#shoefaced-gemini

[insomniac-dot-ink]

Hello, there! I just found your blog via your post about focusing on being honest rather than good in your writing. It really resonated with me, but would you happen to have any personal tips or experiences you'd be willing to share regarding that concept? It's really difficult for me to be true to myself in my writing, both because I'm a people-pleaser and am not used to the vulnerability of writing honestly. Thank you for your time!

Sure! I can definitely give some tips. 

Being honest in your writing is really important. When people read they generally aren’t looking for factual honesty-- and while you should do your nuts and bolts research, most people are looking for emotional honesty.

What is emotional honesty? It’s more than simply naming an emotion such as “anger” or “sadness” but expressing the gritty details and complexity of it. It can mean adding small things like sentences like “I knew I had every right to be angry, but why did I feel so guilty for it? And why did that just make me more angry?”

Emotions are a complex beast and it takes time and practice to be able to express them in a sincere manner. Here are a few tips!

The Method

Work on Yourself

I know this sounds a little broad, but it’s important. There isn’t really any way around it, if you want to write honestly you have to discover truths about yourself and your own emotions. This can mean a lot of things!

You can journal for 15 minutes before you begin writing. Your journaling time can be anything you want. You can ask yourself some important questions like “how am I? What do I want? How am I feeling?” Often, building emotional intelligence starts with finding and identifying emotions. Just give it a name! Other ways to build emotional intelligence is to practice forgiveness and gratitude. Some people even keep “gratitude diaries” for everything they’re grateful for that day.

Personally, I built-up a lot of emotional intelligence through going to a hell of a lot of therapy for years and years since I was a young teen. This wasn’t something I did for my writing obviously but learning strategies to accept and talk about emotions has been vital to my process.

The first step to understanding emotions is accepting them so be sure to name your own emotions and then let them in, accept them in any shape or form. As Rumi said “This being human is a guesthouse” and we must let our emotions have enough room within us for a proper stay.

Building up emotional intelligence can take a long time, but it’s all-important so keep at it!

2. Meditative Writing

If you’re not big on journaling, you can do what I do, and set time aside before you write to focus-in on the feeling of the writing itself. What I do is set a timer for 5-10 minutes (I’ve been allowing more time for it recently) and sit on the floor with my eyes closed.

I think about how I want my story to go and then I specifically concentrate on the emotion I want to bring out. I hold that emotion I want to convey to the reader inside of myself until I’ve memorized it and then I sit down to write.

The Execution

1. Don’t state the emotion outright

While it’s important to name your own emotions, but don’t name them in writing. Don’t write “she was sad,” but that she was racked with sobs or surrounded by used tissues in a museum of choking germs and wet silence. Emotions are more like sensations then they are simple words and you have to invoke those sensations if you want to connect to your readers.

2. Apply your own experience

You don’t have to write your own autobiography, but you do have to capture emotions that you’ve felt before and apply them to your character. How does your rationality interact with your impulses? How does your determination interact with your despair? What is your internal world and what’s important to you?

This is an internal process you can access through turning inward and asking yourself “what do you I need say?” If you’re not sure, then try journaling or meditative writing again.

3. Access “scary” and conflicting emotions

People are more interested in your fears and anxieties and joys and fury and trauma than they are your indifference or surface-level feelings. You must be brave and face the deepest parts of yourself, and again, this takes practice. Let yourself access “strong” emotions as well as conflicting emotions.

As Chobsky writes in Perks of Being a Wallflower “So, this is my life. And I want you to know that I am both happy and sad and I’m still trying to figure out how that can be.”

Emotions are layered. There is shame hidden under anger hidden under despair with hints of grief. You must weave emotions in and out of themselves in order to capture some sort of truth. You’re allowed to let your characters not understand their emotions, but you must convey it strongly and without fear.

Such as “It was a funeral, but I couldn’t get myself to cry. I couldn’t even get myself to muster anything but relief that it was all over. What’s wrong with me? I think I am going to die for it.” Let it be messy. Let it be hard. Let it even be repulsive.

Honesty hurts, but people will be grateful for your honesty and grateful for the catharsis it brings.

I hope some of these tips helped! And good luck with your writing.

[imfemalewarrior]

I've been doing Yang Style Tai Chi for a few years now at a local institute. I'm trying to learn the self defense applications for each movement in the 24 form, but this process has been the hardest challenge for me because I struggle to isolate each movement from the form as a whole. Would you happen to know any advice or resources for learning applications? Thank you for your time!

I find practicing what you learned in class by yourself is really helpful because you can slow down each move and even stop at certain points to think about the next piece. This can also let you isolate particular movements, or work on only the arm movement, or only the foot movement, basically to go at your own slower pace than the class is set. 

You can also ask your teacher for advice before or after class, and then practice that on your own as well. 

-FemaleWarrior, She/They 

[forineffablereasons]

I apologize for saying this out of the blue, but I just found your blog and I am completely ENAMORED with your writing style. It's like it's walking the line between fluid prose and vivid, practically tangible poetry, and I can't stop finishing a piece just to rush onto the next. So essentially, your writing is fantastic and I admire it--and you--so much.

thank you so much!! i’m thrilled that you’re enjoying it, i have such a fun time writing these two!!

[desultory-suggestions]

G, J, and R for the letter asks!

G- good at?

Baking!

J- jealous of?

Singers, I wish I could sing!

R- Reason to smile?

My pets :)

[muzarry]

F, G, and U for the letter asks

F-favourite song?

Probably Thousand Years by Christina Perri or What hurts the most by Cascada, bangers

G-good at?

I'd say drawing and singing a bit!

U-3 biggest wishes?

This might sound dumb, but 1) I've always wanted to fly, 2) be rich probably and 3) live off of art in the future which kind of doesn't work out with the second wish but oh well.

[chimeresnervaliennes]

31 and 42

31. Puzzles or combat?

Usually puzzles! but when i got used to the combat system in botw it was much less stressful, but still i love puzzles a lot (love doing shrines!) 

42. Something you want in botw 2?

many things actually:

- a bigger limit for map markers (assuming the gameplay stays similar to botw)

- more map marker designs

- the option to have lefty Link

- Zelda being playable, or at least Zelda being relevant as a team partner or something (will probably happen)

- seeing the world receiving consequences of what we did in the first game (all the side quests being relevant for example)

- more mysteries being uncovered! really love all the theory videos there are about ruins and stuff, would love that to be more explored

Thanks for the ask! 😊

[mrs-bingley]

Flat white and mint tea!

Flat White : Coffee or Tea?I drink copious amount of both, but tea will always be my favourite hot beverage

Mint Tea : How do you relax?Playing games, listening to music or ASMR and reading. I choose depending on the mood and level of energy I have at that moment.

Thank you for asking 😊🌸

[casablancas]

5, 21, and 31!

5: how do you define your own aesthetic?i dont understand this question ksjhfjkds21: do you prefer movies or shows?depends on the genre tbh, but in general, probably movies

31: do you prefer more muted colors or bright pastels?pastels all da way!!

[ink-flavored]

🍎?

Whoops, I almost forgot about this ^^; Thank you!!

🍎 Favourite fruit?

Every time someone asks me this I change my answer. I love so many fruits...

Right now, it’s strawberries, but I’ve also answered pineapple, watermelon, and oranges. And now I’m hungry.

[get to know me!]

[thelostmoongazer]

30 Imin Conary please?

30. What does your character find repulsive or disgusting?

blood, actually. 

35. How does your character behave around people they like?

very relaxed and open with himself. he’s a bit of a nerd when you get to know him. he’ll end up going on and on about literature when you get him going. 

36. How does your character behave around people they dislike?

like a completely different person if you’re used to seeing him around people he’s comfortable with. he gets very cold and emotionless and will barely speak to anyone or respond unless he has to. 

[kindnotestoself]

Your blog has been helping so much today and the past couple days. I've been getting into a funk due to academic burnout, but your encouraging and positive posts and shares have kept it from spiraling into something worse. Thank you so much, and have a wonderful day

thank you so much! I

[mydepresso]

I like Buddy the Clown and I'm really curious to know more about them (personality, story, etc.)! It's okay if you don't want to talk about it but just wanted to let you know I'm intrigued with them and love their design!! Have a good one 👍

Oh boy! I never really thought Buddy trough. But I guess they’re just a clown from some kind of Clown Universe where Clowns roam free. Kinda like Imaginary friends from FHFIF? Or just an universe where Clowns are a thing as a species. Buddy’s thing is being depressed and paranoid but in like a chill way if that makes sense. The pin nose with a ball at the end is not painfull and actually feels kind of funny. Buddy can unhinge their jaw like a snake. It’s a defense mechanism that showcases the big sharp teeth, one of which is missing. It was a candy eating accident. Buddys’ head is detachable. Buddy has killed in self defence, and won’t hesitate to do it again, but as long as you keep your distance there’s a big chance he’ll become your buddy too!

[curious-shadow-cat]

What about one of your OCs in the Kirby art style? (Or Kirby with their traits since Kirby has that copy ability)?

I did both! As for Kirby’s moves:

Vil Kirby: Can attack with his tail, horns and use his wings to shield himself but he can’t use them to fly. The horns can change and toss his enemies around.

Gel Kirby: Can fly while the wings are on fire, can use golden brass knuckles, can burst into flames, get’s angry and starts attacking quicker. 

[pens-swords-stuff]

Assumption: You enjoy writing original work over writing fanfiction, but you still like doing both?

Yes? No?? Maybe???

Oh man, I actually have no idea which I like better. I adore writing fanfiction, and sometimes it’s all I do. I also love writing my original works, and it just really depends on what story I’m currently into at the time.

I do think that I wouldn’t love writing original works as much if I was writing them on my own — I have terrible ideas and usually, no ideas at all. My writing partner is fantastic at coming up with amazing ideas, and I just kinda piggy-back off of that!

At this current moment, I’m leaning towards original works over fanfictions, just because I am intensely in the mood for For Queen and Country. It’s just that thing I’m into right now, you know?

Thanks for sending this in!

Send me an assumption that you have about me, and I’ll confirm/deny it!

[orange-julius]

hey  @shoefaced-gemini, here’s a Rouxls Kaard thing. Sorry that it’s a bit sloppy.

[thel3tterm]

For the spoiler game! My story is called Psychopomp and the spoiler is: Revival (in more ways than one)

Send me a spoiler so vague it isn’t a spoiler anymore