#i don't expect this post to get a lot of traction but if it does and white people are being ignorant in my notes i'm going to lose it

[deliriumzer0]

Figured I'd address this since it's come up, and since I have life experience that educated my decision here.

So first off, this post was made a couple days after Ranboo left the mall. There was never any chance of him being at risk from stalkers or fans camping the area.

By that point, Vinny Vinesauce had already made his vlog talking about making the show, where he walks thru the mall and specifically says where it is.

At the Vidcon panel, ages later, I learned that JK productions & the team (a vague "we") aren't allowed to say what mall it is. And I was not surprised. There are plenty of functional reasons for that, not the least of which is because urban explorers put themselves at risk all the time exploring abandoned malls, and fans coming to this mall could be in very real danger from worn-out electrics, squatters, and its part-time use by police for training exercises.

For legal liability reasons, staff of JK productions (and likely also Ranboo) could NEVER reblog this post or make a post of a similar nature. They'd get in a LOT of trouble for potentially enabling dangerous behavior.

But for the rest of us? We're fine.

Also putting this on tumblr was no mistake. Could it have been a twitter thread? Sure. But on twitter, I'm still a lowly pleb limited to 280 characters. A tweet leading off the thread would likely be very short and sound like I'm only saying where the mall is (since the images, the point of the thread, would be buried behind a click), thus making it sound like I am endorsing a visit. I AM NOT.

The purpose of this post is basically historical trivia. What role has this mall played in the past. I'm the kind of person who finds that sort of history important. And, crucially, I revealed no new information here -- I never went to this mall personally, didn't take any photos there, never went there as a kid, never talked to JK or heard from them where this mall was. This post genuinely didn't take me much work to compile, I did it between meetings during one single workday. I was able to ID the mall based on the tile pattern on the floor because I happened to remember it from the Fleabitten Adventures video, which was new-ish and fairly fresh in my mind. That's the only thing that put me ahead of anyone else here.

THIS POST IS NOT A SUGGESTION OR ENDORSEMENT FOR PEOPLE TO VISIT THE MALL. Please do not. It would be very dangerous.

Also, a note to prev and others: Don't forget that tumblr reblogging expands the reach of a post. More people see it. Reblogging to say "maybe this post is bad" is sometimes counterproductive to your goals. If you're worried about info in a tumblr post being out there, it's probably better to respond with a comment or an ask, not a reblog. (Which one person did when the post was new.)

Gen Loss' shooting location

I'm super into dead/dying malls so I knew what mall it was as soon as I saw the ending of Ep 2, but I didn't wanna post anything about it until after Ranboo had left NY just in case. I'm not about to facilitate any creepy behavior, you know?

So GenLoss was filmed at the now-closed Galleria at White Plains, which -- fun fact! -- is the same mall used for interior mall shots in the movie Eighth Grade (so everyone who enjoys Ranboo/Bo Burnham connections, there's a fun one!). It opened in 1980 and positioned itself as the mall for "normal" people, in contrast to the more upscale Westchester mall nearby. Sadly, that other mall is still alive & kicking, while this one was closed at the end of March 2023. There are apparently redevelopment plans in the works to turn it into mixed-use (retail + residential) space.

I was too curious about what some of the stores used in the shoot used to be, and how much of what I saw in GL was set design and how much was already in place, so I looked up old directories & photos of the mall to see if I could sleuth some of it out. In case anyone else was curious about the set designers' work, or is into retail history, I figured I would share my findings!

The central elevator area of the mall in GenLoss, and how it appeared in 2019. (Screenshot from the 2019 video linked below)

Apologies for the multiple different angles on this one, but this is all the same area, first in GenLoss (right after Ranboo starts walking away from the panel where Hetch is appearing), then from the Fleabitten Adventures 2023 video, then from the Raw & Real Retail video from 2019. (Couldn't resist screenshotting the drone ad on that last one, lol)

In the GenLoss screenshot, at the far right edge of the Sears entryway, you can see a bit of the painting left behind, so my guess is the GL set decorators got rid of that artwork for the shoot.

The screen where Ranboo first speaks to Hetch in ep 3. The empty store behind them was an American Eagle Outfitters at one point, but it was already closed by February 2023. (screeenshot from Fleabitten Adventures 2023 video)

Here's a before & after of this directory panel. (Screenshot from the Fleabitten Adventures 2023 video)

The store full of "props". In the original store photo (Google's only photo of this shop), you can see how the existing shelves were repurposed for GL. Also way at the far end of the store there's a black & white photo of someone with a basketball that was left hanging up.

I had a hard time finding a closer angle of this Victoria's Secret, but in case you were curious, here's one from the Raw & Real Retail video lol.

Where Ranboo almost left but Hetch stopped them: a Kay Jewelers.

The streamers are sitting in the following establishments: My Kitchen, Bourbon Street Cafe, Sarku Japan, Dunkin' Donuts, and of course Charley's. The last empty storefront was a Burger King before it emptied out. (Photo from Foursquare, cropped by me)

The Dental & Foot Care storefront is unchanged except for the seating out in the open area. It was a rounded wooden bench set as of Feb 2023 (screenshot from the Fleabitten Adventures video), but for GL it was the standard metal benches found throughout the mall. Not sure why.

Going far back enough, this was a Radio Shack. Couldn't find ANY photos of this particular location though, so here's the only photo I could find of what it was in the interim: a dress shop called Gloria's. (Photo from Yelp)

This one is my favorite part. :) As of February 2023 (screenshots are from the Fleabitten Adventures video), the "Heart of the Facility" is this weirdly sparse artsy furniture store called Home Splash. But before this, what the shop's facade was designed for, was...

A Charlotte Russe location. Ranboo died in a fucking Charlotte Russe. When I learned this, I could not stop laughing.

More/Sources:

https://www.reddit.com/r/deadmalls/comments/zupwhw/the_galleria_at_white_plains_ny_in_late_afternoon/

A great youtube video from Fleabitten Adventures walking through the whole mall in February 2023

Raw & Real Retail walkthrough video (from 2019)

A shorter walthrough video from HELLOTHISIS4U

Photos from FourSquare

I didn't cover everything I learned here, just the stuff I thought was coolest (and that I had images of), so please feel free to flood my ask box with questions about what certain things used to be!

[r0-boat]

Whb Cats headcannons

Enjoy just screwing around.

Sfw cutting for length

Satan (Turkish Angora)

Has Zoomies at 3:00 a.m. There are many nights when you wake up and try to fall asleep and then hear a crash in your kitchen. You cover your head, pretending that you didn't hear it. before hearing another crash in your kitchen.

Use to scratch up all your furniture It took you months to finally move him to scratching at cat trees and scratching posts. He goes through him like crazy but at least it's not your furniture.

You put a camera around his neck because you thought it would be cute You were shocked to find out that your cat outside the house is a little menace to society digging up people's gardens, and bullying other cats. You decided to keep him inside for a while.

Mammon (Maine Coon)

Once, he somehow got out and came back with $100. You don't know where he got it. Your eyes widen, and you check to see if it is even real because you honestly couldn't believe your eyes. The last time he got out, he mysteriously brought back more money. Now, you just let him do as he pleases, hoping he brings back more, and he does. That's why he gets the more expensive cat food.

He's a big boy, but he's just a little lap dog. The moment you sit down, he's in your lap. If Satan or any other of your cats take your lap, no worries, he'll either sit on the side of you or sit on them uncomfortably until they move.

You watch him and Satan fight all the time. It could be just playing if it weren't for the fact that both of them were hissing and growling. So you thought Satan hated his new friend but then you were surprised to see them cuddling together on their half torn up cat tree... To this day you don't know if they like each other or hate each other.

Leviathan(Snowshoe)

He was labeled as an aggressive cat from a shelter you frequent for volunteer work. He seems to tolerate you the most so you are co-workers suggested that you keep him. He follows you around but keeps his distance. Every time you look you see him stare back. When you try to encourage him to come over He just runs away.

It took him a while to warm up to you. Now he's literally a shadow no matter where you are he will be in the same room as you acting like he's always been there, and that he's totally not following you. He only lets you pet him. Only you pet him. He gave poor Minhyeok a good scratch on his arm when he got a little too close to you for comfort.

He only comes to you when you least expect it and when you don't want him! When you're trying to do work suddenly he's all up in your face getting all up on your computer. Or if you have company he will be all up over you or trying to hiss and growl at whoever came into your house.

Beelzebub(Bengal cat)

Just fucking showed up at your house He must have snuck in somehow because you caught him sleeping in your warm laundry. You have no idea where this cat came from and the fact that he is a bengal scared you that is an expensive cat that's an owner must be looking for. But there was no one who recognized him so I guess he's yours??

He wants to go outside again but you didn't let him until you got him microchipped and collared and you're so glad you did because he would leave for hours. Only coming back when it's time to eat. But the weirdest part is when you would always find him when you're outside of your house?? At the grocery store? He's fucking there in the parking lot! At a friend's house a couple streets away? He's scratching at the door wanting to be let in because he knows you're in there!

This little shit steals your food. You had to get child locks on everything because of him! For a cat so smart you can't believe how stupid he is as you find him in the weirdest positions or napping spots. Or just manage to catch him running into a wall at full speed, trying to jump only to not make any traction. Scratching at his reflection, somehow getting on top of a high place in your house, real orange cat stuff.

Lucifer (Norwegian Forest)

Obsessed with licking you. Like grabs your hand and starts grooming you profusely. If you move away he'll try to lick something else. He always tries to go for your hair.

Once he starts laying on you he always starts purring. You don't have to pet him He just starts purring. Especially when he knows you're sick he will sprawl on top of you and just purr as if he's trying to help you feel better.

Along with Mammon probably one of the more chill cats you have You can pick him up carry him and he'll just sit there purring. True gentle giants.

Belphegor (bobtail)

Sleepy boy. You love this boy so much He doesn't cause trouble, He doesn't knock over your things or hiss at your guests. He doesn't come back with dead rodents in his mouth or do anything weird outside. He is a simple boy. He sees a Sunbeam and he sleeps.

It is always a treat to walk into a room and see him sleeping in the most weirdest way possible on any furniture he can. And when he is out he is out He scared the shit out of you once because he felt limp when you tried to wake him up. You've seen along brown haired cat around when you let him nap outside in here backyard... Must be his friend.

Every time you see him actually awake and walking around that's when you remember you have another cat. He tolerates you waking him up and pestering him with your kisses and hugs and baby voice. He loves it even though he looks like he hates it.

Asmodeus (Chantilly Tiffany)

You have gotten so many messages from neighbors about this little every time he manages to scamper out he gets another poor cat in the neighborhood pregnant. You are not rich enough to pay cat food child support for another family who's poor female cat is going to have kittens. Sometimes he'll just bring you kittens from who knows where. You already have Seven cats So you frequently have to go next door to check if the kitten is theirs.

Somehow knows what you're planning because every time you want to take him to the vet he just so happens to disappear... You have not been successful yet.

Other than that he's a very loving cat. Actually he's one of your go-to for introducing children since He surprisingly super good with children. He's very gentle and almost protective.

[evertidings]

i always start these kinds of posts by saying "time flies, wow, look how far we've gotten." and it's true, but it gets repetitive. so this is me trying to make an anniversary post without all that cheesy stuff. bear with me.

on february 24, 2021, i decided to post the intro for this story. it gained traction slowly, and, before i knew it, i was being asked when to expect the demo. it excited me, knowing that other people were excited. and it still does. to know i've created a fanbase (??) is so surreal. even if i don't post on tumblr for a while, or am silently working on an update, i know that there are still people waiting for my return. and will continue to wait, even if i take longer than i expect. i beat myself up a lot for this (if you're on my patreon, you'd know), but sometimes, it can't be helped.

this has been the case for chapter 11 lately. to say i've been swamped with schoolwork would be an understatement. i'm exhausted. i haven't been able to touch my when twilight strikes document for weeks and it pains me. but even then, many of you are kind enough to remind me that it's okay. that life gets in the way sometimes and i'm doing the best i can.

with that said, i usually post some sort of special for my anniversary, but this year, it's going to be late. i've already started working on something and don't want to scrap it, so it'll be a belated present for everyone. i'll keep you all updated as to when this will be.

all in all, this story remains my greatest and proudest accomplishment to date, and i have no plans on stopping anytime soon. i know i've been silent and mia aside from patreon, but i appreciate your patience. thank you for sticking by me. thank you for three wonderful years.

[writingquestionsanswered]

Worried About Traction/Why Write?

Anonymous asked: Okay answer me this, so I've read how trad publishing is going to shit, but self-publishing I doubt I could gain any traction with. Then why fucking write, ya know? People say, "write for yourself," which sounds like a lot of goody bullshit. I want people to love my writing, I need some type of validation. So, how the hell do I get anyone to care about my stories?

Just a quick note that this ask came in off Anon, and I wasn't sure if it was meant to, so I put I'm posting it Anon to be on the safe side.

So, I don't want to get too much into the "is traditional publishing dying" debacle, because it's a conversation that's complex and nuanced and outside of my energy reserves at the moment. What I will say is that the traditional publishers--the Big Five in particular--still dominate the market, especially where print books are concerned. And although self-publishing can respond more quickly to trends and shifting tastes, traditional publishing continues to evolve.

Having said that, even if traditional publishing was stronger than ever before, that wouldn't guarantee you a book deal. Even in the best of times, the odds of being traditionally published are between 1 and 2%. Even if you get a book deal, that doesn't guarantee your book will be a best-seller. Hundreds of thousands of books are traditionally published every year, and far fewer than 1% of those books will become best sellers. Being traditionally published doesn't even guarantee your book will be sold in brick and mortar bookstores. I can point you toward traditionally published books that have been out almost a year and still have fewer than 10 reviews on Amazon. I can point you toward many more with fewer than 30.

And, while we're on the subject, I can show you self-published books with thousands of reviews (positive ones, btw...)

The point is, it doesn't really matter how you publish. What you write, how you write, and how you market is far, far more important. But the reality is, most of us aren't writing the kinds of books that are going to be best-sellers, BookTok sensations, Oprah's Book Club selections, or get optioned for film rights before the ink on the book deal is even dry. So, when you say you need validation, what does that look like for you? Does it mean seeing your name at the top of the NYT best seller list for five weeks straight? Seeing your book on eye-level shelves at an international airport? Hundreds of fans showing up to your book signing? A-hundred thousand followers on Twitter eagerly awaiting news of your next release? Or, does it look like someone... anyone... enjoying your book enough to leave a 5-star review... someone calling you their favorite writer, several fans re-posting your cover reveal because they're so excited for your upcoming book, or someone writing to say your book got them through a difficult time in their lives? Because, while I would never tell you not to dare to dream of achieving the former list of expectations, I will absolutely tell you the latter list of expectations is well within your grasp. So, if that's validation enough for you, write for those people. If it isn't, and it's not enough to write for yourself, then I think all you can do is try. Write the best stories you can write. Get them out there. Promote the hell out of them and see what happens. Maybe you will be one of those lucky few who see their book at the top of the NYT best seller list for five weeks in a row. Or, maybe you won't, but you get a two-page e-mail from a fan who says your story changed their life. And maybe, after all, that's enough. Here are some posts that can help you start building a following ahead of publishing, whatever route you end up choosing. Building a buzz on social media ahead of publishing and consistent promotion afterward can make a big difference. Even if you publish traditionally. Guide: Getting Your Writing Noticed on Tumblr Guide: Author Platforms-What, Why, and How? Guide: How to Promote Yourself as a Writer/Author via Social Media 12 Sites for Sharing Original Fiction

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

I’ve been writing seriously for over 30 years and love to share what I’ve learned. Have a writing question? My inbox is always open!

♦ Questions that violate my ask policies will be deleted! ♦ Please see my master list of top posts before asking ♦ Learn more about WQA here

[corazon-calaveras]

The Crow Reboot Rant

NAH NAH NAH, WHOSE IDEA WAS IT TO MAKE ERIC DRAVEN LOOK LIKE A DISCOUNT VERSION OF JARED LETTO'S JOKER?!? IMMA THROW HANDS!!! 💀🔪

There's just so much wrong about this reboot and as a fan of the original crow movie and graphic novel I cannot even begin to express how much this disappoints me.

More to rant ahead, just know it's hella long.

I recently saw and heard more news about the crow reboot and upon seeing what to expect I no longer have any interest in watching the reboot, in fact I wish the fans continue to roast the hell out of it to show the people in charge of this reboot that this is NOT what the people want or need.

Now I just want to go on and say that I have no problems with Bill Skarsgard as Eric Draven. I think he's a hella great actor with lots of potential of doing a great job at being the next crow actor, but my issue is with the writers and the people who made the overall decision to make this cult classic "appeal to modern audiences" which that quote alone was enough for me to completely abandon all hope of this movie being any good. I was already skeptical enough about the reboot and my expectations were low but THIS...this definitely made my expectations drop even lower than they already were and that's surprising to me. Honestly at this point the three crow sequels were a lot better and that's saying a lot because if y'all have seen those you'll know they weren't that good either but at least they were entertaining. 😭 (In my opinion at least, feel free to disagree on that).

It gets even better when you find out that the inspiration for reboot crow was Post Malone and Lil Peep. 💀

Like...is that what appeals to modern audiences nowadays? Was that really necessary for modern day Eric Draven? Absolutely not! The original movie and comic took place in the 90's so LEAVE IT IN THE 90's! Not everything has to be modernized for the sake of appealing to modern audiences. What modern audiences need right now are original stories with good and compelling writing (which probably won't happen any time soon since Hollywood proved to be in the middle of an imagination drought).

Sure, one can argue that the original movie wasn't completely faithful to the source material, that being the graphic novel. However, Due to the unfortunate passing of Brandon Lee during the making of the film, James O 'Barr has stated that he had finished the film as a tribute to Brandon who was a sweet and caring man and so decided to write Eric Draven to have some resemblance to Brandon in the film as a way to honor him. With that in mind, it's no wonder people are much harsher about the reboot, myself included, and find that this reboot would be an insult to not only James O 'Barr but also to Brandon. (Those who know the tragic history of The Crow graphic novel would understand why that's the case but in short it was a way for James to deal with grief).

In my opinion, the original crow film does not need a reboot or a remake. It may not be the best or perfect movie in the world but it is a cult classic and is one of the most beloved movies that holds a dear place in people's hearts. Mine included. Which is why instead of making another movie based on Brandon Lee's crow, that the other crow characters get a shot at the big screen since Eric Draven isn't the only one who gets brought back to life by a crow. I can understand how this might potentially not gain enough traction because it's not the iconic Eric Draven, but I do believe that with good writing and loyalty to the source materials, that it can be very possible to make a good and fresh crow movie without piggy backing off of an already beloved and successful film with the help of the fans who most likely have read the other comics.

In my opinion, I don't think this reboot is worth anyone's time (at least for those who are hardcore fans of the Crow franchise) and I have no hope for this whatsoever. In fact, I'm gonna go rewatch the original movie for the millionth time and reread the original graphic novel because I've already accepted the fact that any potential of getting a good crow movie is officially out the window. Not only that but the book and film are my comfort watch and reads so there's that.

For anyone who wants to hear more details about the reboot I recommend looking up articles or watch videos about it on youtube since that's where I heard the majority of the news.

Brandon Lee will forever be the best Eric Draven out there, may he rest in peace.

[that-left-turn]

I got a couple of asks on billing, but as I started writing this post, I realized it'll be longer than a year of hunger, so I have to break it up into separate points/posts.

“Melissa is fine with being second billed after Norman. Suggesting she's not is to say that she's weak.”

Melissa is anything but weak, but she's still subject to the same sexism/misogyny and ageism as other women. She works in a male dominated industry and the sci-fi/fantasy & horror space in particular is difficult for women. There aren't a lot of allies. If you work within that niche, it's very easy to start believing the things you're told (directly or indirectly) about your own worth and talents.

Melissa is bombarded—has been since TWD first gained traction—with the messaging that Norman is the star. He's the one people love, the one the fans show up for. The one people travel for hours to catch a glimpse of on set. She's lucky to be a part of the production, especially since she has social anxiety and the studio is so nice to be this accommodating to her needs. She's not able to promote in the way Norman does, so who is she to expect fair and equal treatment for the work she does put into the storytelling and the acting?

Being second billed in the title credits means that Melissa is less than Norman to the show. Less money, less influence on story direction, less authority on the set. She is the supporting lead, not the star. Even the title tells the audience and anyone working on the show that.

Melissa puts effort into crafting Carol's arc. The things she recently mentioned at Tribeca, about going out to mingle among people to observe their behavior? That's research on the actor's part and a good actor does a lot more than memorize lines. That's part of what I mentioned in a previous post about how 'creatives' (I hate that studio invented word 🙄) put in a lot of unpaid hours of work.

Why should she settle for playing second fiddle to the show's "real star," when she invests at least as many hours of prep into the show as he does, when she carries the bulk of the show's emotional arc and to judge by the coverage of the second season, is responsible for the surge of attention? Isn't she owed equal recognition despite not having a penis or being vocal about her mistreatment?

A woman can't say the things Norman or JDM do. You get labeled 'difficult to work with,' a diva or a bitch. Lauren Cohan's fight with AMC over the pay gap was well-publicized and maybe the GA doesn't understand why she came back to the franchise? I believe there's a comment out there by Kim Dickens about returning, where she basically says that as an actor, you can't afford to bear grudges. What she doesn't say, is that her comment pertains to female actors (and most POC).

As a woman in the industry, you bite your tongue often. You smile when you don't feel like it and you say complimentary things about people you despise simply to be able to keep working. You don't want to be "overreacting," or "too emotional" or "too sensitive" when your 'competition' (aka your coworkers) step all over you, or "make a fuss." You get fired or blacklisted for less than what the TWDU men aren't shy of saying in public.

It's also complicated for Melissa because she likes Norman. He's her friend. She doesn't want to damage their relationship by complaining to the bosses (who may have a 'buddy' relationship with her costar) and like I said above, Melissa believes he is the star of the show. Why wouldn't she? She's been inundated with subliminal messaging for over a decade, along with the usual studio behavior to make sure women stay in line and know their place. That place is always below/after the men.

None of that makes Melissa weak. Quite the contrary. She's kept Carol alive and more than relevant, despite repeatedly being sidelined, which takes a savvy woman. Someone who's talented and smart.

[felixravinstills]

I saw an earlier post about Felix poisoning President Ravinstill and it somehow making things even worse.

Tentatively, I'd like to slide forward this suggestion: Felix as President. Or at least as a presidential candidate.

Except he's doing everything to slide the votes to literally anyone else. (It's not working) EVERYTHING he does to make his odds worse comically backfires and ends up endearing him even more to the citizens.

Coriolanus is fuming. None of his poison attempts are working. (Unbeknownst to him, anything poisoned ends up with Clemmie and she has no idea it's poisoned either, so she's going about her day, unbothered by the poison that she's just consumed)

Wow! This is great! It weaponizes my tendency to torture Felix for good (he gets to fail upwards)!

I just spitballed a few ideas below... Just the idea of Felix failing upward is so funny!

Hilarius and Festus fully expecting either Coriolanus or Felix's cousin to win the presidency decide to jokingly write him in as a candidate during the primaries. A lot of their former classmates decide to do this as well, because why not?

There are now three top candidates for the President of Panem.

The only other person who hates the idea of Felix becoming president in this AU more than Felix is President Ravinstill who fears that the office will take away the best parts of his nephew.

He suggest that Felix announce that any supporters he has instead vote for Felix's cousin, Marius. There's a press conference and Felix does so,

Their combined Ravinstill "luck" means that Marius sees the press conference, bursts into tears, and announces that he is actually stepping down to support his "baby cousin" whom he would now like to get to know better.

Marius and Felix's other cousin, Gnaeus, sign on as Felix's advisors and their supporters are quick to back Felix

All over the Capitol, men and women are touched by this display of familial support and maybe decide to vote Ravinstill for that reason.

(I don't think the Districts are allowed to vote for the president if we're being honest here... or maybe certain Capitolites sway those votes. Like maybe the Creeds offer food and other benefits if their candidate wins, so it incentives District 7 to vote a certain direction?)

In an effort to lose support, Felix declares that he's stopping the Hunger Games, because he hates fun (hoping to lose the younger demographic of voters who have grown up with them and love the Games). He states it was a big mistake of his Great-Uncle's administration (he's hoping to lose the traditionalist/older Ravinstill supporters.)

This starts a movement of anti-Game Capitolites who start framing the Games as childish which somehow gains a lot of traction.

His second statement actually sparks self-reflection through a sheer miracle, and older Capitolites start going "they are kind of barbaric, aren't they?"

Pres. Ravinstill would be more upset about how badly their plan to not get Felix elected is going (and also his nephew lowkey throwing shade at his administration) if Gaul five seconds away from throttling him at any given moment.

Coriolanus loses support as he built up his popularity on his Gamemaking experience

Clemensia's been getting a lot of treats lately because she's been helping Felix straighten out an ending the Games plan since it looks like he'll win.

If the Districts can vote, they definitely vote for Felix now that there is a potential end to the Games on the table.

"Here, Clemmie! You've been such a great help! Have some tea! And sweets!" "But you haven't had any? "I'll have some right after I go into the other room and read this live on TV!" "Felix, this says that District 13 is actually not destroyed, and that the government lied to everyone in order to end the war faster, leaving many in financial ruin?" "Yup. Everyone will hate this!" *the next day* Headline: District 13 Wishes to Rejoin Panem Due to the Bravery and Candor of Its Young Future President Coriolanus rips the paper.

Thanks for sending this idea! Always happy to see Felix ideas!

[kipkoh]

please ramble about your ao3 fics!

Not sure if you had a specific fic or topic in mind, but I'm just gonna talk about Effortlessly My Baby since it's my most popular one.

When I get writer's block, I like to take a step back from my current project for a day or two to recoup, and during this time, sometimes I like to write something else entirely to keep up the creativeness. I was working on another longfic as my main project when I started writing Effortlessly My Baby on the side, just as something to do when I got stuck. So, in a way, we can thank my writer's block for EMB.

At some point I'd written so much of it that I just decided to start posting it, because why not? It might have been a side project, but I was still proud of it. At this point in time, I was still not super immersed into the TOH fandom, so I had no idea how big the Dadrius side was initially, and so I was not expecting my fic to get a lot of readers. To my surprise, it did, and I can never express how thankful I am for all the positive reception it received. It even quickly got to the point where EMB was getting far more traction than my main fic. New chapters of my main fic would rarely get any interaction but every new chapter of EMB brought in even more comments and kudos. Writer's aren't lying when they say comments help with motivation. Writing the fic would have been fun for me regardless, but it was made even more fun by the fact so many people were talking with me about it and I got to interact with so many Dadrius fans at once. Eventually, my focus shifted from my other fic to EMB, because why wouldn't it? The praise made me feel good, but not only that, I was giving something to people that brought them a lot of joy and comfort. The fic was originally around 25-30 chapters but because so many people ended up liking it, I ended up with the motivation to squeeze even more chapters into it, making it what it is now.

Anyway, on to the fic itself.

I was always a big fan of Darius and Dadrius, even before I immersed myself in fandom. It was inevitable I'd write about it eventually. The only surprising part is that it wasn't the first type of fic I posted.

The AU itself was something that kinda rotated around in my brain for like a solid year before I actually wrote it down. I wondered what their dynamic in canon would have been like if they'd known each other for longer than a few months. It's unknown how long they've known each other in canon, but I was running off the assumption that it hasn't been that long. Even if they knew of each other, I don't think there wasn't much, if any, non work related interaction before Hunter became Coven Head. It would make sense if Belos was keeping him isolated, after all.

Hunter's isolation was kind of the driving point for the overarching plot. He surely didn't enjoy not being allowed to make friends, and so a lonely kid with a desperate need for socialization with someone other than his emotionally distant uncle would be the perfect set up for a story about found family. Hunter needed someone in his life who actually cared about him, and Darius needed someone who could make him realize he wanted to love again after the death of his mentor.

The "mute" nephew idea was mostly because I thought it would lead to funny misinterpretations on Darius' part, but it also does have more significance. Hunter basically has two sides of himself under Belos: Nephew and Golden Guard. With Belos, he only knows how to be one or the other. Hunter wants to be taken seriously as Golden Guard as is worried he won't be if people knew who he was. (Nvm that it doesn't work.) He'd just be a nepotism kid to everyone. So, he never takes off the mask as Golden Guard and never speaks as Hunter so no one can recognize his voice. This means, however, that no matter who he is in the moment, he can never fully be himself. No matter what, he's lost some aspect of his identity.

After meeting Darius, Hunter's priorities get flipped. Darius already hates the Golden Guard, so now Hunter's goal is to make sure Darius doesn't find out Hunter is the Golden Guard. With everyone else, he was craving a sense of authority, but Darius ended up giving him a taste of what it was like to have a friend, and he was more terrified of losing that.

On Darius' side, I wanted to write about a man who lost someone he loved and in response, chose to give up. His mentor's death made him into a repressed shell of a man who was too scared to get close to anyone new ever again. Then, he meets a random kid who won't leave him alone and ends up worming his way into his cold, dead heart enough to slowly warm it back up without Darius even realizing until it was too late. The thing is, it didn't even take all that much for Hunter to do that. I like to think Darius likes to act tough and nonchalant a lot of the time, but he's inherently a very soft and caring person, even if he doesn't want to be at first.

The fic (and my writing skills) are far from perfect but despite that, Effortlessly My Baby is always going to have a special place in my heart. I was very sad to have to end it but at the same time, every story needs to end eventually. I can't just keep them going forever. I'm always grateful to everyone who read it and I hope it brings people joy for years to come.

[lustlovehart]

I usually struggle with writing/commenting on anything, but I gotta. The monster!AU, that Malleus piece? Fucking gold. I absolutely loved it. I don't know how often I reread it. Likely seriously. It's so good. I love your writing style, I love how you portrait Malleus as absolutely infatuated but still as a (powerful) monster who, well, does monster things. En mass, since he's so powerful.

I'd love to see more of the Monster!AU (especially Diasomnia, I'm a sucker for them), but I also just wanna say I'm gonna read whatever you post anyway.

Love your work, I hope you're doing well and have a fun spooky month ahead of you!

People really reread my stuff that much?!?! IM HONORED.

Honestly, I really thought the Malleus piece would only get like, 100 notes as it was on the older side. I did go back and add more to it though, so that might be why it got more traction than expected 😭.

My writing style for Monster!Twst is basically just a constant, “How do I make it sound romantic enough for everyone to understand their interest“ and “how do I make them crazy murderers?“

Malleus and Readers dance was probably one of my favorite ways to show it! (There was also something simialr to it in the Incubus!Vil piece, but its a bit more subtle compared to Malleus. This next paragraph is just gonna be me blabbing about Hard Stoned Gallery Dance guys!)

I tried to show MH!Darling’s lack of awaraness of the danger he imposes in the dance! Throughout the whole thing they’re sloppy, essentially relaxed as each step they take is messy, but still lands where they’re meant to. Menwhile, in the complete opposite of the spectrum is Malleus, who is quite literally serandaing you with praise and kisses, while performing the dance with perfection.

It shows how oblivous reader can be about the danger they let run rampant into the world, and said danger lovingly holding them in his arms.

Until you smell the foul stentch, and the disposition changes immediately. You become rigid with worry, while Malleus’s gentle grip becomes harsh, movments becoming swift amd sharp with no time to reciporocate.

I’m sorry about that ramble, but i wanted to gush about the one part I liked about the fic (≧◡≦) ♡

Don’t worry! Ive stated before there will be a lot more Monster!Twst to come, especially with it being halloween season (￣▽￣) (I have like 3 requests for the Au, The Heartslaybul chapter, and one extra post with a potential thought of Fellow and Skully!)

Speaking of Diasmonia, all the dorms play a heavy part in the story, but! They’re actually a bit more of special case! similar to the actually storyline in twst, I wanted to make it so Diasmonia was basically a mystery factor within the plot, so, they may or may not be some parts where they’re mentioned, or possibly, even there...!

Whether you read only Monster!Twst or my other stuff, i’m happy you spend time out of your day enjoying my writing! Thank you for your kinds words, and I hope you have a very sppoky october too!!!! ( ´ ▽ ` ).｡ｏ♡

[miru667]

Hi again, Miru! Sorry to bother, im always so curious. I've got two questions: 1. Do you think Onceler AU askblogs could still do well in this day and age? Im still seeing some of them alive but they gain very little traction most of the time, barely enough to even keep going. 2. What does lerkimpails mean? Keep seeing it a lot, no idea what it refers to. Thank you for your time and have a wonderful day!! :D

Hi! Don't be sorry! Around 2014-2015 the regular fandom tags like #onceler and #the lorax started getting filled more and more with outside people hating on the fandom, so the fandom agreed on using more discreet tags so that we could see things without having to sift through all the negativity. You can see all the alternate tags here: https://swaggermimint.tumblr.com/post/110118338700/we-need-new-tags

Not all of them are relevant anymore obviously, but as you can see, #lerkimpails is a tag for anything related to askblogs. Over time though and with so many new people joining the fandom, awareness of those tags got lost, but I'm sure some people still use them and/or follow them today.

As for your first question, I am wondering...what is your definition of "doing well"? Do you need 100 notes per post to consider it "enough traction to keep going"? Or maybe you can be satisfied enough just enjoying something with your friends..? If you're only making an askblog expecting to get attention then in my opinion I think you'd be setting yourself up for disappointment... When I worked on my first Audrey askblog in 2012-2013, all her posts back then had an average of only 2-8 likes and 0 reblogs, and half the time I had to send anon asks to her blog myself, but I kept going because I was just so excited to put my ideas and headcanons out there for those 2-8 people, and I still consider it one of the most fun times I've ever had in the fandom. So it all really depends on your perspective and mindset! If you're passionate about something, you will naturally keep going, and the right people will find you and support you.

That all said, if there's an askblog you want to see more of, and if you have the time and energy to do so, you could be brave and engage with them! Send them asks, share them with your friends, tell the mod you like their oc etc, I'm sure everyone agrees it can really make someone's day.

[jolalibrary]

Going anon because I don’t want you to focus on who sent you this (although I’m sure something I’ll say might give me away <3), but rather, I want you to focus in on your amazing self.

Something I like to do in my daily practice is write down a few things of what made me most happy that day… but for purposes of this, I’d like you to tell me which fic (can be multiple) that you wrote makes you the most happy!

Ignore the notes, ignore the traction — which fic of yours makes you the most happy and warm and all the good feelings, and give an explanation (however long you want) as to why🩶

A lot of times, especially in a world like this where the internet and other’s creativity is so accessible, we forget to give our own selves the credit we deserve. This is my way of sprinkling around that little bit of gratitude.

I hope you have a beautiful day wherever you are.

Endless love🌙

I’ve been stewing on this for some time, and I'm glad I don’t have to choose one. because god, that would be so hard. and each time I come to sit to answer, I get in my head.

so, i've popped helen of hammersmith bridge on by bear's den, and if you will, let's hold hands as we embark on the train of wonder into jo’s mind…

so, naturally, i feel like i want to say Do Me Yourself, because it makes me incredibly happy, warm. it makes me want to spend all my time with them and my usual process is to write the ending and work towards it, but gosh, i don't even want to think about them ending. you know?

but then, I also loved writing Anytime. I loved javi coming back and just being in love with his friend he goes to a wedding with. and I loved writing joel at bill and franks house because I felt hot writing it? like i was a person that someone would want to do that with. i want to say The Book Of Love with frankie all lost and healing, stumbling into a bookshop because it made me grin imagining all the shelves.

but then I love, I Like The Way You because it made me feel empowered to be sexy, to be sexual? to make sex about me and not just the person im with after some bad things that happened and that i healed from. then there's din, just in awe of this person he shares a small space with, these two souls who both feel like me a bit when i'm super sad and just unsure of which way is north.

and then, there’s Late Night Texts, this fic that just came to me when I felt so lonely and terrified and sad, and I had a reason, a purpose to literally sit at my desk again. that I then I got to share. that facilitated me finding friends i cannot be without now. and because of that, it continues to make me happy in ways I can’t put into words.

and, that leads me here.

because i don't think i can pick one or even a few. because I just, I love so much of what I do here. because I never thought I’d get to? and it’s such a powerful question, and a good one at that, and one i wish more than anything i could answer.

but when you’re someone who gets depressed and is anxious all the time, you just tell yourself stories to escape everything. to help you put a foot in front of the other and you never expect them to be seen, or even liked. so, in some ways, I can't fathom the idea that this is my day to day. that I have friends who tell beautiful stories and let me into their sandboxes and equally want to play in mine.

because, anon, i can't pick one thing that makes me happy, because all of it does. the writing of the stories, the making them up, the plotting (ugh, even the editing I GUESS), but then, once the anxious window has passed after I've pressed "post", i get a new wave of joy from my work. i get to see people interact with me, friends and hopeful friends talking to me about it, about a character, a line or plot point, and god, it makes my heart so full.

so, while i cannot say i love every fic with the same amount of love as others, i do love a hell of a lot of them. from the pain of luna in nowhere who helped me realise i wasn't as well as i thought, to the airport kiss of javi and crossword; from frankie meeting pg at benny's fight to kissing his best friend called beans. from marcus devouring on a glass table to a thunderstorm fuck with joel, i am so in awe and overjoyed with how far I've pushed myself.

and that i have a space to do it in.

one where thoughtful people like you ask me something like this and care about what i have to say.

jo from 2022 wouldn't believe where jo of 2024 is, so thank you for letting me create things and being my friend and caring what i have to say, whether it's a shit post about brown eyes saving me or something heartfelt like this.

thank you <3

im sorry i didn't really answer this... i hope this was a good replacement instead.

[servetolive]

This was touched upon in a previous post of mine but I decided I wanted to elaborate.

So I'm in a smaller fandom (sort of, I don't have any friends engaging with me over it) and writing niche stuff that I'm very proud of. It's honestly my best work. Unlike my previous major project it has received little traction.

And that's fine. This has forced me to write *for myself* only without expecting feedback and dopamine and I am finally there. I am having the greatest time writing this.

But you have no idea how much it makes my day when someone DOES comment. It means I'm seen. I want to see my readers, too, because it means there's someone out there that I can relate to in the crazy world of derivative fiction and smut.

There's a lot of complaints about people not commenting, which are valid and true. It's a little ridiculous when your story receives a million kudos but no other social feedback.

But I'm going to go out on a limb and say this:

Everything is so isolated these days and revolves around popular fanartists, that there really is no longer a sense of fandom community in the welcoming way it existed before. It's worse for writers. Unless we can draw, we can't compete with visual artists and even though many hundreds of readers spend time with our stories and characters, they have dick to say about it.

It is extremely painful for many to spend so much hard work on something and get 500 kudos and 5 comments. Social anxiety shouldn't be an excuse on the fucking internet, but it is, and here is why:

Many writers do not respond to comments at all. I can't tell you how many times I poured my heart out to a writer about how deeply their story touched me and received NOTHING in response. Everything in human society is give or take. So if you're not acknowledging a compliment from someone, why the fuck should they say anything to you at all? This practice has led MANY commenters too scared to comment because of rejection by someone they look up to.

Commenting is already putting a reader in a vulnerable place and if writers don't appreciate that they've come to YOU, to compliment you on something you worked hard on that struck a chord with them, and you don't respond with even a "thank you!" it leaves such a shitty feeling behind. It's also rude as fuck.

"Guess they don't care that I love this thing they spent so much effort on." Even I, who loves doing long, gushing, analytical comments, have stopped because of the lack of response when I take the time out of my busy day to write a detailed comment about how much I love this work.

There is a horrible stench of consumerism in fandom at current. "U create, I enjoy." there's not much exchange of information or love or creativity. Social media culture has destroyed that and facilitated putting certain content creators on a pedastal, while ignoring others. Writers that don't engage with their audiences when it's as simple as a reply button *make people not want to share their love for your work.*

I don't know why that is. I don't get it. "I'm too busy" bitch you weren't too busy to write that fic and enjoy the dopamine the comments gave you when you opened up your email and saw comments on AO3. I cannot fathom someone telling me that they love what I put my heart and soul into and stonewalling or ignoring them. It comes off as "yeah, I know 💅🏿💅🏾 💅🏽 💅🏼"

I'm old enough to have figured out to write for the pleasure of it and not chase dopamine from others (that gives ppl control over your emotions and your story). But it's bittersweet. Nobody wants to put their blood sweat and tears into something to see this kudos- comment-hits ratio. (half of the comments are my responses)

The point of writing is to share something with your readers and explore the human condition through a story that the reader can be a part of. This is hard to do, and we're not making money off of it. Just like readers need to comment if they want to see more of something from an author, fanfiction writers should show some appreciation for the people that gas us up.

They're kind of the reason we're doing this, otherwise we'd just live in our heads without the bother or writers block, being late to work because of a chapter we became obsessed with, or getting over the anxiety of posting something that came from you, that others may not enjoy.

You post your shit to be seen. It's hard to be seen these days in the Internet Age. So, if people see you, you should at least thank them.

/tedtalk

[tame-a-messenger]

too long for comment so I am going into ask box again

I am kinda sad how the handled sword AF so far in general and are STILL handling it. Even if the answer is "hey, we are not sure when sword AF will return/we are uncertain about the future of it in general,". It would be so much better to get than just silence. Also, I get that it kind of underperformed, and it must be one of the most expansive things to produce. So yeah, it kind of underperformed slightly in a Smosh context, but it had SO FUCKING MUCH FANWORK. Like, fewer people cared about it, but the people that did care A LOT. Which, like, you can tap into that to finance it. For example, I feel like sword AF merch would perform really well.

We can't know, but if we are not getting Sword AF for financial reasons, that would be so stupid. Because I don't think it has to be that way.

This is all just wild speculating when it comes down to it, and the reasons are definitely more complicated that (time is very likely a BIG factor as well)

Typically, I am really not a fan of guessing and speculating based on so little, but because it is about a show, I give myself a pass haha

*Rattling at the gates of Smosh HQ, "WILL SWORD AF RETURN FROM THE WAR???"

(Additional thing: In a way it was kinda funny they announced that sword AF wasn't going to happen hours after it was supposed to drop. Like were they actually surprised people cared about it??? Haha. )

That's what I find so disrespectful about all this. They haven't said a peep about Sword AF since they delayed it.

I understand that the views didn't do SUPER amazingly well, but they didn't do worse than a lot of other content they've put out? The first ep of S1 got 1.4mil and over the whole 9 eps it got a total of 4.7mil views? (I'm including the "Movie"-comp of all the eps - it had 403k)

The least viewed video (weirdly) is the final ep. I think it's because a lot of people fell off watching it. Keep in mind, they uploaded episodes every two weeks, which I'm willing to bet is a big reason why a lot of people stopped watching.

I feel like most first seasons of D&D campaigns don't start out with crazy views, it's expected to gain traction the more it goes on? That's how I feel.

I agree that running a D&D campaign does take a lot of effort and (from what I've heard) takes a lot of world building and really is a huge time sucker, I can see how they would want need more time to work on it (giving only 3-4 months to write a whole season in-between doing voice over/other freelance work sounds like a lot) so wanting more time I understand. It's just that they haven't given any updates or talked about it AT ALL, that's what's really weird.

SO many people love Sword AF! There was so much fan art! and everyone was talking about it in fan spaces!

Like it was so loved! and I know a lot of table top/D&D people are LOADED, and they would 100% buy even the worst looking merch because of how much they liked the series! (I would by something with Rumpum on it! That sounds so fucking cute!) so I don't see there being any real reason not to do a S2 except either they don't have the time to write it/or are just generally really busy, or some totally unknown reason behind the scenes??

At the end of the day it is just really bizarre to me that they haven't mentioned it at all? like not a peep?

"(Additional thing: In a way it was kinda funny they announced that sword AF wasn't going to happen hours after it was supposed to drop. Like were they actually surprised people cared about it??? Haha. )"

(Was it not the exact time it was supposed to be uploaded? I remember waiting for it and seeing the community post notif at the exact time it was supposed to drop? or maybe 15mins after? either way-)

That was such a slap in the face. It hurts worse now that it's been enough time that I can be certain there was NO WAY it was even close to being finished (or maybe even started?) They really waited till the absolute last- no, PAST the last second to let us know it wasn't dropping. What a way to shit in the face of the people that cared.. (I literally cleared my schedule to be able to watch it and was waiting for the clock to hit 1pm (I live est) thinking I was gonna spend at least an hour watching the new ep.. I can only imagine how many other people had gotten stuff set up to watch, that got fucked with.)

I do want a S2, I want them to say something about it at least. And they BETTER apologize about how they handled it.

[robotsprojekt]

Hi! I came across your post about niche sexualities and I saw musicsexual was tagged. I was wondering if you'd be open to telling me more about that one specifically because I think I might have an alter that identifies with that but there aren't a lot of resources that talk about being musicsexual!

For sure! I've tried to detail my experience with it here but if you want to talk about anything else my DMs are always open :D

There's no term that really fits my attraction to music in the way I feel it, which is actually the whole reason I made that post in the first place... (i did not expect it to get the traction it has received but i'm all for it!) Regardless, I tagged it with musicsexual because I felt that might be the most easy term to look up? Another term I found was Musicophilia, but that mostly just linked back to a book (under that title) about sound psychology and music theory, and didn't actually detail attraction in regards to romance/sexuality. Musicsexual doesn't really feel like it fits personally, either. I feel like there should be some official term made for it that's broader than sexual interest, in the way 'objectum' is for those with platonic/romantic/sexual interest for those with objectophilia. Honestly I'm not sure how we'd go about that, though.

Now onto my experience with music itself- this probably won't be entirely sfw as it'll talk vaguely about sexual interests, but nothing detailed? I'm not sure what warnings would apply here lol

It's not every song I'm attracted to, it's specific ones. Songs that make me feel confident, music and soundtracks that I have an emotional attachment to, songs that do "get me in the mood", but not even necessarily towards a person or a craving for romantic/sexual connection, more just that the piece of music itself brings me such intense emotional and physical feelings that I don't see many people relate to. It's like that, if that makes sense..? There's likely better ways to word it, but I'm rambling off the top of my head here.

Typically my attraction comes to songs with a strong beat, something you could dance to. It makes me want to personify the music in a sense, just to be close to it. The best way I can show that is through enjoying myself, dancing, learning the lyrics, reccomending the song, etc etc. On occasion, it'll be songs without lyrics, usually something orchestral or from a game's soundtrack, perhaps both if I'm lucky. I suppose for others their 'type' in music would be different, as it is for attraction to other people.

It's not like I believe the music itself can be the reciprocate of affection, it's not like that. It's moreso just that my brain takes the phrase 'music is beautiful' very literally, and it makes me affectionate and loving towards the piece itself. I could talk for hours about my favourite songs, and my heart would beat the same as it would if I were to ramble about all the things I love about my darling partner. It's love. Attraction. Affection. I'm not even sure what to call it, but I know what I'm feeling is the same.

Sexually? I don't know how to describe it other than "this song is HOT." I mean it's not like it always makes me feel like I'm attractive myself, though it usually does by proxy, sometimes the song is just fuckable. It just makes sense to me that way. Of course, it's not uncommon that people play music during sex, and though that is a wonderful experience in its own right, it's not quite the same to me as actually enjoying the music in a sexual sense without the need of a human presence to be attracted to. That's what made me realise that musicsexuality is its own thing, and not just some weird kink: people aren't necessary to the attraction whatsoever. Though, again, it is a nice bonus when they collide! Haha!

Put simply, music affects me in a way that makes me feel in love, and to my knowledge it's not a common experience for people to feel that way. A lot of people probably do, and don't know how to put it into words, or think it's too taboo, for one reason or another. I'm attracted to certain music, and it's nice, and it's pure. I hope there are others with my experience out there, too.

I'm not sure what else I could detail here, really, but again, if you have any questions my askbox/DMs are available! Hope this helps you and your alter(s) feel seen, at the very least :)

[shadowqueenjude]

I was tagged in this game a long time ago by @positivelyruined

Things you'd like to know about fellow writers:

Last book I read: last book I FINISHED was House of Flame and Shadow. Currently we're struggling through The Cruel Prince.

Greatest literary inspirations: Suzanne Collins, Rick Riordan, JK Rowling, and Jane Austen (please note this is ONLY for their writing, not their beliefs outside of their works)

Things in my fandom that I want to read but I don't want to write: honestly having trouble writing long fics these days, have been sticking to one-shots, but Nesta having a relationship with Ember and Bryce and Tamlin slowly recovering from his trauma post-ACOSF are top of the list. Why I want to read this? I think Nesta could benefit a lot from having a good mother in her life; her life was molded by her abusive mother, and she has so few people in her life who stand up for her. And Bryce humbling the shit out of everyone IC and being Ember's daughter? Bestie potential fr. Tamlin recovering from his trauma post-ACOSF? Because I think he has been done dirty by SJM and I would like to feel his struggles first-hand. I don't feel like I'm qualified enough to write about this though (not the skill of my writing, but it's a heavy topic). Also, I have too many WIPs.

Things in my current fandom that I want to write about but I don't think anyone will be interested but me: honestly i THOUGHT my Azriel-Beron mating bond idea would be unpopular, but it is getting a SURPRISING amount of traction recently so guess who's writing it for sjmvillainweek???

You can recognize my writing by: I'm a very emotional writer first and foremost; I like writing emotionally charged scenes and allowing you inside the character's head so you can really see how powerful their emotions are.

My most controversial takes:

Some time ago I would've said it's that Feysand-Nessian-Elriel are the absolute worst ships in the fandom, but I don't think that's a controversial take anymore; the people are realizing.

So maybe my most controversial takes are:

Azriel ain't all that, he is infantilized too much by the pro and anti side of this fandom and it's ridiculous that he gets so much love for literally doing nothing. He's like that mediocre guy who nobody expects shit from so the one time he actually DOES do stuff he is treated like a celebrity. He is whiny when most of his problems are self-made, which is highly irritating. He's a total creep and he's got a LONG way to go before he is in any way worthy of Gwyn.

Tamlin should no longer be a High Lord. I was honestly surprised this was such a controversial take, but I think I've surrounded myself with loads of pro-Tamlins. Obviously I want him to ensure the future of Spring before he abdicates, but being a High Lord is something that truly made him miserable, especially as of ACOSF. We might not have been having this conversation had he remained as he was in book 1, but the truth is he is no longer the same guy he once was and I simply don't see how SJM is going to bring him back. I'd rather he live in peace than be SJM's plaything.

Favorite tropes:

Black cat girlfriend-golden retriever/doberman boyfriend

Literally anything regency-related

Forced Proximity, rivals to lovers (enemies to lovers is a bit much for me I think)

Current writing mood: 5 because I can write loads of short snippets but actually putting together a story is rough for me rn

Fandom frustration:

Honestly, fandom hierarchies. Some people are obsessed with follower count and catering their content to appeal to a wider audience and while I think that's fine to an extent, we have people trying to lord themselves over others because they have a couple hundred more followers. Like...at the end of the day, we're all just fucking nerds, tf do you mean you think you're superior?

Also, butting into the opposing side of the fandom. Like, it's different if a post asks for friendly discourse, but when the post is clearly not meant for you, why tf are you trying to make your opinion known? Know when your opinion is wanted.

Also the current threat to fanfiction. Stop trying to buy and sell fanfic tf? We write this shit for free.

Everyone has probably already done this, but...

Tagging: @crazy-ache @sonics-atelier @simmanin anyone who wants to do it!

[philtstone]

Writer asks! 3, 6, 10, 16!

im soooo late to replying to this but. thank you beloved and here we go

#3 What’s your favorite fic that you’ve written?

this is such a hard and mean question but here are some top contenders:

"easy, easy (my man and me)" - claire and jamie build a treehouse in the backyard. it came to me so effortlessly and i am still proud of the prose. also i sent it to my beloved high school english teacher and he loved it which makes it special! i don't think he realized it was fanfic lol

"hopeful." - sam and bucky accidentally adopt a bunch of super kids in the sort-of apocalypse. not prosaically perfect necessarily but my first ever completed chapter fic! i put a lot of myself into this one and it got me through a pretty tough year emotionally, and on top of that im actually proud of it!

"my daddy was a prominent frogman" - frodo baggins and his friends try to save their hippie summer camp from the evil industrialists. listen. this au is evergreen. 5 years later i have been inspired to write for it again, because it was just that good.

#6 Are there any fics from others you reread all the time?

Yes! of course!!! a staple of the genre! i say this and immediately forget every fic i've ever read!

I think the true brain changing fics are ones that i reread once a year or every few years. alternatively, i'll read one fic 10 times in a month. i read "let our joys so multiply" by @fallofrainblog 5 times in a week once so that gets a shoutout. every so often i have to go back and read irnan's star wars fics for personal reasons. also, the legendary anne fic catching moonlight which i go back to about once every 2 years. hilarious how 2 of these are ancient ffnet gems but there u go

its weird bc a lot of fics i'll forget about for years and then suddenly be like "oh yeah that one changed my brain irreversibly. i wonder if it holds up" and then i go find it again and am generally confirmed that it does, indeed, hold up.

#10 Is there a fic that got a different response than you were expecting?

Hmmm! many of them, frankly. there are some fics i write as throw aways with no expectation they will get traction, like "shut your mouth, hold your breath" or the very silly ponniyin selvan road trip au. there are others which I know are niche but still wish they had more traction so i had more external drive to finish them, because in theory i love the concept but just don't have the internal juice to see it through to the end. the force sensitive claire au is one of those i think. there are still others which are for huge fandoms and i am left wondering why they feel totally lost to the void. but that's all part of the deal, i guess, and quite often more related to my own ignorance of what is currently trendy

#16 At what point in the process do you come up with titles?

it really depends on the fic but very very rarely is the title conceived before the story. maybe for original fiction -- actually exclusively for original fiction do i do that. for fanfics i write the fic and then in the seconds before i post on ao3 i hail mary a title out of whatever divine inspiration is in that moment directly beamed into my brain from the heavens. usually in the form of song lyrics.