#sometimes you can also just used shorter sentences so there's no question of who is doing what

[naranjapetrificada]

I was just reading a fic with a blind character where his narration still uses those endemic visual descriptors like "the blond man" to describe a character whose hair color they have no reason to know yet.

This tendency already drives me up the wall in general but it's extra fun (derogatory) when someone has put so little thought into writing a disabled character that this could happen. I've also occasionally seen it get dicey before when stuff like skin color is invoked 😬

No one thinks about someone they're having a conversation with/about as "the blond man". Just use the characters' names and pronouns. Mix it up between them as needed. If you feel like it's not clear who a pronoun is referring to, restructure the sentence. I promise readers will be able to keep up.

Your writing will be better for it, with the added bonus of not accidentally attributing sight to a blind character's narration or potentially fetishizing racialized traits like skin color. But mostly your writing will be better for it.

[certifiedlovergirlsstuff]

little baby lime | s.r. x pregnant!fem reader

“does reid have a girlfriend?” emily asked derek and jj. they both shared a quizzical look with pouted lips, taken aback by the random question.

“not since that one time thing with that lila actress,” derek mumbled. now it was emily’s turn to be thrown off by this new information, “an actress?”

“an old case,” jj informed her. “spencer doesn’t seem like the dating type, mostly. never mentioned anything that might point to it, always doing his usual routine on his days off.” the blonde shrugged off her sentence.

“why do you ask?” derek turned back to emily who jerked her chin while looking behind the two, “cause he’s hugging a girl who might also be pregnant.” an impressed smirk to her mauve lips.

derek and jj wiped their heads fast around you could hear a crack from their necks. true to emily’s words, doctor spencer reid, well know to be a germaphobe, was wrapped in a tight embrace with a shorter woman. his back was to the trio but they could see that his arms were over her shoulders and hers were snug around his torso, also noting that spencer was giving both bodies a gentle sway.

“well that’s a sight,” derek teased. then jj followed with, “why might you think she’s pregnant? we can’t see with tall boy swallowing her.”

emily tapped the side of her nose, “saw her enter just before i asked the hundred dollar question and her tank was a bit snug on her stomach and she even gave it a rub.” eyes moving to the mystery duo then back, “then when spencer went to her he, one kissed her forehead then two also touched her stomach.”

three sets of eyes honed in back to spencer and his mystery guest. you leaned apart, head leaving spencer’s chest but arms wrapped to his back. you smiled brightly at spencer’s rosie face, “you’ve gotten prettier in only a week. not fair.” pouting exaggerated as you rubbed your palms along spencer’s spine.

he smiled nervously at the compliment. “that’s statistically not true. only with time and sometimes diet does your skin start to shift and change. like your body is doing now while going through pregnancy.” a quick peck upon your oily forehead, you sweat too much and sucks that summer is rolling in.

“this little lime is slowly stretching some of my clothes out. but i’m gonna be a sexy mama, like rachel green from friends. so i expect you to defend me against anyone.” teasing spencer since you already know he’ll defend you even over an argument about clothing.

before spencer could reply there was a loud, exaggerated cough from behind. stepping out of spencer’s hold you waffled your hands together and leaned your head against his bicep. a trio of agents you haven’t met before smiled questioning spencer’s way.

“pretty boy, you didn’t tell us you had a gorgeous girl waiting for you.” a tall dark skin man teased like an older brother. he looked at you and smiled his white teeth, “derek morgan, part of the bau.”

“oh, the playboy of the unit. i’ve heard a thing or two about you.” cocking a brow while derek showed surprise but covered it with a laugh, “glad to know i always leave an impression on pretty boy.”

“and thank you for the new nickname, i will be stealing it.” causing the two women to chuckle. a petite blonde woman stuck a hand out and you automatically took it, “i’m jennifer jareau, but you can call me jj. i’m the liaison for the team, deal with media and dictate our cases.”

“and a beaut. glad i snatch up spence before you had the chance.” spencer ducked his chin to his chest while jj just raised her brows, “think it’s for the best you took him off the market first.”

“lucky for me.” pointing a manicured finger to the left of jj, “now you, sexy lady must be emily prentiss since i already know wonderful penelope garcia. if i hadn’t know spencer earlier you would’ve been on my mind twenty-four seven.” a playful wink thrown her way, she didn’t protest to your suggestive words.

“maybe we can get together and see what i’m missing out on. but also, how long have you known reid? we didn’t know you existed.” a huffed laugh.

“use to live in vegas as a kid. thirteen my freshman year to have the local boy genius, twelve year old senior tutor me in algebra. with his help i didn’t need summer school. and i didn’t see him for a while until a few years ago when he’d make visits back into town.” cartoon hearts filtered through your eyes as you recounted your love story. “been dating two and a half years and then this dolt,” a light smack to spencer’s chest, “forgot to practice safe sex and here we are.”

all three of their faces showed complete shock at your last sentence and you can understand why. “don’t worry, spencer takes very good care of me. day and night if you know what i mean.” wiggling your brows suggestively.

spencer sighed, “i think they do, sweetheart. and i wish i could forget this whole conversation.” displeased at where this headed, but still stared towards you like you were the stars in the sky. “now if you’ll excuse us, garcia would like to see her favorite person.”

“second favorite,” derek cheekily pipped in. you waved him off as spencer walked the both of you away and further in the offices. to garcia’s dungeon or lair, whatever she’s feeling that day.

with a polite nock to her closed door and a muffled, “enter traveler,” you rushed inside for her bear hug. “penny!”

“oh my gosh! how are you sexy mama?” penelope rocked you side to side, cheek pressed into her neck. you giggled at the nickname, “is bean pole taking care of you?”

“bean pole?” spencer’s voice was mumbled but an unladylike snort escaping your nose. “i do have a thing for tall, lanky boys.”

“i don’t like this conversation either.”

[enbycarp]

Hey all, it's Juneteenth. I feel like this is a good day to talk about folks in prison.

I'm pen pals with several folks in prison. I've been doing this for many years now, and i think it's one of the most important things I've ever done. I started because i was interested in prison abolition, and i was told this was the way to get started in that movement. It's also a way to invest in our communities. Because queer, poc, poor, and disabled communities are disproportionately affected by the industrial prison complex. It's our people who are being thrown into cages and often being forgotten, tortured, enslaved, and denied their rights. We can invest in our communities and participate in mutual aid no matter what our resources or ability levels are. Being a pen pal requires investing a pretty small amount of time and money. Literally, if you can write a letter, you can do it (and often, you can send the letters online, so you don't even need paper).

I have made some true friends as a pen pal. People who have offered me support as much as i have offered them. I have one pen pal who i can talk to about things that i don't talk about with anyone else.

I won't lie, it's not always easy. There have been a couple pen pals that i didn't get along with well. I had to tell them that it wasn't working and gently end our correspondence. I've had two pen pals that stopped writing to me after they got out, and i just have to hope that they're ok out there. And these folks put up with really hard, sometimes horrifying shit inside. It can be hard to process that. Though, I've known other folks with pen pals who clearly set boundaries about what they're comfortable talking about and that's worked for them. I've had a pen pal ask me to do more than i was able to do for them, and i had to tell them no. They understood. You have to be able to set boundaries in any relationship, though.

You get to decide what you can do to help a pen pal. For some of us, that's just writing letters. I sometimes send gifts to folks (mostly books from Amazon). For one of my pen pals, i look up info about magic the gathering or D&D because she plays those games inside. For another, i wrote a letter to help support her case for getting a shorter sentence. One friend likes me to look up facts about his favorite actresses and sports teams. When one friend was facing transphobic discrimination, i organized a call in to the superintendent (and we really helped her). Some pen pals are looking for romantic connections (they generally tell you up front of that's the case). Many queer prisoners just need a connection to their community.

Please at least check out www.blackandpink.org and learn about what being a pen pal can mean for people on the inside. That organization has connected me with several queer pen pals. Even if you're not going to sign up to be a pen pal, just take a few minutes to learn about it.

Thanks!

Ps: you can ask me if you have any questions about

[rottenpumpkin13]

Sephiroth, Genesis, Angeal, and Zack take Wired’s Most Searched for Questions interview

How does it go?

Sephiroth

Is Sephiroth evil?

Sephiroth: Not yet.

Is Sephiroth gay?

*Sephiroth stares blankly at the camera with his mouth parted open*

Is Sephiroth left-handed?

Sephiroth: I'm ambidextrous, though I prefer using my left hand to write, eat and maneuver a sword.

Is Sephiroth part cat?

Sephiroth: Perhaps I would be happier if I were.

Why is Sephiroth shirtless?

Sephiroth: An excellent question.

Why is Sephiroth so attractive?

Sephiroth: I seem to have inherited my looks from my mother. She was very beautiful.

Where are Sephiroth's parents?

Sephiroth: Ah. I've tried looking this question up. It's ineffective and provides no answers.

Why does Sephiroth hate Genesis?

Sephiroth: That's absurd. I like Genesis very much. He's my best friend. He's a special person to me. If I were asked who my vest friend is, I would have to say Genesis.

Who is Sephiroth's best friend?

Sephiroth: Angeal! He's very dear to me. We have a good relationship and there is no one in the world who I like more than him.

Why does Sephiroth like pasta?

Sephiroth: I feel complete and whole when I eat it. I assume that's what being loved feels like.

Why is Sephiroth's hair long?

Sephiroth: Because it's not short.

Genesis

How old is Genesis?

Genesis: How dare you insinuate that I'm old.

Is Genesis gay?

Genesis: Hm. About 50%, sometimes it's 75%. It depends on the day and my mood.

Is Genesis shorter than Sephiroth?

Genesis, through gritted teeth. I am.

Why does Genesis like red?

Genesis: It's the most vibrant, eye-catching, attractive color of the rainbow. Like me.

Why does Genesis dye his hair red?

Genesis: Lies and falsehoods.

Why is Genesis obsessed with Loveless?

Genesis: And I'm expected to answer with one sentence? I need an hour at least to accurately describe how much it means to me.

Why is Genesis called Genesis?

Genesis: I'm sure Dr. Hollander was trying to be poetic.

Why is Genesis annoying?

Genesis: WHAT?

Why is Genesis shorter than Sephiroth?

Genesis: WHY DO YOU MEAN "WHY?"

Why does Genesis say his hair is red when it's brown?

Genesis: THAT'S IT. I'M LEAVING. SCREW THIS.

Angeal

Is Angeal related to Zack?

Angeal: Not blood related, but he's like my little brother. Don't tell him I said that though. He'll cry and hug me and then I'll be covered in Zack snot.

Is Angeal dating Sephiroth and Genesis?

Angeal: Simultaneously?? Dating one would be a nightmare on its own.

Why is Angeal so attractive?

*Angeal stares up at the camera blankly, blushing profusely*

Is Angeal single?

Angeal: Uhh...yeah.

Does Angeal have a girlfriend?

Angeal: No, I don't.

Why is Angeal single?

Angeal: Who's writing these? My mom??

Is Angeal dead?

Angeal: Only on the inside.

Is Angeal stronger than Sephiroth?

Angeal: I'm not sure. I can sit on him and he starts flailing and struggling though. That's very funny.

Is Angeal older than Sephiroth and Genesis?

Angeal: Believe it or not, I'm the middle child.

Does Angeal kill plants?

Angeal, tearing up: I—...No? Once...It was a sunflower. There's barely any sun in Midgard.... I learned that the hard way.

Zack

Is Zack alive?

Zack: Yeah I am! *finger guns*

Is Zack stronger than Sephiroth?

Zack: Not yet.

Why is Zack popular?

Zack: Uhhh.... because I'm a nice guy? At least I hope I am! I like to make friends, so maybe that's why.

Why is Zack called a puppy?

Zack: Because Angeal thought he was funny when he compared me to a puppy, so now the nickname stuck. I don't mind though! Although it'd be cool if I had a badass nickname like wolf. Or snake!

Why does Zack do squats?

Zack: Because it's fun! Plus, it's a great exercise. It strengthens your core and leg muscles. .....I also have a lot of energy and don't like being still for too long. It stresses me out.

Why is Zack so adorable?

Zack: Aww! Am I? That's just my natural charm.

Does Zack have ADHD?

Zack: The TV in my room is HD, yeah.

[strawberries-and-summer-days]

THE WORD NO ‧₊˚ ☾. ⋅

| percy jackson x popstar au

| au masterlist ☽

warnings: swearing

a/n: hello there!! im actual having so much fun writing this series and every so often a new idea will come to me and im just like YES I LOVE THAT WRITE U LAZY SHIT. (does the screaming at myself work? sometimes like right now) hence why we're here on a randomly tuesday. also this is shorter because im dying and need to sleep so bad

☾. ⋅

"i'm gonna throw up!" lia groans from her chair.

"get over it you oversized walrus."

"WALRUS?"

you sit back in your chair watching as your two friends bicker over cake. not even fighting over who gets the last piece, but who ate the most and who is gonna be the sickest.

"I AM NOT A WALRUS THANK YOU VERY MUCH-"

"do they always argue this much?" the voice of the person you'd hoped to forget about asks. you barely contain your eye roll as you turn to him.

"yes. it gets rather annoying when they start to act like middle schoolers." i say getting louder with each word. lia shoots me an offended look and riley all but leaps out of her chair and launches the throw pillow she was sitting on at me. she says high school was the worst years of her life and never wants to hear us talk about her from back then.

"i'm sorry i can't hear you over here talking about shit i don't know about," she smiles fakely and sits back down returning to her bickering.

"did that answer your question?"

"...yeah."

"y/n! percy!" stacey calls walking into your living room.

both of you groan in unison when you see stacey and lauren walking towards you with serious faces. you shoot percy an annoyed look and smile - painfully - up at stacey. "whats up?"

"its your birthday this weekend y/n."

percy's eyes flick to you clearly not knowing that.

"and what would you like us to do about that?" you ask stacey.

she pauses and looks at lauren for conformation, when lauren nods she continues on. "we'd like you to announce your relationship. go public. on your birthday. or well more like at your birthday party."

another pause.... "with a kiss."

"what the fuck?" both of you say again. stacey and lauren hid grins behind obviously faked sincere looks.

"I know this might suck-"

might suck. right cause we're obvisouly besties that have been joined at the hip from the womb and are secretly in love with each other. sure.

"but, with y/n's new album announcement coming out soon we thought it would boost both of your statuses." stacey smiles trying to convince you.

"i don't need the extra publicity!" you snap your head to percy. "oh for the love of god, can you shut up while i'm trying to talk? you're acting like we're old withered and grey and trying to sync our sentences so we say the same shit as we die."

a snort erupts from across the room where the bickering has now stopped and lia and riley have their heads buried in a pillow to stop from laughing.

"just think it over yeah?" stacey says to you as lauren drags a reluctant percy away to talk. "we literally came to this resort so we could get pictures for the two of you, it was a four hour flight. a kiss shouldn't be too bad."

"yeah for you," you grumble as stacey walks out shaking her head.

"believe me i would love to take your place," lia says plopping down in the seat next to you.

"of course you would."

"i could never not do something like that how could you?" she huffs.

"the word 'no' lia, its pretty cool."

"besides your party is the best place to do it. and the theme is going to be amazing. black and white baby!"

"shh walrus clearly y/n is going through something right now!" riley shakes her head.

"excuse me?"

you groan. its going to be a long night.

☾. ⋅

next week.

percyjackson posted

yn.official posted

☾. ⋅

☾. ⋅

TAGLIST‧₊˚ ☾. ⋅ [if you're name is white it mean i couldn't tag you]

@lauptimist, @itzmeme, @mariaaaaaahhhh, @paankhaleyaar, @maybxlle,

@azure-drag0ness, @cxp1d, @user-3113s-blog, @pleasingregulus,

@avihashearts4lix, @inlovewithmorales, @brokecollegebitch, @user-3113s-blog, @officiallyalbino

@gloryhaddock, @kozumesphone, @moonlightwonderlan, @starxshining, @taintedrosee

@lovelyygirl8, @cleothefrogo, @sungjinwoomybeloved, @hearts4li, @amandareids

@mirrorballdickinson, @gabrielle-tia, @riordanness

[yuurei20]

Hello! First of all I really truly wanna thank you for the work you do for this blog— it's been absolutely instrumental to me in regards to my own writing, not to mention it's just fascinating to learn more about the world and characters in general!

There's something I've been curious about: what does Sebek call the beastman and merfolk he interacts with? Since he obviously can't call them 'human' haha. I myself have only seen him interact at all with Leona, so I'm very curious to know if we know this. Especially for merfolk! And I'm also really curious to know his general opinion in regards to them, too, since we know that he in a way looks down on humans and sees them as 'weak'

Hello hello! ^^ Thank you for this question! You are too kind!! ♡

This was covered a little while ago in a previous ask where the asker put forth the hypothesis that "human" might just be the faeries' way of referring to people with shorter life spans!

The short answer is: Sebek does call the non-human characters (including merfolk) humans, and he is not the only one! ^^

For a longer answer: we have multiple instances of Sebek referring to the mermaid- and beast-people-characters as human!

In the example above Sebek corrects himself mid-sentence not because he has remembered that Azul is a mermaid, but because Azul has just complimented Malleus.

This is an interesting interaction, as it seems to confirm that Sebek is aware that not using people's names can be disrespectful 📝 This is in line with other things we have seen of Sebek's character, such as during the Harveston event when Sebek refuses to use an honorific with Epel's grandmother until she proves herself to be worthy of his respect.

(When he does start using an honorific at the end of the event he says outright that it is because she has proven herself deserving of respect (for fixing his plushie), so maybe being polite only to those who have proven themselves worthy is a Sebek habit?)

Malleus and Lilia also regularly refer to the other characters as human, sometimes saying "children of man," but they seem use the two labels interchangeably!

It's possible that they also do not differentiate between the various sub-categories of non-fae, and I have never seen anyone correct them ^^

(EN-Floyd makes a joke about not being human during Halloween, but this was exclusive to the EN-server! In his original dialogue he is actually saying the exact opposite--"You're human, too"--as if he considers himself to be just as human as Ace!)

Malleus and Baur also comment on humans being weak, and it is not very surprising that Sebek would repeat the opinions of people he respects, such as his prince and his own grandfather.

We have more examples of non-fae being referred to as "humans" than we do of otherwise, and Idia cautions the STYX staff about using the River Lethe on Malleus due to his long life span, saying, "Lethe works differently on fae."

This is part of the reason why I like the theory of "humans = people with shorter life spans than faeries" so much! ^^

Vil makes a point of commenting on all the humans, beast-people, mermaids, fae and ghosts that come together for the first halloween event, but this kind of differentiation might be moreso the exception than the rule? It is most interesting!

As for how Sebek regards the not-100%-human characters: he does not seem to differentiate between people who are full, partial or 0% human, with his interest beginning and ending with how others regard Malleus :>

He is less than fond of Leona, for example, but this seems to be because Leona does not treat Malleus with the respect he believes Malleus deserves, and not because Leona is technically(?) human.

On the opposite side of the spectrum Sebek seems fond of Jamil despite how Jamil is 100% human, respecting him both as a fellow bodyguard and as someone who will acknowledge the great feats of which Malleus is capable.

Sebek also seems to come to respect Riddle, both over the course of a vignette where he is impressed by Riddle's horseback-riding abilities and during Vargas Camp, where Riddle sacrifices himself to save him.

On the subject Sebek, Jamil has a line of, "When admiration goes too far, the consequences can be dire," and I have always wondered what it might be foreshadowing.

Is it possible that it is in reference to Baur and Malleus--the two people whom Sebek respects more than anyone--and their limited patience with humankind being passed onto him due to his unconditional admiration? 🧐

Sebek has enough inner turmoil already due to his lineage, and being raised by (and raised to admire) people who will occasionally say things like "weak humans" in a disparaging way likely had a strong impression upon him as a child. But, as we are seeing throughout the game, he is capable of growth! :>

Thank you again for this question, this was very interesting to revisit!

[hurpdurpburps]

A Casual Comparison Between The English vs Japanese (and a bit of Chinese) Versions Of Otherside Picnic

Just a ramble on my thoughts as someone who buys and reads both the English and Japanese versions of all the novel and the manga volumes.

Some of my commentary might come across as a bit too pedantic but it's coming from my thoughts as a current formal translator and former manga scanlator.

Spoiler Warning: events up to Vol 8 are mentioned.

Overall thoughts

Generally, I quite like Sean McCann's translations of the novels. I think his style strikes a nice balance between the need for needle-sharp accuracy and smoothness that localisation brings. He seems to have quite a mind-boggling amount of experience under his belt according to Kindle, and also translated Side-By-Side Dreamers (another fantastic read that I will fangirl here about one day!!!), which is a standalone novel by Miyazawa.

On the other hand, the English version of the manga feels rather clunky from time-to-time. Kindle doesn't credit anyone for the English translation of the manga and I don't think it's McCann. Redrawing is also pretty lazy, with English words often simply slapped on next to the original Japanese SFX, which is kinda terrible for an official publication.

Another aspect of the English manga I don't understand is why they chose to flip the reading sequence of the Kozakura POV short stories at the end. After reading through dozens of pages of the manga right-to-left I don't think it's any more difficult to read the story in the same direction. Having to skip to the very last page then resume reading left-to-right in reverse page order is so mindbogglingly tedious and unintuitive.

Dialogue, Nuances and Characterisation

A big issue with translation is the difference in how many words it takes to convey the same sentence in different languages. Extreme cases can call for bolder deviations from the original to maintain some semblance of narrative flow.

Here's a minor example - the following lines are from Vol 3 (File 9 - Yamanoke Presence), when Toriko is slapping the shit out of Sorawo's back:

“Ow! That hurts! [1]” “Suck it up. [2]”

「いった！　痛いって！ [1]」 「我慢して [2]」 　

The more literal translation of [1] would be "I said that hurts!" but I guess the translator opted for something that's shorter and more natural-sounding.

There's also the issue of characterisation stemming from dialogue style. Sometimes I feel like Toriko comes across as slightly more aggressive in English than the original Japanese version.

[2] in Japanese is simply and most accurately translated as "bear with it."

There's a similar scene in Vol 6 (File 20 - T is for Templeborn), when Toriko sticks her fingers inside Sorawo's right eye:

“Whoa! Hold up! That’s my eye!” “Suck it up.” “You’re kidding me, right?!”

「ちょ、ま、そこ目！」 「我慢して」 「噓でしょ!?」

Personally, I feel that "suck it up" should've only been used if the original text said "我慢しろ", which implies a more callous or harsher, commanding tone. To me at least, "我慢して" is pretty neutral.

Here's another example from Vol 6, when Sorawo begrudgingly compliments Toriko for having a pretty smart idea:

“Why do you always sound so frustrated when you compliment me on that, Sorawo? [1]” “Urgh.” I hadn’t expected her to call me out on that, so I didn’t know how to respond. “Well, I’m nice [2], so I won’t get mad at you for thinking I’m an idiot.”

「��の褒め方するとき、いつもなんか悔しそうだよね空魚 [1]」 「うっ」 　思わぬ指摘をされて言葉に詰まる。 「鳥子さんは優しいから [2]、バカだと思われてても怒りませんけど」

[1] is more of an observation and not a question in Japanese. "You always look kind of frustrated when you compliment me like that, Sorawo" feels perfectly serviceable and fits with the line that comes next, so I'm not quite sure about the reason behind this translation decision.

As for [2], Toriko actually referred to herself in third-person ("Toriko-san is kind") in the Japanese version, which is supposed to a convey a sense of satirical self-grandiosity. Without that part, I think Toriko comes off as more direct and less playful in the English translation.

That said, there are also positive examples of localisation in the series. Take a look at this conversation from Vol 5 (File 16 - Pontianak Hotel):

“Why would they go to all the trouble of decking the place out in Balinese style, then go and push honey toast, of all things?” I asked, but Toriko had a simple answer. “It’s honey in Bali [1], right?” “Wait… That’s it?! Because they rhyme?! [2]”

「なんでこんなにバリ島モチーフなのに、フードはハニートースト推しなんだろ」 　 私が何の気なしに疑問を口にすると、鳥子がさらっと言った。 「バリ島でハニトー [1]ってことなんじゃない？」 「……えっ、そういうこと!?　駄洒落!? [2]」

[1] actually says "Honey toast in Bali", which can be romanised as "bari-tou de hani-tou". Sorta catchy in Japanese but doesn't swing in English, so the rationale for the change is fairly obvious.

[2] literally means "pun", or I guess it's supposed to be slightly more loosely interpreted as "wordplay" in this context, but that too has to be altered so that the earlier changes to [1] make sense.

We opened all the bottles and had another toast of the not-bread variety [1]; there was a loud clinking of bottles [2].

ビール組の小瓶の栓が全部抜かれて、改めて乾杯した [1]。グラスと瓶の触れ合う音が高らかに鳴り響く [2]。

[1] can be read as "we made a toast for a change", which without alteration can be fairly confusing so the translator seized the opportunity to add a little funny spin to it.

A more literal translation of [2] would be "The sound of glasses and bottles touching rang loudly". I suppose the localisation here could be considered as a minor but factual mistranslation, as cocktail glasses were actually present in this scene, in addition to beer bottles.

For our final example of missing nuance, here's a quick glance at Vol 6 (File 20 - T is for Templeborn), where Sorawo and Toriko went for a quick builder's lunch after a morning of breaking concrete:

Settling on a place that served Western-style dishes, we joined the salarymen and construction workers for a hearty meal.

あんまり気取らない感じの洋食屋を選んで、スーツ姿のサラリーマンや工事の作業員に交ざって、がっつりボリュームのある定食を食べた。

The bolded part roughly translates to "We chose a rather unpretentious Western restaurant...", with "unpretentious" in this context referring to a place that doesn't feel very conscious/fussy about attire/appearances.

I don't think it's a big deal per se, but it's the inclusion of small details like that which adds flourish to Miyazawa's writing, and it's kind of a pity for them to be missing when they don't have to be.

Prose and Structure

Japanese is a high-context language, so writers often take it for granted that their readers can intuitively grasp who's saying what, which is not very helpful for English readers. There are certain parts of the Japanese version that is just a whole dozen lines of uninterrupted dialogue. The text below from Vol 5 (File 16 - Pontianak Hotel) is a very good example:

“Phew… Toriko, did you eat your share?” I asked. “Yeah, I sure did. It was delicious.” “Is that really true…?” “She does seem to be putting on an awfully calm face,” Akari agreed. “I feel like she was just eating the ice cream on top,” Kozakura interjected. “See, I knew it!” “Hey, hey, don’t worry about it,” Toriko tried to mollify us. “You’ve all finished your drinks, right? Let’s have another toast.” “Whose is this one, with the orange and… blackcurrant?” Akari asked. “That’s mine,” said Natsumi. “Pass it here.” “Everyone else ordered beer, huh?” Kozakura noted. “Which’s yours, Toriko?” “The Bintang.” “I had one of those too,” Kozakura said. “Well, I guess these must be for Senpai and me. Bali-hai?” “Yeah, I’ll pass around the bottle-opener,” I said.

Note all the speaker names bolded above... and how they completely don't exist in the Japanese version below:

「ふ��……鳥子、ちゃんと食べた？ [1]」 「食べた食べた [2]。おいしかったね」 「本当かな」 「それにしては涼しい顔してますよね [3]」 「そいつ [4]、上に乗ってるアイスばっかり食ってた気がするな [4]」 「ほらやっぱり！」 「まあまあ [2]、いいじゃん。みんなお酒なくなったでしょ。もっかい乾杯しよ [2]」 「このオレンジ入ってるやつ、カシスかな？誰のですかー？[3]」 「それウチ [5] の。ちょうだい」 「ほかみんなビール頼んだんだね」 「鳥子のどれ？ [1]」 「ビンタンとかいうやつ」 「あたし [4] のもそれだ」 「じゃあ、センパイと私がこっちですね [3]。バリハイ？」 「うん、栓抜き回すね」

You might be wondering how the hell Japanese readers tell apart who's who? Thanks to the Japanese language's rich vocabulary of personal pronouns, 'tiers of politeness' and three different writing systems, personalities are easily demonstrated via dialogue.

For example, the most common personal pronoun, "watashi" (meaning "I" or "me"), can be expressed in kanji (私), hiragana (わたし) or less commonly katakana (ワタシ). The kanji form is considered "true neutral" and also used in formal contexts such as emails, while the hiragana is more cutesy.

In the case of this specific conversation, we can roughly tell the speakers apart using the process of elimination via each person's relationship with the others:

[1] This is clearly Sorawo, as she's the only one apart from Kozakura who addresses Toriko without any honourifics, and her tone soft and casual.

[2] Toriko says "食べた食べた" and "まあまあ", which translates to "I ate it, I ate it" and "Oh well, oh well" respectively. A common speech pattern of Toriko's is to say things twice, representing her casual and chirpy demeanor. Toriko also likes to contract her words. The line "Let’s have another toast" is written in Japanese as "もっかい乾杯しよ" (romaji: mokkai), which is a shortened version of "もう一回" (romaji: mou ikkai).

[3] Akari is the only one who uses polite language (the -masu form) in this group of misfits, and also the only one who addresses Sorawo as "senpai", notably in katakana (センパイ).

[4] Interestingly, Kozakura uses "atashi" (あたし), which is considered less neutral/softer/more feminine than the standard "watashi", but the rest of her speech style is consistently rude and masculine, such as addressing the rest as "お前ら" or Toriko with "そいつ", which has a "top-down" tone.

[5] Natsumi uses the personal pronoun "uchi" (ウチ), which is sorta a gangsta/delinquent stereotype.

Mistranslation

Translation errors are for the most part very rare, minor and always come across as a case of careless misreading rather than a lack of fluency.

Apart from the ones already mentioned in passing above, I'll list two more such examples below (taken from my OP Pilgrimage List Pt. 1):

Example 1: Vol 7 (File 22 - Toilet Paper Moon)

“I hear there’s a lounge on the fourth floor here.” “A lounge…?” “It’s got a night view and you can drink there.”

「ここ、四十五階にラウンジがあるんだって」 「……ラウンジ？」 「夜景が見えて、お酒が飲めるとこ」

Here, the Japanese text says 45th floor, instead of the 4th floor.

Example 2: Vol 6 (File 20 - T is for Templeborn)

I ordered tonkatsu curry with a black roux and lots of cheese, while Toriko had roasted flounder with ginger.

私は真っ黒なルーにチーズのたっぷりかかったカツカレー、鳥子はヒラメのカツと生姜焼き。

The bolded part states "flounder katsu and shougayaki", which actually means a piece of breaded, deep fried flounder, with pork stir-fried in ginger sauce on the side.

Chinese Censorship

As most would know, censorship is heavy-handed in China, so how does a certified Yuri series get processed over there?

The Gay™ parts get re-written or entirely scrubbed and replaced with something more 'innocuous'.

I don't read OP in Chinese, but I stumbled upon this tweet by a professional Chinese translator complaining about the censorship in the Chinese version of the novels.

In Vol 5 (File 19 - Hasshaku-sama Revival), Toriko gives Sorawo a surprise kiss after they escape Hasshaku-sama:

“With no time for me to close my eyes, our lips touched… then parted again [1]. Freed from her hands [2], I stumbled backwards. As I covered my mouth and stared at her [3], Toriko said, “Let’s call it even with that.”

This is the original Japanese:

目を閉じる間もなく、唇と唇が触れて……離れた [1]。 しつこい両手から解放されて [2]、私はよろよろと後ずさった。 口を押さえる私と目を合わせたまま [3]、鳥子が言った。 「これでチャラにしてあげる��

Translation: "With no time for me to close my eyes, our lips touched... then parted again [1]. Freed from her stubborn arms [2], I stumbled backwards. As I covered my mouth, Toriko's eyes met mine [3], and she said, "Let’s call it even with that.""

Here's the Chinese text:

我甚至来不及闭上眼，只见鸟子弹了下我的额头。 [1] 好痛！[1] 抓紧不放的那双手放开了我 [2]，我趔趄着后退了几步，捂住嘴巴。 鸟子依然注视着我的眼睛 [3]，说道：“这样就一笔勾销了。”

Translation: "With no time for to close my eyes, Toriko flicked me on the forehead. That hurt! [1] Her arms that were gripping strongly released me [2], and I staggered back a few steps, covering my mouth. Still looking into my eyes [3], Toriko said, "Let's call it even with that.""

As you can tell from [1], the Chinese version replaces the kiss with a flick on the forehead, but keeps the part where Sorawo covers her mouth. You can think of it as the translator screaming "it's NOT her forehead and it's NOT a flick" with their mouth taped and their hands tied behind their back.

Honestly... I can't wait for the Chinese translation of Vol 8 to come out, if it ever does. I'd buy a copy just to see how they deal with censoring the entire book LOL.

I also bolded [2] and [3] so you can compare/contrast how the same scene is written across three languages. Apart from the censored kiss, the Chinese translation actually follows the Japanese text more closely than the English version.

Classification

A pet-peeve of mine is people calling the books light novels. OP is not LN!!! It's a bona fide novel series under the banner of a respected major publishing house which is also the largest sci-fi publisher in Japan. Don't let the illustrations on the cover fool you.

[katnissdoesnotfollowback]

This or That: Everlark Edition

Katniss has a upturned nose or a hooked nose

Katniss is under 5’3 or over 5’7

Peeta is strong and muscular or chubby and round

Peeta has two dimples or dozens of freckles

They grow back together in less than 1 year or after 2 years

They’re very vanilla or they like to try spice

Ooooh I sign on to post a belated six sentence sunday and find this little treat in my inbox. Thanks for the ask, Anon!

Hooked nose for Katniss, and she is definitely 5'3" or shorter.

Peeta is always strong and muscular, but I usually picture him as being more chonky than ripped. There's some pudge on top of those muscles. A few years post war, he's a little more chubby and round than he was before. Can still totally throw his wife over his shoulder and carry her around like she's... a sack of flour. ;)

I usually don't picture him with dimples in canon because I feel like Katniss would've mentioned those. In au fanfic though, I sometimes give him dimples, as a treat. A sprinkling of freckles.

Okay so unpopular opinion, most likely, but I think that there's so much that they will be grieving and working through that at around the one year mark they aren't yet officially married. They're definitely in a serious relationship, but to me it's... argh okay. When they send her back to 12, Katniss is told that she's being exiled their indefinitely. Then she never mentions it again, not to tell us that the exile has been lifted, not to tell us that it's more of a lax exile just don't cause trouble wink wink nudg nudge, kind of deal. So to me, she and Peeta need to grieve, need to heal significantly, need to grow back together while doing all of that, which in a way includes relearning who the other person is. They need to renew their commitments to each other, make sure the other person does not doubt their love is real, and also Katniss has to somehow make sure Peeta knows she actually wants to stay in 12 with him and that she's not just staying there with him because she's exiled.

BUT at that one year mark, even if they're not fully married and living together, utilizing every horizontal and several vertical surfaces for nefarious purposes... the entirety of district 12 knows they're basically married anyways.

I feel like that needs some clarification. A lot of the district 12 residents post war will have been in 13, so they would've known or suspected that something was Not Right with K&P after Peeta's rescue. He's not seen for a long time, and then when he is, he's got guards and he's wearing manacles. He's rarely ever close to Katniss. The cafeteria scene happens in front of a crowd. There's no way rumors weren't a flying after Katniss books it out of there and Delly winds up screeching at Peeta and he's dragged out by his guards. So they knew something was up in 13, but they also know that Everlark is endgame at the end of a year after the war.

I don't think it'd take more than two years tho, if that makes sense. I like giving them that wiggle room to heal.

As for you last question, I hesitate to put a name to it because to me, modern day tumblr's concept of "spicy" is not canon Everlark's concept of "spicy." I know what kind of kinky mofo's you all are, and I don't think they get up to that level of spice. But I also don't think they fit modern day tumblr's idea of vanilla either. I think they get up to plenty of spicy shenanigan's. It's not always sweet and tender and two positions with them. Also Peeta has a dirty dirty mouth and once Katniss gets Peeta in her bed for good, they discover that she is insatiably curious.

Maybe that's a copout answer, but that's what I think!

<3 kdnfb

[a-canceled-stamp]

20 Questions for Writers

Thank you @motleyfam, @crows-murder and @selkienight60 for the tags! ^.^

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

22

2. What's your total AO3 word count?

157,488

3. What fandoms do you write for?

Mostly DC, but Star Wars, Marvel, Malevolent (Podcast), Good Omens, and MHA make appearances too.

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

Long Way Down (To The Bottom Of The River)

Then Came the Morning

A Leap of Faith

Talk To Me

There Are Softer Oak Trees

5. Do you respond to comments?

I used to respond to every comment fairly quickly but recently I just haven't had the time :(( I appreciate every single comment though, they bring me such joy 🥹

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

That would be cardboard box - the first (sort of) hurt no comfort I've written >:D

7. What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

Probably There Are Softer Oak Trees :)))

8. Do you get hate on fics?

Not yet

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

I do!!!! Or...I'm giving it a shot at least. Not for DC, but for Malevolent. Might post something real soon :3

10. Do you write crossovers?

Nope!

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

I didn't even know this was a thing before today. That being said, I don't think so??

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

Nope!

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

No, but I would love to collab sometime :3

14. What's your all-time favorite ship?

I cannot pick one because I don't really have A favorite. But Stucky (Marvel), DinLuke (Star Wars), Merthur (Merlin), SuperBat (DC), TimKon (DC) and Science Girlfriends (Orphan Black) are all ships I enjoy.

15. What's a WIP you want to finish but doubt you will?

Dying Is Easy, Living Is Harder. I have many ideas for it but unfortunately, I'm not obsessed enough about the characters to fulfill them lmao. Also An Unexpected Visit bc similar to the previous one I have a lot of ideas, but I just don't think I am talented enough to actually write those ideas.

16. What are your writing strengths?

I've rewritten this answer 10 times, but no version felt right. At one point, I decided I was just gonna skip it. BUT NO. I'm gonna stop worrying about other peepz opinions and just say what I actually believe. And here it is.

I know how to make my writing more immersive with various details like sounds, smells, sensations etc. (and I LOVE doing this. The only issue is I sometimes do it either too much or too little ahdjkhsd)

I am VERY nitpicky. This can seem more like a flaw (and it is), but it has also helped me grow and understand what I like and dislike about my writing. It also means I spend a lot of time editing which makes posting SO much more satisfying (tho sometimes I gotta get those shorter fics out there for the instant serotonin boost lol)

I'm not a huge fan of characters who say/do things that don't make sense considering the genre/plot. Spending more time on this is challenging since I both dislike and SUCK at writing dialogue (why is English so HARD??), but it is also a lot of fun bc I think I am getting better at it.

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

Well, that part about being nitpicky is obviously a lie bc I didn't realize question 17 was gone ahdjshdkj. But I was the one who noticed it first among my friends so...maybe? Nope lol

English grammar. I have to double check every time I write a message to online friends to make sure what I've written is actually a sentence that makes sense.The thing is - I think I'm pretty good, but I actually suck. One time, I wrote mold wine instead of mulled wine in a fic. Never living that down. This is I think why it takes me so long to edit lmao.

Being too harsh on myself and not allowing myself to feel proud about my accomplishments/comparing my writing to other people. Yes, compared to other fantastic writers I suck, and it will always be like that. It's something I'm still struggling to accept, but I'm getting there!

Writing quickly. Like shutting off my brain and just writing doesn't work for me. I have to be there and edit every single sentence that I don't like, and I think this is why it takes so long for me to finish the first draft. Def gotta work on this!

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic?

Hmm. Instinctively, I think it makes more sense to write something like, "Person A said something in a language I didn't understand" than to write in that language. It's more fun that way. And if both the pov character and I don't understand what Person A saying it makes me sympathize with the pov character more.

That being said, if I ever see someone writing in Swedish in a fic, I will be immensely happy (and horrified)

19. First fandom you wrote for?

Rise of the Guardians on ffn. The fic is still there and is still hot garbage, but I did have a lot of fun writing it.

20. Favourite fic you've written?

I know what my LEAST favorite one is hjkahdsjk. Nah but for real, I love all my fics for very specific reasons. Like I have a sort of emotional connection with all of them depending on where I was in life, how I was feeling emotionally at the time, etc.

My top 3 would probably be Long Way Down (To The Bottom Of The River) bc it was the first fic I put a lot of thought and effort into, There Are Softer Oak Trees bc it makes me soft and fuzzy when I think about it, and cardboard box bc the comments made me fkn cackle.

It feels impossible to tag people who haven't been tagged yet but imma go with @miles2g0, @lurkinglurkerwholurks, @they-reap-what-we-sow, @liverobinreaction, and @bonesbuckleup. No pressure ofc!

[goldenthreadstories]

Rules & Muse List!!!

{ HELLO! Welcome to my blog, I'm Seras or Klemmie. Nice to meet ya! Below is my muse list and my rules for mobile navigations! } [ most up to date update!! ]

RULES

1.) Hey everyone, my name is Seras but I do go by Klemmie! I am nonbinary & my pronouns are they/them or she/her, I prefer they/them though! I am of age at 29 years old and have been RPing since about 2010, over a whole decade! Due to my age there might be NSFW on this blog at times but it will always be under a read more and tagged. On this subject, most muses are of age or have a verse where they are, please be aware of this and all main verse ages for my muses are on their bios on the character page.

2.) I am working a job which I usually only have a couple days off in the week and most evenings free. However activity and replies may be slow or low due to the nature of this being a multi-muse blog and my energy levels on any day. I will do my best to pop in at least once or twice a week with the intentions of queuing up any replies that I owe and once in a blue moon do I reply quickly and without queuing. I am also going to be selective on who I RP with at times so this blog is semi-selective, but if I am following you I am interested in writing with you!

3.) I am good with a mix of jumping into things without a plot; such as memes, open starters, random things are good. But sometimes I prefer plotting, even if only a little bit, especially when it comes to a pre-established relationship that isn’t the canon between two characters; this includes children of muses. I am okay with writing with said muses but I would like to have a bit of plotting to this as my version of the muse or muses as parents in question is not the one canon to yours as such, I need to make sure I know whats going on or all your gonna get from my muse is either ’ I have no kids ’ or i dont believe you, so i tend to avoid that if no prior communication has happened before hand! I do also like screaming about plots that both parties might want to do and discuss between us to work out a possible thread idea?

4.) This blog is multi-fandom, verse and ship. Meaning all threads even if tagged as in the same verse for a muse are their own story and thread between our muses, this includes for relationships, unless its a story that has been discussed and plotted between all involved. We are also Crossover-friendly here! I love mashing up fandoms and seeing what happens!

5.) As stated in my first ruling, NSFW themes and topics may be present, if I feel that the topic, even if it’s gore and not sexual nsfw, is too heavy or unsafe to just have out on display I will always put it under a read more and tagged the triggers like; tw;______

6.) Continuing with the point above, I will not tolerate certain things like underage sexual content or abuse or any nsfw content with minors - this goes for muns & muses and hanging, if you are ever unsure of anything please ask me. This is also a if I ever forget or don’t tag something that is a trigger for you please just message me and I will tag them accordingly.

7.) Unless your muse has some supernatural abilities or in my muse’s canon knows things about them, please don’t use information that is like their weaknesses and things like that in our threads until my muse reveals them or it is revealed in a thread, I class this as meta rping/writing/gaming?? and it’s no fun???

8.) I’m okay with multiple writing styles, I don’t have the need for anyone to match my length in replies, I know I can get lengthy at times, but as long as it’s more than one sentence or is appropriate for the type of thread we are writing together, because sometimes even I just want to do shorter threads, though I do prefer more written and longer ones.

9.) I’m more into story driven threads, ones that develop my muses and yours hopefully, ones that develop a chemistry and relationship between them. These are the kinds of threads I prefer.

10.) I’m open to all plots and relationships, just come hit me up and let’s see what we can come up with!!!

11.) For shipping I am a shipper of chemistry, I am here for the development. But if you feel like our muses are beginning to develop something, please message me and we can talk. I am always up for shippy things and all relationships, I prefer them to be developed and chemistry based. I will not force anything onto anyone if they feel like something isn’t there.

12.) I’m no biggie on spelling, grammar is also not too much of an issue, but a clear grammar is preferred. As long as I can read and understand it for a reply we are good. If I am having trouble I will ask you to clarify.

13.) When sending in an ask, please specify a muse, one thing on my anxiety is when I get an ask without some specifying, sometimes I will throw someone randomly if I can but if not I get anxious about it, so unless you state one or that its for any muse I will not answer it, unless I know you & muse or muses well enough to know who it’s from or I have come and asked you to clear up who it was for.

14.) OOC =/= IC. I will not tone down my muses for anyone, but I don’t agree with their morals and choices all the time. OOC is not the same as IC.

15.) I have a habit of forgetting to reply to threads, if it’s been more than a week since I have replied, give me a poke. I may have forgotten or lost muse, this doesn’t mean we can start more threads and get back to it.

16.) Cool with anon asks & M!As. That’s all folks! Hope that we can write something together soon!

MUSE LIST

Sora Ryuu // the weaver of stories // fandomless oc // bio

Orion // demi-demon travelling trickster // fandomless oc // bio

Torin Nayru // triforce of wisdom // loz oc // bio

Emery Din // triforce of power // loz oc // bio

Leon Farore // triforce of courage // loz oc // bio

Elliot Snow || Hades // fashionly god of the underworld // headcannon based // bio 

Beetlejuice // ghost with the most // canon-divergent // bio

Dean Winchester // hunter and older brother // canon-divergent // bio 

Merlin // worlds most powerful warlock yet big dummy // canon-divergent // bio 

Link // dutiful knight and silent hero // canon & slightly divergent // bio

Zelda // princess of wise knowledge // canon & slightly divergent // bio 

Revali // prideful heart of the rito // canon-divergent // bio

Roxas // a heart of a nobody // canon-divergent // bio

Mark // grumpy end of the world survivor // resident enis markiplier // bio 

Edward Elric // shortfused alchemist // canon divergent // bio

Alphonse Elric // fullmetal heart // canon divergent // bio

Thirteenth Doctor // tinkering protector of earth // canon divergent // bio

Fizzarolli // lil clown imp guy // canon divergent // bio

[ell-arts]

I have a question, if it doesn't bother you, what tips would you give to beginning writers? and I'm also loving seeing your art and pmatga fanfics

Thank you! And it's not a bother at all 💙

There's a lot I can say regarding writing tips, and I might even make a series out of it where I share bite-sized tips for writing. For now, tips I would give to beginner writers would be;

Read books. You'll learn best by taking inspiration from your favourite authors and how they go about their writing. It also helps in building up your vocabulary.

Daydream! It helps with creativity and fosters excitement for your work, which helps a lot with motivation. I find that listening to music while daydreaming is an effective combo to conjure up great ideas.

Give yourself a standard of quality to aim for, but don't set the bar too high. Give yourself goals that are achievable for your writing, then look back and see where you can improve to take your writing further.

Avoid redundancy. This is where you use too many words or phrases that describe the same thing. Sometimes one may get caught up in trying to describe the moment as best as one can to get an idea across, and in doing so could convolute the paragraph. Reducing redundancy as much as you can will benefit your writing in the long run.

Avoid repetition of the same words or phrases in close sequences. For example, don't use 'shouted' multiple times within the span of 4 paragraphs.

Spell-check is your friend! I use the free version of Grammarly to help me with more sophisticated spellchecking - it helped me correct a lot of errors I would have otherwise missed.

In the same breath; reread your story to yourself as much as possible and listen to the way it sounds. If you don't feel convinced by the writing, chances are neither will the reader.

Purple Prose is when you use far too many big and fancy words in your writing, while Beige Prose is when you use the most simplistic of words, almost to the point of being boring. Find a nice balance between the two.

Pace your paragraphs according to the mood of the scene. This falls more under personal preference, but paragraph length can help with the pacing of a scene and serve as an aid to guide your reader's emotions through the story. If the scene calls for action, urgency, or a climactic moment, keep your paragraphs short and to the point. Longer paragraphs tend to read longer and evoke a sense of calm or focus, whereas shorter paragraphs read quicker and can thus influence the build-up of emotions for a particularly crucial scene.

'Said' is not dead, but it IS an overused word when indicating who is speaking. Spice it up a bit by looking into synonyms with some emotion or tone attached, like muttered, blurted, rasped, seethed, stuttered, drawled, etc. Even neutral-toned verbs can work like stated, intoned, voiced, questioned, etc. But sometimes, said is all you need - just use it sparingly.

Keep it simple. Sometimes a single sentence is all that's needed to get the right feeling across. Short but sweet.

Above all, have fun!

Additionally, I use this website, WordHippo, to help me out with new words or fresh synonyms whenever I'm looking for a specific word that will fit just right for the sentence I'm working on. Give it a try!

I hope this helps in any way! If any seasoned writers out there would like to give their two cents, feel free to do so!

[workingtowardsthatphd]

how i use AI in my research and essays

Creating a plan: Sometimes, I get an essay question and I just have no idea where to start with it, so I'll put it into chatgpt and ask it to generate a plan for an essay. The plan it then gives me provides me with some starter topics for research and some key words that I can use to search databases such as JSTOR. It's important to remember here that the plan it gives you may not be accurate and will be only based on what already exists on the internet, so research is required, especially to get further research or add something new to the topic. This plan also tends to be very simplistic, requiring a lot of development to get it up to a good standard.

Clarity and breaking down sentences: I love a run on sentence. It is the one thing that people point out to me when reading my work, and I often struggle to realise when I'm using them. Chatgpt comes in handy here, I can put in one paragraph and ask it to identify any run on sentences that are present. Once those are identified, I can go back and shorten them - sometimes I struggle to do this, and chatgpt can be helpful here as well to suggest how to break it down. Obviously don't just take the shorter sentences it gives you at face value, sometimes the way it rewords the sentence changes the meaning.

Suggestions for feedback: The best place to get feedback is from the people who will be marking your work. However during deadline season especially, it can be hard to get in contact with those people, and it tends to take a while for them to get back to you. Instead, when I think I can't work out any more improvements myself, I'll put a section of the draft into chatgpt and ask for feedback. Normally I ask specifically for what I need to do to bring my grade up to a first. Generally it will provide a list of things such as further analysis, grammar, strengthening the thesis statement, etc. I find this really useful when I've been reading the same thing over and over again to have some actual points to look for.

Breaking things down into smaller tasks: I can get really overwhelmed sometimes, and having adhd does not help with that. A lot of the time, I am able to break things down into step-by-step myself, but when I'm not, I can put the list of tasks into chatgpt. It will then break these down for me into smaller tasks and I can work through that list one at a time.

I don't use AI to write my essays, I did try once just out of curiosity and it was honestly one of the worst essays I have ever read. AI does not have the ability to analyse sources in the same way a person does, and it does not have access to all the research materials that you do.

Hope this was helpful! Feel free to add on how you use AI at uni.

[urlocalnonbinarybastardwrites]

Hi! I’d like a fandom ship/matchup type thing if you still do those:) someone from tcm, preferably from the first or second movie since those are the ones I’ve watched

Appearance: 5ft 2inches, chubby genderfluid guy. Short blond hair, blue/gray eyes and freckles and crooked teeth. I’m punk and wear a lot of band tees and stuff like that, I mostly dress masc but can dabble in feminine clothing for fun.

Personality: Id say im a pretty funny guy! I really can’t have a conversation without cracking a joke every other sentence (it is a blessing and a curse). I love being social but definitely need time to recharge after social events. I care a lot about other people and tend to go out of my way to help and comfort people.

Hobbies: I love drawing! I do both digital and traditional art, and I can also paint and sew and crochet. Mostly I draw people, that is my strong suit.

I also love cooking! It’s so much fun but I don’t like following recipes because I disagree with them.

I love horror media. Art, books, movies, you name it. I have an ongoing collection of horror movie dvds.

I listen to a lot of music. I like a lot of different genres, but I especially like punk and metal music. My favorite bands are Ghost, Against Me!, Dog Park Dissidents and Hozier

That’s about it I think. Please don’t feel stressed about doing this, take as much time as you need and also have a nice day:)

♥️♥️♥️ we love people who realize authors have lives beyond completing requests 

Your Texas Chainsaw Massacre ship: Chop-Top Sawyer!!!!

Explanation: starting off of the appearance, I think he would be extremely attracted to you. He loves that you’re shorter than him and I think that he would love your kind of punkish style since he likes anything music related and the fact that you have an alternative music related style just makes you practically his soulmate to him and I feel like he’d think you’re a pretty cool person from the get-go. he loves that you can switch between masculine and feminine and our gender fluid enough to just kind of look good in both and that’s something that he really likes about you and I think he would even start experimenting with more gender fluidness himself I picture him is more kind of a masculine/androgynous but I feel like he would also sometimes go a little feminine just for fun. He really loves your joking, personality and I think it’s part of the reason that he was so attracted to you besides how you look from the get-go as I just think that he was super struck by your humor and probably laughs like insanely loud and laughs for the longest out of everyone. I feel like he’s the type of guy that would continue laughing at a joke like five minutes after it was made. I also feel like he really appreciate your caring stuff because he’s not really used to a lot of people genuinely caring about him. He even feels like his own family doesn’t care about him most the time save for nubbins. Having you is just kind of like a refreshing thing for him and he’s pretty grateful to have you in his life as for socialist I don’t think he cares that much about whether he’s talking to someone or not to be honest I don’t think he’s an introvert or an extrovert. I just think he’s kind of in his own world, but he doesn’t mind that you’re an extrovert and would absolutely, let you recharge after large events, but you have to recharge with him. That’s the only catch. I hope you’re not expecting to get any more alone time because once you’re with this man, he is clingy as shit and you are not going to have any more social recharge unless you literally run away. (In which he will follow 💀) he loves your artistic personality, and I feel like he would annoy you a little bit bit because he’s the type of guy to stand by you while you’re trying to draw create something and be constantly asking you if it’s done yet or just random questions and I feel like you at some point I have to be like OK but I’m doing my art. You have to stand over there and not talk to me. And for the cooking thing, let me just say there’s a reason why Drayton is the cook of the household and no one else he would make the most monstrous and disastrous things in the kitchen and probably end up blowing something up. He’s like a toddler in the kitchen. You have to watch him because he would think it’s a funny idea to just throw water at an outlet or something like that. Just chaos. Absolutely, but I think if you made a meal for him, he’d be super grateful and would definitely eat it in like two seconds because we know this man is a fast eater. He also loves horror stuff for like obvious reasons and would totally watch horror movies with you or read books or whatever kind of horror media you like consuming.

I feel like he would like it too, and you guys can talk about it afterwards, and he would probably point out how certain things are unrealistic because he is like that he would be like “victims don’t actually react that way when you chase them” and things like that. As for music, I think this is again one of the very very very main reasons he would be attracted to you because he is a huge music guy. I don’t think he really likes Poppy stuff as much and I think he would find your alternative taste to be just amazing because he has kind of an alternative and wacky taste of music as well well, it’s not as much I’m sure would love if you introduced him and you guys could share tastes and I feel like you would be a little cute date to go on. I’m just listening to music talking and also I feel like he would ask for fashion advice like 24 seven from you and want to try some of your punk clothing out.

[thedemonscrawler]

I'm curious, why did you decide to write Moon the way you did- not personality wise, but speaking in short (directish?) sentences? I really like that detail about him! (Also how, it's kinda hard T.T)

Part of the inspiration came from good ol' Solar Lunacy. I think he's a little more verbose in the fic itself, but especially in the comics Bam does, he has that direct way of speaking that caught my attention.

In roleplay I'd already worked with a character that I'd given a similar clipped speaking style, so for Moon I dialed it up to 11. It's been really fun!

And oh absolutely |D it definitely gets tricky sometimes. There's a couple of rules I more or less follow, though of course I'll go with exceptions if that's what flows.

So really what Moon does most of the time is jump straight to the subject of a sentence. For example, this bit from chapter 10:

We've cut down the question "do you want to switch?" To just the most important part. He does this a lot when asking or answering questions, usually followed up by a more normal, but still short sentence.

He also tends to drop the pronouns at the start of sentences, or words like 'that' or 'have'. This rule probably gets the most exceptions because sometimes a pronoun is needed anyway. This bit also from 10 demonstrates that, as well what was said above.

(Fun fact! The only time Moon uses the word "I" is when he says "I know". Otherwise he always drops it from the sentence.)

If Moon can condense a thought down to a certain phrase, he does. Hence his use of "rulebreaker", "intruder", "Naptime", etc. It's really all about efficiency, and how can you communicate an idea in the fewest words. It also depends on who he's talking to. He gets away with much, much shorter sentences when talking to Sun than when talking to Gregory, since he and Sun share common knowledge (like how you can repeat just a word or two from a meme your friends are familiar with and they immediately get it).

I hope that explained.. anything 8'''D

[generic-sonic-fan]

when writing for sonic characters, are there any Particular renditions of their voices that you hear?

Interesting question!

I do daydream a lot about these characters (that's where my fics come from!) and each has their own distinct voice in my head, but their voices aren't from any specific voice actor/game! If I have to be more specific, I guess you can say that each voice is a blend of a variety of game voices, tuned to what I think is most pleasant.

What's more important for me while writing, though, is the distinctive phrases or sentence syntaxes that each character uses! It's less about the "sound" and more about the cadence and rhythm. An obvious example with a solid contrast in character voice is the difference between Omega and Sonic's speech in "I Can't Accept All This". Allow me a quick experiment, if you will:

--

“Do you want to stay down here or something?”

“For being the individual responsible for educating Shadow on ‘the power of friendship’, it seems you do not trust your friends.”

“Hey, what’s that supposed to mean?”

“I have activated my emergency transponder. Help is on the way.”

“How do we know the signal’s gotten through all this concrete? Have you got a response from anyone?”

“Negative. There has been no response.”

“Then we could be stuck down here until we do something! Come on, work with me here, dude!”

“Did you inform anyone as to the location of your mission before you arrived here?”

“Did you?”

--

Omega speaks very formally, with long sentences and complete phrasing. Sonic, meanwhile, uses shorter, choppier phrases, sometimes with interjections or other slang words. Omega also doesn't use contractions whereas Sonic does. Even with the removal of Omega's speech quirk of using all caps, it's fairly obvious who's saying what in the dialogue above, even though I tried my damndest to pick dialogue that didn't have other context cues as to who was saying what.

Other characters have different speech quirks. Silver is rambly and has trouble communicating exactly what he means, Rouge uses a TON of cliché phrases and likes punctuating with pet names, and Shadow is actually my most "neutral" character voice, as he speaks evenly, plainly, and with just a slight tinge of formality.

I create these speech patterns for every character that I write with based on observations from canon game lines, but also a heavy dose of fanon from other fics that I read. So really, I guess this answer isn't so different from the one I gave regarding the voices I hear in my head- it's sort of a blend of everything, with a healthy dose of my own fine-tuning to even it out.

I could make a whole other post on how I flesh out a character's internal narration, but that's getting too far away from the question you actually asked, so I'll leave it at that.

[readthephible]

writing advice thing

okay, so i love writing and also mentoring people with things. over the years i've been a writer i have been so open and excited to have people reach out so i wanted to combine all my Advice Thoughts in one place??? it's definitely not like college level professional especially since it is very fanfiction oriented but,,,, yeah! also i'm typing this on my actual pc instead of my phone so there might be errors from me not being used to it :) this is just a fun advice guide for anyone to use

decide a tense to use and stick to it. first person for fanfic is usually something i've seen people dislike. it's not my preference, there can be some great first person fics out there. also, personally i don't like being perceived by the narrator and i try to avoid it if possible (ex. "You would think she would know better." is a no, if i absolutely have to do something like this i usually do "One would think this is the worst possible outcome.") this also applies to the timing and how every single word is gonna be referred to. for me i use past tense (although it can be a bit difficult to describe "now" but i've made it a habit) when i was first writing i struggled to stick to one, so do that!

do: "Hello," Courtney says, addressing Spencer as he enters the kitchen." (that is happening currently and is in present tense) / "Hi," Spencer replied, scratching the back of his neck. He felt awkward. (past tense but all matching)

don't: "Where's Tommy?" Courtney asks him. They leaned their elbows on the counter.

Spencer shrugs and yawns his answer.

(switching between actively happening vs that time has passed)

2. dialogue: break it up often and make it very clear who is speaking. especially since fanfic is most of the time Gay and using the same pronoun for characters that are talking. every time a character speaks it should be very clear. i once read a fic where the name next to the dialogue didn't match the person speaking but the person reacting/listening which was SO CONFUSING

do: "I'm really happy to see you," Damien said, able to sigh and melt in Shayne's arms, "It's been a long day."

(commas to not disrupt the sentence flow after you and arms. only a period to end the dialogue. any other thoughts or things added during the dialogue need to happen in between.)

don't: Damien nearly rushed to hug him. "I'm really happy to see you. It's been a long day." He sighed and melted in his hold. "I bet!" he said.

(break up the dialogue! who is saying what???)

3. sentence style mixing! i know there are proper english class terms for this but it's been a while since i've been in one. so here's the best way i can describe it

don't: Avoid using lists, lists and lists right next to each other. It might be confusing, awkward or difficult for your reader to understand. They will probably have a lot of questions, comments, and concerns.

don't: This is a simple sentence. Another simple sentence right after. Sometimes this can work. It should be used sparingly. It reads kind of choppy in my opinion.

don't: They huffed and set down their notebook. They were tired of running out of inspiration. Their pencil rolled off the table.

do: Ian was the first to hear the news. The collective emotions hit him all at once: grief, guilt, anger. Normally, he was able to keep very calm and composed.

4. cut out filler words like "so, just, also" as much as possible!

5. speaking of like, same gender relationships, often sometimes the fill in is "the blond, the shorter of the pair, the blue eyed one" (describing Shayne ofc) which i would also rec using sparingly or stick to only one or two, depending on your fic! if it's the first time someone is perceiving shayne, or they don't know his name yet, maybe the blond is the perfect way to describe him for a bit! but if it's a new descriptor that isn't his name or just a simple identifying factor, imo it starts to sound more like,,,, fanfic-y?

6. there are some great posts out there for help and my dms

7. thesaurus, but not like. too often using crazy words you wouldn't say out loud. but also like. find different ways to describe things so you don'r repeat the same words a lot

8. when in doubt, make bullet points on what you want to cover, only write dialogue for a bit, share with a friend, make a playlist!