#terry pratchett would be disappointed

[maybe-in-another-universe]

i am feeling very upset and betrayed about the neil gaiman allegations :( (upset about neil, not about the women coming forward) in the meantime, it’s important to put a hold on consuming his content, because there is no separating the artist from the work.

in other news, piracy is not a victimless crime. (don’t be shy steal that shit)

[gentlemanjuniper]

If I could inject just a little positivity to the news...

Season 2 has a lot of filler and stretches out a pretty simple mystery to six episodes. That's the appeal to some, I get it. But tightness and focus was not its strong suit. I remember feeling like it wasted a ton of time on side characters and it's possible shaving the story down to 90 minutes will skim things down to its most essential beats and be stronger for it. Basically, S2 got a lot of time given to it, and this is obviously my personal opinion but I don't think it used all of it well. I think S2 itself could have been half the length simply by employing more efficient storytelling and we'd not mourn too much.

A lot of S2's weaker plotlines feel built around people that Neil wanted to work with again, with so many recurring actors (I'm thinking of the zombies specifically, when that minisode could have easily been tighter without them). A lot of s2 to me feels like Neil just making work for the people he likes and wants to work with and a movie has to be more accountable to things like that.

Lots of entire fandoms exist around single movies. 90 minutes is not nothing. It's enough for many, many films to tell a complete story with cute character interactions and satisfying emotional arcs, especially when A&C are the only real significant connecting threads between both seasons thus far.

I don't think there are as many loose threads that absolutely need resolving as people may be thinking. Would I like to know why Aziraphale did the '40s apology dance? Would I like to see his bookshop gun? Sure. Are either of those necessarily essential to closing out the story? I don't think so. Really, what needs resolving is the second coming and, directly connected to that, Aziraphale and Crowley's rift. To me, not knowing the story obviously, that seems super reasonable to do in 90 minutes?

I don't think anyone involved in the final season can possibly be blind to the appeal of the show being Aziraphale and Crowley over anything else. That's certainly the reason why their roles were expanded to begin with from the book and why the second season was, nominally, all about them. They also now have to pay MS and DT for appearing in a movie rather than an ensemble show, there's no way they won't be front and center. Amazon wants a show that will make money and market itself; there's a reason why all the promo material for S2 was of Crowley and Aziraphale, because people engage with that stuff, reblog it, make art that promotes the show, etc. It makes no artistic or financial sense to make a movie that sidelines them.

GO is at its best when it has Terry's voice most strongly in it. That's why to me, S2 was a weaker, more meandering season overall (that, and I think the minisodes, while fun, just make the season feel comprised of different voices not always working in tandem towards a common goal). If I was a writer hired to condense a season into a film, and one of the authors had been rightfully disgraced, I would go out of my way to ensure the clearly Terry stuff is most significantly emphasized. It's telling to me that the Pratchett estate is producing and it's possible that the end result will result in more Terry, less Neil.

Think of it this way: everything we've gotten after S1 has always been extra. Imagine telling a fan of the book in the 90s that not only will you get a six episode adaptation, you also get a totally new second season, AND a movie?

Basically: I know this is disappointing but I think a lot of the pleasure of the Good Omens fandom was ALWAYS people picking up on and expanding on details, and y'all managed to do that just fine when A&C were only ensemble members in S1. You can and will do that with a movie too. And this solution both a) ensures first and foremost that Neil won't be involved or the allegations swept under the rug, and b) gives an opportunity for the heart of the story to be emphasized with greater focus, clarity and less filler.

Will we lose good stuff? Probably. But it's also possible we will get a tighter, more condensed, focused version of the best bits, the Terry Pratchett-est bits. I can easily see a 90 minute movie that, knowing they HAVE to focus on the important stuff now, is more Crowley and Aziraphale centric than ever.

[paperclipninja]

I think I'm in a minority and lordt knows I've been very wrong about stuff like this before, but I have zero concern that Good Omens will end with Aziraphale and Crowley being human. None. Not even one iota of worry about it happening.

Why?

Because Neil Gaiman is a really good storyteller. And he, as a really good storyteller, knows that would be an unsatisfying ending.

Obviously this is pure speculation on my part, but a really good storyteller doesn't go to the effort of constructing such an intricate story, in which the challenges and desires of having eternal life but not being able to share it with the one being you want to, are so carefully laid out only to have them end up mortal. Because then what? Crowley ends up back in hell anyway and maybe Aziraphale does too? Or they end up back where they started? Nah.

My guess is that it is not going to play out as a rom-com might (I mean, it's not a rom-com), or with anything particularly overt being shown between Aziraphale and Crowley, and any "it may not be the ending you want" is, in my mind, getting way out in front to manage expectations.

By the time season 3 airs we will have been consuming years of fanfic, fanart and fanon and of all people, Neil knows the way that begins to shift the expectations and hopes of a fandom. It's really easy to drift away from canon or forget the kind of show it actually is (and that's totally fine, gimme all the fics and art that take me to where I want my faves to be), but it also means that fandoms can end up "disappointed" that some of the fan thinking and creating didn't come to pass.

So mah point is, any comments from actors or creators about a season not being what we want- that doesn't mean it's going to be rubbish storytelling. It means that some of the things people are hoping for won't happen.

And until we see what actually plays out on our screen, I, for one, am going to keep immersing myself in the brilliant creativity of this fandom and just

EDIT TO ADD: also need to acknowledge that Terry Pratchett is also an incredible storyteller and these two had it all figured out nearly 20 years ago and one thing's for certain, and that is that neither author, or Neil in seeing through the vision they both had, is going to drop the ball at the last minute

[thebibliosphere]

I got an ask over the weekend, which I now can't find (sorry), but it related to this post talking about book comps in mainstream publishing and how I think trad-pub would describe Phangs.

Fortunately, I didn't have to think about it too hard because I already talked about this with one of my editors when that post went around. Gently rolling our eyes at trad-pub as we concluded that I'd most likely be marketed as "Twilight meets Fifty Shades" at worst and "Gail Carriger meets... probably Fifty Shades" at a hopeful best.

(Which... I mean. Yeah, I could see the Carriger association. Fifty Shades, however, nope, nope. Absolutely not.)

And I think we can all agree if I got marketed as Twilight meets Fifty Shades, you'd have a lot of disappointed people.

Not to mention the people who would enjoy Phangs wouldn't pick it up because Phangs, as it has been described by the actual fans, is the queer goth love child of Terry Pratchett meets Jane Austen, replete with vampires, werewolves, [REDACTED BEINGS], tongue-in-cheek social observations, multiple depictions of disability representation and a burgeoning dom/sub dynamic that expands into a happy open throuple in the second book after several bouts of vigorous communication.

Yet the industry would latch on to the vampire-werewolf dynamics, try to sell the polyamory as a love triangle, then lump the dom/sub elements into the horrific kink rep that is 50 Shades of Yikes because that's all it knows.

It knows "these are the things that made a profit; therefore, we must find ways to compare them, or we cannot market them," because they will not take a risk.

It's sad.

And also why, unless I'm offered obscene amounts of money, I'll be staying in my indie-self-pub lane. Trad-pub wouldn't know what to do with my disabled queer monsters.

They already demonstrated that when I did shop the novel around and I was asked to "tone down" the disability and also to turn the polyamory into a love triangle. So just, y'know, the core essence of the entire series 🙃.

[crowleysgirl56]

Ok, so here are some of my rather long rambling thoughts. I’ll start off with some pros and cons and then provide some speculation:

My initial negative reaction:

- Compressing 5 hours worth of content into 90 minutes feels like things will be rushed and we won’t get a good story.

- HOW do you take a month to rewrite six 45 minute long scripts into a movie length feature and have it still be good?!

- the compression of the story means we will likely not get any more flashback sequences. Admittedly I actually thought we probably wouldn’t get more flashback scenes in season 3 anyway, but this definitely proves the case that we won’t. There won’t be time for it.

- who has re-written the script? Because here’s the thing about Pratchett adaptations. They’re fucking shit. No one (in my opinion) has been able to successfully transfer that man’s unique sense of humour and writing style onto screen. Every single Discworld adaptation has been on a scale of awful to kind of meh. EXCEPT for season 1 of Good Omens. As much as we hate him now. As vile as he has become in our hearts, the thing about NG is that he understood Terry’s unique style. He understood what worked and how to transfer that to the screen. And that breaks my heart on so many levels. Because he was all we had. And we certainly didn’t want him any more. But still, who THE FUCK has written the finale script now?

Now here are my positive thoughts on the situation:

- NEIL GAIMAN GOT HIS SORRY ASS FIRED! GOOD!

- Consequences. The industry has signalled consequences. Finally!

- We are getting a conclusion! It could very well have been cancelled and we would have been left with the final 15 forever. We get to see them again. That deserves a Wahoo!

- thinking back over season 2, which I enjoyed, I actually do have to say a lot of it was kind of unnecessary filler. The flashback sequences were great. But the actual core of the season’s arc involving Gabriel was just a bit boring. I’m forever grateful for it because we got to spend almost 6 hours watching Aziraphale give Crowley heart eyes and Crowley do beautiful acts of service proving his love back. But the meandering stuff with Nina and Maggie and trying to work out why Gabriel lost his memory wasn’t all that interesting. I was here for A&C.

- so I think MAYBE that means the compression of what had already been written for season 3 means it’ll cut out the plot bits that drag. Hopefully this means it’s faster paced and tighter and more focused on A&C.

Speculations:

Thinking back to the last time NG interacted with the fandom, he had confirmed the first three episodes were written and were with Amazon for approval, episode 4 was almost done, the last part of episode 6 had been written, and he had started plotting episode 5. We never got a confirmation if he ever finished them. So this maybe indicates that the finale is lifted exactly out of these scripts. My assumption is they’ve brought in a script doctor to edit what they’ve already got and wrap up plot points. In which case, on the one hand it gives us close to the story and idea of what Terry imagined. On the other, the far more negative connotation, it’s still NG’s work. The articles that have all come out so far merely states “Gaiman is not involved with the production and the finale is based on his work”. This could be Prime distancing themselves without actually confirming how he’s contributed. Which is still largely disappointing.

So, once again I feel very conflicted. A lot of the fandom have been very adamant about not wanting to support the show if Gaiman was involved, and in the end he wrote the show. Even if he had been removed as producer and showrunner and wasn’t allowed on set (thankfully it seems all three of things have happened), I know that wouldn’t have been enough for some fans because he would still have ultimately been responsible for the product that we eventually see. And I don’t know how to feel about that.

I’m happy he’s gone, I’m disappointed the show has been gutted, I’m glad we get a conclusion, I’m sad it won’t be exactly what we wanted.

I’m SO THANKFUL that the women get some semblance of justice, that there is a consequence for a perpetrator, that a big ass company is finally listening to fans and moving with the times and signally this kind of behaviour isn’t appropriate and that repercussions can and will be felt.

Finally, I’ll remind everyone that there are going to be a lot of different and conflicting feelings from the fandom. I would ask that everyone try to be nice to one another. If you have a differing opinion, maybe rather than debating it you just allow that person their feelings and move on. Do not go after someone if you feel like they’re not reacting the “right way” to the situation. Just be kind please. It’s what Terry would have wanted.

[geekthefreakout]

No, but the more I'm thinking about it, 90 minutes really doesn't seem like enough. They couldn't do at least two hours??

I am trusting David Tennant and Michael Sheen to fight for their characters to get what they deserve. I'm trusting Terry Pratchett's estate. And, God help me, I'm trusting the fuckers at Amazon to find a writer who gets it.

But I don't see how 90 minutes can be anything but a rush job. There's too much that needs resolution-- What's heaven's actual plan? What's going to come of Hell? How will Aziraphale and Crowley mend their relationship? And also have time to let characters like Muriel spend time in the spotlight? And also let the necessary moments BREATHE????

HECK.

Bastards like Neil Gaiman need to stop making art. And also stop being bastards.

All that said:

Here is a not so gentle reminder that though we are disappointed because we love our show, it is 1000% NOT OKAY to take any of this out on the victims. At all. If I see ANYONE saying that they would prefer the victims stayed silent or that they would rather Gaiman not deal with consequences so we could get the season 3 we wanted, I will block your ass with the quickness. Don't be a jerk.

[pratchettquotes]

"Ah, good," said the Patrician. "Now, I would just like to ask one or two questions, if I may?"

Goodmountain nodded.

"Firstly, is Mr. Cut-My-Own-Throat Dibbler involved in this enterprise in any significant managerial capacity?"

"What?" said William. He hadn't been expecting this.

"Shifty fellow, sells sausages--"

"Oh, him. No. Just the dwarfs."

"I see. And is this building built on a crack in space-time?"

"What?" said Gunilla.

The Patrician sighed. "When one has been the ruler of this city as long as I have," he said, "one gets to know with a sad certainty that whenever some well-meaning soul begins a novel enterprise they always, with some kind of uncanny foresight, site it at the point where it will do maximum harm to the fabric of reality." [...]

"What?" said Goodmountain.

"We haven't noticed any cracks," said William.

"Ah, but possibly on this very site a strange cult once engaged in eldritch rites, the very essence of which permeated the neighborhood, and which seeks only the rite, ahaha, circumstances to once again arise and walk around eating people?"

"What?" said Gunilla. He looked helplessly at William, who could only add:

"They made rocking horses here."

"Really? I've always thought there was something slightly sinister about rocking horses," said Lord Vetinari, but he looked subtly disappointed.

Terry Pratchett, The Truth* *For the anon who requested the bit about cracks in space-time from this excellent conversation in The Truth, where Vetinari demonstrates the Ankh-Morpork approach to urban planning.

[anathemafiction]

Hello! This might seem a bit out of the blue and weird, maybe? So feel free to ignore it. I remember you posting about starting to read Terry Pratchett, and being disappointed because you couldn't find Guards! Guards! in the edition you wanted. Well I recently sorted out my library, and I found an old copy of this book, in the edition you wanted, I think? Would you still be interested?

Omg this is so sweet. Thank you for not only offering but even thinking of me in the first place.

But I have the book in that edition already! My sister lives in Wales so, she found it in a local bookstore and shipped it to me. Again, thank you so much, darling ❤

[ask-a-bot]

confession i have a bumblebee plushie and every time i think about it i get this strong need to make a wooden cross and nail him to it and hang him above my door because i think it would be funny. also I want my room to be under the protection of bumblebee christ who died for our sins on Easter or something idk im not religious. but my government is 🔥

-🥩

Where I come from, we do not exactly have a religion, but there are no such things as false gods. We know the gods are real and that they exist, but we do not... believe in them.

Some of us do.

Oh, Optimus. You disappoint me. To quote Terry Pratchett, it is like believing in the postman.

[denimbex1986]

'Amazon Prime’s hit adaptation of Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett’s bestselling novel Good Omens will return for season three, starring David Tennant and Michael Sheen.

The TV series follows the unlikely celestial bond between grouchy demon Crowley (Tennant) and fussy rare-book seller and earthbound Angel Aziraphale (Michael Sheen) as they are faced with world-ending threats and rogue angelic beings rocking up at their doorstep.

The first season, written by co-creator Gaiman, arrived on Prime Video in 2019 and quickly cultivated a devoted queer fanbase invested in the heavenly chemistry between Crowley and Aziraphale as they raced to save the earth from an all-consuming apocalypse.

After a four-year wait, the second season arrived in July this year and did not disappoint as the unconventional pair teamed up once again to restore order in the cosmos after taking the lost, confused and amnesia-ridden archangel Gabriel under their wing.

The season ended on a major cliffhanger, with tensions between Aziraphale and Crowley higher than ever leaving fans waiting with bated breath for the show to be renewed for a final season.

And their dreams have come true after Prime announced on Thursday (14 December) that a third and final season would be arriving on the streaming platform. Read on to find out everything we know so far.

What is the plot of Good Omens season 3?

The end of season two saw Gabriel runaway with Beelzebub, leaving his post as heaven’s head honcho wide open, which is then offered to Aziraphale. In the dramatic finale, Crowley admits his undying love for Aziraphale before planting a passionate kiss on his lips – much to the delight of fans.

However, in a heartbreaking twist Aziraphale leaves Crowley devastated after telling him he has accepted the job offer and will be returning to heaven, with little hope of seeing Crowley ever again.

In a statement announcing the season renewal, Gaiman teased about what audiences can expect from the upcoming season.

“I’m so happy finally to be able to finish the story Terry [Pratchett] and I plotted in 1989 and in 2006,” Gaiman said in a statement.

“Terry was determined that if we made Good Omens for television, we could take the story all the way to the end. Season One was all about averting Armageddon, dangerous prophecies, and the End of the World.

“Season Two was sweet and gentle, although it may have ended less joyfully than a certain Angel and Demon might have hoped.

“Now in Season Three, we will deal once more with the end of the world. The plans for Armageddon are going wrong. Only Crowley and Aziraphale working together can hope to put it right. And they aren’t talking.”

Much like the previous seasons it looks like divine intervention will force our spurned lovers together once again as a brand new threat to civilisation emerges. But will this be enough to make them realise their deep affections for one another and finally get their happy ending?

Amazon MGM Studios head of television Vernon Sanders described the show as “clever, witty, and funny”.

“The final season is sure to be packed with the same dynamic energy that our global customers have come to enjoy,” he said.

Fan theories and reaction to Good Omens season 3

Naturally, fans are raring to watch the new season and are offering their best theories about what to expect alongside their most joyous reactions.

There are several potential avenues the show could go down for the third season, although most are hopeful of a happy ending for our main duo. Gaiman has previously hinted that Aziraphale and Crowley end up living together in a cottage after the events of the TV series, known as South Downs Cottage.

As for what the major existential threat will be, according to receipts collated by Good Omens fan and X/Twitter user @swirlingthings, the plot is likely to converge around the Second Coming of Christ.

According to Gaiman, himself and Pratchett previously discussed this plot in which Jesus would descend on a silver plane with angelic secret agents sporting dark glasses, only to get lost in New York’s Time Square.

Meanwhile, fans are sharing their jubilation at the renewal news.

Who is in the cast of Good Omens season 3?

There is currently little information on the cast of the third and final season of Good Omens aside from the guaranteed return of David Tennant and Michael Sheen.

There is the possibility that character from previous seasons make a returning such as Gabriel (Jon Hamm) and Beelzebub, portrayed by Shelley Conn in the second season.

Nina Sosanya may also make a reappearance after starring in various roles across the first two seasons.

Is there a trailer?

There is currently no trailer for Good Omens season three.

What is the release date?

There is currently no release date for the third season but Gaiman has offered a potential timeline on his tumblr, after revealing he has made strong headway on writing the scripts after the WGA strikes lifted.

“If we shot it in 2024 it would probably be released in early ’26. (We started shooting S2 in October 2021. It’s about a year in post-production from wrap to release),” he told fans. Adding that he has long had the “final fifteen pages” of season three episode six ready “in case he got hit by a bus”.

So if all goes well, we may be seeing Aziraphale and Crowley’s happy ending by 2026.

Good Omens season one and two are now streaming on Prime Video.'

[crowleysgirl56]

So Elnora Whittaker is a wonderful artist on Instagram. She does a lot of Good Omens inspired work which is simply beautiful. You can follow her Instagram blog here: https://www.instagram.com/elnorawhittaker?igsh=MThwZDNkYnhyaWhqeA==

She’s created a Good Omens love letter October challenge, which considering I’m not particularly an artist, thought I would participate in instead of Inktober. She’s included the challenge as an image which I’ve linked below.

So for Day 1 (which was technically yesterday for me, but thought I’d start it today) is “How I discovered Good Omens”.

Pretty simply answer to this one really. I’d been a massive fan of Terry Pratchett and his Discworld novels for years. So was one of my best friends from high school, and she basically recommended Good Omens and also introduced me to Neverwhere by NG. Both of these books immediately became two of my favourite ever books.

Now, as we all know they’re both quite tainted thanks to a certain someone. It’s very disappointing. But as I’ve mentioned before, Good Omens still holds a special place in my heart and most of it is devoted to Terry.

[fromthedeskofthecaptain]

Unpopular Ghosts opinion. Come at me! 😉🤣

I’m disappointed that series 5 will be the last, not only because I’ll miss the show and the characters (especially Cap, obvs) but because I feel like lots of opportunities were missed.

There are a total of three hours left. How can they do justice to every strand they began to weave?

Frankly, they missed the chance to give Mary real character development and backstory. It’s not like they couldn’t have talked about witch trials, misogyny, social exclusion, etc, without it being poignant and funny. (See “The Witchfinder” with Daisy May Cooper, or even some Terry Pratchett). They gave her very little to do as a character and I was disappointed. This is especially irritating bearing in mind how much filler there has been in some episodes written during lockdown.

Considering how much trouble they went to to show ghost characters from previous eras impacting the “lives” of the current ghosts, they’ve done nothing with that really.

They had the whole of history to play with!

I don’t hold out much hope for Kitty’s ending. We’ll find out how she died, but what about her whole range of experience as a Georgian black woman?

Thomas has never had any character development. There was a point when he looked like he would, but it’s as if the Idiots forgot about it and returned to writing him as if he didn’t learn anything from the revelations of his death episode.

There are more!

I’m just sad because I wanted more…😢

[queenofthearchipelago]

The good omens fandom has been disappointing lately, and I don't mean because of Neil. I mean because of the small pocket who lashed out at Neil not long ago.

For those reading my post out of context, let me explain quickly that Neil has always said, very specifically so, that Aziraphale and Crowley are not men, and therefore are not gay. That being gay is a human thing, and angels and demons generally don't even really understand it. (This is not a direct quote from him, but I've read this sentiment from him a few times.) And in response to that, I've seen popular members in this fandom respond in harsh anger because they feel that when Neil says these things, that it comes from a place of internalized homophobia that he's been holding onto like his life depends on it for the last 30 years.

If I may gently offer a different perspective... and please do not come for me, I really genuinely do not want to interact in debate or argument, I simply want to lay out how I see this, and lay it down as a kinder perspective for those it may help.

Neil (and Michael and David) have always used incredibly vague language to determine who and what exactly Aziraphale and Crowley are to each other. The only consistencies are that they are an angel and a demon and they love each other, they're in love with each other.

If it comes to answering any questions more specific than that, like if they're gay, then the answer is that Aziraphale and Crowley are not men, they're supernatural beings.

This is not coming from a place of bias, this is coming from a place of protecting the fandom.

This fandom is such a diverse and beautiful place. I see many people who headcanon them as being gay. I also have met people here who headcanon them as lesbians. As being trans. As being asexual. As gender fluid. As being every different type of orientation and identity possible. The theories and headcanons on who and what Aziraphale and Crowley are, is just as varied as every single person in the fandom.

And that's so important.

For a group of people who know what it feels like to not have representation on screen... for some since the book has come out more than 30 years ago and for some who have only come into this fandom with show 5 ish years ago, you guys know how important representation is.

I can't help but feel that some of this frustration and anger towards Neil for not blatantly saying that it's a gay love story comes from a place of wanting their version of Aziraphale and Crowley to be deemed superior to the others at the cost of erasure of the orientations and identities possible in everyone else's headcanons.

It's a queer love story, whatever that means to you. Before the first season aired, Neil directly said that no one was trying to take your version of Aziraphale and Crowley away from you. And do we not all read the same blog? I see posts from this man celebrating how different members of his readership, young and old, find representation and comfort within this story he AND TERRY PRATCHETT made.

I do wonder if you would treat Terry this way. I sure hope not.

We're never going to get Neil Gaiman saying these characters are gay, because it would crack the very rare and delicate and beautiful thing that's been created here. A couple of characters in a deeply loving relationship where you the audience get to decide what their relationship is? Where you get to decide their gender, because they literally don't have one? A story where the characters could genuinely, canonically, be like you because there's nothing inside the story saying that aren't like you? Where that freedom to interpret is part of the very foundation of the characters?

What other story would you guys be getting that from? Because I don't see any others like that on any bookshelf I've scanned recently.

Neil isn't going to ruin that for you.

And even if he did, he's also directly said that his stories speak for themselves. He isn't Word of God. Neil doesn't pretend that extra information he brings on Tumblr dot com actually adds anything to the story we all watched. That stands on its own, anything extra he may say or not is up to us to decide if we think it's canon or not. Do you, yes you, very specifically YOU... do you care about Word of God? Do you care about Author's Intent?

These are choices you make as a reader, as a viewer of intelligent television.

Aziraphale and Crowley are whatever you want them to be. They're in love. They always have been. And whatever that means to you, is yours and you can have that and share that and no one (not even Neil Gaiman) is ever going to take that precious thing away from you.

So write your fanfics and draw your fanart and participate in roleplays and take your comfort and guard your peace.

It's supposed to be safe here.

[gumnut-logic]

🤗 What advice would you give to new fanfic writers that are just getting started?

🤗 What advice would you give to new fanfic writers that are just getting started?

::rolls up sleeves and brainstorms all over the keyboard::

If you want to do it, do it. Don't hide. Everyone had to start somewhere (wanna see my first ever fic? I was 18 and the internet did not exist, also, it was really badly written; you can find my second ever written fic here - its TOS Trek). We've all been there and we are all learning. Don't be scared, Thunderfam at least is here to support. For you fanartists out there, check out How I learnt Portraiture and then check out this post to prove that I can paint, honestly, really I can :D

If you do encounter negativity - block/ban. In fandom, if you can't say something nice, shut up and go away. Don't like, don't read, and mind your own business. I'm all for self curating your online experience. The only time constructive criticism is polite is when you know the person and they've asked. Like I have several members of Thunderfam I come screaming to while writing with the question, does this suck? These are my sanity checkers - Gavii, unfortunately you have taken on this mantle and suffer on a fairly regular basis. Nutty by name and nature.

Works in Progress - anyone who has known me here at all knows I leave a wake of WiPs behind me. Some I get back to, some, not so much (I promise to pull Alex out from under that building, I do!). WiPs are part of the way an artist works (I have so many in so many media, omigod). Because fanfic is published close to the leading edge of creation, its gonna happen. Fanfic is written for fun, after all. The key is to not let them beat you up in the head. Yes, there is unfinished stuff, but it doesn't mean you can't write something else in the meantime. Don't let it stop your muse. I am notorious for unfinished stuff and the real world hates it. But this isn't the real world, THIS IS FOR FUN. I know the marketing theories and the regularity of posting and popularity and what is at stake if either not enough is published regularly or if too much unfinished stuff disappoints the reader. But again, if you let the WiPs hang around your neck too much and badger you, they will drown you. It will become a job, a burden, something you hate. So don't pressure yourself. Work with your muse and see what you can wrangle out of it...at your own pace. You might be surprised what works.

The Terry Pratchett method - I don't know if it is true or not, but there is a post flying around Tumblr somewhere that claims Terry Pratchett, famous author, only aimed to write 400 words a day. This is something I have found extremely useful. If you want to write something, don't set the bar too high so you fail. Set it at a reachable level, even 200 words or 100 words. Honestly the hardest part is actually sitting down and starting. Before you know it you will have passed your low goal and blown it out of the water 3000 words later (my highest number of words in one day was 7000 - I tend to edit as I go, so it slows me down). Rarely do we have an entire day we can write, cos life keeps getting in the way. So do it in little bits. I'm doing this method with my crochet at the moment. Lots of little bits make big bits. This is how I've written many of my longer fics. Heh, I used to have fifteen minutes in the car before work, so I'd pull up on the side of the road and write as much as I could in that time. Sometimes having a limited time helps with that as well.

But the biggest thing you can do to improve your writing is to get to know yourself very well. I'm on the autism spectrum and likely have some forms of ADHD or Executive Dysfunction (I literally cried the day I found out it had a name as to why I couldn't finish things). It's taken me years to work out how to get work out of myself. How to avoid fighting myself (a fight I never win). To learn what works best for me and how I can herd the cats in my brain into them doing what I need them to do. Find out what makes you tick. Find out what sparks your muse, what way best enables you to write. Try different times of the day, different places, bribe yourself, time limit yourself, lock the family out of the room, go to the beach, write on paper, go mobile, write on your phone, scribble notes, anything that can get your brain doing what you want it to do. Sometimes reading fic can do it, showers and manual work are great for idea sparking - let the brain idle and it comes up with all sorts of interesting things. Very late night writing can be a doozy of a trip :D Find what works then do it - until it changes and you have to find it again because yes, my brain does that too, drat it.

And that is probably enough babbling from me :D I need to go find Virgil and a pick up with his name on it...or Gordon's...it's still gelling in my brain :D

I hope this helps someone, even just a tiny bit. Writing is hard work, don't let it drown you. Also, we all have up and down days, just because something sucks today, doesn't mean it will feel the same tomorrow. Never give up, never surrender, and if you do give up on one thing....ooh, look there's another one to play with.

Thank you for asking ::squishy hugs you lots::

Nutty

(who despite this will still have days where the writing will not work...in which case, I'm gonna do something else for a bit until brain decides it wants to play....stupid brain, do it on demand, you pile of goop)

[hoshiko2000]

So I can only assume that the extremely foreshortened conclusion to Good Omens is due to a new script being hastily written based off the original outline for the GO sequel set out by Terry Pratchett? Either that or the cast and crew are eager to wash their hands of the project, and the singular finale episode is being created as a compromise to give fans some kind of conclusion at least?

Either way, it is very disappointing. Not so much because I expected the series to avoid cancellation, nor would I have been angry or unable to understand the decision if it had. But rather because it feels insulting for the fans who actually wanted to see the series conclude.

As much as I would love to be pleasantly surprised, I really can’t see a single 90 minute episode at all wrapping up the show in an at all satisfactory way. This is all honestly such a massive shame, and while - once again - I would 100% support and understand a decision to cancel the series if this had been the case, this feels like a frustrating ‘solution’. What a sad legacy for this show.

[thedungeonmother]

3/4′s of the way through Monstrous Regiment and...

Terry Pratchett has this weird divide with gender and it leaves me feeling a little uncomfy. I’m non-binary and he writes these female vs. males books as if men and women are as different as apples and oranges. 

But that I can put aside as a personal issue. 

Blouse is just the typical Discworld himbo that exists in every woman led book and I’m... not disappointed but I wish there was more there. 

Jackrum is just another Vimes and honestly I think it would hi-fucking-larious if it turns out he was Vimes in disguise. 

Also I think deep down I am Maladict. As I also get a little out of it without my coffee. I think he’s my spirit animal. (She? I wouldn’t be surprised.)

And the women getting arrested for being women? I had to stop reading cause I’m annoyed as fuck (probably the point, tbh.)