#to all my fellow authors

[mossyteacup]

Virgil was so real for wanting to burn his masterpiece because he was insecure

[tyrantchimera]

Something I've noticed about being in a small, 'dead' fandom... when you're a content creator, it's like the whole remaining fandom *reacts* when you do anything. I'm in a small but dedicated group of authors for a small fandom. If one of us posts after a dry spell, the rest of us perk up. The fans react. Other creators (like myself) are inspired to make their own stuff.

For a small while, we aren't just small-time creators. It's like we're the franchise itself! Everyone knows when we post stuff. Our content is THE content.

Wow. What a feeling.

[mail-me-a-snail]

i just love that hawk is older than tim. i just love how he calls tim his boy and skippy and says often (or often enough in their short time together) how he's happy to have tim in that way. i love how tim is the one who in fact instigates being hawk's boy. he likes being hawk's boy. goddamn. something about their dynamic has me so ill it's so unique

[bayetea]

I don't like the judo flip in moa as much as the next guy but in my eyes it's largely the result of rick not taking female violence half as seriously as male violence (a result of viewing women as weaker and inferior to men such that their acts of violence don't need to be taken as seriously) and not so much anything about annabeth herself. like I do genuinely feel that annabeth is a complex heroine and definitely one of the better ones in the realm of ya action-adventure fiction produced in the past 25 years but she is still a girl being written by a man and all I'm saying is that her writing clearly reflects that sometimes (more in tags)

[initialcellar]

I have a lot of beef with the Empyrean series (only Fourth Wing and Iron Flame so far cause I'm waiting for the audiobook to drop), but my BIGGEST pet peeve the way Rebecca Yarros describes sign language.

Sign language is so beautiful because it's not just "a language of hands flying around," it is a language that is completely based on you showing the other person what is going on through your entire body. That means hands, facial expressions, lips, moving your body around.

Have you ever tried showing the layout of your kitchen in sign? Cause I have. It is fucking difficult, I can tell you that. You have to remember that space, then choose a corner to start describing it from, remember that corner, then go around the perimeter, paint the picture of the first object, then figure out how to show that something is on top or nearby that object, and literally paint a picture in the air as though you're in an acting class and having to use your imagination instead of actual objects.

My sign language teachers (they are all deaf, by the way) are some of the most expressive people I have ever seen, and my writer soul keeps trying to find the words to convey the way they communicate because it is truly fascinating. I once asked one of the teachers how old she is, and she frowned, made a contemplative face, and then went on to sign, "I don't remember, it was a long time since I checked, I'm gonna have to see later." And that's hilarious, actually???

Another time, one of my classmates said she doesn't have any weekends because she's working all day, every day, and the same teacher paused, her lips tightened, she side-eyed her slightly, her eyes went a bit wider, and she put one finger on her cheeks and drew tears on her cheeks.

Also, when we learned about parts of deaf culture (at least in my country), we found out that it allows you to point fingers at someone, even though hearing people consider it rude. It also allows you to tap on the person's forearm to get their attention. It is also considered rude to look away when someone is singing at you because it is equal to a person covering their ears when you're speaking to them. It's also expected to tell a deaf person when something makes a noise (if it's necessary), like a phone buzzing, and you have to check it out; because they can't hear it. And don't even get me started on sign names.

There are so many ways to describe sign language, just like how there are many ways to describe spoken language. But if in spoken languages we describe voices and speech, in sign we describe facial expressions and hand/body gestures.

"His voice became cold, cutting her off in the middle of a sentence with a stern, low 'no'."

"His brows furrowed in disapproval, his eyes darkened, and his hand cut the air with a sharp 'no', interrupting her speech."

Anyway, this has been a sign language appreciation post because I have an exam in a week, and I'm anxious about it, but I have also grown to love the language.

[wanderershu]

To all the writers who write dan feng using his tail to grab people (yingxing) or waving it excitedly despite having a blank expression on his place, you guys are cooking SO good and I eat it up every single time. It's so cute.

[piningpercussionist]

transfem scott getting lots of support from ramona and kim in the early 2000's when shit's very taboo but they all 3 have a fire forged bond and lord if they aren't going to make sure they're all as happy as they can be because they've come this far and I dunno it just makes me happy all three of them

YES YES YES

It makes me very happy as well,,

Like I've said before. General Trans Scott enthusiast here- I love the idea of their little support network *violent coughing* I (we?) mean polycule *violent coughing* so fucking much.

Ramona I think has a bit of a more gentle hand with reassuring Scott with gender issues, but sometimes she just can't help herself from some pointed banter or teasing- how could you with someone so dense? (Said w affection)

And then Kim I think is more blunt. But like, in a good way mostly, you know? The kinda blunt that makes you snap to attention and go "Oh. Yeah that was silly of me." And if Ramona's started some sort of banter? Kim is SO piling on. Maybe sometimes she's a bit TOO blunt with it- but it's only because she's so firm in her support. She wants Scott to Get It Together- and be happier for it. So if some ribbing now and again is in order, then goddamnit she will do so! Anything to crack that shell.

And ohhh can you imagine how they would react to some transphobic bullshit?? Unholy terror would be driven into the offender before they walk off with an absurd amount of coins between them. I can feel it in my bones. Scott doesn't even have to lift a finger (if the transphobe is even noticed/processed at all, bc I honestly can see Scott just. Not realizing someone's being transphobic.) Kim giving someone a lashing with her tongue as distraction and then Ramona coming in with the hammer- BAM! Free Money! Paying literally with your life for your transphobia. A Better And Just World.

And of course (transfem Scott more specifically, here,) the way Scott would start to flourish under their support... cagey and maybe a little (perhaps a lot-) resistant to start- but Kim's blunt affirmations and no nonsense attitude for bullshit (which is what Scott insisting on "being cis" would be, c'mon now,) and Ramona's also low bullshit tolerance but less Stabby (bc I won't lie, that's probably how Kim's comments would feel,) assurances? Ough... My Heart... Be Still-

I would Kill for them, Your Honor-

(Ran out of tags so putting this in the body of the post- I am SO tired someone pls sound off if this isn't as coherent as I am hoping this is. I WAS trying to nap and get the extra sleep I desperately needed but the writing bug... it Bit Me.... only a little but enough to stop that process-)

[littleapocalypsekitten]

As someone who is American and still watches actual broadcast television (news, Guy Fieri...) and am suffering through another election year... I am sick to death of hearing the term "illegals." Absolutely SICK. TO. DEATH. Like, okay, I know that the southern border has issues. It's pretty much our modern day Ellis Island, with many people there escaping...some of the same kinds of issues - and others. There are people there waiting to be vetted, seeking aslyum or work. And, indeed, there are a lot of people who hop the border illegally. I used to live in Arizona, in farm country. People without legal paperwork who could be exploited were a staple of the farming industry there...unfortunately. I lost an opportunity for a job at a restaurant once because I "didn't speak enough Spanish" - code for "Our restaurant is employing people under the table for beneath minimum wage and without benefits that we can threaten to report and have deported if they speak up wanting basic workers' rights." (I came away from that particular encounter not mad at immigrants for "stealin' mah jerb!" but mad at the company / restaurant for abusive corporate practices...go fig. Guess I think differently). Even here in Pennsylvania, I've had chance encounters with people who had no papers. (People who just want to work and take care of their children). Anyway, yeah, there are processing issues and people who don't go through the legal channels because our government makes it next to impossible. But every GOD. DAMNED. TIME. I hear the term "illegals" I want to tear my hair out! Or hit people with fish! It's not only used for people who are going through the LEGAL channels (It's code for "Hispanic" basically, or just "non-white"), even people who haven't? It's a dehumanising term. That's what I take it as. "Illegals" is a term purposefully used to make people sound like something...other than people. And so I find the MAGA commercials insulting both to my intelligence and dignity. It's like, why don't you go all the way, MAGA? Why not use the really horrible slang-term I heard waaaaay, waaaay too much in my white-person childhood around Arizona redneck white people? Why not tweak your commercials and start whining about "wetbacks?" I mean, you might as well, since you term everyone "illegals." You expect us to think of people as not human. It's too late for me. I've worked with too many "illegals" in my life to think like that.

[jezunya]

One of my favorite things is getting caught up on a fic and reading the author's notes where they happily proclaim that the chapter count has solidified at x number and then glancing up to the current actual chapter count and it has ballooned well past that

[justhannigramfics]

How I feel whenever I see another author have a similar idea to one I just had:

[shivunin]

🙤 Tropes Tier Tag 🙧

Tagged by @greypetrel (thank you for the note about Search Your Hands skafka) and @demandthedoodles to do this tiermaker. Thank you both! I loooove sorting things c: I would do this for hours if there were enough tropes.

*"Gnawing on it" is positive, just to be clear.

**I briefly considered putting amnesia fic in its own category, I love it so much (it's the grappling with what makes a character themselves on the most basic level, which parts of them are left behind if you take away the dialogue quirks and the mannerisms, what is left to identify if they are not themselves anymore?? it's theseus's ship but if you replaced all their memories with a blank slate instead. anyways i'm normal about it)

***I wish there was one that was "unhappy middle" because it's not the same as angst to me and I want the characters to really suffer before they make the slow climb back to happiness. (Bodahn voice: But that's just what I've heard on the road)

I was also thinking about the things I like to write vs the ones I'll read and I think there's an interesting overlap. If I had more time, I'd make this again for each and make a lil venn diagram. Ah well. Maybe later.

Tagging (no pressure): @scribbledquillz @heniareth @jtownnn @idolsgf @gaysebastianvael @star--nymph @layalu @palipunk @ndostairlyrium @daggerbean @gvnseylike @transprincecaspian and @brother-genitivi and YOU/comment if you want a tag and I'll add you c:

[chappellrroan]

can we go back to making anime uncool and untrendy

[tytonnidaie]

people who are starved of stories that make them feel things to the extent they groan and writhe like a worm HATE being told that they might have to read technically poor writing. like grammar is that important

[hanzajesthanza]

not to get all sappy but it is indeed inspiring how sapkowski wrote "witcher" as a 38-year old divorcee with a son embarking on his teens. and the story came in third place and it almost didn't even win because parowski almost didn't even read it, and it was too long and had to be shortened a bit and...

sometimes i feel like i have no creative potential and then i remember. i am in my 20s

[mckiwi]

How about 20? It can be fun digging up old comments.

“OMG IT WAS WORTH REFRESHING THE PAGE EVERY HOUR FOR THIS!!”

This was for a fic that I kept posting new chapters for on Fridays. The fact this person was looking forward to it and had gotten accustomed to me posting around this time is just so, *excitable noises*. I eat it up, basically.

Ofc there’s others that I absolute adore. Comments that go into depth why they liked a scene, for example. Or when people comment saying they’ve reread my fic. 🥰 Also when my fav writers comment on my fics. Doesn’t even matter what they say, I’m still just so thrilled they read my work. 😂

[rewordthis]

In practice, huh...

Listen, I have read trash. I have read fucked up shit. I have found horror but also gold and diamonds through them… and nearly 2/5 of these are things I have active WIPs for just the sake of writing that one niche thing. lmao 🫠🫠🫠

y’all expose yourselves and take this fanfic test i was just forced to by an irl so now i’m making you too