#it fits the medium very well and expands upon the story without changing it's core

[starryalpacasstuff]

LITBC ep 3 & 4: When they're homophobic but you love them

It took me a while to finally watch the third and fourth episodes because it's been diwali season, but having finally watched them I think I can quite confidently say that this part will probably end up as my favourite of the four. I've been having a really hard time trying to figure out how to express my feelings about this episode, because frankly I'm not even sure what those feelings are myself.

I think, surprisingly enough, this section actually hit me harder in the show than it did in the book. The book definitely had more teeth to it and felt far darker than the show, and this may seem counterintuitive, but I think it was because the show continues to be more grounded in the present that the story that it felt more visceral. As a few people have already noted, in the book the reader not only follows only Young's perspective, but there's also Young's bitter hindsight that colours his retelling of the story. Even when he acknowledges how enamoured he used to be with Hyung, it's again accompanied by his resentful commentary. In contrast, with the show we experience Go Young's emotions right along with him: love, confusion, disappointment, desperation, heartbreak, and everything in between. And as @lurkingshan notes here, this makes it all the more brutal when it all comes crashing down. Something else is that, while these episodes did not afford Go Young's mother and Young-soo the same sympathy the previous episodes did for Mi Ae and Nam Gyu, it's true that the wider lens and absence of Young's bitter monologue helped me, as the audience—how do I say this—see the two characters as their own people rather than just characters in Go Young's story. It emphasizes the greyness of morality in the characters. Young-soo is no doubt a bastard, but he's also a product of the environment he was raised in, and everything about him is a cry for help; help he will not accept. And Go Young's mother is an overbearing religious zealot who, when she realized that she couldn't 'fix' her son, resolved to pretend as though her son wasn't gay for the rest of her life; a social contract I am intimately familiar with. But she's also a single mother who braved a patriarchal society to bring up her son and she loves him in ways she will never express to him. The grey morality of the characters allows the audience to see why Go Young loved them and in turn, feel their loss along with him. I feel incomprehensibly sad when I think of the way both characters ruined their relationships with Go Young because they couldn't (wouldn't?) understand. Because he loved them, even though they were homophobic, but their relationships could never be the same after he knew.

Being constantly surrounded by homophobia is suffocating and exhausting, and it's something I know well. Even when it's not being discussed, sometimes just the knowledge of the way the people around you all hate 'people like you' can be incredibly overwhelming; it weighs you down. Go Young having to work through the complexities of loving people who were homophobic, people who hated an integral part of him felt so real to me because it's real life for me. Him going back to Young-soo over and over again even when he was rapidly becoming aware of Young-soo's beliefs. The quiet way in which both mother and son skirt around his sexuality. His brief happiness when he sees the scrapbook his mother made, and the photo that she returned to him. I'm just repeating the same words over and over now but the emotions felt so visceral; it made me feel seen. Go Young seemed so tired whenever he was around his mother and I don't think I need to say anything about how Young-soo's parting words affected him. It's something that hit way too close to home for me; that dawning realization that even more of your world stands against a core part of you than you'd thought, and that you love it anyways.

[jungdrizzydraco]

An O.C. for Your Asses!!!

I wanna see if the characters are legit before I move forward with this short story im working on (I'm a character first kinda guy, so I work inside-out) leave any form of constructive critique you wish, they are still works in progress, thanks!!

Augustine Harriet Andersson

Age:22

Sign: Gemini (sun) Cancer (moon) Virgo (rising)

Height: 5'8

Eye Color: Formerly dark-brown, bleached to a pastel-hazel because of some dark magic fuckery

Hair Color/Cut: dark-brown,q shifting variations of a fade, whose design changes somewhat based on his thoughts and emotions (yes, this is an enchanted fade)

Build: lean, lightly muscled from years lifting cauldrons in his grandfather's potion shop

Notable Features: Dimples; left-dimple is deeper than right, multiple piercings on each ear, artificial left eye (looks organic but to magical eyes, it looks otherwise)

"Have you ever been like...fundamentally angry? I feel that way...like at my core, there's this rage that seethes and coils at the pit of my stomach, everyday, like a python that can't quite squeeze his prey all the way to death. Everytime I think I've grown up, forgiven something or someone or myself, there's this anger that tightens right back up all over again...like it's reminding me of something. Somedays...I feel like that feeling will petrify everything I've ever loved about myself, and I'll just be another slave to outrage and ego and pain...just like everyone else...haha, then I'll really be a normie."  -August Andersson, on his depression and internal anger issues.

Augustine Andersson is a witch-boy. But you could probably already tell that from looking at him: the way his eyes are almost constantly fixed towards some unseeable infinity, the way air molecules hum with fresh, manic energy around him, how he seems to absorb sunlight and the way his brown skin would filter the glow as a result of his connection to the natural...it was all very off putting to others around him for most of his young adult life. And as we all know, no one likes a freak, so such years had a hand in building his current trust issues, feelings of great anger and inadequacy, and all the tics and tricks he uses to keep such feelings at bay. He's not at a total loss; at his core he is a humanitarian, deeply compassionate and available to those who have managed to capture his heart, as well as wild and humorous. However, he keeps a tight lid on his darkest feelings and insecurities, out of fear that they may be too much for those around him (also, he might accidentally call forth a vile arch-daemon on accident, but that's neither here nor there.) After finally having had enough of his mundane time amongst the humans, he vanishes from his college campus one day and takes to the open road, hoping that like the many young, angsty teens in the movies he loves, he will find himself in his own solitude. But the best way to deal with oneself is when confronting someone else, and after a close-call with a reckless (and very cute) motorcycle rider on an interstate, August will be forced to deal with every single part of himself, the good, the bad, and the strange...

A few more things about him...

1. His father is Afro-swedish, hence his last name.

2. Loves to travel and is nomadic by nature.

3. He gets a special kind of warmth out of being moderately petty at all times.

4. He loves open spaces and bodies of water, as well as hikes through mountains (ok so he only went once in Vegas, so sue him, he really liked it!)

5. Surprisingly low maintenance, really just likes being around people that are happy, and the feeling easily rubs off on him.

6. Both positive and negative emotions easily rub off on him.

7. Can get caught up in moments of warm content, given his unstable interior life, and can get lost in wasting/spending time.

8. Gets restless easily.

9. Budding film buff, faves include Kill Bill vol. 1&2, Her, Moonrise Kingdom, Gone Girl, Blue is the Warmest Color, Moonlight, & Mean Girls.

10. August's father is very engaged with politics and civil rights, so in honor of that, he decided that his son's middle name would belong to one of the greatest figures of the civil rights movement: Harriet Tubman.

11. Favorite new movie is The Favourite.

12. Due to a lack of acceptance of his full self and the full spectrum of his sexuality, he is judgemental of others and holds them to the same near-impossible standards he holds for himself. 

13. Things he expects from others: To read his mind and conjure what he wants without saying, to have his needs and boundaries respected without actually stating so, for others to fit in whatever box he thinks they should be in, for everyone's intellect to be slightly lower than his own, but high enough not to annoy him with silly questions, ect.

14. Listens to Lorde, J. Cole, Rex Orange County, Frank Ocean, Lana Del Rey, Tyler the Creator, Young Thug and assorted film soundtracks.

15. Enjoys playing into his double-sided nature when it suits him, and has a secret glee in melding into different roles depending on who's around him.

16. Is attracted to more eccentric personalities in platonic and romantic relationships

17. Smokes weed to escape boredom. (and his problems)

18. Smokes weed because he likes the feeling.

19. Is secretly a little ratchet, but he'll kill you if you say so, it'll fuck up his reputation as the quasi-sociopathic erudite.

Magic House-Thoth

Augustine is a member of the Sacred House of Life, witches whose magic is passed down from the Egyptian Gods themselves. August himself is a descendant of an African slave-witch, once known as Ashe. She was taken to Egypt as a typical piece of cargo from zealot raiders, and was sentenced to a life of building the pyramids. Or so she would have thought: Thoth, the God of Magic and Knowledge, took pity upon her and beguiled her to follow an invisible force into the desert one night. He then revealed himself to her in his ibis-headed brilliance and bestowed upon her a set of choices: he could free her now and set her loose across the desert with all the things she would need for survival, or he could give her secrets and wisdoms unknown to man at the time, but she would have to frequently return to him for lessons. Ashe always prized knowledge and growth over any material thing, or even something such as freedom (I prefer to disagree myself). And secrets from a God must count for that much more, right? She indulged in option two. Thoth grinned and whispered to her the mysteries of life, the secrets of the stars, and the riddles of worlds lost and intangible, he spoke magick into her very soul. She would then use her newfound knowledge to fool her captors, freed any slave that would believe in her, and with her wits about them, guided them across the desert to build a library-like sanctuary, in honor of Thoth. The former slaves then learned from the god's teachings, passed through Ashe, and became witches and educators in their own right, and Ashe came to lead this new coven of magi. This is how the House of Thoth became to be. 

Magick: As a member of house of Thoth, August has the ability to manipulate various aspects of the moon, writing, hieroglyphics, knowledge and sciences, and the progression of time. His particular specialty is the creation of Moon Dust, a substance used as a medium for most of his spells. By gathering various quantities of mineral, be it: crystal, rocks, pearls, aluminum, or even silvers and golds, he can channel his magic into them and break down and rearrange their atomic components into a corrosive, abrasive substance that also tends to stick to objects due to an electric charge. This dust is also dangerous to breathe in. He tends to carry around a pouch or two on his person, as trying to create some on the fly is nearly impossible given how much time and intricacy is needed to create the substance. (I mean, working with just a pile of plain old rocks would take a couple of hours to convert, let alone harder or more distilled substances.) Spells that he has mastered so far include...

Spell of Refraction: A spell in which the moondust bonds to whomever or whatever August desires (sans the harmful effects, it's enchanted in this state) and whatever is enveloped in dust turns invisible via light refraction.

Spell of Revelations: He can spread his moondust over an area and have the pieces cling to imprints of negative emotion or dark magick. A spell used for forensic work.

Spell of Retribution: An offensive spell that uses moondust to its fullest offensive powers and creates small funnels of dust to ravage the opponent. The largest funnel made could surround a fully grown man.

Golemancy:  Can create golems out of the moon dust he has formed, usually no larger than a human toddler. They tend to take form roughly resembling lego-men (he was a big fan of the Lego Expanded Universe as a child), but one can easily be fooled by their size: each golem has the strength of three men, and can combine to further power themselves up.

There are a few spells that don't require the moon dust...

-The Veil: A surface-level illusion layered directly over the skin. This allows the caster to look like whatever he wants to look like and sound however he wants, but can be broken if struck with bad intentions (like a slap from an offended woman on the street)

 -Somnus: A very old, yet practical spell. Also one that does not require moondust, this handy spell induces sleep.  Those affected by this spell will not remember being forced to sleep, but they will have active and vivid dreams for distraction. Also necessary for Dream Diving.

-Dream Diving:  A skill Augustine has yet to master, this allows the caster to astral project into one's consciousness for complete access to the afflicted parties mind, if the brain is distracted by dreams. August has gotten stuck in several public nude dreams, and it takes long hours to remove oneself from another's mind.

-Illusion Casting 

-Temporary Madness Inducement

-Script Magick: By writing down a word or phrase on any surface that can be sufficiently marked on, whatever has been written manifests somehow, just so long as it is within his power. He can't create miracles with it though.

Top 10 Roadtrip Songs

Sobriety- Sza

No Role Moldelz-J. Cole

Sacrifices -Dreamville, assorted artists

Grown Up Fairy Tails- Chance the Rapper, Taylor Bennett 

My Boy-Billie Eilish

U.N.I.T.Y.- Frank Ocean

West Coast: Lana Del Rey

Cruise Ship-Young Thug

400 Lux-Lorde

Let Em Know- Bryson Tiller

[michaelandy101-blog]

What is Localized Content [+When to Use It]

New Post has been published on https://tiptopreview.com/what-is-localized-content-when-to-use-it/

What is Localized Content [+When to Use It]

For businesses to grow in today’s climate, marketers must think about their content and strategies on a global scale.

The internet has opened doors to new markets around the world, and yet, without paying proper attention to these new customers’ preferences and culture, marketers can miss out on significant opportunities.

So, how can marketers make sure their content is prepared for when new markets open?

Localized content is the key to catching new customers’ attention and creating a place where they want to spend their time and make their purchases.

With content built around a personalized experience, you can guide new customers through the customer lifecycle, regardless of where in the world they live.

In today’s post, we’ll discuss what localized content is and when to use it.

What is Localized Content?

Localization is when your content matches a customer’s cultural expectations. It takes the element of context and applies it beyond just translating words. At its core, localization helps your customers connect with your brand on a deeper level and improves their likelihood to buy.

When we talk about entering new global markets, the first thing that might come to your mind is translating content. After all, it should be as simple as running your content through Google Translate and sending it off to customers on their journeys, right? Not so fast!

Translation is a complex process. While machine translations like Google Translate can churn through low-value content with relative ease, your high-value content deserves a more personalized touch — not only the words we use, but how we use them, matter. Otherwise, we’re holding a conversation without context, and customers won’t be able to build a relationship with you.

While the words matter, other elements of your presence in a new market matter as well. Consider your website: you might be displaying images that make sense to a North American audience. But would a customer in Asia understand the photograph? Could they see themselves as one of your customers?

This kind of thinking must be evident through every bit of your presence. Pictures and colors should match a customer’s cultural expectations. Prices should be shown in their local currency. The brand logos you display should be recognizable in-market. These elements all come together and tell your brand’s story to your customers in both a conscious and subliminal method.

Companies that understand localization are best suited to adapt their content to a customer’s culture, language and mannerisms. While translators are focused on the words of your content, localization also customizes currency, dates, units of measurement — the factors that seem small but add up into a truly welcoming experience for a global customer.

The need for localized content is growing in tandem with the expansion of global markets. The internet serves as the primary medium for reaching these new customers, because of all the internet users in the world, just 7.6% live in North America. For context, more than 50% live in Asia. If your content is only targeting North American buyers, then you’re missing out on most of the world’s internet traffic — and the customers it brings.

Customers are equally discerning about their purchases regardless of where they live. They expect the same personalized brand experience that North American customers would receive. When you localize content, that desire for a personalized experience should guide how you reformat and alter content to suit a new market’s culture and expectations.

You should be conducting research into cultural norms just as you would for any other part of your product or selling process. Did you know orange has a specific religious connotation in Northern Ireland? Or when you translate text from English to Finnish, the size of your content could expand up to 60%? Your global customers will expect you to not only know about these minute differences but also create content that capitalizes on it. They want to be impressed just like their English-speaking counterparts.

It falls upon marketers to create content that gives potential customers everything they need to make purchasing decisions. With an attentive eye toward researching a new culture, you can set up your brand to create memorable experiences with customers and build brand loyalty.

Localize Content for the Customer Lifecycle

To build brand loyalty, you will of course need a hefty amount of content ready to localize to different markets. Depending on how much content you need, the amount of localization to do can grow very quickly. For example, if you have three buyer personas you plan to target with content, and you’re localizing content for five languages, you’re spending time and resources to prepare one piece of content in fifteen different ways.

Take that example and expand it to websites and other content media you’re using, and that number likely grows even higher. When you’re beginning to localize content, it pays to be smart about which pieces you localize first. Like your native language-based content, you know certain pieces perform much better than others, or provide a high amount of value to customers.

When you enter into a new market, consider that customers are going to follow the customer lifecycle model: discovery, education, purchase, post-purchase engagement and advocacy. Just like how you would guide a customer through the lifecycle in your native language, your global customers will also buy this way and expect a similar path to follow.

Since you’re producing content for each stage in the lifecycle already, that content is likely high-value content primed for localization.

Let’s review the content that will need localization in each stage of the customer lifecycle.

Discovery

Customers are beginning to be made aware of your company and the products you offer. At this stage, your content is focused on creating brand awareness, with social media ads or introductions to your product offerings. Ensure content like product descriptions are translated properly and include the context of your new market. Many cultures find video content from brands to be appealing, so think about localizing video content with not only subtitles but also local imagery or showcasing products they would know.

Education

Customers have been doing their research and want to know more about your brand and your products. For your native-language content, you likely have a knowledge base with articles or FAQs sharing more about your product offerings or presenting thought leadership. While much of the content in FAQs is repetitive and can be assisted mainly by machine translation, human translators can provide context for your written content. The human touch for localizing high-traffic blog posts can better educate customers in-language.

Purchase

When your customer is ready to make their purchases, they should be given a seamless process that makes it easy to buy in-language. The seemingly small factors like using the payment platform that is most popular in that country can make a major difference in a customer completing a transaction.

Post-Purchase Engagement

Once your customer completes their purchase, you want to keep them engaged so they return and buy more at a later date. Content such as a thank you email or follow-up emails with content about new products should be localized in their language. Customer support is also a critical component of retaining customers, and both the self-service content of a knowledge base and interactions with customer support staff should reflect the needs of individual cultures.

Advocacy

Customers happy with your products will want to share their experiences. Their recommendations, ratings and reviews should all be in-language and include relevant context that will engage other customers in that market. Incorporating user feedback like reviews into your webpage, for example, should be a localized process. Reviews from in-country customers written in their native language will have a more effective impact on attracting other customers.

What is perhaps most critical is that every touchpoint you have with your customers should be in-language. Regardless of location, each of your customers should have a seamless experience within their own language. If your customers start jumping between languages during the customer lifecycle, they will seek out a competitor who can fulfill a seamless process.

As you’re translating your content as part of the localization process, human translators can help smooth over those potential jarring points and ensure an excellent experience for your customers. Whilst machine translation can process much of the bulk of your content, your human translators will find the gaps in context and fill in the nuances a global customer would otherwise notice.

People buy from people, and your content should already be written that way. Human translators help ensure that’s the case and provide extra creativity and cultural knowledge to accomplish that within your content. This process of “transcreation” actualizes the concept of localization by sharing the same message you would in other markets, but tailoring the content to fit in-language. With transcreation, you can breathe new life into your content and ensure it has the creativity and cultural knowledge needed to resonate with your new audiences.

When to Localize Content

Your content is an important part of your first impressions in a new market. Your potential customers will expect an in-language experience from the first day, and you should be prepared to offer it and be ready to adapt to changes in the marketplace and culture as they arise.

So when it comes to when you should localize content, you should be thinking about it from the very start. When you’re planning your website, for example, consider how you could templatize webpages to make the localization process easier for each new market. Each type of content can also be templatized in some fashion to simplify the process. When you produce a video, create a time-coded script to go along with it. When you need to translate the text for subtitles, you’ll have what you need to do it as efficiently as possible.

When your company is preparing to expand into global markets, that is the right time to focus on localizing content. With proper research into your markets’ cultures and content prepared for every stage of the customer lifecycle, you can create those critical in-market first impressions and begin building brand loyalty with new customers around the world.

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