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vitaminseetarot · 1 year ago

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NaNoWriMo PAC: What Character Could You Write Into Your Next Story?

Hey y'all, arriving to the party fashionably late for my last installment of the PAC marathon. I've decided to take up the NaNoWriMo challenge this year and wanted to use some cards to generate new plots and protagonists for my fanfiction novel. Then I figured, why not pull up a few cards to see what kind of characters you could fit into your own creations? It could be for the month long challenge, or for something you're writing on your own time. It's just interesting to see what the cards bring up!

(Trust me, this PAC was planned! I'm actively working on my writing as I type, I swear ;D )

To help you choose between the piles, I have chosen four images representing a few of my unique gel and ballpoint pens. Pick a photo to find your mystery character below. Note that each pile allows for a variety of options as everyone writes a different story. I also included "MBTI" types as keywords though not all the types may be represented in these piles, it's chosen on intuition.

Pile 1, Black Pen - Clear Quartz Pile 2, Blue Pen - Mermaid Pile 3, Green Pen - Prickly Cactus Pile 4, Rainbow Pen - Cat

Pile 1: Black Pen - Clear Quartz

(Visionary, Sagitarius Moon - Optimism, The Sentinel, 71. Aplomb, Mix Tapes, Shadow, Mirage; 8 of Coins, XIII Death, 9 of Wands, Queen of Pentacles, 5 of Cups, 6 of Swords) MBTI Energy: ENTJ, ENFJ, ESTP, ESFP

Pile 1, your character is very likely the main character. Even if they become a supporting cast member, their personality has a chance to steal the show. Even if they're in the background, they may become the dark horse. Plucky is the word that comes to mind with their personality. They have a way of seeing the world and no one is going to mess with that level of clarity. This character is the type to see something through to the end, without cutting corners. They are the pollyanna type that smiles in the face of adversity and laughs in the presence of fear. They're full of life and fury, and will not let tiny things slow them down, though major obstacles may force them to come to a screeching halt. They have the inner fire to dry themselves off from a bad rainstorm and head out the next day as if it never rained.

This is the kind of character who leads or is somehow the representative of an empire or big league corporation. For all their power and potential, they still live in the shadow of someone greater, like siblings competing to be the best violinist, or a young woman becoming CEO of her mother's company. How they approach this issue is up to whether they become the Face or the Heel. A great fortune or privilege could be passed down in the form of inheritance, to which your character must deal with the backlash of being associated with such a predecessor. In spite of your character's perceived confidence, this challenge will inevitably slow them down and prevent them from being more help than they could be with their various resources. Events will have them rethinking their previous position and actions regardless of moral outlook, not wanting to deal with the harsh consequences that may come from making a wrong move.

There's a good chance this character will be dropped into an environment outside of their comfort zone, to a place or state that looks bleak, when it seems like it can't get worse. Their job may just be to hold light and offer comedy relief, though it won't be the comical character that makes a fool out of themselves. If others don't believe them, they will at some point, and they won't expect all this wisdom and profundity coming out of such a person. Your character may see something for what it is and offer relief and advice, or will learn how to use their expansive perspectives to help them out of difficult chapters. Other characters may or may not wish to take their advice. Comic relief is not to be confused as a two dimensional being who never feels sad or who can't acknowledge the dimmer aspects of life. There may be times where they even show grief and must find ways to work around said grief and bring their light forward for healing and community strength.

When the people of their community are ready to move on, this character will be there to wave the banner and forge the new path to follow. This is the energy of Moses leading people out of Egypt, except your character can't help but wisecrack along the uncertain and foreboding way. Whether main or side character, they'll be the type to shout "well, what are you all waiting for? Let's get to it!" and move out before anyone else takes the first step. They're the first in the audience to clap when they see something they know they like, not waiting for another's opinion. Whether they elevate or step down from their positions by the third act, they can offer boons to other characters in the story. They, in the end, can be accounted for their unique contributions, if not in resources then in sheer wit and boundless tenacity.

Pile 2: Blue Pen - Mermaid

(Warrior, Taurus Moon - Exaltation, The Diviner, 41. Nostalgia, Passing Notes, Pickle, Waves; II High Priestess, Queen of Cups, 2 of Swords, Page of Wands, Knight of Coins, 3 of Swords) MBTI Energy: INFJ, ENFJ, ISFJ, ESFJ

This character isn't just a warrior, but one with a big heart. Like a guardian of something sacred. I'm seeing Princess Mononoke and yet I'm hearing Xena: Warrior Princess theme music. This seems like someone who has strong psychic power or influence in nature or the community. They are not necessarily an expert at what they do, but it comes naturally to them. This power could have something to do with retrocognition, or understanding pieces of the past. It could also have to do with growing new things, planting abilities, or even a form of conjuration (manifesting from thin air). The power may be channeled through your character for them to pass on information to their tribe, their power may be simply transferring messages from another source. Or they could receive messages from another source on how to use their powers, and a special connection is formed in between.

Your character feels passionate and greatly motivated about what they do; they may not be a master of using their power but they could be on a good career track in your story, with a chance for elevated status near the end. Part of the plot could revolve around their gradual development and growth, particularly during challenging chapters or acts. It seems like your character carries a lot of youthful, can-do energy in spite of their position and in the current climate of their time. They may not identify as female but hold a lot of powerful feminine energy, like a lioness who knows when to relax and when to attack for the pride's sake. Their sense of boldness and strength is married with their heart based decision making. They consider the effects their actions will have before proceeding. They put their loved ones and overall mission ahead of themselves.

There could be blockages that come along, preventing your character from using their abilities. If they are prophetic, they may have to share bad news and receive a blow to their reputation, or like Kassandra not be believed by those most at risk. As a conjurer, they could slowly wear down their energy or be restricted from using it by dogmatic authorities. Or they could even risk using it for their own personal gain in a desperate enough situation. As a hero, they could learn to stay true to their mission, or as a villain choose to turn away. Why would they turn? To run from the pain of the past, or to make good on what they do to help others? Either way, your character will be made to confront different sides of themselves. They will be able to glean deep insight into what's happening around them, in a way that may not make sense to other characters.

As a neutral and minor character, they could represent a person who offers resilience during a hard time, dispensing advice to the protagonist. They can offer protection and development for your protagonist. They could offer food, shelter, and clothing. They could be the leader of a small troupe of soldiers who relies more on strategy and perfect timing than brute force. They would lead in a spunky manner, I'm thinking of the Lost Boys from Peter Pan in particular. Someone who's had to prove themselves in combat to be worthy of an elevated position, but doesn't let the status get to their head. They can stay grounded in by addressing issues that may have been brewing for long periods of time through bringing other characters together with a plan.

Pile 3: Green Pen - Prickly Cactus

(Rebel, Aquarius Mercury - Originality, The Painter, 38. Moving Forward, CDs and DVDs, Bubble Gum, Galaxy, Delivery Brown; Knight of Wands, 6 of Wands, I Magician, 9 of Wands, 4 of Wands, 10 of Swords) MBTI Energy: ENTP, INTP, ESTP, ISTP

This pile couldn't be more clear about your character! They are so straightforward in their pursuits. This is the character possessing some kind of genius or mad scientist potential. They may have made some form of alien contact or gain hold of ancient or future technology. This could be the kind of character who creates avante garde material that disrupts a social order. This is a character who could invent something that twists how their community sees everything around them forever. Time or space travel could play a role here, very likely involving futuristic worlds or gadgetry. Wherever they found themselves, this is not someone who wants to or likes to look back on their decisions.

Chances are, your character has a strong bond to either what they have or what they do. They may have to relinquish something, or travel to a time or space that does not gel with their knowledge or personality. This could cause them to feel lost or outcast from society or the group. A character that comes to mind is Peridot from Steven Universe, who had a very clingy and needy attachment to her technology. This is something that could be greatly challenged during the story. This is an already dynamic person, but someone who could easily turn arrogant and dogmatic about their approach if not tempered with some kind of setback. If they're used to pride, they will learn humility. If they are a hermit who can't open up about their inventions, they may be put on center stage to showcase it regardless of whether they're truly ready for the attention.

This is also giving off a bit of starving artist vibes, or there's a situation where, if you character is a creator or inventor, they can't get their creations out to the world for some reason. Doing so could likely create some net benefit for others, even if they don't understand it at first, but to do so there must be some level of overcoming the fear or defeat or rejection. They could have someone actively keeping the technology or creation away as they know what it could be capable of doing. There may be risk or overusing, overextending, overcompensating, or overestimating how the technology or science will help the community involved. Your character may come to this realization and perhaps decide to shelve or retreat their innovation on behalf of a request or demand on part of other characters to fulfill.

As a hero, they may learn to work through rejection and embrace their nonconformity, like Happy Feet. They may have to help the community with their inventions as a major sacrifice. Or as a villain they may act more like Syndrome from Incredibles, using their incredible genius to attain fame and status. They may serve as a metaphor for the risks of abusing knowledge and technology. As a minor supporting character, they may assist the protagonist using their genius brain or skills with different tools. They don't have to be an inventor--they could work with technology in other ways, like piloting a spaceship or working alongside giant mecha fighters. They may focus their goals on awakening others and bringing important concepts to light, even if they're doing it by traveling through time. The possibilities are as limitless as their mind.

Pile 4: Rainbow Pen - Cat

(Athlete, Gemini Moon - Adaptability, The Wise One, 18. Festivity, Arcades, Sunrise, Buzzfeed Yellow; 6 of Swords, King of Coins, King of Swords, 4 of Swords, 3 of Swords, Ace of Swords) MBTI Energy: ENTJ, INTJ, INFJ, ISTJ

Wow look at all these swords and two kings! This particular character means business throughout the ups and downs of life. Whether they arrive to the story in the beginning or close to the end, they will be known for their seasoned experience and heavy dose of wisdom. This is the type of character who would mentor the hero through applying steady by-the-books discipline, or the hero who runs to the mountains to train for many years. This is the energy of someone who stops at nothing to see their ideas turn to results, no matter how long it takes or how many sacrifices they must make in the long run. In spite of their wizened abilities, however, they may need to learn how to slow down and approach matters with a more gentle and cheerful touch. This character is a graceful combination of brain and brawn, with a good dose of heart at times like Uncle Iroh.

It could be that they take up martial arts and act as an instructor for a group of students. They could be more involved in intellectual challenges like chess and be viewed by others as a paragon of the game. They could be a successful lawyer who uses both their wit and their many years of experience at the firm to win their cases. They could be a military general who finds new ways to train rookies into becoming indomitable warriors. In whatever career they find themself in, this character will be seen as competent and good at remaining cool in scenes where other characters would panic. They are reserved about dispensing their wisdom to others, only wanting to say and do as much as is necessary to allow events to move. There is a cold and somewhat calculated demeanor present in this character whether they align with good or evil.

They may have an intimidating cover that belies a more vulnerable disposition. It could be that their focus on career and proficiency has cost them a few relationships in their life. This is a very James Bond type of pile, in the simplest sense. Bond is very much the ace but also the inevitable loner wolf. It's up to you how you wish to subvert or deconstruct his tropes. I also see Sanji from One Piece in this pile. This is a type of character who, if emotions affect them in any serious way, it will be through powerful and difficult ones to overcome like grief, regret, and need for vengeance. They may be utterly driven to win in spite of who gets hurt. They could be the type to play very neutral, or even on the side of good, until push comes to shove, until someone they care about gets hurt. This is the kind of character who cherishes past relationships deeply because they are often the only thing they have to hold on to when they're used to leaving the rest behind.

This character knows how to easily move from place to place, finding a new undercover job to do or trying to stay on the run from evil organizations in hot pursuit. They may or may not necessarily enjoy the traveling, or constantly changing identities or lifestyles in order to accomplish their goals. They may travel from remote places to train, but miss something hidden in plain sight which will give them some important key to advance the plot. This hidden thing likely involves relationships, or healing from past trauma. This character must look into their own inner wounds in order to be the strongest kind of teacher or provider for others. Their heartache can give way to finding the heart to stand up for good, or consume them into a toxic side. But it will be a deciding factor in their development. This character is no stranger to hardship but it's up to individual choices that bring them to where they end up. If they do have a happy ending, they may finally get the chance to warm up and join the rest of the cast in their merry denouement, if they do not go the way of the noble sacrifice (but if they do they may be greatly honored for it).

This reading has not been evaluated by the FDA to diagnose, prevent, treat, or cure any disease or infection. Please ask your physician before going online.

2023, @VitaminseeTarot ™

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blackboxtheater · 21 days ago

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For that 40 questions thing, 4, 14, and 40 please?

4. How many fic ideas are you nurturing right now? Care to share one of them?

There's nothing I'm nurturing right now in the sense that it would be a serious story I would ever publish. When I have an idea I tend to write it rather quickly so it doesn't drive me totally insane, which just gives me a lot of random scenes thrown together in a giant messy document lol. But there are some things for non-mcyt fandoms and some original work that are kicking around in my head.

But all that being said......I listen to a lot of actual play Dungeons and Dragons podcasts and I'm constantly fitting situations and characters from mcyt into D&D mechanics. So I keep coming back to that idea a lot. I even got pretty far into a loosely connected series of one-shots about a D&D party of hermits that I'll share the summary for.....

Xisuma, the chosen one of the Goddess Craft, is starting to wonder if there really is an epic quest. Because all he seems to be doing is collecting idiots who can destroy monsters as easily as they destroy his patience. That doesn’t mean he loves his party any less. And at least they saved the server from disaster. For now anyway. Until someone lights something on fire....again OR: A series of moments from the very long life of an adventurer and the people he meets along the way

14. What’s the worst writing advice you’ve ever come across?

It's less advice, and more the sense that a premise is a plot. And it's just......not.

A plot is a plot. Things need to happen in a story. (This is talking about longer stories, not one-shots or short fics.)

Like, do I love a good soulmates AU? Absolutely! But the idea that someone will have the first words their soulmate says to them written on their body is not a series of events that makes me want to keep reading to discover what happens next. Who are the soulmates? What are they doing? How does this condition affect them and their lives? Why does that matter? What happens in the story?

Another example of this, for anyone familiar with the Sarah J Mass books/universe, is the first Crescent City book "House of Earth and Blood". The premise is bringing this big interconnected fantasy universe into a modern urban setting, and that's a great fun premise! But the plot is a murder mystery. The actual thing the characters do for 800 freaking pages is solve a murder. 'Woman tries to solve her best friend's murder with a bad boy cop' is the plot of that novel.

40. Write an alternative ending to [insert fic title] (or just the summary of one).

So I'm going to take this as an open ended ask for an alternative ending of any of my fics, but if you meant it differently, please let me know!

And y'all KNOW I am a staunch believer in talking about feelings.

But...... for funsies here is an alternate ending that diverges at chapter 12 of my gemtho fic We Were Shy where Pearl and BDubs are a little more proactive, inspired by the joke at the time that Gem was the boss of Decked Out level 4 and she would just be released into the dungeon to kill Etho.

----

Pearl's POV:

Pearl was waiting for Tango in the control room.

“Pearly pop? Why aren’t you running the dungeon?” He looked between her and the empty dungeon.

“Tango. We need your help.”

“We?”

“Yeah. We.” BDubs said. Pearl laughed at the extremely high pitched noise Tango made when he finally noticed BDubs standing behind him in the shadow of the door. Pearl appreciated that she wasn’t the only one who could be a little sneaky when she wanted to be.

----

<You whispered to GeminiTay> gem want to kill Etho in the dungeon?

<GeminiTay whispered to you> YES

<You whispered to GeminiTay> no follow up questions?

<GeminiTay whispered to you> TIME AND PLACE

----

On one monitor, Pearl, Tango, and BDubs watched Etho climb into the minecart to start a Decked Out run that he had no indication would be out of the ordinary. On another, they watched Gem crouched and hiding on level 2, her hand twitching on the hilt of her diamond sword as she prepared to hunt Etho through the dungeon. Or at least, that's what Pearl had told her she would be doing.

They let Etho get most of the way through level 1, waiting until he commented on how strange it was that he hadn't seen any Ravager yet, before Pearl cleared her throat before she leaned into the microphone in Tango's control room.

“Attention Etho and Gem. Yes Etho, Gem is in the dungeon with you. Tango’s gonna, yup, stop any more cards from playing. Now Etho, you should know that Gem has a massive crush on you.”

“And Gem,” Bdubs poked his head close to the mic. “Etho has a crush on you. Super big crush. Embarrassingly really how big.”

Pearl giggled as Bdubs shot her a smile and stepped away from the mic.

“Now. You two can continue to avoid each other, or kill each other, or whatever it is you two do. That much I don’t really care. But figure it out.”

She smirked in spite of herself. Then she bowed out of the way for Tango to step up.

“And Etho, before you find a loophole, you both respawn at the bed in the top of the dungeon, I’ve removed all your gear from the chests, and the doors won’t open until two different players step on two different pressure plates in front of it. I’m sure you can find a way to sneak out, but not before Gem finds you.”

“And if you want to have fun we’re turning the cameras off!” Bdubs jumped up to add as a final comment.

“Bdubs don’t you dare-" echoed from Etho through the speakers before Tango flicked the lever to kill the video and audio feeds.

“You think it will work?” He asked, turning to Pearl.

“Honestly? I don’t know.”

“What if they crawl out of the dungeon walls? Bdubs suddenly asked. “I mean some of the crypts are just ice. Etho could absolutely punch through that rather than talk about his feelings.”

“You think he’d rather punch through a wall with his bear hands than get laid?” Pearl couldn’t fathom wanting to avoid a conversation that badly. Especially when they already did the hard part for them.

Tango shrugged. “He’s Etho. He might try.”

Then Tango giggled, the little laugh multiplying until his shoulders were shaking and he was whipping tears away from his eyes.

“You okay man?” Bdubs finally asked, looking to Pearl for an explanation she clearly didn’t have.

“If they get out they have to escape level 5!” Tango wheezed.

“There’s another level?” Pearl nearly sputtered out. If the fucking door in level four led to a secret extra level she was going to lose her mind.

“No the redstone!” Tango finally said, gesturing widely around him with a spin. “Even if they get out of eh dungeon they don’t have elytra. They’d have to walk out of the redstone spaghetti. And I’m laughing imagining Gem chasing Etho through it.” Tango finally explained giddy smile on his face.

“I’m going to ping the rest of the hermits that the dungeon is closed.” Pearl said, opening the door to the control room and leading everyone out into the hall.

“Another question Tango,” Bdubs said, eyeing the door. “Do you have a washing machine in the dungeon?”

“Downstairs. I do actually live here you know.” Tango rolled his eyes at Bdubs. “But why.”

“Just maybe wash the sheets in the bed before anyone else runs. Just…”

Pearl watched Tango’s expression warp from confusion to realization to horror to embarrassment. “Yes. Yup. On the list. Good idea.”

<PearlescentMoon> dungeon’s closed for maintenance

<Cubfab135> :(

<GoodTimeWithScar>TANGO! Go fix your dungeon!

<Tango> like pearl said. CLOSED FOR MAINTENANCE. DO NOT DISTURB.

<Etho> dungeon set to do not disturb mode

They all looked at Etho’s message at the same time as they stood on the bridge leading away from the Citadel.

“So do we think that’s a good thing?” Bdubs finally asked.

<GeminiTay> STRICTLY ENFORCED

Pearl raised an eyebrow at Gem's message.

“Maybe?”

#ask #drabbles #we were shy

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patheticphallacy · 6 years ago

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IT’S MAY Y’ALL. Even though I’ll still be doing blog posts in May, it’s not going to be as hectic, as I finally finished my second year of university and have decided to take it easy after a very packed April.

I’m also doing things a little different with my wrap up this month by getting rid of star ratings. I watched a video on it, and I just feel like I’d rather people go by my actual comments on the books than look at the rating and decide that covers all my thoughts. I still have star ratings on Goodreads for my own personal use, but I’m doing my best to start writing proper summaries of my thoughts from now on!

READING WRAP UP

Tropic of Serpents by Marie Brennan– a solid follow up to the first book, although there’s a startling lack of dragons in a series about a dragon naturalist! Definitely go into this one expecting a lot more politics than book 1, and Isabella starting a lot of Drama.

The Elementals by Michael McDowell– such an amazing horror novel! McDowell is so underrated for a writer who wrote predominantly in the seventies and eighties, and it’s so tragic how young he died.

Princess Jellyfish Volume 1 by Akiko Higashimura– such a disappointing read. It’s really problematic, to the point where it drastically impacted my enjoyment of the plot, especially when I’ve got so many other more recent manga I could be enjoying more than this.

Fullmetal Alchemist Volume 8 by Hiromu Arakawa– speaking of next tier manga… holy shit. I am so scared of volume 9 and finishing this series, it’s meant so much to me and it’s really helped me immerse myself fully in reading manga.

Lumberjanes Volume 9 by Shannon Watters– Barney is a precious precious bean and I love them! This is a roller derby volume, and it was pretty great: I’ve been a fan of roller derby since I first watched Whip It, and this volume was super entertaining!

Lumberjanes Volume 10 by Shannon Watters– wholesome volume where the parents come to visit their kids. I do feel really sad for Molly, but it was nice seeing everyone else’s parents!

Lumberjanes: A Midsummer Night’s Scheme by Nicole Andelfinger– this was a fun bonus one shot comic. However, it does get very cheesy and it’s whole message is just so obvious that them explaining it was very much unneeded.

Smut Peddler Volume 1 by Various Authors– this is a fun anthology of smut comics that I super enjoyed reading. E.K. Weaver’s comic is by far my favourite, and it’s only after I realised that it was a one shot about a character in her webcomic!

Rumple Buttercup BY Matthew Gray Gubler– a very cute children’s graphic novel about loving yourself and finding acceptance!

Smut Peddler Volume 2 by Various Authors– this wasn’t as good as volume 1, but I still read it really quickly and had a fun time looking at the different art styles and methods of story telling!

Dream Daddy by Various Authors– there are so many good moments in this comic, it’s so great. Highly recommend if you’ve played the game, and if you haven’t, check it out, it’s real fun! Damien and Robert’s issue was by far my favourite as they were my favourites in the game too.

Tokyo Ghoul Volume 5 by Sui Ishida– finally, I’m starting to enjoy Tokyo Ghoul. It took a while this volume to actually understand what the hell was happening, but once I did, it really did become something I enjoyed.

Rick and Morty VS Dungeons and Dragons by Patrick Rothfuss– A decent enough read, although there is way too much dialogue and exposition on every page. The font is really small, too, so reading it was a hassle.

Meddling Kids by Edgar Cantero– this book was actually terrible and I have a whole review discussing my issues and how harmful it is!

Jackass! Volume 1 by Scarlet Beriko– This is a funny, sweet manga about fetishes and blackmail. It has an age gap romance between an 18 year old and a doctor, and there is some transphobic bullying/weird treatment of bullying being okay if the person has a crush on you, but the main relationship is great, and the MC has a really lovely relationship with his older sister.

Batwoman: Elegy by Greg Rucka– Chronicles the Alice Batwoman arc from Detective Comics, as well as giving the backstory for Kate. It’s so great having a badass DC hero who is a lesbian, whose storyline also touches on homophobia in the ‘don’t ask don’t tell’ era of the military. Glad I finally got to this!

Sparrowhawk #5 by Delilah S Dawson– a really disappointing series conclusion overall. I knew I should’ve just stopped reading after the first issue and I wasn’t feeling it, and I honestly wish I had after such a dissatisfying conclusion. Others may enjoy this, but it really wasn’t for me.

Assassination Classroom Volume 1 by Yusei Matsui— an amazing series starter! Already really moving with a teacher who spends all his time encouraging his students despite being a threat to the entire world they have to kill within the year. I have a feeling this will become a new favourite.

I’ll Be Gone in the Dark by Michelle McNamara– really great non-fiction read written by a journalist who played a massive part in the resurgence of talk surrounding the Golden State Killer. You also get some of her life story, and by the end I was almost in disbelief that the author had already died by the time her work was published. I will say it did drag at points, especially in the parts not written by McNamara that had to be finished after she died, but overall a really thorough look into the cases and the victims.

The Woods Volume 5 by James Tynion IV– this series is- dare I say it- picking up? I still have issues with the representation and the fact that most of the main characters to have died, especially in this volume, were POC while the white characters are in the exact same situation and survive. Will have to see if this carries on.

Backwards & In Heels by Alicia Malone– this started off strong, and I found out so much about women in film and their presence in the industry since the creation of film in the 1800’s. However, by the end it got so repetitive and formulaic in the way information was presented that I started skimming. This is more of a coffee-table, occasional-read book when you fancy learning more about amazing women! Also, even though there is diverse rep and talk of lack of hiring of WOC and LGBT+ women in the industry, we also get the author praising white women earlier on in the book who took on roles where they did blackface and yellowface, which really dulled down the conversation in the latter half of the book.

My Love Story!! Volume 6 by Kazune Kawahara– so GOOD. I got so emotional reading this volume, I ended up crying. This is by far one of my favourite manga series, I can’t recommend it enough. It follows tough-but-soft boy Takeo as he enters into a relationship with Yamato, cutest girl in the universe, with the support of his best friend Suna. Truly the PEAK of romantic comedy fiction.

When the Sky Fell on Splendor by Emily Henry– emotional, hardhitting read about a group of friends who end up with superpowers after discovering a strange alien object. It’s very reminiscent of the film Super 8 in my head, and if you love stories about not only aliens but found families through friendship, highly recommend!

The Hound of the Baskervilles by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle– I just don’t think Sherlock Holmes is for me. I love the retellings and adaptations, and in theory, I’m invested in the murder mysteries, but I just think Doyle’s prose weighs it down and there’s always that underlying racism I don’t think is appropriate to even attempt to shake.

And my May TBR Jar pick is…. MY HEART GOES BANG by Keris Stainton!

TV SHOWS/MOVIES/VIDEOS

At the start of the month, I started bingeing Dead Meat videos, a channel entirely revolving around horror. My personal favourite series is the Saw kill count videos, and the movies that changed horror podcast episode James (the host) does with his girlfriend Chelsea (who is amazing)!

I finally watched season 2 of Stranger Things! I adore Steve, as always, and it was such a solid season (BOB). However I did have an issue with the needless rivalry that festered with Elle towards Max, season 3 better sort that and stop pitting girls against each other for no reason other than because of boys.

Zoe from Read by Zoe was on FIRE this month with some really great read-a-thon videos! I loved her 24 read-a-thon vlog especially, she read only books she enjoyed growing up and it all felt really nostalgic.

This is very much a personal one, but my favourite streamer returned to a podcast with the company he used to work for, and it was just…. so heartwarming to watch. I can’t believe he left four years ago! I’ve been watching this company since I was about fourteen, so it was so nice watching this, a long-awaited reunion.

Kat at paperbackdreams did an amaaaaazing video rant reviewing After by Anna Todd, and I loved it. In general Kat is a top tier booktuber for me, I highly recommend her videos as much as I can!

MUSIC I’VE ENJOYED

Pressure by The 1975

Old Town Road Remix by Lil Nas X, Billy Ray Cyrus

The Black and White and I Spend Too Much Time in My Room by The Band CAMINO

I Got 5 On It (Tethered Mix From US) by Michael Abels, Luniz, Michael Marshall

Soldiers (From Stranger Things) by Kyle Dixon, Michael Stein

REVIEWS I POSTED

Three Romance Reviews: Kulti, The Hating Game and Sunstone

The Elementals Book Review

Meddling Kids Book Review