#then i'll be able to work on the events & finishing out the exploration and everything :3

[violetsareblue-selfships]

good morning!! <3

[saint-vagrant]

we packed up my studio on Thursday night, so my residency in the burren is officially over 💔🌦 i'll miss it tremendously, including my fellow residents who have already dispersed— such a lovely group with whom i'm so grateful to have shared this time, they improved it tenfold. and i'm grateful to everyone who helped me make this possible.

i worked on pieces large and small, which i haven't had time nor energy to accomplish in the last few years. i didn't finish everything, mainly due to spending as much time exploring the mountains, woods, ruins, and Árann islands. the writing i paired with my work for the Open Studio event reflects my thoughts on being in The Land as someone (mac tíre) severed from the security of family, making space for my trans and queer body, a soft indentation in the sea grass. bithchuimhne 🍃 i introduced some of this in my comic for the HOME anthology— to be embraced in kind means more than words alone can say.

with unfinished pieces, i at least have something to look forward to once i'm settled in.

at the same time, going back to the core feels almost criminal. does it ever not? níl cara ag cumha ach cuimhne. i'm furiously sad at the absence of the Palestinian students who were meant to be here, Mohammed and Nadin. we held a bonfire in honour as a small gesture of committment and memory, and i've been in touch with Mohammed a little, only when he's able to access rare internet connection. Ireland, to be fair, is hardly better— hiding behind selective, vicious, cowardly "neutrality" that somehow continue pandering to the same colonising forces Ireland prides itself on rejecting. but on the ground, coalitions of people are ever here for each other and will not stop coming out in droves against the odds. in that way, israel will lose, as will its guardian the US, as will each languishing oppressor in this conflict and the next. at this moment i can't offer much more than that, but i do believe in it. it's the only thing i've ever believed in. from the plough to the stars, from the river to the sea, saoirse don Phalaistín 🇮🇪🖤🇵🇸 and around the world.

[askyourwritergrandma]

Hello there. I have a bit of a difficult question in the sense that I don't know who to ask about it. You seemed to be arguably the wisest source to consult on the matter, so I'm taking a chance.

I had an idea for a fic that I wanted to write and I was actually in the process of writing it for a bit. It was for a small fandom event in which I signed up for. I was almost done with it and was in the finishing stages of them when I was obstructed by people and circumstances that really ought not to have ever been and as such, I was never able to fully publish it. Ever since then, I have resented the people who did this as I not only failed to deliver the final product I was supposed to, but I also looked like a fool. I hated everyone and myself for this entire thing as this is not the first time I had been stopped from doing something that I chose outside of everyone else's jurisdiction. To an effect, I still do.

As a more notable effect, looking at the document in which all of my hard work sat made me physically ill and enraged. I had also stopped writing completely because of how strongly I felt (and still feel) about this entire situation. Soon after the fact, I also essentially erased myself from the online space for a month because I didn't want anyone to question nor point out that I hadn't done it as I did not want to explain why and doing so would have me spiral out of control and simply delete my social media as I would not be able to live with it. I have only come back recently because I was sick of being socially isolated and alone. You would think that this would be the end of it, but there's one thing that for some reason sticks around.

I still want to write this story.

Yes, I know I essentially left them high and dry but this premise and what I had been working on captivated me to such a degree that I'm still thinking about it when my mind wanders on its own. But I still get sick thinking about my circumstances that I can't change nor budge and as such, I still can't stand looking at the document nor the outline. I desperately want to get to work on it again, but there's so much negative emotional attachment to it that I can't bring myself to do it because I wonder why I ever bothered with it in the first place if everyone and everything in my life keeps stopping me from doing it.

I've tried to write other things in the meantime, but they too are suppressed as I am constantly reminded of my failure and my circumstances that are not only unfair but ridiculous as this is the only outlet I really have and to see it limited to such a degree is sickening and still makes my blood boil.

I love writing things and I love exploring these things, but I don't even know how to do it when all of it is accompanied by rage, despair, inferiority, and pure unadulterated hatred directed at myself as well as others.

So I suppose that my question really is this:

How do I bring myself to write when my entire being hates me for even trying, knowing that I'll never finish what I start because something will stop me?

Oh friend, this is just some shit right here.

Ok so important disclaimer is that I am not a mental health professional. Anything I say is based on personal experience or accumulated knowledge from the internet.

Its important that you know, and really properly internalize, that you did not fail. In fact my first thing directly related to writing that I would advise you to do, when you start to feel this way, is to say 'I did not fail' to yourself. Sometimes things happen that can't control and they affect us in very serious ways that takes time to get over.

Certainly it sounds like what you were working on was important to you and the circumstances that interrupted it were very upsetting. There's no surprise that your story has becoming a focal point for those feelings. Untangling how they are connected is something that you can only do with time and trying.

If you have a safe place where you can externalize those feelings, either through talking to someone, keeping a journal or writing the events but fictionalized I would suggest those things. Sometimes just being able to put it all out there and know that its safe helps you move on from it.

As far as people on the internet questioning you about where you've been, I can't say that wouldn't have happened or that it won't happen in the future, but as a general rule good, decent people extend you grace. Everyone has a life outside of this anonymous mosh pit we call the internet and most people are capable of understanding that. You don't need to compound these feelings of failure with any additional shame from anonymous strangers. Would they have loved to read your story? Yes of course they would have. If you were to finish it they would still want to read it. But they aren't angry or upset with you.

As you try to write, remind yourself that you have not failed. Imagine yourself as a professional athlete who has suffered a serious knee injury. You had to take time away but you're back on your feet now and you're working towards getting back on the field. Every time you sit and try to write, remind yourself that you have no failed, that you are recovering and that you will get better. Writing will get easier.

Send me as many asks as you want, if they help, I'll do my best to answer them promptly.

Good luck anon and take care of yourself.

[onyourowndaisymae]

blog update

hi! it's been awhile since i've posted anything substantial. some of you might have noticed that progress for the "when they fall in love" series has halted, that only little drabbles or shitposts have been posted as of late, etc etc-- i want to say my peace and get it all out there.

to make a long story short, blog posts will be slowing way down to accommodate for my declining health, but i am still looking to post drabbles and such until i am healthier. kink/flufftober prompts will be pushed back to a do-over kink/flufftober when i have the energy to do so. my "personal" blog is @oopsiedaisymae and that's where i'll be moving most of my reblogs, likes, mutual following, etc etc so follow there if you want to see my nonsense. this blog will not be shutting down. y'all are stuck with me.

to make a long story long... (cw for chronic illness, nausea, unintentional disordered eating, american nonsense)

last year, during finals season in college, i got sick as fuck with a stomach infection. since then, i have quite literally never been the same. i went from being a normal student to being plagued with abdominal pain, constant nausea (and i'm emetophobic so that sucked SO much ass) and being unable to leave the house some days. i've had ups and downs with my health since-- some days i can eat semi-normal, other days i'd be completely unable to stomach anything solid. as of now, we're on the worse end of that spectrum.

also around this time, i lost my health insurance. so the entirety of this calendar year i haven't had insurance, and although my primary care clinic is cheap, my issues are beyond what a primary care clinic can provide. because i'm in america, an uninsured trip to the ER would quite literally bankrupt me. so i've been waiting on insurance to get said proper medical care. i'm hoping that'll come sooner rather than later-- my birthday is next month and i'd like to not be in the hospital when it comes around!

with all of this, i have (understandably) not been eating well and have lost a significant amount of weight. eating hurts, and trying to eat a healthy amount makes me incredibly nauseated and in pain. the question every day is: do i want to not be in pain but be unable to think, or do i suffer physically to have some mental capacity for the day? it's a lose-lose situation.

this has really upset me bc writing has always been a place to escape to as my life falls apart, but now even stringing together words is hard. i want to write. before this most recent batch of hell i was stringing together a masterlist for kinktober, but i can't even finish the pieces i was already working on bc i can't think. shit sucks.

anyways. all this to say: once i get proper medical care, it's over for you hoes. i will start posting full-length fics again once i am able. in the mean time, expect little drabbles here and there. i will be hosting my do-over kinktober and flufftober events when i am able, even if that shit means i'm posting in may or something. i will be dicking around on @oopsiedaisymae, my personal blog, in the mean time. oh, and i'm into twisted wonderland now, too. so expect content for that when i come back in full swing.

i think that's everything. if i have anything else to say, i'm sure i'll mention it. in the mean time, feel free to explore my blog or my mutuals' blogs to get your writing content fill. thanks for sticking around :) mwah.

[misscammiedawn]

ok but how am I supposed to flirt with/compliment/be sweet at only one of y'all in your inbox? you have to know that isn't going to happen.

Camden: I'm looking forward to the next time we can just sit and talk and be vulnerable with each other. Also, we should get back to sharing media with each other - especially the media that we both find so formative <3

Cammie: Oh, sweetling? I have such plans for you in 30 short days. I am going to enjoy bespelling you, captivating you, melting you into a somft, obedient puddle

Craig: thank you for sharing the Euros with me, love. I wish they'd ended better. It meant so much that you *wanted* to include me in that, even when you were watching with people in physical space. I can't wait until our next chance to just sit and share hot drinks (and maybe some fruit pastilles) and just *be* together

Dawn: Oh, so many ways to flirt - to be all bratty at you, knowing you know why I brat. Or to be sweet and docile for you, showing how eager I can be to let you in... oh, my love, my Fae, how I adore you.

Wynn: Watching you (and Cammie) play Hollow Knight has been a joy and delight. You continually impress me with your skill and determination, and getting to understand *you* over the last couple of months has been a joy and delight. You are so much more than "these circumstances", and I'm glad you're getting to explore what that means for you, now

u9iey9eugfuifeguiehfioiehionjdbsiligbiloefbuilupbfuiperp

MISSS?!?!?!?!?!?!

I--

*Blushes and whimpering* I am speechless! You have me wordless! I CANNOT WORDS!!!

So--- uh-- I wish everyone were awake and able to just rapid fire a reply for each compliment-- but I can at least compliment you in turn!

The relationship that we have built is the most slow and deliberate courtship of our life with understanding and communication at the center of everything-- our friendship was built over years and years finding one another over and over again as the communities we shared were built and destroyed and there's something so beautiful about the way we rolled in and out of one another's radars for years until the point of which we found each other offline-- I don't think either of us knew how BIG that meeting was when it happened-- you were the first person outside of Oikos to greet me to the IRL community on the very week that we came out as trans and it made us feel so included and part of the new world we found

To think that was only 2 months before COVID lockdowns--- we originally weren't even going to go to that event, we were going to spend "more time in the oven" and debut at the Chicago event later in the year-- I am glad we are in the timeline we are in

I know I've tried to find words for how much you mean to us (up to and including my fictional declarations of affection in Madison/Belladonna) and I'll never stop-- I'll learn your languages and take time to understand why you think and feel as you do and to give space and accommodation and grow with you-- earlier we reblogged a thing about soul mates not being a gift but forged and you and I forge these things so carefully and with such intention-- I never ever ever feel like what we do is work though

You don't cost spoons

I'm not afraid of you

--and given how wounded and scared I was when we began dating-- that means a lot--

I wanna finish the enchanted forest books, I wanna do more trivia, I wanna share more games, I wanna do more shenanigans and teach more classes and travel to more cities and see more shows and build more memories

I love you Daja

I love you so so so much and you are the kindest and most enthusiastic human I've ever seen! The way you just glow with passion and take care of your humans and share your resources and knowledge and heart?

Just-- YOU

YOU!!!!

Also on insistence of the Fae: "Ding!"

[rpgsocialservices]

RPG Review: Fausts Alptraum

Fausts Alptraum is a horror rpg pixel art puzzle game available for free on Steam. As the title suggests, the game is heavily inspired by Goethe's Faust, although its not a retelling. We are told in the beginning that the deal has already happened, now we have to escape its consequences. This review is going to be largely spoiler free, because if I talked about spoilers it would make for an hour long video essay and I'm trying to keep this readable.

TLDR: this is one of the all around strongest rpgs I've ever played, please go play it its so good

Plot: While I said that the game itself is about dealing with the fallout of a Faustian deal, in reality the deal is rarely discussed except for when the demon—Mephistopheles—is trying to persuade Elizabeth to make her own deal. Elizabeth and the player are both more concerned with escaping the very dangerous and very haunted (for lack of a better word) house that was left to her after her father died. The game begins right after the funeral in fact, and you visit the house with your aunt, stepping into a demonic trap as soon as you walk through the door. As you progress through the house you are given diary entries which give clues as to the past of this house and Elizabeth's family, and what events made it the way it is today. I'll admit, parts of the plot flew over my head, as the game doesn't go out of its way to explain everything to you and tie it up neatly the way some games do. What you get out of the story line depends on the work you put into it, and even then some things might not be clear. This is a decent summary if you finish the game and want a wrap-up of events.

The themes of this game center around the choice to stay and live in the past or to let go and let yourself grow beyond the events of your past. We are all shaped by events in the past, but we have to decide if we are going to relive them over and over again or if we are going to lay them to rest. If we are ever going to become someone outside of those events, we need to do be able to process them without letting them take over our lives. The game is divided into chapters, and each chapter is centered around a different storybook tale, like Puss in Boots. The stories serve as a vessel for conveying the events of the past, and this adds to the idea that you either stay in a story forever as a 2dimensional character or you close the book and be fully realized person outside of it.

Another theme of this game is the tension between reality and dreaming. To a certain extent, the plot of this game is up to interpretation. In the end, we are left questioning if we were actually in a demonic house and if there was ever a deal, or if it was all a dream of some kind. Elizabeth's mother had a period of severe mental illness, so this theme comes up more than once. Maybe dreams are how Elizabeth is making sense of all that happened to her and her family. Maybe dreams are just an easy escape from reality and we need to wake up if we are to escape the danger and the grip of the past. Maybe the stories were related to events that happened because relatable stories give us comfort and help us make sense of events that don't make sense, or maybe they were just stories. Personally, I like to think that the family is just that messed up and that what we see and are told is largely true, but you can also easily interpret much of it as metaphorical. If you wanted to. It would make for kind of a boring story though.

Gameplay: The mechanics are pretty simple in this game. There are some chase sequences, but no real fighting; it largely relies on exploration and puzzle solving. The puzzles themselves aren't easy but they're not impossible. You can figure them out if you keep at it, and if you're used to how video game puzzles generally operate. If you can't figure some out, or you don't want to spend too much time on them, I believe there are walk-throughs available in the community discussion on steam. There are a couple of frustrating puzzles, but only two that I genuinely couldn't get on my own and that was partially due to fatigue from playing, as they were about half-way through and at the end. There are rarely any hints if you can't figure out how to progress to the next area, which is a bit frustrating. Overall, it took me about 8.5 hours to play through with the use of a guide in the second half.

Extra: The art and music are both wonderfully atmospheric and create a vibe that is deliciously unsettling. The cut scenes are done in a kind of crayon/colored pencil drawing that, combined with the game element of dividing the game into story-themed sections, lends a sort of sad fairy tale vibe to the game, rather than the gothic vibe you might expect given the inspiration. The character design does a good job of telling you about the character. Mephisto is flowery to the point of ostentation; Elizabeth is a melancholic human child; the pigs (a la The Three Little Pigs) are incredibly creepy; and so on.

[helloneighborfan]

Chapter 14: Meeting

Wow! Other blog from me again, hope you like the chapter!

"Caw, caw." For the first time in weeks, the crow we had in captivity, did not sound repeatedly like previous times (besides being irritating if you hear it every day). Why am I talking about the crow? Well, I'll say why: since I had the incident I had recently after discovering "a crow person" while exploring the tunnels of the house.

Thanks to the description we both made, we were able to generate several hypotheses and theories without arguments, but that served as suspicion about what it could be, as a couple of teenagers playing pranks in town, a person with strange tastes, a sect with unknown purposes and the last one is not even planned. I look behind me and look at Adelle with one eyebrow raised, her arms crossed around her chest, waiting for me to eat breakfast.

-Could we just for one day be people resting?

Oh, I forgot we had the day off.

-I'm sorry, dear, it's just that work consumed me," I replied frankly.

Adelle gave me a nice smile and went downstairs to serve breakfast. Before I go downstairs, I go to Ted's room to take him downstairs to the dining room. "Let's get you breakfast Teddy." I go downstairs and settle Ted in his chair. Adelle serves two plates of scrambled eggs with bacon .

-How delicious. I comment.

We both eat quietly while Adelle feeds Ted. This makes me think that Lisa will also live these moments of life. ~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.

Having an empty cupboard, I decided to take on the role of "productive husband on a slow day."

-Don't forget dinner time," Adelle called from the kitchen.

-I'll be on time, dear!

Leaving the house, I headed for the only store in town, where Mrs. Tillman's is. Sometimes it's hard to come home with everything you set out on your shopping list because, as the groceries were sold out every week, they kept emptying frequently, but on the other hand, if you got there early, you went home happy with your purchases.

When I finished my work at the supermarket, I decided to go to work and let Adelle know that I would be a few minutes early. The day went by and the hours went by. Without any inspiration to continue with the research, I decided to go to the library to look for more information to see more details.

What could the raven men he saw be about?

Had the weather situation in Raven Brooks been going on for a while now and no one was encouraged to investigate its causes?

My questions were dispelled as I entered the large library in front of me. Huge shelves of books covered most of the room with chairs and tables. The smell of old wood gave it an old, studenty feel. Having the student and professional sections, I decided to look for geography and meteorology, but only a few books appeared. I guess Raven Brooks also has its own geography, because it has little outside data.

With the necessary books, I start reading and taking notes on possible key ideas for the weather situation and what the town is like geographically. They mention that it is a forested area and that there is a lot of land, plus it rains frequently (like the time we went to the weather station and on the way back it rained heavily), earthquakes rarely occur and they talk about Mayak 0-14, a natural phenomenon that occurs randomly and consists of the sky turning purple, illuminating with purple rays, plus crows squawking as they circle around in a circle. They do not give the causes or origins of this event, so it shrouds it in a mystical and mysterious aura.

The next few pages talked about how unpredictable the weather is in Raven Brooks, how a week can be cloudy, there are even days when the wind doesn't blow often. Flooding is also part of this but it is mentioned that it is very unlikely to occur as there is no sea nearby.

Another natural phenomenon unique to the town is "The eye of dusk", a climatic condition that occurs during the Christmas season. When the night sky is completely clear, the stars mysteriously align around the moon as a small cloud positions itself around the moon to form the blissful event.

So many phenomena occur in this town and so few answers.

As I was about to pick up a history book, a brown paperback was peeking through the others. Upon closer inspection, it was actually dark brown with gold edges. It had no name but as I flipped through it, the first leaf read:

"History of Raven Brooks."

Turning a few pages, it mentioned that the Tavish founded the town along with other people of power. The origin of the golden apple is also mentioned. Gammy Flo was the creator of this sweet invention, since, by combining chocolate and caramel, she made it known.

Later, the Tavish family inherited Gammy's invention and thus their empire began to grow, becoming the most powerful family in town. Many photos appear of them in their luxurious home. The one that stood out the most was one in which they were posing smiling while Mr. Tavish had a frown on his face, while Mrs. Tavish was smiling proudly. In the background of the photo were also some knight armor with a sword.

From book 4 (Bad Blood) of Aaron's trilogy

In the background of the photo were also some knight armor with a sword.

"So, they think they're royalty, huh?"

"They will regret their actions in the future."

-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-

Having enough information, I left the library and, instead of going back to my place of work, I decided to call Adelle if I needed anything.

-Who is this?

-It's me, Roger.

-Hello, dear.

-How are you? Do you need anything?

-I'm glad you asked, I'm fine, I'm just… I had an unexpected visit from Rita.

-Rita?

I haven't seen her in a while, I'm glad she's well.

-That's right, come back when you finish your hour.

-I will.

-See you in a while.

-See you later.

I hang up the phone and go back to my work…..

-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~

-It's nice to have you here with us, Rita. It's been a while since we've seen you," I reply.

-I'm glad to see you both, too.

-The reason why I didn't come those days was because of…- Rita averts her eyes and crosses her arms around her chest. -A situation I had that left me without strength, that's all.

We both exchange a puzzled look. Could it be what Adelle told me? Most likely yes.

-We understand perfectly well, Rita. The important thing is that you're here. Adelle put a hand on her shoulder.

She could only manage a small, sad smile. She didn't hesitate for a second to smile frankly and hug us tightly,

-We'd better catch up, hadn't we?

-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~

-Let's get back to work.

"Have you ever heard of forest protectors," Rita asks.

We both deny, but we tell that we had a sighting of a person supposedly related to the "forest protectors", that we only met once. At that, Rita tells us the following:

"According to rumors, they are said to be a sect that is hidden in the shadows of the town, their purpose is uncertain but, it is mentioned that they are related to the Tavish family , plus they and a few people are in there. From what I came to hear, only those who have a name here, plus…. you know, swear allegiance to them and earn their respect."

-That's from what I've heard, from the locals here," Rita replies.

Adelle and I exchanged glances. What if that person was one of them?

-If they came across a person dressed like that, then he is one of them.

At that, with determination, Rita stands in front of us and holds out her hand: "Is there one more space? Because I'll be able to be of help to you on this, I'll be undercover."

Another extra pair of hands wouldn't hurt. We smile and take her hand in acceptance.

"Welcome aboard, Rita Ryland."

[mcalhenwrites]

Geckos, Automata

[I'm writing a huge word document on google of all my stories, but it's taking forever, so I'll post these separate on tumblr. If there's a category I should include, let me know!]

Status: Finished, going through one last heavy editing session before publication Publication intentions: I plan to self-publish this in the near future Significant Characters: Duncan, Kieran, Rosalia, Mortimer, Agatha, Julian Summary: It has been four years since the Upheaval. The necromancer, Julian Gilmore, behind it is believed dead, but his husband believes that he’s still alive. Using their automaton daughter and a series of data-collecting geckos, Mortimer searches for clues regarding his whereabouts. He suspects Julian’s cousin, Duncan, might have an idea about where to find him. Some fun details: Mortimer, Julian, and Simone (Julian’s mother) are recycled from another story, which also involved necromancy. That story was originally developed back in 2011. It was called The Dead Have More Worth (And Pose Less Risk) and focused more on necromancy being used to protect tombs, which were often raided for their treasure. All the characters were involved in controversial, career-ending decisions (including the tomb raiding) that had more dire consequences than facing necromancers’ dangerous traps, hence the title. I was frustrated with the original story and abandoned it for years before recycling characters and themes from it. In early 2020, I had the idea for four new characters. I wanted to create an RPG-like party, although none of these characters had names. A year later, I named three of them and wrote the first draft of Geckos in a single month (February 2021). Those characters are Duncan, Kieran, and Rosalia. The fourth one was supposed to be in a relationship with Rosalia, and he later became her unnamed ex-fiancé in a backstory that isn’t explored much in Geckos. In early 2021, right before I wrote Geckos, I was interested in writing something with wild west (USA) themes and steampunk. This worked out well with the original 2011 story elements, since everything took place in the desert. It also corresponded well with my desire to use geckos, since mine are based off leopard geckos. The city that became the epicenter for the Upheaval is surrounded by mountains and fresh water, but as one expands outward, there are dunes that later give way to plains much like the ones I come from, so that’s why many of the characters eat buffalo meat. The continent is nearly the size of North America, so there is room for a variety of geographically settings. Trains are the main mode of transportation. Mortimer once worked as a train inspector before the Upheaval, and he later joined Julian in making automata. The Upheaval mostly impacted a singular continent. It is the result of Julian’s experiment, which he conducted in the city of Pandion. His intention was to wipe out a large chunk of the human population and turn them into an army. He also brought souls back to the earth to use for such purposes. Julian succeeded in some of his goals, but he was still thought to have died during this catastrophic event. A body was even discovered and buried at his funeral. The massive loss of lives had global industrial impacts, resulting in food shortages and a wider gap between the rich and the poor. Certain technologies became unavailable/unsupported, cutting off widespread use. Most notably, however, is that there is a greater abundance of souls wandering the earth since the Upheaval. Between those killed during the Upheaval and those pulled from their resting place, they’re an unavoidable part of daily life.  Some are malicious and clearly still under someone’s control.

Anyone who shows signs of being a necromancer is deeply hated and discriminated against. The average person might be able to see ghosts, but the better someone can hear, see, or speak to spirits, the greater chance they could be necromancers. Mediums and sorcerers often hide their skills to avoid persecution.

Duncan and Julian are first cousins once removed but are only a couple of years apart. Julian’s mother and Duncan’s grandmother were sisters. They actually met in school and didn’t know they were related at first.

Most of the chapter titles are either puns, wordplay, or references.

[hypnotisedfireflies]

Something I personally really enjoy about your take of Tess and Joel (but especially Tess in particular) is how morally gray you've made them, even before the world ended and before they really had an excuse. I feel like so often people try to make them into these really outstandingly great people pre!outbreak who had to completely start from scratch to adapt enough for survival, which is totally fine!!! am definitely not saying people can't see them how they want especially in regards to a chapter in the story that has no canonical basis. But I just.... really really really enjoy the version you've created where perhaps it actually wasn't that hard to adapt for survival because they already weren't all that great in the first place. It just makes them feel so incredibly human and i just love it so much. Like I never would have came up with Tess have a bit of a drug thing pre!outbreak. I never would have come up with them both being TOO comfortable with the idea of cheating on their loved ones. I never would have come up with Tess not being able to connect to motherhood and the difficulties of that. it's just so interesting and a rather different vibe than what I'm used to seeing in pre!outbreak tessjoel and I love it a lot

Also, I'm super curious about what tour writing process looks like if you're inclined to share! with how you weave your huge stories together so beautifully I'm just curious how you organize all that and all your thoughts, you know?

Honestly, I have the loveliest anons. 🥺💛 Thank you for sharing this with me! The feedback really does encourage and inspire me - I mean, I write what I like to read, so it's a huge boost to know that it is landing with readers, too.

I love writing grey characters because there's so many more places you can take them. Sure, it's fun to write about the white hats tumbling into/resisting darkness but we see that a lot and I don't feel there's much I can add to that fun trope. But grey characters? There's so much you can do with that moral flexibility. I also really like writing characters who are in flux in some way - nobody's ever finished cooking, there's ups and downs and progressions and regressions - exploring that is like crack to me.

I think giving my version of the characters that grey blueprint as a foundation to their personalities helps me to ground them realistically, because it's not such a fantastical leap for them to be able to do certain things or act in a particular way. I think if you're going to survive any length of time in this kind of situation you need to already have a certain set of tools at your disposal (whether that be an arsenal like Bill or a mindset like Tess) or you get lucky (Rachel).

My writing process is kind of ... organic?? I'll have notes for a particular story that I'm working on but I don't have anything bigger than that other than a piss-poor spreadsheet. That just lists significant events, when they happened and the season/year/story/chapter they occurred in. Most of it just lives in my head.

I don't want to sound like an asshole but I don't really have a big plan. Most of the time it just sort of happens. I think it helps that all the characters are fully mapped out in my head and I can reach back into them when I need something. There's so much that has never gotten to page that's in the background to give credence.

So for example, Ricardo might say something that's just a line in a story but I know why he's chosen that particular way to say it. I know Iotama's journey from Outbreak day to Sioux Falls. I know why Tess doesn't talk about her brothers (but that can't come out because Tess doesn't need to explain that to herself or think about why that is, and Joel just flat out doesn't know) but with those details cooking in the background everything is ... I don't know, bigger in my head?

So when it's time to write I just think about what I'd like to read and then build some basic structure around it, think about what I've written before and if there's any way to link it in (most of the time, that just happens when I'm writing) and then if there's any way to "power it externally" with the stuff that's in my head as per the previous paragraph. Then I walk my dog and everything starts to come together.

(Actually, "powering it externally" - you've made me realise something, anon. I'm always writing two stories at once. The one that makes it to page and then the one with that doesn't, all the motivations and backstory that are fuelling what's going on but are never articulated. I hadn't thought about that before, but I'm pretty sure that's what I do).

And then I'll get stuck somehow and think, "That's it! The magic is gone, no more words are ever coming." And then I just either go to bed or write through it, sometimes writing and deleting thousands of words until I find a pathway.

This is why I really like accepting prompts because it challenges me to consider things I might not have otherwise thought of, and stops me getting lazy and just writing what I think I like.

I hope that answers your question anon, and I don't sound like a total nut.

[inkofamethyst]

September 3, 2023

Okay okay alright now for a bit more positivity because I didn't actually spend the last several days in a slump, I promise (not that I'm trying to minimize my feelings or anything of course).

Had a virtual lab meeting on Monday but had to leave partway through to go to the airport. Somehow managed to eat something in the car. Worked on my braids in the airport, on the plane, in the uber to the hotel. Disinfected my hotel room, ate dinner at a diner next to my hotel which was entirely empty except for me and a geriatric couple (the food was just okay and I think the waiter might've been flirting with me but I was too drained to engage and the food wasn't nearly good enough for me to want to go back). Went back to the hotel and worked on my hair for another several hours. Spoilers, even though I finished them that night I wasn't able to find boiling water to set them the whole week. Gonna do that first thing tomorrow.

Tuesday was the major event day. Started with a 9-am departmental information session followed by lunch with most of my cohort (a new guy was added to my cohort (he was also affiliated with the department prior to applying (I think this is important to note not necessarily because I think this was unfair but because.. I dunno I just find it interesting and can't really articulate why (don't get me wrong he's got a crazy amazing CV)))) followed by the snoozefest that was convocation (it was kind of nice but the theater was dark and I just zoned out a bunch) followed by a resource fair (where I scored some free stuff). I took a break and recovered in my hotel before heading back out to a social hour where I met some chem people who were really nice. Then I slept.

I should note that immediately after lunch one of my cohortmates and I went to get our student IDs in the student center. The thing about the student center is that you need a student ID to traverse the student center. So. We waited for a passerby to swipe us into the elevator area because you need an ID to get to the elevators. We got into an elevator with no clue where we were supposed to go and were stuck in there because you need an ID to use the elevator. Someone called it up and we got off on some random floor. We googled the floor we were supposed to go to and figured we'd use the stairwell to get there instead. We enter the stairwell and reach the correct door but couldn't enter the floor because you need an ID to exit the stairwell. We called the ID office and they were happy to help haha.

Wednesday morning was super rainy. I had a conversation and a walk with my advisor which was very nice and reassuring. Got some keys, found my office, met some people. Walked back to the hotel and rested for most of the day. Walked to a Chinese restaurant and got stuffed steamed buns which were amazing even if I couldn't tell whether I was supposed to eat them with my hands or with chopsticks (the table next to me used chopsticks so uh I'll try that next time).

Thursday was beautiful. I got brunch at a little waffle spot and it was delicious. I sat on campus in the shade for an hour or two, just watching the people stroll by. I explored the grad student center (not the one that caused me trouble lol) and it was really nice. My parents arrived and we checked into a hotel closer to my apartment then got Thai (had the best pad see ew I've ever had) and rested for the evening.

Friday was move-in day. Got even more keys. Transferred everything up, went to buy some things, and worked on construction (I built a set of ikea shelves!) until late that night. Set up wifi all by myself. We popped over to a latin american joint that was still open and I had the most amazing rice bowl with black beans and plantains and some incredible green sauce.

More errands Saturday morning until we had to return the rental car. Tried a vegetarian place and it was pretty good, though not a favorite. We took public transport back to campus and walked from there to my apartment. Unpacked bins and organized clothes until late evening. Several hugs later it was just me again (plus my roommate). Slept.

Today I'm thankful for the discord call with my photo- and cello- friends (with a brief cameo by my puzzle-friend). It felt really nice to laugh and carry on with people I know. I stayed on much longer than I should have. Very sleepy.

Lots to do tomorrow (meal prep, tidy, talk with roommate, set alarms).

[theplottdump]

12 and 13!

Ahhh thank you for the ask! :')

12. Do you actually play the game or do you just use it as a storytelling medium? I do play the game!! My Gens 1-5 were purely personal gameplay, and then things started to slowly snowball with more poses and more complex storylines when Val was in High School. The Pit was essentially a NISBI challenge where I just controlled Valerian barring the last fight and escape sequence which was more story focused. When Val aged up I used all the legacy funds he stole from his parent's Vault (legitimately) to pay for the house leaving him with like $30. The whole house is off the grid, there's a massive windfarm out back in the deco rocks, and he cloned a bunch of perfect dragonfruit he stole from his family and has a little underground bio-farm to pay the bills. He also legitimately built Leanne as a servo though gameplay. Because I'm impatient with how slow of a writer I am, I have also played through science baby's entire toddlerhood. They're ready to age up to a child but I want to go back and play with infants too. :') The Casino Heist is going to be pure story, start to finish because it wasn't even something I had planned on doing in the first place. But when @doctorsimcraft built the casino I got all excited about doing one final sendoff for some secondary characters and it provided the opportunity to have more of a spectacular resolution with Val and Chad's relationship. (The initial idea was just to have Chad roll up back on the island coming out of the ocean like Ariel in the Little Mermaid. Val would have seen him coming and rush to climb down the stupid house, falling, and Chad catching him. Then they make a funny remark about having to put in a front door and the laugh track plays and credits roll.) But this arc gives me the chance to explore more of the relationship with Poppy and Chad, introduce some new characters and old faces from gen 5, and dive into the world and aesthetics of one of the members of League of Evil.

Honestly I would love to highlight all the members of the League in little pulpy spin off stories but that would probably kill me. 13. From basic planning to a finished post, how long does that take you?

This depends on a few things! Do I need to make CC for this scene? Poses? Am I recoloring anything? Who am I writing for? Why am I such a slow writer? Being able to make your own poses and props is a slippery slope. I think I've made like near 150 poses, 5 animations, a pistol, 2 massive conference tables, re-uved and recolored Val's helicopter, Made helicopter headphones, luggage pose accessory and poses, cc for the casino and so much just random stuff just for this gen so far.

BUT, I don't edit my pictures. Unless there's a special effect, everything is shot in game with my reshades I'm constantly tweaking.

Usually if it's a big story heavy event I'll work on poses after work throughout the week and dedicate half a Saturday to shooting the dang thing.

Ask me more things and get very overblown answers.

[raffimusiker]

Hey there! I just finished Picard and wondered if you could rec any Raffi x Seven fics that you particularly love? They got on my radar in large part because of your blog, so thank you for the introduction :)

hello! that's really cool and i'm very glad i was able to bring you into the saffi fold 😊

i read fic of all ratings, but most of these are M or E. i'll link them under a cut because this is gonna be long 😂

in general i love pretty much everything from the following writers because i love their overall style of writing and approaching themes, so i feel like you're bound to find something you like within their bodies of work!

Ericine

Daxs10thHost

bimichaelburnham

PepperSpicedLatte

here are a few of my FAV fics off the top of my head, in no particular order. this list is never ending and i am for sure forgetting a bunch. but i think it's a good starting point!

how shall i touch you unless it is unless it is everywhere? by Daxs10thHost (rated M) That whole night, there’d been no talk of the handhold; Raffi’s focus had been entirely on the game, and Seven, between stolen glances, had mirrored her concentration, deciding not to push her luck. But there, hesitant in the hallway, Seven suddenly recognized the look in Raffi’s eyes. or, Raffi invites Seven back to Earth to explore their relationship.

Mimesis by bodyinmotion2 (rated M) A silent retreat on Vashti gives Seven some new perspective and she comes home with a story to tell: Hers. Finally able to open up, she allows a hand written journal to tell the story of what happened to her when she left Earth after Voyager and the intimately manipulative relationship she held with Bjayzl. Raffi and B'Elanna, chosen to bear witness to the truth form Seven's support system as they navigate past trauma together in order to continue healing and move on.

supermoon spell by Ericine (rated E) "If anything, you've been saying it the whole time. I'm the one saying it back." Agnes and Rios break up (again), and three of the least likely people to hang out on Risa head to Risa for a month. All three are having relationship issues. All three work it out, as much as people like them can. (Or, you know, the one where they say "I love you")

perchance to dream by Ericine (rated G) "Her first night of sleep in fifty years would be with you." They have three days to set the future right. They sleep where they can. After the first long day, they can. Thing is, Seven hasn't slept as a human in decades.

A House Is A Home Only With You by bimichaelburnham (rated M) "It's not that Raffi doubts Seven has feelings for her, no. They are there. She would have to be blind not to see. It's in the way Seven wraps an arm around her waist in the morning as Raffi is fighting with the replicator to make them coffee. It's in the way she reaches for her absentmindedly when Raffi has been out of her orbit for a little too long." Or Seven makes a confession and Raffi is done letting it breathe.

Missing Seven by speedtrials (rated M) Due to the (20 years overdue) earth-shaking revelation that Seven of Nine is canonically queer (!!!) there is an immediate requirement for approx 10000 fics to be posted and I answered the call. This story features seven (get it?) missing scenes from Season 1 of Picard with Seven and Raffi Musiker, who are now officially established as the cutest, most badass, hottest, not to mention casually MILF, f/f couple in the galaxy. ✨ Get into it. ==Complete==

The slow walk towards a better life by changethenarrative (rated E) Raffi and Seven deal with their new but tentative attraction to each other as they’re caught in a web of sabotage and shifting loyalties while the planet Coppelius negotiates its place in the Federation. Set after the events of 1x10.

Getting Started (rated M) 'There were thirteen standard earth days between the beginning and end of Raffi’s endurance. Three hundred and twelve hours (eighteen thousand, seven hundred and twenty minutes), of virtuous, almost saint-like patience; stretching between point A, and point Z.' Raffi spends way too much time waiting for the right moment to move things along with Seven. Eventually, she makes her own opportunity.

it's not the weight you carry but how you carry it by Daxs10thHost (rated T) Seven looks over Raffi’s shoulder, out the window to where the setting sun has lit the desert sands in pinks and golds. “Read to me?” she asks, and as soon as she says it, all the tension drains from her chest. She looks back and sees her relaxation mirrored in Raffi’s pose. “These next few nights? Just until I fall asleep?” “Oh honey,” Raffi hums. “I would love that. More than you can ever know.” or, Seven and Raffi find each other in the pages of really old books. canon-adjacent, post-season 1.

Everything Carries Me To You by bimichaelburnham (rated E) "Raffi talks about the dichotomy of her human and Borg parts with poetry, as though she is praising art. She talks about their shape as if they are a natural happenstance and not born from a species' cruel desire to own every part of another. [...] It comes and it goes, the acceptance of herself." After time traveling to the past, Seven struggles with her old-new circumstance as well as reconciling both parts of herself. Thankfully Raffi is here to land a hand. Post-season 2 Canon compliant.

i also really love fics set in the confederation (the universe they found themselves in in s02e02). it's basically a what if president annika hansen and head of security raffaela musiker were a thing in that world. they're usually smut with a tinge of danger. it's a fun place for fic!

let my force just carry us home tonight by Ericine (rated E)

can I take you all the way? by Ericine (rated E)

Nothing Is Permanent (Not Ever Our Troubles) by bimichaelburnham rated E)

Ethereal by PepperSpicedLatte (rated E)

i hope you find something you enjoy in this list! there is so much out there already so whatever your fancy, i'm sure it's already out there.

[alenxa]

between the pants and the plan

I used to think I was a pantser because I got The Boreds every time I planned things. Like, I already know exactly what's going to happen in this scene, so why do I want to bother writing it? Kind of like the way school taught report-writing where you were supposed to graaaaaaadually flesh out your sentences and I always wondered why TF they were making the quicker ones of us hate the process by having us copy things over and over on different worksheets. I had a whole sequence of stories planned out, very basically, and I only finished one of them by the time I thought I would. I thought this was because I knew too much about the others. So I decided to start the one I knew the least about, with a concept and a handful of characters I didn't know very well, set up something for them to do regarding the concept, and see what came out. This is how I got the first version of APK, and for the age I was and the life I'd had, that was okay at the time. I couldn't say it was a book, but hey, novella's not bad.

The other thing that happened while I was discovering what this story was, was discovering other stories. Not that I didn't have other stories already, looking at me like incredulous girlfriends. But I just knew that character A was going to fall in with B, and C with D, and that all the stories of how that went were just as necessary as all the history I'd already set up. I finished one draft, which sucked, and gave up on the other I was working on when I couldn't deal with how much the first one sucked.

But I didn't stop building. New information about the world and its history kept coming to me, and I kept noting it down. I finished the leftover story, liked it pretty well, but realized that I needed more concrete knowledge of what came before it. So I was going to have to overhaul APK. And that was what started to change my mind about pants.

Because I had a lot of material that I'd already written, and that I liked as it was, interspersed with a lot of stuff that you could pop straight off the cob. I had some plot that worked, some dialogue, and some characters; and they were all over the map. And more importantly, I had the beginnings of an idea about the overall endgame of the world, and a need to shape all the stories to be able to get there. I was constrained by the events I'd written, the history I'd explored, and the future I wanted: the absolute opposite of pantsing. I griped and groaned about it, toiled over new ideas I'd never workshopped, and eventually got it done.

And just like before, I jumped straight into the next story, informed by everything I'd done and the shit draft I'd produced. And I PLOWED through it, at twice the speed of the first even with all the crap life was dumping on me. I would settle on the basic plot points and themes for each scene, poke the characters into talking about them, and then analyze whether the next scene I knew about was actually going to be next, or a few down the chapter. I knew where I was going, how much story time I had to get there, and how I wanted everything to look on the way. It resembled the way I often cook: with a Chopped basket of ingredients and a desired style of dish, and figure out the details along the way. There's plenty of room for inspiration within that framework, in both cases, and apparently that's enough for my sense of pants.

So now that I've figured out I'm a frameworker, or a charcoaler, or whatever others in this clade call it, the inevitable happens. I'm facing down an undrafted story that can't be done this way unless I make drastic changes to my structural conceits. Everything I learned in book 2 is not helping. But...it can. If I can remember that inspiration in dialogue can be enough, that I have set basically no constraints for myself through old draft, that I can leave out details that are there for decoration and come back for them later. Then maybe I'll be able to block out every scene the way I need to, themes and all, and not feel like a teacher is making me copy things from note cards.

[isaacjaramillo]

Preserving the Flow: A Water Conservation Crusade

Definitions

Story: A story is a description of imaginary people and events, which is written or told in order to entertain.

Tales: A tale is a comparatively simple narrative, either fictitious or true, written or recounted orally in prose or in verse. A tale often recounts a strange event, focusing on something or someone exotic, marvelous, or even supernatural.

Science Fiction: Usually futuristic, science fiction speculates about alternative ways of life made possible by technological change, and hence has sometimes been called "speculative fiction."

Story

My name is Mark, it is the year 2130 and water scarcity in the world has reached unimaginable levels. I remember when I was young and pork was worth 10 times more than a bottle of water. However, due to limited access to water a bottle now costs about $90. Consequently, the world's governments found out that extinction was inevitable and the time to stop pollution by changing our habits was over, we had to resort to desperate measures. As a result, they decided to pool effort, resources and technology to create a time machine and rewrite history by traveling to 2050 to alert the world of the coming catastrophe. In fact, for more than 25 years I was working alongside scientists from around the world under the personal supervision of President Prescott himself. He took command of the nations of the world and came up with the idea that a time machine was the best option. Moreover, as a politician he is like a mentor to me.

Finally, the day came, I took the nearest rocket train and went to the laboratory where the time machine was.

- Today you will be the one who saves our world Mark, don't forget you must visit Belgium and later attend the United Nations Meeting, you will explore a world before you were born so things will be a little different - Said President Prescott

- It is a great honor, I will warn everyone and I will never allow humanity to suffer from the thirst we experience today. -Mark responded.

- I know you will, that's why I will send a backup team and my personal robot Calvin, he will help you project all the chaos we are experiencing to the nations of the world so that they can see it with their own eyes.

-I thank you for your president's help, I will not disappoint you.

At this time I felt very nervous but I knew what I had to do. I asked Calvin to project his images of our present and what I saw was absolutely heartbreaking, enough to convince the UN. Thanks to some perfect calculations we were able to appear in an empty office a few meters from the assembly. Later, when I was about to go in to tell them everything, Calvin stops me and says:

- I'll take care of it, since you're a human they may think you're crazy, but if they see a robot they'll know that we're telling the truth.

It was a valid argument so I let him come in, the other 3 stayed with me while we watched the rest of the meeting on a very old television. Then, we saw how Calvin approached the podium after another president's speech had finished. He was excited because after 25 years we managed to achieve our goal. Calvin presented himself to the world as a time-traveling robot who was going to give an important message. However, something very strange happened, Calvin began to show a video and photos of a perfect future, with a happy society, trips to different parts of the cosmos, a world without problems or crises, a future undoubtedly different from the real one.

- The course you have taken is the correct one, global warming never happened, and the world reached lasting peace thanks to the fact that it was governed under a single flag and a single government.

At that moment I understood that it was a trap and there was something more behind this trip, but when I wanted to quickly leave that room, the other 3 people who were accompanying me held me down and prevented me from leaving.

- You are so intelligent but at the same time so naive, Prescott only used you so that with the machine we could find his younger version and make sure that only he would be the owner of the drinking water companies in the world and one day become the oldest man. powerful in the world. And now with Calvin doing his job, we are only ensuring the success of our president.

I felt betrayed, whoever I considered my mentor was only manipulating me. At this point I knew that if I didn't do something they were going to kill me. That's why I started screaming with all my might and kicking things around to make noise. After almost losing consciousness, some guards came in after hearing the scandal. I managed to throw myself to the ground before they shot them down. I couldn't stay there, Calvin was putting the future of humanity at risk so I ran towards the assembly and when I saw him speaking on the podium I didn't hesitate for a second and lunged at him to stop him. The leaders of the world were stunned by what they saw, but I was finally able to show them the truth. Using a computer I was able to show the world the harsh reality that awaits them if they do not change their habits. That the ambitions of a few were going to lead the majority to ruin, that now more than ever was the perfect time to change our habits and take care of a resource more valuable than diamonds: Water.

References

Story Definition and Meaning | Collins English Dictionary. (2023b). En Collins Dictionaries. https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/story#:~:text=forms%3A%20plural%20%2Dries-,1.,less%20detailed%20than%20a%20novel

Definition of «Tale». (s. f.). https://www2.hawaii.edu/~davink/MYTHOLOGY%20CLASS/DEFINITIONS/tale.html#:~:text=Tale%20(defined)&text=A%20tale%20is%20a%20comparatively,%2C%20marvelous%2C%20or%20even%20supernatural.

Guides: Science fiction - Greensburg Campus: What is science fiction? (s. f.). https://pitt.libguides.com/scifi#:~:text=Usually%20futuristic%2C%20science%20fiction%20speculates,consistent%20rules%20and%20structures%2C%20set

Picture Related to the story

I got this image searching on Pinterest: Time travel capsule.

I created this image in an application called Leonard.ai with the prompt: Robot giving a speech at the United Nations.

Video Created in Tumlbr

Slides

https://www.canva.com/design/DAFw-Bcun54/EFIozTg0DG4hAQIuhxtwEw/edit?utm_content=DAFw-Bcun54&utm_campaign=designshare&utm_medium=link2&utm_source=sharebutton

[etirabys]

Almost done with the first draft. 7K in and the final 2K is just porn, which is the easy part.

Usually my prose (sentence-level quality) and structure (scene-level quality) start off good and then both take a nosedive when I get get stuck. I was going really fast on this project, plus writing in the first person for a lot of it because that somehow makes things easier, so I think the prose is terrible. But the structure feels good – nothing drags, I'm convinced of cause and effect, and there's no weird dissonance in the emotional logic that I'm carpeting over. That's given me the conviction to barrel ahead, confident that I can come back and tighten things up on a prose level.

I complete something in the 10K+ region only every other year or so. I'd like to do it much more often than that. So once the finish line was really in sight I paused and tried to observe + analyze what had gone right.

1.

Once I broke 3K, I felt like I could wrap the story up given another 2K. I've had the feeling with previous (failed projects) that I was perpetually 7K from the end. That was bad. But somehow it's a different experience with 2K. 2K feels really close, and I always 'felt secure' about completing it.

When I added scenes after hitting 3K, those additions had a 'closed loop' feeling of not creating more work for me. Tentative takeaway is that modularity is key – if I want to write a long story, I shouldn't start with "the plot outline of a long story", I should start with a short story that exposes many attachment points that subplots and new characters can graft on.

2.

I had a main character with an undefined but intense job. I asked GPT4 what jobs there are fitting the criteria of [low pay, high respect, exhausting, probably would benefit from an assistant]. The most interesting option it listed was 'independent documentarian'. I'd been thinking independent researcher or nonprofit employee, but this would be a lot easier for me to write.

Since it's so hard to write about jobs I don't want or don't find interesting, and so easy to write about jobs I do find interesting, one constraint I might want to lay on myself for the medium term future is to avoid writing protagonists who have jobs I hate the thought of having. I think it's not about familiarity or knowledge. It's that I can learn about someone's work if I'm interested in it, and I can't if I'm not. I'm convinced I'll be able to retain knowledge about what documentarians do, whereas words about what businessmen do immediately leak out of my brain. I'll probably never convincingly write politician characters.

3.

I had two miracle moments where I had a single thought / made a single plot change that made everything much better. I can't force these or engineer these, I think. I can only respectfully nod at their role.

4.

I think there's some kind of virtuous cycle around:

Plot has a gap/demand in it ("something needs to happen for X to develop emotion/goal Y")

After a lot of sweating, swearing, and leaning on AI, I find an event that could fill that gap

Once I write the scene covering that event, it naturally exposes "attachment points" – stuff can hang off the scaffolding that event provides. It has consequences I could explore or not. It introduces minor characters who might be reused.

(Note: It doesn't actually have to be an event that fills the gap – once I decided my character was a documentarian, that also exposed attachment points – specific projects, colleagues. One of the moments I described in 3 was realizing that the documentarian had history with another character from her previous project, and that history let me make their relationship worse / justify why their relationship was so bad.)

When I decide to use one of those new attachment points, this sometimes creates a gap in the plot, which then...

I think this model is simple and wrong, but there's something appealing about the thought that I can start with a fairly simple idea, zoom around this cycle a couple of times, and end up with a surprisingly complicated story.

I made so much headway on writing today that, as I got in bed, my brain started playing a particular song (Bibi the Dog). Huh, I thought, I haven't thought of that song in a long time, I wonder – oh, a surprisingly legible answer! My dormmate was blasting it from his stereo in 2016, during the nine days when I wrote the second of the two novellas I ever completed. Schoolwork pretty much screeched to a halt. Nine days of ceasing to be a person so I let this thing pour effortlessly out of me like a miracle well in desert.

I was in the middle of writing when I heard the song, dashed out to ask him what it was, and added it to my Spotify liked list.

Apparently I associate it with outlier-productive writing so strongly that my brain will start playing it at the end of a good day.

[im-ovulating]

Hello! I saw that you're doing matchups for a follower event and congratulations btw 🥳 I was wondering if I could have a quirk matchup for MHA please?

- I am 19.

- My favorite character is Hitoshi Shinso.

- My zodiac sign is Virgo.

- My Myers Briggs personally is ISFP-T (the Adventurer) and the summary given is, "Flexible and charming artists, always ready to explore and experience something new."

- I find it hard to describe my personality as sometimes I can contradict myself. I like to think of myself as a kind person, but I have a short fuse sometimes or can be very irritable by little things. I tend to keep myself, but I wouldn't say I'm introverted. I can have a conversation with a stranger and can easily make friends, I just like keep my social circle small. I struggle with being spontaneous and like to have a plan for everything before leaving the house which annoys my friends slightly, but I'm always prepared with extra snacks and a map and such. I'm very much the mom in the group, but I do have my moments of hyperactivity. I'm a pretty open-minded person and I love learning. I have a bad sense of curiosity and sometimes I'll hyperfixate on a certain subject until I know all about it. I'm a huge nerd as well and I'm pretty much tired all the time.

- I live by Harry Potter house, Hufflepuff.

- I am currently studying Criminal Justice for my bachelor's and I hope to get a job in forensics one day. The dream would be to get a job as a bloodstain pattern analyst or in DNA analysis.

- During my free time I play an unhealthy amount of video games, especially Overwatch. I recently took up cosplay though and I do like sketching or coloring in one of those "adult coloring books." I use to do a lot of writing, but I haven't had much inspiration for it as of late. I like reading on an occasion and I've recently started to workout more regularly.

- And yeah! That's pretty much it about me.

- I don't really know about what specific type of power I'd want. Realistically speaking, mental or telekinetic would work better for as I'm more of a brains than a brawn type of person.

Thank you, and congratulations again on 700!

Hope you enjoy~

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700 Followers Event

Quirk Match:

True Sight: user can see things as they truly are

This power is very useful for investigating or interrogation

You can also see the cause of damage

If someone destroyed something, you can see exactly how they did it

If a person you were interrogating has been brain washed or conditioned to actually believe their lie, you won't be able to see past it

Same thing if someone was brainwashed to use their quirk on an object

.

You and Hitoshi were the top underground investigative heros. Working as a team you were able to fight, subdue, and get answers out of dangerous villains.

You guys had just finished a mission that dealt with a new group of villains who had been hitting up small family owned businesses all throughout Tokyo and were out celebrating.

"To yet another victory!" You cheer, holding you glass up for Hitoshi to tap his against.

He begrudgingly did with an amused half smirk gracing his features before downing the rest of his drink, you following his lead.

"To another victory.." he echoes.

He didn't quite match you energy, but when did he ever? You knew, either way, he was just as pumped about your successful mission as you were.