#unfortunately i am a chronic non writer

[mygreendandelion]

i got 5 months(?) to make myself write a fic for tamlin week.............

[thecoramaria]

Hello!

Thank you so much for your blog, it's helped me a lot in writing my fics. It's definitely one of the best fic writing resources out there.

Onto my question: do you have any advice on how to write more quickly + not hate everything I write?

I do writing sprints a lot of the time but I can't help but feel as if my writing has gotten worse, and I feel guilty cutting down my work because I struggle to meet the daily word count goal I have for myself (600 words a day).

I'm about a quarter of the way through my longfic, and I feel like I've just gotten worse and worse at writing. I still love the story, but my writing feels clunkier and flows less smoothly.

Thank you!

I'm glad you're enjoying the channel! It's getting late where I am rn but sleepy Cora is gonna try to answer your ask anyway.

First of all, I'd just like to say that 600 words a day is a lot! (And so is being a whole quarter through your story btw.) While I have won NaNoWriMo a few times (a challenge that involves writing 50k+ words in a month) it's definitely not sustainable for me. Recently, I've struggled to just average more than 300 words in a day. Unfortunately I'm still coming to terms with my chronic pain and the limits it places on my ability to write fic. 600 words a day on average is just... not possible for me.

However, something I have been doing lately is to learn what my current capacity is, which seems to be 300 words a day on average. Note: on average! A lot of days, I don't even write that much, but some days I make up for it by writing a lot. As I say in this short, good writing goals are like persistence hunting. You might find yourself more motivated if you set monthly or quarterly word count goals rather than daily ones. Then it's not a big deal if you write very little or not at all on some days, since you'll still have plenty of time to catch up.

(Also if you tell a non-writer that you wrote like 300 words in a day, they'll probably be impressed!)

So TL;DR: focus on learning what your capacity is, and then set your writing goals around that. Also focus on writing goals that cover a longer period than a day to allow wiggle room for your erratic progress.

Now, onto writing sprints.

I have the flavour of autism that gives me a processing speed deficiency, meaning that it takes me longer to Do Things than the average (usually allistic) person. This means that I'm a slow drafter, but also a more methodical, intentional one.

This means that writing sprints aren't all that helpful to me. I need to ponder every sentence and detail as I write it, because I already figured out the plot points and character arcs in my outline. "Just get the story down in the first draft" doesn't work for me because I already did that. In a highly detailed outline.

So writing sprints may be what's causing you to feel like your writing is getting worse. There are two perspectives on this:

First drafts are supposed to be bad, and writing sprints are supposed to just help you get them done so you can fix them later. If you were previously a slow, methodical drafter, then switching to a strategy that focuses on quantity over quality is going to make for rougher drafts, and thus make you feel like your writing is worse. That's okay though, because you can edit a rough draft. You can't edit a blank page.

Writing sprints are sabotaging the quality of your drafts, so instead, you can ditch them and focus on the slow-and-steady drafting approach. It'll make for less editing time in the long run, and you'll feel more confident in your writing ability if you take a quality-first approach.

But wait! I have a secret third option! One that may not be to do with writing sprints at all!

Could it be that the reason why your writing feels worse... is that your current WIP happens to be challenging you in new ways?

The reason why I bring this up is because this is something I've encountered recently while editing my current WIP. For context, it's the second book in a trilogy, and the first book didn't require nearly as much structural editing and rewriting, so what's changed? Why are my drafts for Book 2 so much worse than Book 1?

It's because Book 1 relied on the Stations of Canon, (warning that this article mentions 'Harry Potter' if you'd rather avoid that) while Book 2 breaks away from them.

Basically, I built my fic around a plot formula from canon that was already proven to be effective, but now, I'm having to build the plot from near scratch. It's like learning to build a house where the scaffolding and measurements are all done for you vs having to do all that yourself. Of course my writing feels worse! I'm learning an entirely new storytelling skill. There's going to be plenty of mistakes along the way.

However, I'm making peace with my first drafts for Book 2 being "worse", because I'm learning just how crucial and transformative editing can be. Taking on these new challenges means that I'm noticing weak spots that were previously invisible to me, and what is a weak spot but opportunities to improve my craft?

I'm a big believer that if you feel like your writing is bad or getting worse, instead of stewing in the insecurity, you should instead investigate why. Why is your writing clunkier or flowing less smoothly than it used to? Is it that you use redundant phrasing and tautology? Do you take 20 words to say something that could just as easily be said in 10? Vague feelings about the quality of your writing is what allows insecurity to fester. Actually knowing what the issue is makes that much harder, because now you have a concrete problem to solve. I do have a partial draft for a video that goes into that more, so if anyone wants to see me complete and film it, let me know!

Thanks for the ask, Nonny, and I hope this helps~!

[lakesbian]

ok but no for real why did "lake is canonically trans” become an entrenched belief in the fandom. it’s based on literally nothing but “uhh, she Looks Nonbinary/Experiences Oppression And Erasure” (quick, why do you think presentation equals gender? quick, did you forget that gnc people exist?), misremembering and misquotations of old/deleted tweets, and self-reinforcing momentum from fanon. 

like, deep train lore tedtalk from someone who has Been Here Forever:  shortly after the season was released, owen answered a question on twitter about whether or not she was intended to be read as trans, and his response was along the lines of "no trans narrative was intended but i'm glad when people can connect with a narrative/i support death of the author so you can interpret it how you want." unfortunately for train lore enjoyers, the tweet was eventually deleted alongside most others post he made that mentioned anything LGBT, likely due to how much the topic blew in the crew's face once the fandom started getting really insistent on/angry about the subject. it was never archived, which i'm guessing is because it was posted earlier in the fandom's history and also because "this character was written as cis" isn't exactly something people would consider exciting news worth saving.

so how do you know i’m not bullshitting you about that tweet having existed? you can still find references to the tweet online if you look at posts from around that time! for example, here’s a reddit comment from 2021:

and here’s a post i made in 2020 referencing it right around the time the “lake is canon trans” misconception started:

 (good god. avert your eyes from me when i was little! the things i post online for the sake of inftr meta. really wish i could time travel to tell myself in 2020 to just screenshot the AMA response, because holy Fuck it would make explaining this easier.)

anyway, all that's to say: lake is canonically written as cis, and her narrative was intended as a more general metaphor for oppression. all different types of marginalized people can relate to her because of what a well-written metaphor it is, but the metaphor is about the concept of oppression and not intended to represent any one specific oppressed group. another thing that's important to remember is that this means that lake is canonically a gender non-conforming girl, which is a chronically erased and underrepresented demographic. so she is still a specific marginalized identity, and that's something that's worth appreciating!

as for the topic of various LGBT headcanons for lake? i’m gonna quote @snazzyscarf​ here: “being a versatile metaphor for systemic oppression is not a bad thing. representing broad demographics is not a bad thing! getting angry when people identify that broadness to their experiences and not yours is, though”

so have fun with the death-of-the-author season interpretations that the crew supports. headcanon what you want about lake’s identity. but don’t give the writers unearned credit for supposedly writing a trans character when they didn’t, and don’t be a dick to people who enjoy lake’s canon identity (masc girl) or don’t interpret her the same way you do.

(final footnote: this is a tangentially related subject so i am once again boosting snazzyscarf’s post about other fandom bullshittery wrt lake and gender if you wanna read more meta https://www.tumblr.com/snazzyscarf/657618091033886720/stop-saying-that-everyone-has-to-use-theythem)

[sunriseverse]

tagged by @lucientelrunya to do a “twenty questions for fic writers” tag meme (thank you!!!!)

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

376. about 200 or so of those are pacrim promptfics though, which inflates the number.

2. What's your total AO3 word count?

1,234,900. i unfortunately suffer from a chronic inability to shut up, and fanfic is basically my only non-academic hobby.

3. What fandoms do you write for?

as of march 2023, various adaptations and canons falling under the dmbj umbrella.

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

strike it through (start again) (922)

do you feel the hunger (does it howl inside?) (616)

a love that echoes through the distance (472)

strokes of love (441)

chart a course for a better tomorrow (390)

(honestly i’m kind of annoyed my ofmd fics are so popular, since i got in at just the right time (a lot of fandom interest but comparatively few fanfics in comparison to demand) to get a decent amount of attention to them, but i don’t really care about the show anymore so seeing it skew my stats miffs me a bit. also, i think my recent works are just far better written because i’ve improved at my craft.)

5. Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

probably 95% of the time, yeah! even if it’s just a “thanks for commenting, glad you liked the fic!” i think it’s important readers know that i’m not just some faceless set of hands posting—i am a real person, as much a part of whatever fandom i’m in as any lurkers.

6. What is a fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

uhhhh well. there’s one i wrote that’s canon-compliant for cql? but i feel like canon-compliant mcd doesn’t count. other than that………i THINK i wrote a “newt dies” fanfic back in ‘19 or ‘20.

7. What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

no idea how to go at this question, honestly. with few exceptions, my writing is all either happy endings, or hopeful endings. i don’t have the emotional bandwidth to leave something an open wound, you know? but “the things in this forest have teeth and claws” was probably the most personally-settling things i’ve written.

8. Do you get hate on fics?

yeah, sometimes. i haven’t had this problem since i migrated to ao3, but it did happen on ffnet. before i stopped crossposting to ffnet some time in ‘20/‘21, i got someone calling me a “fat f*g hag”, so. [shrug] i’m pretty used to just deleting comments and not letting them get to me, though, so it’s not a big deal.

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

as a rule, no; it’s not really my thing. i prefer to explore interpersonal intimacy in other ways. that’s not to say i won’t imply smut, though—it’s something the characters i write about engage with as part of the course of their lives, and i don’t have any interest in ignoring that, either, even if i don’t explicitly write it out.

10. Do you write crossovers? What's the craziest one you've written?

i used to write more crossovers, but now i mainly write fusions (dæmon/hdm fusions and pacrim fusions are some of my favourites). i think probably the wildest fusion i can think of is the tma/iasip fic i wrote one time. i read it the other day, and while it’s a little rough, most of it still holds up, and it’s pretty funny.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

not to my knowledge, no. just in case, though, i have a disclaimer in my ao3 bio about any works appearing anywhere besides my ao3 or ffnet (same user) is stolen and i do not authorise it to be there.

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

someone asked me years ago (in 2019, i believe) if they could translate one of my pacrim fics into russian. i haven’t heard from them since, though, so effectively the answer here is “no”.

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

a couple times! it’s a bit hard because you have to do a lot of coordinating and planning, and that’s assuming the fanfic doesn’t just wind up languishing in the draft/idea phase forever.

14. What's your all-time favorite ship?

this is going to sound silly, but—ozma of oz/dorothy gale. look, i read all the oz books i could get my hands on as a child, and i was always fascinated with their “close friendship” (i wonder why!)

15. What's a wip you want to finish, but doubt you ever will?

i have a wip that was grandfathered in from my friend emma, who wound up leaving fandom (good for her; as she tells it, her mental health improved because of this), that i sometimes stare longingly at with a deeply bittersweet fondness. it’s hannigram, and will probably never be finished because trying to rewatch the show just makes me incalculably angry at brian fuller.

16. What are your writing strengths?

description! i’ve been told i am able to paint the things i write so vividly they almost feel real. i also enjoy descriptive writing, which probably helps.

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

plots that aren’t character-driven. i’m a character writer first and foremost, and my projects generally are emotionally-driven, so i don’t have much chance to try and write action-driven plots. which is fine by me, i’m not terribly interested in them. if there’s action in my writing, it’s almost invariably in service to character.

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language for a fic?

depends on how it’s handled. it can either be very good, or very bad.

19. First fandom you wrote for?

to absolutely no one’s surprise, warrior cats. this was back in the days of writing fanfic by hand and hiding it away. my oldest still-published fanfic, though, is a discontinued 2017 warrior cats fanfic that centres a deaf apprentice. it’s a pity i never kept any notes for this fanfic (or, if i did, they at some point got lost), because i think the concept is fascinating.

20. Favorite fic you've written?

self-indulgence is the rule here, so probably “best laid plans”, a very silly concept that accidentally acquired a lot of emotion to it. oops!

tagging…………… @lunarriviera , @butchybats , @fixaidea , and anyone else who sees this and wants to participate!

[veridium]

You Want Writing Tips? You Got Writing Tips

Hello, lovelies. So, in light of my Q&A last night and receiving some asks about writing fanfic/in general, I wanted to make a text post paired with what I said -- mostly for accessibility reasons. I want to restate the fact that I am in no way an exceptional/professional-level/goddess of writing, I am simply someone who wants to encourage and provide some helpful advice to anyone who may be struggling or starting. My opinions and perspective are not sacrosanct by any means.

That being said my advice is mostly about existing as a writer, authoring fanfic, and building confidence as a creative. I am not interested in conscripting people to my personal style focus at all. This is meant to be an encouraging primer more than anything. Some of these will echo my Q&A as well.

1). Writing is first and foremost a practice to enjoy and be fulfilled by for your own creative needs and tastes. 

Yes, we post and promote our fanfictions on multiple platforms, clamor for likes and comments, the whole nine yards. That means it’s easy for all of us regardless of how long we’ve been at it to forget that writing fic is primarily for our own enjoyment and gratification. As creatives we can be told our work is frivolous unless it gathers some sort of outside aplomb, and that our labor is useless without attention. This is not true, and is a pernicious form of suppression. 

If you get a lot of feedback and reader response on your work, fabulous! I’m so happy for you. But I am also happy for you if you manage to finish and post a chapter or a ficlet in the first place. That is hard work, and it’s not something everyone does everyday. Be proud of yourself knowing you’re practicing an art form that not only brings you joy but provides an opportunity to connect with others. 

2). Tumblr is not the Gauntlet of Talent. 

I know it’s also easy to assume that Tumblr is the ultimate bastion of affirmation given the prolific presence of fandom and fanfic. But, let’s be real: we all know this site is a garbage fire. It has been, it is now, and it will be in the future. The way it hinders creative content and its creators is appalling. With that in mind, getting less-than-jubilant responses from the Tumblr-verse is not a sign that you lack talent, capability, or original ideas by default. Once again I wish to point out that writing should be something we all do for our own sakes, for our outlets and desires. Having Tumblr fandom attention is nice, and it feels supportive in my experience more often than not, but it’s also fraught and can get lost in the trivialities of popularity.

Fandom should be community, rather than fame oriented. We should be looking to each other for encouragement, helpful critique, and new, fresh perspectives. We should also respect those among us who do not wish to engage or attend to the attentions of others -- introverted creators matter too, and their points of view are valid. 

Tumblr fame does absolutely infer talent, and vice-versa. 

3. Writing is a Wonderful Opportunity to Build Good Habits. 

The culture of writing until you drop, of staving off your priorities and needs in order to dedicate “fully,” is toxic. It is also unfortunate that idea of “success” is so pervasive because writing can be a neat chance to instill some helpful habits into your routine. From my personal experience, writing is a wonderful thing to do to wind down at the end of my day: I settle in after a shower and dinner wearing my comfy pajamas and I write for a couple hours, water bottle nearby. I listen to music, watch movies if I need muse/inspiration, and enjoy my introvert time. 

Writing as a routine activity can be a conduit for good habits, like hydrating, exercise, other forms of art, and reading books. It can inspire you to change up some old regimens and think in new ways. Writing isn’t just the physical act of writing or typing words, it’s a process. Your productivity and balance is entangled with the rest of your goings-on, your responsibilities, and environment. You can use that to your advantage! 

Because of my writing I have had an excuse to hike/walk more, something I have not always had the time or ability to do whether it be for my chronic illness or demanding schedule. Now I find I am much more relaxed, my anxiety episodes are fewer and far in between, and I enjoy where I live more. Writing has helped me not only as a creative endeavor but as a life habit, and in return my stories have benefited. 

4). Care, Genuinely Care, About Your Non-CisHet White Characters. 

Please. Please care. I’m not just saying like them or craft them, I mean interrogate why and how you’re making them the way you are. If you’re letting them fall into a disempowering trope, ask yourself what the purpose of having a one-dimensional or stereotypical character is for you. If you’re constructing a cis woman character for example who is struggling with internalized standards for femininity or gender roles, that’s one thing and that can be a really interesting character development. 

But if your character is stagnant within that point of view, and their adversities/experiences are not engaging with them, you should ask yourself why. If you’re writing a perspective you do not personally have -- queerness, non-cisness, ability, etc. -- you REALLY need to be critical about what you’re writing. It may not intimately impact you, but it does impact readers who have those identities. If you’re white and you’re writing non-white characters it does not matter whether your universe is fantasy or not, you are and will be writing from a white gaze imbued with racism. You have to constantly monitor and check in with that.

As a Femslash writer one of the things that saddens me the most is when I read a cis woman character that feels one-dimensional, dependent on how other characters look at her rather than someone with their own sense of self, and like they can’t manage for themselves on some level. It’s one thing to grow from those traits and become confident or independent over time -- OR EVEN MORE DEPENDENT AND LESS CONFIDENT BECAUSE SHIT HAPPENS LIKE THAT TOO! -- but the heart of the matter is that there should be changes, fluxes, and impressions in a character’s sense of self. 

Try to think about how your own social conditioning has influenced the way you see these kinds of people in your every day. Think about how you could be infusing biases and unnecessary shortcomings into your characters based off of those misunderstandings. Female characters can be detestable, evil, malignant. They can be modest, or promiscuous, or both! They can be quick to anger, or struggle with depression. There are an infinite number of possibilities, so much so that writing a flat, meek caricature to be a waste of time. 

--

These are my main tips I would give to anyone wishing for my perspective. As I stated before, I am no sage expert on the craft of writing. Truly, I don’t think anyone is. The point is to have conversation, to engage thoughtfully for the betterment of our writing and each other’s. We’re a community and that is what we do. 

I hope this is helpful and constructively encouraging, because that is what we deserve from ourselves and each other. If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to inbox me or message me directly. Sending love and light to you all!

-Veri

[laltbaum19ahsgov-blog]

Media Assessment of Issue

Article #1: The War on Drugs and The War on Pain - Fox News (Conservative)

http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2017/08/18/war-on-drugs-and-war-on-pain.html

Subject - The main point of the article is how a War on Drugs could possibly negatively affect patients who do in fact need chronic pain medication, and that there needs to be viable, non-addictive, pain medication available to the public.

Author - The author of the article is Claire Pomeroy, M.D.. She is a white woman and according to Fox is the president of the Albert and Mary Lasker Foundation, dedicated to advancing medical research. She is probably pretty knowledgeable on drugs.

Context - The source was produced on August 18th, 2017. Narcotic-abuse deaths were high at this time and lawmakers like Trump were starting to call for a national state of emergency. Her opinions on this issue are probably accentuated due to the severity of the problem.

Audience - The source was not created for anyone particular, but it is a conservative media platform so most likely Conservatives. Conservatives usually believe in tough drug enforcement and preventing drugs from entering the country to begin with

Perspective - The article is subjective because it is an opinion piece. She asserts her opinion throughout the article, but all of her arguments seem plausible and not one-sided.

Significance - The article is significant because it highlights the fact that hammering down on drug enforcement and prescription rates can negatively affect those dependent on it. Chronic pain is widespread in America, and those who experience it need certain drugs. Unfortunately, these same drugs are abused by many. Pomeroy calls for a greater emphasis on drug-making. Particularly, drugs with a reduced risk of dependence. She also notes how doctors disproportionately hand out drugs: they give less to people of color, the poor, or the less educated  because they believe they are at a greater risk of substance abuse.

I agree with the article because I think that no one really talks about the negative side effects of limiting drug use and that is very important to discuss in debate.

_______________________________________________________________________

Article #2: The War on Drugs Has a New General - Huffington Post (Liberal)

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/the-war-on-drugs-has-a-new-general_us_58d41fb8e4b002482d6e6f92

Subject - The main point of the article is how Attorney General Jeff Sessions has brought back draconian drug policies which have been proven ineffective.

Author - The author’s name is Regan Hines. Hines is a film producer and director with no history of writing. His documentary “Incarcerating US” explores America’s prison problem. He is a white male.

Context - The context of the article is right around the time that former Alabama Senator Jeff Sessions took office. Sessions is conservative and has strong views on The War on Drugs. Not very kin to a left-leaning article writer.

Audience - The source was created for a left-leaning readership. These people most likely are not fond of Jeff Sessions, as Hines demonstrates. The reliability of the source may be somewhat misrepresentative of the truth.

Perspective - The article is very one-sided. The author claims that The War on Drugs is costly and not effective, and that Sessions is crazy for his drug-policies. He only credits Sessions once in the article.

Significance - The article is significant because it undermines the success of the War on Drugs. Hines states that there is a strong consensus that drug prohibition is ineffective, but that cowardly people like Jeff Sessions think otherwise and want to double down on policies. The Left’s argument is clear.

I am not knowledgeable enough on the subject to disagree or agree with the argument. What I do know is all the facts seem like the truth and that Jeff Sessions’ argument about the War is clear.

_______________________________________________________________________

Article #3: The Failed War on Drugs - New York Times (Liberal)

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/31/opinion/failed-war-on-drugs.html 

Subject - The main point of the article is how The War on Drugs has failed and why. It argues that because we have attacked supply and not focused on the demand, drug-related violence has skyrocketed and so has the amount of people serving time and coming out in worse shape. What needs to be done, the author argues, is to curb the demand of drugs. That can only be done if everyone is on the same page, and education, therapy, and rehabilitation centers are available for those who need it.

Authors - The two contributors in this article are George P. Shultz and Pedro Aspe. Shultz is the 60th U.S. Secretary of State, the 62nd U.S. Secretary of the Treasury, and an economist/businessman. He is Republican. Aspe is a Mexican economist. The fact that he is Mexican may influence what was saif about Mexico’s drug problem in the article.

Context - The article was published on December 31, 2017. This would be almost a full year after Trump was inaugurated.

Audience - The source was created for people who would support the idea that The War on Drugs was a failure. It attracts probably more Liberals than Conservatives.

Perspective - The article, just like the title of it suggests, is very one-sided. The author’s present information which only indicates how much of a failure the drug crisis has been. However, the information they do cite is reputable and makes me believe what they are saying.

Significance - This article is significant because it provides readers with a multitude of evidence supporting the notion that what governments have done to combat the drug crisis has led to a variety of negative consequences. They bring up the fact that attacking a drug’s source does little, rather, curbing demand is the best step to take and what is necessary for America to get on its feet again.

I completely agree with the authors’ claim. I think it is a totally valid argument and completely provable. America needs to shift its focus and rethink its tactics combatting drug abuse.

_______________________________________________________________________

3) All of the articles mention how big of an issue the drug epidemic is. What they disagree on is the best method(s) to combat the issue. One article suggested loose regulations due to the proven failure of past harsh measures, others want to see a revised national approach.

4) The source I identify with most is the last one. I think attacking the drug trade is the wrong approach to the drug problem. Prohibition has proven that it is impossible to ban something and have that be the end of it, and American officials need to realize this. The appropriate measure is education, and maybe then will people stop taking drugs in the first place.

[pain-somnia]

Writer Asks

Writer Asks

tagged by @wolf08 :) thank you so much for the tag and sorry for being so late, i literally waited until i came home from work. Warning: this is LONG.

1. How did you come up with your username and what does it mean?

my tumblr url is based on the chronically ill made up term painsomnia. i have always had sleep issues but they got worse when i became ill due to being woken up constantly with pain. my username on FF is ChronicallyChill which is based on, yet again, me being chronically ill.

2. Which fanfic of yours has the most feedback? (bookmarks/favourites, follows/subscriptions, visitor hits, kudos)

The Planning Of A Matriarch wins, hands down. I was so insecure and nervous about sharing anything I wrote but it was so well received! But it’s comedy and so much fluff and who doesn’t appreciate a little fluff? I have lost a lot of love for it because it was stolen and the whole event made me feel like shit. I think I owe a lot of it’s popularity to @mycherryqueen because she rec’d it on her blog. I plan on updating by the anniversary of this fic. But I may put it on hiatus indefinitely after that.

3. What is your FFnNet/AO3 profile icon, and why did you choose it?

I actually don’t have one! I keep thinking I’m going to sit down and draw one or wait until I have the money to commission one of my favorite artists for something. I don’t create anymore but maybe one day I’ll dip back into it so I can finally have a profile icon.

4. Do you have any regular/favourite commenters?

OMG YES. I get sooo excited when I see familiar guest names or usernames. I get so gooey inside and melt when Spanish speakers leave reviews (I can read Spanish guys, feel free to review in Spanish if that makes you more comfortable!) because they wanna share their love even if they can’t write in English well. I have an absolute fave and I shouldn’t but I can’t help it. Monika aka @mcornilliac leaves the BEST reviews and she reviews every chapter.

5. Is there a fanfic that you keep going back to read again and again?

Oh tons. Tons, Tons, Tons! Here’s a few:

The Colors of Midnight by SouthSideStory is possibly my favorite thing they’ve written. I love so many of their SS fics but that’s the one I go back to the most. (also Providence, I love me a soulmate au)

Carrying On by Kiwako

Daimyo’s Daughter by Sakura’s Unicorn (but literally everything of theirs is re-read all of the time)

Spar by D.C. Filbert (warning: major smut)

Life After Detainment by merinxD

You Could See It Change by lavendersakurasasuke (it’s a Gothic Victoria AU but with ninjas!)

Chained by Kirikizu

xxlovendreamsxx has these LOTR AUs....fucking amazing. unfortunately I seem to have lost the link to them

6. How many stories are you subscribed to? How many do you have bookmarked?

lol...i’m just gonna say A LOT. I lost some of them when I didn’t have a FF account and if I didn’t I would have way more but trust me... A LOT.

7. Which AU do you find yourself writing the most?

NON-MASS IS WHERE IT’S AT~ give me more SS non-mass and I will be the happiest person in the world.

8. How many people are subscribed and bookmarked to you in total? (you can view this on the stats page)

if I’m looking at it right....only 373 (me as an author not the individual works). and I love every single one of them.

9. Is there something you’d like to write about but are 😨 of people judging you for it? (Feeling brave? If so, share it!)

Sex scenes. I write it but I always feel nervous about them.

10. Is there anything you would like to be better at? Writing certain scenes or genres, replying to comments, updating better, etc.

I wish I was more comfortable writing action. Also I do so much dialogue...I feel like it’s too much. I wish I was better at replying to comments (I try! like if someone writes me a hefty comment I’m likely to respond if I’m able to). Updating. If I could I would write and update every day.

11. Do you write rarepairs or popular ships more often?

I write for the most popular ship in the Naruto fandom. But I also write ShiItaIzu and as a friend of mine has said before I’m not on an island by myself, I am the island. Google ShiItaIzu and posts to my content is what pops up. my readers seem to like them though so that’s great.

12. How many stories have you posted on FFNet/AO3 to this day (finished and unfinished)?

5. Soon to be 8 if I ever get to publishing the other three. (not including prompt drafts)

13. How many stories do you have saved in/with your writing program?

*maniacal laughter ensues* i have so many....fanfic and original work....some of them are prompts...I’m a mess

14. Do you write down story ideas, or just keep them in your head?

mostly in my head but some things are written down. Most of those are rough drafts already.

15. Have you ever co-authored a story?

No. I’ve made fanfics based off headcanons I practically threw at friends and they told me how they felt about them. But never. I don’t think I ever will, at least not for SS.

16. How did you discover FFNet/AO3?

uh...i have no fucking clue. August of 2016 was when I started loving Naruto again and jumped into consuming all of the SS content I could find. I just googled and read like...everything.

17. Do you consider yourself to be a popular or famous author in your fandom(s) on FFNet/AO3?

LOL....fuck no. I actually think I’m pretty insignificant in the Naruto fandom. But that’s okay.

18. Do you have a nickname or fandom name for your readers?

no. maybe I should.... how about Loves? I’ll try it out in my next author’s note.

19. Was there an author who inspired or encouraged you to write?

I don’t really have an author that inspired me. But @bkceallaigh is the reason anyone reads my stuff. she encouraged me to write and then finally publish a fanfic. And here we are.

20. What writing advice would you give to a beginning author?

Write. Write what you feel. Write what you love. Write what makes you happy. Don’t worry about pleasing people, someone is always going to hate. Just write something you would want to read.

21. Do you plot out your stories, or do you just figure it out as you go?

LMAO. no. the closest I actually get to planning is something like “this is my goal. let’s get to it somehow.” i think I've only planned one story and hopefully I’ll post that prompt soon (it’s the Shape of Water AU).

22. Have you ever gotten a bad comment on a story? If so, what did you do?

Duh! I ranted and bitched to my friends. Some of them were sooooo bad. Like when I say bad it’s like they never even read the story or want to fore their interpretation on people. and then some anti-SS found me and decided to trash SS. like thanks...why the fuck are you here? so I will complain but I don’t care to confront them. Just...don’t like then don’t read.

23. Is there a certain type of scene that you have a hard time writing? (action, smut, etc..)

Smut and action. Mainly ‘cause I want people to see the action in their head when I write but it doesn’t come out right... smut is bad sometimes ‘cause I get a little mechanical and describe the process and forget feeling sometime.

24. What story(s) are you working on now?

Currently I’m mulling over Can I Be Yours? and Kingdom For Two and A Gift From The Universe. I’m really into A Gift From The Universe because it’s non-mass and I’m going to put a lot of focus on InoSai and ShiItaIzu, way more than I’ve done before.

25. Do you plan your next project(s) before you finish your current ongoing story(s)?

lol....I have my WIPs going on at the same time....I’m nowhere near finished.

26. Do you have a daily writing goal set for yourself?

nope. Just write when I can. And wish that I was writing when I wasn’t.

27. Do you think you’ve improved as a writer since you first started?

I want to say yes.

28. What is your favorite story(s) that you’ve written?

honestly....Kingdom For Two is my fic baby.

29. What is your least favorite story(s) that you’ve written?

The Planning Of A Matriarch actually. Like I could have done so much better. It’s still my baby but it’s the one that embarrasses me the most.

30. Where do you 👀 yourself (as a writer) in 5 years?

hopefully with a finished original work lol

31. What is the easiest thing about writing?

The easiest? I don’t know...I can’t really think about it right now...I guess for me, creating dialogue is the easiest thing....I’m really tired right now and may come back to edit this answer lol

32. What is the hardest thing about writing?

Telling myself to love what I write despite not getting the response that I want. There are people who love what I write and I move them with my writing. And I should appreciate what I get.

33. Why do you write?

It’s...so wonderful to see a world that’s trapped in my head come to life in front of me.

I will tag: @kuriquinn @roraewrites @xxxsasusakuxxx @randomwhorcrux @bkceallaigh and anyone that wants to do this

[independentartistbuzz]

Indie 5-0: 5 Questions with John Dylan

Multi-instrumentalist and producer extraordinaire, John Dylan, has had music running through his veins before he was even born, his parents playing the likes of Elvis Costello, Bob Marley and Stevie Ray Vaughn whilst he was still in the womb. After previously having exhibited his work through the genre-defying band Terrene, (Produced by Phil Ek: The Shins, Fleet Foxes, Built to Spill). John has now gone solo, to focus on his talents as a songwriter. His upcoming album Peripheral Drift Illusion is set for a fall release.

1. Tell us about "Get Beyond." What was the inspiration behind your sound and the video’s imagery?

Well I was at a very low point in my life during the writing of this song. I had been laid off, my house was broken into and I was robbed, my car was stolen, my girlfriend’s car was broken into, I was filing for bankruptcy and the house was ultimately foreclosed on. I had recently gotten a diagnosis of chronic anxiety. The layoff was precipitated by the big financial crash, and it was 2009 and there was this feeling of darkness in my head about my life and the world… But 2009 was also a year the Beatles got a little press. The remastered discography came out that year and also their video game, which was really fun.

I was already a huge fan and have been since I was in grade school. Ever since I heard the jaunty bassline in “All My Loving.” And even though I am most into their experimental stuff, their political stuff, and their more mature work generally, there is just something about Paul’s bass playing that I just loved as a kid and still love now; it’s like he is expressing pure happiness and acceptance through just very intentional bass playing. It just connects.

And that was sort of the beginning of the idea. I was so low, I was just reaching for anything that made me feel better, something that had that real, “from when I was a kid,” true comfort and joy in it. And it just started with that... “bounce.”

I didn’t take anything else from it, just that feeling like, what if there was a bassline that just made people feel better?

The video tries to go from where the song starts (“in haven bed I stay”) to where it finishes (“you must prepare to let your real self show; get beyond!”) visually. It starts with 2-tone xeroxed-looking black and white. Then progresses to vector-traced slow-motion. Then it progresses to psychedelic vector-traced slow-motion. Then you have “gotten beyond” and are floating in space and are free of your pain. I have always wanted to get into vector tracing ever since A Scanner Darkly and Waking Life came out. It turns out it requires more manual work than you might realize for it to look like that. Little variations in the color averaging from frame to frame creates flicker and I couldn’t figure out a way to solve that, programmatically. Still, if you watch it in fullscreen in very high quality you get a sense of the effect pretty well. Not so much if it’s zoomed out or low-bitrate or non-HD; then it basically just looks posterized.

2. How did the collaboration with legendary Beatles artist Klaus Voormann come about?

I was trying to do some collage work for the album art. I have this super cheap laser printer/scanner that basically functions like a xerox machine and I was trying to do black and white surreal collages, maybe a bit inspired by punk flyers. I have a compendium of Cometbus’s work, the book about 924 Gilman by Brian Edge, and even a book called Punk: An Aesthetic that compiles all kinds of brilliant work.

But, I found my efforts to be a bit clumsy, and realized that, speaking of the Beatles, what I really was imagining was something more surrealist, like the cover for The Beatles’ Revolver, that I have always loved. I have it as a magnet. I also have a t-shirt that has the Revolver artwork except it’s a Simpsons shirt and The Beatles are replaced by The B-Sharps and the collage is full of Simpsons references.

So I emailed Klaus and I told him about me, and what I was doing, and work of his that I really like. I told him about the themes of the album, and what I was thinking about, and of course shared the music with him. And he said “yes.” He has been very kind.

As for the punk collage work, my favorite artist in that area was, and is, Jesse Michaels, the lead singer for Operation Ivy, among other bands. So I also wrote him about doing a piece for an upcoming single, and he said yes, too.

I like working with musicians who make art because I feel like they get it in this really cool way and there’s this homemade, earnest feeling to what they make. They’re multi-talented, working from their home. Coincidentally, since I recorded and performed this album at home by myself, that suits the project very well.

3. You’ve played in some notable bands and we were curious how it feels do everything solo on your forthcoming album.

With no offense meant to the members of Terrene I feel like individual musicians who specialize in an instrument can often see a song in a very “this is my part” kind of way. We would go into the studio, and people are just like “alright, my guitar part: done.” “Bass: finished.” But I was always the stickler trying to get all the pieces to add up. So I would stay behind and be like “WE’RE NOT DONE.” And do overdubs. Too many overdubs.

Then, I went too far the other way; the final product of Terrene’s album, through no fault of Phil Ek, who is a wonderful producer, was very sonically crowded with ideas. Way too many layers of stuff on songs that are far too simple to be carrying them. When you read the criticism of “overproduced,” that’s a tough one.

So, I gave myself a rule: Don’t do any recordings that a 5-piece band couldn’t pull off. And, though you would need a very talented band to do it, I stuck to it on this record!

Mars Accelerator was more circumspect, we would sit for hours talking about arrangements and trying to make it work. At the best of times, that’s how it’s supposed to work, at least for the kind of music I’m interested in making; everybody thinking like a songwriter and arranger. Something that gets better if you listen to it a second time and try to find the little things. You can feel the difference in something where all the pieces were thought through. Unfortunately, Mars suffered from the other problem with working with bands: it was hard to get everyone together and commit time. People moved away and… That’s where we’re at. Maybe we’ll resume soon. I would love to. I think playing with them made my music a lot more complex and hard-edged. I am not averse to distortion and more angular, difficult ideas, the way I was during Terrene.

Doing it yourself is empowering. But you have to strike this balance where you discipline yourself and not fall in love with every idea you have, yet you also love yourself enough to call something “done” when it’s done.

4. What artists are you listening to currently?

I actually keep an excellent bunch of playlists up on my YouTube page that I strongly suggest people check out.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAgntbIlnXuy4FfX1u6FRBA

I always love to use my megaphone to highlight good music, and I share thousands of songs on there of stuff I’m listening to right now. Yearly best-ofs going back to 2008. Plus my “writer’s block cure” playlist of stuff that you can put in the background and write to, without it infecting your internal wordstream. My day job is as a writer, you see.

Every once in awhile I get an idea for a themed playlist. A recent one was my favorite female-fronted music. I need to add a lot more to that, actually.  

5. What's your favorite instrument to play in the studio and favorite to play live (if different) and why?

In the studio I really like playing drums. Drums were my first instrument, I started playing when I was about 4 or so. I was sitting in my car seat and my parents realized I was hitting the safety bar in time with the music and getting into it. The viscerality of the drum performance sets the tone for the entire track. I am often humming very loudly when I play, which gets picked up on microphones sometimes, because I have the music in my head playing so loud and I want to make a noise over the sound of the drums -- with the drums, mixed into the drums. It’s just a pure state of creation.

Live, I really enjoy playing bass. I feel like the audience starts to “get” the song once the bass player drives the song home. It’s not too hard for me to play, so I can just groove out. Live drums would be too much pressure to be as fun. It’s very different keeping time so other musicians can play to you vs. laying down an idea on tape.

So of course live, I play guitar. Hah!

Find John Dylan Online:

Homepage

Facebook

Instagram

BandCamp / Fan Club

SoundCloud

Twitter

Tumblr

[lindawood]

Wirecutter Weekly: How to Charge Your iPhone Twice As Fast

A version of this post was sent to our weekly newsletter mailing list. If you’d like to receive this in your inbox, subscribe here.

The iPhone 8 and higher all support the Qi wireless-charging standard. I have to admit—I am not yet a convert to wireless charging, despite having a phone with the capability.

But Nick Guy, senior staff writer and iPhone accessories fanatic, makes a good case for having both wired and wireless chargers handy. He says wired charging is best when you’re short on time. In our tests, the fastest wired charger was able to get a drained phone to 56 percent charged after a 30-minute plug-in. Wired is also better if you want to use your phone while it’s charging—say, for live-tweeting a storm during the next ep of RuPaul’s Drag Race, season 11.

Wireless charging, on the other hand, is dead simple—just drop the phone on the charger and go. It is considerably slower than the fastest wired chargers, though. Wireless makes perfect sense for an easy overnight charge, when you can drop the phone and have plenty of time to get to full power. Stand-style Qi chargers are also excellent for simple, hands-free viewing. In our tests, the Ravpower RP-PC069 wireless charging stand actually juiced an iPhone a little faster than the standard wired 5-watt Apple charger that’s included in the box. Wireless also makes sense on a car charger mount, when you don’t have two hands to fiddle with a cable. (We’ve just finished testing and we’ve got new picks: Kenu Airbase Wireless Qi for dash/windshield mount and the Kenu Airframe Wireless Qi for vent mount.)

Also, did you know that you can charge your iPhone twice as fast if you get a fast charger (vs. the standard that comes in the box)? It shouldn’t damage your phone battery as the phone draws only what it needs. In fact, Apple Support has a page on which adapters are fine to use for fast charging. By the way, if you’ve ever wondered who the obsessives behind all of these recommendations are, please subscribe to our YouTube channel while you’re there. We’ll make it worth your time.

P.S. When we did the call for questions about home repair, many of you sent in questions about gutter troubles. We’ve got answers.

New this week

The Best Infant Car Seat Updated March 4

The Best Gas Stoves and Ranges Updated March 4

The Best USB Audio Interface Updated March 5

Ask Wirecutter: How Do I Keep the Gutters Clear of Ice and Leaves? Published March 5

The Best Gas Credit Cards Published March 6

The Best Storage Containers Updated March 6

How to Choose Between Wired and Wireless Charging Published March 6

The Best microSD Cards Updated March 6

The Best Water Filter Pitcher Updated March 7

The Best Mini Desktop PCs Updated March 8

Credit Card Terms and Conditions in Plain English Published March 8

List: Everything You Need to Block Light and Noise From Your Bedroom Published March 8

Things we’ve been enjoying lately

Some good listening, watching, and reading you may like

Watch: PEN15 [Hulu]

“I could not stop watching this once I started it. I cringed during the first episodes but then fully embraced the weirdness. It’s like Strangers with Candy meets Freaks and Geeks, but in the late ’90s.”

—Daniela Gorny, associate managing editor

Weekend ‘catch-up sleep’ is a lie [The Washington Post]

“As someone who feels chronically under-slept, I’d always hoped that catching up over the weekend would be enough to counter the well established long-term health effects of being under-rested. Unfortunately, not so much.”

—Tim Barribeau, lead editor

Uplifting Diverse Genders: Beyond “Women and Non-Binary” [Medium]

From the article: “A primer on using inclusive language in your career programs, initiatives, and networking groups to better welcome all diverse genders.”

Recommended by Kaitlyn Wells, staff writer and Black@NYT co-chair

from DDigits WP Feed 2 https://ift.tt/2SWjV2s via IFTTT

[stimtoybox]

Please welcome our fabulous new mods CD, Rainbow and Luna, who’ll be helping out with posts, describing, tagging, finding awesome things, all despite the difficulties of working with Tumblr! They’ve already in a day gotten more posts described and tagged than I could ever on my own, and you’ll be seeing their work around here as of tomorrow!

Mod CD

I’m 18, American, gray aroace, nonbinary, and autistic. I’m currently in college. I like video games [mostly The Sims 4, Minecraft, and Pokemon, but other things take up my time sometimes] and reading, when I remember to buy books to read.

Preferred Stims: Fidgets and chews, though I don’t have near as many chewables as I do fidget toys. I’ve also really started liking textured things lately.

Least-Preferred Stims: Chewables that are really hard to chew with back teeth.

Favorite Stim Toys: Currently, it’s the Tangle Jr Fuzzy, dulcimer pendant necklace, and these little silicon scrubbers.

Pronouns: they/them/theirs

Personal: @boiflux

(Mod CD has a fabulous eye for detail when it comes to size, dimension, texture and experience of using the toy. I’ve learnt a great deal of how to improve my own reviews from theirs. - Mod K.A.)

Mod Rainbow

I’m Australian, white, 29, non-binary and queer. I’m autistic and live with multiple chronic illnesses and mental illnesses. I’m studying studying disability support work because I want to create more opportunities for autistic people in my city. I am also learning Auslan (Australian Sign Language), which I’ve been interested in since I was very young. I love being a able to spend my time and effort on my special interests.

Preferred Stims: My hands are always moving and I touch everything. My most used stim toys are the kind that sit on my desk or in my bag and end up in my hand without my having thought about it.

Least-Preferred Stims: I am allergic to latex, which is unfortunately in lots of toys that are stretchy, bouncy or inflatable.

Favourite Stim Toys:

From top left: Ark Super Star necklace, Power Rangers charger toy (it clicks), Abilitations fidget ball, jointed snake, Tangle DNA and marble maze Pronouns: they/they/theirs Personal: @pink-rainbow-sparkles | Instagram: pinkrainbowsparkles

(Mod Rainbow has a great eye for safety concerns and fabulous research and link-hunting skills. They’ve already helped this blog out a great deal by finding links and references. - Mod K.A.)

Mod Luna

-I’m a 22 year old cis female living in the United States. -I’m autistic as well as having ADHD, depression, anxiety, and chronic health issues. -I have a degree in English and I love the Oxford comma. -I will infodump at length about Star Wars.

Preferred Stims: Listening to the same song over and over, rocking, and touching soft things.

Least-Preferred Stims: Chewy things that are too tough.

Favourite Stim Toys: my ARK Bite Saber

Pronouns: she/her/hers

Stim Blog: @luna-stims.

Etsy: LunarOceanStudio.

(Mod Luna is a font of wisdom and happy to take messages about stim toys. She’s also much quicker at responding to things, so if you’ve sent me a message and I haven’t had enough spoons to get to it in a reasonable time frame, Luna will gladly help you out. - Mod K.A.)

And, in case anyone doesn’t know me when I’m not talking stim toys:

Mod K.A.

I’m an Aussie queer (pan, grey-ace, aro, genderless/trans), white Australian autistic with depression, anxiety, insomnia, chronic hand pain and a/an personality disorder/s the psychiatrists refuse to formally diagnose beyond mentioning clusters. I dabble in lots of different kinds of crafting while watching science fiction TV and listening to European metal, and am the owner of an embarrassingly large collection of fabric, glues and beads. In addition to stim toys, I collect (and craft clothing and accessories for) 1/6 scale fashion dolls. I’m also a self-published writer, editor and text designer who writes fantasy and spec-fiction novels about trans otherwise-disabled autistics. I say things in the most amount of words possible and am the mod behind the most ridiculously long text posts on this blog.

Preferred Stims: Anything that involves fidgeting and/or texture, although I also love items scented with natural essential oils. I’m good with crafting, DIYs and fidget toys of any kind.

Least-Preferred Stims: Any chewables that aren’t designed for light chewers.

Favourite Stim Toys:

Top: a red apple squishy, a coloured soccer-ball stress ball filled with crunchy pellets, a red prickle ball. Second row: a mini Mickey Disney Tsum Tsum plush, a pink/blue/yellow/clear Jangle Jr Textured, a purple/blue/pink mini snake puzzle, a yellow stretchy squish ball, an aqua and pink serpent puzzle. Third row: a yellow/dark blue/light blue/purple/red/green Tangle Jr Fuzzy, a green prickle creature, an orange makeup blending sponge. Bottom: a long, wearable bead lanyard I made with a bead ring attached to the end.

Pronouns: they/them/their or ze/hir/hir (no language traditionally associated with a binary gender, please).

Personal: @eldritchesoterica | Website: Queer Without Gender | Fiction: Bookshelf and The Unnatural Philosophy of Kit March

Image description under read more cut:

[image description: a coloured-striped header background bookended by a standing yellow-orange teddy bear vector image wearing an olive fishing hat and a blue fish and sitting brown teddy bear vector wearing a striped spinning-top hat and holding a green and grey pot of honey. White handwritten text, outlined in black, between the bears reads “The Stim Squad”.]

[rowanthestrange]

On The BBC

Ok, some things you guys might need to know about the BBC. Because some of you, especially non-Brits, have a very wrong understanding about it. It is not this progressive beacon by any stretch.

Background: In our country we have Labour (was centre left, sort of like Hilary, now going left again with Corbyn, like Sanders), and the Conservatives (right wing). I’m simplifying but you get the gist.

Conservatives have been in power since 2010, originally as part of a coalition, then as a majority. They hate the BBC, pretending it’s about money and texes and shit, but actually because truth errs towards the left. 

The BBC is now run by ex high up Conservatives, people married to high up Conservatives, and some ex head bankers iirc.

If you’ve got to watch BBC news, you might have noticed in the last few years it’s becoming increasingly more right wing, with tone, choices of what to report etc.

Shows have been doing a similar thing, such as one that had people compete to do minimum wage jobs, whittling them down to a winner who would recieve the prize of a year’s living wage. Sit and parse that. I’ll wait.

I believe, if there is nothing else, that Sherlock was not allowed to continue with their original story, and that they decided they’d rather burn it down as a statement to prove that there is a need and a gap for the story they want to tell. I’d suggest they’re betting that f it doesn’t get picked up for Series 5, they didn’t get to pick up new writers and half ass something, and if it does get picked up, it will be with the allowance to tell their story cus you saw how that went last time.

As to why they wouldn’t openly criticise the BBC, that’s easy (and if you’ve been reading Mark’s tweets carefully, you’ll see that he has been having subtle digs for a while). The BBC is in constant danger of getting shut down, you have no idea how bad it is. The idea behind the BBC is vital, the independent broadcaster etc. Unfortunately it’s not been independent for a VERY long time. Now people are starting to wonder if it’s worth tacitly supporting more right wing garbage, but keeping the foundations for the future, or speaking out against what’s happening. All this while they are still one of the biggest media employers. Most are staying quiet and fighting in other ways, like they’re doing in the NHS (the UK’s free healthcare), because the root is worth keeping.

Slowly eating away at a service to make it worse and to stop people’s support of it, is what the conservatives do. It’s their MO. It’s why they chronically underfund the NHS to ‘prove it isn’t working’.

I would absolutely believe that their story had been shut down. I’m not saying it’s true, but I am saying that the situation with the BBC is a long way from that old LGB report, and has been for quite some while, and I need all of you to understand that.

[number06fan]

Guillain-Barre Syndrome: A Lesser Known Food Poisoning Complication

Have you ever heard of Guillain-Barre Syndrome?  Chances are, you probably haven’t.  Unless you or someone you know was diagnosed with it.  While there are several ways to contract this horrible illness, one of the lesser known modes of transmission is through food.

Yes.  That’s what I said.  Food.

Guillain-Barre Syndrome is a type of auto-immune illness where the immune system attacks the body’s nervous system.  This affects the nerves, primarily through the limbs, and throughout the body.

How Do You Get It?

Several viruses can cause Guillain-Barre Syndrome.  The disease often develops around 3 weeks after viral infection.  Top offenders include: Epstein-Barr virus, HIV, Hepatitis B, and Cytomegalovirus.  Though one serious bacteria can also cause this syndrome.  Campylobacter bacteria like Campylobacter jejuni, a type of bacteria known for causing food poisoning.  This bacteria enters the body through contaminated food or water and by transfer to the mouth from unwashed hands.

Food Poisoning Causes Autoimmune Disease?  How Does That Work?

When you think food poisoning, most people only think about the digestive aspects that result.  You know what I am talking about.  The awful bathroom activity, nausea, and vomiting.  But unfortunately, there are worse things that can happen.  Even long-term and chronic diseases can result foodborne illness.

In the case of Campylobacter and Guillain-Barre syndrome, the result is an autoimmune disease.  The body reacts to the infection by producing antibodies.  This is what the immune system is supposed to do.  These antibodies attack the foreign bodies (or bacteria in this case) so that it cannot replicate in large enough numbers to make you sick.  This happens 24/7/365 as we are constantly assaulted by bad things trying to get in our bodies.

When an autoimmune situation happens, these antibodies go above and beyond what they are designed to do.  In this case, they attack the bodies nervous system and other parts of the body.  Experts explain that the structure of the bacteria and the structure of our nerves are almost identical.  Antibodies mistake the nerves for hostile bacteria and attack them as well as the bacteria.  Muscles that are supplied by those attacked nerves also incur damage.

Many times autoimmune diseases are permanent, causing long-term chronic conditions like rheumatoid arthritis.  While this can occur in rare cases, most of the time the immune system reacts to the infection and then antibody production dies down, allowing infected individuals to completely recover from Guillain-Barre Syndrome.

What Symptoms Can an Infected Individual Expect?

Symptoms often begin to appear around 3 weeks after infection.  These symptoms will worsen around 2 to 4 weeks after onset and then begin to reduce as the damaged nerves begin to heal.

Typical symptoms include:

Tingling and/or numbness in the legs and arms

Muscle weakness, often starting in the lower half of the body and spreading up toward the middle. Symptoms spreading to the chest may affect breathing and symptoms spreading to the neck and head may affect eye movements and the ability to swallow.

Muscle or nerve Pain is common and may worsen during the night or during movement.

Blood pressure, heart rate, body temperature, pulse, and eyesight may be affected as they are part of the autonomic nervous system.

How Will I Know it is Guillain-Barre Syndrome?

Your doctor can perform a comprehensive exam and additional testing to determine if you are affected by Guillain-Barre Syndrome.

This often involves testing the electrical activity patterns in the nerves of your body.  Blood and lung function tests can be performed was well as a laboratory test of your cerebrospinal fluid.  This sample is obtained by pulling cerebrospinal fluid from the base of the spine with a needle.  This is an area where fluid collects to protect the brain and spinal cord.  If there are high levels of antibodies present, you will be likely diagnosed with Guillain-Barre Syndrome.

Patients with confirmed Guillain-Barre Syndrome are often admitted to the hospital for treatment and observation in the event that life-threatening symptoms worsen.

What Are My Treatment Options?

Initial treatment will be to manage symptoms.  Heart rate, breathing, paralysis symptoms are immediately monitored and managed to prevent a life-threatening outcome.

There are several treatment options available for Guillain-Barre Syndrome.  Your doctor will assess your situation and make the best medical decision for you.  Some treatments include: Plasma exchange, immunoglobulin injections, Heparin injections, and painkillers.

Plasma Exchange

Plasma exchange involves removing some of the blood from your body, separating the plasma and blood cells (the antibodies hang out in the plasma), and replacing the plasma with a substitute.  The earlier this process occurs, the more effective the treatment will be.  While highly effective, immunoglobulin injections are often performed instead due to fewer side effects.

Immunoglobulin Injections

Immunoglobulin injections are often administered to counteract the antibodies present in the body that are assaulting the nerves.  An immunoglobulin is a type of protein that acts as an antibody.  These are obtained from blood donations.  These injections work by changing the behavior of the immune system and helps by removing the harmful antibodies from the body.

These injections are performed by inserting a needle into the vein and slowly incorporating the liquid immunoglobulin mixture into the bloodstream.  The patient is closely monitored for potential adverse side effects.

Heparin Injections

Heparin injections are another treatment for Guillain-Barre Syndrome.  Heparin is an anticoagulant that is used to thin the blood.  This will help the body by diluting the antibodies floating around in the body.

Painkillers

To ease the symptoms, certain pain medications may be prescribed to help ease nerve related pain.

How Do I Avoid Getting Sick?

Common sense foodborne illness protection activities are the best way to avoid getting sick and contracting Guillaine-Barre Syndrome.  Campylobacter infection is more common than you think.  According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), an estimated 1.3 million cases of Campylobacter infection are reported in the United States each year.

Most infections result from consuming raw or undercooked poultry or consuming something that has touched it.  Other cases result from contaminated water, contact with infected animals, and drinking raw (unpasteurized) milk.

Be sure to wash your hands regularly, especially before and after preparing food (and when you feel you may have contaminated your hands).  Cook food thoroughly according to safe internal temperatures.  Always use a food thermometer to verify these temperatures.  Do not consume unpasteurized milk or food products made with unpasteurized milk.

If you feel you are sick from Campylobacter infection, seek medical attention right away!

By: Heather Van Tassell, Contributing Writer (Non-Lawyer)

The post Guillain-Barre Syndrome: A Lesser Known Food Poisoning Complication appeared first on The Lange Law Firm.

[storiesfromamess]

I over-communicate and feel too much

I am a chronic communicator. When I have a feeling inside of me I am unable too keep it inside of me, I MUST set it free; whether that be through verbal communication to an unfortunate friend or written communication to my trusty diary; it’s terribly obsessive and horrifically compulsive! 

This propensity of mine can be brilliant. It’s what fuels my passion of writing and my passion of writing is what makes me WHO I AM! I know, it sounds horrifically corny: I sound like a disgustingly pretentious, ruthlessly narcissistic wannabe writer in their late adolescence because YES, that’s EXACTLY what I am; but I’ve decided to embrace such an identity. I decided not to ignore that itch in my fingers that wills me to pick up a pen whenever I experience any sort of non-neutral emotion, and because of that I feel ALIVE. I write flamboyant poetry, idiosyncratic songs, hyperbolically ironic journal entries, attempted aphorisms, the occasional spot of failed fiction. Objectively, I have absolutely no idea where its merit lies, likely in the gutter along with all the other foolish children who dream of seeing books on shelves on which lie their name; but that doesn’t matter because I love it, you see. I adore all my creations unconditionally; they might be abominable, humiliating or completely reprehensible but unlike Frankenstein, I know it is my duty to nourish them like a mother!

The problematic aspect of my incurable inclination comes in relation to other people. Most often in a dysfunctional romantic context, I have been widely known to ‘over-communicate and feel too much’ (expressed with the wise words of Hayley Kiyoko) thus causing the object of my affections much distress as they are bombarded with verbal splurges of my sticky turmoil. When something goes wrong, I want to talk the FUCK out of it. A significant case study demonstrating this comes in the form of my break up last year. My ex-boyfriend was the exact opposite of me; he relished the suppression of one’s feelings and wished to end our relationships in as few words as possible (in fact, it took him but one word to end it as I called him up and inquired whether he was breaking up with me, to which he replied a furtive ‘yes’). Well, my communicative self simply couldn’t stand that, I needed to TALK and I needed to do it a lot. I could not fathom the notion of ‘space’, I would not be satisfied until a metaphysical dissertation was composed analysing each problem of our relationship and thus rationally concluding that there was absolutely no option to end it. To this day, despite having long disposed of any residue feelings for my ex, I still dream of us having a visceral Dawson’s Creek-esque discussion about the tragedy of our relationship. How utterly absurd the whole situation was; both enlightening and hysterical. It would satisfy my soul somehow; it would set my fruitless ponderings free. 

Alas, my wish shall likely never be granted and I do need to learn how to reach a healthy middle ground when it comes to communication. Learn to leave some things internal so as not to invade the lives of other people with my words. I suppose written communication, such as this, causes no harm. I, of course, have no audience to whom I can even cause harm! This fruitless blog is my therapy, my saviour from insanity and I will love it, forever and always. 

[howtohaveabody]

Sex Workers’ Writing Workshop November 10th. RSVP by Noon on November 9th to attend!

REMINDER: I am teaching Sex Workers’ Writing Workshop at the illustrious Center for Sex and Culture this upcoming Saturday, November 10th, 2-4pm. Current & former sex workers, RSVP to queershoulder@gmail.com by this Friday, November 9th at Noon to attend in-person.

Unfortunately, we’ve only got space for ONE video/remote student this month (sorry y'all – technical difficulties). But if you’d like that video spot (it’s open right now!), just RSVP to queershoulder@gmail.com by this Friday, November 9th at Noon. (Also, the full group online component will be back up in 2019!)

Full class details under the cut!

Sex Workers’ Writing Workshop

Saturday, November 10th, 2pm-4pm

In-Person Class Location: Center for Sex and Culture (1349 Mission Street at the corner of Grace Alley in San Francisco).

Remote Class Location: Online! (Further info provided upon registration.)

Sliding scale $30-$100 USD: More if you can; less if you can’t; nobody ever turned away for lack of funds! Further info below; please request payment info by emailing queershoulder[@]gmail[.]com.

Workshop founded & facilitated by Gina Stella dell’Assunta

Sex Workers’ Writing Workshop is a monthly facilitated writing workshop for current and former sex industry workers; complete with writing prompts, free-writing sessions, and built-in time to share our new work with each other and offer non-judgmental feedback. We write together using an established and evolving set of ground rules, heavily influenced by community-based writing teacher Pat Schneider’s Amherst Method; and the principles of intersectionality, social justice, and harm reduction.

Sex Workers’ Writing Workshop is designed to be a place where writers can share creative work about sex work without having to censor themselves or explain every detail. Workshop participants are encouraged to write about sex work, and about other topics, at their discretion. Beginning writers are encouraged to attend along with more seasoned wordsmiths.

Sex Workers’ Writing Workshop welcomes all genders and orientations. We define the term “sex worker” broadly, as people who have exchanged erotic labor for money/food/shelter/things that we need, including but not limited to:

Street and Survival Sex Workers

Escorts, Personal Companions, and Sugar Babies

Sensual Massage and Sensual Body Work Providers

BDSM workers; pro-dom/mes, subs, and switches

Adult Film Actors; Porn Models and Performers; Nude Models; Cam Girls and Boys

Exotic Dancers; Strippers; and Peep Show Workers

Phone Sex Operators

And many other Sex Workers and Adult Entertainers!

(If we’re forgetting your area of the industry in this definition, tell us!)

We ask that our civilian/non-sex-worker friends, lovers, partners, allies, and clients respect that this space is FOR SEX WORKERS ONLY.

Sounds great! How do I RSVP?

Please email queershoulder[@]gmail[.]com by Noon Pacific Time The Friday Before Class (this month, that’s Friday, November 9th). Include your name & pronouns; preferred email address, phone number, or other contact info you’d like me to have; whether you are registering as an in-person student (in San Francisco) or a remote student (via video chat); any disability access needs you might have; and (optionally) anything you’d like me (Gina, the instructor) to know about your experiences with either sex work or writing.

About the Sliding Scale: It is important to me to make my work as a teacher accessible and affordable to people who feel moved to work with me, regardless of ability to pay. I use a sliding scale when I teach, and I ask my students to determine where they fall on it:

If you own property or are gainfully employed, please pay on the higher end of the scale. By paying me what you are able, you are helping others access this work, too!

If you are consistently able to afford rent and groceries every month, but you don’t have much to spare after, please pay on the lower end of the scale.

If you are currently engaging in survival sex work; if you are a felon; if you are on Welfare/General Assistance/CAAP, SSI/SSDI, SNAP/EBT/Food Stamps, MediCal/MedicAid, or you receive any other kind of government/state assistance for people living in poverty (including equivalent social programs outside the United States/internationally); if you are undocumented; if you are homeless or housing insecure; if you have recently been displaced/gentrified out of your home community; if you are dealing with chronic health issues or disabilities that severely impact your income; if you are a single parent; if you are unemployed; or if you are otherwise struggling to make ends meet – please, do not hesitate to contact me about low income rates and Pay What You Can (Including Zero).

Disability Access

In-person students: Info is available in full at the CSC site.

Remote students: If you’d like to work with me and have a specific access need that you do not see addressed here, please email me; I’d love to figure something out.

Speaking of accessibility: While we can’t 100% guarantee a scent-free space, we ask that all in-person attendees please refrain from wearing scented products to ensure that workshop members with chemical sensitivities (including me!) can attend.

[type2diabetestreatments-blog]

REVIEW: “What Patients Say, What Doctors Hear”

New Post has been published on http://type2diabetestreatment.net/healthy-tips/review-what-patients-say-what-doctors-hear/

REVIEW: “What Patients Say, What Doctors Hear”

Dr. Ofri at her book launch/reading in Manhattan February 8

Dr. Danielle Ofri’s recently released, What Patients Say, What Doctors Hear, reveals not much has changed since Dr. Jerome Groopman shared that most health professionals interrupt their patients within 18 seconds. That was 2007.

In this insightful and enjoyable read, Ofri illuminates the communication gaps and misses between provider and patient examining her own behaviors, that of colleagues, and sharing patient stories and communication studies. The book is written in everyday conversational language, not medical, and Ofri weaves stories and studies with heart and candor.

Given my work in diabetes, particularly in improving the patient-physician relationship, What Patients Say, What Doctors Hear is pure catnip.

Ofri is an internist at New York City’s Bellevue Hospital where she’s worked for more than two decades. She is also the author of six books, editor-in-chief of the Bellevue Literary Review and regular contributor to the New York Times.

Ofri is also a doctor unafraid to look behind the curtain at how medical training forms doctors, and she is painstakingly honest about her own interactions with patients. She writes, “When I turned the lens on my own practice, I observed that I fall short much more than I’d ever care to admit. I redirect the conversation within nanoseconds of the patient’s chief complaint. My approach to improving adherence is always education and reeducation, reading the chronic-disease riot act at nearly every visit. … I verbally dominate nearly every patient visit…and I’ve never really stopped to think honestly about the biases that I bring into the exam room.”

Based on a study Ofri read about testing how long patients talk when given the floor, she tried it herself for a day. Much to her surprise, most patients talked for two minutes or less. One, an Argentinean woman, Ms. Garza, typically full of complaints, whom Ofri was most frightened to extend the invitation to, only spoke for just over four minutes. How we experience time can trick us: Ofri thought it must have been at least twenty minutes.

And the benefit was undeniable. When Ms. Garza was done talking, both felt more calm than usual and Ofri could more easily address Ms. Garza’s ailments. Ms. Garza confirmed what Ofri had often read and wondered about, saying, “Just talking about all this has actually made me feel better.”

Unfortunately—and most of we patients can bear witness to this—doctors are uncomfortable with the “soft stuff” like communication, connection and empathy. These attributes are so simple and intuitive ‘says Ofri’ they can feel threatening to a doctor who’s spent decades and hundreds of thousands of dollars acquiring specialized medical knowledge.

And while evidence-based studies confirm their value, it’s hard for doctors to think these squishy skills can be as effective as pharmaceuticals. Nor do they carry the same satisfying heft of multicenter clinical trials with thousands of patients and huge budgets.

Ofri is also unapologetic when she states doctors need to shut up and listen – in order to make more accurate diagnoses, render more efficient testing and treatment, and elicit greater patient adherence.

“It’s often hard for doctors to comprehend that there’s much more to adherence than a patient just opening a bottle and swallowing a pill… When doctors dominate the conversation and focus on the strictly medical issues of the visit—as opposed to the psychosocial aspects—the risk of non adherence to medications is threefold higher. When patients are experiencing particularly stressful life situations…doctor’s avoidance of these issues is associated with a six-fold higher risk of non adherence to medication.” (page 59)

The title of the book is perhaps best illustrated in this disconnect – when patients tell their story, it has a beginning, middle and end. Doctors, however, are trained to listen primarily for one thing – the chief complaint. It follows then that doctors interrupt patients quickly, and rarely hear the whole story.

I asked Ofri after all her research if and how she now reminds herself to listen. She told me, “If I’m not rushed I try to plan how I’ll speak to the patient beforehand and what approach I might take. Otherwise I try to give as much eye contact as possible and remind myself if I get frustrated to step back and analyze what is going wrong and how it might be fixed. If my better angels are on duty I sometimes have success. If not, I try to do better the next time.”

I have read many books written by doctors: Groopman, Abraham Verghese, Atul Gawande, Sandeep Jauhar, Paul Kalanithi, Rachel Naomi Remen and Ofri. Just as these doctors honor the delicate, fragile union between doctor and patient through their curiosity and witnessing, I strive to understand their world. A world which has become far too fast, far too mechanized and far too distant from the sense of care and service that took them into medicine in the first place.

In the end, perhaps writer Anatole Broyard, whom Ofri cites, speaks for all of us when he wrote, “I see no reason or need for my doctor to love me – nor would I expect him to suffer with me. I wouldn’t demand a lot of my doctor’s time: I just wish he would brood on my situation for perhaps five minutes, that he would give me his whole mind just once, be bonded with me for a brief space, survey my world as well as my flesh, to get at my illness, for each man is ill in his own way.”

Will anything change? Ofri cites small glimmers but it’s hard to know. Yet to understand the landscape What Patients Say, What Doctors Hear is an important read.

Disclosure: I was not asked by anyone to write this review nor am I receiving any compensation.

Diabetes Type 2 Tips Diabetes Escape Plan Does Diabetes Destroyer Really Work? Original Article

[lindawood]

How to Charge Your iPhone Twice As Fast

A version of this post was sent to our weekly newsletter mailing list. If you’d like to receive this in your inbox, subscribe here.

The iPhone 8 and higher all support the Qi wireless-charging standard. I have to admit—I am not yet a convert to wireless charging, despite having a phone with the capability.

But Nick Guy, senior staff writer and iPhone accessories fanatic, makes a good case for having both wired and wireless chargers handy. He says wired charging is best when you’re short on time. In our tests, the fastest wired charger was able to get a drained phone to 56 percent charged after a 30-minute plug-in. Wired is also better if you want to use your phone while it’s charging—say, for live-tweeting a storm during the next ep of RuPaul’s Drag Race, season 11.

Wireless charging, on the other hand, is dead simple—just drop the phone on the charger and go. It is considerably slower than the fastest wired chargers, though. Wireless makes perfect sense for an easy overnight charge, when you can drop the phone and have plenty of time to get to full power. Stand-style Qi chargers are also excellent for simple, hands-free viewing. In our tests, the Ravpower RP-PC069 wireless charging stand actually juiced an iPhone a little faster than the standard wired 5-watt Apple charger that’s included in the box. Wireless also makes sense on a car charger mount, when you don’t have two hands to fiddle with a cable. (We’ve just finished testing and we’ve got new picks: Kenu Airbase Wireless Qi for dash/windshield mount and the Kenu Airframe Wireless Qi for vent mount.)

Also, did you know that you can charge your iPhone twice as fast if you get a fast charger (vs. the standard that comes in the box)? It shouldn’t damage your phone battery as the phone draws only what it needs. In fact, Apple Support has a page on which adapters are fine to use for fast charging. By the way, if you’ve ever wondered who the obsessives behind all of these recommendations are, please subscribe to our YouTube channel while you’re there. We’ll make it worth your time.

P.S. When we did the call for questions about home repair, many of you sent in questions about gutter troubles. We’ve got answers.

New this week

The Best Infant Car Seat Updated March 4

The Best Gas Stoves and Ranges Updated March 4

The Best USB Audio Interface Updated March 5

Ask Wirecutter: How Do I Keep the Gutters Clear of Ice and Leaves? Published March 5

The Best Gas Credit Cards Published March 6

The Best Storage Containers Updated March 6

How to Choose Between Wired and Wireless Charging Published March 6

The Best microSD Cards Updated March 6

The Best Water Filter Pitcher Updated March 7

The Best Mini Desktop PCs Updated March 8

Credit Card Terms and Conditions in Plain English Published March 8

List: Everything You Need to Block Light and Noise From Your Bedroom Published March 8

Things we’ve been enjoying lately

Some good listening, watching, and reading you may like

Watch: PEN15 [Hulu]

“I could not stop watching this once I started it. I cringed during the first episodes but then fully embraced the weirdness. It’s like Strangers with Candy meets Freaks and Geeks, but in the late ’90s.”

—Daniela Gorny, associate managing editor

Weekend ‘catch-up sleep’ is a lie [The Washington Post]

“As someone who feels chronically under-slept, I’d always hoped that catching up over the weekend would be enough to counter the well established long-term health effects of being under-rested. Unfortunately, not so much.”

—Tim Barribeau, lead editor

Uplifting Diverse Genders: Beyond “Women and Non-Binary” [Medium]

From the article: “A primer on using inclusive language in your career programs, initiatives, and networking groups to better welcome all diverse genders.”

Recommended by Kaitlyn Wells, staff writer and Black@NYT co-chair

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