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thessalian · 2 years ago

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Thess vs Other Systems

Okay. So. News on the Wizards of the Coast OGL Debacle.

Apparently, WotC has delayed their announcement about OGL 1.1, owing to community backlash. I mean, it probably doesn’t hurt that so many people went to unsubscribe to D&D Beyond (for those who don’t know, WotC bought it awhile back) that it literally crashed the servers. Some people have said something about how they used that to move the unsubscribe button so that people would have a harder time unsubscribing, but other people say “No, that didn’t happen” so it might be true or it might be a regional thing or it might just be people not knowing where to look, I dunno. Point is, WotC went, “Oop, now is not the time to be announcing the thing”.

Note I said nothing about them cancelling the thing. It just means they won’t announce yet. Some credible sources who actually work with D&D Beyond (anonymous for obvious reasons) have said that they’re basically waiting for the whole community backlash to blow over before they announce OGL 1.1 as leaked. There’s a chance they’ll make a few small walkbacks if the backlash doesn’t blow over, but ... I mean, come on; we’ve seen this before. Video games do this all the time, and WotC is on record as saying that they want to monetise like video games do. It stands to reason that they’d take the same, “We’ll do something really egregious and when the backlash happens, we’ll do something a little less egregious but still egregious and they’ll be happy that we’re ‘listening to our customers’ but we’re still fleecing them” line as, say, EA or SquareEnix or any other AAA video game company that flourishes by causing its customer base a thousand tiny bankruptcies by microtransaction.

So Paizo, not willing to pay royalties to Hasbro for Pathfinder under the threatened OGL 1.1, is now looking at starting the Open RPG Creative Licence (ORC, because of course). Now, this obviously has its advantages, but it does mean that we’d be looking at a whole new system. I don’t know how far they’d have to go with changes for WotC to not have a leg to stand on if they wanted to say “This is clearly predicated on our work so it falls under the OGL”, but this is going to take some time no matter what, and it’s also going to take adjustment for a lot of people, not all of whom are particularly good with adjustments or big changes. So what I’m saying is that it’s going to take awhile before we can all be happily creating content under the ORC, and some people might not manage it even then.

I guess what I’m saying is please think before you start yelling at people to “Try another system!” The ones who are dunking on D&D as a system simply because it’s D&D, rather than what WotC are trying to do to it after purchasing a nearly-insolvent TSR in 1997. Both times the fans got up in arms at D&D, it was because of some shit WotC did; 4th edition, and now this. I was in the gaming community both times, in point of fact ... and the first time, I was sort of stuck on the opposite end of the ‘battle lines’, if you like.

See, when you first get into TTRPGs, odds are pretty high that it’s because you met someone who’s into it and wants another player. That’s ... not quite how it started for me, but my attempted GURPS Mage party fell apart before I got a handle on the system anyway and then life got really batshit. So some years later, I fell in with a guy who was playing in a 7th Sea group - this was 1st ed Panache System, so y’know. And they were death on D&D. No one could so much as mention D&D without starting the whole damn table in on a whole bunch of drama-kid vitriol about how “D&D is nothing but hack-and-slash dungeon-crawl with no story! No one really roleplays in D&D!” I was also with them when the 4e thing started, and that apparently just proved their point. I mean, they were wrong on all counts, but I wasn’t to know, because I believed them when they said that D&D was only for those who liked the crunch. I really dislike the fact that I ended up a snob by proxy.

Not to say that I didn’t use different systems back then, incidentally. As well as Panache, I used White Wolf’s system for World of Darkness and Exalted. I don’t remember exactly what system we used when playing that brief ill-fated Buffyverse campaign, or the Firefly one-shot. Also don’t remember what system Fading Suns used but I have the book somewhere (I also have the core book for the Angel RPG, come to that). Had some fun with Big Eyes, Small Mouth. Wrote my own at one point - I probably want to revamp it, but it could be useful one of these days. I used a lot of other systems.

Point is, yes, I came to D&D through Critical Role. Not because I hadn’t heard of TTRPGs - far, far from it. Not even because I hadn’t heard of D&D, because I think you’d have to live in a cave not to have at least had the concept brought up. I came to D&D through Critical Role because it was the first time I’d ever seen people playing it and actually telling a story. I literally did not think that was possible. I had no the hell idea, because everyone I’d ever talked to about it was telling me no, it was just ... well, loot and shoot with swords and fireballs, and got so venomous about the subject that I didn’t want to ask for fear of getting snapped at again. And I found the system massively approachable, with just enough rigidity to give a good framework but still maintaining enough flexibility to let a DM go with the flow. ...Critical Role also demonstrated that I could do it remotely, with my long-time friends - because if Ashley and Liam could Skype in, why couldn’t we all? No, I had not heard of Roll20 at that point. I learned pretty damn fast, I tell you what.

So now we’re coming to another moment where people are getting venomous about D&D. Some people are justifiably angry at WotC about pulling this shit and don’t want to grace WotC with any more money (though while I’m at it, I should mention that this should also apply to Magic cards; hell, I’m even a little off about buying more Lego, even though I really want more Lego, because Hasbro). That’s fine. I get that. But the game itself isn��t to blame. The 5e rule set was out there long before WotC started pulling this shit. I guess I’m mostly talking to people who think that loving their favourite TTRPG system means a contractual obligation to shit all over other systems - or at least the Popular Kid they perceive as taking all the attention from their beloved. I notice that a lot of these are Pathfinder fans. I’m not judging Pathfinder on the basis of its fans, incidentally. I might be judging Pathfinder a little on the basis of the video game version. And that character sheet - HOLY SHIT NO; some of my players forget their basic Feats on 5e so I don’t know how we’d cope with this.

Actually, reminds me of when we tried Shadowrun. I mean, the book was not overly approachable as it was - it was written by fans who already knew the game inside and out, and thus was written for fans who already knew the game inside and out. This could be considered to make a hefty barrier for the new player. Also, I tend to think that having to roll that many dice for anything other than epic damage that causes either shouts of triumph or wails of despair (depending on whether it’s coming from allies or enemies) is painful, and can honestly slow up a campaign, especially when you’re playing at home and you have to try to remember how many dice fell off the table and determine if any rolled under the sofa.

POINT IS. Not every system is for everyone, and if you find a system you like, that should be fine. Forcing someone to try a system for any reason is basically going to guarantee a negative reaction most of the time. Do I plan on giving WotC any more of my money? Not until they wise the fuck up, if indeed they ever do (doubtful, but I have my optimistic moments). Do I plan on ever touching OneD&D? Not a snowflake’s chance in hell. Do I plan on continuing my campaign, and the next, with 5e? Yes. If this OGL 1.1 comes out as leaked at any point, do I intend to inform them that I am still in the process of writing my own campaign setting guide, only to be given to my fellow players in this campaign and the next? Nooooooope. Point is I like 5e. Other systems are good too, but I like 5e, my players like it, we’re good.

...Okay, so I might still be leery about the YouTube vids of my sessions, and I have plans to remove my three little bits of third-party 5e content from the Dungeon Master’s Guild the minute I get so much as a hint of OGL 1.1 being a thing, but unless they have CIA-level surveillance, they can’t stop me from using what I already own.

#Thess RPs #Thess has opinions

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samkabloghai · 2 months ago

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The Top 10 Customer Retention Frustrations (and Why They Keep Marketers Up at Night)

Customer retention: the art of keeping customers around long enough that they become profitable. Sounds simple, right? But anyone who's worked in retention knows it’s not all rainbows and loyal customers. For every success story, there are countless stories of frustration, baffling behavior, and a customer churn rate that seems to defy all logic.

Here’s a light-hearted look at the top 10 frustrations marketers face when trying to keep customers loyal, happy, and engaged. Let’s dive in and, hopefully, have a good laugh (or at least a knowing sigh) at the absurdities of customer retention.

1. The “Trial Period Vanish” Phenomenon

Nothing gets marketers more excited than a customer who signs up for a free trial. It’s a chance to wow them, convert them into paying customers, and build a long-term relationship. But then… crickets. As soon as the trial ends, they disappear faster than a rabbit in a magician’s hat. Was it something you said? Something you did? No one will ever know. You tried to make them fall in love, and they ghosted you like a bad date.

2. The Eternal Bargain Hunter

This customer’s loyalty hinges on one thing: discounts. No discount, no loyalty. They know every sale, every promo code, and every possible loophole for getting the best deal. One minute, they’re your best friend; the next, they’re gone, lured away by a competitor offering a 10% discount. It’s like trying to hold water in your hands—no matter how hard you try, they slip through your fingers the moment they see something shinier.

3. The “Silent Leaver”

This one’s the worst. They don’t complain, they don’t call for help, they don’t leave feedback. Everything seems fine—until it’s not. One day, you find out they canceled their subscription, deleted their account, or simply stopped coming back. Why? No one knows. They didn’t give you a chance to fix things, and now you’re left wondering what went wrong. Customer Churn Analysis has its work cut out trying to figure out what sent this quiet leaver packing.

4. The Overly High Expectation Setter

This customer expects five-star treatment. They signed up for a basic plan but expect a premium experience. They want personal attention, instant responses, and results that would impress a NASA engineer. When you fail to meet their stratospheric expectations, they’re quick to move on—and leave a review that’s somehow 100% anger and 0% context. Nothing stings like being told your service is “disappointing” when all you did was deliver exactly what they paid for.

5. The “Everything’s Great—Until it Isn’t” Customer

This customer is loyal. They’re engaged. They tell you they’re happy… until one small hiccup turns their satisfaction into simmering resentment. They loved your product for months, but one wrong move—a late delivery, a minor app glitch, a miscalculated discount—and suddenly, they’re “considering other options.” You can fix the problem, but they’ll never forget that one mistake, reminding you every chance they get.

6. The Email Unsubscribers

You’ve poured your heart into carefully crafted newsletters, updates, and offers to keep them engaged. But every time you send something, a few more people hit “unsubscribe.” It’s like a slow-motion breakup in your inbox. You want to shout, “But this email was valuable! We had a catchy subject line!” But alas, some customers seem intent on avoiding your loving communication no matter how hard you try.

7. The “I Only Use One Feature” Customer

This customer signed up for a buffet but only eats the salad. You’ve built a multi-functional, feature-packed product, and yet they insist on using one tiny aspect of it. You’re glad they’re finding value, but it’s frustrating that they’re ignoring 90% of the effort you put in. Worse, if you ever try to change or remove that one feature, they’ll threaten to leave in protest.

8. The Competitor Shopper

This customer treats your business like a convenience store—they’re not committed to you, just passing through on their way to a better deal. They’re the ones who leave every year when your competitor offers a slightly shinier promotion, only to come back when that competitor raises prices. Trying to win their loyalty feels like trying to catch a butterfly with a fishing net. You’d think eventually they’d see the value you bring, but alas, they’re forever in love with the “other” option.

9. The Customer Who Forgets Who You Are

You’ve worked hard to build brand recognition. You send regular updates, create compelling campaigns, and offer services that meet their needs. And yet, every so often, a customer reaches out with a question so basic it’s clear they’ve forgotten all about you. “Wait, what does your product do again?” they ask, leaving you to wonder if you’re really that forgettable. It’s hard not to take it personally.

10. The Unexpected Social Media Explosion

Nothing quite makes you break out in a cold sweat like a sudden social media rant from a customer. You did everything right, or so you thought, but they took to Twitter, LinkedIn, or (heaven forbid) TikTok to air their grievances. And now, the whole world is watching, commenting, and tagging. Often, these customers never contacted you for help beforehand, but they had no problem announcing their displeasure to the internet. Damage control begins, but that post is out there for all eternity.

The Trantor Approach to Retention Challenges

For those struggling with these customer retention dilemmas, companies like Trantor bring expertise to the table. With data-driven strategies, Trantor helps businesses analyze and understand customer behavior, allowing them to predict churn and create proactive engagement strategies that keep customers around longer. It’s not always easy to keep every customer happy, but having a reliable partner like Trantor means businesses can improve their retention efforts in smart, effective ways.

Final Thoughts

Customer retention can feel like a high-stakes game where you’re always a move away from losing. Each customer is unique, with their quirks, complaints, and preferences, making it impossible to satisfy everyone all the time. But despite the frustrations, there’s also a unique joy in the challenge of retention. Every time you solve a problem, win back a leaving customer, or convert a complainer into a fan, it’s a small victory that makes all the hair-pulling worth it.

So, to every marketer, salesperson, and customer success rep out there navigating the stormy seas of customer retention: you’re not alone. Embrace the absurdity, celebrate the wins, and maybe, just maybe, have a laugh along the way.

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golfupnorth · 2 years ago

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February 1, 2023 Newsletter

Anxiously Awaiting Golf Season!

As football is winding down all that is left is the big game. Not my choice of teams to be in the Super Bowl but The Chiefs and the Eagles should be fun to watch. Even though my Lions didn’t make the playoffs (I’m not going there), I have watched every game leading up to this. The only consolation of my team not being in the Super Bowl is that no matter who wins I won’t be crying in my beer (in my case Captain Morgan).

Once the Super Bowl is done I will really start obsessing about getting out on the golf course (my weekends are now open). I have mentioned numerous times that I got new clubs last season and how much I loved them. Especially my Big Bertha 7 wood. I have also mentioned numerous times how much I struggle with irons.

Do I need Irons?

I am slowly getting to the point where I may never need an iron other than a pitching wedge and sand wedge.

My set came with a 3 wood, 5 & 6 hybrids and I added the 7 wood. Those clubs are my go-to clubs for fairway shots. There are still times where I have to grab an iron and because I don’t believe I can hit them well, I rarely do. Santa is trying help me with the under 100 yard lies that my current woods/hybrids just won’t work with and my irons are hit or miss with. Woke up Christmas and found a Big Bertha 9 wood under our tree. I have not had a chance to try it and am planning to go to a simulator and give it a try. We will see how that works out.

Simulators, Driving Ranges, and Practice Swings

I am not a patient woman and not a fan of doing something that doesn’t have immediate measurable results. Because of that I don’t take practice swings, I am bored at driving ranges and simulators seem silly. That said I want to try my 9 wood and that may be the only way and I can suck it up and try it again.

My lack of patience and unwillingness to practice is probably why I haven’t seen under 100 yet. Now I do love playing at Top Golf, which has goals and scores in a way that makes sense to me. Simulators have a weird algorithm that using my club speed, angles, etc. to determine how far and where my ball landed. I am just not sure what to do with simulators.

Are you asking yourself this?

Why am I reading a newsletter by someone that hasn’t golfed for that long and that really doesn’t know enough about golf to write about golf? You are exactly right, I don’t know enough, but I love this game. I hope my passion and commitment to the sport comes through. That my struggles with my irons and getting below 100 have you remembering when you were in my shoes (maybe you still are). That every year I am sure I will break 100 and get so excited about the first par of the year reminds you of your early years of golf. Maybe even have you chuckling here and there.

This newsletter is not meant to make you a scratch golfer or provide tips that will get you to the top of the leaderboards. It is entertainment about my experiences on various courses. My perspective is not from a “good” golfer’s views, but someone still learning and just having fun on the course.

Why a Newsletter?

Funny story, I never planned to write a newsletter. A website (more on that later) that I dreamed up was built. The webmaster added the option to sign up for a newsletter. I missed that in the final walk through before going live and before I knew it we had subscribers.

Oh sh*t! I am barely a golfer, how will I write about golf?

Our first issue was stiff and boring, a recap of the stats/specs of a few golf course up north. I was falling asleep writing it. I can only imagine what our readers thought. Surprisingly, nobody unsubscribed and our subscribers started growing. Now I was really on the line to be witty and charming to folks I have never met. What have I done?

Based on our newsletter open rates every month and growing subscribers we must be doing something right. I appreciate all the wonderful feedback and comments. I am having a blast with coming up with content and writing this newsletter.

What about the Website?

golfupnorth.com came about out of my need. When I started golfing I became a tad obsessed. I wanted to golf every course I could find in northern Michigan. Wanting to book stay and play trips every weekend. I would search for courses in northern Michigan. Then have to visit their website to see if they offered lodging. It was not as easy as you would think in this digital day and age to find options easily.

There are several national and statewide websites for courses. Having to go down too many rabbit holes to find courses. I was not able to see all courses available in an area on one page. Going course by course to see what they offered and writing notes on scrap paper.

I wanted to enter an address of a hotel or an area I wanted to visit and see what courses were nearby and basic information about them. None of these sites offered me a way to see several courses and what they offered “at a glance” within a certain mile range of a location.

Frustration breeds Innovation

In my frustration I started a data base in an excel document of courses and what they offered. That soon got clunky and I would have to reduce the file on the screen so much that I could barely read the rows and columns. It just wasn’t easy to manage and didn’t provide what I wanted.

My needs are simple. I want to be able to go to one place and find courses that offered stay and play packages in different parts of northern Michigan. To find other courses in that general area/region. To show me those courses on one screen so I could compare. That is where the website idea came up. Could we do a filter command that would allow me to sort my database in a way that provided the information I wanted in a format that worked for me. Turned out we could.

Golf Up North was Born

I never thought others would use golfupnorth.com or even find it. The site was to make my life easier and it has. I use it all the time to find courses to play at.

I should have suspected that if golf is in the domain name you will be found. Next thing you know folks are using the site the same as I am. And signing up for this newsletter.

Finding courses that may not be easily found any other way. Many of the smaller courses don’t have the marketing budget to advertise or join tourism groups. It can be hard to get their name out there. They subsist on word of mouth and locals. I have found that the places only the locals know about are typically the best whether it is a restaurant, beach, or a golf course.

I love going to courses that I have read about, and everyone raves about. Who wouldn’t want to golf some of the best courses in the country? But northern Michigan has some jewels hiding off the beaten path. If you haven’t explored more than just the “known” courses you are missing out.

Having so much fun we added more websites!

Discovered I enjoy writing and this led us to create a few blog sites - Adventures in Northern Michigan and Northern Michigan History.

Seeing the favorable response to Golf Up North, we have also created the same type of directory websites for other industries in northern Michigan - Up North Breweries, Up North Wineries. We are having a lot fun with this and have more sites coming in the near future. We love northern Michigan and happy to promote it!

Golf Up North's Top 5 Golf Balls

A few people have written us and suggested I do reviews on balls, clubs, etc. I laughed and laughed. While I appreciate the confidence, but let us be real, do you really want to take my word on clubs or balls? I am 7-8 years into playing and because my first used set of clubs were Callaway and the first balls I was given were Callaway, bet you can guess what I use. 😊

Since my giving intelligent and insightful reviews was not going to happen I decided I could take a different approach. I started watching what clubs, shoes, balls, etc. that golfers on courses I visited were using. Because I am very adept at being annoying, I would ask when I would run into them at the clubhouse, the turn, even the parking lot what they used and why.

I was Charming, Not Creepy at All!

Well, a little creepy LOL. This led to some remarkably interesting conversations. Did not change my mind about Callaway but wasn’t expecting it to. I have compiled all that data and working on putting it all together to share. The first one I completed was the top 5 golf balls. This is based on hundreds of golfers I talked to. You can read the top 5 picks on our website.

You may have noticed we are now an amazon affiliate. This helps us maintain the site and to continue to offer free schwag. We felt this was a better option than having a lot of annoying ads constantly popping up. If you are inclined and need some golf balls, use the links in the article or click on the images and order your golf balls on Amazon through those links. We receive a small percentage of the sale and it does not affect your price at all.

Join the discussion on Golf Up North Facebook Group

Let us know your favorite course, tips or anything golf related! We encourage golf courses to share their news and specials with our group.

You can also like and follow us on Facebook and/or Instagram where we share information on golf courses Up North and what we think are funny or interesting tidbits about golf.

Share Your Favorite Course With Us

We would love to hear about your favorite Course in the Upper Peninsula or Northern Lower Michigan. Send pictures of golfing your favorite course and a couple of sentences about why you love the course. We will share your pictures and recommendations with our readers and on our social media accounts. If you include a mailing address, we will send you some Golf Up North schwag as a thank you!! Send your pictures and comments to [email protected]

Find your Up North Golf Course

If you would like to find your perfect Up North golf course visit Golf Up North.

We hope you enjoyed our latest issue of The Golf Up North Newsletter.

Disclosure: We never tell a course who we are when we book and play a course. We do not ask nor will we accept free rounds to write about a course. We pay full price for our rounds for everyone in our group.

Golf Up North is part of the Up North Entertainment Group. Our family of sites also includes Up North Entertainment, Up North Wineries, Up North Breweries, Golfing Northern Michigan, Adventures in Northern Michigan, and Northern Michigan History.

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greenteaandtattoos · 3 years ago

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I think it’s time we stop talking about RWBYtubers

At this point, it’s bringing more toxicity into the fandom than the so-called “toxic” RWBYtubers are.

I don’t agree with a lot of Judgmental Critter’s opinions and criticisms, I feel that they are too negative for my particular tastes.

Calxiyn has done some things I don’t agree with, including her response to rosegarden shippers getting excited when the V9 teaser dropped at RTX.

But what is being said to and about them is disgusting and often out of context, complete lies, or said in bad faith in an attempt to cause mass hatred in their direction.

The opinions and actions that I don’t agree with don’t automatically mean that they are horrible people. And the assumption that they are just because you disagree on something is pretty fucking toxic.

We need to stop taking every negative post about them at face-value, especially from people who might find enjoyment in deliberately causing discourse.

If you see something that suggests that they did something you morally cannot agree with, or that they said something you find a genuine problem with, then it’s my suggestion that you go directly to the source and find out for yourself if what you saw was true or not.

Calxiyn’s twitter is here: https://twitter.com/Calxiyn

Judgmental Critter’s twitter is here: https://twitter.com/JudgmentalThe

If you see something you don’t like, then don’t just post about it without getting the full story. Go to them, ask for clarification. I am almost certain you will get a reply in the comments.

You cannot rely on second-hand information from Tumblr accounts that often enjoy sewing the seeds of discourse by using the so-called toxicity from RWBYtubers as their cover and excuse to be toxic themselves.

Judgemental Critter may be more harsh with their opinions, but the defend their fellow RWBYtubers, and do not let people bash on other people with baseless and often inaccurate opinions.

Calxiyn might associate with people you don’t agree with (VexedViewer, Judgmental Critter, twiins iink) because you personally have a problem with how they act, but they are rather fair with their criticisms and how they interact with people.

GO TO THEM. ASK THEM QUESTIONS IF YOU HAVE THEM. IF YOU ARE CONCERNED ABOUT SOMETHING THEY DID, ASK SOMEONE WHO KNOWS THEM, OR BETTER YET, ASK THEM DIRECTLY!

I am guilty of this, I will admit. But I’ve talked to them, and while I don’t agree with some of the things they do, they’re really, truly not as bad as some people will make them out to be.

And if you do all this, and still find a problem with them, BLOCK THEM. UNSUBSCRIBE FROM THEM. MUTE THEM. DON’T WATCH THEIR VIDEOS.

They don’t deserve to be lied about and slandered when they can’t defend themselves because others don’t like them and decide to use their dislike to cause more discourse.

Just recently, Raijin Rising released a video commenting on the topic of toxicity in the fandom, and without even giving him a chance, people were ready to categorize him as a “hater”. What you didn’t know was that he was fair, he did not separate the fandom into positive toxicity and toxic haters, he addressed the fandom toxicity as a whole.

That’s what the bloody word “fandom” means. It encompasses the people who watch the same show.

But people have been so immersed in the “you vs us” mentality that they cannot imagine that a person who does not agree with them can still be a decent human being.

You can’t judge someone based on their opinions on a fictional show. Do you know it’s called when you do?

Toxic positivity.

In the end, we are contributing to the toxicity of the fandom just as much as they are, and if we want that to stop, we have to first learn to stop and think for ourselves. Don’t just take what someone says at face-value, certainly not a stranger on the internet.

GO TO THEM SOURCE AND SEE FOR YOURSELF.

And a PSA:

The tumblr blog known as CanonSeeker cannot be trusted as a source for reliable information. They have often lied and taken things out of context in order to sew chaos and get people to stop following certain individuals.

Just last night, they went into Calxiyn’s Discord server, pretending to be someone else, in order to justify their actions and turn people against Judgmental Critter.

In all honesty, there is honestly no reason to get into a feud with these RWBYtubers, not Calxiyn, not Judgmental Critter, because if you just asked them for clarification or blocked them if you really didn’t like what they said, we wouldn’t have this problem.

What’s been going on is toxic, and I’m tired of it.

The necessity to ask for clarification and proof applies to everyone, including me. If you want proof of any of this, please come to me, Calxiyn, Judgmental Critter. There are screenshots and text messages that can be shown.

If you would like more people to corroborate, there are many individuals in Calxiyn’s Discord Server who can do so, and you will also be able to talk to her yourself and get the proof that way.

Her Discord is here: https://discord.gg/2s5xjdqvH6

Think critically, people, and think for yourselves.

#rwby #this has to stop #we're only adding more toxicity into the fandom

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writingdotcoffee · 3 years ago

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#241: The Writing Process

"The writing process" is a pretty vague term. Some writers "sit at the typewriter and bleed." Others prepare extensive outlines and follow a rigorous series of steps and best practices.

When I think about process, I think of something repeatable. Not necessarily rigid, but something that I can do over and over again. When I apply the process to an idea, I'll end up with a story.

Process is Like a Map

When you face the blank page, your process is like a map. It tells you what the first step is. You may not know yet where you'll end up. You may not even know where you're going, but you know that if you take these few uneasy steps forward, you will find out.

Rather than scrambling around, looking for the correct answer, you trust your process to guide you through the uncertainty.

Constraints Amplify Creativity

"Creative solutions" often come from people with limited resources who have to do with what they have. Without any constraints, you'll get lost in the world of infinite possibilities. It's easy to pick the best option out of five. But what's the best option out of infinity?

Music is a great example. Western music only has 12 notes. Most scales only include a handful of basic chords. Those constraints certainly don’t prevent songwriters from creating vast numbers of songs across thousands of genres.

Could you be more creative if you went beyond these bounds? Maybe. Is it worth it, though?

Your Writing Process

Some people reject the idea of a repeatable writing process. They're worried that these "formulas" will make them less creative. If you don't have a set process, and it works for you — great! But if you’re stuck all the time, having a process will help you unlock your creativity, not stifle it.

In a way, writing is the exception when it comes to art. Compared to other disciplines, the rules are less clear and more malleable. Think of a painter or a sculptor. The nature of their medium means that they have to have some process in place to be creative — from preparing colours and pigments to finding the best slab of marble for their next piece. You can't use a colour that you don't have. You can't make a massive statue from a small piece of rock.

Computers solved most of the physical constraints writers had. These days, the second and third drafts are as easy as the first. You can do anything without wrangling hundreds of thousands of words on paper.

Structure matters, and as a writer, you have to create yours pretty much from scratch. What will it be?

About the Author

Hi, I’m Radek 👋. I’m a writer, software engineer and the founder of Writing Analytics — an editor and writing tracker designed to help you beat writer’s block and create a sustainable writing routine.

I publish a post like this every week. Want to know when the next one comes out? Sign up for my email list below to get it right in your inbox.

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Past Editions

#240: The Physics of Writing, April 2022

#239: Writing for Fun and Profit, March 2022

#238: Should You Write a Novel?, March 2022

#237: The Paradox of Overthinking Things, March 2022

#236: Personal Writing Challenges, March 2022

#writing #writers #write #writing tips #writing advice #amwriting #writing life #writeblr #writing update #personal update #me

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dadsbongos · 3 years ago

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trashy dad

Movie/Game/Show: My Hero Academia Dynamic: Shota Aizawa/Reader (Platonic) Warnings: references (2) to un*s ann*s, one (1) use of (y/n), fem pronouns Summary: Shota trying to support his YouTuber daughter :) cuz social media aus own me Word Count: 2.1K ~~~

"Hey, gamers," you grin at the camera before tossing an arm over your father's shoulders, "My dad's in town and as you can see," you hesitated slightly before turning to face your father, "Dad's not super into taking care of himself. So, I figured what's better than doing a Q&A together while I do his makeup?"

"Hitoshi just did a 'what I eat in a day', didn't he?" Shota quirked a brow, already reaching back to tie up his messy, tangled hair.

"Spoilers!" you quietly whine as you open your phone, "He still has to edit it, silly man. We're gonna have to brush out your hair later, by the way."

Shota's eyes widened, "We? I thought this was your idea and video, (Y/n)."

"No," you huff, scrolling through a few of the questions from fans, "I mean it was but your hair is so… Okay, first question is from - oh my God the names - shrekslongtoe, what was my first word?"

"Are you gonna start putting makeup on me or just sit there?" Shota scratched at his nose before snickering, "That wasn't your first word. Your first word was 'Dada' and it drove Hizashi insane."

"Hizashi is my other dad, by the way," you lean over to grab your makeup bag, "'Toshi and I call him papa. Oooh, oh no," you looked up to Shota, "I don't have your shade, you're gonna look weird."

"I don't really care," the man shrugged, watching as you took out a pink beauty blender, "That looks like a buttplug."

"Don't say that!" your eyes were wide at his words while you got out your foundation, "Youtube doesn't like that."

"Whoops," he deadpanned, "Next question."

"Shit, right."

"Language."

"Japanese," you murmur, going to the next reply, "yoonbumskneecap asks, 'Did you believe in me-’ they said my name but you know, ‘and Hitoshi when they decided to become Youtubers?' And 'in 'Toshi's case - drop out of college to become a professional clout man.'"

"To be honest," Shota closed his eyes, only in slight fear, as you began pressing the foundation into his skin, "I was really worried about Hitoshi, I didn't know if he'd stay as big as he was because he's a lot like me, in the sense that people tend to not like us for our bluntness. So I was worried he'd be a meme for like a month and then people would drop him, but thankfully I was proved wrong," he opened his eyes when he felt you pull away and begin rooting through your bag once again, "With you, I was less worried because you're more like 'Zashi, i.e extremely likable, and you were kind of getting a boost from appearances on Hitoshi's channel. I still worry because the internet is a fickle mistress but I'm not staying up at night about it."

Pulling out a dark eyebrow pencil, you grin at your father, "Aww, that was kinda sweet. Not really but kind of."

"What I'm here for," Shota's eyes followed your hand as you uncapped the pencil and reached up, beginning to mark at his eyebrows, "I'm gonna read the next question while you kill my eyebrows."

"I'm not killing them!" you giggled, "But unlike Papa, you already have pretty thick, full eyebrows so I won't be here long."

"Good," he muttered before furrowing his brows in confusion, ignoring your frustrated groan, "who is daddysero and why is he asking if you pissed today?"

"What?!" you pull your dad's hand back to see what he was looking at, instantly calming down when you saw he was still on Twitter, "Oh, that's just Sero, he asks me that every time I tweet. I thought you went to my Instagram DMs," at Shota's questioning stare you grinned, "Mama's got simps in her DMs."

"Don't ever call yourself 'Mama' in my presence ever again," Shota shook his head, once again ignoring your annoyance, "papichulo46290 wants to know my favorite memory of you."

"If you mix me up with 'Toshi, I'll be so pissed," you return the eyebrow pencil to your bag as Shota speaks.

"I won't... probably," he shrugs while you root through your bag, "So, Hizashi had taken Hitoshi out for ice cream because of - has he mentioned his middle school trauma?" at your nod, he continues, "Hitoshi was having a bad day from middle school, shocking, so you and I were left home alone together. You were probably seven and you really wanted to paint my nails and I let you. You..." he shook his head, snickering, "you fucked them up. So bad. But you were so happy to just be spending time with me- "

"Keep talking, but I'm gonna do your eyeshadow," you lean back in, swishing your brush over a navy blue, almost black shade, "Just so you guys know, Dad wanted to look like shit, don't unsubscribe cuz this is gonna come out bad."

"It won't be too bad, you're talented," Shota did his best to remain still, "But overall, you were just so adorable and it didn't even matter that the smudged nails got me teased in the teacher's lounge the next day. It all came off after like a week because it was shitty polish but you get the idea."

"Aww, I didn't know you kept it on, that's so sweet," you fall back briefly to inspect your work, "It's not awful but I'm only posting this because you're my dad."

"Of course, I did," Shota continued scrolling through the questions, "A lot of people are asking if you mean Dad or Daddy, and a lot more people are asking for pictures of your feet, you should block them all."

"Yeah, I got sickos in my replies too, just gotta scroll past em'."

"Disgusting..." Shota grumbled as you moved to his other eye, "Is 'electrodick' Kaminari, perchance?"

"Unfortunately."

"Gross, he asks if you had an 'I'm not like other girls' phase," Shota hummed quietly in thought, "Maybe when you were eight for like a month, but that's probably because except for Nemuri you didn't have any women in your life. Thankfully you moved on from that pretty quickly."

"Oh yeah, that was a gross, weird time. You and Papa also weren’t shitty people so I didn’t have a lot of misogynist influence."

"I like to think we did a good job," Shota sighed, finally moving back into his slouching position when you pulled away completely, "Is 'explosionmurder' Bakugou?"

"You know it."

"Okay well, he's asking if you plan on fucking up your bronzing again?" he thinks for a moment, “Was that from when you looked kinda copper-ish in a video?

"Oh my God, that was one time, Bakugou!" you shout and shake your brush at the camera, "One time!"

"I don't even know what blending is so you're doing better than I am."

"God, how are we related?"

Without hesitation, Shota replied, "Surrogate. Which answers summerlongsock's question."

"Nice," you chuckle, setting the brush back in your bag, "You probably won't need too much bronze or countour since you're going for bad," you immediately turn to the camera, "And Bakugou isn't gonna say a fucking word about it!"

"Is eyeliner next? And if so, I would enjoy a nice wing," Shota muttered, looking through the remaining questions, "Hitoshi asks why I haven't done a video with him yet."

You nod along while uncapping the liner, "I'm curious about that too. I thought my first video with a parent would be with Papa. I was gonna say family but..." you shrug, "Hitoshi was my first video and then Eri came on."

"He never asked," Shota closed both of his eyes, allowing you to move his head around as you pleased, "You just texted me the video idea and we set it up while I was in town. If Hitoshi wants a video so bad he should come up with an idea."

"Jeez, don't bully the poor boy," you laughed quietly, carefully applying more eyeliner to your father's left lid, "We should all do a video together. I think it'd be fun."

"Come up with an idea," he replied flatly before opening his eyes, "davinky wants to know when you got into makeup. Probably after thirteen, sometime."

"Yeah, I got my first real eyeshadow at like fourteen and then you guys just enabled my love of makeup after that."

"Well, the thing with that was, Hizashi and I didn't want you growing up thinking you had to wear makeup for any reason," Shota opened his eyes once he felt you back away, blinking a few times, "So we waited till you were more mature because giving makeup to a six-year-old is weird."

Capping your eyeliner, you traded it out for mascara, "Yeah, even little play kits are a bit ehhh. Don't close your eyes, but look down."

Following instruction, Shota took the opportunity to read off another question, "I can't see the name but someone's asking what we did together for fun. While you were a kid."

Humming quietly in thought, you move from one eye to the other, "We used to go to diners a lot. Those late-night diner trips, remember?"

"Oh yeah, you were such a little demon about bedtime. I had to take you to this little place for scrambled eggs or some shit and you'd fall asleep on the way back home."

Putting away your mascara, you reach out for your hairbrush before beginning to pull out the hair tie in Shota's hair, "Mina wanted me to ask what videos you show people when they ask what your kids do for a living."

"For Hitoshi, the one where he and Kaminari made Bakugou breakfast with sex toys. For you, the one where you turn yourself into Mina's little character - with the pink skin," Shota winced slightly at the tug of your hairbrush, "And Eri's a teacher so that information comes first since it's the least strange."

As you fussed with his tangled nest of hair, you read another question over Shota's shoulder, "When did you know you loved me? Like after adopting me."

"Not too long after the adoption was finalized actually," Shota grumbled as the brush made its final courses through his hair, "You've always been a really great kid. I don't know when I 'realized' but it was definitely around the time you were born, maybe like the day after."

"That's pretty good considering I was a stranger," you giggled, brushing out the final knots in his dark hair, "A baby stranger."

"Hmm," Shota hummed in response, "You almost done?"

Refraining from rolling your eyes, you fluffed Shota's now smooth and detangled hair around his shoulders with a small smile, "I'm done. Your hair is so pretty when it's brushed out."

"I know," the man muttered, handing your phone back, "Wanna do one more question and then sign off?"

"Yeah," you scroll through some of the questions, "I want it to be the best question that's ever been asked."

"Ask your own, you're great at that."

You shook your head with furrowed brows at his comment, "Is that a compliment?"

"It was meant to be."

"Thanks, but no need, I've found one. Midoriya wants to know if raising two attention whores was hard. He didn't say ‘attention whores’ because he doesn't swear but that's the vibe."

"What's Midoriya's at?" Shota asked.

"SmallMight."

"Of course," the man grumbled, closing his eyes to think, "You two were honestly pretty easy to raise. Not a whole lot of fits compared to what I've heard other parents talk about. You both liked to talk a lot to each other, and, of course, to Hizashi and me. Not terribly difficult at all."

"Aww, I'm glad we didn't make you pull your hair out," you grin.

"Oh, you still did. Absolutely."

"Nice," you giggle before turning off your phone and facing the camera, "Okay guys, well, I hope you don't clown on me as much as usual because if you do, my dad will... I don't know… kick your ass."

"Exactly," Shota nodded, a horrific smile on his face, "I'll beam right into your living room."

"Hopefully you guys come back next week where I'll..." floundering for an answer, you turn to your dad as if he’d give you ideas, "Create wings to do it better than Icarus ever could."

Giving a singular stiff nod, Shota looked dead at the camera, "I'd watch it."

"You heard it from the main man himself, peeps," you waved to the camera, Shota copying the motion, “Bye!”

"If there's one comment about my eyebags, I'm never coming on your channel again," Shota lied as you leaned over to stop recording.

"They're gonna love you, I'm sure," you assure your father, "Wanna see how I edit?"

"God no, Hitoshi showed me how long it takes to edit his videos, it looks like hell."

#bnha x reader #bnha x reader platonic #shota aizawa x reader #shota x reader #aizawa x reader #shota aizawa x daughter reader #aizawa x daughter reader #shota x daughter reader #shota x reader platonic

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fuck-customers · 3 years ago

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I am one of a small number of Spanish speakers at my store, so I often get asked to take over calls or head up to other floors to help with Spanish speaking customers who just can’t communicate in English or just prefer using Spanish. This past week I actually had a higher number of Spanish incidents than I usually do, and a couple of them were so funny.

First of all, I had to take over a phone call that shaved a few years off my life, because basically the person wanted to cancel their e-mail subscription (something that as a physical retail location we have nothing to do with, but I guided them through it regardless because why not?) because they were moving to Germany the next day and wouldn’t need it anymore. I helped them and everything was fine other than my questioning how you managed to get to a point where you’re moving to a whole other country but you can’t figure out how to unsubscribe from an email, but whatever, fair enough, we all have our qualms. The actual funny part of this came later on that same day when I was retelling the story to some coworkers, and as I was telling the story I started it off by saying that ya know, I greeted the person on the phone by saying “Hola cómo te puedo ayudar? Hi, how can I help you?” But then remembered none of my coworkers knew any Spanish so I’d be having to repeat the conversation twice in different languages the entire time if I didn’t decide to just use one language, so I decided to just drop the Spanish and continue my story in only English, so that what I next said was, “And then the customer was like, ‘I need to unsubscribe from your emails,’” which caused all of my coworkers to just die from laughter. They had misunderstood, they thought that because I had dropped using Spanish to retell the story, that likewise the customer, after being put on the phone with me, had just switched to English. As in like, they thought that maybe this person was like “oh no, I don’t wanna talk to no white people, I wanna talk to a latine.” Which like no, and god that would have been HILARIOUS if it was the case and almost kind of sad it wasn’t. The other funny incident was just the other day, I got a call from another coworker on a different floor who needed a Spanish speaker for a customer, he told me he was trying to see if she was willing to just talk to me over the phone, but she didn’t seem to be understanding what he was asking, and so I told him I’d be up soon, I just needed to pull my coworker from the register where she’d gone to help with the line, so that way we’d have someone on the floor while I went up. After a couple of minutes, almost five, I was able to pull her and then I headed upstairs to see if the customer was still there and needed help. Luckily she was still there, so I go up and in Spanish ask her how can I help her, to which she replies in the most monotone and dead voice possible, “Where is the exit?” no inflection, no emotion, no nothing, to the point it takes me a second to reply that the exit is down in the first floor, she then proceeds to ask me, in the exact same voice, if she can take the elevator, which is yet such another obvious answer that I just reply yes, and literally within 0.0000001 second she has turned away from me and has headed to the elevator to go back down, even though she had been several feet closer to the escalators that also would have taken her down probably faster than waiting for our slow ass elevators. And I was just like, this entire conversation was such a waste of my time that its only redeeming feature is that it got me a couple minutes of overtime.

#submissions #happy ending #fuck customers #wtf customers

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lightpossession · 3 years ago

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my annual digital cleanup attempt ❤️

back at it again at trying to not let tech corporations control my life... my challenge for all of you is to pick at least 2 or 3 of these things and do them now, if you’re on tumblr right now you have the time and probably the ability to do some of these. I love you!!

things I’ve done this past year or earlier and recommend for everyone else:

✅ web browsers: stop using Chrome!! I’ve been using Brave for a couple years and I love it; it’s incredibly easy to switch from Chrome and copy over your history and favourites, and all Chrome extensions will work on Brave. I recently also downloaded the mobile app. I know real ones use Firefox though ✅ search engines: stop using Google!! I use Duckduckgo on my laptop and on my phone and I’m happy with it. I still use Google Maps so if someone has a good alternative do tell! ✅ buy a VPN: I went with Surfshark with a discount code from Reddit. NordVPN is also very highly recommended. here’s Reddit’s breakdown if you want to see more options and discount codes ✅ email accounts: make a non-gmail account. I have a protonmail account but I think tutanota might actually be a better choice. ✅ mailing lists: unsubscribe from mailing lists you don’t want to be on. this doesn’t need to be a big project, but can be a consistent commitment to hit “unsubscribe” when you receive an email you didn’t want. it literally takes one or two clicks, you can do it ❤️ ✅ social media: set some limits. I’ve set limits on my phone for 20 minutes of Twitter, 10 of Instagram, and 10 of Tumblr, which is more than I usually spend per day anyway, but I want to avoid those days when I spend... 40 minutes... on Instagram 😬I don’t even enjoy Instagram unless it’s cat pictures.

things I still need to do:

✅ VPN: set up my VPN on my phone and on my family’s devices ✅ email accounts: switch over some of my gmail account’s functions (probably starting with online banking, my phone bill and such, listservs, social media accounts, and accounts with my medical practitioners; I might make a new separate account for promotional emails). I have my protonmail account but I don’t use it as of yet lol. ⬜️ t******ing: relearn how to t*rr*** 😇it’s been a long time!! I have qB*t******* downloaded 🥰 ✅ old emails: as usual, put some effort into deleting old emails, especially promo emails. remember this isn’t just for like, your own wellness, all those emails have a carbon footprint too! my strategy is to just search for a sender (e.g. “sephora” or “goodreads”) and delete everything that isn’t a recent receipt. ⬜️ delete Facebook: this is my big goal for 2022. my account is from 2008 and is the only place where a lot of my old photos are stored, so I’m starting by backing all of those up (learn how here). I think my intention will be to delete my account by my birthday in July. ⬜️ social media: I’m honestly committing to “Tweetless Tuesday 2022” (yes I coined this myself.) which means I’m logging off of Twitter every Tuesday, all year! Might take this a step further and also not use Instagram or Tumblr on Tuesdays either. #detox #cleanse

this is a decent amount of stuff for me to do this year but I will also heed any recommendations if you think I’m missing something important or useful!!

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hardtchill · 4 years ago

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where can people outside the us watch the wnba do you know

Well, it’s a bit of a headache to find out but i found some useful links.

This is a link to the schedule (keep in mind that i preselected july as month because that’s when the first games happen but they run through september). https://www.wnba.com/schedule/#?Month=10

This is a list with the broadcaster per game for the first half of the season. The list for the second half of the season will be released later. https://www.wnba.com/national-tv-schedule/#:~:text=All%20ESPN%20telecasts%20during%20the,live%20on%20the%20ESPN%20app.&text=The%202020%20WNBA%20regular%20season,July%2025%20through%20Saturday%2C%20Sept.

Good news: the games will be on major networks. Bad news: there doesn’t seem to be a separate free stream for international fans like the nwsl did with Twitch (at least i haven’t found it yet).

There is one option i have found that allows you to buy a league pass and watch the games on https://leaguepass.wnba.com/ They offer you a 7 day free trial so you could always try it (do keep in mind that you need to unsubscribe 5 business days before you want to cancel or they will bill you so that would be day 1 of the free sub basically). After the 7 day trial it’s either 9,99 if want to follow/watch just one team or 16,99 if you want to watch all the games. You need a credit card or Paypal to get a subscription btw.

Your best option if you don’t live in the US and can’t do the paid subscription is to look for an online stream. This is the website you can use since it has streams for many different channels and the wmba will be shown on many different channels. In the past i used stream2watch but the website seems to have been pulled offline, this seems like a good alternative but i haven’t used it myself yet. If you go to the right channel it should show you the game but this kinda thing does require some trial and error usually. If the website doesn’t work for you, you can always look for “name channel, livestream, free” or “names of the two teams, wmba, livestream, free” on Google and see if it spits out any useful websites.

I always encourage people to buy a sub so you can watch because that does support the league but with so many leagues starting i can understand that not everyone can afford all of these subscriptions (especially as an international viewer when you know games will be at 3am where you’re at).

#ask #wmba #seattle storm #i might do the team pass for the storm #that's the team i know i will be watching #even at 3am #but i may spring for the league pass

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buckyscrystalqueen · 4 years ago

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A Christmas Gift: Part 1

Pairings: Bucky x Reader

Warnings: Swearing

Word Count: 5,050

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“What about him?” Steve asked as he and his friends stood outside an empty U-Haul in New Jersey, waiting to find the perfect person for their next YouTube video. Tony shook his head as he scanned the lot full of early Christmas shoppers, locating a woman a few spots down and a row over that was looking between three or four different pieces of paper and a cell phone that had a kids pink unicorn sticker upside down and sideways on the back in a rust covered car.

“Them?” Sam asked as he gestured to a couple coming down the row they were in, but Tony shook his head as he glanced at an older model car seat in the back.

“Her.” He said simply as he gestured to you as you wiped tears off your face and ran your fingers through your hair to hold your slowly shaking head. “I know that look. I know that desperation… She’s the one.”

“I’ll go talk to her.” Bucky said as he put out his cigarette and took one of Tony’s YouTube channel cards from his ‘boss’.

“I’m coming, too.” Tony said as he pushed off the side of the truck and headed over with Bucky, who was usually responsible for the main camera work since he wasn’t a fan of being in front of it. You startled and looked over at the two men when they knocked before cranking down your window with a shake of your head.

“I’m sorry, I’m not leaving yet…”

“No, we’re looking to help you.” Bucky said gently as he leaned on the hood of your car to see you while Tony crouched down beside the window.

“Who you shopping for, sweetheart?” He asked softly.

“My daughter.” You sighed as you shook your head and glanced at her wish list. “Lord, my little girl, and her big hopes and dreams.” You looked back over at him and shook your head as you showed them the list. “She’s trying to bankrupt me asking for a pony, and an iPad, and cell phone, and some fancy expensive doll… And she’s only four, so I’m in for a world of hurt from here.”

“Just her?” Tony clarified, which made you startle the slightest bit.

“Just… her. I’m sorry, what did you say your name was?”

“Tony.” He laughed as he took the business card from Bucky and handed it to you. “Tony Stark. I’m a YouTuber. My camera guy, Bucky.”

“OK…”

“We’re shooting a video today, and we want to make someone’s Christmas a little more special, and you are that person.”

“Wait… what?!”

“But here’s the problem. Target never lets us film in their store long without kicking us out, and… well I rented this U Haul and while we could shop in Wal Mart, I don’t think it’s gunna fill that truck, and that’s what I need to do. So I think we’re gunna have to take it into the city.”

“Oh, no.” You said with a shake of your head. “No, I can’t let you do that. I can get a few things…”

“And I feel the need to be Santa Claus today.” He interrupted. “Please? I can’t promise a pony, but I can promise to make this Christmas a special one for your daughter. So, as long as you don’t mind, Bucky’s going to ride with you so your parking in the city, and your gas there and back is paid for, and he can get some back ground information so we know where we’re going once we’re there.”

“And so we know you actually go to the city so we’re not just standing around waiting.” Bucky laughed. You sighed and shook your head as you set the list down on your lap.

“You really don’t have to do this.”

“We know.” You looked between the two of them and over at the U Haul with a shake of your head.

“I’m not gunna end up a statistic on the five o’clock news, right?”

“No, we promise.” Bucky said. “I keep telling him we need to approach these videos a little different, but no one listens to the camera man.” You smiled and nodded your head as you started to clear off your passenger seat.

“OK, fine. But I will put up a fight. And I have to make a stop first if I’m leaving Jersey. I have to pick up a few things for my side job and that store will close before we get back.”

“Alright, we’ll follow you.” Tony said as he stood up and gestured for his friend to get in. “Don’t go kidnapping my camera man, you hear?”

“Pretty sure I should be the one concerned with that.” You laughed as you moved your purse and papers off the seat beside you, and put your seatbelt on. “Just know, I have pepper spray.”

“Oh, I would so prefer if you keep that exactly where it is, and not spray it anywhere near me.“ Bucky requested as he got into your little five speed rust bucket and moved the seat back so his long legs would fit. “I’ve been sprayed with pepper spray by my ex, who is the solid definition of crazy, and it’s not pleasant. Wait for this SUV.” You nodded and slowed down on the other side of the white vehicle, while Bucky pulled an old, bent notebook out of his pocket. “OK first, your name?”

“(Y/N).” He nodded and wrote out your name, repeating it back to you in one long, monotone note that made you smile.

“OK, and baby girl’s name and age.”

“Anna Lee. And she is four going on sixteen.”

“Anna Lee.” He said with a nod and a glance over at you. “I like that. Is it a family name?”

“No, it’s from a song, actually. Ever heard of The Band?”

“Which band?”

“No, the band is called, The Band. Here, listen.” He nodded and look ever at you as you grabbed a mix CD from the visor and put it in the player. You skipped to the track you were looking for as you pulled into the next shopping mall parking lot. “Please don’t steal my car, I’ll be right back.”

“Nope, I wanna see, too.” He said as he unbuckled and glanced over at the SUV that pulled in beside you. “What is this place?”

“It’s a crystal store.” You said as you grabbed your purse and a reusable shopping bag. “I make jewelry when Anna Lee goes to bed. Mala beads, necklaces, bracelets, rings, and earrings. I make candles, too. And usually I sell them here.”

“Namaste!” Your best friend, Wanda called out before glancing over her shoulder to see who it was. “Oooo girl! Who is this… why do you have a camera crew?”

“Wrong place, wrong time, apparently.” You sighed as you kissed Wanda’s cheek. “I’ll explain later. I need two things. One, I need to pick up my stuff, and two, I need you to relieve the baby sitter when you close because I’ll apparently be in the city until God only knows.”

“Wait, what is going on?” She asked as two of Tony’s guys flirted with Natasha, the woman that worked at the register.

“Some YouTube thing.” You said with a swipe of your hand. “Can you pick up Annie?”

“I can pick up Annie.” She said with a nod as she gestured for you to follow her to the back room. “Just don’t be gone all night, galavanting in the city. And you better check in every half hour so I don’t have to obsess over thoughts that you are dead on the side of the road or sold into sex slavery or something.”

“I highly doubt that these guys are going to sell me into sex slavery.” You huffed as you peeked into the large box with your name on it. “Please tell me you found the rhodochrosite beads.”

“Girl, who do you think I am?!” She laughed as she pulled open the top. “The list of holiday requests…”

“Oh, damn it.” You sighed as you glanced at the list of products she had sold in her store that she needed wire wrapped. “I’m never going to sleep again.”

“I’m sorry, hunny. I can still come over and help…”

“No, it’s fine.” You sighed as you put the beads in your hand back in the box and the list on top of it. “I’ll do it. I’ve done it every other year, I’ll do it again this year.”

“That’a girl.” She cheered as you picked up the box with a grunt.

“I’ll see you tonight. Bring the invoice and… fuck it, take her to McDonalds. Just leave the receipt on the table and I’ll pay you tonight, love.” She nodded and agreed as she held open the back door to help you. You said good bye to her and Natasha and smiled at one of Tony’s guys who was holding open the main door for you. Bucky grabbed the trunk for you and took the box from your hands, distracting you from the large bag one of the guys was carrying out of the store. You headed back around to the drivers side with a heavy sigh and sat back in your chair.

“OK, so let’s get back to Anna Lee. Just follow the SUV.” Bucky said as he got back in your car and pulled out his notebook again.

“OK, do you know how much I hate all of this?” You asked as you looked through your papers to pull Annie’s list out of your bank statements.

“OK, I’m guessing this is pony.”

“The first one? Yea, that’s pony.” You laughed as you glanced over at the list. “Then iPad and iPhone are next, then coloring books, and new crayons. Then what’s the next one?”

“Name? Nama? Maybe…”

“Nanea.” You laughed. “She’s the cute, Hawaiian, 1940’s, Junior Citizens Service Corps American Girl doll out of the catalog that my lovely mother signed me up for that I can’t seem to unsubscribe from since Annie has fallin’ in love with these hundred dollar dolls… I was going to try to pass the Target version off but I know that wouldn’t work.”

“So iPad and American girl.” Bucky said as he texted Steve the first two things. “What’s this last thing?”

“A man friend for mommy.” You sighed as you reached out and took the list from him. “Was on the list last year, and it’s what she’s wished for the last two birthdays. My little girl.” You sighed as you looked at the list at a red light. “I don’t deserve her.”

“She sounds like an angel.”

“She is.” You said as you carefully folded the list back up to put in her baby book with the year before’s. “Sweetest, most patient kid ever. She comes to work so I can keep my costs down, and she just sits with her toy of the day or a coloring book on the bus and plays quietly, or sits in the doorway of the room I’m cleaning and watches her show or a movie on my phone, or reads her books. For a four year old, she is an absolute gift from God.”

“What else does she like?”

“She loves to read, and practice her counting, numbers, and letters, and she’s pretty advanced for her age, which is nice. She loves Disney, and her massive collection of stuffed animals. She likes playing with the Legos my mom gave her from when I was a child, which is about as motherly as my mother can be toward her only grandchild because God forbid her daughter have a daughter out of wedlock… Do you smoke?” You looked over at him as he continued to write, but he nodded his head and leaned back to grab his cigarettes.

“Bad habit.” He said as he held out his back to you before you could open the one you secretly kept in your door.

“You’re telling me.” You agreed as you took his lighter from him and lit your cigarette. “I don’t smoke much other than one with my coffee, one after I drop my school bus off in the morning and in the afternoon, and one after I tuck Annie in. And every once in a blue moon when I’m running errands without her, I have one.”

“Yea, I wish I could live off five a day.” Bucky said as you both cranked open your windows a crack. “My friends are all idiots that stress me out and I don’t need that kinda stress in my life. Already got enough. So I smoke.”

“What’s your stress from? Bad girlfriend?”

“No girlfriend, but we’re not here to talk about me, we’re here to talk about you.” You huffed and stuck your tongue out at him. “What else does she like?” You sighed and shrugged.

“She colors a lot. Not a fan of being outside but that’s probably because I live in a bad neighborhood. She plays games on my phone. She likes Mommy’s crystals. I don’t know, she’s just a regular kid.”

“And what about you?” Bucky asked as he pulled out his phone and took pictures of his notes to pass along to Steve.

“What about me?”

“What do you like to do?” You scoffed around your smoke and shook your head at him.

“I lost the ability to do anything for myself when I got pregnant.” You told him with a glance over at him. “Every dime I have goes to that little girl. She gets all the new clothes, all the new toys, all the new games. She wants Frozen shaped Mac’n’Cheese or name brand Gushers, she’s gunna get it, and I’m going to survive with holes in my bra straps another day because they still work to pay for her to have her snack. I work three jobs for her, from way before sun up to way after sun down and live in the smallest apartment known to man kind because the rent was cheap. She is my world.

So my interest right now include mermaids, and fairies, and unicorns. And my days off are spent in a kiddy pool on my pathetic excuse for a patio playing mermaids, or playing tea party and dress up, or watching Doc McStuffins for the hundredth time because Annie wants to be a doctor right now. Either that or a mermaid or a crystal witch hippie like me. And I wouldn’t have it any other way. Because she is my little girl.” Bucky studied the side of your face as you took the last drag of your cigarette and tossed the butt out the window. “Stop looking at me like that.”

“What about her father? If you don’t mind me asking.”

“Prison. Found out I was pregnant, and he went into a bank, pretended to rob it, and shot a man that worked there just so he didn’t have to pay child support. Jokes on him.” You said with a smirk as you looked over at him. “He still has to pay in federal lock up. Unless he pulls whatever kind of stunt he’s pulling now so that he’s in solitary and not working to make sure his support doesn’t go through to try and ruin Christmas and her birthday like he has since she was born. Asshole.”

“God, you just have your work cut out for you, don’t you?” You nodded your head and glanced down as your mix CD started over, reminding you about your daughter.

“This is how I came up with Anna Lee.” You said as you found the track again and turned it up so he wouldn’t ask anymore questions about you on the drive. As he listened, Bucky pulled out his phone to text Tony directly to let him know that he had picked the right person for his Christmas video give away. He relayed everything you had told him, picking out even more details about your daughter than you had given originally, and about your lifestyle. Because the video wasn’t just about making Christmas for a kid, it was about making Christmas special for an entire family.

“I’m from Nazareth.” You said at the end of the song as you slowed to pay the toll. You glanced over at him as Bucky handed you a twenty, and continued. “Pennsylvania. My parents still live there. I get my love of 60’s music from my dad. The Band was one of his favorites. I knew when I was a child that if I had a little girl, she’d be named Anna Lee because of that line of someone staying to keep Anna Lee company. Just didn’t know as a kid what that meant, but I still fell in love with the name all the same.”

“It’s a beautiful name.” Bucky said as he took his change back from you. “Not one you hear every day.”

“I like that about it, too.”

“Just stay behind the SUV. You don’t have to wait for the U Haul.” You nodded and changed gears to speed up to keep up with the other driver. Driving through the busy streets always made you a little nervous, and the Christmas crowd made that even worse, but thankfully, you didn’t have far to go before you were parking in an above ground lot behind the SUV and next to an empty double spot the U Haul was able to fit in.

“We’ve had these spots reserved for a week.” Your passenger said to you before you even asked the question. “So, we need you to have Anna Lee’s list in hand.” You nodded your head and pulled out the list that would go in a baby box in your closet for her after today. You got out after him and locked the doors, while the little group collected behind the U Haul to introduce themselves and go over the game plan they had been making.

“So this is how it’s going to play out.” Tony said as he showed you a walking map on his phone with pins in places you were going to go. “We’re going to go in a giant circle. But most of us are not going to come back after each trip. We have fold up carts that we’ll put the bags in, and then Clint, and Bruce will run it all back to the U Haul where Scott will be hanging out, keeping an eye on it, since we’re going to be spending a lot of money and people are extra sticky fingered around the holidays.”

“OK.” You said as you glanced over at Bucky as he held out a mic pack for you.

“Needs to clip to your collar on the inside or on your jacket if you don’t plan on taking it off, line goes under your shirt, and the battery fits in your back pocket or it can clip to the back of your jeans.” You nodded your head and turned around to feed the mic up your shirt to your collar as Tony continued.

“Now, I usually do this ‘anonymously’ by supposedly grabbing people off the street, but I have to have people consent to being filmed on film for legal reasons before I can even begin, and I need them to be mic-ed up for that. Which is what we’re doing here. But once that’s done, what we’re gunna have you do is walk about half way down the block while I do my intro. And Bruce will give you the signal to walk toward me. When you pass me, be looking at Anna Lee’s list, and act startled when I get your attention. I may jump in front of you, I may grab your arm. It kinda just happens. And I apologize in advance. Just please don’t scream. It draws a lot of attention and it doesn’t look good.”

“I won’t scream.” You giggled with a shake of your head as you got Annie’s list out.

“Perfect. Now, I need you to confirm to the camera that you are OK with being on camera, in those words. Not just yes or OK, or sure…”

“I am OK with being filmed for Tony Stark’s YouTube channel and his Christmas video. No matter how much I oppose having money spent on me…”

“OK, that’s not what I wanted.” Tony laughed as Bucky smirked at you behind his camera. “But it will work. Now, one last thing. Some stores have an issue with our bigger camera, but I have Wade, our unofficial, smooth talking, ’legal guy’ that talks to managers. Try to stay close, and keep your back more to walls so that other people are not on camera. And if the big camera gets kicked out, we switch to much more subtle little ones. Just so you know what’s going on. And we’re starting with the American Girl store.”

“We also film everything and do a lot of editing so don’t worry about swearing or having to redo takes.” Bucky said as he leaned the camera away from his face a bit. “And I’ll let you know if there’s audio issues so don’t worry about the microphone and the cord.”

“Alright, we ready?” Steve asked as he clipped his mic pack to his belt. You nodded and took a deep breath as you purposely unwrapped your scarf to keep it away from the mic and followed the group down to the street. With Annie’s list in hand, you did what you were told and walked down the block to wait for the signal. You knew what was coming but your hands still shook.

“Stupid.” You mumbled when Bruce gave you the signal. You took a deep breath and carefully stepped around Bucky where Bruce was pointing so that you were passing by Tony where you needed to be.

“Miss! Hey, whoa, whoa, whoa.” Tony said as he gently took your shaking arm and turned you back around so you were facing the camera. “Hi, I have a very important question for you. Who made this Santa list for you today?”

“Oh. My daughter, Anna Lee.”

“Anna Lee. Well my name is Tony Stark. I rented a U Haul truck this year and we’re doing a Christmas video shopping spree for one lucky child this year where we fill the truck with toys for them. And a list written to Santa in glitter crayon on pink paper with stickers to boot, screams special little girl.”

“What?! No, you can’t…”

“Well Santa told me that this was the list I was looking for.” Tony interrupted with a smile, glad you were playing along. “It’s been decided by the spirit of Christmas. So what’s first on the list?” He asked as he looked at the list with you.

“Well Annie really wants an American Girl doll so that’s where I was headed first.”

“Then American Girl it is!” Tony said as he smiled over at you before looking at the camera. “Let’s fill this U Haul for Annie!” Tony stood there long enough to get a thumbs up from Bucky before turning toward you with a smile and handing you back the list. “You did good.”

“Thanks.” You said with a small smile as Bucky came up next to you as Tony looked at his app.

“Just so you know, the microphone picks up your voice even if your not in front of the camera and records it… and I can hear it all in my headset. Which is also very stupid.” Your face flushed red as he held the camera by his side and followed the rest of the group down the street.

“Oh my God, I’m so sorry.”

“Relax.” He laughed. “We can edit it out in post. No big deal. Just be mindful, OK?” With one more apology, the group turned the corner and grabbed a pair of taxis to head a few blocks uptown to stop number one. You got the quick run down on how you were supposed to enter, but that was it instruction wise. You headed through the door of one of the flagship American Girl Place stores, and couldn’t help but smile that you were standing in a store that you had wanted to see since you were a child and got your own doll.

“So which doll does Annie have her heart set on?” Tony asked as he moved you and himself just enough so that you were out of the way and in front of a wall.

“Oh, that would be Nanea. She’s…”

“First one to find Nanea without disrupting the mom’s gets a thousand dollars.” Tony said with a smirk. His friends took off a brisk walk and you glanced over at Tony. “You’re in on that too.” He said as he gestured to the store.

“Oh boys. If this is how the day is going to go, you’re in for a world of hurt.”

“Follow her.” Tony said as he pushed Bucky in the direction you went. You beelined through the crowd, past Sam and Steve who didn’t realize that Nanea wasn’t a WellieWisher doll and were searching the boxes, Bruce, who was trying to go through boxes in a round about with a bunch of other moms and girls, and Scott, who looked completely lost trying to find some kind of sign to point him in the right direction. Being a mother, and a frequent reader of the magazine, you knew exactly what you were looking for. You headed upstairs, slowed along the side wall in the middle display of all of the dolls that were sold in the historic line, before very gently reaching up to grab a box on the bottom of the third round display in.

“Found it.” You said softly as you smiled at the doll that was going to make your daughter’s whole world. Tears welled in your eyes as Bucky lowered his camera to just watch you for a moment before shooting a text to the group that the doll had been found and where and putting the camera back up on his shoulder.

“She’s a lucky girl.” He said softly, making you look up at him as you hugged the box to your chest.

“I remember opening this box when I was a little girl. It was magical. And now I get to make it magical for her, too.” You looked at him and not the camera and smiled softly. “Thank you for doing this.”

“So who are these other dolls? They all have stories, right?” Steve asked as he looked around at the section you were in.

“They do.” You said as you held the doll to your chest. “I know some of them. Julie is a hippie who stands up for girl’s rights, Melody stands up for the civil rights movement, Nanea survived Pearl Harbor, Kit was Great Depression, Samantha is an orphan, Rebecca is Jewish, Addy escaped slavery, Kaya is a Native American, Josefina lived in 1800’s New Mexico, and Maryellen lives in a time of conformity in the 50’s and she just wants to stand out. Then you have Joss who is deaf in one ear, Blair the chef, decorator, farmer, etcetera, and lastly my personal favorite, Luciana, the aspiring astronaut. Wow, I know all of them.”

“You know a lot about these dolls.” Steve said as Tony stood next to Bucky, just watching.

“I do. I had a doll when I was younger, Molly, World War II. I loved the lessons that these dolls taught, and I love that they are still teaching girls about our history. And they all have clothes and props and stuff to help reinforce those stories. Like I had a little chalk board and work books, and a desk for Molly. It’s really cute.”

“Well then obviously, Annie needs them all.”

“What?!” You snapped as you whipped around to Tony, who was smiling as if he didn’t just drop a bomb.

“One of everything the doll has.” He told his friends, who scattered across the room to grab a doll and all the accessories they had in their section. “Pay attention to the little boxes!”

“No. No, you really don’t have to do that.” You tried as he looked at Nanea’s shelves and grabbed her clothes and accessories packs.

“You agreed to this, sweetheart.” Tony said in a sing song voice as he grabbed a couple shopping bags from a woman and started to fill them. “We’re doing this for Anne…”

“Anna Lee.” You and Bucky corrected at the same time.

“Anna Lee.” Tony repeated as if committing her full name to memory. “Look, they’re historic so she can learn. And besides that, you have to look at it this way. I know we’re not gunna be able to fill a 26 foot U Haul today. I knew that going into it. But thanks to money that I get from my followers, and money that comes from selling sweaters and t-shirts, and shit, I know I have roughly one million dollars to spend on Anna Lee. And in order to get more content to be able to do this for someone else, I need to go all out. And I need you to participate as well.” You nodded your head as his friends started putting their finds in the shopping bags, and Tony gently pushed your shoulder. “Make it fun! Enjoy spoiling your kid. Just pretend you won the lottery and spend my money. Because you kinda did.”

“OK, OK.” You sighed as you took two shopping bags from him with a scowled smile. “Fine. They make furniture, clothes, pets, and accessories, too. And other dolls for younger kids, and ones that you can find to look like your kid…”

“Well then lead the way.” Steve said with a smile as the guys picked up the first round of bags. You looked over at Bucky with a heavy sigh, and he gave you a smile and a small nod.

“You got this.” With a roll of your eyes, you lead the pack of boys around, picking out and assisting them on picking the best pieces the store had.

Part 2

#bucky barnes x reader #bucky x reader #A Christmas Gift

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