#so I can do that! which is good news haha

[tokidokitokyo]

恥を捨てて

Throw Away Your Shame

When learning a new language, it's important to make mistakes.

I don't know about you, but the last thing I want to do is mess up in front of a native speaker of the language I am studying...

But, when I teach others English (my native language), I don't mind if they make mistakes.

So why am I so hard on myself? Why do I demand perfection of myself but accept less than perfection from others?

The answer to that may reveal some character flaws that I'm not willing to share yet, so we'll skip that and move on to: How can you be more forgiving to yourself when learning a language?

The first step is to try throwing away your shame and embracing the fact that you will make mistakes when practicing a new language. If someone who was learning your language spoke to you in a sentence with glaring mistakes, would you berate them in your mind? Or would you put the mistakes aside, appreciate their effort, and encourage them? (If the first, I'm not sure why you're learning a language yourself haha).

When I ran Japanese/English discussion groups with American and Japanese students, I learnt the phrase 恥を捨てる (haji o suteru) which means "to throw away your shame" (haji also means embarrassment but I like the feel of the word shame instead). I picked this phrase up, and started to use it during language exchange, especially with those who were just starting out. People who hadn't been learning either Japanese or English were overwhelmed with trying to pronounce a language very different than their own language, with different sounds and letters/characters and different grammar structures, and some of them were very shy and hesitant to make mistakes.

So I would just say, haji o sutete ne ("just throw away your shame, ok?"). And this usually helped them to relax because it's kind of funny and can be a good conversation starter. I also began repeating it to myself when I was practicing Japanese, essentially "faking it 'til I made it" because I am still scared of making dumb mistakes (even after more than 10 years).

So, if you are worried about making mistakes, it's okay, we all make mistakes. Even native speakers make mistakes. Most people don't care if you make mistakes (and if they do, why do you want to hang out with them?).

So go ahead and throw away your shame!

[luvwich]

✒️ writer interview tag

tagged by @dustdeepsea — tysm, this was great fun! read their answers here and mine, if you like, beneath the cut ✨

When did you start writing?

early 2023 was my first foray into writing actual fiction. prior to that i'd done an embarrassing amount of roleplaying many years ago, which i shall speak on no further, but it did form the basis for a lot of my writing now!

once upon a time, i seriously entertained the idea of an MFA in screenwriting, but went on to pursue something even stupider for grad school 👍

Are there different themes or genres you enjoy reading than what you write?

honestly everything i enjoy reading gets smuggled into my writing in some form or another!

Is there a writer you want to emulate or get compared to often?

there are like 26 different writers where i wish to take bits and pieces of their style, send it all into a meat grinder, and press the gunk into sausage casings to be dipped in batter and deep fried. ideally i want my writing to hit like wagyu beef that's been corrupted into a county fair corn dog. but no i'm not sure i've ever been compared to another writer! that would fuck my shit up truly (in a good way)

Can you tell me a bit about your writing space?

typically curled up on my couch, because the ergonomic status of my home office setup is terrible — potentially lethal. sometimes i stay late at my not-home office, hidden away in a dark conference room, but that's usually only if i'm on a self-imposed deadline (i.e. i've started posting a WIP)

What's your most effective way to muster up a muse?

the spark that gets me to write is usually some kind of Dynamic that i want to explore so i do a lot of noodling upon situations and then figuring out how to get there. and by situations i mean smut

also, writing bits of dialogue, even if i don't know the context yet. it gets a character's voice and mannerisms in my head, and gives me a little grain to start building on

sadly, going on a hike and/or reading a really good book are both very effective and by far the most time consuming

Are there any recurring themes in your writing? Do they surprise you?

longing, isolation, identity, the difference between the person you'd like to be and the person you are, strained/dysfunctional family relationships, wrong person right time, hope, blowjobs, self-deception, california, fucking your way through it, guilt, social class, mommy issues, mono no aware, oral fingering, etc; they don't surprise me anymore but the first time i finished a long fic and took a step back i was like "ohh haha Damn"

What is your reason for writing?

i am horny, sad n silly

Is there any specific comment or type of comment you find particularly motivating?

all forms of feedback are so touching! i think much of what i write is pretty niche, so simply knowing someone has read my stuff gets me pumped. a big essay of a comment is like receiving a love letter, and comments that are just an emoji are like someone's tucked a little note in my lunchbox, and both are incredibly nourishing to me. as far as motivation, though, anything that implies someone is looking forward to reading more is the surest way to light a fire under my people-pleasing ass

How do you want to be thought about by your readers?

affable wretch, trickster, wine aunt

What do you feel is your greatest strength as a writer?

i'm not sure any one thing stands out: i believe i'm pretty good in a few areas (dialogue, sensory detail, characterization) and notably lacking in others (action, "plot," pacing, not getting high on my own supply)… okay i'll stop being an asshole though and say my strength is in "delivering on a mood," if that is a thing

How do you feel about your own writing?

generally good. for one, i'm proud of myself for ever finishing and posting anything, because following through on shit isn't something i'm renown for. i tend to hate everything i write after i've gotten some distance from it, but i think that's normal? right? i'm new at it and it's all for fun so i try to be gracious with myself, with mixed success, because beneath my goofy exterior i do take everything too seriously

When you write, are you influenced by what others might enjoy reading, or do you write purely for yourself, or a mix of both?

mostly for myself; i do abstractly ask "would someone who isn't me enjoy this?" and never quite know the answer. like most humans i crave external validation and connection, but like a cactus i can survive on just a lil rainfall 🌵

tagging w/no pressure (but with my best barbara walters impression) @corpocyborg @ghostoffuturespast @merge-conflict @streetkid-named-desire @writing-for-soup

[doodlejoltik]

Guys I have a confession to make. In spite of all my PLA posting and especially Reiposting... I have not actually played PLA.

Until now!!!

Armed with my new Switch Lite I now possess infinite power and will be able to Reipost to a degree heretofore unfathomable

There he is!

Objectively the best starter Rowlet /lh

So far I have been having a blast catching 'mons, dodge-roll climbing my way up unreasonably tall places, and not doing the plot. I have been assured this is part of the experience.

I forgot to take a screenshot so I had to yoink this from someone's YouTube playthrough but darn. Kamado. Did you really have to say it like that

(Haha isn't it funny that Rei does do that and yet he's not fully accepted and trusted in the end. Haha. Maybe he didn't work hard enough...)

This line stuck out to me. On one hand it's cautionary - in context, it's meant to warn Rei that he should be careful in how he behaves around the Diamond and Pearl clans, since the Galaxy Team is in a tenuous position here in Hisui. But from another view, it sort of suggests that "we are all equally outsiders here. You belong" which is more explicitly stated in lines like this one:

And so I see this narrative that's building up of "Rei can earn a place for himself where he is trusted and accepted if he works hard enough", which is reinforced time and time again as he gets more star ranks, and takes more requests from the villagers, who gradually become friendlier towards him, at varying rates. (I've been making a point to talk to all the NPCs every time I return to Jubilife Village.)

Which I'm sure you all know already, and which I also knew, to a point, but it hits different actually seeing its gradual progression in game.

Anyway. Next episode, we fight a Noble Pokemon and I'll see if all my dodge-rolling experience to climb tall heights will translate to being good at dodge-rolling away from murderously angry super-powered Pokemon. Wish Rei luck, he's being piloted by me and my decidedly lacking gamer reflexes XDD

I'll tag all my PLA posting "// tik plays PLA"

[diminuel]

Hey, what do you think about the casting of Robin and Crocodile? 😊

As I said in a previous ask, I don't know anything about actors unless they were on Supernatural. I don't know if they're good actors that will fit the role (I suppose so, because they got the role and so far I've enjoyed the acting on the OP live action.) All I can offer is that they at look good and with the hair, make up and costume they can definitely look the part? Haha.

(I'm used to drawing fanart for live action series - which doesn't mean I'm good at (semi) realistic art just that it's not entirely new - so it's possible I'll draw OPLA accurate Crocodile one day. Or Crocodad. Or Dragodile. Thehe. And it helps if he's visually interesting to look at.)

[darkeyedghost]

I'm so pleasantly surprised, my mock results have actually been pretty good so far

[sysig]

A very normal scientist doing very normal gene splicing experiments (Patreon)

[zebratimw]

Spirit animal SQH

[bunnihearted]

🌷🕸️

[ebonytails]

GOT ACCEPTED INTO A LOCAL CON.. BABY'S FIRST ART MARKET

[sugajimin]

hello! i am here and also not here!

[blujayonthewing]

thinkin again about the time elyss's DM cut in to stop a conversation between her and a semi-retired player character to hurriedly take back control of him as an NPC before he could give her, as an extremely kind and thoughtful gift, one of his own personal belongings, and then said 'elyss can probably buy it from him though :)' instead

like. what an egregiously fucking shitty thing to do, actually.

[prrentiss]

wow hi

[elegyofthemoon]

SCREAMS

[toytulini]

i may not be able to open posts from my notes or messages or get more context on posts via looking at the notes, but at least i can make fucked up coffee properly now

[justthatspiffy]

.

[sysig]

Silly goofy StanNarrator (Patreon)