#if this person can be professionally published then by god so can you

[littleeyesofpallas]

Tensei Kizoku no Isekai Boukenroku[転生貴族の異世界冒険録]: Reincarnation Noble's Otherworld Adventure Record

[play-now-my-lord]

serenely remembering the moment when isabel fall published "helicopter story" aka "i sexually identify as an attack helicopter", which instantiated harassment from her clouty new-wave scifi friends that radiated outwards into transmisogynist scifi normies and became so severe she wound up in inpatient. people took up the cause of the story in the name of "free artistic expression" and "speaking difficult truths", which was not incorrect but which was kind of missing the forest for the trees in that specific situation: the age-old game of "kill the baby trans girl out of professional jealousy, farm clout off of doing it". the roles could have been completely reversed - the transmisogynist acquaintances could have been writing edgy outsider lit and could have been encouraging mass harassment against her for being a tenderqueer sellout (i swear to god i have seen this shit too). effect would have been the same.

when trans women in FSF talk about this shit, they usually talk about it from the angles of "censorious tenderqueers tried to kill someone over a story" or, in the most sympathetic voice i've seen out of someone in journalism, "public pressure functionally forced this exciting trans writer back into the closet". but they generally miss the degree to which it was intimate, personal transmisogynist violence, which bled into and intersected with the logics of mob justice, of "community safety" (remember, part of the substance of the accusations was that she was a stealth nazi, which frankly knowing a little about both the accusers and IF herself I can say confidently was not just vacuous but knowingly vacuous, them lying through their teeth), and again, professional jealousy.

i have seen people who crowed the loudest about what got done to IF do it to other people. it's the easiest thing in the world, and it happens all the time, and you can do it whenever you want - try and have some weird tranny rival or inconvenient tranny ex-friend killed - and it engenders no moral stain, no whispers, no reputation. i think they don't even have a conception that they're hypocrites. why would they? nothing that happens to anyone like that is real. human life is cheap if it's in the wrong body. everything they hold is stolen, everything they are is negotiable, for everything they do someone else surely deserves the credit. why not you? don't you deserve it more?

[turndecassette2]

Hi! I really love your work and way of making comics. I know this isn’t something universal, but since I’m about to graduate with a design and illustration degree, I wanted to ask if you have some advice on how to get started as a ✨professional ✨comic artist and illustrator. Aka one with clients and paid projects :,)) I’m kind of second guessing my education as I wrap it up because I won’t really be able to just work at a design agency because of my focus on illustration and so on. . Thanks! Have a nice day 🎀

god I'm the wrong person to ask. PEOW approached me about making a comic, I did, I dropped out of college, didn't make all that much money, I lived as a weird hermit with/near my parents between 2016 – end of covid, did odd jobs for people who'd seen my book and liked it. didn't start making proper money off of this until the frog book happened, which in large part was down to luck & the frogs blowing up on IG. if you want to be normal & serious abt this stuff you should find a person with a real portfolio and check with them. I think for editorial illustration etc there are agents & agencies that deal with that? in which case, check with someone that has one of those, or check with them directly.

(don't mean to sound too confrontational. I'm genuinely just not good at self-promotion or job-seeking)

edit: for comics specifically: I think doing shorter things & getting them out there and seen kinda helps? won't make much money at first but doing a small zine is a smaller investment of time & if it 'flops' it's a smaller loss vs say having spent two years on a GN that you can't find a publisher for. so maybe 'smaller project for a smaller pub' would be the actionable advice for comics specifically. 50 – 80 pages can still be 'a book', if they look nice &/or tell a decent story.

[ptn-imagines]

Can I get headcanons of Raven,Zoya and Hella(platonic) reacting to fem cheif acting nochalant to Hella calling her mom

(coughs) I'm alive! Here's your request and thank you for your patience.

Raven, Zoya and Hella reacting to f!Chief reacting nonchalantly to being called “mom” by Hella

Raven

Honestly? Raven’s first reaction is to laugh. Really, really hard. It’s funny to her.

When her giggles fade away, though, she’s all smiles and sparkles, as Raven tends to be.

“Aw, isn’t that adorable, Chief? Looks like you’ve got a chick all of your own, now!” She will keep making comments like this, and god knows that neither Chief nor Hella will be able to stop her.

As something of a mom herself, not to mention a teacher, Raven likes to give Chief “parenting tips” from then on out. Some of them are a little silly. Some are things that Chief already knew. And other things are complete godsends that Chief has no idea what she’d do without.

Also, if she wasn’t inspired to write parenting help books before, she is now. As with most of Raven’s self-published textbooks, they fall into the category of “surprisingly useful but lacking in professionalism.” Still, Raven’s advice certainly won’t hurt a child… but Chief nevertheless figures it’s best not to mention how helpful the book actually is.

Raven also definitely drags Chief into chats about their kids. She’s a proud mama bird and will brag about Crache and her achievements until the cows come home. Naturally, she’s also incredibly supportive and proud of Hella, too – she’s her teacher, after all!

She will also absolutely prod Chief into accepting the title of “mother” to other kids in the Bureau. Hecate, Oliver, Dolly, OwO, Yanyan, Lynn, you name it and she’s already assigned the role of “Chief’s kid” to them. Good thing Chief had pretty much already accepted that role!

She also makes jokes that Chief can be Crache’s stepmom from time to time. Crache hates it. Raven’s kids, when they find out, won’t shut up about it. It definitely fuels the Raven x Chief gossip train that’s going on in her class.

Zoya

After the shock fades, the first thing Zoya feels is… warmth. She feels warm and fuzzy inside.

At first she has absolutely no idea why she’s feeling like this, and it baffles her. Okay, Chief didn’t care that Hella called her mom, that’s cool, why is it making her feel all weird inside?

It takes a few days for it to click with Zoya that what she’s feeling is affection. Seeing the Chief be accepted into a maternal role, caring for a young Sinner, made Zoya feel affectionate towards her.

Okay, great, she figured out what the weird feeling was, but Zoya still doesn’t understand the why. She thinks to her own life as a point of reference. Sure, Horo looks up to her as a role model, but Zoya always saw herself as a big sister/mentor figure to her, not so much a mother.

The answer, when it finally comes to her after another few days of dwelling on it, hits her like a bolt of lightning. It completely freezes her in her tracks as she tries to process the realization she just had: she felt affection because the Chief behaving motherly towards Hella? She found it cute.

Frankly, this realization opens a whole can of worms that Zoya is not emotionally equipped to face right now, so she seals that can right back up. But some things can never be fully repaired to the way they once were, and well, Zoya tries to comfort herself by thinking that surely she isn’t the only person who thinks of the Chief in such a manner. Surely.

Hella

Hella is, in a word, mortified. It was embarrassing enough that she’d accidentally called Chief mom, and it was even more embarrassing that Chief had accepted it so easily!

She still tries to play it off as an accident or a joke, though. She would rather the ground open up and swallow her than be seen as Chief’s daughter for real! Besides, she’s a proud, independent Syndican who relies on herself. She doesn’t need a mother!

…And yet… there is that tiny part of her, that part of her that made the slip-up in the first place. The part that she hates. That part of her that is still a terrified little girl, who wants nothing more than the comfort of a maternal figure. No matter what Hella tries, she can’t fully deny that that part of her exists.

…but Ninety-Nine is the only family she needs, so the idea that Chief is a mother to her is ridiculous, and anyone who ever believed that crap is stupid!

But… the slip-ups happen more and more often, and each time, Chief takes it in stride. Every time, it makes Hella burn with embarrassment, but as time goes on, she begins to realize that… hey, this isn’t so bad.

Of course, she still has her pride. She’ll never openly admit to see the Chief as a mother in a public setting. But in private… Well, maybe then it’s okay to willingly call the Chief “mom,” and to cling to her for comfort after a nightmare and to otherwise be vulnerable around her.

Of course, she still makes sure that Chief knows that if she leaks a word of this to anyone, she’ll bash her stupid skull in! (The whole Bureau knows anyway, but not because of Chief, and they’ll feign innocent for the sake of keeping her skull whole and un-smashed.)

[prettylittlels]

I Can See You

summary: You meet Rachel's costar at the academy gala, what will happen next? (tom blyth x actress!reader)

inspired by I Can See You (Taylor's Version) by Taylor Swift

💋⚘️❤️‍🔥💥🍬💄

As an actress, I spend a 70% of my time meeting and interacting with actors, actresses, singers, directors, producers, and people who work in the same industry as i do. A 90% of those people are just passers, travelers that only visited my life. Only very few manage to stay, important enough to make me care for and about them: true friends. Like Rachel Zegler, for example. I met her at the 2022 Golden Globes afterparty, and we kicked off a nice friendship. And a rather weird one, might i add. Rach and I enjoy playing rather exquisite games: i make her try the most horrendous food i find, and she tries to find the perfect man for me.

-Rach, I already told you- i tell her, laughing without even trying - I've lost hope! You gotta accept that i don't have a love life!-

-You're lying to yourself! - she smiles with me- You think I haven't seen the way you look at every couple we meet?-

Maybe she was right. I haven't had a boyfriend in years, maybe I am a little touch-starved. But that was until I met him.

You brush past me in the hallway

And you don't think I, I, I can see ya, do ya?

I've been watchin' you for ages

And I spend my time tryin' not to feel it

As an actress, i spend a lot of time bring invited to galas and events. Tonights entertainment was the Academy's annual gala. I picked out a gorgeous black sparkly dress that caught everyones attention, as I imagined. Getting out lf the car, I slowly made my way to the red carpet, starting to pose for the flashing cameras. Shouts and screams came from everywhere i went. Not only for me, of course; in fact, thay were yelling Rachel's name too when i arrived. She came up to me and gave me a big hug, as we started to take pictures together. I also noticed that a certain co-star of hers, was looking our way. Don't you think I can't see you?

But what would you do if I went to touch you now?

What would you do if they never found us out?

What would you do if we never made a sound?

As an famous actress, I can't just do whatever I want and say whatever i please. The cameras are everywhere. But God, did I want to go talk to you.

'Cause I can see you waitin' down the hall from me

And I could see you up against the wall with me

And what would you do, baby, if you only knew?

That I can see you

As an actress, people expect me to be there when they need me, available for everyone and waiting for directions. But, only this time, I was waiting for something else to happen. When I walked down the hidden hallway on my way to the women's bathroom, you were there. I didn't want to do anything reckless! But here we are.

And we kept everything professional

But something's changed, it's somethin' I, I like

They keep watchful eyes on us

So it's best that we move fast and keep quiet

You won't believe half the things I see inside my head

Wait 'til you see half the things that haven't happened yet

Tom and I started dating shortly after the gala. Being with him was everything I needed: he's a gentleman, a caring person, a funny one, and of course, a very sexy one. The weeks passed and we were both as happy as ever. After the night we met, the cameras that caught our longing stares published the photos and the public strted going crazy, speculating and giving their opinion about our encounter. Oh, they have no idea.

That I could see you throw your jacket on the floor

I could see you make me want you even more

What would you do, baby, if you only knew?

That I can see you

They had no idea that how it was being In a relationship with tom. The envious fangirls wished they were me. They don't I know that I can see him for what he truly is. They don't know that I can see him discarding his clothes on the floor. Yes, even that leather jacket of his that I love so much

I could see you in your suit and your necktie

Passed me a note saying, "Meet me tonight"

Then we kiss, and you know I won't ever tell, yeah

And I could see you being my addiction

You can see me as a secret mission

Hide away and I will start behaving myself

I remember how I pulled you closer by your tie, and unbuttoned your shirt. How you admitted you've been watching me for ages. How we agreed to keep this a sceret, However, I knew he'd be like a drug. And I get drunk on it whenever he's around

I can see you.

I can see you, Tom.

[grits-galraisedinthesouth]

Sponsored by Archewell of Course

Finally we learn the true purpose of this fake royal inGRIFTus visit: MEgain's dream to purcha$e (not earn) a political appointment as an Ambassador for the perks: IPP status, a NYC apartment, luxurious international travel, power, stardom, etc.

In 2021 in the name of vaccine equity (and netflix), The Meghans secured a meeting with several WHO representatives involved w/The Clinton Global Initiative including the UN Under-Secretary General Winnie Byanyima.¹

MEgain replied "It's wonderful to be back..." just to make it clear that THIS trip is all about HER not him.

It seems that identifying as Misan Harriman's Nigerian cousin might be her golden ticket to the UN.

Meghan Markle was the most unaccomplished woman in that room of so-called Nigerian women leaders and certainly the least deserving of any political appointments or elected positions. She's treated women and men like TRASH. Hissing and harassing them to such lengths that they require therapy and seek new employment.

Sparry is absolutely complicit in their drive to give his wife undeserved power and authority over institutions and human beings. He'll assist her with love bombing Ngozi even just save what little hair remains on his head. He's a Eunuch.

From the Nigerian Defense Staff Visitor Book of General Christopher Musa

Sparry: "Thank you for welcoming us to your beautiful country. Together we will heal our troops. -Harry

MEgain: "With gratitude for the support of the Invictus community. And for welcoming me home." -M??

Did these female leaders discuss the women who have been raped and violated in the African Parks Scandal?

What about hundreds of abducted Nigerian children, most recently in broad daylight on March 7, 2024?

Look at this lovely room and compare it to the spaces The Meghans publicized to the mainstream media on their tour. Spot the difference. Who do you think matters most, the wounded or the powerful?

The good news is that The MEghans have a very long history of lying, cheating, mistreating innocent people, and even mocking God.

No matter what doors 43% of bull chite will open, God will not be mocked. Sparry had the temerity to walk into Saint Paul's and read from the holy scriptures as if he's some authority on serving God while he nails his bloodline to the media's cross.

Cry out for mercy, Harry!

God will not be mocked, whatever a man sows that will he also reap.

MEgain thinks she can rebrand her ancestry and whore her way into achieving all her personal & professional goals.

Whatever she has sown, she will reap.

"An afternoon of joy, love and sharing of experiences with leading Nigerian women from across the spectrum- Public Sector, Private Sector, Civil Society, a mixture of young and old. Co hosted by Meghan the Duchess of Sussex and myself, and moderated by @MoAbudu

Talking about what it means to be a woman leader, how difficult it is to get there, and the sisterhood and brotherhood that is needed to help make leadership work. Also had a fantastic panel made up of Dr @OmobolaJohnsonHon Minister @DrDorisAnite @achenyoio@miss_asagba Dr. Mairo Mandara and CNN’s @StephanieBusari who all shared their special experiences.

Sponsored by "Archewell Women in Leadership"

Soho House's Misan Harriman but not Sparry🤔

She never cared about those less fortunate people The #Kigali of Today is the African Parks Rapes

She adored Elizabeth until she refused to place her in the Ambassador position with Emma Watson. When she had the opportunity for REVENGE she took it out on all the women waiting to meet her at the Fiji Market which included the UN Women and the Royal Tour Staff.

The Malta Ancestry Lie: "oh I do sort of blend in, and it's the loveliest feeling." Unfortunately for the Maltese tourist authority, Meghan's published article made NO MENTION MALTA!!!

"Meghan identifies 1st and foremost as the business woman. Money is Meghan's priority." P77

Numerous Bridges Burned. She has markled herself.

WTO | 2021 News items - History is made: Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala chosen as Director-General

She'sa globalist WEFer: "The General Council decision follows months of uncertainty which arose when the United States initially refused to join the consensus around Dr Okonjo-Iweala and threw its support behind Trade Minister Yoo Myung-hee of the Republic of Korea. But following Ms Yoo's decision on 5 February to withdraw her candidacy, the administration of newly elected US President Joseph R. Biden Jr. dropped the US objection and announced instead that Washington extends its “strong support” to the candidacy of Dr Okonjo-Iweala."

History is made: Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala chosen as Director-General

WTO members made history today (15 February) when the General Council agreed by consensus to select Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala of Nigeria as the organization’s seventh Director-General.

When she takes office on 1 March, Dr Okonjo-Iweala will become the first woman and the first African to be chosen as Director-General. Her term, renewable, will expire on 31 August 2025.

“This is a very significant moment for the WTO. On behalf of the General Council, I extend our warmest congratulations to Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala on her appointment as the WTO's next Director-General and formally welcome her to this General Council meeting,” said General Council Chair David Walker of New Zealand who, together with co-facilitators Amb. Dacio Castillo (Honduras) and Amb. Harald Aspelund (Iceland) led the nine-month DG selection process.

“Dr Ngozi, on behalf of all members I wish to sincerely thank you for your graciousness in these exceptional months, and for your patience. We look forward to collaborating closely with you, Dr Ngozi, and I am certain that all members will work with you constructively during your tenure as Director-General to shape the future of this organization,” he added.

Dr Okonjo-Iweala said a key priority for her would be to work with members to quickly address the economic and health consequences brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I am honoured to have been selected by WTO members as WTO Director-General,” said Dr Okonjo-Iweala. “A strong WTO is vital if we are to recover fully and rapidly from the devastation wrought by the COVID-19 pandemic. I look forward to working with members to shape and implement the policy responses we need to get the global economy going again. Our organization faces a great many challenges but working together we can collectively make the WTO stronger, more agile and better adapted to the realities of today.” Her full statement is available here.

The General Council decision follows months of uncertainty which arose when the United States initially refused to join the consensus around Dr Okonjo-Iweala and threw its support behind Trade Minister Yoo Myung-hee of the Republic of Korea. But following Ms Yoo's decision on 5 February to withdraw her candidacy, the administration of newly elected US President Joseph R. Biden Jr. dropped the US objection and announced instead that Washington extends its “strong support” to the candidacy of Dr Okonjo-Iweala.

Amb. Walker extended his thanks to all eight of the candidates who participated in the selection process and particularly to Ms Yoo “for her ongoing commitment to and support for the multilateral trading system and for the WTO”. His full statement is available here.

The General Council agreed on 31 July that there would be three stages of consultations held over a two-month period commencing 7 September. During these confidential consultations, the field of candidates was narrowed from eight to five and then two. On 28 October, General Council Chair David Walker of New Zealand had informed members that based on consultations with all delegations Dr Okonjo-Iweala was best poised to attain consensus of the 164 WTO members and that she had the deepest and the broadest support among the membership. At that meeting, the United States was the only WTO member which said it could not join the consensus.

The consultation process undertaken by the chair and facilitators was established through guidelines agreed by all WTO members in a 2002 General Council decision. These guidelines spelled out the key criteria in determining the candidate best positioned to gain consensus is the “breadth of support” each candidate receives from the members. During the DG selection processes of 2005 and 2013, breadth of support was defined as “the distribution of preferences across geographic regions and among the categories of members generally recognized in WTO provisions: that is (Least developed countries), developing countries and developed countries”. This same process, agreed by all members in the General Council in 2020, was strictly followed by Chair Walker and his colleagues throughout the 2020-21 DG selection process.

The process for selecting a new Director-General was triggered on 14 May when former Director-General Mr Roberto Azevêdo informed WTO members he would be stepping down from his post one year before the expiry of his mandate. He subsequently left office on 31 August.

¹Winnie Byanyima UN Under-Secretary Gen & ED of UNAIDS since 2019: "Byanyima was appointed as the executive director of UNAIDS in August 2019, by the United Nations Secretary-General, António Guterres, following a comprehensive selection process that involved a search committee constituted by members of the UNAIDS Programme Coordinating Board. In her new position she concurrently serves as a United Nations Under-Secretary-General. In addition to her role at UNAIDS, Byanyima also serves a two-year term as a member of the World Bank Group’s (WBG) Advisory Council on Gender and Development. Since 2022, she has been a member of the Commission for Universal Health convened by Chatham House and co-chaired by Helen Clark and Jakaya Kikwete."

[broodparasitism]

Everything I've Learned About Querying from Talking to Agents (And Traditionally Published Authors)

Disclaimer: I'm UK based, as was everyone I spoke to. I didn't include any country specific advice, just what I think is applicable regardless of where you live, put it might be useful to know this is from a UK lens.

As part of my course I was able to go to a lot of talks with literary agents (a mixture of literary, genre and nonfiction) and I picked up a lot of useful information - a lot of it not quite so bleak as I feared! - and thought it might be helpful to compile it for anyone looking to query agents in the future, so, here goes, under the readmore:

Querying

Remember that agents want to find and publish new authors. They're not at odds with/out to get aspiring authors. They want to work with us. This is someone you're working with, so don't pick an agent you won't get along with.

Manuscripts should be queried when they are as close to finished you are able to manage. There are a few agents that are open to incomplete manuscripts, yes, but many more that flat-out refuse unfinished work. Manuscripts generally go through about ~15 rounds of edits before landing an agent.

Send query letters in batches - around five or six at a time. There is no limit to how many agents you can contact, but you can't contact more than one agent from the same agency, so make sure you've selected the most suitable one from each.

In most cases you can't submit the same manuscript to the same agent twice - so having it be as finished as possible is all the more vital.

Some of them will take a long time to respond. Some never respond at all. If it's been three months of nothing, it's safe to assume that's a rejection.

One agent said she took on about two new authors a year, which likely isn't true for them all but is probably a reasonable average. For all of them, the amount of queries they get can be in the three digits a week. I can't emphasis enough just how many they get. I take a lot of authors to mean that means it's a 0.001% chance and despair, but that assumes each manuscript has an equal chance, and they don't. Correct spelling and grammar, writing in a genre that appeals to the agent, quality sample chapters and respecting the submission guidelines (more on this later) improve the odds by a significiant amount.

One agent said he rejected about half of his submissions from the first page due to spelling and grammar mistakes and cliches, for perspective.

You'll need to pitch your book. If your book cannot be pitched in three sentences, that's a sign it has too much going on and you'll need to do some pruning.

Please don't panic if you cannot come up with an accurate pitch for your book on the fly - you're not supposed to be able to do that. A pitch takes many edits and drafts just like a manuscript.

Send your first three chapters and a synopsis (this should be a page, or two pages double spaced. It should not include every single plot point though, again, if major things end up not there at all, question if they're necessary for the manuscript).

Three chapters is the standard - as in, if the agent web page doesn't specify how many, that's what to opt for. If they say anything else, for the love of God listen. If there was a single piece of advice that the agents emphasised above all else, it was to just follow each submission requirement to a T.

There needs to be a strong hook in these chapters. If your manuscript is a bit of a slow burn, that's fine, but you can cheat a bit with a 'prologue' that's actually a very hook-y scene from later on.

Read the agent's bio page throughly and make a note of what they like, who they represent, and what they're looking for, and highlight this in the query letter.

Your query letter has to say a little about you. It doesn't have to be really personal information (but say if you're under 40, because that's rare for authors and they like that), and keep it professional but not stiff, they say. If you have any writing credentials, such as awards won or creative writing degrees, include them, as with any real life experiences that pertains to the content of your book. But no one will be rejected on the basis of not having had an interesting enough life.

Apparently one of the biggest mistakes for debut authors tend to be too many filler scenes.

In terms of looking for comparative titles, think about where you want your book to 'sit'. Often literally - go into bookstores and visualise where on the displays you could see it. It's really helpful if you can identify a specific marketing niche. Though you want to choose comparisons that sell well, but going for really obvious choices looks lazy. A TV or film comparison is fine - as long as it genuinely can be compared.

Do not call yourself the next Donna Tartt. Or JK Rowling. They are sick of this.

Don't trust agents who request exclusive submission.

Or any with a fee. Agents take a percentage of your advance/royalties - you never pay them directly.

In terms of trends (crowd booing), there's been a boom in uplifting, optimistic fiction, but more recently dark fiction has been rising in popularity and looks to have its moment. Fantasy and Gothic are both huge right now. Publishers also love what's called upmarket/book club fiction - books that toe the line between genre and literary.

But publishers aren't clairvoyant and writing to trends is a futile effort, so don't let them shape what you want to write. Some writing advice I got that I loved was to not even THINK about marketability until draft three or four.

If any agent requests your full manuscript - this is crucial - email every other agent you're waiting to hear back from and let them know. This will take your manuscript from the slush pile to the top, and you are more likely to get more offers of representation.

The agent that flatters you the most isn't necessarily the best. Be sure to ask them what their plan for the book is, and what publishers they're planning to send it to - you want them to have a precise vision. It might be that their vision misses the mark on what kind of book you wanted to write, and if so, they aren't the right agent for you.

Research like hell! A good place to start is finding out who represents authors you love (the acknowledgements pages are really helpful here). if you can, getting access to The Writer's and Artist's Yearbook is very helpful, as is The Bookseller, the lattr for checking up on specific agents. (I was warned the website search engine is awful, so google "[name] the Bookseller" to see what they've sold. That said, only the huge deals get reported, so it's not indicative of everyone they take on.

I also want to add Juliet Mushen's article on what makes a good query. I owe a lot to it, and I feel like it's a useful template!

Once Agented

Agents send a manuscript to about 18-25 publishers, typically. Most books will end up having more than one publisher interested.

It can be hard to move genres after publishing a debut novel, especially for book two, not only because it means it takes longer for you to establish yourself, but the agent that may be perfect for dealing with manuscripts for book one might not have the skills for book two.

Ask the agency/publisher about their translation rights, their rights to the US market, and film and TV rights. Ask also what time of year the book is going to come out, if being published.

It's less the book agents are interested in than it is you as an author. You will be asked what you're going to write next, so have an answer. Just an answer - you don't need another manuscript ready to go. One author said she flat-out made up a book idea on the spot, and she got away with it - just have an answer. (This is also useful to put on the query letter.)

Caveat that this is, of course, not a foolproof guide to getting a book deal, nor is it in any way unconditional endorsement of how the industry works - I just thought it would be useful to know.

[annabtg]

Fic Year in Review 2024

Tagged by the wonderful @blitheringmcgonagall, thank you! ❤️❤️

I published much less fic this year than the previous ones - only 19,213 words, or 15 short oneshots. All new stuff, except about half of The Three-Minute Initiative which had been started in Jilytober 2023 (and still needed some rewriting).

There are two other major projects that I worked on during the year - my multichapter AU Revanche, currently at ~17k, and my long oneshot semi-crackfic Oh My God, She's Insane, currently at ~4k - so I have more than double of what I published, to be released hopefully in 2025!

It's been a year with ups and downs in my writing mood - mostly downs, it felt, but then I've also written some of my favourite works ever this year! I also branched out a bit, in style and content, which I think did me good. I got several Jily Awards - more than I ever dared to expect - and most importantly, I got a lot of love throughout the year from all of you! My stats might not have been significantly high for most of my fics, but your comments and support have been invaluable ❤️❤️❤️

Breakdown of my fics under the cut!

In chronological order:

Fixed Luck (1.3k, rated T): Canon compliant, Order era. Jily deal with addiction to Felix Felicis. Angsty af, no happy ending. One of my favourites of the year. Favourite Angst award.

The Three-Minute Initiative (2k, rated T): Written as a late entry for Jilytober 2023. Muggle AU, Lily goes to a speed dating event and gets to meet with all of the Marauders in turn. Flirty and fun.

Drunk With Power (746 words, rated G): James the insufferable Head Boy. Written as a fun way to celebrate my appointment as a @jilymicrofics Discord mod. Also flirty and fun and a favourite of mine.

The Roe Deer And The Knight (2.1k, rated G): Fairy tale style Jily for March 2024 @jilychallenge. I LOVED writing in this style and reworking Jily's story to fit the standard fairy tale tropes and format. Another favourite.

Iacta Alea Est (744 words, rated G): Julius Caesar AU in honour of the Ides of March. It fit surprisingly well! Slight crack and angst.

The Big Little Moments (2.5k, rated M): Jily's wedding afternoon - their first day in their new home. Super fluffy with light smut. A delight to write and a top-tier favourite. Favourite Fluff award.

Attention (300 words, rated G): SWM from James's POV, written for James's birthday.

so much blood. (268 words, rated T): The Sectumsempra scene from HBP, from Draco's POV. Written as an exercise in second person POV. It was unexpectedly fascinating to write!

Anemoia (748 words, rated G): Missing moment from the beginning of HBP. A hint of Hinny as Harry goes through the photo album with his parents' pictures.

Crush (712 words, rated G): Written for the Mystery May Microfic 2024 event. Canon compliant, Hogwarts era. Mary Macdonald wants to find out who is the mystery person her best friend Lily has a crush on. Fluffy and fun.

Verses Written In '74 (3.1k, rated E): Sirius/Lily, Sirius POV. Lily spends a night with Sirius - her ex-boyfriend, best friend and best man to her wedding, who will always be in love with her. Angsty, smutty, super atmospheric. A favourite in the most self-indulgent way.

The Lady Of Kini (963 words, rated G): Inspired by my holiday in Syros and the statue of the Mermaid Madonna - an AU where Lily is the mermaid patroness of the coast, and James is the sailor she's supposed to save from drowning. Poetic and atmospheric, a piece I've also shared with many of my offline friends. I love it.

crawl home (877 words, rated G): Written for the @jilytoberfest 2024 Masquerade event and based on Hozier's Work Song. James dies to protect Lily and Harry, and his death saves them - but no grave can hold his body down. Angst with a happy ending, very atmospheric in an eerie, creepy sort of way. Another top-tier favourite. Favourite Canon Divergent Short, Favourite Angst and Favourite Microfic awards.

The Professional (941 words, rated T): Written for Jilytoberfest 2024, prompt: “Maybe we can find out what the hell your problem is over dinner sometime”. I always thought a corporate Jily AU enemies to lovers would be the ideal setting for this quote!

All right, Potter? (1.8k, rated G): A very belated entry for Jilyweek 2024, prompt: Flip the Script. SWM but Lily is the bully and James is the prefect. It was a fun challenge to play with the inverted dynamics and still make it all fit the characters as we know them - it took some effort but I think it worked in the end!

My plans for 2025:

Finish Oh My God, She's Insane, and either also finish Revanche or make enough progress on it to start posting.

I have signed up for the @greenhouse-seven Be My Valentine Exchange and the Jilymicrofics Annual Fic Exchange and I'm eager to receive my assignments for them! So at least two fics to be expected in February.

I have also signed up for the January Jilychallenge, theme: Destiny. No pressure!

I have about 1.5k written on my November 2024 Jilychallenge fic (tentative title: Couples Therapy) but I've hit a block on it. Hopefully I'll finish it sometime during the year.

I definitely have plans to participate in this year's Mystery Microfic May as well!

Whatever else strikes my fancy! Whether an old WIP or a new idea.

Tagging @arliedraws, @neverenoughmarauders, @ksarasara, @harryissuchalittleshit!

[bellewintersroe]

Max Verstappen X Celeb Ex!Reader -Angst.

Reader and Max broke up only 3 weeks ago so feelings are still extremely fresh. Now she’s at Silverstone as a celebrity reporter, pinned with the task of interviewing her ex-boyfriend. With the whole world watching, the pressure on each of their shoulders is immense. Part 2?

I felt the blood drain from my face when the name I was sworn I wouldn’t even have to think about today was mentioned. “What?” I breathlessly spoke, dropping my papers onto the table below. I felt an anxiety like no other rush through me, a sickness that caused my head to spin.

“We just need you to do a quick 5 minutes with Max.”

“You- you told me I definitely wouldn’t be interviewing him?” I held my hand against my forehead. “I know, but this has been arranged for the past few weeks, ah, before the um- parting was announced.” Paul, the Sky CEO and my current manager explained, trying to dodge around the work ‘break up’ as much as humanly possible. “Oh god.” I tensed my jaw, staring down to the ground whilst I gathered my thoughts- my twisted, scrambled thoughts. Max and I had one conversation since we broke up, and that was to publish the breakup announcement, even then the conversation lasted no longer than 3 messages each. Talk about awkward. Now, I’d been hired to do a bunch of celebrity and driver interviews at the Silverstone Grand Prix, what I did two years ago when I met Max originally.

“I’m sorry, but he’s pole, it’s how it always works.” He sighed. “No, I get it.” As badly as I didn’t want to do this, I knew I had to be professional or Sky wouldn’t hesitate to replace me. I was starting to question if that was actually such a bad idea? “Just… can I at least have some alcohol beforehand?”

“I can give you all the alcohol you want once the interview is over.” The time came where I had been walking up and down the grid, purposefully skipping the area designated Red Bull despite me being friends with half the people there. Max, I knew he was around, and I couldn’t bare to bring myself to go over there despite talking to the grand majority of other drivers. “Okayyyy, y/n, and now we have to go to Red Bull, we need to speak to Max, we’re running out of time.” Lizzie, the coordinator for the day had to push me more than usual. I’d spent a little too long speaking to other drivers that I’d known for years. Lizzie rarely had to interrupt, but on this occasion she’d cut my interview with Oscar short, and rushed me away from Lando before he could give me a hug and make me cry by asking how I was doing.

“Okay.” My palms were sweating as I attempted to wipe them on my black, short dress. The dress fit 3 weeks ago, but recently I’d been having to tie the bow around my chest tighter and tighter. The flared arms were somehow even baggier, and although I felt good, I knew there would be a lot of twitter comments at the end of the day pointing out my weight loss.

I was purposefully walking slow, eyes darting from person to person. Could I at least bump into Daniel or one of my friends before? Christian Horner, force him to talk about Red Bull’s strategy for an hour, Checo- ANYBODY, just not- “Max Verstappen, there he is!”

Fuck. My stomach churned when I saw my ex boyfriend making his way over. It felt like something stabbed me in the chest as I had to force myself to breath again. He was so familiar yet so uncomfortably different, like I’d seen him just minutes prior, yet it was nearing a month. His eyes landed on mine and I could see the immediate way his breath got caught in his chest.

I felt stiff as I held the microphone up, seeing all three cameras steadily pointed at us, indicating this interview had already begun. I didn’t even have time to compose myself. “Hello!” Max perked, moving forwards to give me a quick hug. Again, his touch felt so familiar but so coldly distant. His palm was flat on my back for about a second as I barely touched him with the microphone in my hand. How was I once so excited and giggly to see a man that now sent a wave of anxiety rushing through me.

“Hi Max! Thank you for speaking to us.” I awkwardly made the most forced smile, I couldn’t look at him, I was looking anywhere but his eyes. For the first time all day I’d followed the script word for word. “Congratulations on P1, how are you feeling for the race today?!” As I held the microphone out towards him I could see the way it trembled with my hands. It was embarrassing, I hoped he’d just take the thing out of my hand.

“Uh, same as always.” Nervous, excited? He didn’t get to do our pre race handshake- I wondered if he thought about that?

“Looking forwards to it, as long as it all goes as smooth as it did yesterday, I’m quite confident with our team strategy today.” He nodded before quickly speaking again. “How are you?” He cocked his head to the side, for the first time I made real eye contact with him now. Horrible, I regret our decision, no distance is too far, I haven’t eaten properly in 3 weeks- I miss you. “I’m okay!” My voice cracked, it couldn’t have sounded any less convincing. “Excited to be here, such a nice day as well, I think everybody’s glad the rains stopped.” I forced another laugh back to the camera men who nodded their cameras in unison. “Hopefully the conditions stay good like this all day for you.” I offered him a quick nod as I saw him swallow harshly, his eyes focused on me.

“We can make this work… I want this to work.” His words I remembered remained heavy on my chest, stinging my heart as I looked back to him now. That familiar sensation of guilt trailed through me as I then remembered his offer to come live with him in Monaco, how I’d been so absolutely foolish to decline. “Yeah, I hope so, but you know I don’t mind racing in the rain. It always rains at home.” The semi personalised answer had my chest fluttering as a more genuine smile grew on my face. “Until you all skid off the track.”

“Luckily I don’t plan on doing that.” A small breath of laughter escaped my mouth. “Hopefully not.” My eyes fell to the ground when I realised where I actually was. For a moment I’d got a little caught up before quickly returning back to the questions.

“Well I think you’re being called over now Max, but thank you for speaking to us, good luck for the race today.” I offered him another smile as he reached out, rubbing my back a little with a quick, “thank you, y/n/n.” Before hurrying off to where he was being called to. Just like that he’d vanished and suddenly not interviewing him anymore felt 10x worse than the anxiety beforehand.

“Brilliant, a little awkward at the end there, y/n/n but as always thank you for doing that with us. Now time to relax.” Lizzie attempted to choke but all I could do was bite down on my lip. I felt like I was going to be sick, “uh- I just need a second.” I think she could tell by the look on my face something was wrong. I’d darted through the grid, past endless celebrities and familiar faces to lock myself in the bathroom and burst into tears. Holy fuck, it was uncontrollable. I felt an overwhelming sense of regret over Max and I breaking up. How oddly normal it eventually felt with him there, yet how sickening it was knowing he was no longer mine. It was by far the worst heartache I’d ever been through, and being exposed to him a mere 3 weeks after breaking up felt all wrong. When I’d emerged, the race had already started. I’d walked out pathetically wiping my eyes, a couple women asking if I was okay, stunned that y/n y/l/n, famous actress had just been sobbing her heart out in the grid toilets. I was not having a good time, and if it wasn’t for a bunch of my close friends being there I would’ve left.

Plus, there was one upside to being here as a guest… the free alcohol.

[marsontherocks]

And They Were Roommates Chapter 1

Simon "Ghost" Riley x Trans!Hispanic! Male Reader

Summary (ao3 link): Johnny discovers Simon has a roommate and does his best to wingman his friend. It goes as well as a trainwreck.

or

Simon is pining so badly after his roommate it's embarrassing, also drama and action.

A/N: …It has been sooooooo long since I have published any fanfic of mine. Personally, I'm a Price person(Update from future me: RUDY NOW I LOVE HIM SO MUCH I *EXPLODES*), he's so fucking hot holy shit. Anyways, I've had this fanfic idea in my head and I really like it so I'm writing it! >:3

| Next Part

Johnny looked at the address on the phone and then at the building he was standing in front of. Yup, the correct address.

The building seemed like a studio. There were all types of art in the window, preventing anyone from actually seeing inside. The door of the studio was frosted, but a sign on the door had a name, followed by the words ‘professional painter’. Johnny sighed, if this was the wrong place, he hopes the person inside will know where to direct him.

As he stepped closer to the door John heard music inside. He pushed the door open, the music practically blasting him with how loud the music was. Johnny walked inside, the studio was mostly empty, save for the canvases and art supplies littering the floor. Across the room, there was a scissor lift about halfway between the roof and the floor. You were standing on the platform, painting a half-finished canvas. 

As the music faded to the next song, Soap cleared his throat, gaining your attention. You jumped and frantically looked around the platform before picking up a remote and turning the music off. You turned around and gave Johnny a charming smile.

“Hi! Can I help you?” Your American accent caught the Scotsman off guard.

“I’m looking for Simon?” Johnny said hesitantly, the Lieutenant's name rolling off his tongue awkwardly.

Your face somehow lit up more at the mention of the Brit’s name. “Oh! Yeah, give me just a second!”

You walked over to the side of the scissor lift and began lowering yourself with the panel at the side of the platform. Once you were low enough you got off, and Johnny saw how covered in paint you were, practically head to toe.

"I'll take you upstairs so you can bother him. I think he was getting ready to do some errands last time I saw him." You head to stairs that Johnny hadn't seen earlier.

The two of you headed up the stairs, continuing your conversation along the way. "I assume you're Soap or Johnny?" You ask.

"Just Soap is fine."

"Simon never shuts up about y'all, so it's nice to meet at least one of you."

"Didn't know LT was a talker."

"Really? He loves talking, then again I probably talk his ear off more than he talks mine off." You say with a chuckle.

Soap notices the affection in your voice and he can't help but ask. "So are you two…"

"Oh god no, we're just roommates." You reply, cheeks flushing.

"Sorry, just wondered."

"You dragging him to the bar early?"

"Nah, just came to bug him." Soap huffs a laugh, and you look back at him with a grin.

You make it to the top of the stairs and Johnny feels something rub against his leg. He looks down and there is an orange cat rubbing and purring against him.

"Sorry about Willy, he's a people person… Wait, are you the one who is afraid of dogs?" You pause.

Soap feels his heartbeat spike. "Yeah."

"Let me put up Riley real quick," You say as you briskly walk into the maisonette.

"Riley, come here boy!" Johnny hears you call out, then a chain clinking and nails hitting the hardwood floor. He hears a door open and close, then you reappear around the corner.

"All right, you can come in now." You smile at Soap.

Johnny follows you into the living room, Willy trailing behind him. There is a loveseat and a one-person chair facing the TV, a small table in the middle, there are a few gaming consoles, quite the collection of video games, and art supplies strewn all over the floor, Johnny even spots Simon’s military boots by the door. The whole scene is weirdly… intimate.

“Sorry about the clutter,” You sigh, picking up some open sketchbooks on the floor. Johnny catches a glance at a sketch of Simon sleeping.

“All good, my flat is worse.” Which is true, it’s an organized mess. You give Soap a toothy grin, before turning away.

“Simon!” You yell out, startling Soap a bit.

“What!” Johnny immediately recognizes the voice as his Lieutenant. 

“Your friend Soap is here!” You say in a sing-songy voice.

There is silence, as you set your art supplies on one of the couches. One of the doors in the living room opens and Johnny is reminded how he's still not used to seeing the Lieutenant without his mask. Simon looks rather cozy. He's wearing a hoodie and gray sweatpants and looks rather exhausted, or like he just woke up from a nap.

"You're here early," Simon says, mild annoyance in his voice.

"Figured we could hang out a bit, LT," Johnny says with a cheeky grin.

"Why would I want to do that, Johnny?"

"Be nice, Simon." You jokingly scold as you start going back downstairs.

"No."

If you had a response, Johnny didn’t hear it. He feels Willy rubbing up against his leg again, so he squats down and starts petting the affectionate cat. “So what are we going to do today, LT?”

Simon gives an annoyed huff. “You seriously plan on spending the day together?”

Johnny gives Simon a pouty face. “Aw c’mon LT, it’ll be fun!”

Music starts again downstairs, much quieter than before. Simon stretches his neck, popping it with a sigh. “I have errands to run, Johnny.”

Johnny stands back up, cradling Willy in his arms. “I don’t mind.”

Simon gives him a bored look before running a hand down his face. “Go wait for me outside then. I have to let the dog out before I leave.”

The Scotsman beams, letting Willy jump out of his arms as he turns to the stairs. “See ya outside then LT!”

-Next Part-

[dizzymisslizzie]

Casual Friday

Henry’s luggage is somewhere over the pacific going in the complete wrong direction.

He fantasizes that this would never happen to someone with a private jet.

The heat of LA is overwhelming in his trousers and sweater. His carry-on is a Burberry weekender that has his meds, toiletries and a few books. He’s going to have a buy a whole weeks worth of clothes.

He’s being picked up from airport by his new publisher. He’s on the curb and realizes that he didn’t pass the typical dark suited person holding a sign with his name. He’s looking around and opens his rapidly dying phone to call his contact, Zahra. Before he can type out the message, a red open jeep screeches to a halt in front him. After the dust settles, Henry sees brown curls, a sharp jaw cresting into a chin dimple, a perfect nose holding up aviator sunglasses that reflect Henry’s hapless expression. The curls are cut short but he’s imagining them longer and draped over his shoulder as… wait - is the most attractive man he’s ever seen walking towards him?

“Fox?” The southern drawl that comes out is honey smooth and adorable. He nods and this seems to amuse the gorgeous human who smirks and takes off his aviators. When he pulls the sunglasses off his face Henry notices his sinfully long fingers that he wants to suck into his mouth.

“Is that all you brought?” Adonis asks Henry who still hasn’t said a word. He shakes his head, “The airline lost my luggage.”

“So you need to go shopping?” Eros asks Henry who barely trusts himself to speak so he just nods. The brown eyes of Adonis sparkle and Henry isn’t sure why.

“Well then, Sweetheart. I’ve got just the place. Hop in. Oh! I’m Alex!” Henry’s fucked. “Hi, I’m Henry.”

“Oh I know, let’s get a move on.” Alex winks and takes Henry’s bag from his shoulder and stores it in the jeep.

A short drive full of getting to know you things later…

“Here we are!” Alex pulls in a gravel parking area with an old wooden A-frame store front with gold letters reading Vintage.

“I was expecting…” Henry starts.

“Rodeo drive, your majesty?” Alex smiles wide.

“Not exactly… but maybe one of those malls you’re all so proud of.” Henry looks over the well kept building.

“C’mon, give it a shot.” Alex claps him on the shoulder and walks him into the shop.

A bells rings when they enter, Alex leads Henry to a section of the store.

“Ok, there’s chinos and button ups but there’s some great denim for your readings and these amazing vintage t-shirts.” Alex is pointing in various directions and Henry cannot keep up.

“Sorry, too much?” Alex asks, wincing a little.

“No, I’m not a great shopper. I tend to get anxious.” Henry’s admits as he looks around at the decor on the walls. It’s got rich colors and accents that could border on over stuffed but isn’t.

“Can I pull a few things for you?” Alex asks.

“Yes… I think that’s would be helpful.” Henry is nervous that he’ll just buy whatever Alex picks out for him.

“Stellar!” Alex is off to the races, “oh! Sizes?” Henry tells him and turns to a rack of khakis. He finds a few trousers in his size, a few button up shirts that are neutral colors. He takes his finds to the dressing room where Alex has set up a dressing room full of selections.

“Jesus, we have got to work on your wardrobe.”

“My look is… classic.” Henry’s sticks out his chin.

“Absolutely! But also boring as fuck.” Alex gives him a cheeky smile.

“What’s your plan then?” Henry looks around his selections.

“Picture it! Color… on… your clothes!” Alex does silly magician flourishes and Henry honest to god giggles.

“I am in LA for professional reasons.” Henry’s reminds him.

“And I pulled several business casual options but! You could dress more your age, relate more to your audience, maybe even… gasp… show some personality.” Alex teases.

“Why would my readers care about my personality?” Henry’s quirks and eyebrow.

“They are obsessed enough to come to a reading, they are interested in you. Authenticity, well… it’s something that not everyone can give but I see you can. I think showing more of yourself will resonate with your readers. They might even feel seen.” The sincerity on Alex’s face when he says to Henry makes his inside molten with feelings.

“That’s… exactly how I wanted people to feel with my first book. I… Pez, he’s the only one who sees me.” Henry shares.

“He’s a very lucky human.” Alex says low and a little… Henry can’t place it.

“He is, we became best mates at Eton and it was like he saw straight through the uniform and confident facade and saw me. It meant everything to me and I wouldn’t be who I am today without him.” Henry smiles nostalgically.

“I’m so glad you’ve got him in your corner.” Alex says and Henry can’t believe he’s real.

“Alright, Foxy, let’s try so stuff on!” Alex turns and Henry would swear he wipes his eyes before picking up a few hangers. “Here ya go! Shopping montage!” Alex sits in an overstuffed purple chair and Henry closes the curtain.

Henry tries the trousers first and two of them fit fine, third are too long.

“Hurry up! I wanna see something! Also, I’m almost done with the pick up order for essentials. Any special requests?”

“See something? I’m trying on trousers, I don’t think I need assistance in deciding if they fit or not, Mum!” Henry’s being cheeky.

“I’ll be the judge of that!” Alex calls back. Henry smiles and rolls his eyes. Henry puts on the bright blue button up and navy trousers and opens the curtain.

Alex looks up from his phone and his smile makes Henry’s brain fuzzy.

Tagging @miss-minnelli

[dr-spencer-reids-queen]

Amplification: Part Two

Pairing: Spencer Reid x Female!Reader

Word Count: ~1.9k

Summary: A deadly spread of Anthrax is going around infecting and killing people. One of your own is affected that completely tears your world into two. How will you over come this?

Warnings: canon violence, canon language, canon talk of death, methods of kill

Author’s Note: I do not own anything from Criminal Minds. All credit goes to their respective owners. If there are any warnings that exceed the normal death/kills from the show, I will list them. If you’ve seen the show, then it’s the same level of angst unless otherwise stated

x

The bookstore has been closed ever since Albert died, and Gayle's purchase happened right before it closed down. It would explain why only three people were hit, and when General Whitworth sent his men in for testing, they came back positive for Anthrax.

Albert's bookstore was the unsub's test run. He's gotta have a history with the place, so Penelope needs to come up with a list of present and past employees of the place, customers with grievances against the owner, and if any of them had a science background.

An attack of Anthrax isn't meant to kill three people inside a bookstore, it wants to be out in the open where it can feed and multiply in the way that it wants to. Just a small amount can wipe everyone out, and they'd never see it coming.

Another hour goes by and the six survivors of the attack are now down to four. This attack is killing people left and right and there is nothing you can do about it. The more they die off, the more family members demand answers for what's happening.

"It feels like the plague of Egypt," Linda says.

"Ten scourges created by God. Plague six was unhealable boils believed by biblical scholars to be caused by Anthrax."

"You never missed Sunday school, did you?"

"Actually, I've never been before. How is she doing?" Spencer asks about Abby.

"She's a fighter. She's held on this long because she's young and strong, but she's started to bleed into her lungs. We're running into another problem, though. When the next of kin have questions, what do we tell them about the cause of death?"

That is a question only Hotch and General Whitworth can answer. You can't tell anyone anything without punishment if it didn't come from Hotch. Instead of thinking things like that, you can try and think of the unsub and profile you have on him. It might help your team catch whoever is doing this.

Because the locations aren't symbolically significant, the attacks are personal. Understanding the significance of the locations will be the key to identifying the unsub.

This personal element strongly indicates a home-grown terrorist like the Amerithrax case. This is someone from the science or defense community. That's why the CIA is here. Hotch thinks they may know him. These home-grown terrorists are myopic zealots that believe that their work is of the greatest importance.

He may have preached about the threat of an attack on America. His coworkers would describe him as histrionic, paranoid, and secretive. He may have logged excess hours at work in the past weeks preparing for the attack. He even might have taken the full dosage of Anthrax vaccines over the recommended eighteen-month schedule and had yearly boosters.

This guy has his own workspace where he makes his product in privacy. He also has access to large, expensive, industrial-grade equipment at work. He's written about the threats of Anthrax attacks and published papers about it, yet he feels no one is listening, and that angers him. Now, he may have recently experienced some sort of professional humiliation like being demoted or fired. Now, that would have been his trigger, the moment he decided to go rogue.

He may have betrayed his loved ones to his cause and may be recently separated or divorced. This is somebody who knows every detail of the 2001 Anthrax attack and has talked about what that suspect did right or wrong. He's watching the news very closely to see how the country reacts, and it's not a good one.

The CIA dug deep into their records and found a video of a classified hearing with the Subcommittee on Defense and Homeland Security in January of 2002. Dr. Lawrence Nichols used to work at the institution and left in 2002. The video is sent to your team at the hospital, Derek's team in Maryland, and the main office with everyone else. You and Spencer go into an empty hospital room to watch the video. Dr. Nichols went to the Senator to ask for money for a project he wanted to do with dangerous chemicals. He went to talk to the Senator about the attack in 2001 and why he should have funding for his project.

"Five people died. If you ask me, we're lucky it was just five. We're lucky that whoever sent these letters used cheap porous envelopes and not a crop duster. America's enemies are capable of wiping out entire cities, and we are woefully unprepared."

"I'm looking at your proposal--"

"Yes, sir," Dr. Nichols cuts the Senator off. "Every household needs gas masks and a two-month supply of Cipro for each resident. Every major city needs hospitals with bio-safety decontamination capabilities."

"Regarding the budget you propose for this operation--"

"Anything short of fifty billion would be grossly negligent."

"Dr. Nichols, you've got to realize how unrealistic that is. We can't justify spending that kind of money on an attack that may not happen."

"You people are in denial!" Dr. Nichols exclaims.

"Doing this would incite fear and panic among the public."

"This country should be panicked! We should live in utter fear of being attacked! We live in a time of war and WMD proliferation. If you continue to be blind to our lack of preparedness, then Americans will die, and I will have no problem in pointing the blame at you!"

The committee didn't fund his project and rejected him because he was becoming unstable and fanatical, which is why they removed him from Fort Detrick and blacklisted him from other prominent positions. Even though he believes in preparedness, he felt like people weren't listening. He might have done this to prove a point.

He fits the profile of the unsub to a T. He had access to research on Anthrax, had the resources available to do something like this, lost a highly respected job, and got divorced in the process. The job he has now is through a company called Bio-Design Technology that doesn't deal with Anthrax but with the Flu. If he got demoted from working with such deadly diseases to working with the flu, he might be angry enough to use Anthrax as a weapon.

Either way, you need to bring him in.

Derek pulled you and Spencer from the hospital to go to his house while Emily and Rossi went to his work to see if he was there. Along with you, Spencer, and Derek, a hazmat team joined you so they can clear the inside of his house. You have to wait outside until they're done with their investigation.

"It's clear so far," one of the members says when he hears from one of his men inside.

"Alright, keep me posted." Derek turns to you and Spencer. "This guy just had people over for a charity event last month."

"We should probably take a look around anyway."

You three walk to the backside of the property when Spencer hisses in pain. You look over to see rose bushes with thorns sticking out of the stems. He must have cut himself on the thorns but isn't too concerned about it. For someone who messes with Anthrax, his backyard isn't too sketchy. There is a pool with a beautiful gazebo area and lots of blooming flowers. Derek's phone rings and he answers whoever it is.

"Yeah, Princess, what's up? ... Uh-huh. Yeah, we're here now. ... Sorry. what? The lab is clean? ... You're sure? ... All right." You watch Derek as he talks to Emily. You're not paying attention to Spencer who goes off on his own. He turns to you and Spencer to tell you what she said. "They got nothin'--Where's Reid?"

You look behind you to see Spencer run into the large shed in the backyard. You and Derek quickly follow after him, but he slams the glass door to keep you and Derek out of some kind of lab.

"Spencer!" you gasp.

"Morgan! Y/N! Get back!"

"What the hell are you doing? What's wrong?"

"Believe me, get back."

"Reid, open this door!"

"Spencer, open the damn door!" you yell and slam your hands on the glass.

"I'm sorry. You can't come in here."

"No, open the door," you whimper. The only reason he would be trapped inside there and refuses to let anyone inside is that this is the place where Dr. Nichols created his Anthrax poison. "Spencer, no, open the door."

"I'm sorry," he sighs.

"Come on," Derek says and puts his hands on your shoulders.

"No!" you gasp. "I can't leave him. I'm not leaving him. Call Hotch and get people out here now! I'm not going anywhere!"

Derek has no choice but to listen to you. He needs people out here now if Spencer has any hope of making it out of this alive. Derek leaves and gets Hotch on the phone, and you look at your boyfriend with tears in your eyes.

"Open this door, Spencer, or I'm gonna break it."

"Don't, Y/N. There is white powder in here, and the air is blasting."

You let out a heartbreaking sob and put your hands to your mouth to quiet them. Spencer's heart breaks at the sight of you crying for him. Hotch and the biohazard team arrive quicker than you thought they would, and Derek tells Hotch where you are.

"Y/N, get out of there."

"I can't leave him," you cry. "I'm not leaving him alone!"

"Please don't cry."

"Spencer, I've seen what this does to people. There has not been one survivor and you're infected now. If the cure is not in there, then you're gonna..." You can't even say it. "I can't lose you. I love you so much."

You place your hand flat on the glass and Spencer puts his hand over yours.

"You need to get out of here."

"I can't leave you!"

"I will be fine."

He doesn't believe what he's telling you because he doesn't know if he's going to make it out of here alive or not. He's lying to protect your feelings but he forgets that you can tell when someone is lying. Your chest feels heavy and your whole body is shaking from fear. Your legs can't hold you up any longer so you fall to the ground in a heap of tears. Someone from the biohazard team comes in and places their hand on your shoulder.

"Ma'am, you need to leave."

"Y/N, listen to them."

"Spencer," you gasp.

The man practically forces you out of the shed to where Hotch and Derek are. Derek catches you when your legs wobble.

"I need to be in there, please. I can't leave him alone. He's scared, Hotch," you cry.

"Y/N, you need to calm down."

"I can't," you hiccup. "I can't lose him."

Hotch needs you to calm down so he calls Spencer and places him on speakerphone so you can hear his voice.

"Hotch, I really messed up this time," Spencer sighs.

"Reid, we need to get you out and to the hospital."

"No, I'm staying right here."

The tears won't stop rolling down your cheeks.

"No, Spencer, please leave. You need medical attention," you cry. "Please!"

"Y/N, I'm already exposed. It's not gonna do me any good to stop working on the case."

"He's already infected," General Whitworth says. "If Nichols created the strain, he may have also created the cure."

"Look, Dr. Nichols is in here but he's dead. Someone must have bashed something in his head. My best chance is to stay here, see if there's a cure, and try to figure out who killed Dr. Nichols."

"Hotch, say something to him!"

"He's right. His best chance is inside. We're gonna get a suit and mask into you right away."

"Don't bother. it's not gonna do me any good. I'm already infected."

This thing killed the first three victims within hours.

The thought of losing Spencer is something you can't even fathom. The thought hurts too much, and your chest starts closing up.

x

Follow my library blog @aqueenslibrary​​​​​​​​​​​ where I reblog all my stories, so you can put notifications on there without the extra stuff :)

[salma32ummi]

This professional specialist is a trustworthy person who helped me in my link and he is loyal and care person he is the one who work on my link to my link get donation and I don't no those people who are donate to my campaign link since he is the one who publish my link thank God everyday I am getting donations on my link.🇵🇸🍉 Reblog it so many people can work with him and I swear you will also get your link successful like mine if you work with him but the problem is they are working in a team and you will pay them upfront before they can work and make your link successful, and always remember that success people do what unsuccessful people are not willing to do in other to successful in everything they upto هالمتخصص المحترف شخص موثوق ساعدني برابطي وهو إنسان وفي وبيهتم. هو الشخص اللي اشتغل على رابطي عشان يجيني تبرعات وما بعرف الناس اللي بيتبرعوا لحملة رابطي لأنه هو اللي بنشر الرابط. الحمد لله كل يوم بيجيني تبرعات على الرابط. 🇵🇸🍉 انشرها عشان ناس كتير تشتغل معه، وبحلف إنه كمان رابطك رح ينجح زي ما نجح معي إذا اشتغلت معه. بس المشكلة إنهم بيشتغلوا كفريق وبتدفع لهم مقدماً قبل ما يشتغلوا ويخلوا الرابط ناجح. ودائماً تذكر إنه الناجحين بيسووا أشياء اللي الفاشلين ما بيقدروا يسووها عشان ينجحوا بكل إشي بيعملوه.

[lost-act]

An Informal Analysis of Metamorphosis That I Need for School but I Can't Write Anything so I Decided to do The Old Fashion Way of Writing It By Using Tumblr and Now I Hope Turnitin Doesn't Detect My Paper Being Plagiarized or Else I Have to Archive This Post or Something...Also Using ザムザ by Teniwoha as a Basis for Deeper Understanding and Analysis of the Story

Ok so we all know Franz Kafka's Metamorphosis, right? It's a pretty surreal story of Gregor Samsa turning into an insect (no, not a roach. You're being overrated at this point). What kind of insect? Varies from telling to telling and I'd rather imagine him being a beetle of sorts rather than a roach because dear god I am traumatized of roaches.

Well, in fairness the entire ordeal of "Samsa turned into a bug" is just surface level knowledge of WHAT Metamorphosis is. The bigger picture is beyond "turning into a bug" but rather the "isolation and alienation" from the "turning into a bug". Why did Gregor turn into a bug? Beats me. That's why I'm writing this, and why you're reading this.

Basic rundown is that, obviously, Gregor turned into a bug, his entire family tried to cope with it until his father started throwing apples at him, everyone started to ignore him, Insect!Gregor dies to starvation, and everyone has started to plan on moving on.

Easy right?

WELL THAT'S WHERE WE'RE WRONG!

You see, despite the glaring lack of sources because this is just my rambles for a more professional paper, we can dig a bit deeper to this analysis of what Metamorphosis really means because so far...I'm literally on the idea of "ah yes...this could definitely mean the sense of alienation and isolation coming from a change no one asked for".

And yes I am basing this off of Samsa by Teniwoha. Yes this falls under pop culture reference for Metamorphosis.

(This is the OG Vocaloid ver.)

(And this is the PJSK ver.)

(Here's one with an EN Fanlation of the lyrics)

Yes it's very obvious as to WHY I picked this story for my analysis in college. ALL IN THE NAME OF VOCALOID- anyways.

I'll be sticking with the theme of "alienation and isolation from an abrupt change no one saw coming or asked for". Can I expound on this? I don't know because I am lowkey also basing this off of the Vocaloid song as well. Not gonna lie...this analysis might be heavily influenced by the song Samsa and the event that it was made for. Ifg the name of the event but it also references towards Metamorphosis in a way that Mafuyu's mom hates how Mafuyu changed from being an "ideal daughter" to a "delinquent child" (sounding familiar now?).

"I beg you, please don't throw those apples at me" (EN Fanlation of ザムザ)

So...where should we begin?

Right...The Author himself: Franz Kafka.

So Franz Kafka is an Austrian-Czech novelist famous for his novel "The Metamorphosis". Kafka has a strained relationship with his father, which is pretty evident as he referred to him as being "authoritarian and demanding" (Wikepedia, though this is a direct reference to Letter To His Father as well). On a professional standpoint, he worked in insurance companies which he dreaded because it took the time away from his writing (I don't blame him). It's also here that his father only sees Franz's job as a "bread job" (Wikepedia...again...trust me I'll get better sources guys) where it's basically all just for the bills. His personal life is interesting, to say the least, as it mirrors some characteristics seen in the story.

On another note, The Metamorphosis was published in 1915. What was going on in 1915? World War 1, obviously, fellow history nerds. Well...to be honest there's not a lot of context behind this because The Metamorphosis has heavy references that point towards Franz Kafka's personal life. The pressure of his father to how Gregor's job was basically to pay the debt of his father and the bills (aka being the breadwinner) mirrors to him having a "bread job". I'd like to confess I'm just reading stuff off the internet and Kafka writing The Metamorphosis in three weeks after writing The Judgement. (Sparknotes my beloved thank you). Metamorphosis took like- three years of persuasion for Kafka to get it published out and about.

Another note to take up on is Marx's theory of alienation which is basically more or less about estrangement of people from their human nature. How so? well it's a consequence due to labor division and social class...

So time for a deep dive towards Marx’s theory of alienation because this is something we need to understand rq.

Ok so basically, Marx’s theory of alienation is under ✨Marxism✨ (that’s not exaggeration because this is Karl Marx we’re talking about). The theory of alienation covers different forms of alienation (derived from this guy called Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel) which is objective, subjective, and complete.

Objective: the social world they inhabit is not a home. Could be experienced as a metaphysical fact (extentialism)

Subjective: a) world they inhabit IS a home but they FAIL to understand it, and; b) world they inhabit is NOT a home, yet they BELIEVE it is.

Complete: basically both, seen in the condition of the contemporary world

By the way I just pulled all of this out of Wikipedia so feel free to do a deeper dive because that’s what I’ll do later.

So with this out of the way, how the fuck does Marx see this? Let’s just first off say CAPITALISM right off the bat and then things will start getting obvious.

It’s here that Marx distinguishes alienated labour, specifically the alienation of the worker because of alienated labour. It’s here that it’s identified into four dimensions of alienated labor:

From product of his labour

From worker’s own activity

From species-being

From other human beings

I know I should be explaining what each of these mean, but I’m on my wits end but yeah.

(Yes I’m still referencing Wikipedia)

But overall, Marx’s alienation theory (derived from Hegel and Feuerbach) primarily takes a jab towards the capitalistic cycle that everyone’s stuck in and that those who fall deeper into it slowly get consumed by it and suffer the consequences of alienation.

[Someone remind me to write on this later or maybe organize this cuz holy shit man…talking with someone rn and like- talked about a person’s value…which is pretty interesting and something I might talk on as well because that made me realize it as well which can tie with in the new theme that my group decided on]

So

It's time for us to confront the elephant in the room:

What could The Metamorphosis be possibly about?

I would like to give a nod to the vocaloid songs mentioned above for being a ground base that I started building this idea from (Yes, the vocaloid songs play heavy reference towards the story to the point it had taken lines that reference events in the book).

"The abrupt change Gregor Samsa underwent caused dissatisfaction within his family, leading towards a slow descent of alienation and soon...his isolation over his surreal metamorphosis."

[I apologize for the shitty thesis statement, these things are the death of me, ngl.]

[Update: my group changed the main theme again so now we have “questioning social constructs/roles and status quo regarding labor” or something…which can also tie in to what i discussed with someone because holy fuck how did i not see that now….]

Then again…it could also be something along the lines of:

“The “metamorphosis” of Gregor Samsa resulted into a slow descent of alienation and isolation, which itself brings out the questions of a person’s “value” as a “human being” and if they have any “value” as the persistence of such alienation deprives someone of their human nature.”

(Okay, looking at it now, I think that’s way better to look at but then again I feel like we’re still not hitting any points…EH THIS IS A RANDOM RAMBLE DRAFT FOR A REASON)

Samsa's abrupt change brought about...a mix of feelings within the family. His father's disdain on him, because Gregor was basically the source of income for the house hold. His mother crying because he's turned into a bug. And his sister, Grete, who still tries to help him in some way (spoiler: she got tired of Gregor’s bullshit towards the end).

I think the fact that it's just out of nowhere and out right supernatural for Gregor to turn into a giant insect. Why is there this transformation and whatnot. Why Gregor out of all unfortunate souls???

Yet I think the reason as to why could also be a mirror to the author's own feeling of alienation.

I'm not sure if it's of any importance but Gregor does have some hobbies (woodworking) that he does on the side. Then again it's too small of a pin to try and hook something to it.

Thing is...Gregor has not broken his routine in the 5-ish years of his job so it's pretty difficult to get a pinpoint somewhere to frame on. Then looking back again to what his “value” is to his family being the sole income earner…it could be inferred that this abrupt “uselessness” in Gregor’s value after transforming has been a form of possible alienation that stemmed from the capitalistic cycle he’s stuck in (this is a very big stretch because I have yet to fully analyze the theory of alienation).

Maybe breaking it down in three parts can help our scatter brain selves cuz holy fuck we got a lot to unpack here and I have no idea if anything I'll write will make any sense because this thing is due at 5pm on a weekend.

I would also like to note that I will be doing a LOT of cross-referencing here and there

Part 1

Gregor turns into a bug

Everyone is mortified

Accidentally hurts himself in trying to run away from his now furious father

This entire "turning into a bug" ordeal is a slap on the face on the symbolism and overall theme of "turning into something else abruptly". Gregor's now a "vermin" of sorts; not just a bug, but someone despicable. He's now a "problem" for the household to deal with (though it's still unknown to WHY he suddenly turned to being a "problem" when in fact he's been doing everything to bring food to the table...I'll probs write further on this because it's very interesting).

[WHY DID GREGOR TURN INTO A "VERMIN" WHEN HE'S BEEN WITHERING AWAY???]

I find the way Mr. Samsa acted to be somewhat a mirror to the strictness of Kafka's own father towards him.

(Ok I’m awake now do yeah)

How does this relate to the theory of alienation, you ask? Well…not entirely to be honest because I said that up there for reference if I do end up saying it here but I think it can connect in a way that it isolates him from his family. Now what I’m saying is pretty much a stretch to what it originally means of “alienated labor alienates the labor from other humans” (which is more or less alienating workers from one another in means of competitive socio-economic activity). Though Gregor’s transformation does bring this thought of the discussion of human worth while they are still considered “human”.

(Actually maybe if i just remember to reiterate my points then maybe I can be more consistent)

Gregor’s worth in his family here is being the main source of income. But when he became a bug, that worth is now at a loss and that coincides with the consideration if he’s still really “human”. Going back to my previous 3 am thought of Gregor “withering away”, Gregor WAS indeed withering away because of how cyclical his life has become. His days have become rather redundant that it could be seen to suck the human-ess out of him. I guess that’s where the other part, the humanity, that Gregor has that disappeared in an instant. I find that the metamorphosis that happened here, despite its absurdity, is the most evident form of metamorphosis that happened to Gregor. What it might possibly be is still vague so I’m probably gonna try to shoot some darts in the dark here.

The alienation that occurred to Gregor is the change of his “value” in “society” (in this case, his family). This alienation led to the perception of his family towards him as “less than human” now that he’s a bug (even though it can be of literal here). Then it leads to his “isolation” where they lock him away in his room.

Part 2

Everyone locked Gregor in his room

His sister, Grete, tries to tend to him

Gregor gives everyone a heart attack

Mr. Samsa starts throwing apples at Gregor for the mishap

Ok so this is where the "alienation" and "isolation" starts to come into play, chat. First the isolation...which already started in part 1 of The Metamorphosis by locking Gregor away in his room because of his...unsightly appearance (LOOK- HE'S A LARGE BUG ALRIGHT?!). So this is where the sense of alienation starts to settle in slowly.

Grete, Gregor’s sister, tries her best to tend to him by feeding him every now and then. This then went on to her moving his stuff in his room out after seeing that Gregor has decided on roaming around as a past time as a bug. His mother also comes in the picture, though with wishing to see Gregor again. This didn’t really end well especially when they were moving Gregor’s stuff out of his room. To Gregor, he refuses to have what reminded him of his “humanity” away. He then proceeded to cling on to the framed portrait, in hopes that his mother and sister doesn’t move it away from his room. From here, Mrs. Samsa gets shocked and faints which made Grete go out to get the smelling salts. Gregor goes down from where he was to see what happened but was met with his now furious father. Mr. Samsa started to hurl apples at him, one of which landed a hit on him and injured him.

With that summary out, this slow descent into Gregor’s further alienation is starting to stem from any hopes that Gregor is still with them even if he’s stuck as being an insect. Grete’s actions lean towards some hope in Gregor’s “humanness” is still there. Arguably so, her actions are perceived as seeing the loss of “human” of Gregor since he’s handicapped.

Mr. Samsa’s response, however, is the sealing point of this alienation. He has visible frustrations in having to go back to work to provide after 5 years of being retired because Gregor took upon the role of being the income source.

Ah…I should’ve mentioned the role of Gregor playing a role towards the slow demise…

Gregor’s role as the main income source meant all expectations being placed on him to be able to pay off the debts and keep the family afloat. His “value” in his family is placed high because he’s the one bringing in the money. Though ironically, his “value” in his company is “replaceable” (yippie, capitalism) as he’s literally at the brink due to his performance. And if not his performance, he is at most replaceable.

Now that he’s basically a handicapped (BUG), his value is literally gone. I mean— what can a bug even do?

I find it here that the role his sister had of being carefree is slowly being stripped away. Gregor had plans in helping her and enrolling her into a conservatory. But now that he’s nothing but a useless bug that everyone is disgusted at, Grete has no choice but to step up.

Part 3

Everyone started ignoring Gregor cuz they’re all working

Eventually they forgot about Gregor

The Charwoman they hired is the one who still recognizes Gregor to some extent

Grete’s violin playing leading to Gregor offending the hell out of the tenants

Family discussion on getting rid of him

Gregor just dying off to starvation instead

The Samsas moving on in a way (notably speaking on the ending as well)

This is the part where the alienation, isolation, and the decline of human value really shines. Why? Because it’s the third part and holy fuck this is where we get existential (not really).

So a lot is going on in the third part unlike the previous two parts.

Gregor’s isolation here is growing more and more since everyone started working to stay afloat. With that, they turned his room into a storage closet, which defeated the original purpose of Grete’s first initiative of giving her brother more space to roam around. It’s here as well that Gregor doesn’t eat all that much, either because everyone slowly forgot about him or him going on a hunger strike. I find it ironic that among everyone who remains in the household, the Charwoman (a widowed old lady who comes by every now and then to help with he chores) is the only one who still acknowledges Gregor (though as a silly little dung beetle) .

Actually I still wonder why the Charwoman is the one that still has some acknowledgement towards Gregor when everyone just slowly moved away from him. (Hmm maybe I should dissect that idea later.)

It’s in this chapter that Grete turns against Gregor after the mishap that happened after him making appearance in front of the tenants that rented a room in the apartment. She was the first one who offered on the idea of getting rid of that “vermin”.

Gregor’s value is literally gone at this point, not only just that but he’s completely alienated and seen as “inhuman” (in a way that is no longer human). His family no longer sees the human nature that he once had when he was human and had some use. It’s at this point where they see him as nothing more than a vermin and that itself led to him just proceeding to die off alone. (Update: I had a double check and apparently Gregor died because of the injury from the apple being yeeted at him... So his dad was the one who killed him ultimately... W H O O P S)

It’s with that the burden is released from the family after hearing word from the Charwoman that “it” has died and she is off to dispose of the corpse. The story closes off with the Samsas going to the countryside and planning on moving to a smaller place. Here, Mr. And Mrs. Samsa realized Grete’s growth to being a fine young woman.

So…

That’s that I guess…

Really this part confuses me a lot because I don’t really know what to say. On one hand this could be beyond just alienation and isolation stemming from the loss of value of one’s human nature. On the other, this is a cycle that continues to persist. The deprecating nature of what is considered valuable in a human is what can lead towards the alienation and soon, isolation, of a person. Mostly seen in the fourth dimension of Marx’s alienated labor is alienation from other humans which more or less describes alienating workers from one another through socio-economic means (think of pay difference or something similar to prevent them from banding together and whatnot). Though in this case, the alienation is more evident in the measure of the person’s worth. Since Gregor isn’t a person anymore, his worth is basically useless and thus he’s slowly being alienated.

Man…I think that’s as straightforward as it seems now…

“Gregor Samsa was alienated due to his lack of worth in his family’s eyes.”

Then again it can’t be THAT easy.

Can it?

To close things off because I ran out of ideas to write, I’d like to say that I might make a follow up analysis that’s more…formal to say the least. As well as an analysis that tackles both the vocaloid song and the novel. For now…my ideas have ran their run and it’s time for me to write my formal essay.

The Metamorphosis stands to me as an enigma as to what it truly means. A short three chaptered story that could cover topics such as the actual metamorphosis of certain characters to the alienation that is discussed here. Marx’s theory of alienation has heavy influence on many of Kafka’s works with The Metamorphosis being one of them. I was challenged at some point by another friend of mine to figure out why The Metamorphosis is considered “non-fiction”. I am not sure if I’ll ever get a proper answer for it.

The story of The Metamorphosis could also be some sentiment Kafka had as well in his actual life, especially with his relationship with his father. Having preference to write while being pressured to be more rational by one’s father could bring forth that feeling of alienation of not being understood. Just like how no one understood what Gregor said when he was turned into a bug. To be alienated is to also be isolated from society. Hegel’s identification of the different forms of alienation can be referenced by identifying that the form of alienation being seen here as the complete form of alienation.

Why haven’t I discussed this earlier? Well because I was too busy trying to figure shit out.

But yes…the complete form of alienation is both on the subjective and objective kind. The world Gregor is placed in (in a social context) is a repetitive cycle that eats itself over and over again. It’s the kind that is self-sabotaging in a way that either you leave it or it eats you alive. As for Gregor’s own home, at some point he failed to make sense of the home his family is trying to make way for him. But in part 3, the home Gregor once knew is no longer a home that welcomed him, it is one that saw him as a “vermin” that needed to be rid of.

All in all, it’s difficult to make sense of the weight of human value and any remnants of Gregor’s human nature post-transformation. His sister’s growing frustration against him bears this lack of empathy to understand Gregor anymore. Imagine that…being backstabbed by someone who first tried to be kind for you. Oh what alienation does to people… as well as the fact that the shift in the value their parents now hold for Greta seeing that she also metamorphosed into a young woman of “value” (married off). I think it’s here as well in seeing this shift in value fitting Marx’s forms of alienation aka “from humans”.

[Look, I’m lowkey rambling here and sound like I don’t know what I’m saying but that’s because I don’t know what I’m saying]

That’s all…I’ll also be archiving this tomorrow but I’ll put it back up in a few days after my essays’ been graded.

Wish me luck on my madness.

[tinystepsforward]

had a formal consultation w a friend (professional/editor) about mentorship/guidance as i plan my first longer-form publication so i guess now i've spoken the intention i have to fuckin do it

there's a hell of a lot of self doubt there, you know, the kind that says "you won't finish this" or "it'll never get published" or "nobody wants your work, it's too specific" and simultaneously somehow "you have nothing to say that hasn't been said before". but really all of that is about being too nervous to start something//i don't even think i'm regurgitating just the things others have said to me at this point, more inventing new ones drawn from pattern-matching with a warped ruler throughout my life as i parsed my place in the world

+ normally i don't consider myself a particularly anxious person, though with therapy i'm coming to learn that it's simply that i a) have the kind of ptsd that makes me incredible in crises but pretty fucking bad at identifying my own feelings or how much stress i carry and b) am just very good at managing my anxiety when it does become notable — but what i mean to say is that this does make me more notably anxious than usual, which is a sign that it's probably important, and something i don't want to do because it's important and i'm scared of failing. so we'll see! bc it's really about the journey and not about the... making something that makes me famous, god fucking no. historically creating has always been a process of self-discovery for me, and i feel that as i step into a new chapter of my life and a new chapter of opening more fucking cans of trauma it's time to find as-yet untrodden creative paths, and walk them, and see who i am on the other side

got a pretty loose plan for where to start scavenging my past works and thoughts + continuing my daily journal practice and seeing what turns up, and maybe adding guided prompts or weekly work-on-this sessions if i need them. still very loose but it's remarkable what paying an expert who i trust and who isn't so white they're nervous about editing my work for an hour of asking the right questions did to bring it suddenly much more into focus

[buddiesmutslut]

(Another) Tease Tidbit Tuesday

I've seen several lawsuit fics published recently (which I love, they're some of my favorites bc the whole lawsuit arc didn't make sense), and I've had this story in my drafts forever. It's unfinished and I'm struggling to get it done, but I'm hoping talking about it will give me some motivation 🙏

“I know you said you didn’t actually want light duty, so to go back to active duty, there’s at least three different things we can do. First, obviously, we can transfer you to a different house. Usually, transfers go through your captain, but we can definitely get around that in these circumstances. 

“If you don’t want to transfer, you can go to the Union, sit down with your captain and try to work out why he’s keeping you back.” Williams hesitates then, studying Buck intently before she adds. “That’s probably the last option I’d want you to take. Partially because I want you to take my next offer, but also because in this line of work, we place our lives in our teammates hands on every call, none more so than your captain, and he really let you down here. Whatever you choose, we’ll do our own investigation into this misunderstanding, and hope that that’s all it was, and not a malicious move.” 

Buck clenches his teeth at the thought that maybe Bobby just doesn’t want him anymore. He saw how much trouble Buck was, finally saw the thing that had everybody else leaving and figured that this was the perfect opportunity to get rid of him. 

Maybe Bobby was just putting up with him, tolerating him in the same way his actual parents did. He thought that Bobby loved him, or at least that he respected him as an employee. Maybe he read it all wrong though. 

If he read Bobby wrong, then who’s to say he didn’t read everyone wrong? 

Maybe it was a house-wide decision. Chim and Hen got sick of listening to his constant talking and Buck-ness and went to Cap. Maybe Eddie figured that getting rid of him in their professional life would make it easier to get rid of him in his personal life too. 

He swore that he didn’t blame Buck for Christopher going through the tsunami, but maybe he lied. Or maybe, faced with the extra nightmares and lingering trauma Chris is facing, he changed his mind. God knows that Buck still blames himself for it, so he would definitely understand it if Eddie did, too. 

He squeezes his thighs so tightly that his fingertips turn white, and drags in a shaky breath. “Yeah, I’m definitely not feeling very trusting right now.” He agrees with a weak chuckle, doing his best to ignore the sad look on the chief’s face. He knows he probably looks pathetic right now, but he doesn’t want to see any pity reflecting in her eyes. 

This is his ultimate boss, he needs to remain professional and in control, needs to reassure her that Buck is 100% capable of doing his job, even faced with this betrayal. 

“You mentioned a third option?”

Williams nods, huffing a breath through her nose and leaning back in her chair. “The third option is that you work for me.”