#i really like the editing on the irl segments very mood

[hayheadd]

This Pathologic teaser is so funny I can't

First of all "violence" here and everything in the video is lowercase. Second... Why is he stabbing the text 😭 Why is it running away. Third there's a real life child sitting there and her only line is "why are you here?" And the lowercase white text on a black background responds "you'll find out.... soon". So am I the text? Is she talking to me or to the text? Is the text talking to her or to me? Who am I talking to?

[lovestillaround]

Thoughts about Phil’s last video (Draw My Life: Part 2)

So, it’s been two days and I still have trouble processing all the information from Phil’s newest video - that’s why I’m writing my thoughts down, hoping that it will give me more inner peace. Disclaimer: following text includes critique of the video, so if you’re sensitive to that kind of stuff/ not in the mood for hearing my negative opinions, please proceed with caution or stop reading. Love ya <3

So, Phil starts the video saying that he’s aware that we know what’s been mostly going on in his life during the last six years and that he’s gonna share with us all the behind the scenes facts. And that on itself is fine, but oh boy, nothing would prepare me for the amount of negativity that I was going to endure (and no, I’m not talking about the subjects of death and illness). I said it to my friend and I still stand by that opinion - the video was for me more like “20 minutes of complaining about/listing every bad thing that happened in my life” than actual “draw my life”. And well, obviously Phil has the right to reflect on his life in whatever way he wants, but as I was watching the video, I couldn’t help getting more and more frustrated with his lack of awareness, especially regarding the massive privilege that he has and has always had. (Also, I’m not trying to call him out for being rich and being able to afford things that I can’t afford - that’s not at all what this is about, it’s about the attitude and the way he chose to speak about those things).

While I do think that the video was full of lovely and cute moments, I’m going to focus mainly on what I found annoying or upsetting, just to keep it (relatively) short. So, I was talking about how in my opinion the video was filled with negativity. You might ask - where is it, Daria? Or more importantly - why is it bad? The response to the video is (at least from what I saw) overwhelmingly positive. Well, I’ll try to explain how I see it.

The video literally starts with Phil saying that London was (is?) 5x more expensive than Manchester, and that if their career in London didn’t work out, they would have had to move back to their parents. I have enough compassion to understand that it must have been hard for them to feel insecure about their finances (I know this feeling damn too well) - but I also think that people should, idk, be generally aware that their actions have consequences? They took a risk, and it was hard to live in uncertainty - I get that - but people having to live with their parents is a reality for so many people! So many young people don’t even get a chance to start an independent life, for various reasons. And I’m not saying that he doesn’t have the right to talk about his struggles - just for me, in the light of the rest of the video that is played on a similar note, it becomes clear that Phil isn’t aware of how much luck he’s had in life and how he has already started his life from a much better position than - can I say that? - probably the majority of people. So for me, what lacks in the video is, idk, maybe just one instance where he acknowledges his privilege? Or just generally him using a different language while talking about his experience, choosing his words more carefully, but I’ll get to that later.

The negativity continues when Phil talks about how he could not work out how to operate the radio control panel, how it was a bad decision to say yes to everything (although I admit, this one is just Phil acknowledging sth that he has learned over the years, which isn’t really negative but let’s still keep it on the list of bad things), anxiety, lack of sleep, stress, juggling responsibilities, people that they used to work with getting more from dnp than dnp did from them, dnp doing things out of obligation, not being able to fully create things how they wanted to, people being cynical about youtubers doing projects/not understanding youtube and media’s negative reactions, loads of office work, risking all their life savings to go on tour, heteronormativity of the interviewers, lots of work related to creating gaming channel videos, overworking themselves during gamingmas, frustration with people not realising how much work happens behind the scenes, people cancelling projects, losing money because of Manila. 

On the other hand, the positives that Phil talked about were getting job at the radio, getting 1 million subs, interviewing people being a cool thing, everything about his relationship with family was very positive, getting a new team of people to work with and dropping some responsibilities like the radio show, success of the books and tours and games they created, creative freedom, positive relationship with his audience, improvement of the press over the years and people in traditional businesses becoming aware of what youtube is, creating and expanding irl merch, having fun on tour. 

Then comes the moment when I got genuinely quite confused, aka the moment when Phil talks about not having a life. Like.... really? He has every right to feel what he feels but honestly, not that many people would count themselves lucky enough to be in a long term relationship, having a loving family, four friends that want to hang out with them, going out to dinner dates and cinemas on the regular, regularly going on vacations, being able to take private yoga or boxing lessons etc. 

When I heard him saying “and I didn’t do any normal stuff people do, like getting a house or a dog”, that’s the point when I’ve lost all my hope. Like, I’m sorry Phil, but are you really gonna complain about not having time to get a house because of the life choices that you’ve made? Just… think about it. I’m not an expert on the standard of life in the UK but I personally can think of exactly zero people that I know who bought a house in their 20s. And I have to say, it’s upsetting that he seems to be so detached from what is the reality for many many people. 

Sharing personal stuff on the internet requires courage and I don’t want to be the one who takes all this knowledge and uses it against him. But I’m genuinely upset with the way he handled things this time. As I was watching the video for the first time, at the end of it all I could think was - wow, you’re really that entitled, aren’t you?

And it makes me sad, because I see two possible reasons for him being like that:

a) He is not in the best place mentally, so that he can only really focus rn on the negative aspects of his life, regretting his past choices, being disappointed in how his personal life looks like. This could be supported the fact that for basically any major thing that happened in his life he decided to share with us and elaborate mostly the negative details attached to it, rarely the positive ones (see the list of positive and negative things that I included above). 

b) He is completely unaware of what’s the average threshold for a “good quality life”, and he’s not aware of his own privilege. 

To elaborate a bit more on the point b): one could see Phil’s video as maybe a reminder that everything comes with a prize and that even though a youtuber’s life might seem super easy, there’s still a lot of stress and work involved that we just don’t see. But… I’ve been aware of that. Nobody’s life is one-dimensional, and everyone has struggles. And of course they have to edit their videos and do the business stuff. But when Phil says how he sometimes wishes people were aware of his personal struggles, I can only think that this is the reality for many many people, not only celebrities on the internet. Idk, maybe I just wasn’t the target of this whole segment in the first place, but for me it sounds borderline patronising, and again, entitled, because as I mentioned, everyone has their own struggles.

But for me, Phil doesn’t seem to be aware that he was only able to make some of the life choices that he’s made because he already had a good start in life in the first place. He’s always had a safety net in form of his parents, so he could make a choice of risking everything and moving to London for example. And yes, coming back home and asking his parents for money could have been embarrassing for him and emotionally hard, but so many people could not take such risk, or any risk, in general! Because they have families that they need to take care of. Because they have not enough money to move to an expensive city, no matter the circumstances. Because they have no one left who would help them financially if something went wrong. And so many other reasons!

On one hand, I can empathise with his frustration. I know how it is to work my ass off just to be able to go to uni, while many people that I know get money from their parents, go to a couple of lectures and then party/do nothing really. And then having other people thinking that everything is easy for me because idk I’ve always had good grades so according to them I don’t need to work as hard. Is it frustrating? Yeah. It’s hard to be misunderstood, or having your work belittled. But I would never blame other people for not being aware of how much work comes with the lifestyle that I’ve chosen. And I’m aware that dnp were working their asses off to create good things for us, but also, obviously, they were hoping to make financial profit out of it. It might sound awful but they did not have to do most of those things. In many instances, they totally did not have to overwork themselves, because it was not like they were making money to survive, they were making money just to make more money, basically. Nothing evil in wanting to make money but honestly Phil, most people work super hard, and they don’t get millions for it. While I do acknowledge that they’ve been working hard, and that a part of their audience might have not been aware of that, I think that complaining about that seems quite… inconsiderate? Complaining about the lack of private life seems inconsiderate too, especially because most people aren’t privileged enough to just decide to put their work aside and focus on their private life whenever they want. Many people I know are overworking themselves too, simply because they don’t have another choice. 

So, I’m quite upset. I don’t know what my point is. It seems to me like in that video Phil comes from a place of deep frustration, and well, I’m frustrated too. Fair game, I guess?

I want them to have a good life. I want them to do whatever the hell they need to do in order to be happy, I want them to get a goddamn dog and a house. But I also hope they’ll continue to grow, and that maybe next time Phil will be more considerate, and more careful with words.

[bluekayanite]

(SU:F Theory) Steven’s Struggles - What’s Coming Next??

While things may be pretty dull in SU:F right now, I think that there's something amazing coming on the horizon. =3

...yeah, that's all I got for an intro. XD;  More below the line.

EDIT (Jan 2, 2020): Added a few observation that I think are pretty important.

The General Mood

I'll admit to knowing pretty much exactly how Steven feels: watching people drift away and move forward while you seem to be stuck... needing to talk to someone about how you feel, but feeling like your options are bad, or that you need to talk to someone who can keep it a secret, first...  Yeah, I relate a lot to these last two eps.

I also seem to relate (though I can't remember why XD; ) to what I call being "stuck in time," or "displaced in time" - when I say these, I mean things like wanting/needing to move on, but not wanting to, or not knowing how.  It can also count for things like how Steven is both wanting things to be like they've been for him, and trying to move away from those things.

And I'm going to admit... the abrupt way that a lot of them left kinda doesn't seem to help. =/

As much as I hate long goodbyes at regular gatherings, short goodbyes when you don't know if you'll see each-other seem even worse.  ...Not to mention they could’ve tried to keep him in the loop at least a little bit...  (If you ask me, I say "Some friends they are... -.-;")

This said, I'm noticing something about the general tone of the show, and a pretty big contrast to the original series: Unlike SU, which started out with more of a feeling of lighthearted adventure and discovery, SU:F has started with more of a feeling of listlessness, melancholy, and ends that don't seem to lead anywhere, and leave Steven (and - by extension, in a possible way - the audience) with a feeling of having nowhere to go.  And it's only kind of broken up with things that aren't really that dangerous - and in general, aren't really that exciting. XD;  It's kind of interesting to see how things are "grown up," sure, but it's also kind of a drag.

Which... all of that seems pretty strange, if you think about it.

(EDIT) I mean, for one, it’s a pretty big contrast to the bright, happy, optimistic tone of the opening theme.

And for another... I remember a comment that there are still plenty of mysteries left unsolved from the original SU, and I'm more than inclined to agree with that.  To name a handful of them...

We know about how strict Gem culture is, but hardly anything about any of their, say, folklore, traditions, mythologies etc. - things like a Cosmic Jubilee have only been mentioned in passing.

We still don't know what was in the chest in Lion's mane (which has been opened).

We still haven't seen that one Diamondy-looking structure that's been hinted at in the colony plans

We don't know about that one book in Rose's treasure trove that appears to be important.

(Ref post)

What was up with the lizards?

We still don't really know much about White's type of Gems - though we can venture a few guesses.

(Not listed: possible vanity, melodramatic-ness among said Gems)

So, even though there's plenty to be explored - more than I think could be covered in a single season, or maybe even two - this fact seems to have been forgotten in-canon... and I would say conveniently so.

EDIT: Side note: It’s pretty frequently said that the kinds of things that bug us the most are the kinds of things that we ourselves need to work on.  …Personally, I actually question how true it is, and if it’s more of an assumption Freud made that people run with, not being as much of “THE reality” as people tend to think - if at all. XD;

Regardless, it appears to be an assumption that’s being run with: You remember Steven’s complaint about Amethyst?

Well, personally, I’m sick of Steven acting like he’s so> mature now.  Let yourself be yourself, dude!  You don’t have to leave your old interests behind!!

...Anyway, similarly, the complaint about Garnet being "high-and-mighty" could easily be applied to Steven - even <i>he's</i> aware of his need to be needed, and the fact that he just suddenly took over Amethyst's mentorship program.  And the part about Pearl being likely to blame herself and fall to pieces... well, admittedly, it seems like that one <i>might</i> be stretching a little bit, but I <i>guess</i> you could say that Steven <i>assumes responsibility</i> for other people's issues - even if he technically doesn't "blame" himself.  And given his reactions during <i>Little Graduation</i> (as well as his behavior <i>Prickly Pair</i>), then I'd say that he's pretty <i>close</i> to falling to pieces.

(Bonus points for the gardening joke. X3)

At any rate, this only helps to feed the feelings of listlessness and such that have been going on. XD;

This said, one of the things about storytelling (of all forms) is that you can't keep the tone the same for long, or else that tone starts to get old.  A feeling of boringness, naturally, is one of the worst tones to keep, and the whole point of what's been going on is that things have been pretty dull.  I’m sure Crewniverse knows this: I doubt that they'd push a “boring” feeling for too long...

Especially not without it being a build-up for something BIG. =3

What I think is Coming

So one of the things that has been keeping the monotony from growing too big is the enemies shown in the intro.

So far, we’ve been encountering enemies from this shot every single week - or very-nearly every two eps.  We’ve already encountered most of them, and only two are left: a big, spiny, worm-y thing (which looks pretty intimidating =3), and “White” Diamond…

As I've mentioned in a previous post, I think her change of color is probably pretty important.  I can only imagine that whatever’s made her not-so-white is going to be covered, and assuming that this isn't self-inflicted somehow (or maybe even if it was), I can only assume it was triggered by something BIG. 83  ...If subtle. XD

Now, obviously, White doesn't seem the kind to do something like this to herself.  In the post in the link above, I theorized that it may have been something she picked up from Steven - something that he wouldn't have used consciously.  Something that he couldn't have even known about, because I think that even Rose didn't know.

I think it's a virus designed specifically for White - something that Rose wouldn't (couldn't!) have made on purpose.  More likely, I think it was from someone who White eventually got, and was stuck in the moon base orb as punishment for her crimes.

I think that this prisoner is someone important who hasn't been given a proper introduction - someone who is going to get her introduction shortly. =3

There's Plenty of Evidence of a Moon Prisoner

The appearance of the moon seems FAR from random to me.  I’m not really sure how to explain how, but the timing of it seems... planned, and it feels too much like it's not a coincidence.

One of the things I can say is that it's sometimes there, and sometimes not, and in of itself, it might seem inconsistent.  It doesn't fit the “Okay, let's just stick the moon in the sky because it's night” thing that comes with most portrayals of the moon - this is partly because of just how often it shows during the day; something which happens IRL, but which few ever really put a focus on, especially in art.

And they can't be going for lunar accuracy because it’ll do things like staying almost-in-place after sunset, changing position entirely too quickly, and changing phases within the same day.  In fact, in Sworn to the Sword, during the Jam Buds song, the moon is full during the day (which is impossible IRL), and then changes to a quarter-moon as soon as the song is over.

So basically, I think that there's a prisoner in the moon base’s observation orb, and she likes to watch what’s going on.  When said prisoner is watching, there will be a change in the moon - or even the color of the sky.  And judging by this, the prisoner...

Is interested in Steven and the Gems

Is especially interested in Steven and Connie

(Is probably a 'shipper in general)

Is supportive and excitable, though appears to have some issues with anxiety or something

Has pink magic

Is POWERFUL enough to affect the appearance of the moon, sky, and maybe even stars through her emotions

Is also INCREDIBLY interested in entertainment (wrestling, Beach-a-Palooza), the Rose Quartzes, and "Volleyball"

Yeah...  I believe that - much like the robonoids in the ep Off-Colors - White Diamond was able to get through Rose's shield, and that a certain big "reveal" is basically a lot of mind-control on her part.

This has been by theory since a week after A Single Pale Rose came out (warning: large post) - or less than a week, technically.  (It takes time to write these things. XD; )

Since before even Dewey Wins came out (after the Wanted arc), it has been my theory that Pink has been the prisoner in the orb (warning: old and long), and if the above list doesn't describe Pink - particularly the last few bullets - then I don't know what does.  Add in the fact that she probably has empathy magic, and it seems pretty much guaranteed.

And yeah, the segments of Steven's dome suggest that he is part Diamond, but one of my theories suggests that Rose may have been made that way, anyway - that Pink made Rose to be part Diamond, and thus an abomination from the start (by Gem standards).  Or at least that Pink put enough of herself into Rose that Rose's powers (and thus Steven's) could sort of emulate this.

But yeah, the behavior of the moon is... not very logical, as far as moons go. XD  It makes a lot more sense if you interpret it as a sign that somebody is watching - especially if you take things like the size, frequency, and brightness of the moon into account.  (The color of the sky also works - sometimes it has pink in it, especially around sunrise/set.)

This includes one of the two latest eps: The moon was generally there (and full! =D) throughout the graduation.

(Side note: It's neat seeing the Off-Colors eating. ^_^)

It blends in with the lighting, so it's hard to say whether a certain circle is the moon around the stage performance...

But it's definitely around the stage when the dome is created and the lighting is lost.

Once the dome is up, it's actually more visible through the dome, and it nearly-always shows in shots that include Steven.

(It also actually disappears from behind Lars' head after Steven points at him. XD)

(...granted, that one detail might be an error.  But I believe it also might not be. ;3)

It disappears entirely right before the dome starts shrinking, and doesn't reappear for the rest of the party.

This is actually consistent behavior; I noticed the same thing in Cry for Help and Sadie's Song.  It seems like when it looks like things could go reallybad (socially, at least), it's too difficult for her to watch.  This is what I meant by "issues with anxiety or something."  (The consistency seems like another good clue on it being intentional.)

However, the moon does show up again after things have calmed down again: it's full and BRIGHT as Steven drives and ponders things.  This could be meant as wanting to give support, and feeling more than a little sorry - possibly including being sorry for looking away before.

But yes, in general, the behavior of the moon in this ep fits with my general assessment on the moon's appearances, as well as what I understand/believe of Pink's personality.  And it looks to me like she already both would like to give help, and would probably need some, especially after release. ;3

(And seriously, why show the moon through the wall of the dome if it wasn't important?  Especially if it was going to get covered and such, anyhow?  The pattern of the dome already makes the background pretty busy and complicated - artistically speaking, I'm pretty sure it would've been better to leave the moon out.

And even more... why make it dis appear for only part of the story?  It seems like they were committed to showing it, otherwise, so it seems like there'd have to be an important reason for that one, too. ;3)

I'll note that I didn't find any signs of the moon in the ep Prickly Pair, and that the sunset is clearly orange.

(Seriously, that's a huge contrast to the sunrise from Bluebird.)

But yeah, to me, it seems like pretty much everything points a new, major plot change coming very soon, and the moon - and its prisoner - are a really big part of that. =3

Possible Role(s) for Pink

(All my posts lead to Pink.  SUE ME.)

Okay, so obviously if Pink were revealed not to be the same as Rose Quartz, then it would be a pretty big shake-up - there would probably be at least a few eps about the main characters trying to get used to the idea (especially Pearl HO BOY).  This could definitely give Steven some stuff to do, though I think odds are good that Pink herself would do a lot of it.  (And should, I believe - they'd partly be her problems, after all!)

...Though granted, I think there's a pretty good chance that pretty much every Gem on Earth - as well as in general - would need some time to get adjusted. XD;  Speaking of which, I've already mentioned that en encounter with Jasper seems likely, as well as a possible-reveal with Smokey Quartz.  (Aaaand of course, there’d have to be stuff about the Rose Quartzes and "Volleyball" HO BOY  =D; )

I'll also note that I noticed that the moon was around during the "fight" at the end of Sunstone's video, so she would've seen both Sunstone and Rainbow.

(I've found out that XFinity wasn't showing the wrong vids after all. XD;  Should've checked more intently sooner how embarrassing...)

But yeah.  So far, Smokey's the only one of the three main Gem-Steven Fusions that hasn't been shown with a moon around, so that makes it seem even more likely to me that Smokey is gonna be important to her. =3

In general, I think that Pink being around could help tie up a lot of loose ends, and explain a lot of odd details - partly because a shake-up could lead to the Gems doing more thing, partly because of whatever Pink's actual involvement was during the war, and partly because I would be far from surprised if there were things that only Diamonds were allowed to know. XD

As I've already mentioned, it seems like Pink would want to help with things, as well as needing help, herself.  It seems like she could be just the person Steven needs to help with his problems - possibly including the problem of how to solve his own problems, without always needing outside help. XD;  She could be connected-yet-detached enough from everything that's been going on that it'd make her a pretty good candidate for somebody to listen to him, and there is some pretty good evidence that she was good at keeping secrets - even before the whole Earth fiasco happened.

The watching-from-the-moon thing could both complicate and simplify matters, depending on the situation. XD;  (Not that I could really blame her.)  ...Personally, I'm hoping for at least one joke about Pink having seen something awkward and embarrassing. X3

Anyway, I've mentioned that the moon wasn't there for Prickly Pair - well, it wasn't there for Guidance either, when the subject of Steven not knowing what to do first came up.  ...Come to think, I guess you could also count it not being there when brought up in Little Graduation.  At any rate, it seems that the topic of Steven feeling aimless is one that she probably doesn't know about, and would have to be brought up after her release. XD

I was theorizing before that maybe she wasn't sure about what was going on with Steven's new powers, but I think it's safe to say that those powers have been seen now. XD;  At any rate, I think there's a good chance that Pink'd be able to give him some help regarding said newer powers.

And on Steven's side, she could give him someone to help, for awhile. =3  I mean, I've already mentioned that she seems to have fear issues - I'd bet she has a whole slew of baggage after whatever she did in the war, as well as being trapped on the moon. XD;

And for something that might be bigger...  I think the Diamonds - as well as the Gem worlds in general - really need Pink.  She just has so many traits that could balance the Diamonds out, if they really gave her the chance.  I mean, forget the "problematic" Gems - I would think that Gems as a whole would probably be lost without helpful direction.  After a long existence where everything was directed, it sounds like they don't really know what to do on their own... and instead of trying to help them through it, Blue, Yellow, and White just sort of... left them to their own devices.

And maybe it's just me, but I don't think that Steven would cut it - aside from not knowing the ins-and-outs of Gem culture and how it could affect things, I think that they'd need someone who could be there constantly.  Not only would needing to sleep 1/3 of the time really cut into that, but biological needs in general would need to be accounted for, and neither returning to Earth nor trying to to equip the planets for his needs seems like a feasible route. XD;

(Also, one of my theories is that Pink grew immune to White's control due to growing more powerful, as indicated by their mural-halos...

((Image source))

...and I think that White needs a person that she can't control. XD;  Seriously, she needs to have someone who can force her - teach her - to have an honest relationship, and I don't think that's gonna happen so long as White has the option to go an easier route.)

So yeah.  I think that, before too long, the real Pink will return to her throne... and probably even get a series of her own. 83  Of course, she'd still visit, and deal with things on Earth now-and-then, but I think it'd be so awesome to have a series IMMERSED in the Gem side of things. 8333333

...And, of course, on Pink's side of things. ='3

Call it a weird hill to stand-and-die on, and I'd be lying if I said there wasn't any motivated reasoning, but I've always been a big fan of Pink, since I started gleaming what little I could from what little clues I found.  I saw a quirky, loving little Diamond who planned to save the Earth from the very beginning - even if she couldn't bring herself to openly stand up to the other Diamonds - and who planned from the very beginning to help to make Gems free.  And if this Pink is really who she is, then I would love to see her get a show of her own. *^_^*

...So yeah.  "Team" Pink-was-never-Rose forever. =3

[narwhal-writings]

Meet the Writer

I got tagged in so many of these lmao. All answers are under the cut.

Tagged by: @bluewritesbadly  

1. What is your favorite weather to write in?

I don’t have one! As long as it is not melt-your-face-off hot outside, I’m good!

2. Do you draw inspiration from any specific show, movie, or music?

Nothing specific that I can think of, I can draw inspiration from just about anything.

3. Do you have any specific playlists for writing?

Nope.

4. What is your goal as a writer?

To finish a WIP, something I’ve never done. And maybe to be the author of someone’s favorite story one day.

5. How would you describe your current project?

Princesses take matters into their own hands. It’s not as easy as they thought it would be.

6. Do you have a favorite character? If so, describe them?

YES!!! My girl Rosar from Broken Thrones is my fave. She is sweet even though her father is emotionally abusive. She loves being outside, digging her fingers into the soil, and everything about flowers.

7. What is your inspiration for writing?

My mind will drive me insane if I keep all my ideas and storylines in my head, so I write them out and hope someone can get immersed in them the same way I do.

8. Have you had any experiences irl that you have put into your writing?

Not that I can think of.

9. Which of your characters are you most like?

I’m most like Eira when it comes to the way my mind works. Logical not emotional.

10. What is your favorite quote?

“I hope to arrive to my death, late, in love, and a little drunk.” - Atticus

Tagged by: @thepotatowearsprada

1. What inspired you to start writing your current WIP?

I reread one of my fave books and I started getting ideas and I started writing.

2. Is there a chapter/set of chapters that’s your favourite in your WIP? If so, which ones and why?

I am super bad at writing in chapters. I usually just write in a huge chunk of paragraphs and leave separating them into chapters for future me to deal with. But there is a scene from my Dieselpunk WIP that I love. The two MCs are alone together after a traumatizing event and Jax does his best to comfort Amy. It’s adorable.

3. Which of your characters would you take with you into a haunted house?

Amy from my Dieselpunk WIP. She’d be fun.

4. What character would you take with you to supervise a first date from afar?

Rosar from Broken Thrones. She’d be able to monitor the situation without seeming suspicious.

5. Was there a specific book that led you to writing? If so, which one?

I...am not sure. I used to read all the time and any of those could’ve pushed me towards it. I’ll go with any of the Robin McKinley books I’ve read. I love the way I’m able to immerse myself in the worlds she creates and I want to mimic that.

6.  What music do you like to listen to while you write?

It varies depending on my mood or what kind of scene I want to write.

7. Where do you like to do most of your writing?

The living room at my house, That’s where the laptop is, and I prefer to use the laptop to type.

8. What book are you reading right now, and what do you think of it?

I am not reading a book right now, sadly. I have several on my list, though.

9. If you had to compare your favourite character to another literary character, who would it be, and why?

I will compare Rosar to....agh....I...don’t know...I’m bad at this...sorry.

10. What font do you like to use when typing up stories?

I use Arial.

Tagged by: @hilunawrites

1. What’s the first thing you ever remember writing?

Oh god. I used to write Warriors fanfic when I was in elementary/middle school.

2. What book or series has affected you the most?

The Blue Sword by Robin McKinley. It is my all time favorite book and I fell in love with it and the MC Harry. 

3. Do you prefer writing dialogue or description?

I like writing description, even though I’m not very good at it. 

4. Where do you write?

I can write anywhere, but mainly at my house on the laptop.

5. What is your number one goal as a writer right now?

To finish at least one of my WIPs.

6. What was the last book you read?

Defy the Worlds by Claudia Gray. I really enjoyed it!

7. Do you have a writing schedule?

No, but I should make one.

8. What’s an irritating mistake you often make when writing?

I like to use way too many commas.

9. Do you prefer writing the first draft or editing?

Lmao considering I’ve never completed a draft to edit, I’ll go with writing the first draft.

10. What’s your number one tip for newbie writers?

Don’t give up just because you feel like your writing isn’t good. The more you practice, the better you’ll get.

Tagged by: @lillithannemadison

1.How often do you get writers’ block/What do you do to get over it?

I get writers’ block a lot. I usually get over it when I walk the dog. That’s when I put my earbuds in and let my mind wander. That or when I’m a passenger in the car.

2. Do you prefer to write more in the early mornings, late nights, or somewhere in between?

I’m more productive in the evenings and nighttime.

3. If you had the chance, would you hire a publicist right now for all of your finished WIPs, or keep them until you are 1000000000% sure they are perfect?

Seeing as I can be a perfectionist, I’ll keep them until I am sure they are perfect.

4. For those of you who go to school or have a time-consuming job, do you write in your free time at school/work? Or do you only write in the comfort of your own home?

Uh, I will jot down my ideas and think up new storylines at school, but I prefer to write at home. 

5. What is the most progress you’ve made on one WIP? (in chapters)

Like I said in an earlier set of q’s, I don’t write chapters very often. However, in my Dieselpunk WIP I have about 56k words, and that’s not nearly finished.

6. If you listen to music while you write, do you listen to instrumental music or music with lyrics as well?

I listen to any type of music when writing.

7. Do you use any types of digital art, art apps, or simply a pencil and paper to visualize your characters?

I try. I am bad at trying to draw my OCs when I try. Sometimes I use apps/games to create my characters, or I pick a faceclaim.

8. If given the chance, would you allow your favorite author to read your WIP, or would you be too nervous about the feedback?

That...is a good question. I’m weird about my writing. I’m sharing bits and pieces here and I’m okay with it, I send them to my friend and I’m okay, but I’d never let my family read it. So I’m not sure. I might let them read it.

9. Which author/poet/etc. influenced your writing the most?

I wish I knew. I’m bad at identifying what influences the way I write.

10. If you had found out someone was plagiarizing your WIP after posting it on Tumblr, Wattpad, etc., how would you react?

Uhhh....report whoever did it, tell my followers what happened? Idk for sure.

Tagged by: @leicawri

1. What do you consider the most special about your setting that sets it apart from other settings?

The way it’s set up, I suppose. I guess in Broken Thrones it’s a bit odd because of how near the forest and desert is without touching. The Stone and the Sea is different because the places/people from them are identified by what they are good at making. Stuff like that, I guess.

2. Do you need to be alone in a room to write or do you need noise around you?

I need noise, but it doesn’t need to be people noise, a TV in the background or music is good. I can write, people or no people.

3. If one character in your story didn’t exist, how would it change the way the story goes? Would it affect the other characters in their development? Would it change the ending?

I like to think that all (named) characters that I make have an impact on the story and is needed in the story. I would say taking a character out would change the story, character growth of others, and the ending.

4. What’s the strangest way you solved a plothole?

I haven’t come across a whole lot of plotholes simply because I haven’t gone back and read everything together. So I’m sure in the future I’ll have an answer for this, but not today.

5. What is your method if you realise that your character acted out of character in the last few scenes?

I leave it for future me to deal with lmao. In all reality, I’m kinda bad at realizing if a character is acting correctly or not, so I’ll leave that work and come back to it later and try to fix it.

6. In your worldbuilding, do you only build as much history as needed or do you create a whole history with little stories that are irrelevant to the plot and no one will ever know them but you and the people that asked about it?

I make just a little more history than needed. Or I don’t make enough and have to make it up as I go.

7. Do you have a time that you dedicate to writing or do you just write whenever inspiration hits you?

I write whenever I want to. Or I stare blankly at the document until I force the words out. No specific time

8. Do you write your story in order, from chapter 1 to chapter 10? Or do you just write first chapter 8, then chapter 3, them chapter 5 and so on?

I try to write chronologically as best I can. However, if I have writers’ block, I’ll skip ahead and work out how to work in that segment.

9. How do you name characters? Spontaneously? Or do you spenf a long time researching definitions and where those names come from? What about placeholder names?

I don’t usually use placeholder names. I usually go looking for a specific type of nae with a specific meaning. Like with Broken Thrones, the three sisters have names relating to nature because their country is very nature-oriented. However, the men from Issera I used a name generator and made a few adjustments. It depends on what I’m looking for.

10. What role does music play in your story? Are there festivals for it? Or is it just there?

Interesting question. I haven’t thought about this too much. Maybe I’ll include more music oriented things in my WIPs...

Tagged by: @quill-and-ink-writer

1. What’s your favorite book?

The Blue Sword by Robin McKinley! I love it so much it pains me every time I finish rereading it.

2. Man vs. Society, Man vs. Self, or Man vs. Man?

It depends on the type of plot I have in mind. Of course, all three can happen at the same time. 

3. Antiheroes or loveable villains?

I have to choose? Fine. Loveable villains.

4. What’s the worst thing a character of yours has done?

Hmm...I’d have to say that that an upcoming event in Broken Thrones will be pretty bad. I don’t want to post spoilers, though. 

5. Favorite trope?

Hmm...villains/antag becoming begrudging friends or weird uncle figures to the hero/protag

6. Are you a pantser of plotter?

I usually have a main plot in mind and just make it up as I go between main plot points in mind. I’ve been trying to get better at plotting.

7. Moodboards or playlists?

Moodboards.

8. Do you listen to music while you write? If so, what genre?

I listen to lots of different things when I write, from Mumford & Sons to MCR and a lot in between.

9. Which of your WIPs have you been working on the longest?

My Deiselpunk WIP! I’ve been working on it for about...two years, with several hiatuses in there.

10. How long have you been writing?

Casually since elementary school, more seriously the past couple years.

Okay, I hope that’s everyone! My questions are:

Do you have a character you tend to inflict more angst on than others?

How do you get back on track with writing after getting distracted?

Do you create your whole world and characters before you start to write it down or do you write it down as you go?

Do you have a certain story/poem/etc that has stuck with you for years?

Favorite and least favorite trope?

Are any of your characters artists/Do any of them enjoy art?

How do you go about getting past writers’ block?

Do you write chronologically or do you write little snippets and tie them together? Or do you have a different process?

Writing or editing?

Strange ways you come up with ideas to write?

I will tag: @realashergray @writerofscribbles @plsfeedthewriter @constantlyincosmicconfusion and anyone else who wants to do it! Tag me if you do!

[seak1ng]

 I think I wanna outline that Rumiko Takahashi Style dream I had that I mentioned recently because I can’t stop thinking about it.

So I’ll describe the original dream. Like i dreamed it sorta in first person, like sometimes it’d be third person for certain scenes? Anyway I’m doing to describe a main character in third person because it’d feel weird to describe it in first person.

I think the strongest Takahashi vibes in this dream were al Ranma 1/2 flavored because the setting was a modern “japan” but there were super traditional / historical feeling elements everywhere too. The love interest for example was a samurai lookin fuck who was kind of a junk merchant who lived like, you know, a traveling merchant samurai fuck would. But this was like right outside a big city lol

Oh and I don’t remember when in the story it came up but SOMEHOW my dream brain managed to give the samurai fuck a name and that name was Hayase? Wild. I don’t think I’ve ever named a character in a dream before lmao

Alright, anyway, dream narrative starts the main character and her mom browsing a market? Main character intrudes in samurai fucko item merchant Hayase’s section- for some reason she just wasn’t supposed to be poking around there and he really fucking hated it and at this point he makes it his life mission to chase her down and catch her for... the crime of intruding I guess? The why didn’t seem important, the point was that this is where a chase narrative begins.

There was a segment where main character tried to leave the country but she had to keep hiding from samurai man, so she just sent her mom on home and decided to keep running this little goose chase a little while longer (with the idea that she’d catch a flight after she lost him)

There were a fuckload of parkour chase scenes? Which was actually super fun to dream about. It’s also very Ranma because like you know how in that anime and otherse like it, anyone who does any amount of martial arts just has the ability to jump around on anything, y’know? Lots of those scenes played like Ranma fight scenes.  As narrative scenes they’re pretty meaningless filler. It was only a little scary, being pursued, but there was a fun mood to it. Like it was only the first chase scene that was particularly tense and as the dream progressed it developed from a vengeful hunt to both parties genuinely enjoying the cat and mouse game.

There was one scene where the main character had given him the slip for a good long time so she took up a job in like a traditional theater + pub kinda situation. Took some time to stay in one place and  “rest” (even tho she was working through it) and save up some money. Eventually Hayase DOES turn up at the, but the idiot doesn’t even recognize the main character because she’s dressed so dang different. It was a fun scene where she got to mess with him a little before he caught wise, and then the chase resumed.

I never really dreamed up a proper reason for this chase to be happening? But the guy was super desperate to catch her by the end. The vengeance angle also disappeared long since. I guess the reason was he caught feelings or some bullshit because thats how anime do, right. 

By the time the chase was drawing to an end it was morning so like it stopped being 100% dream generated, and I was just slightly conscious enough to like... start editing while dreaming? The last scene had Hayase catch her and be like “Hey I’m not going to hurt you and we can stop doing this chase thing I just want you to know We Cool (and also I’d like it if you spend more time with me but won’t force it)” I mean the dialogue was more appropriately dramatic and anime but that was the gist. I think Dream Brain was planning some kind of reveal that would’ve given a better story reason for the chase to be happening but whoops I woke up before it got there

---- SO, fixing it ----

Like the romance being tied to literal pursuit is something.... like that’s one of those things where you know I’d be bitching about it along side other shojo manga that disappointed me. As a plot that’s effectively an Enemies to Lovers plot, however, I eat that shit up. The issue is that having a male character pursue a romance this way sucks because when real men IRL act that way its fucking terrifying and bad. While my dream didn’t play out like a standard romanticized stalking, it’s a little too close for comfort. I probably will make Hayase a woman or nb person because that not only gays it up but also removes the element of real fear that comes with the plot of being pursued by a man. So its easier for it to be a fun romp.

I think I will omit the modern parts of the setting because the only time they were relevant were in the parkour scenes. I like working in fantasy settings anyway. I thought about renaming Hayase but man, if your dream produces a specific name like that you’d better use it, right. 

I think the main character will be some sort of master thief and her swiping something from Hayase is what motivates the fight. There’s a lot of potential there for making the plot stronger. Of course it’s some imporant McGuffin. Maybe something that turns out to be dangerous or attracts the attention of other people who want it, so it turns the two person chase into this huge scramble. then THAT might give the main characters reason to put their game on hold and team up. There’s lots of places in this plot that allow for stronger relationship development.