#just ranting a little

[sweetfirebird]

Hmm I have been perusing Threads, god help me, and I guess it is once again because I do not use Twitter or because I am a small fry in the genre, but authors keep bringing up issues they are having that are terrible, or are new to them. And these are just not new. Like at all. So once again the same conversations are being had. (Over and over and over again. Sigh.)

I suppose it's possible that m/m romance (not queer romance, this is people who use m/m only as a term that I have seen) is getting an influx of new readers who are pulling the same "ew actual queer characters and actual gay men writers in my m/m" bullshit, so authors are getting hit with new waves of angry comments and reviews and DMs. And some of those complaining might be new authors who don't know what a certain portion of the m/m romance world is like, so this is genuinely new to them.

But it also reminds me of the reasons I started using queer romance as a descriptor when possible instead of m/m--so that it is clear right out of the gate that more than only cis (and frequently masc) gay men would be in the story. So maybe I wouldn't get those readers and comments. Which seems to have mostly worked. A lot of writers chose queer romance over m/m romance as a term and they seem to get fewer readers but also they get queer readers. Or more open-minded readers. (They still get shit. But in that way that you kind of expect, being online and queer.)

(BUT, maybe, the cynical part of me wonders if some of the posts are legitimate complaints from gay men writers having to deal with the 'm/m is not for gay men' nonsense, and the rest are posts made to get engagement. (To be clear I do believe those writers here, but maybe not all of the responders. Or I believe the responders are supportive, but I think their surprise at the problem existing is a bit perfomative.) But that is the cynical part of me and I hope it is wrong. )

Or maybe the larger, more popular m/m romance writers are getting a sudden surge of negative comments about, as one example, bi characters as love interests. The negative comments are certainly happening. I've gotten that stuff from editors, and I have definitely noticed that any of my stories that might in any way involve someone, somewhere having a pussy are read less than the cis dude stories. But the part of me that stopped using m/m (except in bookseller categories when you have to etc) and who has read many of the summaries for the bestselling books in the genre is also like... maybe the 'cis gay male, large top, smaller bottom, fairly strict and heteronormative gender roles, sometimes omegas but not with cunts' books... kind of encourage that sort of audience.

I mean if you are only writing one kind of gay relationships in one kind of way in your books that is fine, and you have an audience, which is great! But I don't think it should be that surprising to you that most of that audience is not going to like something else.

Not that writers shouldn't complain or branch out. Not that readers shouldn't be biphobic or queerphobic or transphobic shitheads. Because jfc of course they shouldn't and they should check their entitlement. But the *certain portion* of the m/m romance audience that will openly insult gay male authors just for existing or using the term m/m (fucking hell) is in an overlapping venn diagram with the portion of the audience who get the ick from queer characters who are not cis males and relationships that are not heteronormative.

I do think some of the problem is that the genre was based on m/f romance, which is full of toxic shit and has serious problems (including white supremacy, but also sexism, homophobia, misogyny, and a weirdly horny prudishness). But I also think the writers who have been in the m/m genre for a while acting surprised that the gay writers are getting attacked or that people don't want bi characters are being a bit disingenuous. Unless you are brand new to the genre... yeah it's been like that. Queerphobia and misogyny festering beneath the surface since the beginning. If you want to combat that, cool, but of you didn't notice until now... why not?

[upsidedownwithsteve]

big (yet unimportant) pet peeve: people who copy bios/intros word for word/recreate your graphics/headers etc. I know it’s borderline impossible to be a hundred percent original nowadays especially when writing the same characters and the same tropes - but christ some people really do copy and paste other folks tastes and personalities 😴

[zurkazurka]

artblock is breathing down my neck again

[acewithapaintbrush]

Work rant

Going to work was not a great idea. Not only is my blood pressure super low but my colleague didn't even remember that I had a procedure done just a few days ago. I mean, I missed work for preappointments and the procedure itself. We talked about what would need to be done before I went on leave.

And today, after fighting off dizzy spells so I could sit at my fucking desk she comes over like "Hey how was your Christmas?" and I'm just shrugging and like "lots of lying around, recovering"

And she fucking grins "Oh yeah me too!!! Recharging the batteries with the family, oh I needed that!"

Half an hour later I give her my doctor's note for my file and she looks at it and goes "I-Oh yeah. How... How was it? Did it go well?"

Get the fuck outta here!!!

You know I don't need to be all buddy buddy with work people. I don't have work friends where I work right now and I don't need them.

But God damnit we are all human???? Aren't we? When you tell me personal stuff I remember and ask and show at least a shred of empathy.

Maybe I'm wrong. Maybe I'm expecting too much. She's got her own life and everything maybe I shouldn't be so miffed that she couldn't even remember me going under a knife long enough to at least ask how I am

It's stupid. Sorry. Just wanted to rant a little

[letmetellyouaboutmyfeels]

I am incredibly serious right now when I beg you all, please, and if you have Twitter or Tiktok or whatever to please spread the word: click on an author's profile on Ao3.

You want to know if an author has written more? Want to know if they're still writing? Want to see more from them? Want to know if they've written a trope or kink or sex scenario you enjoy?

Click on their name. And look at their profile.

I cannot tell you how many times in the last six months someone has read a new or newer fic of mine and said they (a new reader who has read nothing else I've done) "can't wait to see what you do next!" I've written 50+ fics and over a million words already.

"I don't know if you're still writing..." click on my profile. I am. I literally wrote a 128k+ fic for that ship last month.

"Would you ever do X?" "Please do Y!" I already did. Click on my name and look at my works.

Archive of our Own is a library. It's an archive. Not social media. It is your responsibility to fight back against the laziness that corporate algorithms have trained into you.

Click my author name. Just click it. Just click it.

Before you demand more, or ask if a writer will do XYZ, or wonder if the author still writing, or anything - click on their profile. Click on the author's profile.

I'm not trying to be mean or condescending or anything like that. I'm just exhausted. It's disheartening and frustrating to repeat myself ad nauseam, because someone couldn't take thirty seconds to do the tiniest bit of work to see if I've written lately, if I've written more for their ship, or scan my works to see if I've written what they're asking for. Please. Please. I'm begging.

Click the author's name, and explore before you ask.

[bamsara]

I think that one thing people fail to understand is that unsolicited literary criticism coming from an online stranger who is reading with no knowledge of what the authors intended goal is, is not going to be received the same as say: the authors beta reader or friends who know what the authors intended goal and has the sufficient knowledge and input to help the author reach that desired outcome.

"But I'm only trying to be helpful" How do I know you have the knowledge and literary skill for you to be able to actaully do that when we don't know each other and you are essentially a stranger to me? Are you applying this criticism based out of personal biased experience and desire to see the story or characterization be driven in another direction or tweaked, or do you know the author's intentions for the character? If the story is incomplete, are you basing your criticism of a character on the incomplete narration with only partial information available of them or are you building up a report until the story's completion? Did the author provide you with the information needed to make a fully informed criticism?

Have you discussed with the author what their plans are or are you assuming them based off the narration, especially if the narration is proven or implied to be unreliable or missing key points of the plot? Are you unbiased enough to help them reach their desired outcome for the characters and story regardless of your personal feelings towards the characters/antagonists and setting? Can you handle being told your specific input isn't wanted because you're a reader and/or have no written anything relating to their genre or topic? Do you understand and respect that the author's personal experiences might influence their writing and make it different than how you would have done it personally? Do you understand if an author only wants input from a specific demographic relating to their story?

If it's for fanfiction or other hobby media, are you holding a free hobby to a professional standard? Are you trying to give criticism because you feel like the author has produced 'subpar job performance' of their fic? Are you viewing their work as a personal intimate outlet or something that must conform with mass media? Are you applying rules and guidelines when the fic is shared for simple sharing sake? Is your criticism worded appropriately and focused on the parts where the author has requested input on rather than a general dismissal and or disapproval?

Have you put yourself in a place where you assumed you have the input needed for the story to evolve better, or have you asked what the author needs and what they're having trouble with? Can you handle having your criticism rejected if the author decides their story doesn't need the change and not take it as a personal offense against your character? Are you crossing that boundary because you think you are doing the author a favor? Are you trying to be helpful, or do you just want to be?

I think sometimes when people hear authors go 'please don't give me unsolicited writing advice or criticism' they automatically chalk it up to 'this author doesn't want ANY constructive feedback on their stuff at all' and not "i already have trusted individuals who will help me with my writing goals and- hey i don't know you like that, please stop acting so overly familiar with me'

[linterteatime]

Slugcat distribution system gave them an explosive rabid raccoon and a overpowered sewer rat ❤️

[pastabaguette]

look guys i don’t like to argue but i hate it when people portray equius and nepeta like this:

i mean, they’re both just thirteen, come on.

equius is not her parental figure, and nepeta isn’t a fussy baby that can’t eat her fruits and veggies! equius isn’t some malicious evil guy, he’s just a stupid little teenager. that goes for eridan too (and i guess like, all of the trolls, but especially those two). nepeta’s not some innocent little baby. she’s the same age as all her friends. she kills huge wild beasts on the regular for consumption.

a lot of dubs i’ve seen, too, make nepeta sound like a toddler, and equius like a whole grown adult man, and i don’t really like it because neither of them are those things. (granted, i don’t watch too many dubs, so maybe i am wrong on this)

[blueinkie]

Welp….

Chilirye is not comeback with the golden cheese update….

I’m very disappointed but also not. It was wishful thinking they would ever talk about my girls after there little story. Guess I’ll just reread some of there fic from 2021 and 2022 to keep me going.

But seriously, it makes no sense why chili isn’t there. It’s a kingdom made of fucking GOLD. And what does chili like? GOLD. Bro why isn’t she there…. Be fr

But yeah. I still kinda look forward to this event. I mean come on, we’ve been waiting on the cheese for years now. And I’m glad we got it.

[lightspren]

i reeeeeeally hate when i feel like i can’t take a deep breath

i guess this is “shortness of breath”? but I’m not like, gasping for air or anything. I just kind of feel like the cat is sitting on my chest and I can’t get my lungs to expand all the way. the inhalers help sometimes but others I just have to try to sit up as straight as possible, stretch my torso, like manually make my lungs do Lung Things

it’s like. really fucking annoying. and i probably should explain it to the doctor but. eh. not worth the headache of dealing with it. my O2 is always good, my PFT was mostly good when I had one, imaging of my lungs is always fine. I’m not bringing up an issue just to have everything say there’s nothing wrong w me lmao, not if I can live with it otherwise

[stefisdoingthings]

wings

[hajihiko]

💕

[snarkspawn]

I really enjoy playing through tnp again like hi it's been a while

[two-crows-in-a-trenchcoat]

I love merlin as dragoon he just gets to be a bitch to everyone and you can tell he enjoys it

like yeah he's a really serious sorcerer or whatever but he's also a little bitch and you've gotta respect him for that

[paperclipninja]

I'm gonna sound very old person yells at cloud but I don't care, I feel like I need to say this. We all (well most of us) know that messaging Neil with any headcanons/theories/wishes/hopes/dreams to do with the show is a no-go because it could potentially compromise the story he wants to tell or ends up telling. And yes, he is a grown up who chooses what to respond to etc and I think it's wonderful he engages with fans and answers a lot of lovely and interesting questions about his process, writing and journey etc.

However, there is another reason not to send theories and ideas about how the show should go to the show creator in the hope of a response: it doesn't matter. It doesn't matter whether a theory is correct, or a speculation may or may not play out. That is why fandom exists.

Online fandom is where we all come together to yell and cry and throw around weird-ass ideas and theories and look at art and read fanfic and unite in our love of characters and a show. A huge part of being in fandom, is the way fandom theories become like an understood little bit of fanon lore that some people attach to, others disregard. But it doesn't matter. And part of the fun of fandom, is when a new season or a new episode of the show comes out, you have this collective catalogue of ideas and theories and headcanons and you get to yell and scream, "omg it happened1" or "lol that that thing was ever talked about" or "thank god that theory didn't come to pass".

Wanting to know now (not that we ever will) and not wanting to wait until the next season to find out the answers diminishes the fandom experience. I cannot stress enough how much we are in the absolute peak of the fandom experience right now. The between seasons time is the ultimate time to be a part of a fandom (as I'm sure many people are well aware), knowing there's another season coming energises everyone to create and connect and speculate and it's glorious! I know it feels like it'll be like this forever, but it won't. Next season is the last and yes, there will be a flurry and uptick of all the energy and excitement once again, and I absolutely believe Good Omens fandom will live on and remain active and thrumming. But there won't be theories and what ifs and hunting for clues for the next season, and over time it will dwindle a little and plateau and some people will fall into other fandoms, and while it will probably bubble away, there won't be the anticipation that sits with us now.

My point is, fandom is where we get to throw around ideas and flail and be ridiculous and also serious sometimes, but it's all for us. For the fans. Showing Neil theories or getting in a flap about a particular speculation and asking if x, y, or z might happen isn't just about putting the creator in an awkward spot, it takes away what fandom is about. Just let this time be ours. If you haven't been in fandom before, enjoy it! Don't be in a hurry to seek definitive answers or know things either way.

It doesn't matter if any or none or all of the things that float around end up being correct or incorrect. Fandom isn't about being right. It's about being a part of a community and being able to share ideas and it's about it being FUN.

So TL;DR Stop sending Neil fan ideas because that is for fandom, not for the creator.

[planariaareneat]

How The Nocturnal Bottleneck and Nipples Make Us Human

Almost every post here considers what humans do have, really. It’s a little tiring; realistically every world has its harsh environments and vicious species and a sophont to match. We probably wouldn’t be unique for our adaptability or our persistence or even adrenaline

But our evolution is fucked up as hell, to put it lightly.

Mammals went through what’s been dubbed the nocturnal bottleneck essentially since the start of the mesozoic right up until the Cretaceous ended the archosaur’s exclusive hold over the daylight. We lost a lot of things from every mammal spending most of its time in either a cramped, suffocating burrow or scrounging around in the faint hours of nighttime. Our blood cells lost their nuclei to hold more oxygen while we spent time deep underground, we lost protections against ultraviolet rays in our skin and eyes, we can’t even repair our own DNA using the light of the sun. Most aliens probably wouldn’t have such traits unless their evolution followed a very similar path to ours. They’d be able to see ultraviolet and wouldn’t have to worry about sunburn and all the wonderful privileges essentially all fish, birds, amphibians, and reptiles enjoy as we speak. 

There’s also what we gained from spending so much time in the dark.

Brown fat is only found in mammals, it’s a special type of fat which bear cells with several oil droplets and are utterly jammed with mitochondria. This lets it make heat, a lot of it, fast. We don’t even need to shiver to induce this heat generation from brown adipose tissue - factor in our downright hyperactive mitochondria, and we can warm up quickly. Sure, it doesn’t have too much use in adult humans, but it keeps our infants warm and still provides a little boost the whole run we have in this universe.

Unless aliens also went through a time where their small ancestors had to face cold nights, they’d have to produce heat the old fashioned way when chilled. Aliens might have to shiver the whole time they’re in a cold room while the human watches in confusion, quite literally unshaken, and wonders if the room is a lot colder than the thermostat set to 60 says. The aliens stare at their companion in confusion, it’s just a normal temperature to shiver at after all, how is the human sitting so still?

Our small ancestors spending all their time out foraging at night is also why we have such a good sense of touch, smell, and hearing. They were more important senses than vision (we’re lucky to have even redeveloped basic color vision, frankly) at the time and place and simply ended up continuing to serve us well. Birds and reptiles rarely have acute senses of smell and the latter especially are lucky to have acute hearing, and birds rarely have impeccable hearing themselves either. Our skin is free of scales and honed to sensitivity, and our external ears and complicated ear bones provide an immense range of hearing (from 20 all the way to 17,000 hertz!).

Aliens might not be able to pin down the chirp of a cricket or the light click of a lock being picked. The human might be the only one on board a ship that can pick out the finer sounds of the engine’s constant thrum and know the critical difference between when everything is fine and when something is wrong. The human could probably pick out the sounds of an approaching enemy’s careless footsteps - they’re only as light enough for *them* to stop hearing them, after all - and be the one to see the horrified expression (well, more on that later) on their face when we get the drop on them in spite of their perceived stealth. 

But perhaps the most versatile, convoluted, amazing, and utterly unique trait we have is right on your face this instant. Lips.

Lips in most animals are a simple seal to hold in the mouth’s moisture and protect the teeth, even if they’re supple they’re NEVER muscular except in mammals, and we have only one thing to thank for it; milk and nipples. Lips evolved exclusively to allow babies to suckle, it required a vacuum to be created in the mouth, and with no other animal having anything like a nipple it never happened in other animals. Many animals make milk, to be frank, but no other animal has nipples.

Your cheeks and lips are a marvel among tetrapods, no other animal can suck like mammals can. Aliens wouldn’t have straws or even be able to sip from the edge of a glass, they’d have to have a proboscis or simply tilt the whole thing back. Aliens likely won’t have woodwind instruments or balloons you can blow into. We take so much about our lips for granted. Hell, our muscular faces are vital for expressions, we’re probably absolute facial contortionists among a cast of creatures with mandibles and beaks and expressionless scaly maws. Aliens might find us ridiculously easy to read, if anything, compared to their own kind (all the better to deceive them) - or perhaps they’d find us hard to decipher anyways, with our lack of color-changing skin or erectable crests of bright feathers. Baring teeth might not be seen as a sign of aggression in most of the universe, smiling would be all too distinctly human. 

Perhaps with how infectious we are sometimes, that’s what we’d contribute to the universe; others might have to make do with opening their mouths just enough to show their teeth or splaying their innumerable mouthparts with just the right curve, but perhaps we’d teach the galaxy to smile, one ally at a time. 

Wouldn’t that be amazing?