#my good friend jude has patreon

[loo011]

AAAAAAAAA!!

Human Lucy-furr!!! 😭💕💕💕💕💕

[johannestevans]

Weekly Summary 05/12/2021

Good morning, everybody!

Thanks so much for your patience on the weekly update, as I didn't put one out last week - I've been thinking that I'm going to reduce my general goal of new pieces down from 4-5 pieces a week to 2-3. This probably won't change much, as I've practically been reaching that goal of recent rather than the former anyway - because I'm focusing so much on longer form pieces which are 10k, 15k, 20k, as opposed to the short form ones that only really go up to 8k, the goal of 5+ distinct pieces just doesn't work, as working in long form I go from expecting to be writing 25-40k a week to something more like 60k+, and it's just not feasible for me.

For the months of December and January, I'm expecting to be publishing a little bit less - I'm trying to force myself to focus on some genuine R&R, not to mention spend a little more time with friends and family while it's the holiday season and I'm spending time away from Ireland to be with everyone in Wales and then in Greece.

I just want to thank everyone for their support this year - it's meant so much to me to be able to work like I do, especially given the issues I've been having with my mental and physical health, and the constant support has just been phenomenally meaningful to me, especially as I'm able to do what I love, full time!

Summary of New Works

Fantasy Short: King's Sentence

Valorous King is ten years old when his family ship him to boarding school, just around the corner.

Rated T, 5k. Some young Valorous King coming to board at Idloes Academy. Thinking I’ll do some vignettes and bits of pieces in a loose series for this, just around Valorous and other kids, his teachers, and Myrddin Wyllt!

Read on Patreon / / Read on Medium

Romance Short: Saint Jude's Kitchen

After an injury stops him working, a failing deckhand gets a new lease on life.

20k, rated M, cis M/M romance and light comedy! Themes around cooking and nurturing, identity and sense of self, and complex family dynamics. Adapted from a TweetFic.

Read on Patreon / / Read on Medium

Erotic Short: A Good Show

Erotic short. A captain watches his sailor put through his paces.

A little erotica, cis M/trans M, 600 words! More of Captain Tom Warren and Samuel Coates with a third — some voyeurism, overstimulation, a few tears, D/s, and a little DP!

Read on Patreon / / Read on Medium

Romance Short: Superior Service

An overworked business consultant struggles with his new assistant.

Rated M, M/M, 2.7k. Silly short with a nasty little businessman being thawed out by a nasty but efficient new secretary. Mild humour and seduction. Adapted from a TweetFic.

Read on Patreon / / Read on Medium

Final Installment: Gerald Poole and the Pirates

Part IV/IV.

A distinctly queer adventure full of internal conflict ensues when a gentleman and a sailor are captured by pirates.

A little bit of adventure, romance, and queerness in the 18th century Mediterranean!

Read on Patreon / / Read on Medium

Deep Space Nine Fanfic Update: Interpersonal Studies

Julian and Garak are respectively now stranded in Cardassia City on Cardassia Prime, each of them at the mercy of the machinations of Enabran Tain and Pythas Lok - meanwhile, they're aware that Kira Nerys is also on the planet, but neither of them have any idea of knowing where or who she's with.

Read on Ao3

Yakuza Fanfic: Majima Unobserved

Kiryu Kazuma/Majima Goro, Rated M, 1.5k. Character study, set between Yakuza 0 and Kiwami 1.

Kiryu Kazuma has learned, some ways into this thing he has with Majima, that Majima isn't the same in all situations.

Read on Ao3

Yakuza Fanfic: New Skin

Kiryu Kazuma/Majima Goro, Rated E, 1.9k. Set during Kiwami 1. CW for consent issues and undernegotiated public sex.

Majima did say he could be anywhere, at any time.

Read on Ao3

TweetFic: Work/Life Balance

A junior navigator and a department chief on a spacefaring cruise-liner! Some sex, some electricity, some aliens, some age gap!

Read on Twitter

[wits-writing]

Halloween 2018 (Movie Review)

[Patreon]  [Ko-Fi]

I’ve gone into it before on this blog, but one of the things I’ve been trying to do since I started writing regular movie reviews is to broaden my palette for various genres, primarily with horror. So before going into the reboot-sequel of the franchise, I decided to finally watch the original 1978 John Carpenter’s Halloween for myself. Watching it in a world of where the tropes of slasher movies it helped codify have been played out, parodied and revived multiple times over the decades, made seeing how the tropes were initially contextualized a fascinating experience. The original still holds up on entertainment value as a horror movie due to believable performances from the lead actors, especially Jamie Lee Curtis as Laurie Strode, with Carpenter’s direction and score helping to turn Michael Myers into one of the pillars of horror movie villain icons.

Halloween 2018 from director David Gordon Green, the third movie in the franchise to just be called “Halloween”, goes back to basics by ignoring everything outside of the original. Focusing on Laurie’s plans to bring Michael down once and for all after he escapes during a prison transfer, the movie aims to make audiences scream and cheer as a conflict forty years in the making gets brought to a head.

[Full Review Under the Cut]

Halloween 2018 doesn’t go out of its way to make a point of how none of the movies besides the original matter to this one with any meta-commentary, outside of one or two throwaway exchanges. If there is one thing it takes a subtle focus on to criticize other entries in the series, it’s trying to explain the “Why” of Michael Myers. One of those throwaway exchanges involves the “Laurie is Michael’s sister” retcon that was thrown into the second movie to explain why he seemed focused on her. The setup staying as simple as possible worked to the advantage of the 1978 movie, but overexplaining the setup of a horror antagonist tends to happen as these franchises go on for better or worse. The new movie uses the retconning of the other movies as an opportunity to get closer to the more subdued tone of the original, while still doing some works towards escalating the conflict by focusing it on Laurie Strode’s four decades worth of preparation to kill Michael.

Laurie’s characterization initially gets built from how others see her and how the trauma she went through forty years ago has informed much of how she led her life since. We’re introduced to her in an isolated home in the woods outside Haddonfield through the eyes of two true-crime podcasters, Aaron (Jefferson Hall) and Dana (Rhian Rees), who run down how her preparations in case of Michael’s escape have alienated her from her family. There’s a vulnerable side to her shown during early scenes where she does attempt to reconnect with her daughter, Karen (Judy Greer), and granddaughter, Allyson (Andi Matichak). Karen’s working through her own trauma as she only looks back on growing up with Laurie as a mom in the context of how social services came to take her away when she was twelve. Allyson alternatively wants to believe there’s a chance for them all to reconnect as a family. Interactions with her family give Laurie the necessary sense of emotional vulnerability in this movie, keeping her hardened outlook on life from becoming one-note.

On the other side of the coin is The Shape himself, portrayed again by Nick Castle with James Jude Courtney and Tony Moran reprising the role of the unmasked Myers. The pre-credits sequence re-establishes Michael’s detached persona as Aaron tries desperately to ring any kind of reaction from him by presenting him with his mask and mentioning the events of the original movie, only to walk away with nothing. Cutting to the opening credits mid-provocation along with the credits themselves being a clever evolution of the original’s mix well together to set the tone for how the movie aims to escalate without pushing the premise fully into absurdity. How this affects the Michael’s presentation becomes clear as the first major suspense sequence, featuring him going through a gas station, pushes his kill count above the original before he even gets to Haddonfield itself.

A theme that carries through the movie that connects Laurie and Michael, besides her preparations to kill him, comes from how people are desperate to understand Michael while dismissing Laurie as someone they’ve already figured out. They mistake Michael’s silence for a puzzle to be solved, when his unrelenting actions should be enough to speak for themselves. Laurie’s dedication to preparing for a confrontation with him has unquestionably strained her relationship with her family, but her understanding that there’s no logic to why Michael goes after certain people with such dedication is why she’s capable of making the stand she does against him this time.

The proper showdown between Laurie and Michael is what the marketing for Halloween 2018 was built around from the beginning and it doesn’t disappoint once it begins. Equipping her house with traps and herself with the weapons necessary to fight back makes this confrontation a back and forth where the question of who has the upper hand hangs over everything. This sequence also contains the best examples of this movie using the visual language of the 1978 movie to evoke mood rather than just existing as shallow reference. The path towards this showdown mostly consists of a similar setup to the original movie of Michael moving quietly through Haddonfield’s suburbs in a series of buildups to kill sequences with some decent stories involving the normal life of Allyson and her friends thrown in. There’s even a well-executed minor twist towards the end that manages to build tension for the characters going into the showdown at Laurie’s home.

Seeing Halloween 2018 a day after watching the original for the first time without any of the rest of the franchise taking up space in my mind, outside of secondhand knowledge through cultural osmosis, makes an interesting lens to see how Drew Gordon Green worked to create a well-crafted update on the horror of the original. It manages to use what was setup within that movie to craft tension and thrills in its own way with some pretty good payoff in the end.

[utopianparadoxist]

Here’s a post on Joey’s Hero Title--The MAID of LIGHT!--and how understanding it strengthens our reading of Joey’s struggles with neglect and loneliness, her STRIFES, her skills and abilities, and more! We even look at some interesting foreshadowing for where her arc may be going in the next Acts!

(Credit to @thricequeen and @dahniwitchoflight for providing key details that feed into my own speculation, btw! Thanks a ton, peeps)

Classpecting has so far been a hugely underappreciated part of Hiveswap’s narrative, and I’d like to change that. This post is also a focused introduction on Classpects in general, and should ideally be perfectly easy to follow if you’re a new Hiveswap fan with no exposure to the system from Homestuck! 

I do have to warn, however, that there will be Homestuck Spoilers in this essay. So heads up about that! Now, on to some bad news. I have similar Classpect essays brainstormed for Xefros Tritoh and Jude Harley. But alas, it may be a while before I can write those. 

As excited as I am to post this, it comes with an announcement I wish I wasn’t making. If you enjoy this essay and want to know more about future content from me, please read on.

So. Shit kind of hit the fan for me recently, and I may be going on hiatus from this analysis/Youtube venture soon. To give you an idea of what my life is like at the moment:

I’ve been massively struggling with unmedicated anxiety and ADHD (at least) since Trumps’ election. I’ve been bouncing from job to job, doing well enough but never QUITE well enough to be actually stable. 

I’m currently employed as a contractor for a really promising position…! That I keep waiting to get assignments on. It’s been weeks, and it hasn’t happened yet. And I can’t afford to wait like this. 

I live in a one bedroom apartment with three other people. My wonderful, amazing, caring and supportive best friend--who’s essentially been funding my wild venture at doing this patreon thing from the beginning--has been withering under the toxic enviroment in his workplace. He’s developed chronic back pain that’s quickly becoming a serious concern to us. 

Also, I’m several thousand dollars in credit card debt due to heavy expenses while I helped said best friend escape his abusive home life. So is he.

On top of that, my family may now be looking at like two months without electricity due to Puerto Rico being pounded by hurricanes. And for the last year or so, I’ve been unable to help with...anything. Worse, I can barely help myself and have occasionally turned into a drain on the resources of the people I care about.

The only reason I’ve thought of this Patreon venture as worthwhile up until now is because of the moments I WAS able to make a difference here, in this community--whenever I make someone feel better about Homestuck, or help people make new connections they find exciting. 

Starting this Patreon venture has been the best decision I’ve ever made because of that feeling. It’s been worth everything. I’ve made wonderful friends, and It gives my life meaning. I love it. It has also, financially, been the worst decision I’ve ever made--at least for the time being.

Thinking out and writing these posts has involved intense mental effort that pretty much takes over my life until I’m done doing it, and that combined with my mental issues and financial instability has made it impossible to build any coherent structure to either my work or my life.

Yet still, I want so badly to keep doing it.

The hell of it is, I know I’m right about Homestuck. Both in that I make as close to accurate statements about it as we’ve seen as a community thus far (I’m sure I don’t have everything right, but I’m working on it) and in that I am fundamentally correct to believe in it. 

Homestuck, and the broader universe it is building are the kinds of stories that can make the world a better place. I want to help make that possible, and that will never change.

But for the time being, I have to focus on taking care of me and mine and getting my life in order. So I am posting this as my final gambit.

I’m not asking for handouts. But feel free to read this essay--or watch the video version I’ll be putting out before I temporarily close up shop. You can also check out my Patreon, which I’ve now updated with nearly all of my written work as well as with links to my videos.

I am confident in pretty much everything posted there, and I think odds are good any particular link will lead you to make connections about Homestuck you hadn’t before. Real cool ones, too! If you find that useful to you, and you like reading and engaging with this content, then please consider throwing me a buck on Patreon. 

At the time of writing, I have about 1,100 followers on Tumblr. If I was up to about 1,000 on Patreon, I’d at least be able to take care of myself without burdening the people I love further and focus on this work in a healthy way.  More than that and my life could start getting better, meaning my work would become better as well.

So for you guys, that means about half of my follower base choosing to give me a dollar a month would be plenty. Or a quarter choosing to give me two. I don’t really think it’s insurmountable, which is why I’m posting this. 

For right now, I’d love to write Classpects posts similar to Joey’s on Jude and Xefros. I’m also just entering the next phase of Homestuck: Explained, which means--among other things--making a concise and accessible video on the Classpect system for non-fans. I think this joey post makes clear I’d do a pretty good job at it! 

Alas, barring the outrageous success of this post, I’m gonna be putting them off for a little while so I can focus on my next steps. If you’d like to see more of that stuff sooner, helping me out would be a great way to get it.

And I will clarify that even if you’re willing, I would rather you don’t support this venture unless you’re A) An Adult and B) Financially stable and sure you’re comfortable with doing so! That should go without saying, but I would really hate for someone to put themselves or their families out by trying to support me.  Worst case scenario, I’ll get back to this eventually. 

Thanks for everything up until now. And whether I’m presently around or not in the coming weeks…

Keep rising.

[Patreon]

[masked-disciple]

I was briefly introduced to the College Boys through your Camp NaNoWriMo story, so can I have some random facts about them?

I’ve saved this question for near the last part because hoo boy I want to yell about my Boys. Character designs are from Rinmaru with the exception of one Jules portrait, which was done by @zerolr. She also helped me create these with the exception of Lusmos, since he came later. I do believe she also has commissions open so if y’all want to buy her art, do it. Her art is awesome and she drew me Prius for like five bucks, and then I think I tipped her like another five. It was awesome and she is awesome. (Besides like- we’ve been friends for like six years and that’s good.)

So, let’s start. The College Boys are Julius (Jules), Ethan, Judas (Jude), Richard (Richie), and Lusmos. We are going through them in that order. This’ll be formatted differently because I know very specific things about them.

Julius MacIlast, Prince of Creation

Looks 27 or so. Actually around 300-400 years old. 

Irish Gaelic. Also an android, but has the accent and lived in Ireland for most of his childhood with his adopted father, Mike.

He and Prius, his destructive counterpart, look identical save for experienced things (like scars + Prius’ ankle injury). If you took Prius and coloured him white and blue instead of black and red, you’d get Jules. They also sound identical, and both require glasses.

He and Prius have a very love-hate relationship due to the original spells placed on Kharos and Lusmos. They key off of each other’s passion and are always either viciously trying to kill each other or about three seconds from professing their love to each other in some sort of Shakespearian style. They are aware of why this happens and generally blame the other for it. Reason goes out the window.

While in college, he’s currently majoring in architecture. He enjoys drawing all sorts of things from cute, chubby girls to his roommates to watercolour landscapes and fantasy-style creatures.

Once dated a girl who was actually a godshard of Lusmos. She has since vanished, but he still loves her a little and just kinda Dies in a good way when Lusmos does things she used to do. Still has all her sketchbooks and won’t let anyone touch them. (waves at Mireille)

Owns a legitimate katana. Unfortunately has no idea how to use it and mainly just has it to act more threatening since his lack of any sort of scars and vigorous shaving makes him look like a child sometimes.

Demi-bisexual. Has only ever been interested in like, three people. However, he tends to run from any sort of romantic confrontation if he isn’t completely sure of what’s going on, due to past experiences.

Smokes cigarettes when stressed, cries a whole lot when he can’t.

Loves one-upping people when he can get away with it. Is conscious of accidentally mansplaining and will literally never give you his opinion unless you ask and then confirm you want it at least four times. But if you ask one of his roommates, he’ll infodump in about 0.3 seconds.

Is the most likely to put streaks in his hair that are the bisexual and asexual pride flag colours for a pride celebration and then forget to take them out when he goes to work.

Has had a job at Orange Julius and absolutely hated the work and only went because he knew he had to for the bragging rights.

Ethan Rodriguez, Minor God of Discovery

Looks about 24, probably around 250-300 years old.

I like to think he’s Indian, or some other world’s counterpart to that. (For those who keep doing the outdated thing like me; I mean Indian-from-India, not Native American.)

Super scene. Has natural black hair but loves putting neon colours into it and the obvious black and white horizontal stripes thing into the bangs that scene kids keep doing.

Has some ear piercings, but once saw a guy get a lip piercing ripped out of his face and refuses to have any more piercings. Has not acknowledged that he could become Van Gogh with that attitude.

Adores plushies and will do anything to get his hands on cute plushies. Big or small, Webkinz or not, he loves his plushies and dolls. (Less so plastic ones- he likes huggable ones.)

Supposedly has a girlfriend named Monica that he’s always texting. Nobody has ever seen her and the rest of the boys are fairly certain he made her up. (She exists and will be featured in Starlight, most likely.)

Majors in hardware technology- surgical equipment technician or something like that. Absolutely adores sterile rooms and gore. Creepy hospitals are probably his favourite thing besides ghost children.

Would put a lacy bow on vicious gore and tell everyone how cute it is. Is probably the most destructive out of the five and nobody’s sure why he’s allowed near Lusmos at all.

Actually half-vampire, along with his little sister, Lily. This is one reason for his longevity, the other reason being Lusmos’ influence.

Is consistently the one sent to Haridor when the Boys need to get shit done with the Powers involved. Mainly because he’s the only one who can put up with Prius for any length of time.

Token straight character. He knows this and will not hesitate to play the innocently ignorant straight boy trope and pretend he has no idea that queer people exist. (Example: “I didn’t know the husband wasn’t invited to Lebanese weddings… That’s an interesting tradition. [bats eyes innocently]”)

Judas Hampton, Minor God of Justice

Looks 29, probably around 300 years old. Regarded as the oldest of the Boys.

Definitely and obviously English. Lost the accent, but hasn’t descended into saying ‘y’all’ yet.

Most serious out of the bunch. Acts very faithful to his law studies and cannot stand people who use logic to play devil’s advocate. Is the most likely to throw a very heavy law book at you if he thinks you’re wrong.

Insists he has no need for a girlfriend. Most people think he’s too focused on his studies. Is actually super fucking gay for Richie, who shall never know because he’s an idiot.

Ended up accidentally becoming Tarathiel’s older brother figure. Enjoys her company and took her with him to Ilya Karina during Wild’s Eye to go harass Maria about Apocalypse.

Is that kind of organized messy who has three piles of clothes on the floor: dirty, wore but doesn’t smell so can be worn again, and clean. Knows where everything is and is prone to crying if someone tries to organize his stuff.

Cares too much about hygiene except when it’s too much effort, like doing laundry consistently. Constantly stealing all of Ethan’s perfumed soaps because he won’t admit to liking them.

Owns two ferrets, of which he shares his immortality with. He loves his little furry scarves.

Can write you a proposal to get around any spell’s restrictions. Is very creative in how he words things and can get anyone to agree with him. Uses this power for good.

Loves talking about things he’s interested in, and often explains things to himself that he already knows over and over just because he likes going over the information. Will infodump about everything ever without noticing, but gets really excited when someone does it right back to him and he just nods and sorta bounces in his seat and hyperfocuses on the person infodumping to him.

Tries to keep a poker face at everything, usually only fails in the face of a gay joke. Likes pointing at curved things and saying they’re straighter than he is. (Often mocks his roommates’ parking jobs by saying he’s straighter than that.)

Will take a shot every time someone asks him what it was like falling from heaven.

Richard Piearson, Minor God of the Fine Arts, Messiah of Creation

Looks around 23-24. Baby faced. Probably around 250-275 years old.

Southern American boy. Probably from Texas.

Could have been a frat boy if he’d ended up dorming with the wrong guys. Unfortunately, he landed himself with the rest of the College Boys.

Majoring in fine art and design. Makes most of his living drawing MLP and livestreaming. Will not draw NSFW unless paid extra, but will do special streams for his Patreon.

Completely unaware that Jude has a crush on him. Would reciprocate if he knew, but is more concerned with Twilight Sparkle’s love life than his own.

Lusmos’ Messiah of Creation, counterpart to Terrance Redface. The only time he’s serious is when he has to do Messiah things, and it’s scarily out of character for him. He doesn’t mind it, personally, and some part of him enjoys terrifying others with the 180 he’ll do on his personality.

Enjoys fandom meta and shipping, often together, but tries to stay out of drama. Apologizes if he messes up and actually does not do it again. (For those who are wondering, yes, he does ship Flashlight. Timber can go fuck himself he’s like 30.)

Probably the cutest College Boy. Has a few girls around the internet who want to love him. Despite the bisexual stereotypes, he wouldn’t know if someone had a crush on him if he made out with them for fifteen minutes straight.

Adores flower crowns and the pastel self care and love aesthetic. Probably has a blog based around that and gets his roommates to pose for photography that he can edit and post onto that blog showcasing how pretty and handsome they all are. (They don’t always show it, but all actually enjoy participating in this.)

Tries to get his roommates to watch MLP with him. Ethan is the only one who will as of right now, but he keeps trying.

Probably bipolar to some degree, and experiences periods of mania. His productive output ends up quite questionable during these periods.

Is the one sent to Ilya Annwna because Queen Titania can’t stand to hurt someone as cute as him. He thinks she’s weird and doesn’t trust her for her friendship with Prius.

Kind of possessive of his roommates, due to bad experiences with his blood family and considering the Boys his only family. Will very well cling to their legs and beg them not to go. For this, it’s common for him to get carried around because he got scared they’d leave. 

Sometimes Lusmos will kiss his forehead trying to reassure him and Richie is completely convinced that nothing can hurt him for 24 hours after that, and then must be talked out of doing dangerous things because he thinks he’ll be fine and it’ll be fun.

Lusmos, God of Creation

This is not his Fall of Ilya Serina outfit. I have a basic idea of that sketched out somewhere and it is difficult to fucking draw.

As Jules is his vessel and he alters their body when he’s fronting, they look different sometimes. Still looks Irish, and looks a little older- about 29ish.

Technically functions as a multiple system with Jules, as Lusmos is possessing his body. However, he conjures an illusion that is solid enough to touch that makes it look like they aren’t using the same body. Sometimes, he forgets it is an illusion.

Actually some sort of elder god. Likes to pretend his pantheon doesn’t exist because his family has issues.

Wears a ribbon that Kharos used to wear, because there are spells on him that make him want Kharos around 24/7.

Highkey in love with Jules. Lowkey also in love with Richie, but has noticed Jude’s affections and knows better than to get involved. Isn’t actually jealous and figures they’ll be happy together if Richie ever stops being a dumbass and notices Jude.

Adores small animals, especially Jude’s ferrets.

Hates children, as they remind him of Kharos. Prefers the company of adults and ends up coming across as scornful and douchey around teenagers, as he doesn’t understand them.

Is super gay, but would make out with a girl for a Klondike bar. Isn’t averse to girls, but it isn’t his cup of tea.

Has a sweet tooth that can never be completely sated. Can always be bribed with candy.

Hates not being able to help or do things, and definitely hated not being able to do shit in Fall.

Is not above sassing his roommates or generally being dramatic around them in a lighthearted manner.

When given something, often gives about 500% back because he doesn’t quite understand how debt works and is very grateful for everything ever given to him.

Hides the darker parts of creation, like endless mutation that leaves things a warped shadow of what they were. Likes to pretend they don’t exist, then turns a blind eye to them and the problems they cause. Won’t try to justify it but won’t admit to its faults, either.

[danielphowley]

What it takes to play video games for a living: Insane hours and tons of stress

Streamers like Ben Bowman can spend up to 18 hours a day 7 days a week streaming games for a living.

Seven days a week, 12 to 16 hours a day for two years straight. That’s how often 31-year old Ben Bowman, a professional streamer, livestreamed video games on Amazon’s (AMZN) Twitch from 2013 to 2015. Today, with an audience of more than 640,000 followers, Bowman has cut back on his streaming … to six days a week.

It turns out, streaming video games for a living isn’t all fun and, well, games. And the medium, which is supported by heavyweights like Twitch, Google’s (GOOG, GOOGL) YouTube Gaming and Microsoft’s (MSFT) Mixer is only growing.

According to Lewis Ward, research director for gaming and augmented and virtual reality at Gartner, Inc., a third of mobile gamers said they have created video or livestreamed content in the past month. And that doesn’t take into account the huge number of streamers on consoles and PCs.

The demand justifies this supply. According to a recent survey conducted by Piper Jaffray, 61% of teenagers said they watch other people play video games on YouTube, Twitch or other sites.

But becoming a successful streamer is incredibly difficult, time consuming and, for most people, just about impossible.

Living off of a game

According to Ward, the number of streamers who can support themselves by streaming is in the hundreds worldwide. “That’s out of a gamer base of over a billion people globally,” he said.

Top streamers can earn anywhere from thousands to millions of dollars a year in subscription fees, tips and sponsorships from gaming peripheral makers. Of course, becoming one of the lucky few who make millions isn’t easy.

Violet Miller streams games 6 days a week and hopes to continue doing it for as long as possible.

“It’s almost as hard to break into this top tier as to win the lottery,” Ward said. “It’s a one-in-a-million type thing. You can do everything right and invest tons of time and effort and get nowhere for no particular reason.”

He added, “It’s probably easier to break through as a band or rap group. It’s that hard, partly because the barrier to entry is so low.”

How low exactly? If you’ve got a camera and a game to play, you’re more or less set to stream. What’s more, the demands of the job can have a serious impact on streamers’ lives.

How they make their cash

Successful streamers don’t simply play games for 20 minutes at a time and call it a day. Violet Miller, who goes by DistractedElf on Twitch, streams 8 hours a day, 6 days a week, while LucyMae, IAmLucyMae on Microsoft’s Mixer, streams 8 to 10 hours a day.

Streaming for that long means streamers have to both play the games, usually well, and perform for their audiences. “Your living is inherent in your ability to entertain and to keep people interested in your content,” Miller explained.

Streamers make their cash in a number of ways. Twitch allows streamers with an “established and steady growing audience and chat” who broadcast three times a week or more to join the service’s Partner Program. Partners split ad revenue with Twitch and earn cash through subscriptions from viewers. Subscribers can opt for $4.99, $9.99 or $24.99 per month subscriptions for access to special perks available in their favorite streamers’ feeds.

A subscription can, for example, net you access to subscriber-only chat, custom emoticons and chat badges, ad-free viewing and more. Viewers can also make direct donations. Then there are sites like Patreon that allow fans to pay streamers directly for rewards like behind-the-scenes video.

Streamers can receive additional income through patronage sites like Patreon.

Beyond the time streaming requires, being a full-time streamer has a number of other drawbacks. Professionals have to regularly deal with the seedier side of online life in the form of trolls who are more interested in harassing the streamer than watching the game they’re playing. To that end, streamers employ friends and, in some instances, professional moderators to keep their chats clean.

A toxic chat environment can turn off followers. And since streamers depend on their subscribers and followers to make ends meet, trolls can have an impact on a streamer’s earnings.

Keeping up subscriber numbers is integral to being a successful streamer.

“It’s a stressful lifestyle, I’ve got to say,” Miller said.

If subscriber numbers drop, so too will a streamer’s monthly income.

“One month you might get a huge tip from someone and you’re walking on air the rest of the month, and then the next month might be really tight and super worrying,” Miller said. “It’s super variable and you’re always worried the next [month] is going to be the one you’re not going to be able to pay your rent on time.”

Some streamers will even abuse their bodies to prevent their numbers from retreating or to get a short-term boost. Miller says she’s seen streamers take shots of alcohol each time they get a certain number of subscribers.

To be clear, Twitch’s Community Guidelines specifically state that streamers are prohibited from using illegal drugs or drinking excessively during streams. YouTube Gaming and Mixer have similar guidelines. In fact, Microsoft specifically calls out asking for donations for alcohol in its Rules of User Conduct.

Building your personal brand

To be successful, full-time streamers need a personal brand that viewers can connect with—something that makes fans want to come back to over and over again. Miller keeps her fans hooked by playing slower-paced games that allow her to chat with subscribers without losing focus like she would in faster games. She also streams tabletop games like “Dungeons and Dragons.”

Bowman got started by streaming his own speed runs, which require a player to attempt to beat a game as quickly as possible. But after experiencing pain in his wrists and hands due to the precision needed to complete speed runs, Bowman decided to jump to the then-new game “Destiny.” Since then, Bowman has seen his followers grow from 42,000 to more than 600,000.

Of course, one of the biggest issues when it comes to streaming is consistency. To build an audience of loyal followers, streamers need a set schedule that they follow religiously. If they’re not streaming when their viewers expect them to, they can choose to simply find another streamer and never look back.

The end game

For some streamers, the thrill of being able to do what they love — play video games for adoring fans — is enough to keep them streaming for for the foreseeable future. Miller says she’ll continue performing for as long as streaming is popular.

“My fervent hope is that I can continue doing this for quite a bit longer. And if it turns into something, I hope it turns into something within the industry, the game industry,” she said.

Bowman has used his streaming success to launch a charity similar to the one that initially peaked his interest in streaming. Dubbed GuardianCon, the charity is a multi-day event for fans of the game “Destiny” that raises money for St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital. Last year, Bowman said, GuardianCon raked in $1.3 million for the hospital.

“I’m very much focused on creating a personal brand and working with the people that I work with already on Twitch and turning it into something good,” he said.

For the rest of the streamers out there, there’s always the next game.

More from Dan:

Hands on with Google’s Home Mini and Max: Taking aim at Amazon and Apple

Hands on with Google’s Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL: Seriously impressive smartphones

Samsung and ADT are merging the worlds of home security and automation

Roku unveils new line of streaming devices following IPO

‘Cuphead’ review: Insane boss battles and cartoons. Yep, it’s nuts.

SNES Classic Review: The Super Nintendo is back, and you’re in for nostalgia overload

Why you should buy a TV antenna. Yes, really.

Email Daniel at dhowley@yahoo-inc.com; follow him on Twitter at @DanielHowley.

[thesylverlining]

Cool Announcement Time, guys. :D For the first time since Chameleon Moon, I’m doing a new series. Two, actually. Less superheroes. More vampires. Same level of Emotion and Marginalized People Being Awesome.

Introducing STAKE SAUCE and DEATH MASQUERADE!

Part 1, “The Secret Ingredient Is Love. No, Really” Contains Punk-Rock Vampires, Complex Polyamory Webs, Portland OR Remaining Weird, Intense Feels, Pain, Catharsis, Healing, Puns, and Very Significant Sauce. (The secret ingredient isn't love. It's not love at all!)

Here's a blog post with more info on both of them

The first Stake Sauce chapter is available for pre-order on Amazon/Kindle (launching April 30th!)

And a Patreon with More Chapters and Tons of Bonus Content

More detailed synopses/links are under the cut, and at the blog post above! Thank you so much for reading/boosting! (Reblogging would be super appreciated. <3)

I think it’s gonna be fun.

Launching April 30th on Amazon Kindle – the first part of my new 6-part serial story, Stake Sauce! ARC 1: THE SECRET INGREDIENT IS LOVE. NO, REALLY. Features Punk-Rock Vampires, Complex Polyamory Webs, Portland Remaining Weird, Intense Feels, Pain, Catharsis, Healing, and Puns. (And As Usual, Everybody Is LGBT, Often Disabled, And Never Exploited For Shock/Suffering/’Inspirational’ Value!)

The story continues on Patreon! Supporters will get one Stake Sauce chapter a month, no waiting for the complete 6 Acts – which drops in October! As soon as Death Masquerade starts in 3 months, the same applies there! (This Patreon also contains a Veritable Crapton of bonus content, like monthly exclusive short stories, sneak peeks, aesthetics, and art! Patrons can also request writing/bonus stories!)

STAKE SAUCE ARC 1: 

THE SECRET INGREDIENT IS LOVE. NO, REALLY.

IN WHICH: A cute punk-rock vampire and a disabled firefighter-turned-mall-cop with a dark past join forces to battle the forces of evil.

Jude used to leap out of helicopters to rescue/protect people from terrifying infernos. Now, by day, he protects the local mall from rowdy teenagers who ride their skateboards inside. By night, he protects the the parking lot, and the rest of Portland, from undead, bloodsucking creatures of the darkness. Or would if he could find them.

But he’s just about ready to give it up (living with PTSD and pain from the traumatic event that cost him a leg, a friend, and a lot more is hard enough), when something crashes into his life. And his window.

It’s one of these creatures of the darkness – and he’s a lot less scary than expected. More cuddly, with dark fuzzy wings, and neon-bright hair.

His name is Pixie, and he refuses to bite anyone. Assault/murder/draining fluids isn’t punk, even if being a vampire really kind of is. He’s very hungry by now, and the much bigger, meaner, deadlier vamps kick him around on the nightly. Jude would love to find and fight some actual undead bullies. And Pixie could use some help staying… ‘alive.’ Time to make a deal.

Together they fight crime. And maybe even heal.

Of course, life still sucks when you’re a vampire who refuses to suck blood. Fortunately, there’s a really interesting new barbecue restaurant in the mall, with an intriguing new recipe. (We hear that the secret ingredient is… love. No, really.)

And Coming soon, Stake Sauce’s companion series, Death Masquerade!

150 years ago and several thousand miles away, the story began. And continues. These will both run at the same time, and as usual, Everything Is Connected. (Hi, Chameleon Moon fans!)

DEATH MASQUERADE ARC 1: 

THE SWEET NIGHT GODDESS (working title)

We pick up in 19th-century Venice, Italy, where we follow Letizia, spell-slinging, rooftop-leaping witch/seer/bounty hunter specializing in vanquishing hordes of the night, and her fabulous opera-star paramour, whose name burns in the brightest lights as she lights up the stage. MonaLisa holds records for most sold-out shows in a consecutive season, and longest full stage name. Her smile will melt your heart… and reveal some very pointy pearly whites. (Letizia knows. She’s cool with it. More than cool.)

When the no-nonsense Investigatore Giovanni is called in to address the ominous spike in Venice’s deadly murders, the last thing he wants to hear is that the culprit didn’t have a pulse. These ritualistic killings, all in front of or near cathedrals suggest occult serial attacks, not a monster-of-the-week… but he has to admit, things are getting pretty strange, and he could use a guide on this journey through the city’s underworld.

Letizia is that tarot-reading, deadpan-snarking, fiendishly effective guide, and she thinks it’s pretty obvious who/what’s behind these grisly scenes. And it’s not like she’s never dealt with fangs before. She’s got the situation under control… Until another body shows up right outside MonaLisa’s opera house – dedicated to the “Sweet Night Goddess.” Looks like the opera-world darling has an overzealous fan. Or maybe someone knows her secret.

Giovanni has a lead. Letizia has an Incentive. MonaLisa has a show to put on, no matter who ends up dead on her doorstep, or who’d like to see her rising star go down in flames. And like in all good masquerades, nothing is as it seems.

This story also contains Sweet Priest Nerds, Nonbinary Fire Witches Who Kick Butt, Plague Doctor Masks for Aesthetics and Practicality, More Polyamory… and Bears.

Feel free to request an advance review copy of Stake Sauce, Act 1 (and the first bonus short story)! Available in .mobi, .ePub, .pdf and plain .doc forms!

And a huge thank you to the amazing Kraken Collective! These series wouldn’t exist without this wonderful publishing group, and my love is… undying.