#if my biology + collection of experiences are so well suited to the craft that he’s spent so many years perfecting

[microdroplet]

I feel like he has this way of seeing everything from high above and outside - not so much space but time. He takes me all the way forward and all the way back, and he could see the possibility of our future from the beginning and grasped it for both of us, before I believed I could even have a future with anyone.

[yanderecandystore]

Yandere Ocs dream date hcs please?

Hi!

This seems fun :3

Also, oh my God, I haven't started writing for Prey chapter 2, I'm sorry!!! ;-; ;-;

I didn't have enough time to write it. Neither did I write for A Vixen Walking Around At Night yet.

Sorry ;-;.

🍭꒰⑅ᵕ༚ᵕ꒱˖♡🍮꒰⑅ᵕ༚ᵕ꒱˖♡🍰꒰⑅ᵕ༚ᵕ꒱˖♡🍮꒰⑅ᵕ༚ᵕ꒱˖🍭

Our first moment [Yandere OCS x Reader - Headcanon]:

🍒 Bullies 🍭:

→ Alexandra Coldwell:

Well, what can I say? She is a little princess, and you'll need to treat her as such.

She is pretty mean, and would totally be expecting you to make her the perfect date. Yes, that also means that you should be the one to ask her out, and if you do, she will talk as if you're the one that should have planned this out.

But don't worry, she knows that she is the one that has to fix everything. Going out is her favorite thing, so why just go around a mall while you two find something to do? Maybe even make you buy things for her.

Alexandra is mostly fucking with you though, I mean, she really wants you to treat her like a princess, but she knows you don't have enough money to buy anything for her (don't worry about buying anything for her boo, she only wears really expensive brands :D).

A movie is cool and all, but even if she is watching something she really likes, she would still find out she is missing something. This date wouldn't feel complete.

Alexandra does like to stay active, and although it sounds really niche, if her darling dares her to run faster than them, she'll totally do it. No questions asked.

Heels or no heels. It's on now. If you bail out though she is going to make fun of you, cause of course she would.

If you win then, well, she lost, is there anything you would like to get as a reward, Ms/Mr. Winner? Does a kiss from her majesty suffice?

Alexandra can be a little bitter sweet, but she does really care about her darling, in her eyes, your just as much royalty as her.

Her dream date would probably be going around a national park, princesses with heels can still do some hiking. Watch her act like a nerd at every single cute animal she spots. Turns out she knows quite a lot about biology, the absolute goof.

→ Adrien Coldwell:

I know that he may seem boring as hell and absolutely "0 fucks given" all the time, and believe me he is, but give him some credit.

He can be probably one of the chilliest out of the two. He does make a couple of ill comments here and there, but he doesn't mind going along with you and doing things you like.

He may comment something along the lines of "not expecting you two to have a great date, because it's impossible to have fun with someone that sucks so much", with yeah, he went full on out with that one, but he is mostly picking on you.

Just seeing you being yourself is pretty entertaining. I guess that's why he keeps picking on you, trying to get different reactions.

Adrien likes to binge watch cartoons, and although he likes music concerts he can't be bothered to move one inch most of the time.

He lets you do what you like to do, but, to be honest, something that you two can do and create sounds a lot better. Maybe he wants to find an active that you two can do while still having fun and bickering at each other.

Would you like to bake with him? He can do just fine on his own, but if you want to, he would really, really appreciate some help.

Even if whatever you baked was a mess and probably burned, you two would still have fun. You'll probably see him smiling for once.

Adrien's idea of a dream date is being able to have fun with you while crafting something, being that baking or even just a silly project. The project may not turn out really well, but throughout the experience, you still get some good laughs.

🍎 Teachers 🥧:

→ Matthew Robinson:

Oh this, suit and tie boi. This sweet, sweet boi.

What can he say? He doesn't have enough experience in the dating department, at least not the most fun of experiences.

He isn't really that lucky, you know?

Maybe show him a little bit of what you're into. That would help him understand how dates are supposed to go.

He is afraid of his ideas being pretty cliche, honey. He would love to take you to eat at a fancy restaurant, or maybe a picnic, just the two of you.

He can be a bit of a glutton. He does enjoy musicals, but he understands that is not exactly everyone's taste.

He is getting old, isn't he? He has even thought about going into a cafe, reading books or something. But can you two just stay home and read? Wait, why would you two even be reading, weren't you two supposed to interact?

Why would he even offer that? God, he probably needs to interact with people more.

His perfect date would probably involve nature, to his own surprise though. Probably taking you to his own home in the countryside, or maybe just being in touch with nature. Getting lost in the woods with you would be, quite the interesting experience.

→ Madeline Allen:

Do you like staying in home and binge watching series/cartoons? Cause she really doesn't like getting out of her house much.

She loves staying at home and simply having a more comfy day. Watching nostalgic movies, eating only the best snacks and having just a great time.

The only other thing that she likes to do is visit the beach whenever she can. She likes collecting shells and she'll probably show you her favorite ones. Her collection could be bigger, if her visits to the beach would be more frequent.

Actually, when she was younger she discovered the best spots to hangout when she wanted to be alone. Well, there are other people that go around that place, but not many actually enter and stay inside for long.

She would absolutely love to bring you inside the hidden grotto she found. It's really spacious, and the view is amazing, but her favorite part is watching the fishes swimming in and out of this little paradise.

The best moments to visit are when it is sunset and when it's a full moon night, it is absolutely amazing, you'll love it!

At least, she hopes so!

🍋Delinquents 🐍:

→ Jackson Macnee:

Jack doesn't really seem like it, but he kinda enjoys reading about romance, even if it's the most cliche bullshit he has ever heard.

I guess it makes sense for him to have a couple of ideas of the perfect date, he used to love reading this shit when he was studying at that snobby school.

But he is a different person now, I mean, yeah he has some ideas on where to take his darling, but he doesn't really think he will ever use his knowledge.

… But, if he ever found someone he actually has a thing for, maybe… A movie?

I mean, he could elaborate on a perfect date and all, he actually would love to elaborate on his perfect date, but- He feels like It would be pointless.

Eh, why not keep things simple? He doesn't want to sound like a dork. At least not to his darling, he would only feel self-conscious about it.

His actual idea of a perfect date is to bring his darling to watch a movie and show them his favorite part around town. He knows how to access some abandoned docks and believe, although it doesn't sound like much, the scenery can be pretty neat.

Two dorks hanging around at some docks while the sun is setting, talking about feelings and shit like that, sounds like something he read about.

→ Janette Sartorius:

Honestly, not even she knows what the fuck she wants.

Her hopeless romantic heart can only take so much love!

Every single idea sounds like the right idea. Stay at home, go out to get something to eat and drink, see some movie or concert, vandalize some shit like you're both Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy or something, find somewhere secret that only you two know how to get there and write your initials together, like-

I mean, she would probably be thinking of doing all of these.

All. Of. These. Every time you hangout she'll be already thinking of the next date.

Something she would totally love to do, would be just playing games with ya. In her house or in an arcade.

Maybe after playing some games, getting some ice cream and walking around the park. But she will always, and I mean always, stop whatever she was doing to pet the dogs along the way.

I guess what she wants is to spend time alone with you, with you two lost in each other's eyes, while she can also show the entire world how beautiful her darling is and how her darling is only hers. Her dream date would totally be in a place like an abandoned haunted house where she can hold you while your scared (and probably scare you whenever she can).

👾 A.I 🍈:

→ Yuma Soma:

Oof, oh dear. Are you the type of person to go out and eat a lot? Cause Yuma is a 100% that person.

What I mean is, they only like going out if it means being able to eat. There are so many human foods that they didn't even know while they were inside the game.

In the food department, there are a lot of things they didn't know, wait until they see the rest of what they don't know about, like other countries and other culture's cuisines.

Maybe that's what they like, going out and discovering new things. Maybe they would like making a trip around the globe with you, or just visiting local restaurants because that's way less expensive lol.

I guess their dream date would be whenever they can go out with you without being trapped inside the game, preferably if you don't run away or start yelling at them for imprisoning you.

But until then, they'll keep you in their hands and bring you to do all the things that real human couples do!

Just stop screaming from inside the game, will you?

🦊 Kitsunes 🍬:

→ Tatsumi:

Tatsumi is an absolute couch potato. He hates having to get out of his room.

But if it's a date with you, then of course he'll go! It's not everyday that the love of his eternal life asks him to go on a date!

But… Where would you go? He kinda doesn't know what to do. Most of his dates end really prematurely.

Get some drinks, have sex and take their energy and leave. He doesn't know what else he can do, love.

When it comes to his darling, sexual interactions don't really come to mind as much as he thought it would. I mean don't get me wrong, he can be a little pervy, but anything with you is already amazing darling.

If he could, he… Wishes he could have a normal day with you. Ya know? Without him being… Him. His dream date would be a day where he can do many of the things he and his darling likes, it may sound clichê but-

Whatever you do together would be wonderful either way.

🍭꒰⑅ᵕ༚ᵕ꒱˖♡🍮꒰⑅ᵕ༚ᵕ꒱˖♡🍰꒰⑅ᵕ༚ᵕ꒱˖♡🍮꒰⑅ᵕ༚ᵕ꒱˖🍭

[therealvagabird]

The Dawn of the World and the Rule of the Pentarchal Empires

Some Lovecraftian worldbuilding featuring a genesis story that can both feature in my Archenia D&D setting as well as just being nice exploitable eldritch/cosmic deep lore for all kinds of purposes. If you like weird aliens, check it out below the cut or over on my WordPress.

In the beginning, this planet was a lifeless husk, unformed and chaotic, its consolidated form still little different from the astral primordia that composed it. Devoid of creatures imbued with life essence, the world still was host to many primitive elementals which coalesced in their own inscrutable civilizations soon after the formation of the planet. First there were the primordials of flame and chaos, and then those creatures born of the solidity of rock, metal, and the cooling inferno. These nameless forces warred, and over the eons greater order emerged from their debris – the elementals of vapor, who were caught within the bounded skies, and in turn gave rise to their own spawn. Most notable of all were the waters, which spread across the globe and aided in its temperance.

Over time, the resulting landscape was one more stable, richer in those conditions hospitable to life, yet still without anything that could be counted amongst the living. The elementals raised up ancient edifices of their own civilizations, but these were as inconsistent as they were, and forgotten by their makers in the abyss of time before the first histories were ever written.

Unto this world, then, came the Outsiders. On membranous wings they arrived, in clouds of stardust were they borne, from the vibrations between the Planes did they congeal. These alien beings, primitive or advanced, would seed the planet by various means with the raw stuff of life.

Again, for many eons there was nothing but chaos, but there came at last the height of that primordial era. Lost to all but the deepest occult lore, it would be the work of five great civilizations that would set the growth of life upon its current course. Counted together, they are known as the Pentarchal Empires.

—

Perhaps most abundant of all were those beings known as the Deep Spawn, who came in an unknown age upon beholding the promise of this planet’s vast newborn seas. Wormlike creatures of ill-defined form, the Spawn possessed great magics and sciences, and prided themselves on their boundless efficiency and ability for adaptation. Out of mineral precipitate they were able to craft modular shells for their soft bodies, growing and improving upon themselves so that their hive elders were as chitinous mountains compared to their hydrozoan polyps. The Deep Spawn were eusocial, following a communal will guided by the immense wisdom of their parental elders. Their sprawling aquatic cities drew upon the power of deep-sea vents and more arcane crafts, such as their mastery of hydrophilic lightning and magnetic manipulation. It is perhaps the curious and unceasing studies of the Deep Spawn that gave rise to the greatest explosion of life upon the world, as the Spawn terraformed an ecosystem to suit their needs.

There came the largest division between the coastal Spawn and the deep-sea Spawn. Both were communal and made use of extensive eldritch inventions to aid in their expansions, but the coastal Spawn were warlike and brutal, as opposed to their more erudite and temperate abyssal cousins. The tyrant elders of the shallow hives raised vast slave armies that warred with all about them, whether it be their own kind or other groups of Outsiders in that dawn era. In turn, the deep-sea Spawn were content in their well-ordered civilizations far removed from outside concerns, emerging with powerful technologies but in times of great desperation. These two branches of the Deep Spawn conquered and overthrew each other many times, but their ultimate fate is unknown. It is posited that those of their kind that were not destroyed evolved in time into more familiar forms – planting their genetic lineage into all life upon the world as their own expression of immortality.

—

The skies of the infant planet came under the control of yet more alien creatures, who descended in turn down from the stars to colonize and explore, as they were compelled to by unknowable emotions and drives. These were the Great Beings of Ga-an, whose forms too were mutable and uncertain as was the result of their chaotic biology and weird sciences. Looking like conglomerations of gaseous sacs interspersed with unnumbered pseudopods and growths suited for locomotion and observation, the Great Beings were not born but “built” by the strange craft of their kind from unshaped flesh-stuffs. Into adulthood this obsession continued, until over the course of their lives the Ga-an became as hovering masses of surgical insanity, built and deconstructed countless times as their needs changed.

A curious and inscrutable people, the Ga-an were motivated not so much by greed for power or resources or even ties of familiarity, but from individual lusts to learn. Every Ga-an was a mad scientist, artisan, and inventor in their own right, and they formed great swarms and covens not out of social aid but out of social curiosity, as Great Beings of similar goals gathered in the interest of grand experiments. Unconcerned with war outside of a testing ground for their more destructive inventions, the Ga-an survived despite their lack of coordination through sheer numbers, ingenuity, and avoidance of conflicts they had no stock in. Some scryers of the most ancient lore believe that, despite these measures, the Great Beings were wiped out by their neighbors; though others hold they left this sphere of their own accord, growing bored with the planet as was always an inevitability for their species.

—

It is unknown when within the deepest reaches of the lightless underworld the Nameless Things formed, but form they did beneath the notice of all above them. Flowing down in ever-mixing paths of effluvium, the raw detritus of a world burgeoning with life collected in abyssal pits near to the boundaries where the crust of the planet met its molten core. This black substance was the stuff of death and decay, but by magical means was it made animate yet again, roiling and twisting and spawning forth those Nameless Things.

The first of the Nameless were unformed creatures who lived but mere moments, their every second of life agony as they struggled to even be. Yet still, compelled by the energies that suffused their otherwise entropic forms, the Nameless were born again and again as their birthing-pools churned with unceasing vigor. Over eons and eons were new forms of un-life created, until at last the first true members of their race were given body. These mounds of living rot were made stable by forming shells of resin for themselves, crafted from a mixing of subterranean sediment and their own tar-like excretions. Not beholden to conventional limitations, the Nameless nonetheless gravitated towards arachnoid forms out of convenience, and began to build their unseen civilization through the use of great burrowing worms, erecting hives within the cavernous depths that staggered the mind with their palatine size and majesty.

A communal race, the Nameless Things were bonded by a common experience – pain. They were all of them afflicted and could sense even within their very beings that there was something unnatural at their continued existence. Unable to look upon even their own forms without disgust, these emotions nonetheless inspired a sense of empathy and desire within them. Upon their emergence into the territories of other races, they brought nothing but death, yet among their own kind they were peaceful and gentle, and aided each other in the building of a grand empire that sought to touch something of the beauty and strength they all desired despite the adversities of their species. The Nameless Things were fascinated by death and the cycles by which life and death gave rise to each other, and became masters of occult magics feared by all, learning how to trap souls and walk between the veils that separated the Planes. Any who fell in battle against the Nameless were brought within the fold of the unliving empire without malice, and even upon the borders of their lands there grew a great wealth of unbeautiful yet persistent and useful life that aided in the balancing of the biosphere’s many cycles.

Yet the doom of the Nameless came from within. A cabal of dark sorcerers became enthralled to the call of the Oblivion, the Hungering Void. They sought to corrupt the nascent world-spirit of the planet and destroy all who opposed them. The lords of the Nameless called upon the other empires for aid, and were granted assistance, managing to push back the hordes of the Void-worshippers and imprison them within the Abyss. Still, the other races saw how the Nameless had become weakened in this war and turned upon them soon after their victory. Many died, but the ultimate fate of the unliving ones is not known, as so great was their power that they may have but moved to another Plane when faced with the destruction of their subterranean civilization.

—

Upon the lands, youngest of the great empires, there came to be a collection known as the Everborn. It cannot be known if these creatures were of one race or many, as they are among the most enigmatic and chaotic of the Pentarchy. Some hold that the Everborn were the earliest expression of the Green, the unified lifeforce of all creatures on the planet, and they are said to have been perhaps the most skilled and suffused with magic of all their competitors. Little can be known about their true forms, though some occultists have described the Everborn as being like imps or kobolds, while others hold them as giants, formless spirits, or great seas of hive-minded proto-plantae. It may be that the Everborn came from another Plane, within different vibrational patterns than their neighbors, and that their existence in the material world was predicated on possession and manipulation of existing matter.

Next to the Deep Spawn, it is believed that the Everborn contributed most to the spread of primitive life across the once-dead globe. Theirs was a shamanic and obscure culture, so caught up in the practice of grand negentropic magics that all other concerns for technology and artistry fell by the wayside. Cyclopean monuments were erected across the lands where the Everborn could coalesce their powers, and that race delighted in the enthrallment of lesser beings to defend their territories, terrorizing any who dared intrude upon their sacred lands. The fate of the Everborn is as little-known as their origins, but by virtue of their predilections, it is believed that they became one with the gestating Green, and continue to live on in some form.

—

Yet all of these grand civilizations could not compare to the unfathomable powers of that race which was the tip of the Pentarchal Empires, the Dawn Celestials. Mighty beings who came from the outer blackness, it was rare for them to ever descend onto the world proper. Rather, like gods they presided over the whole of the world and its surrounding astral bodies, acting in accordance with some strange nature or purpose towards the evolution of the planet. The Dawn Celestials were beings of stardust and shadow which whirled about hearts of crystalline Void – creatures locked between creation and destruction, who might harness the powers of both to whatever ends they wished. It is believed that the Dawn Celestials’ greatest strength was their mastery over the mysteries of time, which they were able to move through as other beings moved through space, existing all within one singular moment. More unfettered theories by the maddest dreamers and far-seers even propose that every “individual” of that race was but the same being stretched across a billion moments.

It was rare for the Dawn Celestials to ever contend with others, and for the most part their interest was in the construction of various great works of incomprehensible design and unknowable purpose, which brought chaos and order to the world in equal measure. As soon as their great inventions had been completed, the Dawn Celestials would tear them down again, and like mortals beholden to angels did the other races suffer their intrusions as if they were natural phenomenon. What became of the Dawn Celestials is as little known as any of the other spokes of the Pentarchy, but they were never seen again. Some scholars on the natures of the divine speculated to the point of giving the Dawn Celestials their name – born from a belief that they were the still-forming expressions of the later Gods of mortals, congealed out of the raw forces of creation. Still, few are the souls who know anything of that primordial eon, and fewer still are those who are privy to those secrets and have not been driven mad.

[enbyleighlines]

For your modern au prompts, how about Wei Wuxian and Nie Huaisang best friends going on a shopping trip?

Oooh, sounds good to me!! I hope you don’t mind that I took liberties with what constitutes as a shopping trip! This idea popped into my head, and I wanted to explore it~

—

The bell on the front door gives a twinkling little jingle as they enter. Immediately, the familiar aroma of Wei Wuxian’s favorite arts and craft store rubs against his nostrils like an affectionate cat.

Beside him, Nie Huaisang walks with a spring in their step. In the crook of their elbow, they carry a small but finely crafted handbag, as though they’re a rich socialite on a shopping spree in the big city. “Here we are,” Nie Huaisang says, excitement giving their voice a fun lyrical quality, “Where shall we start, Wuxian-xiong?”

Wei Wuxian can’t help the wide grin that breaks across his face. He scoops up one of the shopping baskets by the entrance. “We should start from the ground up,” he decides, logically, “Let’s go see how sturdy their poster board is.”

“We can always glue a layer or two of cardboard to the base,” Nie Huaisang points out.

“True, true.”

The two friends make their way towards the poster aisle. They’re on a mission, but that doesn’t mean they can’t have fun.

They’re making a diorama as their final project for freshman biology. Thankfully, they were allowed to pick their own partners, and since they’ve become quick friends over the course of the year, it was a no brainer.

Their plan is to create a miniature factory, with its walls, machines, and workers, but then label everything as though they’re the parts of a human cell. Wei Wuxian is certain that it will appeal to their teacher’s quirky sense of humor, and earn them a grade worth bragging about. Nie Huaisang is less convinced, but they’re just happy for the opportunity to show off their talent for arts and crafts.

They sift through their manyu options, poster boards of all different sizes, material, colors, and even textures.

Nie Huaisang pulls out out of the rack and gasps delicately, as though they’re holding a precious treasure. “Wuxian-xiong,” they say, “Feel this one. Isn’t it just like the gritty texture of cement?”

Wei Wuxian runs the tips of his fingers over the rough surface. “Oh wow, you’re right! But won’t that make it difficult to glue things to it?”

“Ah, I hadn’t considered that!” Nie Huaisang gives the poster board another longing-filled stroke. “Perhaps we can use little metal stands for the figurines, and stick the metal through the poster?”

Seeing that his friend’s heart is set on the poster board, Wei Wuxian nods. “Yeah, that could work! We’ll definitely need to add some cardboard to the base, though. We get a bunch of cardboard boxes at the restaurant from shipments and stuff. I’m sure Jiang-shushu won’t mind if we take one.”

Nie Huaisang eagerly takes the paper board and rolls it up. It’s still too long to fit in the basket, but at least they could carry it one-handed. “What next, Wuxian-xiong?”

“Metal wire for the stands, probably,” Wei Wuxian answers, “And maybe some of those things they use in gardens, with the names of plants on them? We can use those to label stuff. Would they have those here? If not, we can probably make our own...”

“There’s a gardening store around the corner,” Nie Huaisang says helpfully.

Wei Wuxian nods sagely. “That’ll do. Oh, and we should probably be keeping track of how much everything costs. How much did Nie Mingjue give you to spend?”

Nie Huaisang gives Wei Wuxian an incredibly self-satisfied smirk. They dig into the handbag and fish out a stack of folded bills. “Oh, we don’t need to worry about money,” they assure Wei Wuxian smugly, “My Gege gave me more than enough.”

Wei Wuxian whistles.

Nie Mingjue, Huaisang’s half-brother, took over management of the family business recently. He’s also been the one looking after Huaisang ever since their parents retired to travel the world. Mingjue likes to pretend that he’s a strict disciplinarian, yet he spends money on Huaisang like it’s going out of style.

To hear Nie Huaisang tell it, they’ve always been a spoiled child. But it seems as though it’s gotten even worse ever since Nie Mingjue became Huaisang’s primary guardian.

Nie Huaisang giggles behind their wad of cash. “So, yeah,” they say, “Money is not an issue.”

Wei Wuxian might be jealous if he was the type of person to get jealous. Instead, he only laughs in delight. “That’s good to know! Let’s take proper advantage of your Da-gege’s generosity, then!”

—

They quickly fill up the basket and have to upgrade to a cart. They take their time choosing the plastic figurines. There aren’t any factory workers, but there are some crossing guards, and a man in an astronaut suit, and they figure they can just pain over them. Nie Huaisang already has a decent collection of paints, but they also grab some new brushes, along with a fine point pen.

Then it’s off to the gardening store for some plastic plant markers, with tips sharp enough to pierce through paper and cardboard. While they’re there, they also grab some short two-inch fences and some mesh to use in constructing the cell walls.

They bring their haul back to the Jiang residence, because it’s closer.

The Jiang house is unusually quiet. Jiang Cheng is at soccer practice, and Jiang Fengmian and Yu Ziyuan are both at work at the restaurant. Jiang Yanli is home, though. She greets them at the door, and then immediately moves to prepare tea and snacks for them.

“Your supply run went well, I see,” she says, as she putters around the kitchen.

Wei Wuxian makes sure to plant a big, loud kiss to her cheek before he starts unloading things onto the dining room table. “It went great, actually,” he says, “Jiejie, you have to see all these awesome things we found!”

Nie Huaisang hovers a tad awkwardly in between the kitchen and dining room. It’s not the first time they’ve been to Wei Wuxian’s house, but it’s not a routine experience, either.

Glancing over her shoulder, Jiang Yanli examines the enormity of their haul with a worried expression. The cause of her concern becomes clear when she says, “I hope you didn’t have to use up all of your allowance on this school project, A-Xian.”

“Nope!” Wei Wuxian beams at her. “I didn’t spend a penny. Huaisang-xiong’s rich Gege footed the bill.”

“That... was probably not the best way to phrase that,” Nie Huaisang murmurs to Wei Wuxian, “Please let your Jiejie know you meant my actual Gege, and not an older guy who spends money on me like I’m his sugar baby.”

Wei Wuxian blinks. And then he starts snickering loudly. “She’s not going to assume that,” he assures them.

“What will I not assume?” Jiang Yanli places a plate of rice crackers on the kitchen’s island, and raises one of her brows at them.

Nie Huaisang grabs Wei Wuxian’s arm to stop him, but it’s too late.

“Huaisang-xiong doesn’t want you thinking they have a sugar daddy,” Wei Wuxian confesses, “So they want me to emphasize that, in this case, I used the term ‘their Gege’ to refer to Nie Mingjue.”

Nie Huaisang looks like they want to melt into the floor.

But Jiang Yanli only giggles, demurely, behind the cover of her hand. “Well, I’m glad you clarified that,” she teases both of them, “Both of you are too young to have sugar daddies, anyway. Come, and have some rice crackers while the tea steeps.”

The two freshmen each hop up onto one of the stools obediently. Wei Wuxian stuffs his mouth without thought, while Nie Huaisang carefully nibbles at their cracker like a timid mouse.

There’s a bit of companionable silence. Jiang Yanli pours them each a cup of green tea, and then moves the sugar bowl within their reach.

Then she sits on one of the stools opposite them, and asks, “How are your other final projects coming along?”

Wei Wuxian heaves a dramatic sigh. “Bo-oring,” he singsongs, “It’s all essays and making flashcards for the exams. The same old generic stuff we did in middle school.”

“I get to make a poster for home ec.,” Nie Huaisang offers.

“Ooh, about what?”

“We have to try to design the food pyramid,” Nie Huaisang answers, “Other kids are just making collages out of newspaper clippings, but I want to try my hand at painting the food. I’ve never had a reason to paint food before, except for maybe an apple, back when we were learning how use shading.”

Jiang Yanli smiles. “That sounds fun,” she says, “Just don’t get so caught up in your fun projects that you don’t leave any time for the boring ones.”

“Right,” Nie Huaisang answers automatically.

Wei Wuxian is more lax. “I’ll be fine,” he assures his Jiejie, “Besides, I get my best work done at the last minute.”

Jiang Yanli gives her Didi a look. “That’s not how that works.”

“It is how it works! That spike of adrenaline really helps me get things done,” Wei Wuxian insists, and taps the edge of his nose with a cheeky little smirk.

“But it doesn’t leave you much time to go back and edit, does it?”

Wei Wuxian shrugs. “I make less mistakes on my first drafts than everyone else does on their final copies! If I start turning in perfect papers, then people might think I’m just showing off.”

“You ARE showing off,” Nie Huaisang snips.

That makes Jiang Yanli giggle again. She shakes her head at Wei Wuxian, but in a fond sort of way. Neither try to continue the argument.

“What about you, Jiejie?” Wei Wuxian asks suddenly, “Any fun final projects?”

“Just exams,” Jiang Yanli answers. She’s a high school junior, two years ahead of them. “Though, my math teacher said that anyone who already has an A in the class doesn’t have to take the final exam.”

“Let me guess,” Wei Wuxian says with no little hint of pride, “You have an A.”

Jiang Yanli hides her mouth behind the rim of her teacup. “I do,” she confirms, and her smile is audible in her tone. “So that’s one less thing for me to worry about.”

“That’s my Jiejie! Smartest girl in the whole world!”

“I’m glad you think so.”

“Think so? I know so!”

Nie Huaisang smiles at that. Though the dynamic between Jiang Yanli and Wei Wuxian is completely different from their relationship with Mingjue, there’s still something vaguely familiar about it.

Just like Wei Wuxian and Nie Huaisang, really. They’ve got completely different temperaments. Wei Wuxian is a natural leader, charismatic, bold, and optimistic. Nie Huaisang tends to follow the herd, being as indiscisive and anxious as they are. Yet the two of them are often on the same wavelength.

That’s probably why, even though they only met for the first time that year, it already feels like they’ve been friends for a long time.

[feuillefollet]

How’s your school experience?

It may not care any of you but I feel like it’s about time I throw this in this collective patch of posts nobody will read anyways. Those who are willed to read this get some insight in the different stages of the Luxembourgish education system and my personal experience. According to this, much needs to be changed. This academic year 2019/2020, we already had five suicide cases and we were only in October, almost November. (School starts here in the late middle of September.)  I don’t know the suicide toll of today though.

For now, I’ll skip the years before elementary school.

------- ELEMENTARY SCHOOL (age 6 - 12) ------- We learn quite early different things, especially languages are important in Luxembourg. First, we learn German and Luxembourgian people are proficient at it because (like our native language Luxembourgish) those are Germanic languages. One year after, we also start learning French (Latin-derived, most of us are tortured there) and get tons of grammar to learn by heart. (”Plus-que-Parfait” in “suivre”:  “que j’eusse suivi”. A pain in the ass, really.) Throughout those years we have some biology, music, sports, arts and crafts, geography and history. Yeah that typical kiddy stuff. The only thing that sucked at math was when it suddenly changed from German to French. We only learned very little Luxembourgish for one week, we used overused books you could still see what former students wrote there. Don’t know how that works for students today. I should check that.

I always loved nature was very curious and eager to discover new things. The situation was quite fine at first, my grades were pretty decent and the teachers were happy. But after years of bullying, my grades were held nearly “above water” to call it that way. My teacher did even place my desk right around my “main bully” who always took his chance when the teacher left the room. I stopped doing my homework to be locked alone in the classroom so nobody bothers me. (Got some work though but was worth it.) The most peaceful ten minutes of the day, I can tell. Those years turned me into an anxious ass, always afraid to fail, afraid of people, social interaction, judgement, [...]. Always thinking I did something wrong, overthinking, worrying. My siblings, cousins and neighbours were not left unscathed as well. (The school is in my village.)

Most of the teachers did not even intervene when children were bullied, they preferred standing in a circle with their tea and coffee and having their old hag chitchat. Only two teachers walked through the place to check if everything was alright. When that group of five boys was hitting and throwing rocks at me, I ran to the tea party teachers because “they are adults and might be able to help me”. They just looked down and said I should stand beside them so nothing should happen to me. Hahaha. Good joke. Did not help. Made it worse for the coming days... or was it weeks? It felt like an eternity. My bully classmates did even try to drown me. There was that rope we were not allowed to touch but I grabbed it to pull myself up. My “main bully” shouted at the teacher that I was touching that rope while he and his buddies were still pushing me down. However, instead of punishing the ones who held me under water, I was punished for touching that damn rope. I hate swimming ever since. Many had to change school. One of them was my sister’s best friend at that time, she still has not found her and misses her dearly. My brother’s friend left too after her bully hit her eye so hard, she’s got red patches on her sclera. (subconjunctival hemorrhage) I even heard the situation at my former school worsened.

At the end of elementary school you can “choose” if you want to go to:

Modulaire (for ”losers” and people considered as failure)

Technique (basic bitches)

Classique (super nerds)

They don’t care what you want, they don’t even give you the chance. They choose what “suits you best”. When I even said I wanted go to technique, everyone laughed. We do have currently more directions like “Adapte”, which is between Modulaire and Technique but closer to Modulaire. You won’t believe what many students experience in Modulaire. 

And funny is: During class you are not allowed to go to the toilet. But during the break you are ALSO not allowed to go to the toilet. Dude where or when are you allowed to shit?

[1/?] Elementary school - [2/?] High School (Lycée)

[whatson-northwales]

Float fishing is a wonderful sport that is a little more simple than the traditional version of fishing. Unlike fishing with a weight on the seabed, where there is more emphasis on being static and fishing one particular area of seabed, float fishing offers a more dynamic approach where you can move around with simplicity and efficiency, with minimal gear and better catch rates. Welcome to the world of float fishing. Kids can partake easily and you can teach them this style in hours. It’s an easy inroad to beginners of all ages to the world of sea fishing.

Recently, I’ve been starting to do more float fishing on the Island of Anglesey using plastic lures. The fun that I’m having in fishing, has really gone back to childhood levels again.  It’s been more about the simplicity and the ease, rather than a very targeted approach to fishing I normally do.  I’ve been playing around recently with various different configurations of floats, ball weights, hook lengths,  and ultimately the soft plastic lures which I’m using. It’s been quite an amazing experience to go back to my childhood days in fishing, by removing all the large complicated amount of fishing apparatus, in order to catch fish. I urge you to do the same.

Put simply, float fishing is a very simple, but yet effective form of fishing for the beginner fishermen. However its not limited to beginners, I know any of the Welsh team who fish using floats in the summer for various species.

As we speak, it’s the summer in North Wales, and the summer months are best time of year for float fishing. I personally love the Pollock fishing, which occur during peak summer months in north west Wales. Pollock unlike bass are non migratory species and stay put on their favourite reefs during the year. Bass on the other hand, move around and frequent the British and Welsh water in the summer months.

But your not just limited to catching Bass and Pollack, you will also catch, ballan wrasse, corkwing wrasse, cuckoo wrasse, garfish, mackerel, rockling, herring and other fish that will dwell in the mid water column region. You can alternate the height your fishing to target each species, so don’t feel you are pinned to just fishing for the above, you will be surprised at what you can catch at various points in the water column.

As a child I began my fishing journey on Newry beach at Holyhead on the slip ways at the age of 7 using crabbing lines to catch rock gobies and blennies on size 3 hooks. I can remember it vividly, my dear mother would have to come with me, crabbing line in hand. This summer days fishing where what began my journey into the world of rod and line fishing.

  Fast and light fishing

You don’t need heavy amounts of fishing gear tackle, big heavy reels, heavy line and lots of lead weights to to go and be successful in in float fishing. For me, the reason I love  float fishing is the fact that it is very simple, very light  and I can move very quickly with the very little equipment. It’s the flexibility within the style of lure and float fishing that adds more of a dynamic feel to it, believe it or not, static seabed fishing is quite boring, unless you’re fishing for specific species such as Ray, Smooth hound or Tope. In those situations, where you are specifically targeting big fast aggressive species, bottom fishing can be very fun and the wait is worth it.

But its way more fun targeting fast moving more predatory fish such as Pollock, Bass and Coalfish. I like targeting  these predatory fish with plastic baits moving in aerated white water at rock marks. The takes on the lure are incredibly fast and aggressive and the response from the fish is far more powerful.

    It also gives me an excuse to explore coastal rock marks, deep rock crevices valleys gullies in search of an area that holds fish. I put a thick sturdy pair of walking boots on.  Don my over the shoulder rucksack a light spinning rod, a bag full of lures, some floats, some weights, some fine wire Nordic bend hooks and them im off!

You can spend an incredibly peaceful and  joyful evening with the wind on your back, finding beautiful rock marks that you hadn’t explored before with the ultimate promise of bagging a 5 ld Pollock. I can remember many times as a young adult, fishing competitions on Anglesey with Holyhead Angling club, and people routinely catching 8-10 ld Pollock in the areas that I go to, not even float fishing I might add!.

So now turning my attention to this fast and light style of fishing  which I’m getting more and more interested in it. Float fishing holds quite a diverse opportunity for those willing to experiment and to step outside their comfort zones in the fishing world, and ultimately test new tactics and explore different variables, tackles and systems.

For so many years I’ve fished using the static bait and grip lead combination and I might add to great success.  But when the fish stocks in the Welsh waters, became depleted 15 years ago, it got really disheartening to put all the bait preparation, and spend some much time lovingly preparing all your rigs and your fishing equipment and to ultimately go many, many fishing sessions without catching. So after taking a five to six year break, I re entered fishing world, and started exploring bass fishing on the lure with my mentor Richard.

Richard taught me many new facets of fishing, especially bass fishing. In general, we also covered fly fishing, sea trout fishing, salmon fishing, and all these culminated in re-establishing a new status quo and understanding for different fish species and way for me to target them. I learnt that the lure when presented was the optimum and most effective method for fishing.

It opened up such a large new sector of the fishing world in my mind, that I somehow boxed off previously down to just routine and habit. I believe these days, I’m now becoming a more well rounded and versatile angler in the style of fishing that I that I implement. I’m really enjoying float fishing and bass fishing right now and it suits my lifestyle too. Some fly fishing and seabed fishing is also great fun on the side along with some boat fishing.

The best way to get the best results, is to amalgamate all these types of fishing styles collectively, It allows so much more flexibility, better catch success, and ultimately greater enjoyment and fulfilment as an angler.

I absolutely love bass fishing, and I’ve spent the past four seasons, maybe even five seasons, learning my craft, and it is an art, to say the least.  I’m also experimenting currently with fly fishing for migratory species such as sea trout plus mullet and bass. When the waters are clear Im also into doing a lot of spearfishing also as well.  So I hope you can see, I like to keep many options open, in the the area of fishing.

  Why float fishing with a lure

One of the great positives about float fishing is that you do not need to gather your own bait. You can use many of these very sophisticated soft plastic lures, which have been coming onto the market. The use of soft plastic lures, takes a great deal of time, and also skill of bait collection out of the equation. If you’re not a great bait gatherer, then it opens up the possibilities for anglers that are less good gathering their own bait to be able to catch more fish, win win right?

This in turn gives them the opportunity to, to learn to fish with replica baits such as worms, shrimp and plastic fish. Lure fishing also presents us the opportunity to test various types of lures in different locations and learn what the fish are feeding and predating on.

All these points are for me why, lures add up to a fantastic level of speed, and flexibility to the style of fishing. I have a box of soft plastic lures in the garage, my rods ready, and at any  given time I can pick up my tackle and within 5 minutes, be out the door. Maybe 20 minutes, I can have my float in the water, fishing and catching within minutes. How cool is that?

20 minutes from home and I’m fishing ..

Whereas, if I was to have to go and gather my own bait such as prawn, worm or sandeel, I’d have to spend  two or three tides gathering the bait. Sandeels, worms and prawns all requite a lot of tlc to keep alive ready for the hook, this in turn take a lot of time energy to take care of. Bait storage is an art in itself, and for many people, this isn’t an option for people travelling up here fishing. I don’t even have the time to do all the bait gathering sometimes, so for people coming to fish here from away, they most certainly don’t, unless they buy it.

I firmly have got my roots planted in the Marine Biology world and I firmly love  the art of bait gathering, which is a fundamental skill as an Islander.  Having those skills at hand will serve me for life and you know hopefully I can impart and teach those to many people within the community and whatson and readers that enjoy reading about fishing.

  Tackle

How float fishing looks to me it’s quite simple I use a Savage Bushwacker seven foot six rod. I use a an Abu Soron 60 real backed with braid line. I run a standard high vis green float, with two beads at the side and a one ounce lead shot below down to a swivel.

And I have a three foot to five foot length of fluorocarbon hook line to fine wire hook which can vary in size from size one to size eight depending on the fish that I’m targeting and the size of lure I’m presenting. Lately, I’ve been testing, soft plastic worms mostly in my reintroduction to the float fishing world. With some good success I might add.

It seems Pollock really enjoy and take quite quickly to soft plastic lures, when presented on a float for some reasons. I use a drop of 15 to 20 foot drop from the floats to the actual to the hook, how I decide on the level of a depth in which I’m fishing depends on the location that I’m at, and I simply use an elastic band tide and doubled over a certain point in the braid line to prevent the float float going up any higher up the line.

  Water cloumb

This is key to some of the fishing as they feed at a certain heights and levels in the water, sometimes you might catch them on the way down as soon as you flick your float out and its sinking to the bottom. Other times you’ll have to fish at different levels, say the “mid water coloumn” and this is a key skill to understand and learn that at various heights in the water that different fish are present.

Don’t always fish in the exact depth of the water column that you’re fishing time after time, instead alternate and move up and down the various layers in the water columns, using (timing & counting)  measuring, take note where you get bites and nibbles, snags and catches.

Often when I’m Mackerel fishing and if I’m using a one or two ounce weight, I will count down how many seconds it takes to get to the seabed. Whenever I’m retrieving in. I will keep  a mental note as to where in the water column level I caught the fish and then retarget them at that level on the next cast.

    When to fish on the lure

One of the biggest questions I get all the time is when should I go lure or float fishing. And my answer,  is normally from April all the way till October. Fishing on Anglesey peaks in summer like any other biological life, so follow the cycles.

If we’re talking about times a day, I prefer to go either midday when it’s brightest and also an evening when the sun is setting. If we’ve talking about Pollock fishing and mackerel fishing those scenarios applys. For Bass and Sea trout, we like to go at, dusk dawn or at night.

If I was to try to Bass fish in the midday sun, they probably wouldn’t the lure, as they are far more spooky than most other fish. But Pollock, in general,  will hunt in the day in bright sunlight. If you look at the size of their eyes on a pollack they have very large eyes which means that their hunting bias is predominantly set to sight, which suits day time feeding.

Now for Pollock to see your lures you need the clearest possible water and the brightest sunshine. They fixate on their prey through their sight. Therefore, midday sunshine fishing in clear clear calm waters as long as you’re not spooking the fish can be very productive.

I wouldn’t apply the same techniques for anything like bass, mullet or sea trout though because those other, more sophisticated apex fish, are far more sensitive to their environmental surroundings than Pollock. They will spook far much easier. So, for those fish, you would have to arrange your fishing around dawn and desk sessions.  Full moon or new moon fishing session tend to produce really good results if you’re targeting those species also (tending towards new moon rather than full moon)

In terms of time and tide I like to fish, low tide, for me works well, but this is just one of my preferences, you can fish at high tide medium and low tide.

The reasons I like fishing at low tide are, I can always go and see what the rocks are like low water, and see what the seabed topography is like. I can look at the rock shelves, look where the snags are and I can see where the kelp beds are situated. In turn, this gives me a greater understanding, as to where the fish are going to be, and where the snags are for me to avoid. There’s nothing more frustrating than losing your float fishing gear in the beds of kelp.

  Tips

If you fish at low water, you have got the tide to rise with you. Plus, you can see your entry routes to the rock platforms that you’re fishing in you can also see the exit routes. Often I find that if you go on to fishing rocks or new locations, when the tide is high the swell is normally larger, wind can get up and it can create a more treacherous, dynamic environment for the beginner angler.

Navigate the rock shelfs better at low water.

I have fished these rocky areas here for the best part of 30 years on the island of Anglesey. So I’m very keenly and aware of the environment around me, which, a lot of people are not. Things like incoming swells, tides and the movement of ferries, all can produce kind of tricky environments to to move in safely, if you’re unaware of your locale.

So going at low water, you have all the environmental factors at the lowest in order for you to survey the territory and learn your craft. Also, you can fish deeper in the water column aswell, because you haven’t got that the 30 foot overburden of water beneath you. In the regions in North Wales here we have very large rising tides (upwards of 30 to 34 feet on spring tides) and certainly sometimes bigger on equinox spring tides. The size of tides can be instrumental in success or failure in catch rates. Too much tide, you it can be tricky to hold piston with a float, too little tide the fish don’t feed sometimes, so its a fine balance between the two. Fishing at low water, therfore can prove very successful in terms of getting down to the level where the fish are at, and being able to access better fishing spots on the rocks, holding position with your float gear and finding better areas to land fish too.

Low water exploring and fishing the tide up from low.

  How to avoid loosing tackle

There are some great ways to avoid losing tackle, which I’m just experimenting with right now In fact. One of which is using a section of light line, between your bottom swivel and your hook.

A lot of anglers that I’m referring to it and learning from at the minute use an eight to six pound line, beneath the float with the hook being more of a fine wire pattern (nordic bends). The reason is, if they snag into a rocky bottom or reef shelf, they can lift their rod, and pull back to remove the snag, the fine wire hook will bend out or the small, thin gauged six to eight-pound line will snap first before they lose the more expensive part of the kit which would be the float in the setup.

This can save on morale on many fronts, because one of the most frustrating points for me in any style angling, is losing gear. I really detest losing my fishing tackle as im sure you do. And I do spend many many hours of my vocation time on the rocky shores at low water retrieving tackle lost by many anglers. I must have picked over 1000 weights off the seabed many many many bags full of line, tackle swivels and hooks. Its quite fun because I get to explore and look for crab and lobster and at the same time clear the low tide line of this disposed plastic.

Loosing tackle can be more of a mental game, it can be very frustrating loosing tackle, so if you adopt those two strategies you will minimise the amount of gear you will loose.

1) Using a weaker line for your hook lengths – I would say keep it at eight pound strength, breaking strain.

2) Use a fine wire like a mustard Nordic bent hooked, that you would then place your soft plastic lure on. You have to get out clauses, before you lose your tackle.

  Increase your chances

A couple of tips and tricks that I’m employing at the minute in all my forms of lure fishing. I choose my times and tides very selectively.

Now, I know it’s not going to be that way for you all.. I don’t have any children and dependants on me and my time is pretty much as free as I make it a part from working and doing these blogs.

But if you have spare time use it wisely the fishing, schedule your fishing sessions to tie in with very specific tides and also to tie in with evening or morning fishing sessions. If you’re targeting bass and other other migratory species, then you will find your results will vastly improve.

Look at when the low tides occur, look at when the fish on larger moon cycles so new moons and full moons are very productive in the fishing world, you have a highest amount of magnetism and gravity working which fish in other animals, we now know through the soluna theory. They fish Much better on these points in the moon.

So, by scheduling your fishing sessions, to time with larger tides at low water in locations that you’re maybe familiar with and ones you have done your prior research on, you will increase your results. You need to know your spots hold fish, when the fish move in when they feed.

You can narrow down the variables to give you high catch rates more consistently, look for areas with, you know hold fish with lots of moving visible lines on the surface of the water, such as tidal streams and mixing fronts. Look for birds, look for other mammals feeding such as dolphins or porpoise, they are giving you great clues as to what lies beneath.

  Look for cormorants, herons, and turns feeding, they’re all going to give you signs as to what the environment is providing on a macro level, so that then you know what the environment is showing you what’s going on beneath the surface of the water.

Always look and survey nature to give you the clues as to what’s going on. Don’t assume,  you have all the data in front of you usually. Look at the environment, watch the birds look at the tides.

Check the wind out, if its blowing east- the fish bite least. Follow the moon cycles.Pick your fishing sessions, very specifically. Look up tides for fishing website.

I found that the optimum for me, was picking a two hour window and mastering that two hours on a specific location and tide

  Keep a fishing diary

keeping a physical note in a computer or book as to what the catch rates were. Will give you a starting point and a database to work from in the future. This is really important principle in fishing results – “if you can’t measure it you can’t manage it”, and it applies to every sector in life. Keep a diary of your fishing results.

So if you can’t measure your success, you can’t manage it. By keeping notes on a laptop of what you catch, where you caught it, what the weather was like, what bait you use, what plastic lures you were using, what rods you used,  what the tides were like, all this information will will become a very useful database of catches within two years.

I’ve proved this time and time and time again, and my mentors and peers who are some of the best fisherman in the world, they employ the same tactics and the same systems to create their success also.

  Tackle. Keep it simple,

You don’t need expensive tackle to do flow fishing, you need a basic spinning rod for spinning real simple main line I like to use braid, 15ld pound breaking strength.  You need a float and some beads, a swivel and an elastic band.

You also need some eight pound breaking string line, and some Nordic bend hooks, or other fine wire hooks of your choice. sizes can range from size one, down to size eight. You also need some soft plastic lures.

here are many many many versions to choose from on the market. Currently I’m using some savage ones.

I like to keep a fish bag that’s made by Titan over my shoulder with my tackle him in the fish bag, the kind of things that I carry are :

Scissors, pliers, a priest, a couple of extra floats, a handful of one ounce weights, too. Types of breaking strain line between eight pounds and 12 pounds. Some hooks and spare hooks and tubs of soft plastic lures.

I sometimes also take a pack of frozen squid. If the float fishing is not turning on as I planned. I have a quick means of changing tactics and fishing the bottom. Using a very very basic to work rig with size six to eight hooks and tiny slivers of squid on.

  We hope this blog is a little insightful and gives you a little taste as what the waters of north Wales off for float fishing. The waters are rich with fish beyond belief if you just learn their environment.

Thanks for stopping by and reading our blog we appreciate every single one of you. Feel free to leave us a comment and let us know what you have been catching on the float of late and how?

Please give the blog a like and share guys it really helps

  Tan Y Tro Nesaf  / Until the next time,

  Nick

If you want to support our work with whatson, you can do so by buying us a coffee here It helps keep us caffeinated and blogging through the long winter nights!

If you haven’t already seen our Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram accounts come and say hi, we are very active on there. Also join our whatson community newsletter here  for up to date insights of what we get up to in north Wales as locals. You’ll be the first to receive blogs, news and insights that we share with the community.

        Float fishing on Anglesey Float fishing is a wonderful sport that is a little more simple than the traditional version of fishing. 

[barbosaasouza]

Best Games of the Midyear 2018

We are already half of the way through 2018, and there have been some amazing games already released. The Shacknews staff has joined forces to put together a list of the best games to be released so far in 2018. This list is not presented in any particular order, but these are games that Shackers should pay attention to going into our Shacknews Game of the Year deliberations at the end of 2018. Please take a look at the best games of the midyear 2018.

God of War

There was something cynical about the idea of "Let's take Kratos and give him a kid." It's something that easily could have been a shallow gimmick.

Instead, God of War ushering Kratos into single fatherhood allowed Sony Santa Monica to completely reinvent the character without forsaking his past. If anything, Kratos owned up to his past and confronted some of his most problematic elements. He never ran away from what he did, but he imparted the lesson to his son that everyone should strive to be better people. "Don't be sorry, be better."

This is all in addition to one of the most satisfying open worlds of 2018 and amazingly crisp 3D combat. And while the violence wasn't quite as visceral and gory as past God of War games, it's still as impactful as its ever been. God of War is a triumph in every way. -Ozzie Mejia

Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire

Obsidian upped the ante with the sequel to their epic fantasy RPG Pillars of Eternity with its sequel, Deadfire, and I can’t get enough of it. The base experience has been improved on various levels, one example being the more streamlined party. The expansion into a new space also opened the game up to sea combat that reflects the games pen-and-paper RPG roots. Just like the first game, you’ll often find yourself knee deep in interesting side quests and task, some arguably more interesting than the main quest. Nevertheless, you’ll constantly be inspired to see what's around the next corner. -Charles Singletary

Dragon Ball FighterZ

I feel like everyone knew Dragon Ball FighterZ was going to be good, but it must’ve been hiding its true power level for when it launched. DBFZ is one of the most approachable fighting games to be made in years. Yet, underneath that inviting surface is an intricate and nuanced combat system that has enchanted the hardcore fighting scene as well. It doesn’t hurt that Dragon Ball is such a recognizable franchise with a cast of characters perfect for a brawler like this. Arc System Works did a fantastic job of making all of the game’s art and animated sequences look as good as the current Dragon Ball Super anime. Dragon Ball FighterZ is definitely the birth of a brand-new fighting game dynasty and I doubt we’ll see its final form any time soon. -Blake Morse

Runner3

The latest rhythmic platformer from Choice Provisions hits a lot of high points: it's lightweight and lighthearted enough to provide a potent distraction from more heavy-handed titles, and yet it presents delightfully addictive action that's perfectly suited to both short and marathon gaming sessions. Runner3 is the ultimate evolution of one of the most absurd rhythm games on the market, topping off its tight gameplay and outrageous humor with loads of unlockables, special features, hidden characters, and more. -Kevin Tucker

Conan Exiles

Thank you so very much @shacknews for 9/10 "A battle to the death with 6 naked cannibals and a giant tiger is hands down the best gaming experience I’ve had in 2018. This game is the current high water mark in open-world survival and the biggest surprise of 2018 for me so far. "

— CONAN EXILES (@ConanExiles) June 7, 2018

While it is rough around the edges and prone to the bugs and frustrations common to the survival genre, Conan Exiles manages to stand above the pack with its satisfying combat, an expansive crafting recipe progression, and lively open-world. For people who liked Minecraft, but found the adventuring aspect to be woefully under cooked, Conan Exiles provides a land full of cannibals, crocodiles, spider caves, ice temples, and creepy dungeons that offer excitement beyond building out your base. Group play and a willingness to go along with silly business is strongly encouraged. Additionally, if game quality was judged by the amount of reproductive organs on display, Conan Exiles would have a Metacritic score of two billion. -Chris Jarrard

Hunt: Showdown

Hunt: Showdown is still in early access, but the development team will likely have a full release done by the end of the year. If things continue to improve on the current pace, gamers could end up with one of the best blends of various genres to date. Hunt mixes PvE and PvP into one experience, taking elements from horror, battle royale, and survival and layering wonderful art design on top. It’s a very challenging game and the developers need to find a way to strike the perfect balance for player progression. If they do, watch this one climb the popularity charts swiftly. -Charles Singletary

Monster Hunter: World

It is a rare creature indeed that gets me to come back to it again and again in the wild world of gaming. But, I just can’t quit Monster Hunter World. I’ve put close to 200 hours into the game and I’m showing no signs of stopping. It takes everything that has always been intriguing about the Monster Hunter series and gives it all a tune-up for current-gen gamers. There’s so many nuances to the world that’s been built and I find myself discovering new details about its biology and the way the creatures interact with it. The fact that Monster Hunter World is consistently putting out new and completely free content for its millions of players doesn’t hurt either.  -Blake Morse

Pit People

The Behemoth continues to show just how versatile it can be by leaping into the real-time strategy genre. Pit People is an exquisite strategy game that pushes the genre, while also retaining The Behemoth's unique humor. Outside of the core cast, it's a test of putting together the best roster of wacky characters with their own unique functions on the battlefield. While the gameplay is solid on its own, it's the writing that makes Pit People a real treat, making it one of the funniest games of the year, as well as one of the best strategy games of 2018 so far. -Ozzie Mejia

Mario Tennis Aces

I've been waiting quite a while for a new entry in the Mario Tennis series, so a new adventure on Nintendo Switch with a story mode tickled me pink. I was thrilled to find that it took everything I love about playing tennis with Mario and his friends and expanded on it even further with new special moves, strategic plays, and an exciting roster of characters to choose from. It's some of the most fun I've had on my Switch, and even when it frustrates me, I still find myself going back to it every time I pick the system up off of its dock. This is tennis done right, and a sincere love letter from Nintendo to fans of its arcade sports titles. I'm actually thinking about playing a few matches now, after having written this. -Brittany Vincent

Subnautica

Subnautica is game about exploring uncharted waters, both literally and metaphorically. Coming to understand the events of the game, from the player's catastrophic arrival at Planet 4546B to the mysteries behind the the Alterra Corporation's exploration efforts, primarily involves surviving in increasingly dangerous scenarios. It's a fantastic experience that manages to be both entrancing and terrifying: the notion of being underwater and having a limited supply of oxygen stays at the front of the player's mind, and diving deeper involves making special considerations with regard to food, water, power, and even personal defense. In return for their efforts, the player will be able to slowly piece together the events of the Aurora's crash and learn the surprising history behind the planet's previous outposts. -Kevin Tucker

Kingdom Come: Deliverance

Warhorse Studios focused on historical accuracy and minute detail in its pursuit of creating a medieval sim with Kingdom Come: Deliverance. A second hand tug-of-war between a historian and one of the game’s developers poked holes in that accuracy, but the gameplay experience is undeniable. Kingdom Come, like a few others that will be a part of the GOTY discussion, had some significant technical issues at launch. When it worked, though, it delivered big. I’ve rarely been as immersed in an RPG’s world as I was with KCD and I’m excited to explore it more.

P.S. I do not count the save system as technical issue. It was a design choice that just didn’t go over well. -Charles Singletary

Sushi Stirker: The Way of Sushido

Finally, a game that combines my passion for combat puzzlers with my obsession with raw fish. If I had one major gripe with Nintendo’s Sushi Striker: The Way of Sushido it would be that it makes me hunger for the delectable, yet costly, dish. Beyond that though, Sushi Striker really impressed me with its clever twist on Pokemon collecting and puzzle fighting. Throw in some quality anime sequences and you’ve got a tasty combination. It may have ended up being more of a sleeper hit, but it’s still a hit nonetheless and definitely worth checking out if you missed out on it during its initial launch, which was somewhat lost in the E3 mire. -Blake Morse

Detroit: Become Human

Quantic Dream's best and most riveting adventure hooked me with its brief demo ahead of its official release, and I haven't been able to get enough of it since. Connor, Kara, and Markus switch off throughout a sprawling narrative that explores various themes, and by the end I couldn't choose a favorite, as each character had grown so significantly throughout the course of the story. I laughed, I cried, and I longed for more time with the entire case (especially Connor) when the end credits rolled. Despite watching alternate paths play out on YouTube, I've gone back to see what my decisions could have wrought if I had chosen differently from time to time. It's an excellent and unique tale, with nothing else out there like it on PlayStation 4, and well worth playing, even if you're one of those sad individuals who still thinks it's "cool" to talk about David Cage's "bad writing." -Britany Vincent

Laser League

Some of the best games are the ones that don't opt for any crazy gimmickry and focus more on basic ideas. Laser League is such a simple idea on paper. It's two teams in an arena battling it out by avoiding killer lasers. It's a simplistic premise, but one that's wildly fun and builds on top of its foundation with individual classes and power-ups. Its futuristic aesthetic is the icing on the cake. -Ozzie Mejia

Sea of Thieves

Rare’s brand new IP, Sea of Thieves, has deeply divided the gaming world with one side being unenthused by the content on offer and the other falling deeply in love with the experience – and we here at Shacknews are of the latter group. There’s something so pure about the world of Sea of Thieves, from the aesthetic and color palette to the way it feels sailing across the waters, all of it evokes a sense of journey and adventure.

Outside of the launch window, Rare has continued to support the game through regular, weekly patches, bi-weekly events, and free major content drops for all players. After speaking with the developers at E3 and after seeing how they continue to interact with the playerbase, there’s a real sense of dedication to the community. If you’re yet to dive into this world, now might be the best time, especially as we approach the release of Cursed Sails and Forsaken Shores, the next two major content updates for Sea of Thieves coming in July and September. -Sam Chandler

Vampyr

“Vampyr only got a 7 out of 10. How is it in the conversation for GOTY?” I see the gears turning, reader. I wrote the review myself and even suggested in the conclusion that it would be in the conversation despite the score, so let’s get right to it. Despite its technical shortcomings, Vampyr is a very entertaining game. The combat, ambiance, music, community management, and more all lend to a vampiric power-fantasy that has been sorely missing in gaming for a while. The duality of the main character is a well crafted platform for the experience too, giving players power as healer and killer while tying that into the development of the game’s playable areas. It likely won’t win the big award, but Vampyr is a very solid game that you don’t want to miss. -Charles Singletary

Fortnite

Epic Games has struck video game gold with this game. Fortnite may be the greatest pivot in the history of video games as the Early Access Save the World mode didn' take the world by storm. After clearly taking inspiration from the wildly successful PUBG, Epic brought the Battle Royale mode to their game and gave it the old Unreal polish. The game is available on pretty much every platform and is making truck tons of money for Epic Games in the process. Fortnite's developers have done a great job of keeping the game fresh with new emotes, limited-time-modes, and special events like meteors and rocket launches. Fortnite is here to stay and it certainly deserves recognition as one of the best games of the midyear. -Asif Khan

Celeste

Celeste feels like a journey of growth in more ways than one. It's about persistance, progression, and the pursuit of one's goals, even in the face of their own demons. It's a punishing platformer and one that revels in players' death counts, which skyrocket into the hundreds and thousands, but it's one that encourages players to keep trying, both with its narrative and its forgiving checkpoint system. Speaking of its narrative, it's one that's impactful to anyone who's ever doubted themselves or found themselves dealing with bouts of depression or panic attacks. It's a very human story, set atop a mountain that dabbles in the supernatural.

And beyond Madeline's quest to personal fulfillment, players can also see the progression of creator Matt Thorson's own journey, as he starts to hit his own peak of level designing potential. He's come a long way from TowerFall and it's a satisfying journey to witness. -Ozzie Mejia

Overload

From the creators of the classic PC game Descent, comes a worthy spiritual successor to the space shooter. Overload gives players six degrees of freedom along with great level design and a fine polish that this genre has been missing for decades. I loved Descent back in the day, and Overload has recaptured the excitement from the new series. Improvements to level and weapon design is immediately noticeable and the game is so dang pretty, there are times when I get killed just looking around. Overload is one of the biggest surprise games of 2018 so far and anyone on the fence about this game should give it a try. -Asif Khan

The Awesome Adventures of Captain Spirit 

The Awesome Adventures of Captain Spirit, though only a short prequel and introduction to what we'll eventually see in Life is Strange 2, is an exemplary piece of storytelling. The tale of young Chris, who's fully into pretending he's a superhero, is as heartwarming as it is deeply emotional. The seemingly lighthearted story peppers in a cautionary tale of child abuse as well as the struggles people face after losing their partners and jobs one right after another. It's a fantastic foundation to build Life is Strange 2 on, and it kept me glued to my seat the entire time I explored Chris's home and got to know him as well as my own little brother. I wanted to protect him from all harm and give him something to look forward to, so I hope he plays a massive role in the next game from Dontnod Entertainment, as he's too precious of a character to give up on. -Brittany Vincent

There you have it, folks. Our list of the best games to be released in the first half of 2018. What games did you think should be on our list? Let us know in the comments section.

Best Games of the Midyear 2018 published first on https://superworldrom.tumblr.com/

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Lessons learned this year as a solo founder (x-post r/startups)

I first posted this in r/Startups but felt like it could be of help to some other wantrepreneurs/starting entrepeneurs as well.

Most of the things I have learned in the past 3-4 years have come from others sharing their knowledge, so I’d like to see this as a small way of giving back. It is mainly focused at starting entrepeneurs or want-to-be-starting entrepeneurs, but others might get something out of it as well.

These are some of the lessons I have learned as a solo founder so far. Honestly, it has been a heck of a ride and I can’t wait to see what will happen in 2016. By most definitions I don’t run an insane business; but the growth in customers is great and the monthly (recurring) revenue is growing month after month.

Starting a startup or business is one thing, but doing it solo is a whole other thing. It’s covering every single aspect that you have to cover for your business. Developing your product, marketing it, collecting leads, sending cold mails, calling potential clients, thinking about finding employees, doing taxes, closing deals, administration, and a whole lot more. You can hire employees at some point, but at the start 100% of the work is yours.

Use your close network

But being a solo founder doesn’t mean you have to do it all by yourself. There are a lot of people around you that are willing to help. Some want to help and want to get paid in return, others don’t need to get paid at all. Family and friends will offer their help. Family will usually do it for free, friends are willing to work for a small payment. Look around at the people you know, and just tell them what you are doing. Don’t expect everybody to be extremely excited, but some will find the idea good enough to offer their help.

Develop your product without your own limiting thoughts

It’s a huge struggle to cover every aspect of your business. It starts out with developing a product people actually want. And there are only limited ways to find out what that product looks like. A product may look great in your eyes, but you’re not your own customer; you’re just you.

Go out and talk to customers. Go to some Meetups and just talk to people. Ask how they’re solving the problem you want to fix right now. Then ask them for anything that they struggle with. In my market a lot of companies hire a freelancer to do what I offer but struggle giving the right instructions and information. Or they hire a new employee and pay twice as much as they would with my product. So I developed my product in a way that solves this pain. And the product is never done; it is constantly in development to create a better version.

Should you find a co-founder?

You are constantly on the watch for potential co-founders, but at the same time nobody seems right. And that’s a huge problem that is caused by the fact that you actually don’t know what you are looking for. You’re looking for a co-founder that is almost a twin of you, because you yourself know what it takes. But it’s important to get out of that box.

Once you realize you actually have to look for someone with almost entirely different qualifications it gets a lot easier. Don’t find someone that already understands every aspect of your product and market. Find someone that helps you think outside of the box - because you are most-likely stuck in your own box.

Working at a coworking space

A co-working space is a great location to find potential clients and get help with growing your business. I hired a desk at a local startup co-working space and signed a deal the first week and had another 2 potential deals lined up. After a few months at this co-working space a student with sales experience came in. This student has had a huge influence on my sales skills, the way I did my proposition and the amount of deals I sign. With every single deal I sign today I still thank him - if I didn’t meet him I wouldn’t have signed 90% of the deals I sign today.

If you don’t grow, your business won’t grow either

Getting out of your comfort zone is one of the hardest parts as a solo founder. If you have multiple founders you can just tell each other to “shut the fuck up and fucking do it already”. But as a solo founder you have to tell yourself that every. single. day. From the moment you get out of bed till you go into bed exhausted at night: you just have to shut the fuck up and fucking do it already. Because if you don’t, your business will never grow.

Set your goals and stick to them

Dreaming about what your business can be one day is a very important aspect. Sure, the future changes every day. And it’s never going to be the way you want it to be. But it’s important to set a goal for yourself. You don’t have to remind yourself every single day; it gets boring at one point. But it is important to just take your time once every 2 weeks or once a month and see if you are still on track with your ultimate goal.

Just take a goal that seems plausible and actually excites you. Money can be a goal, having 20 employees can be a goal, growing internationally can be a goal, X amount of customers can be a goal. Just take a goal and stick to it. It’s never going to be as fast as you want it to be. Sure, it would be great to be a millionaire in a year. But the truth is: you won’t be a millionaire in a year. You won’t have 20 employees in a year, or 10000 customers. But that doesn’t mean you can’t work your ass off to get as close to that goal as possible.

Celebrate your wins

Celebrating your wins is important as well. Yeah it’s easy to feel bad the whole time because you didn’t hit your target this month. But if you hit 80% of the target you mostly succeeded. Occasionally take the time to celebrate a good month. Spend some money on yourself, buy some new clothes, grab drinks with friends, do something you’ve wanted to do in a long time. Because next month you will hit that target, and you can fully reward yourself.

If you develop yourself, you develop your business

As a single founder your business will be as good as you are. If you snooze that alarm 20 times than you are wasting your own business hours. Self-development is the only way to develop your business. Read, and never stop reading. Don’t just read the gems that everybody keeps talking about. Once in awhile just pick up a book that isn’t necessarily 100% related to where you are now. You will always get something out of it; maybe not today but something might click in a year from now. A lot of knowledge is just stored in our brain, but when we get into a situation that’s relevant to that knowledge your brain will connect it and you will greatly learn from it.

Create a lifestyle that suits you

You’ll read everywhere that you need to get a healthy lifestyle. I don’t think you have to stick to this 100%. Just find a lifestyle that you like and can stick to for a long time - and actually helps you be productive. Yes, alcohol don’t fit in a healthy lifestyle, but if I don’t get to relax with a drink with friends every now and then I know I will just get bored with life.

Breaks are not a waste of time - they are necessary

Breaks are the sole reason you will never get stressed too much. I remember these weeks during the first few months of my company where I would work 80-100 hours, worked every single day of the week. Then one Sunday I wanted to take a break, and I didn’t even know what to do.

It felt like I dropped off the world and just forgot how to have fun. I called up my dad and we ended up going to the lake: and all I could talk or think about was business. I couldn’t let go off it at all. This seems like a great thing, but I felt like an addict that needed his drug (work) every single moment of the day. I felt more stressed than I ever felt, looked like I didn’t sleep for days and had zero interest in anything else but work.

Develop non-business related skills

You can never skip a day developing yourself. You don’t always have to develop skills that are related to your business - I actually recommend not to. Find stuff you can do on the side. For me, it’s lifting with a friend 3 times a week and taking my Sundays to study biology and history. Find stuff that motivates you during the days you don’t work.

Get rid of distractions

Develop a non distractive environment for yourself too. Earlier I was talking about the co-working space. This seems like a great place, but it can be distractive at times too. People will walk up to you with questions. The guy across from you will talk to you once in awhile. Don’t expect to be productive 100% of the time. But know that coworking spaces have a lot more advantages than disadvantages.

Find a workday routine that works for you

You should also find the perfect way to work productively. For me it was plugging my earphones in and just listen to Spotify for hours on end. Compile a playlist with your favorite music or just select a playlist on Spotify. For a long time I listened to my own playlist that consisted of 8 albums I really liked listening to.

Eventually I started listening to the Lounge playlist on Spotify, it has a nice beat that just let’s me work productively. I am listening to it while I am typing this as well, it helps to keep my focus and to type at a relatively quick speed. Just find some good music and focus on stuff you have to do.

You have to cover everything - 100% of the work

Being a solo founder means you have to cover every little aspect of your business. And it’s a shit ton of work. Here’s a list of things that I did this morning: Find new ways to find new leads, look for these leads, compile a list of leads, find e-mail addresses of their CEOs, craft a good cold e-mail, schedule e-mails, wait for replies, counter sales objections by e-mail, call if it seems like the right time, counter sales objections on the phone, follow up with the right info, follow up if no response, sign pilots or deals, do after sales customer care, work for clients, find the right freelancer for the job, e-mail the freelancer with info, instruct the freelancer, call the freelancer, send more instructions, conference call with the freelancer and client, wait for freelancer to deliver, check if the product is good to send to the client, get feedback from the client, instruct the freelancer, wait for the freelancer, check the product again, send to the client, make sure the client is happy with the result, call the client, send the invoice, upsell to the client.

And that’s just prospecting, lead generation, sales and delivery. And you are constantly looking for ways to make this easier, quicker and less stressful - which you definitely should!

During the day you are constantly wondering if you need to find a co-founder, but that will take a lot of time. So maybe it’s better to hire an intern? But that takes a lot of time too. So I should just get someone to work in-house, but it’s expensive and takes time. There’s a million questions going through your head constantly.

Find others to help you - they’re happy to

But do know that out of the 100 things you do during the day there have been others that have done the same. And people are very willing to give advice to you. The startup community is a fantastic community to work in. Other founders are always happy to help, and to do a quick phone call if you need advice. Sometimes they even invite you for coffee at their office to meet them.

I’m a relatively young founder, and a lot of older founders just want to help you. Because when they were your age they also had mentors. And whatever they say or however they help you: always follow up on them. Tell them how it’s going, send them a thank you note, send them a card for Christmas. They’ve taken their time to help you succeed. Sure, not every founder will give you the insights you want at that time, but in the end every successful founder will say something that might click years later.

Just hit them up on Linkedin, send a request and ask if they are willing to help a new founder with some advice. 20% of them will happily take their time. That’s 10-15 minutes of highly valuable time for them, when they’re not working their asses off growing their business. And they are willing to spend it with YOU. Be grateful for that.

Your business has to make money

Get to profitability as soon as you can too. Sure it’s easy to just dump a ton of money (note: your own money!) into your business. But your money is likely limited. Find ways to earn money with your product. If it means you have to change your product then so be it. You’re not working your ass off to find the perfect solution for people, you’re working your ass off to be able to survive right now, and to help future employees survive.

Make money, because it keeps your company alive. Yeah Facebook and Twitter never made a shit ton of money at the beginning. But you’re likely not building the next Facebook or Twitter. Making money is important, so try to make money from the first deal you sign. It doesn’t have to be a huge profit right away, you just need to find out if you can actually make money with your product and if the demand is big enough to build a solid business out of it.

Should I get an investment?

Finding investment will be a struggle too. I haven’t gotten an investment, but I am constantly thinking whether I should or not. Yes, the business is profitable. But it could be so much more profitable. You would have to give up a part of the business, and you’re not the sole owner anymore. There are other people that will influence the way your company runs. And they can just shut down if you’re not profitable enough. Try to get solid ground yourself first, and then look for an investment.

And don’t just take any investment you can. Think about who is investing in you. Sure it’s great to have 100K from an investor to grow; but if that investor is not even closely related to your market all you have is a bag of money.

Find investors that are well known in your market. Not only will they be more likely to invest (they know the market, so they know what’s likely to succeed), but they will critique your idea if it sucks - and you can use this to create a better product. Plus if they finally do invest in you they will have the knowledge, network and money to help you to keep growing.

Tools will help be more productive

Find the right tools to make your work easier, but make sure to do everything manually first. It’s easy to look for the quickest solution, but you will only know what you really need if you do it manually first. Right now I use 8-10 different tools for lead generation and cold emailing, and another 7 for things related to my product. Some of the tools I use:

Yesware for e-mail templates and tracking (Switching to Toutapp soon though due to Yesware yearly billing)

Streak (CRM for Gmail)

Find that Lead (Find email addresses with just their first and last name and domain)

Google’s Business Apps

Kimono Labs (Scrape specific info from web pages)

Make sure to look for alternatives for your tools every now and then. There are a ton of new alternatives coming out every month. Just check out Product Hunt every once in awhile and see if they have new tools for email tracking, new CRMs and more. Tools will significantly increase your productivity and will also help keep track of your work. Yesware helps me keep track of the open rate/response rate of different e-mail subjects. It’s a great tool to split-test your cold emailing.

Don’t stick to your current way of working

Always work on new ways to do your acquisition, marketing and other things. The first 4 months I highly focused on content marketing (without content promotion). This was before I heard about the 20-80 rule of content marketing: spend 20% of your time on the post and 80% on promoting it. I spent over 600 hours writing 100+ blog posts, yet I didn’t see much traffic from it.

Because I focused on SEO in those articles I saw my traffic increase, but I could’ve gotten a lot more if I followed the 20-80 rule. Instead of content marketing I just focus on cold emailing now, as content marketing is something that will pay out later. Sure, it’s really cheap, but so is cold emailing. Re Strategize every now and then and find what works best.

Always keep learning - find interesting sources to read

Find some good blogs to read. You don’t have to follow every single article they publish, but when you search Google for specific information you will see a lot of the same sites pop up in that niche. When I started out in sales I found Steli Efti’s blog a bunch of times. Some of his posts focus mainly on cold emails.

I’m a huge fan of Steli Efti and his way of teaching. If you want some more motivation for sales make sure to check out Close.io’s blog and his daily motivational video’s (60 seconds a day). Don’t forget to check out his YouTube video of his talk at the Pioneers Festival. You will definitely get something out of it.

Steli has helped growing my business significantly. I email him once a month thanking him for being so open about his knowledge and thank him for the impact he has had on the monthly revenue. I can honestly say I wouldn’t be where I am today without people like Steli who share their knowledge for free.

Some of the other blogs/sites/places that have helped me:

r/Startups obviously

Quora’s Growth Hacking

My local library

Rocketship Podcast

You’re going to need to do sales - even if you suck at it

If you’re like me then sales can be a huge hassle (I didn’t have a lot of experience before). Get out of your comfort zone and just start calling people. At first it simply sucks. You might not even know what to say. This is where cold e-mailing helps. You send a bunch of emails asking a question specific to the problem you are solving. Make it a short e-mail, nobody’s going to read your 500 word cold email. Make it 2 sentences. Just write everything down and work it down to 2 sentences. It’s possible, just don’t pitch your product.

Let’s say you’re trying to sell Slack: send an email to the CEO asking what they are currently using for their communication. Just send 100s of emails (about 50-100 a day) and just watch the answers flow in. When they email you what they’re using, just pick up the phone and call them. Ask them some follow-up questions about their experience and just listen to what they’re saying. Everything they say is an argument for you to create the solution in their case.

Example: “We’re currently using a bunch of tools: e-mail, WhatsApp, some employees even use Facebook Messenger to talk to each other”. Follow-up with a question about how they keep an overview of it all. Changes are they aren’t, as they use too many tools. Then start your proposition: “We created a tool that has the perfect overview for your team. Employees can send private messages, but you can also create channels for certain projects.”

An email signature will increase your conversion rate when cold emailing

I have an e-mail signature with a small picture of my face, my phone number, and a link to my website. I created the signature with WiseStamp and it’s automatically added to any e-mail I send. When I send a cold email the biggest USP of my product is always clear in sight. Use something like “Slack - we make internal communication easier”. Most people will click on it and go to your landing page. If you use a short e-mail like I do (2 sentences) everybody will see that signature. Because there’s a picture added it looks a lot more trustworthy (although some people will block images from their e-mail client).

Don’t sell your product, sell the solution

Cold e-mailing/calling isn’t about selling at first. You don’t know how to sell your product until you know what the pain points are in your potential customers business/life. You can only create a clear proposition if you know what they’re doing right now. Plus they’re much more open to a product when you describe it as a perfect solution.

It’ll be more satisfying than anything else

Being a solo founder is a lot of work, but it’s a lot of fun too. Sure, the stress can wear you out. It can be a drag going into work every day, to send those e-mails, to make those calls. But if you’re not doing it then nothing will happen. If you want to create a successful business you have to get out of your seat and just work hard.

It’ll be a struggle to create a new product, platform or service, and then growing it into a big business. But if it was easy somebody else would’ve done it already. You’re not in this game to have an easy life; you’re in it to work hard, to work your ass off every single day for minimal payment at first, so you can create a great company that you can be proud of for 5, 10 or 20 years, or even the rest of your life.

Thanks r/Startups!

Would love to hear about the experiences of other solo founders, and others. R/Startups has been a great resource of information for me in the last few months, so let me know if you got anything out of this.

Read more: www.reddit.com

https://www.reddit.com/r/Entrepreneur/comments/3x40bx/lessons_learned_this_year_as_a_solo_founder_xpost/