#the power of writing

[uselesstaroth]

Watching Burrow's End

"We don't speak stoat, we speak human.",

This shouldn't hit this hard

Damn you Dimension 20

[legit-a-snack]

Writing is more than people think, it's more than a tool to be heard or understood; writing is a force unto itself, whether its shared or private.

Writing gave the terrified, abused child I used to be a voice they were denied. It gives us the power to create, to shape, and control worlds and realities. It helped them transform that pain into something.

But it can also help us heal, can help us deal with and process the pain we've been through. Either by confronting it in a safe setting, with a safe enough distance, or by helping escape into entirely different.

Living with traumatic wounds, my nightmares are the only constant in my life; i am afraid to sleep most night because there's no way to avoid them. The other night, I woke in terror, shaken to my core. But soon, this spark lit up inside me; a flash of the person I used to be, before I lost the lifeline writing had always been.

I say flash because it was brief; one second there, the next only panic and guilt remained; this irrational fear that I was wrong to write it, that somehow taking my fears and my pain and turning into art made me some sort of monster and took away from the seriousness of it: it doesn't.

Writing about the reality of the world, about the cruelty and viciousness, about dark and terrible things that happen doesn't dilute it. It doesn't take away from it. It doesn't mean the writer is fetishizing, supporting, or condoning any of it. sometimes, it can actually means the person has been through something horrific, and they're trying to process and work through it.

You aren't owed an explanation; least of all about the painful parts of their lives.

It easy to make assumptions, jump to conclusions. Specially online, where virtue signalling and dogpiling is rampant; and you guessed it, it's often against already marginalized people. sometimes, the very people the aforementioned virtue signallers claim to care about.

[sylvieserene]

It's lovely!

a comic about fix-it fanfics

[avaantares]

Yet another AO3 bot situation - please spread the word!

Hi, it's me again, the person who wrote that viral post about fanfiction plagiarism! Today I'm here to warn you about abuse perpetrated by bots who have stolen AO3 usernames.

There's currently an epidemic of bots going around leaving (apparently random) horrible, hateful comments on people's fics. This isn't the first time bots have invaded AO3, but the big problem with this wave is that they're using real AO3 usernames to do it.

I learned about this when another writer contacted me after receiving the following comment on their story:

Now, while that is my username, I DEFINITELY did not leave this comment (and anyone who would leave something like that on a fic should be slapped! What an awful thing to post). This fic is in a completely unrelated fandom that I have never participated in, nor has that author participated in any of my fandoms, so the probability of it being some intentional fandom drama thing to make me look bad is also low.

The writer whose fic the comment was left on enlisted the aid of some friends and tracked down other guest comments with unrelated usernames attached, which is pretty strong evidence that they are being left by bots at random.

The TL;DR: If you receive a cruel comment from a (Guest) with an actual AO3 username attached, it's most likely from a bot. Please do not lash out at or dogpile the AO3 user who owns that name, and who in all likelihood has no idea that their name has been hijacked for evil.

If finding this kind of comment on a fic, even left by a bot, is likely to upset you, I would recommend changing your comment settings so that only users who are logged in can leave comments. To do this, edit your story settings, and under "Privacy," select the radio button that says "Only registered users can comment," as shown below.

Please spread the word to other AO3 users! And if you see mean guest comments on other fics, maybe let the author know that it's probably from a bot and not a real person who thinks their writing is bad.

[words-and-coffee]

Alice Te Punga Somerville, Always Italicise: How to Write While Colonised - Kupu rere kē

[ID: A poem titled: Kupu rere kē. [in italics] My friend was advised to italicise all the foreign words in her poems. This advice came from a well-meaning woman with NZ poetry on her business card and an English accent in her mouth. I have been thinking about this advice. The convention of italicising words from other languages clarifies that some words are imported: it ensures readers can tell the difference between a foreign language and the language of home. I have been thinking about this advice. Marking the foreign words is also a kindness: every potential reader is reassured that although you're expected to understand the rest of the text, it's fine to consult a dictionary or native speaker for help with the italics. I have been thinking about this advice. Because I am a contrary person, at first I was outraged — but after a while I could see she had a point: when the foreign words are camouflaged in plain type you can forget how they came to be there, out of place, in the first place. I have been thinking about this advice and I have decided to follow it. Now all of my readers will be able to remember which words truly belong in -[end italics]- Aotearoa -[italics]- and which do not.

Next image is the futurama meme: to shreds you say...]

(Image ID by @bisexualshakespeare)

[azeutreciathewicked]

I knew writing could change the world, but didn't realize it could go this far.

Shout out to the day i killed the queen via AO3, legendary (name of the fanfic is jigens sick adventure, yes it is a sickfic)

[theoldaeroplane]

worried that thing you put in your art or writing or game or music is too self-indulgent, too self-referential, too niche for anyone but yourself? fear not! you can do whatever you want forever. and you should.

[lazylittledragon]

made a sticker for anyone to slap onto their work if they need to

[plainclothesdisaster]

Danny’s on the Suicide Squad. He’s the defacto team moral compass and ray of sunshine. He plays the role of the camp counselor that keeps everyone in line. He’s not afraid of working with even the gnarliest of baddies.

Everybody on the team wonders how he ended up locked up with the villains- he never talks about what he did to end up behind bars no matter how much they pester him. Then one day they’re out on a mission and Harley or somebody is caught and tortured. Danny snaps. It’s the opposite of brutal- he takes down everyone in the room with clinical, dispassionate efficiency.

After it’s over and the team is safe he comes back to himself and is almost sheepish. He radios Belle Reve.

“Whoops. Add another couple notches on my power dampener collar, would you Waller?”

“Can’t, it’s already at max.”

“Ah. Well. I’ll have a look at strengthening it when we’re back then.”

The team just stared at him slack jawed. Good thing he’s on their side.

[stealingyourbones]

A Danny Gets Summoned By Cult AU but he’s actually bound to their summoning and has to do everything he’s commanded to.

Small twist: he’s not the Ghost King. He has the power level he has in the TV show. Not Uber powerful, just a mid tier meta going rogue.

As the local heroes go to stop this rampage they see something off.

The apparition like being that just leveled a city block with his war cry and looks like he’s about to collapse is crying. Glowing green tears flow down his cheeks as he’s commanded to freeze civilians and create havoc. The only reason why he’s standing is because he’s bound by summoning magic to completely level the city and not stop until he’s completed his task.

At this rate if Phantom isn’t stopped, he will fully die before the town is leveled.

[mischievous-thunder]

From merely existing in two separate universes all the while trying their hardest every single day to mend the broken pieces of themselves

to finding someone who's willing to sacrifice himself to make sure the other person gets all the love and happiness of the world, to finding someone to go home to, to finally having the family of their dreams materialised, Wade and Logan's paths merged into one. It's but a new beginning.

Nothing really clicked prior to them meeting each other because their soulmates didn't even exist in their respective universes. Everything starts falling into place when their fate brings them together. They are each other's anchor beings.

[chipper-smol]

[arggghhhsstuff]

forever obsessed with percy being weird. off-putting. strange even. a cryptid maybe. an urban legend if I may. my boy is the son of one of the oldest, most powerful gods, has been in FBI's records since the age of twelve, fought and won two wars against immortal beings, went to hell and back. I think he's allowed to be a little odd.

[soranker]

my girlfriend

[abstractfrog]

Happy 1 year anniversary to Mr Sherlock Holmes! Here's a litttleee celebratory comic from me

[astearisms]

fionna and cake drawings before and after watching the episodes so far. it’s nostalgic and somehow cathartic and poignant and relatable and—it just started