive scenes, discussion and exhibition of puck bunny behavior, mentions of slut-shaming, misunderstandings, miscommunication, jealousy, some pining, yeonjun is stooooopiiiid, yn is also stooooopiiiid, one (1) singular heavy makeout sesh that gets a little out of hand hehe (:

❧ note! hi, world! this is a sideblog i created v v recently, but you won’t find links to my main anywhere bec i’ve decided to be a catfish on this one (: LOL jk, i just wanted a fresh start. i will be cutting back on the hoeing around i used to indulge in w my writing on that blog, and keep this place as sfw as i can - we’ll focus on tummy-aching angst instead! w a happy ending ofc bec ya girl is a softie 😔

leave me feedback if you like this! follow for more! (:

❧ masterlist | inbox ⁘

"Dude, this has gone so fucking soggy, it's like chewing leather. Please stop eating it."

Your words of disgust and grimace of distaste were, unsurprisingly, nothing to deter your best friend from munching on the cold fries he'd left for the last when he'd been too busy gobbling down his burgers. Stuffing a handful into his mouth like an actual ape, he in fact wiggles his eyebrows at you in a challenge.

"I feel like I've seen an orangutan eat exactly the way you just did, Choi Yeonjun. Please stop."

That makes him giggle and clear his mouth, finally raising his hands in surrender. "Kay, I give up. They do taste like leather."

"Not even gonna ask how you know that… But this is why you're supposed to have your fries with the burgers and not after it."

"But they mess up my palate!"

When he pouts like that, it's so hard for you to believe that he's the university’s senior ice hockey team’s ace, their Center, their captain, and that he’s looking to get scouted professionally, this year. When he pouts like that, he takes you back to the time you first met him on the first day of your high school, both clueless freshmen with wide, innocent eyes full of huge dreams about your future.

Dreams that you're both very, very close to making a reality, now – him as a professional hockey player, and you interning at the law firm of your dreams.

Damn. Time sure flies fast.

“What? Is there something on my face?” Yeonjun tilts his head and you blink away from your thoughts, averting your gaze from his to instead stare at his shitty, soggy fries.

“Yeah. Stupid. A lot of it.”

Yeonjun rolls his eyes and rips a tissue out of the dispenser on the table to dab around his mouth just in case, and that gives you room to breathe in and out and try to will away the heat you can feel in your cheeks.

See, now, the thing is – you don’t necessarily have romantic feelings for your platonic best friend of eight years. That’d just be absurd and kind of creepy. But you sure as heck have always harbored a crush on him.

It’s just impossible not to! 

Guy has always been literally the most gorgeous human being you’ve ever seen, even at the universally ugly age of fourteen. He’s a gentleman, always kind to every single person in his life, would probably cut a limb off for a friend in need, and ever since your sophomore year of college, he’s gotten into manically coloring his hair, which…is seriously injurious to the onlookers’ health because dear God, the dirty blonde of his hair with the dark roots peeking through from his middle part? Makes your heart literally pound.

And he isn’t even doing anything! Other than being gross with a tissue paper and inedible fries, which should absolutely turn you off from ever liking anything about him, but it does the opposite.

That is another thing about him – he’s too freaking smooth and sexy about every damn thing in his life. The day his hair turned from black to blue, nearly two years back, he developed all these flirty charms on top of his kind ones. Now he isn’t just an insanely handsome dude who’d hold your hand to help you cross the road, but he’d also freaking wink at you when you thank him for his kindness.

You as in a person, not – not you. He’d never wink at you, you're too friendzoned for that. And it's kind of a blessing because you’d probably run the risk of jumping back into oncoming traffic if he did.

Wow.

You can’t count on one hand the number of times you have had to tug on the reins of your heart when it’s tried to take a flight, jumping off the cliff of your very inconvenient crush and into the bottomless abyss of having actual romantic feelings for him. Because that would be catastrophic. And not just because you fear he'd reject you and you’d lose the one person who means the most to you in the world.

“Should I get more burgers?”

Your gaze snaps to him in surprise. He’s pouting again, this time looking at the greasy fingerprints laden menu card kept on your table. The anxiety that had started to churn in your stomach at the prospect of your very concerning crush turning into something more, suddenly leaves and you huff out a small laugh.

“You’ve had six in the past hour, Jjun. I’d say stop for the night, maybe?”

“Hey, I have a big appetite!” He scowls at you. “And it’s close to midnight, already! You know I begin my diet for the season from tomorrow!”

You groan. “Well, then, why did you ask?”

“To be encouraged, of course! To be comforted.” He widens his eyes and blinks at you. “Or did you forget I’m also supposed to be nursing a broken heart?”

The groan you release at that is loud, drawn out and filled with a year’s worth of exasperation. This is the other reason why you catching romantic feelings for him would be catastrophic. His emotional quotient is seriously questionable when it comes to the matters of heart. If he could love a partner half as much as he loves dogs, maybe he wouldn’t be ‘nursing a heartbreak’ because of the fifth person that has dumped him since your final year began. And you aren’t even done with your mid-sems yet.

But you don't tell him that, instead patting on his leather jacket clad forearm with a fake sympathetic expression. “Ah, yes, poor you. My deepest condolences to your heart.”

He knows you and your bullshit and you know he does, so the attack that his hands launch at your throat in the next two seconds doesn't surprise you, and your defensively raised shoulders don't surprise him.

You're both dissolving into giggles, then, having nothing short of a wrestling match across the small cafe table. "I really liked Lea, okay?"

"Oh yeah? You didn't even—oof, that tickles! You didn't even know she was Kai's sister!"

At that he lets go of you and slumps back in his seat with a scowl. "Please don't remind me. I still worry he's gonna stab me in my sleep someday…"

You place a palm over your mouth to stifle your laugh. "To be fair, Lea shouldn't have been indulging in puck bunny behavior if she didn't want to be treated like one."

"Don't say that wo~rd," Yeonjun whines with his whole head thrown back. "She's Kai's sister! And she's younger than me!"

"Just by four months! Stop being dramatic, Jjun. She's a junior at college – she knew what she was doing."

Yeonjun doesn't look convinced. "I mean… I don't think she was with me only because I'm hockey captain. She knows all of HK's friends personally."

You wonder why he is defending her. Did he actually, genuinely like the girl? Romantically? What are the odds of Yeonjun finally making an attempt to open his heart up to someone and them ending up dumping him? He doesn't really look that dumped, though, so you figure that this must be out of some misplaced protectiveness he feels for one of his best friend's sisters.

Man should've thought of that before he dated her. Sigh.

"Yeah, which makes it worse." You wince when he frowns. "Come on, Jjun. She's known you since middle school but decides to make a move now? Only to break it off in three weeks because others are 'slut-shaming' her”—you make air-quotes around the term, rolling your eyes—“when they call her out for wearing another guy's jersey in preseason when she's supposed to be dating you. Can't tell me that's not manipulative and experienced puck bunny behavior."

Yeonjun’s eyes are wide when you finish speaking. “What…?”

“She didn't have feelings for you, Jjun! I mean, you obviously didn't have any for her either, but I hope you keep it that way with these girls. I highly doubt Lea even tried to get to know you at all, given how busy she was posting pictures of y'all on all her socials." His expressions haven't changed much, so you try to conclude your point quickly. “All I'm saying is, it is actually a good thing you’ve never taken these relationships too seriously. There’s more business than emotion with these clout chasers, Jjun.”

Yeonjun is gaping at you now and you're a little confused as to how to take it. Is he surprised at the revelation about Lea? You doubt that to be the case when the entire tale of their romance had been broadcasted all over the campus this past week.

So then…is he surprised at your opinion of things? You sure hope he isn't about to pick a fight with you because you're in no mood to concede. Not about this. Not when you've died multiple deaths every minute that Lea has spent being a pick-me by your best friend's side.

"I… She did have feelings for me, Y/N. They—the girls that I date all have some feelings for me, come on." He gives a small chuckle that is so wry, it makes you fidget in discomfort. “I haven’t taken these relationships that casually. I'm – I’m not some vain playboy, sleeping my way around the college.”

Okay, hold on – what?

What?

How did he take that away from your rant? He's really defending himself when you never even attacked him? When you never would attack him?

"Yeonjun, no… That's not what I'm trying—"

"Let's – let's just drop this." He looks distressed, and the frown on his lips makes your heart hurt. More so because you are the one who put it there. "You won't get it, anyways."

Now that – gives you a pause. "I won't…get it?"

He gets up, unbothered and unabashed, and walks with his tray of empty wrappers and inedible fries to dump it into the trash can near the exit of the cafe. You wordlessly follow, tilting your head in an attempt to catch his eye, but Yeonjun's got some 5 inches on you so you can't really force him to look at you when he doesn't want to.

And now he's walking out of the cafeteria.

"Jjun?"

He sighs and stops, looking over his shoulder, straight into your eyes with a bored stare. "What?"

"What? You're, like, not even gonna explain that last sentence?" 

This time you're the one with the wry chuckle while Yeonjun fidgets in discomfort. 

"What won't I get, Yeonjun?"

"Look, it's… well. You’ve always subtly looked down upon all the girls I’ve dated in college, and that was fine. You’re my best friend, you’re allowed to be a critic.” He shrugs with a nonchalant look in his eyes, but his lips are still twisted sourly. “But… I never realized you thought I was the problem. Someone so vapid that my only appeal is the fame hockey gets me.”

No… literally when did you insinuate that?

You're rendered mute, taken aback by how badly Yeonjun seems to have interpreted your words. He exhales and it sounds very loaded. You don't miss the way he keeps avoiding your gaze; nor the disappointed frown that decorates his forehead.

“You won’t get it because you don’t want me, you’ve never wanted me – and that is absolutely cool! But just because you like to have me as a comedic relief character in your life doesn’t mean that no one sees any depth in me.”

“A… comedic relief character?” your voice comes out low and hoarse and almost tattered, a little shrilly from disbelief. You're not even gonna touch on his 'never wanted him' claim because the rest of his speech has your brain actually spinning. “What the hell are you talking about? This isn’t about you – it’s about these girls… You’re my best friend, Yeonjun!”

“And yet you can’t find one reason why these girls would like me beyond using me for clout.” He gives a shrug and finally meets your eyes again. But his stare is absolutely vacant and unreadable. “You don’t use me for clout, though, and yet you keep me around. You obviously don’t care about my opinions, or you wouldn't have exchanged numbers with Changbin when I told you he was bad news. What else is there to our friendship other than laughing together, then?”

His words are like death blows – each syllable laced with a different kind of poison. Every inhale you take from the air his words have contaminated seems to sear a painful path through your lungs. Breathing hurts. Looking at him hurts. Your eyes are filling up and your tummy is aching.

There’s so much wrong with everything he just said, so much misinterpretation, so many actual blatant untruths, that you don’t even know how to begin correcting them. 

How did you even get here?

You’d only been trying to warn him about girls that might use him. You were only trying to protect his heart.

How did that turn into him thinking you don’t value your friendship with him? That you don’t value him?

“Oh, and by the way,” he continues, pushing both hands into his leather jacket and looking into the distance, “Changbin’s probably gonna ask you to cheer for him this season, which is kind of a big deal because… you know, this out final session and there will be professional scouts present and all. So if you decide to say yes…” He pauses and turns to look at you again, gaze tired and eyes lidded. “If you say yes, I hope you know it’ll mean a lot more.”

Why is he bringing up Changbin again? You’d only exchanged numbers to get that guy's incessant ass off your back – you haven’t even responded to a single text he’s sent you in the past two months. Cheering for him? In a season as important to their careers as this one? 

Absolutely out of the question.

Does Yeonjun not know you at all?

You’re about to tell him that, when he suddenly pulls his phone out with a sigh. “I’m planning to hand my jersey over to Chaeyoung – you know, running for senior cheer captain? Thought I’d ask for your opinion, but… You’ve already made that pretty clear tonight.”

Angry tears blur your vision and your heart hurts as if it’s dying a slow death in your chest.

Chaeyoung, really? So he’s skipping seamlessly from Lea to Chaeyoung. 

Of course. 

Why did you even bother worrying about his heart when he clearly doesn’t even have one. How could you forget.

Maybe it’s a good thing you never let yourself fall for Yeonjun beyond a crush.

“For what it’s worth,” you finally manage to mutter, brows furrowed and gaze focused on your worn out sneakers, “I’m sorry. I was trying to look out for you, not – not hurt you. You’re the most important person in my life, Yeonjun. I could never hurt you.”

You don’t wanna wait around to hear his response, so you just wordlessly walk away. Your dorms are hardly half a mile from here; you can shut yourself in your room and sob into your pillow in less than twenty minutes from now.

The fact comforts you enough to make you walk faster.

And also helps you ignore the pain that runs across your entire body when Yeonjun doesn’t even attempt to stop you.

You haven’t checked your phone in a while now but it has to have been over six am currently because you can hear your roommate moving around. Stealthily, you pull the comforter down from your face to peer into the dark room, only to hear a loud sigh echo around the place.

“You’re seriously still up?” Yuqi’s disappointed voice calls out. “The crying sounds stopped sometime after four so I reckoned you fell asleep.”

You wince in guilt. “Fuck, Yuqi, I’m so sorry I kept you awake—”

“Woah, what?”

She turns the lights on, suddenly brightening the room. Your roommate’s dressed in her cheer outfit, probably on her way to early morning practice. She is running for captain as well and the voting concludes in five days.

Cheer captain… Chaeyoung…

You can feel another bout of tears coming on, the back of your raw eyes stinging anew. Your head is pounding like someone’s cracked your skull open, but it still doesn't hold a candle to the ache that originates from your heart and makes your entire chest cave in on itself.

“Oh my God, babe, you look worse than you sound!”

You click your tongue and rub at your eyes. “I… Ugh, it’s been a weird night, Yuqi.”

She kneels beside you on the floor, face drawn in concern. “Are you okay?”

“I will be.” You try to sit up with her help. “I guess?”

“Oh, babe…” Yuqi sits next to you and draws you in an embrace. “What happened?”

“Y–Yeonjun,” you can barely articulate his name before your throat closes up again.

“Ah, man. What’d the idiot do this time?”

Yuqi has been your roommate and your closest friend since freshman year. Needless to say, she knows all about your friendship with Yeonjun and more than a little about your crush on him. She believes he’s too oblivious and doesn’t particularly like him for that reason. More often than not, you’re batting for his defense against Yuqi.

Right now, though, you feel like you’re gonna agree with every colorful word she uses for the guy.

So you tell her exactly what happened – give her a play by play of all the words said and reactions given, receiving hisses and grunts of annoyance in response, until you mention what he said about Changbin and Yuqi breaks your narration with a gasp.

“What the fuck?”

You just sigh and shrug a shoulder. “And he’s picking Chaeyoung to to wear his jersey for the most important season of his life, so I guess it’s whatever.”

“You know, it seemed to me like he was upset and acted out defensively… which would have been okay to a certain point, a misunderstanding that could be cleared out – had he not pulled that Changbin card. Why would he ask you to go after a teammate?” Yuqi tugs at the end of her ponytail in frustration. “And Chaeyoung? Literally the enemy? Now he's just an asshole.”

That last bit makes a small chuckle tumble out of you. “How… how is she, though? As a person?”

It’s so stupid of you to still attempt to look out for Yeonjun when he just dismissed your whole friendship. But you cannot help it.

“She’s… not a bad person, to be honest. As much as it pains me to admit.” Yuqi sighs. “She’s friends with the entire cheer team, friendly with the players, never been a bully to anybody. Hence why she’s running for captain alongside me.”

Should that comfort you? You believe it should. You warned your best friend about girls that might try to use him – and Chaeyoung sounds like she might not be that kind of a person. That’s good news, right?

So why does your heart seem to ache even more?

“Everything just...hurts, Yuqi. So much.” You tip your head against her shoulder. “What do I do?”

“Admit to yourself that you don’t just have aa crush on Yeonjun, for starters?”

You turn to look at her with surprised wide eyes. “What?”

Yuqi just rolls her eyes. “Come on, Y/N. You can’t move on if you don’t admit to it first, can you?”

Move on…?

Is that what you have to do now? Maybe. 

If you want to attempt to salvage any bit of your bond with Yeonjun, it’s best if you at least get rid of the affection that permeates the boundaries of platonic friendship.

“And then maybe text Changbin back,” Yuqi continues. “He’s their goalie. I’ve talked to him a couple of times, he’s nice. Kinda cute? If nothing else, he'll help take your mind off of Yeonjun and Chaeyoung.

You just exhale a deep breath. “Maybe.”

16:37 | changbin (: congratulations to yuqi! tell her i knew she would make it :D

↪ Haha thanks! Will do!

soooo our first match’s three days away kinda wanted to ask u something before that meet me at the lockers after practice today lol?

↪ Oh it’s Monday already right? ↪ I’ll see you at the lockers, sure! ↪ How does around 7 sound?

perfect~~ just like your eyes >.<

“Ew, man, ewww…”

You press your phone to your chest with a gasp, turning to glare at Yuqi. “Hey! It’s rude to read over someone’s shoulder!”

“No, what’s ruder is you not telling me how cringey this guy is!” Yuqi is very close to rolling on the floor, and you really can’t blame her. 

You’ve been texting back and forth with this Changbin guy for over a week now. He’s definitely nice and definitely more than a little cute, Yuqi didn’t lie to you. 

But – the way this dude flirts? Good God. 

Cringe must be an understatement. You have permanent goosebumps at this point because of how often you experience full body shivers out of the absolute secondhand embarrassment he has made you live through, every single day.

On the other hand, there's been radio silence between you and… him. Your best friend. His name sends a painful pang through your chest, so you've been avoiding even thinking about him. And Changbin's been a great distraction on that front.

That is not to say it has helped any feelings to blossom in your heart for the guy. His sweet but cringey self is a friend, at best. Your heart…is obviously elsewhere.

Things became so much clearer once you let yourself think everything over without any pressure and pretense, and admit to what you feel for your best friend, like Yuqi suggested.

Turns out you were wrong, after all. You really haven't succeeded at managing to stop yourself from falling further than a harmless crush for Yeonjun, because this constant hurt that has made home in your chest ever since he stopped talking to you? The wave of gloom that overtakes you whenever you so much as think about him? Surely a lot more harmful than what a crush warrants and surely surpassing best friend territory; by a leap.

The next step was attempting to move on with the help of Changbin, but that clearly fell flat on its face.

Exhaling a tired breath, you send a blushing emoticon back to the guy, and wonder why you're responding to his flirting when you know you've already failed and this is gonna end in tragedy.

“He sends you congratulations for making captain, by the way," you inform Yuqi when she's finally stopped giggling.

“Aw, did he say that was cool? As cool as your hair, maybe?”

You just groan and roll your eyes. “I’m gonna go see him tonight. He’ll probably offer me his jersey…”

That sobers Yuqi up. “Oh. So it’s time, huh? What’re you gonna tell him?”

You give her a wry smile. “What do you think?”

Understanding flashes across her face as Yuqi pats your shoulder in comfort with a sympathetic smile. “Well… At least you tried, yeah?”

Yeah… and failed spectacularly.

And are now hopelessly in love and helplessly heartbroken.

The locker rooms are nearly empty when you get there by seven. According to Changbin's text, he'll be there in the next five minutes and you are to wait by the rows immediately opposite the entrance to the bathrooms.

For a men's locker, the place is fairly clean and pleasant smelling. 

You're in the middle of inhaling a chest full of some citrusy fragrance when the pitter-patter of a feet reaches you – and then abruptly stops. The small gasp that meets your ears before you've even fully turned around is enough for you to recognise him. 

Why're you bumping into him here of all places?

He's been a ghost around the campus, as absent from your shared classes and the cafeteria as he is from your inbox – your life. 

But here he shows up – to catch you waiting for a guy he's always warned you against and only told you to accept when he was mad at you.

You're beginning to regret this whole thing you began with Changbin even though you're here to end it tonight.

Swallowing, you swerve on your heels to come face to face with a freshly showered Yeonjun, dressed in a fluffy hoodie and a pair of sweatpants. Your heart hammers against your ribcage, head filling up with thoughts of burying yourself in his embrace. His hair isn't fully dried yet, with some of it sticking to his forehead, but…what draws your attention is how gaunt and tired his face looks. 

There are large purple bags beneath his eyes and permanent frown lines around his lips. You're willing to bet this is not all due to the season's stress, because the last time you saw Yeonjun with dark circles was when you came down with a bad flu in high school and were bedridden for a week. He stayed by your side the whole time, despite both your mothers warning him about catching the infection, and barely slept.

You know it's a little unfair of you to think this way when you're the one that hurt him first, even if unintentionally, but you can't help wondering whether Yeonjun would still care if you caught a flu now. Would he even bother checking up on you, now that he's made it clear that he believes you don't think much of him and your friendship.

Does he still value you and your bond, despite the conclusions he's drawn about your feelings?

"What are you… oh."

Those are his first words to you in over a week, and the absolute disappointment on his face kinda makes up for the lack of verbal cues.

Your fists tighten on your sides, hating the way his eyes fill up with nonchalance and the way his lips purse. Why's he acting like he doesn't care? He should care!

But at the same time, you don't want him to think of you even worse than he has been. So you clear your throat and try to explain, "I've… I'm gonna clear things out with Changbin. Tell him I'm not interested so that he doesn't – he doesn't hope for anything more."

Yeonjun raises an eyebrow up, setting his jaw and lowering his eyelids. "You're good at that, aren't you? Ensuring that people aren't living with false hopes?"

Hearing his voice after so long fills your heart up with an emotion you're probably too inarticulate to explain. But his words, as snidely delivered as they are, confuse you. "What…?"

Rolling his eyes as if explaining himself to you is a waste of time for him, Yeonjun waves a hand in dismissal. "Nothing at all. He'll be heartbroken, though. Was really counting on you cheering for him. Are you absolutely sure you're not interested?"

His patronizing tone is a little too much for you, and even the lower pitch of voice he's using – one that you have always secretly fawned over – isn't able to curb your frustration. "Yes, Yeonjun, I'm sure. He'll live, he'll find someone else." And because you're beginning to feel irritated and jealous, you add, "If his second choice isn't Chaeyoung, that is."

You see the way a vein pops in his forehead and a sense of satisfaction runs through you at having struck a nerve. "Oh, so you've got words to say about Chaeyoung too, then? I thought you'd let her pass because she's famous enough by herself. Cheer vice captain, and all."

He's throwing you bait to rile you up, you know that – but you can't help the fiery fury that overtakes your senses either way.

Stalking up to him, you push a finger against Yeonjun's chest and glare into his wide, surprised eyes. "If you really think she's interested in you for you, go ahead and date her. Don't goad me into giving an opinion when you won't even care about it."

He brings a large hand up to wrap around yours, holding it tight in obvious anger. "Like you care about mine?"

"I'm literally here to say no to Changbin, Jjun! What the hell is your problem?" you yell out, pushing at his chest with your free hand – but to no avail because he holds your other wrist with his other hand as well.

"My problem is that you're saying no because you think this is beneath you!" he yells back, leaning from his towering form to bring his face to the same level as yours. "You think my girlfriends, my lifestyle – everything's beneath you!"

Your mouth falls open in utter shock because once again – this was never about him! "Yeonjun – no! For the last time, no, I don't think that! I don't think you're vain or unlikable, or that anything you do is beneath me, I just – I just fear someone will break your heart if you're not careful!"

"Is that so? You're not judgemental of the girls I date? Didn't you call Lea a – a puck bunny?"

"I didn't mean it like that!" you scream back and lean towards him, leaving barely inches between both of your fuming, frowning faces. "I was just getting metaphorical and, hell, maybe I was jealous because you've never asked me to cheer for—fuck…"

Panicked, you pull away from Yeonjun's loosened grasp, looking away from his raised eyebrows and open mouth.

You did not mean to say that. Not like this, not now… maybe never.

Face heating up like a damn furnace, you stumble away from your frozen best friend in a hurry. If he thought you were sabotaging your friendship before, he's going to absolutely hate you for harboring feelings for him. It's a blatant breach of his trust.

Shit, you should've begun to distance yourself when you first felt the tender tendrils of affection for the cutest fourteen year old guy you'd ever seen. You shouldn't have let those feelings fester – you shouldn't have let them grown into this beast that now stands to swallow your years' long friendship.

Tears prick your eyes, but there's no time to mourn right now – you need to get back to your dorm and bury yourself beneath a pillow before that.

But you've barely made it to the gates to the locker room when a firm hand grips your upper arm from behind and twirls you around. Back pressing into the wall, a gasp is torn from your chest when Yeonjun's huge, twinkling eyes cage you in. His arms resting on the wall next to you are completely unnecessary; you'd stand still through an apocalypse if he pinned you with this gaze of his.

"What…what do you mean you were jealous I never asked you?" he breathlessly questions, literal stars sparkling through his dark irises at you.

Now. If you were not adept at reading your best friend like a book, maybe you would have wondered if coming clean right now would make his eyes brighter or dim them instead. Maybe you would have debated whether lying your way out of this situation and apologizing later would be a good idea. Maybe you would have ducked from under his arms and made a run for it.

But because you have known this boy for more than seven years now, have observed every single expression of happiness and excitement that his face is capable of producing, have admired how adorable hope and anticipation looks on him – because you've loved him since the time you could barely even understand what love meant…you have no reason to doubt.

"I mean I wanted you to ask me, Jjunie. I wanted to be the one that'd be by your side, wearing your jersey and cheering from the stands for you," your voice comes out as a hoarse whisper, but Yeonjun clings onto every single word, given the stutters you can hear in his breathing. "I… I wanted you to look at me when you scored, point at me and tell everyone around us that…"

Your gaze flickers down his face, running across his nose to land on his parted, plump pair of lips. They spread a little to allow an airy chuckle to pass, and then form a wispy, questioning: "That?"

He's moved incredibly close to you, nearly touching your foreheads together and leaving an inch of space between your mouths. You look up into his eyes and they are hooded, spilling happiness, adoration but also something sincere.

"That," you rasp quietly, slowly in the small space between you, "that I'm your girl."

Yeonjun's exhale of minty toothpaste breath washes over your face, forehead tipping over yours and nose sliding against yours. When he speaks next, his lips brush the corner of your mouth and your body grows taut like a bowstring, ready to snap at the barest flick of his hands.

"Are you my girl?"

His voice has gotten incredibly lower and guttural and you just bring your hands up to clench into the fabric of his hoodie to ground yourself. Your eyes slide shut against the intensity of his own, breaths coming shorter and faster.

"I'd – I'd like to be. If…you'd have me?"

"Of fuck, baby, don't you know you've always owned me?"

You barely get a moment to process the term of endearment and the acceptance, let alone the actual depth and true implication of his words, when the softest pairs of lips you have ever felt brush against yours. Tentatively, so lightly that they almost tickle. Gasping in an exhale, you part your eyelids to find Yeonjun looking at you through a similarly shuttered gaze.

"Can I kiss you?" 

Oh God, oh God, oh God—

“Yes, please.”

The words have barely exited you before Yeonjun is erasing any remaining space between you completely by pressing his mouth fully against yours. His lips feel even more softer than they look, molding against yours like a pair of clouds. Combined exhales of relief leave the two of you, breathing just as in sync as your bodies are. Your hands move from his jacket to run across his broad shoulders and your fingers wrap around the back of his neck, pulling him impossibly closer.

As if waiting for you to do just that, Yeojun guides both his hands to your waist, bringing you closer to him, before one of them detours to run past your waist and down your thigh to hook around your knee. His mouth opens against yours, then, teeth biting into the flesh of your bottom lip. With a shuddering gasp, you hold onto him tighter and allow him to lick into your mouth, lost in the taste and feel of him.

His hand grips onto your leg to lift it from the ground and wrap it around his thigh, allowing him to slot his hips against yours perfectly. You can feel yourself spiraling, unable to form coherent thoughts beyond the heady rush of electricity that zaps through you with every pull of Yeonjun's lips. When you begin to grow breathless, his lips detach from yours to slip down your chin and press against your throat.

A mixture of gasp and whine escapes you, making his grip on you tighten and his lips turn bolder in their exploration of your neck. You feel his teeth scraping over your collarbone and shivers run through you, causing your back to arch and press further into his body. He groans against your skin and runs his hand up your leg to caress the delicate skin of your thigh.

You realise this is getting kind of out of hand because you've just confessed your feelings and you're still in the damn locker room, but your eyes can't help but clench shut as your fingers tug on his silky soft hair, silently asking him to keep going. 

But Yeonjun is far more in control of the situation than you are, given the way he turns his kisses from hungry to chaste, slowly. Pressing a closed mouth peck to your cheek, he rearranges his grip on you to pick you up with his hands beneath your thighs, and carries you to a bench. He sits down and drapes your legs over his own to make you straddle him, holding you firmly but softly in place.

He plants a soft, sweet kiss to your lips and rests his forehead against yours. Your eyelids part to the blurry sight of his shining eyes. It takes you a moment to realise you have tears in your eyes – and that he does as well.

With the softest smile that you have ever seen on him, Yeonjun brings a thumb up to your face and flicks at the corner of your eye.

"I've liked you ever since high school, you know?"

Your lashes flutter in fascination. "Really? But you never… you always…"

His cheeks grow pink when you scrunch your nose up instead of finishing the sentence, and he shuts his eyes. "You just never really showed any interest… You never looked jealous or bothered by my love life."

"I was being a good friend!" You chuckle when he rolls his eyes. "Besides, I had plenty to say about the girls you dated?"

He tucks a piece of your hair behind your ear, still looking at you with a soft gaze, but his lips have twitched into a devastating smirk. "But you never said I could date you instead."

A blast of heat flushes your entire face at his words. Remember when you said he never flirted with you and you were grateful for that? Yeah, you still stand by that. Your heart's racing so fast, it's a wonder it hasn't malfunctioned yet. Yeonjun reads your face, too, and pecks your nose with a giggle .

"I'm so sorry it took me so long to figure it out, baby," he then whispers to you, sounding so forlorn that the sound of his voice, especially with that pet name, makes you wanna cry again. "I should've realized you were jealous…"

"I'm sorry, too, Jjun," you whisper back, hands coming up to play with the drawstrings of his hoodie that your eyes focus on as well, suddenly hesitant to meet his open gaze. "I wasn't careful about my words and hurt you. I was a bad friend."

He chuckles at that, which draws your eyes back to his own again. "To be honest, I was more hurt because your words made me conclude that you would never like me back. So you literally don't have to apologize at all."

A smile blooms on your face. "Can I kiss it better, then?"

"Oh, you can always kiss it better, baby." Teeth flashing and eyes squinting, Yeonjun nuzzles into your neck, full of giggles that you mirror as well.

Right then, a call of your name resounds across the locker rooms.

Wait…

Fuck.

Changbin!

Yeonjun's wide eyes look at you with questions. You just sigh and shrug your shoulders.

"Back here, Bin!"

"Bin?" Yeonjun raises an eyebrow with his eyes narrowed, making you stifle a giggle.

"Should I try Binnie, then?" 

He gasps in outrage, threatening to bite into your cheek, while you lean away to escape him, still suppressing your laughter.

Footsteps echo across the hall before a gasp is heard at the end of the aisle you're seated next to. Changbin stands rooted to his place, mouth agape and eyes wide. You've corrected yourself in your seat, but – your seat's still kinda Yeonjun's lap.

"I… um?"

You purse your lips in apology. "I'm sorry, Bin. I can't accept your jersey."

"I… can see that, I guess…"

To his credit, Changbin doesn't look a lot upset. Just very confused. You decide to try and help him.

"I can, however, get you Song Yuqi's number if you want?"

Instant fireworks explode in his eyes. "What? The – the cheer captain, Song Yuqi?"

"Mm hm. Cheer captain, my friend, my roommate. You know, the one."

"Wow, Y/N, that'd be so cool, man! Thank you!"

And then Changbin's hopping his way out of there without another word. Yeonjun breaks into laughter the moment he's out of sight.

"Poor guy kept asking me if it was okay to approach you and I kept saying we're just friends. He must be so confused, right now…"

You look at the boy who's still cradling you in his lap. "So. We're not just friends anymore, I hope."

He tightens his grip around your waist, eyes doing that thing where they switch from being rounded to suddenly narrowed and intense. "That depends. Do you kiss your just friends like that?"

You nudge his nose with your own, heart thumping at the intensity of his dark eyes and the reality of your changing dynamics with him. "Only the ones I intend to do more with."

Yeonjun's eyes widen in surprise and then narrow further with mischief. "Is that so, baby? Well, how about I take you to a nice dinner date tonight and then we can discuss what more can happen later, hm?"

"I'd like that very, very much." Swallowing past the lump of emotions that suddenly lodges in your throat, you bite your bottom lip and smile. 

He smiles back, but then brings a thumb up to tug your lip free. "Don't bite your lip, baby. You've got me to do that for you, now."

And then he kisses you again.

© yeonboy 2023 // do not steal, copy or repost. respect your local content creators, kaythanks.

[idontgiveaflyinggrayson69]

okay because i don’t want people to think i’m someone who talks about supporting writers and rbing writing but doesn’t, if it’s hockey related it will be rbed to my sideblog @beau-est-beau 

[savoies]

tag time!

answer these 30 questions then tag people. thank you caitee for the tag, love you. @tysjostys .

1) name/nickname - arianna/ari.

2) gender - female

3) star sign - pisces.

4)height - 5’4.

5) time - 9:35am.

6) birthday - march 11.

7) favorite bands/groups - surfaces, cage the elephant, the driver era, and wallows.

8) favorite solo artist - rolemodel, dayglow, clairo, and ruel.

9) song stuck in your head - life in the city by the lumineers.

10) last movie - den of theives.

11) last show - the good place.

12) when did i create this blog - january of last year.

13) what do i post - hockey with the occasional personal rant and f1 driver or sport player.

14) last thing i googled - olli maata.

15) other blogs - luke-alvez (main), hockeyboy-edits (edits), z-hyman (asks), kaceyjost (tags)

16) do i get asks - id say so. shoutout to all my anons.

17) why did i choose my url - after the draft i wanted to show the ducks draftee more love. (: and @kirbysdch helped me pick it.

18) following - 188.

19) followers - 980.

20) average hours of sleep - since im back at school like 6 or 7.

21) lucky number - 11 and 21.

22) instrument - im not talented enough..

23) what am i wearing - mix matched pjs is where its at.

24) dream job - something in the criminology field, maybe crime analyst.

25) dream trip - Europe, Canada, or roadtrip the us.

26) favorite food - chicken nuggets and coffee.

27) nationality - mexican.

28) favorite song - too many. < same caitee.

29) last book i read - i just finished two can keep a secret and now im reading a bend in the road.

30) top three fictional worlds - i can't think of three off the top of my head but criminal minds and ncis.

i tag: @erikjohnson @alxvlasic @allisonxmoynihan @bestestbenn @celestialblae @hoeforaho @mems06 @oskarlindy @folkloreflyers @brokeninsidebutnobodyknows (don't feel pressured to do it)

[fadingmoonbasement]

Sweet Times

A/N: I have rewritten this prompt maybe four times since I’ve seen it. I finally figure out how I want to do it. Happy Valentine’s Day, my love. I have actually made this meal before but I made cookies and they were more like hockey pucks so.

Prompt: It was from @today-only-happens-once  Royality concept: Patton bakes the cupcakes, Roman is the one who decorates them (and is crazy good at it).

Warnings: Food, eating, Valentine’s day, alcohol mention, cooking, kissing, flirting (If there are more please let me know!)

Patton and Roman had never really spent a Valentine’s day together and even though it was a holiday made for the greeting card industry it was important to them. The couple made it a point to show their love in as many ways as possible all throughout the year but Patton was adamant that he had to do something a little extra.

While Patton had the full day off, Roman only had the night. Patton ever the patient man with other people could never keep a secret or curb the excitement that came with doing something for his boyfriend, but somehow he had managed to keep it all a secret from Roman and wake up before him.

Since Roman was still asleep, he quietly made his way down the stairs to start making something small for breakfast so that Roman wouldn’t forget the meal. As he made the smoothie and toast he flipped through a cookbook to try and decide what he wanted to make for this special night. His face lit up as he found something that sounded perfect: turkey chili.  It was going to be cold today so something nice and warm for a meal would be ideal and it would no doubt help Roman’s throat after rehearsal.

Now that he had the main course picked out, he decided that he should look for sides. That was until he heard the footsteps coming down the stairs. He moved the cookbook behind the toaster and turned around to smile at Roman who was frantically searching for everything he needed for the day, “Ro, my love, you look like you’re lost in your own house.” he teased.

Roman stuck his tongue out at his boyfriend and grabbed his bag, “You know I’m trying here!” He whined.

Patton shook his head fondly, grabbing the to-go cup and setting it in the other’s hand, “I know you’re trying, love.” He said gently, “But you only have your eye makeup done on half your face.” He said with a knowing smile.

Roman grumbled, “Ugh!!! You know what screw it! I have to put on different makeup once at the theatre anyways.”

Patton chuckled and moved back to the counter grabbing the toast with Crofter’s jam and Roman’s lunch that he had packed the night before, “Here, caro mio, eat a piece of toast on your way and remember your lunch.” he reminded, attaching the lunch box to his bag.

“What would I do without you?” Roman murmured in awe kissing Patton deeply.

Patton chuckled into the deep kiss, “Probably perish.” He mused, gently, “Now get going or you’ll be late.” He swatted Roman’s ass playfully.

Roman squeaked indignantly, “Okay fine!” He walked to the door and paused a moment turning back to look at Patton, “Happy Valentine’s day, dearheat.” He said with a smirk and ran out the door.

Patton blushed deeply as he watched his boyfriend run to his car. He sighed and shook his head, Roman would pay for flustering him and leaving. He closed the front door and started looking for sides for the dinner, finally settling on asparagus with hollandaise sauce and oven roasted potatoes. Now there was only one thing left to decide, dessert. He thought for a moment and finally decided on cupcakes.

Once the entire meal was decided upon Patton busied himself with cooking and decorating everything so it was all ready for when Roman came home. Patton had come to lose himself in the cooking in and prepping and therefore losing track of time. He lost track of time so much so that the cupcakes had over baked. He cursed inwardly as he set them on the counter cool, there wasn’t much he could do about it now and no time to start a new batch. He decided that now he had to make sure everything else was perfect.

Cooking each item, setting the table, and decorating the room had taken almost all day and by the time that Patton had looked at the clock he realized Roman was expected home any minute and the cupcakes weren’t decorated nor were they anywhere near something to be proud of. But at this moment he couldn’t worry about that because he had finally finished plating all of the dishes just as Roman walked in the door.

Patton sighed deeply and took a moment to look around the room. The small little table in the kitchen was adorned with a deep red table cloth that had a white lace overlay. On top of the table cloth were the white dishes offering a stark contrast to the dark color and finally two red candles burned in the center as one red tulip sat in a vase. The room looked perfect, even upscale restaurants had nothing on his skills. 

Roman took a deep breath, allowing the aroma of the kitchen to fill his nose, he  looked around and smiled, “It smells fantastic, my love.” As his eyes swept over the room he could feel his heart tug at each decoration and the amount of work and thought Patton had put in. The love of his life had made it his mission to spoil him and in turn spoil himself. 

Patton looked over at Roman, “I hope so…..” His face fell as he remembered the cupcakes and looked back over at where they sat. All he wanted was one full meal plus dessert and he had managed to mess up the dessert.

Roman closed the door behind him and walked over to Patton, “What’s wrong?” He asked gently, as he pulled his boyfriend into his arms.

Patton sighed and relaxed against Roman, “I messed up the cupcakes….I guess I just got so busy that I forgot what you had taught me about baking….” He whispered sadly.

Roman moved Patton over towards the cupcakes he was eyeing, “Well you know what can make cupcakes delicious no matter what?” He asked with a soft smirk.

Patton shook his head and looked up at Roman, “What?”

“Icing.” Roman exclaimed as he left Patton’s side and took the clean mixing bowl and gathered the ingredients to start making the icing.

Patton sighed softly and moved towards Roman, “Let me, Ro….You’ve had a long day.”

Roman blew a raspberry at Patton as he started to mix the ingredients, “Nonsense. You went through all the trouble of making a nice meal for us. The least I can do is help with this small task.” After a few moments the icing was finished and he divided it into a few different smaller bowls, adding food coloring. 

Patton smiled as he watched Roman go through the process, always forgetting just how much his boyfriend enjoyed baking and how at ease he looked doing it. He walked closer and helped Roman fill icing bags and then moved to the cupcakes.

With an icing bag in hand Roman started doing a ribbon around the edge and then a neat heart with Patton and his own initials inside it. He sighed as he continued decorating feeling tension fall of his shoulders and losing himself in the movements.

Patton put down the icing bag and watched as his boyfriend created masterpiece after masterpiece on a small canvas. He wrapped an arm around Roman’s waist and set his head on the other’s shoulder, “I always forget how good you are at this….You make it seem so easy.” he mused softly.

“You know that this is anything but easy.” Roman chuckled as he continued, “But all the same that’s how I feel when I see or taste your cooking. You do it so effortlessly that I’m always in awe of how good it tastes and how you can always manage to find food in the house to make meals with.”

Patton giggled, “There is not always food in the house….Sometimes I have to go grocery shopping because unfortunately we don’t have gnomes to do it for us.”

Roman smiled brightly, “Love, you hate gnomes.” he teased.

Patton wrinkled his nose, “Yes and that is exactly why we don’t have gnomes.” he replied with a firm nod.

Roman finally finished decorating the last cupcake and then put a dab of icing on Patton’s nose, “There now all the cakes are iced.”

“I’m not a cake.” Patton whined with a giggle.

Roman turned towards his giggling boyfriend and smiled brightly, “Of course you are. You’re my Pattoncake.” he said fondly, putting his finger in the icing on the other’s nose and licking it off.

Patton blushed and giggled, “Roman!” He whined, “You’re such a sap.”

Roman chuckled with his boyfriend, “I am and you love me for it.” He grabbed one of the cupcakes and shoved it in Patton’s mouth playfully.

Patton squeaked but managed to take in as much of the cupcake as possible, grabbing a different cupcake and doing the same to Roman but missing and putting it on his nose instead due to the icing on his nose.

“You did that on purpose.” Roman whined moving the cupcake into his mouth and humming softly, “Told you...Icing fixes everything.” He mused.

Patton rolled his eyes and moved Roman to the table, “Okay well let’s eat before you ruin our appetite.” he teased.

Roma smiled at Patton, “Ruin an appetite. I would never.” he said sounding offended but sitting down nonetheless and starting on his chili with a soft moan, “Your cooking never ceases to amaze me.” He said looking over at Patton.

Patton smiled softly and took Roman’s hand in his own, “Happy Valentine’s Day, Roman.” He poured two glasses of wine handing one to his boyfriend, “And to many more.” He said fondly, clinking his glass with Roman’s.

Roman beamed, “To many more, Patton.” He said softly, drinking a little from his glass as they both started to eat.

General Taglist:   @fandomsandanythingelse @sugarblob0 @theonlyjelly-iwillput-inmybelly

@ultimate-queen-of-fandoms2 @ilovemygaydad @justanotherpurplebutterfly @watergirl13 @panic-at-theeverywhere @allycat31415 @bubblycricket @nyxwordsmith @evilmuffin

Royality Taglist: @fandersfic-royality

@a-blog-just-for-sanders @all-these-trees-stealing-mah-o2

@angered-turtle @aph-roma @artistictaurean @asalwayss @ashbash-the-trashcash @baileystarsketches @captain-loki-xavier @cashmeredragon @catsandrandomness @cinderlunarcyborg @cinquefoilelove @confinesofpersonalknowledge @moltengoldenstardust @cripplingchips @deadinsidebutliving @deathbyvenusftw @dementeddracon @depressed-alone @do-rey-me​ @emovirgil​ @evilmuffin​ @faacethefacts​ @fandergecko​ @funsizedgremlin​ @grey-lysander​ @hamster-corn​ @hanramz-the-fander​ @heythereprincey​ @ive-given-up-on-it​ @jade-dragon226-fan​ @johnnyboylaurens​ @jughead-is-canonically-aroace​ @k9cat​ @katatles-the-fish​ @katesattic​ @kurna-kovite​ @logan-exe​ @magicmapleleaf​ @maximum-fander​ @mercythemermaids-blog​ @micha-like-you-find-in-rocks @migraine-marathon​ @milomeepit​ @minamishipsit​ @minshinxx​ @musicphanpie-b​ @musicsavedmefromdeath​ @ghostintimelostintime​ @notveryglittery​ @nymphaedoratonks​ @ocotopushugs​ @on-lock-like-attica​ @ono-its-ryane​ @pandagirl0730​ @patchworkofstars​ @pearls-of-patton​ @pieces-of-annedrew​ @pinkeasteregg​ @planetsanders​ @poundland-twoface​ @proudhufflepuff​ @prplzorua​ @purplepatton​ @purpleshipper​ @radioactivebread​ @reba-andthesides​ @redundant-statements-for-400​ @robanilla​ @romanssippycup​ @rose-gold-roman​ @rptheturk​ @sanders-fam-ily​ @sanders-trash-4ever​ @saphirestrike​ @savingshae​ @shygirl4991​ @silversunshine2012​ @siriuswhiskers​ @smokeyrutilequartz​ @spacenerrrd​ @starlightlogan​ @storytellerofuntoldlegends​ @strangerthings-and-phan​ @superintrovertfangirl​ @thats-so-crash​ @the-feels-are-coming​ @the-incedible-sulk​ @the-optimism-of-the-ostriches​ @the-prince-and-the-emo​ @theanxietyofbeinganxious​ @thegreyacefromspace​ @thepusheenqueen​ @thesilentbluesparrow​ @thestoryofme13​ @theworldismysupernova​ @thisisshield @thomas-must-get-to-sleep @thought-u-said-dragon-queen @too-precious-to-process @toujours-fidele @mollycassmith @trashypansexual @tree4life25 @unknownsandersfan @violetmcl @virgil-has-a-houseplant @vulnerablevirgil @yourhappypappypatton @houseplxnthoodie @analogical-mess @ultimate-queen-of-fandoms2 @beetlequail

[aqours-remade]

Thoughts on Pillowfort so far.

I’ll do more posts when the site finally stops crapping all over the bed and works but here’s my analysis so far.

I won’t lie, I discovered tumblr when I was 18 specifically for RPing, so that does to an extent make up a big aspect of my thoughts, and I want to share it with both people who intend to be regular users and roleplayers in general.

Good aspects of pillowfort:

Community system is a feature not given by tumblr or twitter, and in an era where forums are becoming more of a niche if this takes off you’ll be able to experience forum-based interaction in addition to everything else.

Community system also gives a place to users who don’t like interacting with people heavily and so publicly like twitter and tumblr a place to use the site even if their blog itself is relatively untouched.

When you delete an OP post it deletes it from everyone else’s blog too. So if something goes bad with a post or you get embarrassed, blam! Its gone everywhere. Of course, this also means we might lose some good posts now and then...

Able to make reblogs and stuff private like on twitter.

Pillowfort’s TOS protects your intellectual property as an artist.

Built-in blocklist.

You can export your blog to your new pillowfort account.

ToS regarding harassing, callouts, mob mentality and the like specifically exists to oppress kinblr for the most part is very fair and reasonable and is specifically designed to keep the site relatively drama-free and actively punishing those who create lots of problems. People who do not like the drama associated with this website or the feeling of screwing up will be relieved by that.

When it works, the actual system for styling your post basically already has absolutely everything you could already want:

Bad aspects of pillowfort:

THE SITE DOESN’T FUCKING WORK YET YOU CAN’T USE THE WEBSITE IN ITS CURRENT STATE WITHOUT IT CRAPPING OUT EVERY 10 SECONDS.

I’m not saying that to be sarcastic or anything I genuinely cannot recommend the site in its current state until pillowfort’s team can stabilize the servers. As it is I can only recommend it if you’re determined to snag a good canon url now. It has a small anime community (rn its mostly Marvel) and not too much of a gaming community yet so... if it does take off now’s your chance to snag one-word name urls and just kinda bide your time until its actually functioning, that’s certainly an idea. I’m very happy I was able to get the dream url there that I wasn’t able to get here... but with the site Error 500ing me so much I can’t really use it.

We‘re still not 100% what the NSFW situation actually is, as the TOS is vague and there are conflicting beliefs about what .io’s policy on NSFW actually is. If you’re coming SPECIFICALLY because of the NSFW ban that’s going to be implemented I would encourage you to wait until we have 100% confirmation. Personally I like it already enough even if tumblr were to reverse the situation I think I’d use this place. I think Pillowfort really needs to come clear about this very soon, because if they don’t and people learn that “oh we can’t host NSFW after all,” despite claiming it a lot of people are gonna want their money back or at least wait until its free to use. The general belief is that as long as you don’t post NSFW in tags that doesn’t belong (like porn in #gardening) then it should be fine... so they say. We really need pillowfort to address people’s concerns, even though I think it’ll be fine, as this is a major reason why people are considering the move. The staff of pillowfort have said on twitter that they are in the process of finding a new domain. As such, as of this moment, pillowfort does not allow for nsfw. However, it will in the future. The best thing to do is be patient until then, I think the goods outweight hte bads.

Even though it’ll go away in 2019 you kinda. Gotta pay to use it right now. That’s kind of a thing.

No sideblog feature nor do I believe its planned, but I do believe the pillowfort team wants a system like the twitter app to quickly switch between full blogs.

While some people might consider this a plus, being able to add onto a post with text or photos has been a staple of both tumblr and twitter since the beginning. I see this changing as a major factor of whether or not people make the big move.

MCU, Detroit Become Human, Supernatural, and apparently hockey (and maybe Overwatch?) are the only big fandoms right now. While that already appeals to a lot of people, those of us into anime and the like have relatively few blogs from what we’ve seen. While this might change as time goes on, at least for the time being, anime and video game bloggers aren’t gonna have a lot for us. On the other hand, though? This also gives you the opportunity to make your claim as a fandom content creator.

Inability to make Communities private (right now) leaves that at potential risks of being raided.

(Minor) No custom themes it looks like, but that might be fore the better in the same vain? In your blog desc you can still link to other sites so now might be a good time to get used to listography instead of relying on custom links. To an extent you can control the colors of your blog though. Some people who hate eye-strainy themes on here or autodirect themes might actually find this a plus.

(Minor/Niche) Blogs themselves are bad for RPing if you’re into that. The forums however seem to provide an adequate place for forum-based RPing. But this would also make forum administrators responsible for upholding standards like “not jumping into other people’s RPs” and basic RP etiquette we have here. And forum-based rping would make finding RP partners outside of tags like #anime rp, #indie rp, etc to find people’s promos easier, depending on which becomes more popular. Even if you can add onto posts if you can’t trim the posts like we can on here (ty x-kit) it’d result in extremely long threads that would clog the dashboard significantly. I personally HIGHLY doubt the ability to edit other people’s posts or cut out replies will ever be a thing, so chances are RPing on pillowfort are gonna be Community-oriented and not on dash. At most people will make IC posts meant to be replied to and the like and headcanon memes while keeping actually threading in Communities, which will very well rely on the Community itself to be Not Shit.

Lacks instant messaging in its current state.

Despite the fact the bad really outweighs the good... I liked what little I could do. It genuinely feels like the only “true” tumblr alternative out there, even though its in beta. I just can’t really say much until the servers stabilize. This website is still in beta, so of course it has a lot of issues to work out, and of course it doesn’t have all the features this 11+ year old website has. I’m just stating these so people who are making the move who used this as their main website are aware of that.

I’m very excited to see this website grow, though!

[highbuttonsports]

Nova Scotia: A Lacrosse Powerhouse?! A blogging attempt

What’s up everyone? Millsy here. I always knew the day would come when I would stop doubting myself and actually give this writing thing a try. I’ve always loved to do it.. and while I don’t usually share my writing with others, I have been complimented on the work I have shared. I have always found it to come naturally to me. I’ve told my wife in the past that I’m going to make a living off of writing… “that requires you to start writing something” was her last response. Touché.

So here I am, shooting my shot. No experience, not a clue at all. I’m just hoping I spell everything correctly and use some decent size words. But before I do dive into this and without sounding too much like a life coach. Please don’t doubt yourself! If you’re reading this and you want to pursue something, please pursue it. It’s what I’m doing right now! You can be your own worst enemy if you let yourself. Regret is an ugly thing and I hope that this helps someone else…So if you’re still reading this, thank you! I hope you enjoy it. Let’s give this a friggin whirl wha?

I reached out to Justin at The High Button about maybe doing some blogging for the brand, after seeing a post that they were looking for people to do that type of content. I am looking to cover sports locally, at the amateur level and professional leagues as well. I love all sports and I thought I could tie my passion for writing into that. Hopefully I can post more of me rambling on so I can give some MLB picks and NHL as well. I’m completely obsessed with golf but don’t like to bet it for the most part. Tiger for the next two majors though..cash it in! Big cat baby let’s go!!

I’ve known Justin for some time now through Lacrosse. We both played locally in the minor leagues here in the Halifax region, myself for Dartmouth and Justin with Halifax Northwest. We played against each other all the way through the Metro Minor Lacrosse League and eventually in the Junior A league here locally, the East Coast Junior Lacrosse League (ECJLL). Growing up, I always knew who Justin was.. this kid Belly has some sick mittens with a lacrosse stick let me tell ya. Absolute sniper.

I definitely have been fortunate to see lacrosse from all angles. From playing the game until 21, then transitioning into coaching at the Junior A level. Most recently though I have been spending the last several years refereeing the game at the Junior and Senior level, along with all minor lacrosse. This game has exploded in this province and I thought I could shed some light on that growth. I’ve seen a lot over the past 20+ years of being involved with this great game. Going to try string a couple paragraphs together here about that journey.

I was first shown lacrosse by my father Kevan Mills. Big Millsy. What a legend. He showed me the game at a young age and I was obsessed right away. However back then in 1997-98 it wasn’t really a sport that any kid was pursuing as their main sport. Even in early teen years, it was always just the summer sport to hockey. A lot of the guys just picked up their sticks and went to the rink. I however could never get enough of it. My dad would take me when he was refereeing and I would always have my stick for in between periods to throw the ball around. This was when we had a six team senior league in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. I would go to the games for those ten minute intermissions so I could get a free floor to myself, I loved it.

That Senior league (MSMLL Maritime Senior Men’s Lacrosse League) was my first taste of high end lacrosse in the area. At single digit years old it was obviously the lacrosse I wanted to play when I got to be that age. What I failed to realize at that age is that the minor leagues were just not growing at the grass roots level. This makes it hard to maintain any sort of high caliber leagues. Eventually the MSMLL folded, and sometimes Junior A benches had no more than 10 runners on them. The bantam and midget leagues were scary. Dark times for high end lacrosse in Nova Scotia.

Guys like Steve Brown, Sean Harrison, Wayne Finck and Bruce Hamilton and many, many others deserve a lot of credit for keeping lacrosse on life support during those dark times. Those names were a huge part of my young lacrosse life and also a big part of why lacrosse has seen the growth it has here. If you would have told me when I was 15 or 16 that in 15 years Nova Scotia would have players playing for NCAA titles, top Canadian universities or in the top Junior leagues in Ontario, or that we would send teams to national competition and compete with Lacrosse juggernauts. Abso-fucking-lutley not! But here we are.

Year after year there are more players I am hearing about who are pursing lacrosse collegiately. Whether in Canada or in the United States. Either that or they exploring their options for better box lacrosse in Canada. Or both. This is ultimately putting Scotia on the map. In addition to the individual success, Team Nova Scotia is also always well represented at the national level. From Peewee all the way up to the Presidents cup (the Canadian national Senior B championship) along with sending multiple talented teams to the Founders cup in recent years (the Canadian national Junior B championship) having great success there, hosting the tournament in 2014.

With so many options available to these Nova Scotian players now; I’d like to highlight some of the local players who have taken their lacrosse skills on to get an education and play at the highest level they can.

Brian Huyghue:

Brian is product of the Halifax Hurricanes Lacrosse association. As an ECJLL alum, he plays his college Lacrosse as a senior attackman for the Divison II powerhouse Limestone College Saints in South Carolina. The Saints are 5 time DII champions most recently in 2017 in Brian’s sophomore season. In 2019 they came up short on a sixth title, losing to Merrimack in the national championship game. Brian tallied 28 goals and 24 assists in 21 contests this season at Limestone. Brian has an phenomenal outside shot, great stick skills and is very quick and deceptive in the way he beats defenders.

Jordan McKenna

Jordan played all his minor lacrosse for the Dartmouth Bandits. He was granted exceptional status to play in the ECJLL in 2016 as a midget putting up 34 points in 13 games. His true rookie season in 2017, Jordan spilt time between the Junior B and Junior A Northmen in Orangeville, Ontario. 2018 saw McKenna return to the ECJLL for 6 games notching a very impressive 40 points. The Junior A Northmen are lucky to have Jordan for the 2019 box lacrosse season. Jordan has finished his high school lacrosse this season at Westminister in Connecticut. He has committed to Bryant university; a D1 program in Rhode Island for the 2020-21 season. The Halifax Mooseheads also drafted him in the 2016 QMJHL draft. His lacrosse IQ and his vision on the floor make Jordan very lethal offensively.

Zac Carrigan

Zac played his minor lacrosse for the Sackville Wolves and is currently a member of the Sackville Sportswheels Junior A Wolves of the ECJLL. During the school year Zac plays his college ball as a midfielder for the Mars Hill University Lions. A Divison II program in North Carolina. During Zac’s sophomore season this year at Mars Hill, he was named an All South Atlantic Conference honorable mention. Carrigan tucked a team high 34 goals, adding 14 assists. His 48 points was second on his team in scoring. Zac is an excellent outside shooter and his offensive upside makes him a threat to score or create a scoring chance every shift.

This a just a small sample size of the lacrosse talent in this province. It’s insane. I referee all three of those players and the difference in their games since going away is amazing. American coaches have embraced the fact that Canadian players have a certain skill set that can be very helpful to the outdoor game. The three players above are prime examples of that.

I am not even mentioning the many players who currently; or have played at the university/college level outside of Atlantic Canada throughout North America. We also have some local players trying out…and making some of the best box lacrosse teams in Ontario at the Junior level. It’s been pretty cool to see our talent stack up with the rest of Canada, and now with American schools as well.

It’s been a hell of a ride watching this sport grow to where it is now. I’ve seen it go from not even knowing if we would have teams to fill certain divisions. Eventually it moved into having some select leagues and tryouts. More kids started playing the game, opportunities were capitalized on and so much hard work went into it. Currently our Junior A league now has six teams with one in New Brunswick, one in Truro and 4 locally in HRM. We have a four team Senior league again, the NSSLL. Which by the way is no joke. The word senior is misleading eh, these boys can BALL. I see you boys. Some of the best lacrosse you can enjoy for free. I will post more about this league but Tuesday’s and Thursday’s at the RBC centre in Dartmouth is serious lacrosse. The best players around over 21.

Some of the senior guys around here, and the odd junior player have even competed internationally in Prague, Czech Republic. The Nova Scotia Privateers are a travel team, that have been attending the Aleš Hřebeský Memorial Lacrosse tournament in Prague for over 10 years. This team has enjoyed great success placing second in 2018. Nova Scotia native Mitch Hannigan was named top goalie of the tournament in 2018 along with Matt Dunbar being named a defensive all star. Taking home a defensive all star in 2019 was former Halifax Northwest Rebel Jasper Goodwin. Local guy Luke Parker, and Coach Rod Humphreys deserve a little butt tap as well. Parker is a staple on the Privateers roster and a dominant senior player. Check out episode 197 of The High Button for his story. Humphreys deserves tremendous credit for his work with senior lacrosse, and making the Privateers competitive every year. So yeah, we’re competing globally now. I think that’s decent?

Also a huge shout out to the female lacrosse in Nova Scotia which is kicking butt at all levels! Way to go ladies. The peewee, bantam, midget and junior girls divisions have gotten extremely competitive. Female players from the area are now also exploring their options to play and continue their education. We are also competing nationally with Team Nova Scotia at most age groups for female. My oldest daughter is excited to get started! So awesome to see.

As if the growth of the game in this province wasn’t awesome enough, come December this whole damn city will be playing catch on their lunch breaks. December 2019 marks the inaugural season of the Halifax Thunderbirds. The National flipping Lacrosse League is here boys and girls! It was confirmed in February that Halifax is set to receive the NLL franchise which will be relocating from Rochester, New York. The Knighthawks have been very successful in Rochester winning three consecutive Champions Cups (2012, 13 and 14). The Thunderbirds are set to begin play in December at the Scotiabank Centre, where they will have 9 home games. With 9 games played on the road as well. This is monumental for the game of lacrosse in Nova Scotia. With all the success the province has had; I can only imagine what adding a professional team in our backyard will do for new registration. The Thunderbirds are pouring gas on an already fired up lacrosse community. I encourage all lacrosse fans new and old to get tickets and check it out. The atmosphere is amazing, they play music the whole game and of course serve booze. I promise you will love lacrosse when you watch it at this level and in this environment. Fun for the whole family!

So I guess if you asked me to describe the evolution of lacrosse over the last 20 years in Nova Scotia: I could have just told you it’s been incredible. But then I wouldn’t have gotten to write all this and embarrass myself. The state of the game is in a good place here, and I’m in a good place with how I’m involved with it. Officiating has given me a better outlook on the game. It puts a little money in my pocket but more importantly it keeps involved with a game that I love and has given me so much. Most of the coaches in the ECJLL I have either played with or against. Most of the players in the NSSLL I have either played with or against, and I love seeing the new faces come into Junior every year. I think most of the guys will tell ya that when I’m reffing the communications lines are open. Im going to always let you play lacrosse and deal with everyone the same. So yeah, I love how I’m involved, hope the boys love seeing me!

So there ya have it. My first attempt at any sort of writing for an audience. Hopefully that audience isn’t all related to me. There’s way more where that came from though. I’m hoping to turn this into maybe a weekly thing; to give you guys all that’s going on in local and professional sports. Feedback is much appreciated!

For now I’m signing off, thanks for scrolling.

Millsy

Jun 7th, 2019

[allinlowercase]

If I Could Tell Him - Chapter One

Chapter One: Wow Yes, Time Travel, A Truly Original Plotline

Part One | Part Two | Part Three | Part Four

Summary: Alaska hadn't intended to be slingshot back into 1960. Life doesn't always live up to our intentions. When she and her friend Jackie are supposedly hit by Paul's car, they are by chance swept into the Beatle's orbit. But while Alaska struggles to reconcile her lost future and past, Jackie is unable to contain her excitement.

A/N: Ah yes, hello! This is a story I wrote (I promise) however, it’s also published on my Wattpad account in_the_reeds. This is just a story that I’ve been wanting to write for a while, so if you come across it I hope you enjoy!

August 25th, 2019

I bounced down the sidewalk, poppy music running through my earbuds into my brain. I'd woken up easily this morning, which was unusual but not unwelcome. I had had enough time to make french toast, finish up the trigonometry I pushed off last night, get my eyebrows just right. I was on time to take the bus too, which was a blessing.

As I neared the stop, I could see Jackie was already there. She as well had her headphones on and hadn't noticed me making my way towards her yet. I smiled at such a golden opportunity. Creeping up behind my friend and slowly removing my earbuds, I lurched into Jackie, both of us stumbling a few paces. Jackie screeched, although her fear turned to disappointment when she noticed that it was only me.

"Are you kidding me?" Jackie deadpanned, raising an eyebrow at me, her best friend. I snickered and shook my head emphatically.

"You should have seen your face!" I forced out between laughs. Jackie's eyes narrowed and she pouted.

"You're an asshole."

"No, I'm not. It's funny," I held my palms up defensively. Jackie snorted.

"Yeah, I know you think it's funny. That's why you're an asshole," she huffed, adjusting her backpack straps. I moved so that we were standing side by side. I managed to get my laughter in check - I didn't want to annoy Jackie more than I already had.

"Uh-huh. Oh hey, did you see the news last night?" I asked, the bus finally rounding the block a few feet away. We started playfully shoving each other, as the bus screeched to a stop. I scrunched my nose; those brakes seriously needed changing or oiling or goddamn something. We chatted animatedly as Jackie picked a seat around the middle of the bus, taking the window side. As college freshmen, we knew how to drive, it was simply a matter of affording a car.

I had met Jackie in seventh grade when Jackie'd moved from the country into my school district. Upon hearing that my name was 'Alaksa Dunn', Jackie had insisted it was a stripper name. I simply retaliated by knocking her in the face. We had bonded in lunch detention a week later over a love of ice hockey and Harry Styles's literally perfect hair. After realizing that I had two brothers named Brooks and Arlington, Jackie simply concluded that my parents were bad at naming human children.

Jackie started lurching into the specifics of another lengthy argument she'd had on Tumblr last night. "I mean, I don't mean to say that John wasn't responsible for the final breakup of the band, all I'm trying to do is create a very important blog post about the complexity of the Let It Be sessions. I don't need some asshole to shit on my perfectly acceptable opinion in front of fucking God and everybody, you know?"

I nodded, somewhat understanding what Jackie was talking about. I was not, the biggest Beatles fan, but Jackie may very well have been. It was important for me to kind of know about Beatles' stuff to keep up with her; I'd listened to the albums once or twice and had even sat through Magical Mystery Tour that one time.

"Okay so, Devil's Advocating here, but what if John wasn't responsible for the breakup, Paul was just an ass?" I ventured, knowing she'd get kind of heated on the subject. Did I have a very strong opinion on the subject either way? No, but it was just very refreshing to see her dig into this band she cared so much about. Honestly, I'd rather sit through her lecture me about Paul McCartney than go to my Gen Eds.

The bus neared a four-way stop. I could see a semi driving parallel, towards us, not slowing down. In confusion, I looked outwards, trying to gauge the light we were passing under; green. I whipped my attention back towards the oncoming semi-truck. Time slowed down as I heard the bus's brakes screech. I pulled Jackie towards me, as other window watching riders started screaming. I braced for impact and felt immense pressure coming from my right side before my vision blackened.

A/N: Once again, thank you for choosing to spend your time reading my garbage. So the basic idea here is that my main character is not a big Beatles enthusiast, because I haven't really seen that a lot with time travel fics and it bothered me a little, man; so while y'all will know what's coming on, she won't. Should make for some fun dramatic irony here.

[bookstattoosandtea]

Release Date: November 7, 2019 Genre: M/M Sports Romance Cover Design: Kellie Dennis / Book Cover by Design Model: Preston T. Photographer: Wander Aguiar

Synopsis:

Soren:

You know what’s not fun? Going on a Fiji vacation with four other couples. Especially when recently single.

What’s even worse is when a past hook-up arrives unannounced.

Not only do we have a history, but he’s ten years younger and a famous rock star. Most importantly, he’s my friend’s little brother.

Being trapped on an island with Jet Jackson is going to be sweet torture because all I want is another chance. I just don’t think he’s going to give it to me.

Jet:

You know what’s not fun? Escaping one guy who broke my heart only to run into another.

Being on the road for three years has left me exhausted. The last thing I want is for Caleb ‘Soren’ Sorensen to try for round two.

I can’t fight my draw to him. I’ve never been able to.

I’m suddenly back to being the naïve kid who stupidly lusted after a hockey player.

All I can think is if I let Soren get close, I’ll walk away from this vacation with a double broken heart.

Amazon Universal ~ https://geni.us/wFiz0

Amazon US ~ https://amzn.to/2pQ5oNd

Amazon UK ~ https://amzn.to/2NKivrg

Amazon CA ~ https://amzn.to/2JUGmDr

Amazon AU ~ https://amzn.to/33z2M4I

Add Hat Trick To Goodreads

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Excerpt

Jet stares down at his hands as he plays the guitar effortlessly. When he starts singing, it’s soft and he still doesn’t raise his head.

It takes a couple of lines to realize it’s a slower version of that pop song “Someone Else’s Perfect” by Eleven.

The song completely transforms coming out of Jet’s mouth. It’s no longer a teenybopper love song, but one of heartbreak and angst. I guess I’ve never listened to the lyrics before.

Under your spell,

Living in hell,

You say I’m perfect,

Too good to be someone’s reject,

But that’s what you did when you walked away,

You left me to find myself

Something niggles at me. Whether it’s the way he’s singing it or that we both relate to it, I don’t know. It’s like he’s singing it to me. About me.

Then he finally raises his head and holds my gaze just as he sings a telling line.

You said I was perfect …

Perfect for someone else.

Holy. Shit.

That phrase is in the song repeatedly, and every time he sings it, more pain comes through in his voice. It gets to the point where I’m sure this isn’t an Eleven song. It can’t be. While Jet has the ability to turn any song into his own, this is different. It not only comes across as genuine, but the heartache and rejection make me feel guilty—as if I did something wrong.

He finishes the song and leaves the stage before people can beg him for another encore.

Only, he doesn’t come back to our table. He beelines it outside, leaving the rest of us staring at each other wondering what happened.

I’m the only one who knows for sure.

Matt stands to go after him, but I push him back down.

“I’ll go.”

I follow where he went but reach outside and have no idea which way he’s gone. Following the path down to the wharf, I check to see if he’s sitting on the dock, but it’s empty. It’s on my way back that I see movement against the side of the main building.

Jet paces back and forth, running a hand through his hair and muttering words I can’t make out, but as I get closer, I hear “Get it together, Jay. Hold it to-fucking-gether.”

I step through the row of palm trees lining the path. “Jet.”

He freezes. “Of course, it’s you.” He goes back to pacing.

“That song …”

Jet stares but doesn’t stop moving.

“You wrote it.”

This makes him pause again. “I … I—”

“About me.”

He composes himself. “Conceited much? You think you get more than one song?”

“I knew ‘Hat Trick Heartbreak’ was about me and not Ollie and Lennon.” I take a step forward. “But tell me I’m wrong about this one.”

Jet’s mouth opens and then closes.

I step closer again. “Jet.”

“Why do you keep saying my name like that?”

“To remind you that I know the real you. Not Jay. I still know you as the aspiring musician reveling over his first fan.”

“The naïve kid, you mean.” Bitterness doesn’t suit the bubbly guy I know. Or … knew, I guess.

I keep moving closer. He steps back. We keep going until his back is against the wall and my hand is above his head, boxing him in.

“I’ve never seen you as a kid. Never.”

“Bullshit.”

“I’ve tried to get myself to think of you that way, and when you’re not in my presence, it’s easy to write you off as Matt Jackson’s little brother. But I can’t when we’re in the same room sharing the same air. I can’t when you’re two feet in front of me, and all I want to do is reach for you. Touch you. Kiss you.”

“Then what was all the overprotective shit you pulled that night in Tampa?”

“That wasn’t me trying to protect you. That was me wanting to claim you.”

Jet breathes hard. “Oh, holy mother of gay Jesus.”

“I had no right to act or feel that way about you back then.”

Our eyes lock on each other, and for a moment in time, we’re both frozen.

“I’m sorry I wrote two emo songs about you,” Jet says quietly.

I laugh. “So, I am right.”

“You’re the only one who’s ever picked up on that. Everyone thinks Eleven wrote that song.”

“Maybe because I experienced it with you …”

Jet shakes his head. “No, it’s you. You understand me more than anyone ever has. More than any groupie who’s tried to explain my songs to me. You came out because you knew ‘He’s Mine’ wasn’t just a stupid love song.” He reaches for me, his fingertips trailing down my cheek. “It’s you.”

Giveaway: $25 Amazon Gift Card Direct Link: http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/b1257f8d547/?

Catch up on the first books in the Fake Boyfriend Series

Fake Out (Fake Boyfriend –  Book One) By Eden Finley

Book Links: Amazon US Amazon UK Amazon CA Amazon AU Goodreads Also available on Audible!

      Trick Play (Fake Boyfriend – Book Two) by Eden Finley

Book Links: Amazon US Amazon UK Amazon CA Amazon AU Goodreads Also available on Audible!

        Deke (Fake Boyfriend –  Book Three) By Eden Finley

Book Links: Amazon US Amazon UK Amazon CA Amazon AU Goodreads Also available on Audible!

      Blindsided (Fake Boyfriend – Book Four) by Eden Finley

Book Links: Amazon US Amazon UK Amazon CA Amazon AU Goodreads Also available on Audible!

      About the Author

Eden Finley is an Amazon bestselling author who writes steamy contemporary romances that are full of snark and light-hearted fluff.

She doesn’t take anything too seriously and lives to create an escape from real life for her readers. The ideas always begin with a wackadoodle premise, and she does her best to turn them into romances with heart.

With a short attention span that rivals her five-year-old son’s, she writes multiple different pairings: MM, MMF, and MF.

She’s also an Australian girl and apologises for her Australianisms that sometimes don’t make sense to anyone else.

Connect with Eden Newsletter Sign Up Facebook Author Page Facebook Reader Group Goodreads Author Page Twitter Instagram Amazon Author Page BookBub Author Page

Blog Tour & Giveaway: Hat Trick by Eden Finley Release Date: November 7, 2019 Genre: M/M Sports Romance Cover Design: Kellie Dennis / Book Cover by Design…

[suspendedingaffas]

rules: answer 30 questions about yourself then tag 20 people you want to get to know better.

nickname: rach

gender: female

star sign: leo

height: 5′4-ish, let me be ur tall wife

time: 5:36 pm est

birthday: six days ago!!

favourite bands: they’re not really bands, more like groups lmao so uhh bronski beat, erasure, blancmange, dead or alive, wham, abba, yaz, talking heads, devo, eurythmics, alice in chains, duran duran, basically if it don’t got synth i don’t wanna hear it

favourite solo artists: kate bush, obv. i like fiona apple and carly simon too, honestly if i’m listening to a solo artist its probably a female vocalist with near indecipherable lyrics

song stuck in my head: korobeiniki bc i’ve been playing tetris blitz on my phone literally all fucking day

last movie watched: the last movie i watched, like sat down and watched, was annabelle: creation but i’ve always got the tv on and the last one i actually paid attention to was wild things lmao (they should have let kevin bacon and matt dillion kiss in that shower scene)

last show watched: leah remini: scientology and the aftermath, before that the last two episodes of shadowhunters.. oh wait!! i started to watch this norwegian show on netflix called okkupert but i got bored and turned it off

when did i create my blog: i originally used this blog as a rp blog for an.. rpf hockey player rp lmao about three years ago don’t ask but i changed it into a muse blog apparently on february 2nd 2016

what do i post: muse things for my own characters bc i don’t wanna clog up the dash and its easier to keep things organized so i can reblog stuff later onto my character blogs, if it helps ppl with their muse like... aces dude

last thing i googled: ummm “reddit fargo yuri” bc i wanted to look up theories abt my husband lmfao #SlavWatch

do you have any other blogs?: returntohorrorhigh is my main personal blog

do you get asks: nope don’t talk to me

why did you choose your url: suspended in gaffa is (one of) my favorite kate bush songs and jsyk its suspended in gaffa not suspending gaffa

following: 32

followers: 48 apparently hi

favourite colors: i’d say purple but like 80% of the things i own are pink lmao so pink

average hours of sleep: ten hours :// but i can sleep anywhere from eight hours to sixteen

lucky number: 7 or 17

instrument: i’ve never played an instrument in my entire god damn life, tho playing the guitar would be cool bc then i could Shred

what am i wearing: sweat pants, a arizona coyotes shirt, and a zip up even tho its like 80 degrees outside lmao, i’d die for air conditioning

how many blankets do i sleep with: three!!

dream job: i’m a trophy wife to a forensic pathologist or trauma surgeon ;) really tho maybe something with interior design? i’m directionless

dream trip: oh jeez... croatia probably but only so i could meet my husband shh, i’d really like to visit prince edward island

favourite food: chinese food!! well american chinese food lmao but y’all know what i mean

nationality: american but like, not by choice

favourite song now: love action by the human league

i’m tagging @notyourfinalgirl even tho archi already did and @carolinefolbes end of list i don’t have any other friends

[weightlossfitness2]

The Things I “Think” I Did “Right”

All the air quotes on the earth in that weblog publish title…and that’s not by mistake. Parenting isn’t for the weak. Kids are wonderful, exhausting, valuable, life-giving, and all so very totally different. There’s no guide for this and so there’s the web to assist us all alongside. These ideas stem from the inflow of infants into my beloved one’s worlds and the uptick in dialog involving all issues child and toddler. With ladies who at the moment are 5 and three, my life appears to be like a bit totally different than it did when boobs, bottles, and diapers consumed my waking hours. I didn’t have all of it found out then (NO ONE does) and I don’t have all of it determine now…however seasons of parenting have handed. It is with cherished fondness and disbelief in how rapidly they got here and went, whereas a few of my nearest and dearests are drowning within the chaos that’s life with a brand new child. And so, this publish felt well timed and cathartic for me. Do not take any of this as creed, however quite the ideas and opinions of a Midwestern working mother who’s attempting to do her greatest!

The 10 Things I “Think” I Did “Right”

Honor the bedtime. Routine is nice…for everybody. Looking again, had I not had a predictable bedtime for the youngsters to maintain me sane, it might’ve been dangerous for everybody. I’m an individual who requires steadiness on a day-to-day foundation. I require “me” time every day. I make no apologies for that as a result of for me, it’s what permits me to be one of the best guardian I will be. We all know, or at the least hear, caring for ourselves first permits us to higher look after others. What you do with that point? Do what you like. After my youngsters go to mattress, it’s time I spend vegging on the sofa, running a blog, podcasting, enjoying hockey or tennis, or going out with pals – all of that are tremendous necessary to me. Parenting mustn’t require you to lose your identification or stop the actions you like. However, making certain the time to incorporate stated actions requires a little bit of construction and so look to create that construction by honoring the bedtime. Consistency of sleep breeds constant sleep. Not as soon as have my ladies ever left their room after being put down for the evening, no matter who’s in the home. Bedtime means…mattress. And if mornings come a bit too early, might I counsel the OK to Wake clock? Game changer.

Keep the bedtime routine easy. Mark or I aren’t all the time those to place our ladies to sleep and over the course of their lives, they’ve skilled a number of caregivers – from household to pals to babysitters. Keeping the bedtime routine easy sufficient to be replicated by anybody is essential to a profitable night away, whatever the circumstances. I hear so many pals get roped into a posh sequence of calls for from their youngsters within the moments main as much as mattress. For us, it’s tooth brushing, potty, a ebook every (learn collectively in one in all their beds), a tune for Piper, and 5 minutes of snuggles for Shea. The entire routine is 10 minutes, 15 max – depends upon what books they choose. If they select Where the Wild Things Are, they’re my favourite child of the day. If they select Wherever You Are: My Love Will Find You, I like it and cry. Every time. This easy routine that doesn’t veer off track permits anybody to step in, when wanted. It additionally ensures caregivers take pleasure in being with the youngsters – you all the time need your babysitters to say sure, and that doesn’t all the time boil right down to an hourly fee.

Limit display screen time, particularly hand-helds. This is a slippery slope and one that every one households can be on in some unspecified time in the future. Holding out so long as doable is essential. With uncommon exception, telephones or the iPad are by no means supplied on automotive rides (nonetheless, we now have by no means exceeded three straight hours within the automotive) or in eating places, medical appointments, and so forth. It’s merely not one thing they anticipate and so the battle isn’t there. Admittedly, handing over a tool would make issues 1000x simpler in lots of cases, however we’ve made a concerted effort to do it “the hard way” in limiting know-how in an try and not create little hellions. Those gadgets are ADDICTING. Consistently, the women are supplied the iPad on weekends whereas I/we exercise. This permits a structured, but restricted publicity and I need to say, they by no means give grief when it’s time handy the iPad again to me. They are, nonetheless, very dedicated to my at-home train routine When out, we strive to decide on kid-friendly eating places and breweries to spend time. We go ready with coloring books, markers, video games, and so forth. It’s not all the time simple, however nearly all the time, we achieve not providing know-how to make it by. Oh, and dancing is all the time inspired! Free leisure for me. At residence, the TV goes on at 7pm apart from on weekends after we begin our day with an hour or so of cuddle time on the sofa with Paw Patrol or the flavour of the week. Boundaries and consistency – there has by no means been rebuttal.

Baby led weaning. It’s easy – supply child what you’re consuming. It’s the lazy method, actually. Messy, sure…however there’s no thought to place into it. And anecdotally, I can inform you it really works – for me and others in my area who’ve used and studied child led weaning. The premise is just that as little folks, they require nothing particular by way of meals – no sure shapes, colours, sizes, textures, and so forth. Give meals of their pure state. When my youngsters have been beginning BLW, it seemed like handing them an apple (entire, presumably peeled) or a bit of avocado. It’s not the mashed up, pureed, diced or shredded to a pre-chewed consistency stuff. Adults with out tooth eat steak and corn-the-cob. Your child can adapt and take a look at any and all textures – give it a strive. Start early – like, 5-6 months. Aversions to tastes and textures can begin very early on. Consider nothing off-limits except it’s too spicy or closely seasoned. Cold celery makes an incredible teething stalk – give it a whirl. In the top, if you’d like good eaters, feed them something and all the pieces.

Don’t babysit. A Montessori method consists of plenty of self-play. I realized early on that my youngsters did greatest after I IGNORED them. Yes, you probably did learn that appropriately. For fairly a while, this got here with guilt. As a working mother, I come residence solely to let me youngsters entertain themselves? It appeared…incorrect. Being capable of look again on this journey of independence, I can see that it might be an absence of helicopter parenting that permits them to stroll by life confidently and independently. Next to by no means do my ladies require my presence, a lot much less ask for it. Please don’t misconstrue, although – I’m there, I’m simply not demanded. This sense of independence has additionally translated to much less “stranger danger”, separation anxiousness, and so forth. It has been years since one in all my youngsters cried after I’ve left or been away. Part of all mother and father crave that have to be needed, however the strengths of youngsters’s confidence is much extra necessary. Let youngsters be youngsters. They are imaginative, inventive, sensorial, and wish you lower than chances are you’ll need to come to phrases with. Do everybody a favor by nurturing the quiet alone and watch them develop and develop earlier than your eyes. When your youngsters amaze you in your absence is when you may actually really feel success as a guardian. Do you understand how many cute conversations I’ve heard whereas making dinner in silence as my eating room turns right into a magical artwork studio? Priceless.

Don’t get carried away with gift-giving. You know what younger youngsters love? YOU. Their household. Not STUFF. We groom them to need STUFF. Gifts for my youngsters are restricted to Christmas and birthdays and even then, what they get is restricted. This 12 months, they’re each requesting a yo-yo I can deal with that. At their joint birthday celebration, we firmly requested NO presents. For mother and father that insisted, a recreation that the youngsters may play collectively that day was voiced as a most popular possibility. By and enormous, accrued toys are simply that…accrued (and never essentially loved). They simply don’t want a lot. My excessive heels and winter equipment carry extra pleasure than some other toy to this point. The season of want-want-want is coming for us…this I do know (and dread). But we’re not there but and I do suppose that’s, at the least partially, as a result of some very intentional boundaries on presents.

Set expectations for the every day grind. You want and deserve assist, and youngsters are succesful folks – they’re you in a smaller physique. I don’t drink the Montessori Kool-Aid fully, nonetheless, this guideline is one I cling to. Shy of three years of age, my youngsters are/have been able to following a sequence of instructions and carrying them out. For instance, “Mommy is going up stairs to brush her teeth and put on her clothes for work. When you finish eating, please brush your teeth toothbrushes on the sink ledge with toothpaste on them, go potty, and put on your shoes and jackets.” Almost all the time, that is executed by the point I return from upstairs. Help from a sibling will be instrumental, however even nonetheless, youngsters are able to much more than we generally give them credit score for. Repetition is essential and in these first makes an attempt, be affected person and specific gratitude and delight of their means to hold out a sequence of to-do’s. Another instance: on the way in which residence from faculty/daycare, begin dialog about what is going to occur if you get residence. I’ll say one thing like, “When we walk in the door, I’d like you to take off your shoes and jacket and take your lunchbox out of your backpack and place it on the kitchen counter.” Done. After a number of weeks, I didn’t must ask…it simply will get executed. And one of the best half? They LOVE to be useful.

Take photos and movies. Lots of them. Unapologetically. Kids change SO quick. Duh. For folks like myself with a poor reminiscence and a love for pictures, the truth that I’ve 34,000 images on my telephone is one thing I’m not ashamed to confess! There’s plenty of these which can be of meals, it’s not all child picks But, most are positively child pics. Not solely photos you seize, however take household images. Some of my favourite images of my ladies have been professionally taken on the seashore or in a fruit orchard. Regularly capturing each their magnificence and their development has been necessary to me and opposite to widespread perception, not an enormous expense. Find these seeking to flip a interest right into a enterprise and get an incredible deal – there’s plenty of expertise on the market!

Start swim classes early on. This appears a bit foolish, however infants and children naturally love water and in life, we encounter water. It’s a hazard when you can’t swim. Learning find out how to swim at a younger age makes it simpler and safer for the kid to be in and round water. It additionally makes time on the seashore and pool far more enjoyable for care-givers. Plus, it’s nice train and enjoyable!

Encourage wholesome consuming habits. This appears fundamental (and naturally, I’m a dietitian), but it surely’s one thing plenty of mother and father battle with. Things corresponding to grazing on nutritionally void snacks all through the day and providing too many alternate options at meals can lend to poor vitamin and unhealthy relationships with meals. When youngsters start first meals, they need to strive new meals – it’s innate. To maintain that love for meals alive, ensure you’re providing three meals and a couple of snacks every day. Avoid the on-the-go graze that may trigger youngsters to not be hungry come dinner time. Does roasted asparagus sound good to you if you simply ate your physique weight in goldfish crackers? Never. Choose nutritious snacks which can be supplied in age-appropriate parts. Don’t be afraid to let youngsters get hungry. If they depart the dinner desk with out consuming, that’s on them (beginning at about age 2 half). My youngsters have gone to mattress refusing dinner many instances they usually’ve not as soon as claimed starvation earlier than mattress or in the midst of the evening. As caregivers, we now have to precise our authoritative feeding model and roll with our children’ selections to eat or not eat.

Well, that was one in all my longer posts…

Be nicely,

The post The Things I “Think” I Did “Right” appeared first on Weight Loss Fitness.

from Weight Loss Fitness https://weightlossfitnesss.info/the-things-i-think-i-did-right/

[consulting-celiac-in-the-tardis]

11+ Kids and Teens with Celiac Disease Already Doing Seriously Amazing Things

New blog post! If you read this blog regularly, you know that I love applying a positive perspective to life with celiac disease. At times, though, having a chronic illness or needing to follow a gluten free can feel pretty dang hard.

That’s why today’s post is highlighting 11+ kids and teens who are totally kicking booty at life, even with celiac disease! Whether you have a child with celiac you want to feel less alone or just want to read about some amazing members of the younger generations, keep scrolling to discover some pretty inspiring girls and guys.

1. A (Literal) Master Chef

If you’re a fan of the cooking show, Master Chef Junior, you probably already know all about Che Spiotta. Spoiler alert: he’s the winner of the latest season of Master Chef Junior.

According to this interview, the now-thirteen-year-old has still not mastered the art of baking gluten free bread, but he certainly doesn’t let his diet get in the way of enjoying himself in the kitchen. As Che puts it: “I probably started on the stove when I was 3 or 4. I think that’s because I’m gluten free, and at first I didn’t know what I had; there were just lots of foods I couldn’t eat...When I realized I was gluten free, I just kept on cooking. I realized how much fun it is. I love the creativity about it. “

2. 10 and 11-Year-Old Authors

The most impressive part of these stories isn’t that Lillian Bordoni and Kristen Adam respectively published books about celiac disease at ten and eleven years old. What really gets me are motivations behind these girls’ separate projects. Kristen, author of Dear Celiac (available on Amazon), wanted to keep kids with celiac disease from feeling lonely when they were first diagnosed, like Kristen felt. Meanwhile, Lillian reportedly had one of the most extreme forms of celiac disease seen by Children’s Hospital Colorado. So she wrote and illustrated Cecilia the Celiac Superhero (available on Story Jumper) to tell show readers that anyone can thrive with celiac disease as long as “they just all put their family together and try super duper hard.”

3. Hockey Superstar 

If you’re a big fan of hockey, you probably already know about Kaapo Kakko, a Finnish hockey player who was the second draft pick for the 2019 NHL. But besides being an amazing hockey player who won three gold medals in the Finnish hockey world, Kakko also has diabetes and celiac disease. And Kakko won’t let either of those conditions get in the way of him dominating the ice.

In fact, when asked about his health struggles, the eighteen-year-old replied, “It’s nothing for me. I got (diagnosed) five years ago. It’s a normal thing for me.”

4. Members of the Celiac Youth Leadership Council in Seattle

Seattle Children's Hospital is doing more than just diagnosing kids with celiac disease; it's also empowering celiac kids and teens to take part in a mostly kid-run outreach and mentor program for people with celiac disease. Besides raising celiac awareness in their community, celiac teens like Elle Penarczyk are running a gluten free food drive for a local food bank and "testing gluten-free products sold in regular bakeries and pizzerias to see if they’re affected by flour in the air." Talk about a hospital - and a group of young celiacs - who are seriously going above and beyond.

5. Twin Authors Heading to College

As the self-named Casey the College Celiac, I obviously love hearing about the new generations of celiacs heading off to college. In particular, I love hearing about new advocates educating others along the way...and Rayna and Hallie Katzman definitely fit both bills.

Via the twins' Facebook page

Before they went off to college, the girls worked with their mother to write and publish a book based on their celiac diagnosis at age 13 called Everybody’s Got Something: My First Year with Celiac Disease (also available on Amazon). According to this interview, the girls wanted to create a book that filled the gap between books about celiac disease for younger kids and for adults, and gave them the information they wish they had at 13.

6. Miss Pinal County 

Josephine Taylor didn't let celiac disease or Hashimoto's keep her from winning Miss Pinal County - and she's using her platform to raise some major celiac awareness. In particular, she's been working on making sure that all Arizona high schools have a safe, cross-contamination-free microwave that students with dietary restrictions can use. That way, students with celiac disease or food allergies can still eat in the cafeteria along with everyone else. At least as of this report, Taylor's efforts have paid off in one school district. But I'm sure Taylor's mission is far from over.

7. Taylor Miller from Hale Life

I've been fortunate enough to meet this teen in real life (at the first Gluten Free Teen Summit), and Taylor Miller is as kind in person as he is online. Taylor is the guy behind the super popular gluten free website, Hale Life (formally Gluten Away). Besides being a huge celiac and chronic illness advocate that speaks at tons of different events around America, Taylor also works with gluten free brands on social media marketing, owns a gluten free bakery in Tampa, Florida with his mom, and has started taking college classes. Suffice to say, he's a pretty cool guy!

8. Miss Nebraska Hopeful

Lianna Prill started competing in pageants as a junior in high school and qualified to compete for the spot of Miss Nebraska in 2014. It wasn't until Prill's dad was diagnosed with celiac disease that Prill eventually realized her constant migraines and flu-like symptoms could be symptoms of the same disease. Since going gluten and dairy free, Prill says, “Now I’m a new woman. All that stuff with being sick that I just wanted to forget about was actually part of a plan. I can’t wait to share that story and hopefully save some lives.”

At least as of this Facebook post in 2017, it seems like Prill is still fighting for her crown - but she did come in third place!

9. Celiac Strong Camp Founder

I've loved seeing that, nowadays, there are several celiac camps that occur all over the country. One of these camps, though, actually started out as Sabrina DeVos's Girl Scout project when she was just 16 years old. Nowadays, Sabrina is 21, but her Celiac Strong Camp is still (pun intended) going strong. Her main goal? In Sabrina's words: "I want other kids to experience the joy of having a few of worry free days and create a place where they can just be kids."

10. A Creative Cooking Champion

If you need some inspiration for getting creative in the kitchen, here's another inspirational teen for you to check out! Her name is Maizy Boosin and she beat three other young chefs to become a Chopped Junior Champion. Besides raising celiac awareness in the actual episode by talking about her condition, Boosin also shared plans to donate some of her $10,000 winnings to celiac disease research and education.

11. All of the gluten free and celiac kids you know in your own life! 

Of course, we can't forget to celebrate every kid, preteen and teenager who's navigating the usual hurdles of life along with eating gluten free and thriving with a chronic illness. And if you or the inspirational little celiac in your life needs even more young role models to look up to, you can check out Gluten Free Living's list of epic gluten free ambassadors, who range from a young cookbook author donating all her proceeds to celiac research to kids just spreading celiac awareness in their own community.

What I Hope Everyone Knows about Living with Celiac Disease as a Teen

Honestly, this post really hits home for me because I was diagnosed with celiac disease at age 16. In fact, I was diagnosed only a few weeks before my senior year...and less than a month before I was asked out on my first date. So before I even really knew how to take care of and feed myself safely with celiac disease, I already had to navigate the awkward reality of living with celiac disease at an age where 99% of social events revolve around food. And I'm not gonna sugarcoat it. It. Was. (And still is, in grad school). Hard. It was hard to not know what to order while visiting an ice cream shop on my first date, or to constantly turn down food at pizza parties, graduation events, freshman orientation and all throughout college. But I did it. Heck, even though I was hospitalized for celiac complications as a freshman in college, I can still say that I created some amazing (gluten free) memories during those four years.

At the end of the day, I think these kids are sending the same message I try to always convey: that celiac disease can be tricky at any age but that you can still kick butt through it. And you might even change the world along the way! No questions - just tell me your thoughts! <3 via Blogger https://ift.tt/2MptcRC

[maysoper]

No Longer A Secret

I need to be honest about something: I've been keeping a secret. For a number of weeks, I've known about the worst-kept secret in Winnipeg and how it was going to go down. I kept my word when it came to this secret because there was still work to be done, but it appears that Jeff Hamilton and Mike Sawatzky of the Winnipeg Free Press have let the cat out of the bag, so to speak. The WHL's Kootenay Ice are going to move to Winnipeg - that's not the secret - and will call Wayne Fleming Arena, pictured above to the left, home for two seasons. With that move to the aging rink will come a number of upgrades. While I can't speak about all of the required upgrades at this point, I can expand on the paragraphs found in Hamilton and Sawatzky's article from Friday. Those paragraphs about Wayne Fleming Arena read,

It's unclear how long it will take to complete, but projections suggest it would take two years. While the event centre is being built, the Ice are expected to play the first two seasons at the University of Manitoba's aging Wayne Fleming Arena. The team would only play games at the U of M, spending most of its time at its 14,000-square-foot high-performance training facility scheduled to open in March that includes team offices, coaches offices, therapy rooms, sauna and pool. For its assistance, the U of M is set to receive up to $400,000 in free upgrades, including a new state-of-the-art scoreboard. In order to adhere to WHL standards, work will also be done on the boards and surrounding glass, as well as improvements to accommodate media and visiting teams. The main arena scoreclock is not currently operational, replaced by rudimentary scoreboards at the north and south ends of the building. Wayne Fleming Arena has a current seating capacity of approximately 1,400 but plans are in the works to add room for as many as 600 more. The cramped quarters have the potential to create an atmosphere unlike any other in the WHL.

While none of what Hamilton or Sawatzky wrote is wrong from what I've heard, I do need to qualify a few things since it seems like Wayne Fleming Arena is some sort of run-down barn that hasn't seen any maintenance or love in years based on their writing. It's not as bad as it seems, but certainly isn't WHL-ready nor would mistake it for a state-of-the-art building. First, the scoreboard is not operational as it needs new lights in a number of areas last season to make the time clock and the scores readable. Due to the age of the scoreboard, the specific lights required for the scoreboard are no longer being made, rendering the scoreboard above center ice rather useless. While some have suggested that the school should simply buy a new one, the University of Manitoba has deemed that funds for a scoreboard are a low priority, investing instead in infrastructure and programming. I understand this approach by the school, and I can't fault them for this decision when it comes to using monies paid by students for a scoreboard 95% of them may never use. When this opportunity presented itself to the school, I can't fault them for taking advantage of it, but let's be clear: this scoreboard is going to be used far more often by the WHL team than the Bisons will. WHL teams play 72 games per season, and half of those - 36 games - are played at home plus any applicable pre-season and post-season games. The Bisons men's and women's teams play 56 games combined each season - 14 home games each - plus a handful of pre-season and post-season games. In short, the Ice need a scoreboard, and they'll buy the one they like because they'll use it the most over the two seasons they'll call Wayne Fleming Arena home. The Bisons get the benefit of having a new roommate who needs a cool, new TV and the money to buy it. Second, the seating capacity of Wayne Fleming Arena has never been a problem for the Bisons before as most home games average about 100 people despite my best efforts to convince people to come and watch. During last season's national championship run, the Bisons women's team topped out at 980 fans in the rink for Game Two against the Saskatchewan Huskies in the Canada West Final. While the rink was electric, seating was still available for another 400 people if needed. The WHL does require that more seating be available for their games, so there will be some considerable changes that will have to happen in order for the Ice to put in another 600 seats. Creativity and some imagination will be needed because I can't figure how one squeezes 600 more seats into the facility as it stands, but I'm also not an architect or engineer so I'll leave that "imagineering" up to the experts. Third, the press box and media areas do need a major face lift, and I have personally tried to improve these facilities in my time there. It sounds crazy, but we finally have an area for coffee in the press box after enduring many seasons in frigid working conditions and opposite the concession stand. Of all the areas that will get a makeover, I'm quite excited to see what the WHL team plans to do with the press box and media areas because it's virtually non-existent right now. However, the press box does have a very simplistic feel to it currently. There are no areas off-limits as it's one big room, and the members of the Bisons stats team can share information freely with the reporters and radio/Canada West TV team that are in the press box without having to even stand up. That gives us all a sense of camaraderie as we work to present the best broadcasts we can, and I believe we pull that magic off every week extremely well. Upgrades will never be turned away, but I am hoping we don't lose that sense of teamwork that we forge every week. Lastly, the boards likely will be a little work, and the three-foot glass on the length of the rink won't cut it in the WHL. There will definitely be proper boards and glass with appropriate stanchions installed to give Wayne Fleming Arena seamless glass and boards with some give to them. I imagine this to be one of the first changes made when the Ice finally are given access to the arena to make the upgrades. There are more things that will happen once the Ice formally announce their move to Winnipeg, but there's already palpable excitement for the Manitoba Bisons in that there may be some new toys to play with and some new opportunities to explore next season with the Ice joining the Bisons at Wayne Fleming Arena. If there's one concern, the Winnipeg market may be heavily saturated with hockey once the Ice formally announce their move. As pointed out in Gregory Strong's article for The Canadian Press,

"All three of these clubs are going to be competing for the same market share," [Sports marketing specialist Richard] Powers said. "People already have their allegiance obviously to the Jets and the Manitoba Moose, to bring another team in there is going to be a very hard climb. They have a new arena to be built and they'll be limited to the capacity that they have there. "I just don't see how it can be financially viable."

That's a major hurdle for the Ice to overcome in Winnipeg, but I do know one thing is certain: game nights for the Bisons will look significantly different next season regardless of how the Ice perform in the WHL or in the Winnipeg market. Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice! from Sports News http://hockey-blog-in-canada.blogspot.com/2019/01/no-longer-secret.html

[samuelpboswell]

CMWorld Interview: Path to 1M Monthly Readers Has No Shortcuts, Says J.P. Medved

In her introduction to The Ultimate Guide to Conquering Content Marketing, Content Marketing Institute’s Cathy McPhillips draws several commonalities between content marketing and video games: the interactivity, the trial-and-error learnings, the camradery.

But, while many marketers have their own personal “cheat codes” that help them gain an edge, there are no true hacks in content. Certain video games allow you to tap in a series of commands and gain invincibility, or jump ahead to the next level. Content marketers, however, cannot magically produce an audience or monetization out of thin air.

As the Content Director for Capterra, and also an avowed lover of gaming, J.P. Medved understands this reality. His company’s industry-specific blogs have grown to 1 million monthly readers, and it wasn’t because of any secret elixir.

Instead, Capterra’s success owes to a proven, adoptable strategy tethered to the fundamentals of organization, goals, promotion, and experimentation. Medved will explain this formula in-depth during his Content Marketing World session, Better Than Hacks and Schemes: A Proven Approach to Building Your Audience, and was also kind enough to share some insights with us ahead of the September event.    

Medved has a reputation for being sharply honest and entertaining, and those traits definitely came through during our interview with him. Keep reading to find his thoughts on silent content, scalability, documenting strategies, and content marketing lessons learned from his experience writing fiction.

  What does your role as Content Marketing Director at Capterra entail? What are your main areas of focus and key priorities?

My day-to-day as a Content Director involves a lot of email and meetings, at this point. We’ve grown to a team of nine writers, six of whom I manage directly, so a lot of my time is devoted to supporting them. I join monthly topic planning meetings with all of them, as well as frequent check-ins with the editors and the marketing folks that support the content we produce. I also now spend a fair amount of time in our analytics and various content management systems just checking in and tracking things.

As we’ve grown—and I suspect this is common in most roles—I’ve transitioned away from being a content producer, to being a content manager. I no longer write content myself, and we centralized editing early last year so I no longer edit individual pieces either. Instead I spend more time coordinating long-term content plans and calendars with other teams in the business, managing content experiments or helping new projects get off the ground, and working with the folks on my team to help advance their career goals.

  Why should content marketers beware of “hacks” and shortcuts when it comes to growing their audience and impact?

The content marketing world, and the digital marketing space more generally, loves the idea of the Cinderella story. That blog that hits everything just right and experiences exponential, “hockey stick” growth and also there’s a royal wedding involved somehow. But our experience, and that of the vast majority of successful content marketing operations I’m aware of, is actually a lot more boring.

Jimmy Daley of the great animalz.co blog calls it “silent content;” that company that has just been plugging away and producing and refining great content for years, and grown a consistent, large audience and strong search position.  

With Capterra’s content, we’ve grown to a million readers a month, writing in an ostensibly boring, B2B software space, and we never had a breakout “viral” hit, or flashy media coverage, or exponential traffic growth (it’s all been linear). We’ve just been working away at it since 2013, publishing consistently and getting a little bit better each month.

I think if you waste all your time and energy chasing new “hacks” and shortcuts sold to you by whatever case study is making the rounds on YouMoz that week, you never get really good at the fundamentals of content marketing; the block-and-tackle of creating and promoting really great, helpful—if unassuming—content. As a result your growth, though it may experience the occasional spike, will actually slow and it’ll take you more time to build a sustainable traffic base in the long-run.

If you waste all your time and energy chasing new “hacks” & shortcuts, you never get really good at the fundamentals of content marketing. @rizzleJPizzle #CMWorld Click To Tweet

What are the most pivotal roles in developing an effective and scalable content strategy?

Scalability is still something we struggle with, having grown the team 6X in the last four years. The biggest lesson I’ve learned is actually to bring on/promote other managers earlier than you think you need it. Assuming an average writer production schedule of two, 1,500 word articles a week, a full-time manager can effectively manage and edit 3-4 writers. If they’re not editing (you bring in a centralized editing team, or use a round-robin method, or delegate to senior writers), that number goes up to 6-7.  

But you should have someone in place to help you well before you hit that number, not only to give them time to ramp-up and learn management skills, but also to allow you to plan effectively for new hires and content coverage growth.

The biggest lesson content I’ve learned is actually to bring on/promote other managers earlier than you think you need it. @rizzleJPizzle #CMWorld Click To Tweet

Why is experimentation so critical in the content creation process?

Most of our content fails. Like, over 90% of it. And that’s not at all uncommon in the content marketing world. If everyone knew the exact ingredients to a “viral” content piece, that’s all anyone would produce. But we don’t know. Pieces I think will do really well, more-often-than-not sink without a trace, and pieces that seem like throwaways can take off because they’ve tapped into some pent-up need in the marketplace of ideas.

So we try to test a lot. 50% or more of our content is trying out new topics or channels or formats, and the other 50% is either updating successful past content, or scaling up a content type that our previous testing has discovered works.

I differ here from the current received-wisdom in the content marketing industry. Right now it’s hip to say content marketers need to produce fewer pieces of longer, higher quality content. But I actually argue you should produce a higher volume of content (at least early on) to discover what “hits” with your particular audience, so you can scale that later.

Brian Dean of Backlinko is often the poster-child of the “publish less, publish higher-quality” model, and I love his content and he’s obviously been very successful. But might he have been more successful publishing weekly instead of monthly? Could he have sacrificed a little bit of length to experiment with a broader range of topic ideas earlier on before scaling the ones that worked? I think it’s possible.

You should produce a higher volume of content (at least early on) to discover what “hits” with your particular audience, so you can scale that later. @rizzleJPizzle #CMWorld Click To Tweet

What are the most common mistakes you see individuals and companies make when developing and launching a blog?

The biggest one is not taking content marketing seriously. That manifests itself in two major tactical mistakes: not hiring someone to do content full-time, and trying to squeeze direct revenue out of content in the first year.

If no one’s doing content full-time, then content just becomes a side project for someone at your company who may-or-may-not get to it once they finish their “real work” for the day. We tried this model for years and never got any traction with our content until someone owned it full-time and could devote themselves to thinking about it strategically and producing content consistently.

And you should not try to monetize your content in the first year. It will distort your writing, even if you think you can guard against it, and result in lower-quality, less helpful, more salesy content. Focus on creating content that is genuinely helpful for your audience first, and you will build reader trust for any kind of monetization scheme you want to implement later down the road.

If no one’s doing content full-time, then content just becomes a side project for someone at your company who may-or-may-not get to it once they finish their real work for the day. @rizzleJPizzle #CMWorld Click To Tweet

Why is it important for businesses to have a documented content strategy, as opposed to an intangible framework?

I think people get intimidated when you say, “You need to have a documented content strategy” because they envision this 30-page document written in corporate buzzwords that will take a month to create. But we literally started with nothing more than a two-page Word doc with some bullet points listing our short and long-term goals/metrics, the type of content we wanted to create, and who was responsible for what aspects.

The benefits to us of even something that basic have been huge. Actually writing it down forced us to think through the specifics and showed us where the gaps in our plan were, having agreed-upon goals and timelines upfront made for easier team and executive buy-in, and it gave us something to refer back to when we had questions about whether a new content idea fit our overall goals.

  What have you learned in your ‘side hustle’ as a fiction novelist that applies to your day job as a content marketer?

For writing fiction I spent a lot of time studying story structure, and plot architecture, and all the elements that make a story really “flow” and feel effortless to people reading it. What struck me is how many of the same principles apply to a content piece.

You want to start off with a strong “hook” that introduces an element of mystery and makes the reader want to know more, your “climax” needs to deliver a memorable experience or information, and the dénouement has to be satisfying. A novel that doesn’t tie up loose ends in the last few chapters is as unsatisfying as a blog post that doesn’t include a concrete next step or call to action in the last few paragraphs.

  Which speaker presentations are you looking forward to most at Content Marketing World 2018?

I love video games, so I’m excited to hear Jane Weedon of Twitch give her talk. I’ve also always been fascinated by the science behind online behavior, so Brian Massey’s talk on Behavioral Science for Content Marketers is high on my list as well.

Find Your Path to Content Marketing Greatness

Consistency, experimentation, and getting better each month: They might not be the stuff of Cinderella stories, but in the real world these techniques work and Medved’s team serves as living proof.

He is one of many CMWorld speakers who contributed to The Ultimate Guide to Conquering Content Marketing, so as we look forward to seeing them on stage in Cleveland, make sure to soak in all their awesome advice by clicking through the slides below:

Gain a competitive advantage by subscribing to the TopRank® Online Marketing Newsletter.

© Online Marketing Blog - TopRank®, 2018. | CMWorld Interview: Path to 1M Monthly Readers Has No Shortcuts, Says J.P. Medved | http://www.toprankblog.com

The post CMWorld Interview: Path to 1M Monthly Readers Has No Shortcuts, Says J.P. Medved appeared first on Online Marketing Blog - TopRank®.

from The SEO Advantages http://www.toprankblog.com/2018/06/cmworld-jp-medved-monthly-blog-readers/

[unixcommerce]

CMWorld Interview: Path to 1M Monthly Readers Has No Shortcuts, Says J.P. Medved

In her introduction to The Ultimate Guide to Conquering Content Marketing, Content Marketing Institute’s Cathy McPhillips draws several commonalities between content marketing and video games: the interactivity, the trial-and-error learnings, the camradery.

But, while many marketers have their own personal “cheat codes” that help them gain an edge, there are no true hacks in content. Certain video games allow you to tap in a series of commands and gain invincibility, or jump ahead to the next level. Content marketers, however, cannot magically produce an audience or monetization out of thin air.

As the Content Director for Capterra, and also an avowed lover of gaming, J.P. Medved understands this reality. His company’s industry-specific blogs have grown to 1 million monthly readers, and it wasn’t because of any secret elixir.

Instead, Capterra’s success owes to a proven, adoptable strategy tethered to the fundamentals of organization, goals, promotion, and experimentation. Medved will explain this formula in-depth during his Content Marketing World session, Better Than Hacks and Schemes: A Proven Approach to Building Your Audience, and was also kind enough to share some insights with us ahead of the September event.    

Medved has a reputation for being sharply honest and entertaining, and those traits definitely came through during our interview with him. Keep reading to find his thoughts on silent content, scalability, documenting strategies, and content marketing lessons learned from his experience writing fiction.

  What does your role as Content Marketing Director at Capterra entail? What are your main areas of focus and key priorities?

My day-to-day as a Content Director involves a lot of email and meetings, at this point. We’ve grown to a team of nine writers, six of whom I manage directly, so a lot of my time is devoted to supporting them. I join monthly topic planning meetings with all of them, as well as frequent check-ins with the editors and the marketing folks that support the content we produce. I also now spend a fair amount of time in our analytics and various content management systems just checking in and tracking things.

As we’ve grown—and I suspect this is common in most roles—I’ve transitioned away from being a content producer, to being a content manager. I no longer write content myself, and we centralized editing early last year so I no longer edit individual pieces either. Instead I spend more time coordinating long-term content plans and calendars with other teams in the business, managing content experiments or helping new projects get off the ground, and working with the folks on my team to help advance their career goals.

  Why should content marketers beware of “hacks” and shortcuts when it comes to growing their audience and impact?

The content marketing world, and the digital marketing space more generally, loves the idea of the Cinderella story. That blog that hits everything just right and experiences exponential, “hockey stick” growth and also there’s a royal wedding involved somehow. But our experience, and that of the vast majority of successful content marketing operations I’m aware of, is actually a lot more boring.

Jimmy Daley of the great animalz.co blog calls it “silent content;” that company that has just been plugging away and producing and refining great content for years, and grown a consistent, large audience and strong search position.  

With Capterra’s content, we’ve grown to a million readers a month, writing in an ostensibly boring, B2B software space, and we never had a breakout “viral” hit, or flashy media coverage, or exponential traffic growth (it’s all been linear). We’ve just been working away at it since 2013, publishing consistently and getting a little bit better each month.

I think if you waste all your time and energy chasing new “hacks” and shortcuts sold to you by whatever case study is making the rounds on YouMoz that week, you never get really good at the fundamentals of content marketing; the block-and-tackle of creating and promoting really great, helpful—if unassuming—content. As a result your growth, though it may experience the occasional spike, will actually slow and it’ll take you more time to build a sustainable traffic base in the long-run.

If you waste all your time and energy chasing new “hacks” & shortcuts, you never get really good at the fundamentals of content marketing. @rizzleJPizzle #CMWorld Click To Tweet

What are the most pivotal roles in developing an effective and scalable content strategy?

Scalability is still something we struggle with, having grown the team 6X in the last four years. The biggest lesson I’ve learned is actually to bring on/promote other managers earlier than you think you need it. Assuming an average writer production schedule of two, 1,500 word articles a week, a full-time manager can effectively manage and edit 3-4 writers. If they’re not editing (you bring in a centralized editing team, or use a round-robin method, or delegate to senior writers), that number goes up to 6-7.  

But you should have someone in place to help you well before you hit that number, not only to give them time to ramp-up and learn management skills, but also to allow you to plan effectively for new hires and content coverage growth.

The biggest lesson content I’ve learned is actually to bring on/promote other managers earlier than you think you need it. @rizzleJPizzle #CMWorld Click To Tweet

Why is experimentation so critical in the content creation process?

Most of our content fails. Like, over 90% of it. And that’s not at all uncommon in the content marketing world. If everyone knew the exact ingredients to a “viral” content piece, that’s all anyone would produce. But we don’t know. Pieces I think will do really well, more-often-than-not sink without a trace, and pieces that seem like throwaways can take off because they’ve tapped into some pent-up need in the marketplace of ideas.

So we try to test a lot. 50% or more of our content is trying out new topics or channels or formats, and the other 50% is either updating successful past content, or scaling up a content type that our previous testing has discovered works.

I differ here from the current received-wisdom in the content marketing industry. Right now it’s hip to say content marketers need to produce fewer pieces of longer, higher quality content. But I actually argue you should produce a higher volume of content (at least early on) to discover what “hits” with your particular audience, so you can scale that later.

Brian Dean of Backlinko is often the poster-child of the “publish less, publish higher-quality” model, and I love his content and he’s obviously been very successful. But might he have been more successful publishing weekly instead of monthly? Could he have sacrificed a little bit of length to experiment with a broader range of topic ideas earlier on before scaling the ones that worked? I think it’s possible.

You should produce a higher volume of content (at least early on) to discover what “hits” with your particular audience, so you can scale that later. @rizzleJPizzle #CMWorld Click To Tweet

What are the most common mistakes you see individuals and companies make when developing and launching a blog?

The biggest one is not taking content marketing seriously. That manifests itself in two major tactical mistakes: not hiring someone to do content full-time, and trying to squeeze direct revenue out of content in the first year.

If no one’s doing content full-time, then content just becomes a side project for someone at your company who may-or-may-not get to it once they finish their “real work” for the day. We tried this model for years and never got any traction with our content until someone owned it full-time and could devote themselves to thinking about it strategically and producing content consistently.

And you should not try to monetize your content in the first year. It will distort your writing, even if you think you can guard against it, and result in lower-quality, less helpful, more salesy content. Focus on creating content that is genuinely helpful for your audience first, and you will build reader trust for any kind of monetization scheme you want to implement later down the road.

If no one’s doing content full-time, then content just becomes a side project for someone at your company who may-or-may-not get to it once they finish their real work for the day. @rizzleJPizzle #CMWorld Click To Tweet

Why is it important for businesses to have a documented content strategy, as opposed to an intangible framework?

I think people get intimidated when you say, “You need to have a documented content strategy” because they envision this 30-page document written in corporate buzzwords that will take a month to create. But we literally started with nothing more than a two-page Word doc with some bullet points listing our short and long-term goals/metrics, the type of content we wanted to create, and who was responsible for what aspects.

The benefits to us of even something that basic have been huge. Actually writing it down forced us to think through the specifics and showed us where the gaps in our plan were, having agreed-upon goals and timelines upfront made for easier team and executive buy-in, and it gave us something to refer back to when we had questions about whether a new content idea fit our overall goals.

  What have you learned in your ‘side hustle’ as a fiction novelist that applies to your day job as a content marketer?

For writing fiction I spent a lot of time studying story structure, and plot architecture, and all the elements that make a story really “flow” and feel effortless to people reading it. What struck me is how many of the same principles apply to a content piece.

You want to start off with a strong “hook” that introduces an element of mystery and makes the reader want to know more, your “climax” needs to deliver a memorable experience or information, and the dénouement has to be satisfying. A novel that doesn’t tie up loose ends in the last few chapters is as unsatisfying as a blog post that doesn’t include a concrete next step or call to action in the last few paragraphs.

  Which speaker presentations are you looking forward to most at Content Marketing World 2018?

I love video games, so I’m excited to hear Jane Weedon of Twitch give her talk. I’ve also always been fascinated by the science behind online behavior, so Brian Massey’s talk on Behavioral Science for Content Marketers is high on my list as well.

Find Your Path to Content Marketing Greatness

Consistency, experimentation, and getting better each month: They might not be the stuff of Cinderella stories, but in the real world these techniques work and Medved’s team serves as living proof.

He is one of many CMWorld speakers who contributed to The Ultimate Guide to Conquering Content Marketing, so as we look forward to seeing them on stage in Cleveland, make sure to soak in all their awesome advice by clicking through the slides below:

Gain a competitive advantage by subscribing to the TopRank® Online Marketing Newsletter.

© Online Marketing Blog – TopRank®, 2018. | CMWorld Interview: Path to 1M Monthly Readers Has No Shortcuts, Says J.P. Medved | https://ift.tt/faSbAI

The post CMWorld Interview: Path to 1M Monthly Readers Has No Shortcuts, Says J.P. Medved appeared first on Online Marketing Blog – TopRank®.

http://www.toprankblog.com/

The post CMWorld Interview: Path to 1M Monthly Readers Has No Shortcuts, Says J.P. Medved appeared first on Unix Commerce.

from WordPress https://ift.tt/2Kd4fs6 via IFTTT

[befoundonlinemarketing]

CMWorld Interview: Path to 1M Monthly Readers Has No Shortcuts, Says J.P. Medved

In her introduction to The Ultimate Guide to Conquering Content Marketing, Content Marketing Institute’s Cathy McPhillips draws several commonalities between content marketing and video games: the interactivity, the trial-and-error learnings, the camradery.

But, while many marketers have their own personal “cheat codes” that help them gain an edge, there are no true hacks in content. Certain video games allow you to tap in a series of commands and gain invincibility, or jump ahead to the next level. Content marketers, however, cannot magically produce an audience or monetization out of thin air.

As the Content Director for Capterra, and also an avowed lover of gaming, J.P. Medved understands this reality. His company’s industry-specific blogs have grown to 1 million monthly readers, and it wasn’t because of any secret elixir.

Instead, Capterra’s success owes to a proven, adoptable strategy tethered to the fundamentals of organization, goals, promotion, and experimentation. Medved will explain this formula in-depth during his Content Marketing World session, Better Than Hacks and Schemes: A Proven Approach to Building Your Audience, and was also kind enough to share some insights with us ahead of the September event.    

Medved has a reputation for being sharply honest and entertaining, and those traits definitely came through during our interview with him. Keep reading to find his thoughts on silent content, scalability, documenting strategies, and content marketing lessons learned from his experience writing fiction.

 What does your role as Content Marketing Director at Capterra entail? What are your main areas of focus and key priorities?

My day-to-day as a Content Director involves a lot of email and meetings, at this point. We’ve grown to a team of nine writers, six of whom I manage directly, so a lot of my time is devoted to supporting them. I join monthly topic planning meetings with all of them, as well as frequent check-ins with the editors and the marketing folks that support the content we produce. I also now spend a fair amount of time in our analytics and various content management systems just checking in and tracking things.

As we’ve grown—and I suspect this is common in most roles—I’ve transitioned away from being a content producer, to being a content manager. I no longer write content myself, and we centralized editing early last year so I no longer edit individual pieces either. Instead I spend more time coordinating long-term content plans and calendars with other teams in the business, managing content experiments or helping new projects get off the ground, and working with the folks on my team to help advance their career goals.

 Why should content marketers beware of “hacks” and shortcuts when it comes to growing their audience and impact?

The content marketing world, and the digital marketing space more generally, loves the idea of the Cinderella story. That blog that hits everything just right and experiences exponential, “hockey stick” growth and also there’s a royal wedding involved somehow. But our experience, and that of the vast majority of successful content marketing operations I’m aware of, is actually a lot more boring.

Jimmy Daley of the great animalz.co blog calls it “silent content;” that company that has just been plugging away and producing and refining great content for years, and grown a consistent, large audience and strong search position.  

With Capterra’s content, we’ve grown to a million readers a month, writing in an ostensibly boring, B2B software space, and we never had a breakout “viral” hit, or flashy media coverage, or exponential traffic growth (it’s all been linear). We’ve just been working away at it since 2013, publishing consistently and getting a little bit better each month.

I think if you waste all your time and energy chasing new “hacks” and shortcuts sold to you by whatever case study is making the rounds on YouMoz that week, you never get really good at the fundamentals of content marketing; the block-and-tackle of creating and promoting really great, helpful—if unassuming—content. As a result your growth, though it may experience the occasional spike, will actually slow and it’ll take you more time to build a sustainable traffic base in the long-run.

If you waste all your time and energy chasing new “hacks” & shortcuts, you never get really good at the fundamentals of content marketing. @rizzleJPizzle #CMWorld Click To Tweet

What are the most pivotal roles in developing an effective and scalable content strategy?

Scalability is still something we struggle with, having grown the team 6X in the last four years. The biggest lesson I’ve learned is actually to bring on/promote other managers earlier than you think you need it. Assuming an average writer production schedule of two, 1,500 word articles a week, a full-time manager can effectively manage and edit 3-4 writers. If they’re not editing (you bring in a centralized editing team, or use a round-robin method, or delegate to senior writers), that number goes up to 6-7.  

But you should have someone in place to help you well before you hit that number, not only to give them time to ramp-up and learn management skills, but also to allow you to plan effectively for new hires and content coverage growth.

The biggest lesson content I’ve learned is actually to bring on/promote other managers earlier than you think you need it. @rizzleJPizzle #CMWorld Click To Tweet

Why is experimentation so critical in the content creation process?

Most of our content fails. Like, over 90% of it. And that’s not at all uncommon in the content marketing world. If everyone knew the exact ingredients to a “viral” content piece, that’s all anyone would produce. But we don’t know. Pieces I think will do really well, more-often-than-not sink without a trace, and pieces that seem like throwaways can take off because they’ve tapped into some pent-up need in the marketplace of ideas.

So we try to test a lot. 50% or more of our content is trying out new topics or channels or formats, and the other 50% is either updating successful past content, or scaling up a content type that our previous testing has discovered works.

I differ here from the current received-wisdom in the content marketing industry. Right now it’s hip to say content marketers need to produce fewer pieces of longer, higher quality content. But I actually argue you should produce a higher volume of content (at least early on) to discover what “hits” with your particular audience, so you can scale that later.

Brian Dean of Backlinko is often the poster-child of the “publish less, publish higher-quality” model, and I love his content and he’s obviously been very successful. But might he have been more successful publishing weekly instead of monthly? Could he have sacrificed a little bit of length to experiment with a broader range of topic ideas earlier on before scaling the ones that worked? I think it’s possible.

You should produce a higher volume of content (at least early on) to discover what “hits” with your particular audience, so you can scale that later. @rizzleJPizzle #CMWorld Click To Tweet

What are the most common mistakes you see individuals and companies make when developing and launching a blog?

The biggest one is not taking content marketing seriously. That manifests itself in two major tactical mistakes: not hiring someone to do content full-time, and trying to squeeze direct revenue out of content in the first year.

If no one’s doing content full-time, then content just becomes a side project for someone at your company who may-or-may-not get to it once they finish their “real work” for the day. We tried this model for years and never got any traction with our content until someone owned it full-time and could devote themselves to thinking about it strategically and producing content consistently.

And you should not try to monetize your content in the first year. It will distort your writing, even if you think you can guard against it, and result in lower-quality, less helpful, more salesy content. Focus on creating content that is genuinely helpful for your audience first, and you will build reader trust for any kind of monetization scheme you want to implement later down the road.

If no one’s doing content full-time, then content just becomes a side project for someone at your company who may-or-may-not get to it once they finish their real work for the day. @rizzleJPizzle #CMWorld Click To Tweet

Why is it important for businesses to have a documented content strategy, as opposed to an intangible framework?

I think people get intimidated when you say, “You need to have a documented content strategy” because they envision this 30-page document written in corporate buzzwords that will take a month to create. But we literally started with nothing more than a two-page Word doc with some bullet points listing our short and long-term goals/metrics, the type of content we wanted to create, and who was responsible for what aspects.

The benefits to us of even something that basic have been huge. Actually writing it down forced us to think through the specifics and showed us where the gaps in our plan were, having agreed-upon goals and timelines upfront made for easier team and executive buy-in, and it gave us something to refer back to when we had questions about whether a new content idea fit our overall goals.

 What have you learned in your ‘side hustle’ as a fiction novelist that applies to your day job as a content marketer?

For writing fiction I spent a lot of time studying story structure, and plot architecture, and all the elements that make a story really “flow” and feel effortless to people reading it. What struck me is how many of the same principles apply to a content piece.

You want to start off with a strong “hook” that introduces an element of mystery and makes the reader want to know more, your “climax” needs to deliver a memorable experience or information, and the dénouement has to be satisfying. A novel that doesn’t tie up loose ends in the last few chapters is as unsatisfying as a blog post that doesn’t include a concrete next step or call to action in the last few paragraphs.

 Which speaker presentations are you looking forward to most at Content Marketing World 2018?

I love video games, so I’m excited to hear Jane Weedon of Twitch give her talk. I’ve also always been fascinated by the science behind online behavior, so Brian Massey’s talk on Behavioral Science for Content Marketers is high on my list as well.

Find Your Path to Content Marketing Greatness

Consistency, experimentation, and getting better each month: They might not be the stuff of Cinderella stories, but in the real world these techniques work and Medved’s team serves as living proof.

He is one of many CMWorld speakers who contributed to The Ultimate Guide to Conquering Content Marketing, so as we look forward to seeing them on stage in Cleveland, make sure to soak in all their awesome advice by clicking through the slides below:

Gain a competitive advantage by subscribing to the TopRank® Online Marketing Newsletter.

© Online Marketing Blog - TopRank®, 2018. | CMWorld Interview: Path to 1M Monthly Readers Has No Shortcuts, Says J.P. Medved | https://ift.tt/faSbAI

The post CMWorld Interview: Path to 1M Monthly Readers Has No Shortcuts, Says J.P. Medved appeared first on Online Marketing Blog - TopRank®.

CMWorld Interview: Path to 1M Monthly Readers Has No Shortcuts, Says J.P. Medved posted first on http://www.toprankblog.com/

[justinetracey70-blog]

Margaret Atwood (Writer Of The Handmaid's Tale).

Once again we return to our Thus You Want My Task series, in which our company talk to guys which are actually worked with in good jobs and inquire concerning the fact of their job and also for advise on how males can stay their aspiration. Last opportunity our company observed Alfie Allen's killer turned abuse sufferer turned just-about-palatable antihero Theon Greyjoy in Activity from Thrones, he and also his sibling Yara (Gemma Whelan) were setting sail off along with monster Queen Daenerys. In the event you loved this informative article and you desire to obtain more info about please click the following web site i implore you to go to our website. My child selects his pre-order today, our company are going to see if he one of the fortunate ones, I made a decision back I will expect an activity like DA inquiry to follow out, as well as provide Sony as well as MS an odds to deal with the problems. I directly can certainly not wait for the 1st video game to release that has Pro" criteria to play, or even to just participate in online in some manner ... Consoles along with as a lot of problems otherwise more than a Personal Computer ... I'll stick to the Personal Computer as well as the genuine perks they deliver ... right up to the mods and also potential to replay a video game several opportunities with an other feeling to it alltogether. The video game appears stunning on Android as well as has a high-octane soundtrack to recommend you onwards. As well as whether Caraval is actually genuine or otherwise, Scarlett has to locate Tella just before the five evenings from the game are over or a risky cause and effect of effects will certainly be actually triggered, and her precious sister will certainly disappear forever. At the same time, activity conserve information is actually saved only on the device, and also may not be actually moved to additional devices or even the SD card as a back-up. There are lots of great pinball games for Android, yet Pinball Gallery is actually a bit different. I doubt I'll be the only one mentioning they were surprised that the Killzone programmer has managed to supply a video game along with such width, depth and also consistently satisfying gameplay. The creature hasn't already been actually observed since season 1, and also would certainly be actually a lot more mature if it performs return this period. Neither performs the view keep properly any more that those that take part in sports or even video games will stink at research studies, and also every year their vacancy coming from the lesson or even scarcity of talks would be condoned since they could either address their researches or even perform the field for some game or the various other. If you do not wish to or can't put in the additional effort after that just do not perform this as well as focus on an activity created PS4 as well as absolutely nothing else. I merely got your manual for my birthday celebration recently as well as I can not hang around to make up some meals off it. Clementine's missing a finger, the trailer presents her firing a zombie in the scalp, along with a developed boy contacted Javier (an all new personality) standing next to her saying they are getting closer to their target. Individuals who today participate in mobile phone traditional Canabalt as well as consider it lacking due to its simplicity do not know what the game is actually attempting to perform. Canabalt is everything about rate-- the excitement of being actually barely in control, as well as from paying for the gamer merely the easiest commands for survival. Along with pronounced reluctance the Queen opened up the gladiatorial Great Video games at Meereen with a symbolic handclap. This is actually one main reason why in tennis I experience I keep on boosting my video game as; I simply may certainly not condemn any person for my defeat in an activity. In a significant (as well as totally fracical) Facebook Live uncover, Activity from Thrones showmakers encouraged visitors to comment 'FIRE', which would certainly trigger a flamethrower to slowly disappear the ice protecting the release day. I doubt any individual has read my entire customer review for this manual, however if you have actually managed to read through throughout of this and you are actually still certainly not convinced to review this manual, I HIGHLY advise you to do therefore. I am so enthusiastic concerning this book and also I sense I are going to reside to adore this for years and also years to follow. The scientists discovered that certain circumstances enhanced direct exposure to fierce video games-- including situating video game consoles as well as personal computers in children's bed rooms, and permitting older brother or sisters to share video games along with younger ones. All-time low pipes is that this is actually a must read publication as well as I hope you are going to choose this up. This belongs to a set however may be gone through as a standalone without problems. I assured them that NOTHING I have ever made an effort off your blog has failed me, and I know that is going to be a success!! Remarkable: Attended high school at David Thompson Second, where he was on the golf team. Completed his jr hockey job with the Alberta Junior Hockey League's Grande Grassy field Tornado (2012-2014). Member of the B.C. U17 team. Observed the Canada Summers months Video games for baseball. For a book that professes to hinge on a wonderful war to the fatality, there is actually nearly no activity. Yet, with Master Tommen's surprise outlawing of the blessed ritual of test by combat, Activity of Thrones stunned us in much the same way Ser Clegane had stunned that cleric along with the easily removed foundation. Data Visualization Software (C) fotki.com" style="max-width:420px;float:left;padding:10px 10px 10px 0px;border:0px;">His passion is actually still certainly there, yet anxiety has actually turned this fresh man into something that triggers Rochelle to think about if reversing was the correct thing to carry out. As she kicks back right into a new video game along with brand new rules, oh yeah as well as along with a baby too - Rochelle starts to create a connection along with Bric that had not existed in the first video game they played. I do must give this publication some props, since this is actually the first time I have ever before must close a manual for 90 seconds if you want to frantically laugh. Inner demos provide our team a concept from exactly what the game resembled just before this first expose yet a great deal of work was actually put in to creating the finished expose. Listed below's every little thing you should know about the system, from the activities to find in the following weeks and months as well as the equipment that electrical powers it. Another approach is to fail to remember blending right into the game and also instead talk to players to endure an advertisement for online video game money.