#i fear nai would not let you. however. I AM THE WRITER. i can make this happen | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

quinintheclouds · 4 years ago

Text

YES YES YES YES YES

Spoilers for RWBY Volume 8 Chapter 6

THAT WAS SO MUCH MORE THAN I HAD EVEN LET MYSELF HOPE FOR

It really looks like this is the Volume the writers realized how many answers we’ve needed for years and years, and is answering them now. I wish it’d come sooner, of course, but since they can’t go back and fix the pacing or writing, I’m really impressed and optimistic about how Volume 8 is going!

BUT MORE SPECIFICALLY

I would like to GUSH about how they handled the Oscar and Ozpin scenes. We have needed, nay, BEGGED for this sort of development, and it’s finally here. There’s too much I want to rave about so bullet point time!

[Note: I love the farmboy so this wound up longer than expected -- have a read more for your scrolling convenience -- TL;DR at the end]

We got confirmation that Ozpin has been pleading with Oscar to let him take over so he can burden the pain and torture instead. Oscar is the one refusing, choosing to take it himself because he knows Salem and Hazel will be much harsher on Oz. I thought that was the case, but I’m so glad they addressed it because otherwise we’d be wondering why Oz hasn’t offered. It does make me wonder, is Oz still able to take control without asking? Oscar was able to fight it in vol 6, and he’s come a long way.

Hazel is holding back -- at least, Oscar says he can tell that he is. This would keep in line with the battle at Haven, when Hazel was suspiciously playing defense and stalling by letting Ozpin monologue, then letting Oscar give a little protagonist speech... I mean, it sure doesn’t LOOK like he’s holding back. Look at this kid:

moving on before I cry,

Ozpin suggests he take over and try to escape.

Oscar says no, he has a better idea. “This is our chance.”

Oz: “Hm. Maybe you’ve taken one too many hits.” I like this for two reasons: one, because it gives us a taste of the ol’ lighthearted Ozpin humor we’ve missed since he’s been gone, and two, because it shows that he and Oscar think differently. They have different thought processes, ideas, etc. Oz didn’t immediately know what Oscar was planning.

Oscar explains that Salem can’t take on everyone at once, and thus has been sending people to infiltrate all of remnant first, to attack from within.

I LOVE that they had Oscar come up with this, because it is so in line with his character development in Volume 7. Not to mention how in volume 6 he was the one to figure out how to defeat Cordovin’s mecha. It’s cool to see him as a strategist, because while he’s a sweet kid from the middle of nowhere, he’s proven to be really smart and quick.

Plus, this gives him agency. People wanted Ozpin to return and save Oscar, but this is so, so much better. Oscar’s idea, Oscar’s choice, and Oz gets right on board. They’re agreeing to work together, despite their unresolved conflict. “Ozma learned the importance of living with the souls with which he’d been paired.”

AND THEN, A MOMENT I CANNOT THANK RT ENOUGH FOR:

The captions don’t show it, but Oscar AND Ozpin said this in unison. Now, this and the few seconds that follow were a rollercoaster of emotions. Let’s break it down:

When they said this together, I was positively GIDDY with excitement: they’re leaning into the “like-minded souls” thing and calling attention to the situation! Surely this must be a sign that Oscar and Ozpin will indeed both exist when their souls are one, as they are both equally parts of the combination of lives that is Ozma. Well, maybe not equally (yet?).

Then, my elation was replaced with dread. What if this was actually an indication of them “merging” in the way some of the FNDM interpret it will go, rather than how I think it does? Or what if that’s not what RT is doing, but what if the FNDM takes it as a sign Ozpin is taking over?? I can’t last the whole break without knowing!

AND THEN!!! Ugh, this made me so relieved. Ozpin says, in a slightly amused tone of voice with a trace of a laugh, “We certainly are similar, you and I.” YESSSSS more references to them being like-minded souls!! But still having differences!!

“Maybe we have been presented with an opportunity.” I’m really glad they went the route where Oscar is changing Ozpin’s mind on things. Oz no longer thinks he knows best, and is allowing Oscar to come into his own. Now he’s seeing how far Oscar’s come and the person he is.

Related note: The commentary for the vol 7 finale said that it was Oscar’s speeches to Ironwood about fear and trust that made Oz realize he’s been keeping secrets and hiding out of fear, and inspired him to come back. This is so promising for Oscar’s character going forward.

[Side note: Would love more info on what Oscar meant in volume 7 when he said “these memories... you’re back, aren’t you?” because? Is he just referring to the scenes with things like how he talked about Atlas’ history as if he were there, or does he have access to Oz’s memories now? 2 chapters ago we saw that he doesn’t yet know the location of the Beacon Relic. So unless he was lying really well, he doesn’t have ALL the memories yet. So which ones does he have? RT EXPLAIN]

Next,

I would like to call attention to the fact that Oscar smiled here. After Ozpin said they were similar, I was worried Oscar would react the way he has in the past: sad and conflicted about his identity, worried he’s becoming less of himself. But no. Like we saw in Volume 7, THIS is who Oscar Pine is. His development was his own, and we get to see that when Ozpin returned because Oscar had made him rethink his choices. Oscar Pine is more himself now than he’s been at any other point in the series.

It’s really brilliant how the writers have used these last 2 volumes to show that Penny, the robot, is one of the most human characters on the show; and Oscar, the boy cursed to death and rebirth with a soul that was not his own, is one of the most individualistic ones. It’s just really cool how they’re playing with our expectations of the characters. (They’re doing great with Salem, too!)

[Side note: Penny’s soul/aura was given to her by Pietro, and they still have distinct personalities and identities. It’s possible that’s a parallel to Oscar’s situation, but I do feel the merge’s completion will result in one remaining soul/identity - just not a “taking over” situation]

Okay, that’s the last of that rollercoaster I mentioned.

Time to get on a new one!

At long last, this episode finally gave us something we haven’t had since chapter 4 of volume SIX*:

*(I am not counting the one second of "Oscar." *glowy eyes* *Oscar blinks and is back in control* in the vol 7 finale)

OZPIN IS BACK!!!!

First, HELL YES I WANTED THIS TO HAPPEN!!!

Second, wow, they can change really quickly now. At first it took effort and was super visible, then just shook Oscar up a bit with the glowy eyes, and now it seems almost effortless, seamless. The eyes glow and the transition is smooth. I like it.

We didn’t get to hear Oscar’s thoughts after Oz said “Oscar, please,” begging him again to let him take control. So we don’t know whether Oscar allowed it out of pain, exhaustion, their plan, or a decision to trust Oz and work together here. Alternatively, Ozpin may have simply taken over of his own accord. I wish the writers would give us more insight to Oscar’s thoughts, because those scenes already have him talking inside/to his own head, so leaving some of his thoughts out can seem intentional and open-ended, which could mean more dragging out answers, but I think this was fine. Not the worst case of this by far lol

WHEN! HE! SPOKE!

I was hoping for this with all my heart. Over the course of volume 7 in particular, we saw Oscar’s voice, mannerisms, and speech patters start to resemble Ozpin’s. However, he still sounds and feels like Oscar. Going back to Volume 5, heck, even Volume 6 (which is when we last saw Ozpin in control), the voice of Ozpin speaking through Oscar is similar, but distinctly different from how Oscar’s speaking now. So I’ve been theorizing and hoping, and it CAME TRUE! Ozpin sounds more like Oscar now, while still managing to clearly be Ozpin.

Right from the first “Hello,” it was noticeable. It sounded almost like Oscar. I know it’s the same voice actor when one of them is in control (same body, same vocal cords), but that just makes it even more impressive. This is the first time we’ve heard Ozpin’s voice speaking through Oscar since QRWBY yelled at him in the snow in vol 6. And I was NOT disappointed.

“Why do you follow her?” I’ll keep saying it, but he sounds so much like Oscar confronting Ironwood.

“I know how you see me. But her? Look at what she does, how is she the answer, why not stop her??” This gives me serious deja vu to Oscar’s speech towards Hazel in the Battle of Haven (and his speech towards Ironwood in v7′s finale). That speech had given Hazel pause then, and this one does as well, now. Ozpin sounds angrier, though, more aware of just how far gone these people are, but knowing they can change.

Hazel calls Ozpin out for the same thing the FNDM has been, and honestly, it’s been a long time coming. Hazel’s motivations are extremely misguided, Oscar was right to stand up for Oz/Gretchen at Haven, and the show really needed to reinforce the Ozpin-isn’t-bad-actually thing. Now it’s all out in the open. But it’s Ozpin’s response to this that elevated this scene even more:

That’s it. Ozma has spent countless lives fighting a war that may be impossible to win. But if no one tries, no one will survive. The gods will destroy all of Remnant. Still, every single lifetime, he chooses to try. Like Oscar said in volume 5 (about Hazel’s sister but writing-wise also kinda about Pyrrha), “She made a choice! A choice to put others before herself. So do I.” Like-minded souls.

AND THIS!!! Good gods I’m glad he said this. The show went way too long before anyone even questioned the “You can’t” answer from Jinn. Nora mentioned it in passing earlier, which I liked a lot (though this really should’ve been discussed in volume 6, but better late than never). But here? We see that Oz never gave up, never planned on losing, not sending people to a battle he “knows they can’t win.” While Salem is immortal, she is not infallible. Not even the gods were. Salem can be fought. Even Hazel has a moment of hesitation, perhaps even realization, before Salem enters.

Salem manipulates Cinder, offering her the maiden powers she wants so badly, and Ozpin interjects. “You’ll only be helping her bring about the end, for all of you!”

I just wanted to show these shots because again, just as we’ve seen Oscar’s mannerisms become increasingly similar to Ozpin’s, now that he’s back, we get to see the other way around. Look at the surprise and fear on his face. Look at how he widens his eyes and raises his eyebrows instead of narrowing/furrowing them now. Listen to the sounds he makes when tortured or thrown about. Listen to the desperation and earnest passion held in his pleas. He’s no longer hiding -- he’s being honest with the people who scare him most, and truly trying to help them see the light.

[Side note: Cinder is not showing remorse in this scene, but I wonder how she’d react to Oscar, not Ozpin, being tortured. In the same episode, we have Cinder being tortured with a shock collar, AND we have Oscar decide to try to appeal to the humanity left in these villains. Last time we saw Oscar, Salem was torturing him with intense, almost electric magic. She might not care, but I wonder...]

ANYWAY I’m done for now. Have a TL;DR that wound up being long too

TL;DR:

Basically, I’m super happy with the writers for the detail put into these scenes:

they confirmed Oz has been begging to take over and bear the torture instead

had Oscar come up with an idea himself instead of getting rescued or immediately escaping

had Oscar view his dire situation as an opportunity, reminding us of his optimism and capabilities as a strategist

had Ozpin not know what Oscar’s plan was before he explained it (this might change as the souls become one, but it at least shows they think differently)

Oscar’s plan to appeal to the villains’ humanity and infiltrate Salem’s forces from within lining up with his volume 7 character development

had Oz trust Oscar and put his faith in him, which is progress for Oz

Oz and Oscar speaking in unison and agreeing to work together

Ozpin’s comment about them being similar, not the same

had Ozpin take control to speak to Hazel

Ozpin’s speech to Hazel and Cinder as parallels to Oscar’s speeches to Hazel and Ironwood, which CRWBY said were the reason Oz realized his secrecy is out of fear of trust, and Oscar’s points are what inspired him to come back.

Ozpin sounding and acting more like Oscar just like we’ve seen happen the other way around (though with Oscar, he’s holding true to his own ideas/morals, with Oz meeting him there)

established hope for some of our villains to defect, setting it in motion.

#oscar pine #professor ozpin #rwby ozma #the merge #rwby ozcar #hate calling them that lol but it's a useful tag #rwby8 #rwby #quinpost

192 notes · View notes

ainarosewood · 4 years ago

Text

FFXIVWrite2020 Writing Challenge Day 16

@sea-wolf-coast-to-coast @ffxiv-writers

Prompt-Lucubration

Stories

Count Edmont stretched realizing he'd yet again fallen asleep while penning his memoirs. Stifling a groan the old Elezen pushed himself to his feet and grabbed his cane intent on making his way to his bed.

As he stepped out of his study however he noted that light in the guest sitting room was on curious as to whom would be up at this late hour he made his way there.

Sitting beneath the glow of the lamp surrounded by tomes and scrolls sat the Warrior of Light. The diminutive Lalafell at first did not notice his presence in the door way as she sat upon a chair much too tall for her reading what appeared to be a scroll with some form of measurements on it.

At her feet her three carbuncles lay piled and sound asleep something that was both comical and surprising. From what young Alphinaud had explained these constructs didn't require sustenance or rest as a mortal would and yet there they were sleeping as if they were dogs resting at their masters feet.

As the floor creaked beneath his foot the topaz colored ones ears twitched and he opened his eyes. Then yawning he looked up at the Lalafell and chimed softly.

Blinking the Warrior looked down at him for a moment then up and gave a polite smile, "Forgive me if the light disturbed you Count."

He gave her a warm smile responding, "Nay Warrior you disturbed me naught. I was merely curious as to whom might be awake sharing this late hour with my elderly self."

The Plainsfolk’s grin broadened and relief filled those mismatched eyes, "I see, and please Count call me Lelulu."

"Apologies mistress Lelulu I did not mean to offend,"

"No offense taken it just gets quite tiresome for people to refer to me by my title so often," she gave a grimace.

"I understand, you'll not hear it from my lips again. I hope you do not mind me asking but what has caught your attention at this hour? I confess I cannot make sense of the documents I see before you, Are they arcanima?"

The Plainsfolk gave a laugh, "No though I could see how you could infer such given my chosen method of battle. They are aetheric readings of and information concerning the primals. Urianger has asked me to take a look at them to see if another set of eyes may shed some here unto unknown revelations as to the nature of the beings."

She set down the one she had been looking at and gave a sigh, "Honestly I should have begun this ages ago but, with all that had been happening since our arrival I could scarce spare the time until now.'

"I must beg your apologies then, to have asked guests to get involved in the affairs of my house and to have put some of them in danger by such..." the Count began

Lelulu vehemently shook her head, "It isn't you fault count you gave us the option and we chose, as we always do to lend aid. Please don’t take what I said as a complaint. Its more I put this off longer than I should have due to my own choices."

"I see," he replied

The Lalafell gave a giggle, "In all honesty its not surprising that I would choose a late hour such as this to study. I always did such back in the Studium before my expulsion."

Edmont found curiosity got the better of propriety and he asked, "Pray why would such an establishment expel one as learned as yourself. I would think that they would welcome such a bright mind amongst them."

Lelulu gave a sigh sorrow and remembered anger filling her eyes, "Because they valued their financial backing more than a capable student."

Edmont was going to leave it at that seeing that he had dredged up a painful memory for her he went to apologize as she continued.

"I should better explain," she said softly, "I had made a haunted house with glamor prisms and props out of one of the unused lecture halls. I wanted to introduce my fellows to the All Saints Wake celebration. It had been a hit amongst the staff and students they had been delighted by how real it all seemed."

Her mismatched eyes hardened in anger as and she growled, "Then one of the Fourm happened to pass through it and was terrified she had thought the illusions were real and she demanded that the Deans take appropriate action."

"And so they chose to expel you to appease her fearing loss of monetary gain no?"

She nodded then said, "To compound issues my attendance was not truly welcomed since I was half Sharlayan and my father in their opinion should not be well respected due to his past."

At the Count's eyebrow she explained, "He had been an Adventurer before he decided to settle in Sharlayan. I will not deny my mother had been correct that he had fought hard to be considered respectable. But, it didn’t change the fact that it was known and so many believed for that alone I had no place in the Studium to begin with."

"Hmf sounds not unlike the foolishness of some of my own countryman," he scoffed.

She gave a huge grin and a laugh, "Aye very akin in nature Count to be truthful."

"So I can infer that this incident is what led you onto your current path?" he asked curiosity once again winning over sense of propriety.

"Sort of, it was a factor for certain," she stated, "What really spurred it was my mother's refusal to even hear what had truly happened. She saw my actions as an embarrassment to the family and refused to let me explain. I had a bit of a falling out with her and decided my place wasn’t there.....childish I know but it infuriated me that she wouldn’t even hear me out."

The Count gave a sigh and looked at one of the windows his eyes distant, "Family honor, can be a prickly subject for many, as my late wife can attest to."

At her questioning glance he felt it was only fair to elaborate since she had just told him so much, "She could never bring herself to accept Haurchefant. To her he was a constant reminder of my one indiscretion..."

"I see," she stated, "Would you be offended if I asked how that came about..."

The old Elezen gave her another kind smile, "Nay t’was simple, it was back when I served as a knight still. I had met another knight full of fire and passion. Truly the boy is a lot like his late mother in personality." he sighed, "We had been paired often shared quite a few dangerous missions and before I really gave it much thought."

"Things happened," she finished for him, "Feelings overrode and you made the choice."

The Count nodded, "Aye, when she informed we of what had come of it I was not about to abandon her or the child." he sighed, "Much to my wife’s annoyance and anger."

He stared out into the snows continuing softly, "He was still a small boy when she fell to a dragon, as is so often stated in this country. So I took him in since he was my son and raised him. My late wife hated it and him and I am sorry to say treated him rather poorly."

Lelulu gave a sigh of her own, "Families ever make things complicated don’t they."

The old Elezen blinked a moment then nodded, "Aye that they do."

He stood there a moment in silence before he shook himself as the clock tolled the hour. "This has been a very interesting discussion but I fear my old bones are craving rest."

She nodded in understanding, "Do not let me keep you further then Count. Rest well and thank you for all you've done for us."

He gave her a bow stating, "You needed a place and my son insisted I give you such. It is our pleasure to have you all here. Have a good rest yourself once you've finished your studies."

With that he left feeling oddly enough much better for the conversation. The old Elezen had not realized how much he had wanted to speak of that to someone. It helped greatly that she wasn't one to judge as another of his countryman would have. As he took to his bed he was glad he’d taken the risk of allowing them to be here in Ishgard.

#FFXIV #FFXIVWrite2020 #Oc Lelulu Lulu #Lalafel #Plainsfolk #aether data center #midgardsormr #minor heavensward spoilers #minor 2.0 spoilers

3 notes · View notes

kaitlyndai · 4 years ago

Text

On writer’s block and anime.

At age thirteen, I finished my first novel: poorly written beyond description but chock-full of an ambitious storyline and Harry-Potter-esque elements; in other words, 396 pages of pure, unadulterated imagination. I typed the last word of the story’s epilogue with irreplicable oomph, relished in its completion for about two weeks, and settled back in front of our bulky iMac to begin round two. This, I thought to myself, was the beginning of the writing career I’d dreamed of for so long. The rest of my life would be clockwork: book after book cranked out one after another, with nothing to go off of (and nothing else needed) but my work ethic and momentum.

I was in for a rude awakening, however, when I experienced it for the first time. A terrible, completely unfamiliar barricade between the part of my brain that strung words together and my fingertips, positioned at the ready over the ridges on the F and J keys. The tiny black cursor blinking against a stark white document didn’t look so much like an exciting new beginning anymore, just a sign of how much of nothing I had. I was told to have a conceptual skeleton in mind when beginning a new piece of writing, but I didn’t even have a conceptual femur, a rib, a stirrup (the smallest bone in the human body, thank you WebMD). The arsenal of ideas I thought I had at my disposal (things I liked about my first book that I wanted to expand on, to revamp, things I hadn’t written about that I wanted to experiment with, and everything in between) had sealed itself up. Something had put a damper on my creativity like molasses poured over the cogs of my brain, and I would soon come to realize this something had a name.

All of us have experienced writer’s block before. To different extents, surely, since writer’s block is far more dire for a freelance author struggling to pay rent than for a high schooler struggling to turn in UC applications on time (not like I speak from experience, or anything), but it’s a universal experience to not have the first clue what to write, and to not know what the hell to do about it.

As someone who’s been writing her whole life in some form or another, I’ve searched high and low for appropriate ways to combat writer’s block, and the methods I’ve discovered have always varied depending on the type of writing in question: skimming important textbook chapters for AP U.S. History essays, rewatching eventful episodes for Criminal Minds fanfiction, watching (and seething with jealousy at) YouTube tutorials for bullet journal spreads, et cetera. Scholar David Bartholomae’s work builds off this idea; he offers his impression of writer’s block only from an academic standpoint, drawing from his experiences as a professor to define writer’s block for college students and college students only. He acknowledges that student-specific difficulties with writing exist, just as blogger-specific or novelist-specific difficulties are just as prominent for writers in those respective fields. Academic writing, which is unique in that it’s being graded, must also cater to the reader in order to reflect well on one’s transcript; students don’t only need to tailor their writing to the subject matter at hand, but also to the professor grading their work. Instructors tend to have certain preferences when it comes to various components of writing, such as sentence structure or word choice, all factors that students try to take into account — all factors that make writing harder.

I remember an earlier writing mentor referring to her writer’s block as an “inspiration deficiency”, a description that made sense for years of my life, but I now know that writer’s block isn’t quite as straightforward as she made it out to be. Calling it a deficiency of something assumes that we know exactly what’s missing, so it should, theoretically, be easy to fight off. Deficient in inspiration? Easy: get inspired. Watch motivational Ted Talks. Listen to MarioKart music on two-times speed. Leaf through your favorite books until you remember what aspects of the authors’ writing you hope to emulate. It’s never enough, because writer’s block is the result of a lack of a lot of things: time to write, motivation to write, emotional, mental, or physical wellness, or anything that helps our brains digest information.

It’s not just a lack of these intangible factors, however. Scholar Jan Corbett, building upon Bartholomae’s interpretation of writer’s block among students, postulates that the cause of writer’s block is actually too many ideas and muddled thought processes. This leads to a state of mind that isn’t so much an “inspiration deficiency” as it is an “inspiration death”, inspiration being completely absent and seemingly unattainable. On top of that, students tend to have botched understandings of the rhetorical conventions of expository essays, so misconceptions about writing only exacerbate the existing problem of being confused as hell. TL;DR: writer’s block, like most things, is incredibly multi-dimensional, and it’s hard to know where to begin remedying it. I believe the answer to that question is to first define what it means to each of us.

Professor Jill Aeschbacher defines her writer’s block as a tall brick wall, of which the dimensions symbolize various factors that hinder her writing. Its width is proportional to the image that she gives herself as a writer, its length is her ego’s desires to express herself through writing, and its height is her fear of expecting too much, only to let herself down. Putting an image to the thing keeping her from producing prose has helped her assert her goal: to reach a headspace where she can appreciate the mechanics of the craft rather than the quality, therefore lowering her expectations to a manageable level (not to be lazy, but to be reasonable. We’ve all had standards for ourselves that were more damaging than anything). After reading her work, I’ve taken a page out of her book (literally) to procure my own wall-related personification of writer’s block.

I watched an anime called Attack on Titan this summer. It’s a fantastically written, apocalyptic tale where man-eating, massive monsters called Titans roam free; the small population of surviving humans erect three colossal, concentric walls to protect themselves, the show following their attempts to stay alive among these deadly circumstances. The reason why I bring this up isn’t just to gush about high-quality television (season 4 coming out on December 7th, be there or be square), but to draw an analogy: I am a Titan, and my writer’s block is represented by these three walls.

The outermost wall, Wall Maria, is destroyed first in the show due to its lack of tight security and proximity to Titan territory; this is inspiration, the wall that is metaphorically broken down first when that je nais se quois happens, things fall into place, and I figure out what to write about. The second wall is named Wall Rose, which is much further inland, populated with richer individuals and more capable protectors, thus harder to break down: this is expression. With the destruction of this wall, I am able to translate my ideas from arbitrary shower thoughts to coherent, usable sentences. The third and final wall, which contains the untouchable home to the royal Reiss family, is Wall Sina. When my hulking, bloodthirsty Titan self takes this wall down, I achieve application: the integration, connection, and expansion of my ideas until they hatch into beautiful butterflies of prose. (I now realize that Wall Sina is virtually impossible to breach in the canon of the show, but I assure you that application is much more realistic of a goal. Maybe this wasn’t the best metaphor.)

So I’ve made it into Wall Sina and successfully eaten the queen, but one question lingers. What prompted the building of the walls in the first place? Translated back from far-fetched anime metaphor to English, what are the mental processes behind writer’s block, and is it possible to put its origins into words? Cue Michael Anthony Rose, an expert on writer’s block (probably because of repeated exposure. I feel for him), and his six basic reasons for why writer’s block exists among students.

Overly-rigid writing rules. Like Jill Aeschbacher, whose high expectations were subconsciously restraining her from writing, students who place too many restrictions on themselves will find words nearly impossible to mold to their liking.

Misleading assumptions about composing. This ties into Jan Corbett’s notion that a student must be thoroughly familiar with the conventions of academic writing in order to write at their best ability. Clarity breeds efficiency. Someone put that on a pillow.

Premature editing. Write first, revise later. It’s nearly impossible to know how an idea, no matter how out of place it seems at first, contributes to a paper after it’s completed. Writing and editing at the same time is something I’d done for years before realizing how detrimental to my writing process it was. Every thought counts.

Poor planning. Another thing I’ve been doing for years, except this one I have yet to correct. Leave ample time for assignment completion, obviously, and leave ample possibilities for writing completion. If only I ever took my own advice.

Conflicting strategies. Jan Corbett also warns us about this: “creative death”, as she calls it, by an overload of ideas. Hone in on what writing approach would best suit the assignment right away and act accordingly; taking on too much at once is sure to cause confusion.

Misunderstanding evaluation criteria. David Bartholomae emphasizes that understanding a professor’s rubric is a two-way street; students must take the time to digest their instructor’s expectations, but instructors are also expected to delineate their expectations clearly.

I was skeptical after reading these for the first time. Rose had taken the shroud of mystery that is writer’s block and given it such understandable, straightforward explanations that they seemed too good to be true. But I was able to utilize the teachings of fellow writer’s block experts Jan Corbett, Jill Aeschbacher, and David Bartholomae to explain his findings, which I think is a testament to their integrity. As aforementioned, writer’s block is hard to generalize because of how nuanced it can be, so no stress if not all of Rose’s reasons apply to you; his work serves as a mere framework for what is ultimately much more complex and varied.

Is envisioning my writer’s block in the Attack on Titan universe an excuse for me to further indulge in its incredible universe? Possibly. Do I think that the imagery helps me to better understand and therefore manage my writer’s block? Definitely. By no means am I capable of avoiding writer’s block entirely, nor do I think I ever will be, but I’m certainly learning to accept writer’s block as a completely natural, expected part of the writing process. We’re not learning unless we’re doing something wrong; similarly, we’re not writing as best we can if we’re not struggling to do so. What’s the point of having a Titan around if there are no walls for it to break, after all?

1 note · View note

kbvball44 · 4 years ago

Text

Dark/Knockout Sequel Continuation:

Continuing Bo & Harry’s Story:

Hello,

Let me start off by saying I am in no way a writer, but just a fan of Dark/Knockout who needs to see this story continue. It’s been 3 years since and update, so my hope for the original author to continue is very low. With that being said I am going to continue the story as I see it playing out.

I apologize in advance as it may not be as good as the original author’s.

I am going to be posting this to Tumblr and Wattpad so you can read it in either one.

https://my.w.tt/yR391qVNe7

*Disclaimer: I do not own the story Dark or Knockout and am just continuing H28/Han-rawr’s story.

Chapter 11:

“I know. But it feels new,” she softly smiles, thumb lightly rubbing at the tattoo on his hip.

***Bo’s POV***

As I lay underneath Harry I can’t get my mind to stop racing. There’s just so many thoughts in my head and I’m nervous to make love with the boy that had gotten away from me not once but twice. It’s at that point that my mind trailed off to the movie “The Notebook” and I compared my experience to Ally when she and Noah first had sex. Her mind was racing but then everything became clear and she knew Noah was the one.

I have never doubted that Harry is the one, but our relationship has never been easy and we have fought so many obstacles to get to where we are. However I know I would fight forever for this curly haired boy.

“Bo?”

Harry had snapped me back to reality. He brushed his nose against mine.

“What’s going on in that beautiful head of yours?”

I give Harry a smile and place my fingers on his hip bones and slowly start to trace his v-line. I give him a quick peck on the mouth and say wouldn’t you like to know.

Harry leans down and starts to shower my neck with kisses. He slowly sucks and i can tell a small mark will be left on my skin. I love that Harry likes to leave reminders of our intimate moments on my skin. I can’t explain it, it’s just hot to think about. He’s mine and I’m his. I feel the heat building in my stomach. Just as I start to pull at the waist of his boxers the door bell rings.

I sigh as Harry rolls off of me and pulls on a pair of black joggers and hurries to the door where I can here a female yelling “Harry I know your In there, open up!”

***Harry’s POV***

I hurry to the door slightly uncomfortable as just moments ago I was having a heated moment with Bo. I take some deep breaths as I am trying to come down from the high that Bo had given me with her touches. I can feel my heart rate start to slow.

The person on the other side of the door is continuously knocking like an impatient little school girl would when she wanted to see her best friend. I swing open the door to see my sister Jess and my niece at the door. I look at them in confusion.

“I need you to watch Sophie while I go to the store. Jason got called in to work and I have no one to watch her.”

She looks at me without even a hello but that’s okay because that’s Jess, straight to the point. Jason is Jess’ husband and he is an ER doctor, so he gets called in at random times. It’s 8pm so he’ll probably be having a long night. I don’t like that Jess is left alone but she’s strong, so I know she’s fine.

As I am about to answer her. I am cut off by her face lighting up and girly squeaks while looking past me. I turn around to see Bo in one of my grey t-shirts and a pair of my black boxers. She’s the most beautiful girl I’ve ever seen. Her long locks are in a side braid. She looks like a goddess. My knees buckle for a moment as I almost fall to the floor.

As I am admiring Bo, Jess let’s go of Sophie’s hand and runs over to Bo, squeezing her in a huge hug.

“I can’t believe I’m seeing you right now. Are you really here?” Jess exclaims as she pinches her to make sure she isn’t seeing things.

It had been years since they had seen each other and the reunion made me happy. All I’ve ever wanted is to have Bo be a part of my family and seeing them engage in small talk warmed my heart.

While they were chattering away I picked up Sophie and started to tickle her. She is the cutest little girl with her blonde curly hair split into pig tails. She giggles as I start to twirl her around. After a few minutes of playing, Jess runs over & kisses Sophie’s head. She says, “Mommy will be back in a little bit.” She then turns to Bo and says good luck watching these two children as she smirks and pats my curly hair. I roll my eyes. Just like that Jess is out the door and on her way.

I turn to look at Bo and she is smiling bashfully as she looks at Sophie playing with the blocks her mom had left for her.

I break the silence and say Welp I didn’t think this was how our night was going to play out.

She comes over to sit cross legged next to Sophie.

“Yeah, me neither, but I’m sort of glad it did. I love children!” She giggles.

***1.5 hours later***

Jess had called to apologize. She said it took longer than expected, but she was on her way. I told her it was fine as I spoke to her on the phone. I was holding back a laugh as I look over at Sophie and Bo in the kitchen who were covered in flour from their pizza making adventures. They were now enjoying the pizza that had just come out of the oven.

I had never thought about Bo as a mom, but now that I see her in action I know she would be great at it. She was good at so many things, I didn’t know how to compete. Just the thought of her with a pregnant belly and carrying my child had me blush. She’s the only woman I would ever want to carry my child. She’s my better half and is teaching me how to control my dark side. Other girls had feared my dark side or they enjoyed it just for the sex aspect. Bo didn’t fear me and she knew how to somewhat control my darkness.

I was caught up in my thoughts when I realized I was still on the phone and Jess was saying “Hello, earth to Harry.”

Sorry Jess, yep that’s fine take your time. We are all good here. I hang up and head over to join the girls in eating pizza.

Bo flicks some flour at me playfully. I counter back, “oh so that’s how it’s gonna be. I take some cheese and sprinkle it on Bo’s head. She jumps on me and wraps her legs around me. I was not prepared and we fall back onto my carpeted living room.

I roll over so that I’m above Bo and start tickling her. Sophie jumps on top of me. I start to crawl around on all fours with Sophie on my back. I nay like a horse and Sophie says, “ I a cowgirl!” Just as I make my second circle around the living room Jess casually walks in the door with a look of bewilderment on her face as she takes in the scene.

Sophie yells, “Hi Mommy! I a cowgirl!” Jess picks ups Sophie off my back and kisses her and then kisses my forehead. She says thank you to Bo & I. We both give Sophie a kiss on the cheek before Jess hurries our the door mumbling, “We need to get you to bed little girl!”

Bo looks sleepy laying on the couch now that it’s just her and I. I walk over and say let’s go to bed. She says she’s too weak to walk and needs a lift. I sweep her up bridal style and she kisses my neck as I walk us back to the bedroom. I lay her down gently and kiss her forehead as she looks to be dozing off.

I pull my joggers off and slip into the bed next to her. She curls into me. I wrap my legs with hers and I feel at home. It’s warm and peaceful. I think about all those sleepless nights without her and am thankful I have her back.

“Harry, I had a really good time tonight. I’m really glad you are back in my life.”

I respond, Me too, Bo.

After that I hear her breathing slow and a slight snore starts to come from her lips. I chuckle as she’s such a cute sleeper. I feel so blessed in that moment and I quietly whisper I love you Baby. She is asleep, so she doesn’t hear it which I am thankful for because I don’t want to scare her away. I spend the next few minutes listening to her breathing until my eye lids droop and I enter into sweet dreams of Bo.

***Let me know what you guys think of my first chapter! I gave it my best shot. Haha. We’ll see if i continue writing.***

0 notes

graciecatfamilyband · 7 years ago

Text

Be Gone, KFKD

The other day, @lajulie24 made a post about that radio station that plays in creator's ears and talks sh*t about them, termed KFKD by Anne Lamott in one of her classic books on writing). You can and should read @lajulie24 's beautiful post on this and plea for fellow fanfic writers to continue to write through the radio noise here. Here is a relevant excerpt, however:

KFKD (yes, that’s short for K-Fucked) is a concept from Anne Lamott in her book on writing, Bird by Bird. (It’s a great book, incidentally.) It’s an imaginary radio station that plays in every writer’s—nay, every artist’s—ears. In one ear: concertos and symphonies about how insanely talented and special and misunderstood and gifted one is and all the accolades and talk show appearances and words of praise that will be coming one’s way; in the other, the greatest hits of every mistake one has made over a lifetime, songs of doubt, hymns of self-loathing, warning tones that soon the jig will be up and everyone will find out what an utter worthless fraud one is.

...sometimes it just wants to play and play and play and make us simultaneously doubt ourselves and feel underappreciated and unseen.

I wanted to share some strategies I myself use to help turn down KFCK, just in case they could benefit anyone else. I’d also love other people to comment or reblog with their strategies!

I also tried to stick to “I” language more than “you” language since this is just what works for me. Sorry if I bore you with too much detail about my writing process or come off as self-centered as a result D: (and for the self-talk that calls me a “we” not crazy, I promise. Or am I....?).

Some Strategies I Find Helpful for Turning Down KFCK:

1. Tapping In To Why I Write

Maybe this is because I see myself as a "new" writer- I don't know that I've written fiction on the page in the last 10 years, and even then, it was very rare for me (although I have years of 'in my head' practice) but every story I write begins with a question: "Can I do this?"

Sometimes I'm more confident as I sit down to type my first brainstorm or draft ("Yeah, i totally can") sometimes less, but I have to confess, I'm never totally sure.

And I really do genuinely want to find out.

There are even times I truly feel like the answer is, "No, I can't do this."

Then I tell myself, "Well, it feels that way, but we did this much and it's not finished yet. I bet we can at least finish it even if it's not what we want. Even if it's so far from what we want that we think it's a failure. Actually, that's a really interesting question- if I can't actually do this, what WILL it look like when it's finished? Will it be a failure? What does that even mean, if it's finished? That's at least worth finding out, because I'm really curious."

So far, this approach has helped me finish, and at the end I haven't failed by any of my own personal standards!

2. Knowing My Writing Process

At some point- usually at least at two point- I will hate whatever I'm writing. This is not linked to whatever is on the page; sometimes it happens when my draft is still very weak, but just as often it happens when there's a lot of great stuff going on and there are some fixable problems. It's not really about what's on the page; it's usually about where I'm at. The draft is looking different than I imagined (LITERALLY ALWAYS), or I'm not sure if I can do the next step well, or I've been working too much on it at once and need a break, or my brain is just Doing The Thing.

I have learned this by watching myself and noticing that I cycle, kind of like this:

IDEA. --> BRAINSTORM/FREEWRITING. THIS IS GONNA BE KILLLLEEER YAS. --> Omg wait. Is this great or terribly stupid? I literally can't tell. Omg. If I can't tell, it's stupid. It's stupid. But I kind of like it? No, it's terrible. --> okay, well, we're gonna keep working and see what happens --> Not bad not bad --> OMG ITS STUPID --> OMG IM ON FIRE I LOVE IT --> Not bad Not bad --> I HATE THIS PIECE I WILL NEVER LIKE IT --> Nice job, self, really nice job.

It varies a lot, but that's a good gist.

The great thing about knowing this cycle is that- while the emotions are always there- they have much less power. "Oh, hello, Hatred. You were bound to show up eventually. Why don't you sit in this corner and have some tea while Mommy works, huh?" Hating what I'm writing (at least in this short-term way I'm describing) DOESN'T MEAN ANYTHING IS UNUSUALLY WRONG WITH THE PIECE AT WHATEVER STAGE I'M IN. Its just my brain's roadblock it tries to throw up. Which means I can ignore it rather than engage with it. "Shhh, Hatred, play quietly, Mommy's working."

For those of you who have seen How I Met Your Mother, it's like the tape jammed into Marshall's car that only plays The Proclaimer’s 500 Miles. On road trips the characters love it and jam to it, they hate it and despair, they love it and jam to it, and hate it and despair, in an endless cycle.

Hating the song right now? As Marshall says, “Don’t worry… it comes around again”.

3. I Find a Friend - or Two - or Five

We hear this all the time, right? Find a beta who you trust to help you improve your work, blah blah blah, and while I can't emphasize the enough the truth and wisdom of that, it's not quite what I mean here.

I'm talking about cheerleaders and partners-in-crime. This can be the same person as a critical beta (although if so *I* let them know I don't need that part of them right now, I need them in a different, supportive role) or another person. The OMG YES friend. The person you can go to who will whisper DEW IT when you need it most.

"I was going to participate in this fandom thing, but I'm nervous. Let's do it together?" (This one works extra well if it's someone you want to read more from, muwahaha.)

"I have this idea. Do you think I should write it or nah?"

"I'm halfway through this story and I'm not sure if it's worth finishing. What do you think?"

My favorite kind of writing friend is the one who can tell me what I'm doing *well* as much as poorly, especially in an early draft when I'm not sure if the story has legs. "No, keep going, I really like what you're doing with X and I really want to know what happens with Y." "Omg that's such a funny bit. I'd love more of that." Etc.

4. What Do I Want, As A Reader? / What Would I Tell Another Author?

This one is pretty self-evident: If another writer came to me with the concerns I’m having, what would I say to them? If another writer were considering giving up on a piece because other writers had done something similar, what would I tell them?

I think most of us would note the reasons that we WOULD want a piece from another author! Most of us want to see that one trope in a new way for the 10th time because we love it, most of us love to see all the different creative takes on an idea, etc. Most of us are able to see this so clearly as readers, and struggle to see it as writers.

(I literally pretend I’m talking to another author / tell myself whatever I would tell them.)

4. How Might Another Author Feel If They Heard Me Talking This Way?

The flip side of the above thing is, what would someone who both a) wants to write themselves, and b) genuinely likes my writing, think if they heard me talking like this?

I know when I hear writers that I respect get down on themselves- especially really get down on themselves- it makes me feel like I shouldn’t be writing at all. If So-and-So’s stuff isn’t good enough, how could mine ever be?

I would never want to make someone feel that way if they were trying to write, so why would I say that kind of stuff to myself?

5. The There’s Always Someone Principal

I may think what I write is vastly inferior to So-and-So’s piece, but usually I find that for every two pieces that are similar or have similar themes, someone likes each of those pieces better than the other. It’s incredibly likely that someone out there may actually like mine better, insane though it might sound. There are all sorts of tastes out there! And really, usually: both pieces have significant things to offer.

(Also worth noting: Its possible- likely even- that that other author you feel intimidated by might feel intimidated by YOU.)

6. Telling Jokes to Myself (Sometimes About Myself)

If you ever see my posts apparently despairing about my writing process (like this one here), fear not! I'm just engaging in my tactic of making fun of myself while I write. LOL. Its not as toxic as it sounds (for me at least- if its toxic for you, DON’T DO IT)! I find that, for whatever reason, making fun of myself takes the pressure off 100% and lets me enjoy the writing process more. So if you see me doing it, feel free to like, feel free to ignore. Send encouragement if you literally can’t help it, but “haha, lol, writing is so weird” is a totally fine response!

#the brutality of writing #turning down KFKD #writing #fanfic life #please keep writing

31 notes · View notes