#which is also awesome because i haven't been able to read much lately at all. just haven't had the brain power for it

[knifefightandchill]

i finished the ballad of songbirds and snakes and holy shiiit that book.

[groenendaelfic]

Hey,

haven't seen you around a lot lately. Just writing to check in. how is it going? Wish you a nice evening

it is going, thank you for asking!

Life has been very busy these past few months but is moving in a hopefully good and definitely exciting direction.

In this particular order (if memory serves correctly) I've:

decided to move halfway across the continent

marked the one year anniversary of the worst time of my life

had other people mark the one year anniversary of the worst time of my life with all that entails

quit my job (I'd been planning that for a while)

had my boss and hr offer to let me go instead and half my notice period to two months (aka 'give' me more money and facilitate my move, yay pity)

started looking for a place to live and organizing my move

found a new job in a slightly different corner of halfway across the continent (I start July 1st)

got my request for citizenship approved (epic timing guys)

found a place to live in an awesome area (I will be able to do all my errands on foot and my new job is only a short bike ride away)

told everyone I was leaving for sure

signed the paperwork to have my uncle in law take over the place here

had my cousin offer to move my stuff with his remodeled fire engine in exchange for gas and (bridge) tolls

did all the paperwork in the universe ever

started saying my goodbyes for now (I still have lots of family and friends etc here so I'll be back a lot)

had my cousin tell me he'd make a bro trip out of the move because his friends really wanted to see a basic bridge, and room and board plus no girls was all the compensation they needed for getting to carry my boxes

said thanks but no thanks to citizenship (sorry Wille, you'll always be my King)

was asked if I minded the move taking a bit longer because the guys wanted to stop for totally unplanned soccer (a not insignificant part of their motivation if not a deciding factor I dare say)

did more move and job leaving planning and paperwork

welcomed, fed and watered a bunch of guys really into soccer bridges and very disappointed I didn't have more boxes they could compete carrying

prepared a big lunch basket and said goodbye to said guys and my boxes

sat down to write this list wondering where I should celebrate midsummer (aka do I want to travel back and forth to get everything ready or stay until it's time to hand in my work laptop etc)

Phew, yes. Also a million other things which won't come to mind right now. Thank you to everyone who left me such kind messages btw. I appreciate them so much but am still learning to respond to kindness and compliments without awkwardness. They nevertheless give me life.

In more interesting news to everyone here I've also done a lot of writing.

Mostly on One Wild Summer, which has already grown into a monster, but I've been writing the exciting parts later on and still guesstimate a 15k or so stretch which needs bridging to get to all the fun stuff I've already written.

but also on The Prince and the Barista and As Long as We Have Each Other. I only need to make it coherent and once again fill the gap to where I stopped posting.

plus *cue exasperated sighs* I'm also 9k+ into a new fic! The (once more) absolutely most self-indulgent thing I've ever written in this fandom and something I swore I never would turn into a proper fic. Expect the prologue for that (which was meant to be 500 words and not 5k) soonish.

Everything else including regular updates not before mid to late July though I think. Because moving and starting a new job and life means busy times and while I can write scribble down connected sentences with half a mind, I can't beta read and edit with half a mind.

tl;dr: I am still writing yr fic and haven't abandoned my fics, but am also busy moving. goodbye cloudberries and lingonberries, hello wineberries vineyards and appleberries apple orchards.

[a-dinosaur-a-day]

I know this is a dinosaur themed blog, but what do you get up to when you're not thinking about dinosaurs? Any hobbies? Favorite books or games?

Thank you for asking!

so a truly alarming part of my life is dinosaur themed. it's not just my job - I have pet birds (which is a Whole Thing, the Pet Bird community is huge), tons of dinosaur toys and games, and I just have a Special Interest ya know

but! I do have many other interests

I'm extremely interested in Judaism, and my Jewish life is the second biggest part of my life after dinosaurs/prehistory/birds. I practice rooooughly trad-egal (masorti), and I do lots of Torah study every Shabbat with my spouse. I am, however, bad at not using the internet on Shabbat, which is something I wish I could commit to.

I am a lifelong anarchocommunist (parents were socialist-democrats and most kids go more left than their parents, not much more left I could go) and politics and social justice have always been important to me. From a very young age I took on equality and justice as things I believed in and I never stopped fighting for them. and this is more than just me being multi-queer and multi-disabled. So a lot of my life is fighting for "tikkun olam"

I love music, I'm a very musical person. Specifically I enjoy punk and alternative, though Jewish music is awesome and there's a lot of obscure rap hip hop and electronica I enjoy. Google told me my music taste is "deep cuts" and I am proud of that, honestly. I can play lots of instruments and I was in choir for most of my childhood! I'm a decent singer, I'm just shy about it. The spouse and I enjoy playing Rock Band as well!

I used to be a much more voracious reader than I am, mainly because being in academia is a one way ticket to not reading for pleasure anymore. That said, my favorite book is probably still "Ishmael / My Ishmael" by Daniel Quinn. I also enjoy the works of Suzanne Collins (hunger games, gregor the overlander), the Green Brothers (sue me, Looking for Alaska was very important for Teen!Meig), and Shakespeare (yeah, I read Shakespeare for fun. What can you do.)

I loooooooooooove computer games. Love. Ever since I was little. I played tons of point and click games, especially educational ones, as a kid. I love tycoon games, most of all zoo tycoon, and jurassic park operation genesis was one of my favorite games as a kid. I play a ton of them now and my Steam account is overloaded. I often use mods and stuff for accessibility, but I enjoy many different games

I also love playing board games! My spouse Max and I have an extensive collection of board games including all of Wingspan, Holotype, and this cool game we found about the Permian period called Pangaea. We have many others, too, of course! We've just been playing Wingspan and Holotype a lot lately

I enjoy crochet, but I only learned it last summer. I also enjoy origami, though I haven't touched it in a while. I like swimming and hiking when I'm able to, disability kind of gets in the way sometimes. I also enjoy riding my bike, though see the former again. I am quite good at baking, but lately I haven't been doing it as much :/

I love my friends. I am extremely loyal to them and center them in my life. My spouse is included in this, but also my best friend from childhood Taryn, my best friend from college Carmen, and all of my wonderful dinosaur-community friends who are too many to list.

so yeah! I'd say the biggest things are Judaism, Music, and Computer Games, but I have tons of interests and lots of fantastic friends and loved ones, so my life does have a lot going on outside of dinosaurs and birds ^_^

[theinstagrahame]

This is the post where I show off the stuff I've gotten in the last month-ish. And it's been another good one!

(I mean it's always a good one, I have excellent taste)

Coffee and Chaos: I'm tickled by the concept of a coffeeshop AU, and I know that this game isn't explicitly for that. But it's also not *not* for that. Comes in a like conference-style folder, with all the bits you need to play tucked into the sides, which is also a great presentation that I felt deserved a shout-out!

Far Horizons Guide to Cults: I'm friendly with some Far Horizons folks, but wanted this book because it's awesome. A book containing notes and pre-made cults that have goals and drives beyond just "Be A Cult". I am intrigued by the occult, and I hope this gives me more nuance.

Neurocity: Picked this up on vibes alone, but I'm hearing more and more rad things about the creator. It's dystopic, a little cyberpunk, and the book is dripping with style. Can't wait to dig deeper.

You're In Space and Everything's Fucked: Station and Struggler's Guides: The title alone sold me, but I like what Dinoberry Press puts out in general. This is a solo survival space horror game with a cool respawn mechanic. I also splurged on the fancy version because the covers are very cool.

Dead Belt: The pleather folio for this honestly is what sold me, but the game itself is really cool. Salvage ships by laying out cards, exploring, and managing your air and tool resources. Try not to die. I haven't really succeeded at that last part yet...

Exquisite Corpse in the Maggot's Keep: Technically, this isn't a TTRPG, but it's go so many TTRPG folks in it that it might as well be. It's a choosable path adventure written by a variety of people in (if I remember the pitch) exquisite corpse style.

Best Left Buried: Throne of Avarice and In Calamity's Wake: As we already know, I'm a SoulMuppet fan (as in, I've written for their other big series, Orbital Blues). The main book, Throne of Avarice, was written by a creator whose work I've been trying to get more of. I haven't read Best Left Buried as fully as a game, but I am really excited by the excuse to dig in.

Between Clouds: I like air islands and big monsters and found family. Partially, I grabbed this because a friend got really excited about it, and it seemed like it could be fun to run a campaign with them, but I'm also curious about the Year Zero Engine, and glad to see people using it.

Kitchen Knightmares: Grabbed this as an add-on for the You're In Space crowdfund, but I'm glad I got it because it's loosely inspired by This Discord Has Ghosts In It, and that game rules. I might be able to pitch this to my friend group, who enjoyed Discord Has Ghosts.

In a Mirror Brightly/Handbaskets: First off, plug for the RTFM podcast, because it's very good. This two-games-in-one book is created by the two hosts of that show, who are great designers and seem really lovely. But, two wildly different vibes in a single volume is a great idea.

You Meet in a Tavern, You Die in a Dungeon: I've been following the creator for this since some of my earliest days in the RPG scene, so I was happy to help make this a reality. Feels very tropey, and I mean that in the best way possible.

In Other Waters: Tidebreak: Honestly, I have barely scratched the surface of In Other Waters, the PC game this is based on. But this is a Mothership solo hack that returns to that world, and it had me curious based on that pitch alone.

Aaand because I'm a doofus who forgot to include it, here's one more book! PLUS A guest appearance from my new desk mat.

Teeth: Been into Forged in the Dark lately, and as much as I enjoy Monster of the Week, the pitch for this seemed like it was more my speed. You're monster hunters, trying to keep the occult under wraps, while keeping secrets of your own. Plus, horror comedy!

The mat is the cover art from Friends at the Table's current season, Palisade. It's an Armor Astir campaign following up on some of the characters from their Partizan series.

[toast-tales]

okay. so. this might be a bit out of nowhere, but i think it's important for people to know the impact that their creations have, when they're brave enough to release them into the world.

so i discovered ITWOM roughly a week ago, and i honestly couldn't tell you precisely why, but i haven't been able to stop thinking about it. i have it pretty much permanently open on an AO3 tab, i've re-read it (+CC and the one shots) multiple times and it's never lost its luster, and i really have no idea what about it appeals to me so much, but i just wanted to let you know that it's honestly become a new hyper fixation? like, i've literally scrolled through almost all of the posts under the tag for it. your writing style, the plot, the arcs, the amazing characters and their development / relationships with each other—i love it all.

i eagerly await the return to this world, any AUs/new plots (that one snippet of danny and christopher stuck in the human world seemed so interesting), or even little head canons or details you post, because above all, i think one of the best things is that it's so clear just how much you care about this world and these characters you've created. that's an incredibly admirable and inspiring trait, and it shows in your work: which makes it that much more enjoyable to read.

tl;dr i like ur stuff a lot!! + can't wait to see what else you do ^^

Believe me when I say I nearly started crying when I read this. This is so sweet you have no idea 😭

It really means a lot to me that you like what I've made! Over the years the story has meant so much to me to write, and by this point the characters feel like real people I just catalogue the lives of, lol. For other people to find some meaning or worth in what I do as well, it's still amazing to me.

I wish I could tell you what I've got coming up, but I've honestly been pulling back a bit lately as real life has been catching up to me. Cursed Cravings is still on hiatus - not given up on! I will return to it eventually!

HOWEVER, I have an actual bazillion AU ideas, some of which I've enlisted the help of some of my close friends to write with me (looking at you, @luckyshotwrites ). While most of this writing is currently just for my own sake, or kept private, I do hope to share some of it in the future. For now, all I can do is share a collaborative drawing I did with @luckyshotwrites of a scene from one of those stories...one that I hope will be shared whenever we end up finishing it.

And, even if I'm not super active on Tumblr anymore, my ask box is always open and the ITWOM discord is still up and running. Headcanons, writing requests with my characters, questions about them or the world of ITWOM, anything - I'm more than happy to do any of that! I've expanded my worldbuilding a lot since finishing ITWOM.

And, again, THANK YOU so much for this. It really means the world to me. ❤️

(Sketch was done mostly by Lucky - she's super awesome with people and faces! She also helped with the shading, which again, she's super awesome at. I did the linework and coloring. This is Christopher, obviously, and her main character Lynette...though what's happening here, I can't quite say. Maybe one day 👀)

[miraakulous-cloud-district]

Tag game that took me way too long to do

Hi, hello, I'm still here. Life and side-tracking happened a lot and, lately, my only online presence was some reblogs. Nonetheless!! It made me really happy to see that I've been tagged in this wonderful tag game by @inkoherentwriting and @dirty-bosmer and @blossom-adventures Thank you so much and sorry it took me this long to actually do it!

How many works do you have on AO3? Just 6 so far!

2. What’s your total AO3 word count? 100,271 (oh!! I didn't realize I hit the 100k word count before doing this!)

3. What fandoms do you write for? The Elder Scrolls and Dragon Age so far, but I would love to expand that list, and I have my eye on a few fandoms (looking directly at One Piece)

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos? I only have six fics, and I don't really like looking at the statistics because it makes me terribly sad and unmotivated.

5. Do you respond to comments? Yes!!! Comments are everything to me. It may take some time to respond, but just know that I read the comments as soon as I get the email notification and I reread whenever I feel self conscious about my fics (which is *very* often lmao)

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending? My longfics are not finished yet, but if you read chapter 15 of WYGTYA, then you'll know which one will have the angstiest ending Spoilers: it's Hymn of the Highs Seas, it's prequel. Author's note: WHAT HAVE I GOTTEN MYSELF INTO, I AM SO EMOTIONALLY ATTACHED TO THE PIRATES. But I *will* find a way to make it as satisfying an ending as possible, and it will most definitely have a fluffy/bittersweet epilogue. HOTHS will not be sad, I promise!

7. What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending? After all the shit I'll put Ravonna through, she deserves it the most, so WYGTYA, probably! Also, my Ralof/Hadvar fic has a really happy ending, if ya know what I mean :)))))

8. Do you get hate on fics? Not yet. I have this wonderful small community of dear readers and they're the most awesome people in the world <3

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind? Smut is not really my thing, so no. The most I'll do is imply.

10. Do you write crossovers? What’s the craziest one you’ve written? I haven't, but I'll never say never!

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen? Not that I know of, and I doubt anyone would want to steal my writing out of anyone's

12. Have you ever had a fic translated? No

13. Have you ever co-written a fic? No, but I think it would be a very nice experience! I've spoken to a few beloved mutuals about crossovers in which Ravonna meets their ldbs, and I have an idea in mind where I could write a few chapters, each of them exploring Ravonna accidentally teleporting into their ldb's world, but it's still just an idea at the moment :)

14. What’s your all-time favourite ship? That I've written? I don't know if I can choose because I love them all, but Rumcurio and Ralof/Hadvar are incredibly underrated ships in the TES fandom and I wish they had more content! Fave ship of all time? Well, right now I am watching Jujutsu Kaisen and I am, of course, having satosugu brainrot. They could have had everything :(((( So beautifully tragic, this one. The fix-it fanfics are amazing, too! But if I had to pick just one ship to be my favourite, I think I'll go with the ineffable husbands because 6000 years of pining is just exquisite <3 <3

15. What’s a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will? A very sad and romantic reincarnation AU of WYGTYA where we get to see many versions of Ravonna through the ages! I say romantic, but knowing myself, it won't be super sappy. It's Ravonna that we're talking about here :))

16. What are your writing strengths? I would say that dialogue, and banter in particular. That's what flows the easiest to me, and I think that is how I'm able to express a character's traits and personality the best

17. What are your writing weaknesses? I believe there's room for improvement in all areas, but what I struggle with the most is angst, probably. I need to practice focusing on describing the character's feelings more. Also, politics. Crucial to the plot, but my mind never cooperates when I want to write politics.

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue on another language in a fic? If it's a few words, it's fine, I think it adds flavour to the chapter, but translations should be provided. However, I would avoid writing entire paragraphs in another language, that's just confusing to readers.

19. First fandom you wrote for? Skyrim! I wrote for the Tes Summer Fest event in 2022!

20. Favourite fic you’ve written? I love them all very dearly, but hear me out!!! WYGTYA is my first baby, my longest fic and the thing that led me to start such beautiful friendships online. It will always have a special place in my heart! In my soul, there's a jewellery box dedicated to just WYGTYA, and it's all heart shaped and made out of love. Ravonna is by far my most developed oc, so much so that she feels like a real person sometimes when I think of her. She's even become a source of inspiration for me at times and her story with her fellowship will never fail to put a smile on my face. She's also such a big impact on my writing that I think she will become a blueprint for future stories that I write. Every story will have a Ravonna-type character, for sure. That's how much love I have for her! But I started writing WYGTYA as a beginner, and I sense that I will go back to some of the earlier chapters and re-edit some stuff. Right now, the fic that I'm most satisfied of is HOTHS. It's still at 2 chapters (soon to be three), but I'm so excited about this project, and the characters are all ocs, and my heart is so full of love for them that it overflows! It's also a pirate story, and I always have such a weak spot for pirates. It also follows the storyline and plot twist that I'm most proud of in WYGTYA, all about Ravonna's lineage. Damn, I guess I have Ravonna to thank for this, too. I'm just really happy with this twist and canon divergence in Deathbrand's character. I feel like he has so much potential in the TES Universe, and I'm about to explore all that and more in this fic!

Oh wow, that last bit got so very rambly, I'm so sorry! I don't know who has done this or not, but I'll tag @bougainvillea-and-saltwater @kiir-do-faal-rahhe @bostoniangirl21 @sheirukitriesfandom @illumiera

[seven-stars-in-his-palm]

in ur asks once again...

🥺 Is there a certain type of moment or common interaction between your characters that never fails to put you in your feels?

😅 What's a story or scene you've created that you're a smidge embarrassed exists?

✨ Give you and your writing a compliment. Go on now. You know you deserve it. 😉

👀 Tell me about an up and coming wip please!

HI LEANNE HI LEANNE SORRY I'M LATE BUT I'M HEREEEEEEEEE <3 thanks for putting the questiosn btw this made this hella easier. i should do that more...

🥺 - Is there a certain type of moment or common interaction between your characters that never fails to put you in your feels?

mmmmm of course I have to bring up arguments but I suppose one that alwayssss gets me is like. a new sense of Understanding that is conveyed just by a Look. 1941-saving-the-books coded, if you will. there's a lot of moments in my fics where a character does something for another or expresses a new emotion that they haven't really before, and the other character's world view has just Shifted. you don't know how it's shifted or even how much, but it's Changed, and that's all that matters. the most recent time this has happened in a fic is for the trans omens bang (just finished the fic btw, now I just have to post it--[really hoping for august 2nd to begin my Schedule but we'll see]) where it happens twice; aziraphale realizing what crowley used the holy water he gave him for (killing ligur) and crowley realizing that aziraphale has never been able to truly express himself* because of heaven's image; that being 'being an angel means that you have to be pure and Never Indulge In Anything, Absolutely Anything, Because Why Would You Do That?'. kinda like with food. so it's not heaven being transphobic so much as it is "why would you dress like that if u don't have to, why are you even thinking about that in the first place do ur job buddy just accept what's been given to you 🤨". still a trans allegory tho. it's kinda hard to explain where you just have to read the fic to grasp it (the message) fully because its just a fun piece about trans things. THE POINT is that 1941-coded realization are AWESOME!!!!

*I personally don't believe that aziraphale has NEVER experimented with gender throughout history, but he's closeted in this au for the sake of the plot. this is not my headcanon but it's soooo fun to project <3

😅 - What's a story or scene you've created that you're a smidge embarrassed exists?

mmmmmm I have to check but God a few that I remember is the one nimona (2023) fic I wrote that's an unnecessary angst-fest and also that one fic that's basically 'aziraphale rejects crowley so many fucking times' and it makes me cringe because it makes me sad in the bad way. also that one fic about body switch where they decide to execute 'aziraphale' and 'crowley' together in heaven. which I would do SO differently now oh my God, first of all WHY HEAVEN (I would do it in a separate third location now, probably in like. the fields of meggido. and have hell set up bleachers for the demons to watch like they did canonically. for the plot. also the symbolism). and second of all i was still getting the hang of Crowley And Aziraphale Silent Communication and the way I conveyed it in this fic is just CRINGE. full out CRINGE. I wish I could delete it but it's one of my more kudosed fics and I can't get rid of that shit. tbh any fic before i started using beta readers (began with like chapter 5 of stars in a jar au) is Bad and I wanna rewrite them so bad but then i'd be plagued forever. I only plan on rewriting the fics that are secretly a part of the said stars in a jar au (which is 2, I plan to add them to the series when those instances are mentioned in the main fic) as well as midnight's call AGAIN when I inevitably get back to writing its sequel ACTUALLY USING A BETA READER THIS TIME. idk if i'll ever write more long term gravity falls fic after I finish that sequel (except for drabbles here or there and that one gravity falls crossover i'm obligated to finish) but I refuse to let that universe rest until i've fulfilled its potential. I swear to god

✨ Give you and your writing a compliment. Go on now. You know you deserve it.

autggh i already did this one but another thing i can say is worried crowley. i've been i'm good at writing him Worried And/Or Anxious because well he is me and i am him. side eyes latest fic

👀 Tell me about an up and coming wip please!

HGRHHHHHH THERE'S EIGHT RN which one do i do....i can't stop blabbing about fairytale au but since i'm currently watching a video essay on the costa concordia (by internet historian. god it's good storytelling) i'll talk about the titanic. i'm doing a titanic (1997) fic for the silver screen bang,,, i think i've definitely detailed it before but i'll do it again. heart of the ocean? CURSED. hell sends crowley on the titanic to fucking find that thang, and aziraphale tags along because he too has an assignment from heaven but it's just quick blessings (wonder why...). there's iconic scenes such as paint me like one of your french girls (ily artist ariraphale) and 'im; flying' but it's a DANCE instead. fucking hell i'm melting just thinking about it. i love the themes i love chapter 2 i love chapter 5 i love you anathema's ancestor who's also here i LOVE YOUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU here's a raw snippet,,,

France, Aziraphale knows well, is famous for producing the best of its rich, savory crepes. And, being a simple angel, when he had heard about their momentary stop in Cherbourg to load up more passengers, decided to give into the urges and risk a quick stop at his favorite restaurant and have a brief crepe break. It was worth it in every way possible—Crowley could explore their cabin on his own, and Aziraphale got crepes. Everyone wins!

alright that's enough blabbing. thank you for this wonderful opportunity,,, im now watching a video about a man in a hole. i love video essays

[letstalkwhump]

Let's Talk Whump No.14

Welcome to Let’s Talk Whump, a series of interviews that spotlight the amazing people in our whump community! I’m Malice and I’ll be your host. 

Today I’m talking whump with the wonderful @livelaughwhump!

Great to have you here! Let’s start with a fact or two about yourself!

Greetings! My name is Armin, I'm 19, and my pronouns are they/them! I work as a daycare attendant/assistant preschool teacher. I love crocheting, cross-stitching, and basically anything crafting-related

What does whump mean to you?

Wow, there's a lot I could say to answer this

I think whump is the only interest that I can say I've had for my entire life. I think I got into it when I was about seven-years old and it's one of my only interests that has not faded over time. I find it very freeing to be able to delve into the dark and disturbing parts of my brain instead of ignoring them.

And how did you find the whump community? What made you want to join?

I've been interested in whump for most of my life, but I haven't been a part of the tumblr whump community very long. In fact, I think I only joined in October of 2022. I believe I found some screenshots from whumpblr on pinterest, which led to me going on Tumblr and diving deeper into the content on here.

Has your view on whump changed since you joined? I think so. Before I knew what whump was, I always thought that there was something deeply wrong with me because I enjoyed torturing fictional characters so much. So, it was very relieving to find out there was not only a word for it, but also a community of people that enjoyed the same disturbing things I did. Other than my personal opinion on whump itself, I don't think my favourite tropes or anything really changed.

And your favourite whump tropes?

Oh god, there's so many, but I think my main favorites are captivity, pet whump, dehumanization, muzzles/gags, sensory deprivation, hurt/comfort, etc. There are plenty more but I don't think I can list all of them.

They’re all so good! Do you have a favourite piece or pieces that you've written? 

Oh god, I don't think I can pick a favorite. I love my whole Worthless series, but I think Chapter 12 is one of my all time favorites. My Birthday Gift drabble, my Strays drabble, and my Panic drabble also get an honorable mention.

These are so good! Do you have a regular writing routine or more when the inspiration strikes?

I don't really have a routine, I kind of just write whenever I'm feeling motivated. I usually write on my lunch breaks at work, or late into the night when I should be getting to bed.

What do you find easy to write? Is there anything you struggle with?

Dialogue is easily where I thrive. I'm not good at describing things or explaining actions, but I consider myself pretty good at writing convincing dialogue. Probably because I end up having conversations with myself as my characters, which makes finding natural dialogue pretty easy.

Anything you're working on at the moment?

I am currently working on chapter 16 of my Worthless series, but it's been at a standstill for a couple days. Making up the stories in my head is so much easier than actually writing them.

That last bit is very relatable…Is there any advice you’d like to share?

Write what you would want to read! Don't worry about pleasing everyone because that is literally not possible. Write for yourself and no one else!

Shoutout time! 

@whump-queen, @whumpsday, and @oddsconvert are my top three sources of inspiration. They are all awesome people and amazing writers and their stories have inspired me so much!!

Honorable mention to @rosekins6211 for being one of my biggest supporters!! Literally could not do it without her!!

Anything you'd like to add?

Thank you to everyone that has supported me and read my weird little stories! And thank you, Malice, for having me!

Show no mercy, and happy whumping, everyone!

THank you so much for joining us today, @livelaughwhump! 

And to all you folks at home, have a whump-derful day!

[foxymoxynoona]

I feel like u have some good fantasy books recommendations 👁️👁️ english isn't my first language so ive only really explored that genre of books in my first language and other than english books like harry potter and Lord of the rings I don't really know many🤔

I've actually been targeting reading more fantasy books lately, because I hadn't read many since I was younger and I haven't read much recently! (My last few years have been a lot of non-fiction, classics, general fiction, and thrillers/mystery or historical fiction...) I'm not sure if you mean high fantasy or what type of fantasy so here are things I can remember from all:

I just started reading the Terry Pratchett Discworld series, but I'm only on book one, however he's pretty famous in this world.

I also downloaded the Dragonriders of Pern series, I think I read the first one when I was very young and enjoyed it a ton, plus it's written by a woman, Anne McCaffrey!

I just read Uprooted by Naomi Novik, however I found the romance in the stories really unsatisfying, I wish she had just left it out completely. I didn't feel the chemistry and it just felt really forced and odd. If you ignore the romance though, I liked a lot of the world! The main character is that "born special" trope which is iffy, but girls deserve to be "born special" too so I'll allow it haha.

Same comment on A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J Maas, I didn't like it at all BUT it's very popular so maybe just not for me.

I LOVE the Witcher series by Andrzei Spakowski but I always warn people when I recommend it, the first book feels really slow and disconnected. It's a collection of short stories basically. But those short stories introduce themes and characters that wind up being important later.

E. Nesbit is an old classic writer of fantasy and fairy tales-esque stories, I like Wet Magic and Five Children and It.

I've read all the fantasy books related to the Dragon Age world, but they're sort of all over the place in terms of quality...

The Wool series I think is sort of sci-fi/fantasy and I hated the writing and characterization for most of them and I don't love the way it ends but they're very popular and I am glad to have read them, there are some interesting characters (but good luck ever being able to tell anyone in the books apart.) There's a really good tv series being made now that fixes a lot of my problems with the books.

The Hangman's Daughter by Oliver Poetzsch ia a gritty historical fantasy, I enjoyed it a lot.

Game of Thrones is dense but mostly good. It's fascinating to read from a story-crafting perspective.

The Boy With the Cuckoo Clock Heart by Mathias Malzieu is one of my favorites.

A Barrel of Laughs, A Vale of Tears by Jules Feiffer is another of my favorites, it's like child/young adult but I love it deeply.

The Golden Compass series is good too; I don't love it as much of some other people, I found parts kinda confusing haha, but I did enjoy it!

I loved the Redwall series when I was younger, haven't read one in ages though, I don't think I finished the full series.

Hope any of that is helpul. I know theer have been tons of awesome fantasy books published in the last five years that I haven't gotten to read yet!

[cloudcountry]

Oh I've been in a play that my high school had before! The set pieces was made by volunteering parents. We did the Little Mermaid Jr. and I auditioned for Ursula. I got three minor roles, but I'm rather happy with that because I'm not sure if I could have memorized all those lines. It was an absolute blast. I was a sailor, a chef, and I got to be one of the princesses!

A real play is so much more fun than the mandatory plays I had in elementary school. No auditions, our roles were chosen for us. One elementary play wassss I can't remember the name but it was jungle related. I missed the day we were told what roles we got so I showed up to school confused as instead of classes we were starting the day off going to different classes. This was either 2nd or 3rd grade? I lined myself up with the cheetahs as I wanted to be one. Eventually I was found and brought to the right class.

They gave me a flower role. As in stage decor that sings along with some songs. Never really enjoyed any of the elementary school plays.

I do quite enjoy musicals though! Like that's a one-time run with no cgi help! I haven't gone to many of them, but I enjoyed the Annie musical. They had a real dog which just amazes me. A dog in front of so many people but following his role so perfectly, not getting distracted at all! Seeing musicals in person feels superior to watching recordings since recordings can't really capture the whole stage.

Pretty silly but I enjoy the netflix recording of Shrek the Musical.

I should find the Little Mermaid Jr soundtrack and add some songs to my disney twst playlist. There's an Ursula song that wasn't from the movie which I recall being pretty cool. My friend got the Ursula role and she did great. The costumes were awesome and I think were also made by parent-volunteers.

I think the whole production did so well as a high school musical since it was a charter school and so many parents were willing/able to help out.

How did you get to working on set pieces? Was it a voluntary thing or did the school just force you to help? Do you have any interest in acting? Minor roles or major roles?

I quite enjoyed my minor roles since that meant very little pressure if I messed up. Didn't have to necessarily worry in my princess role either since it was one line and I was supposed to sound terrible.

I PROMISE I READ ALL OF THIS BUT IM JUST GOING TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS BECAUSE ITS SO LONG HELP

i got to working on sets after my friends introduced me!! it was voluntary and i got to use it for service hours C:

the sad thing is i felt interested in acting at the last play of the year (and my last year in high school.) i thought it looked really fun but i hadn't had the confidence to audition, and by then it was too late anyway.

take notes kids, try new things even if they don't seem that interesting at first. you might regret it later.

[solarsavoy]

Sorry if this is a lot but 🏅👮😈👨‍👧‍👧✨

It's never too much! I'm happy to answer all the asks!!

🏅 What is something you recently felt proud of in regard to your writing (finished a fic, actually planned for once, etc).

I haven't been too happy with my fics lately tbh, however, I was really proud of finishing Karmagisa week back in July. I was really worried I wouldn't, considering my recent streak of updating irregularly. (Guess I'm just like every other fic write now. 😅 I just miss being able to keep up with posting regularly, because then I got regular comments which are like my lifeblood.) But yeah, so, Karmagisa week.

👩‍🏭 If one of your fics was going to get you arrested, which one and why?

I still don't think any of my other fics will have anything on Students of Despair. However, if I do it right, Pandora's might be worse in that respect. The reason is the same for both: I'm going to be googling a lot of dead body stuff and possibly adding in methods of killing. Yeah, that's probably gonna get me arrested. 😅 So if I do, somebody please point out this post to the police so they can see that this was in fact the intended purpose and I wasn't googling that stuff because I wanted to do anything.

😈 Is there anything you enjoy doing that you think your readers hate?

Strangely no? I did initially wonder if my readers would hate that I don't feel the need to make every ending happy, but I actually think that makes readers more interested, not less. (Looking at you, tuuli. XD)

There is one thing though. I love writing whatever ship the story may call for for the sake of the story. I won't change it just because some people don't like a certain ship. This makes me sad because I'm not intentionally trying to ever hurt someone for writing about a ship that I love and/or appreciate (because strangely not all ships I include are ships I personally ship, like NagiKae, but I do appreciate them) but as a writer, I feel it's my obligation to follow the story. I don't always know where my ideas come from, but it sometimes feels like if I'm not following the story, I'm disrespecting the thing that gave me the idea in the first place. Maybe that's weird, but I also attribute my inspiration to write at all to the same thing that gives me ideas. If I try to write a specific idea just because I want it, it's very hard to write without the backing of my muse. (It's hard to write at all lately, but that's a separate issue.) Anyway, that's less of speculation and more of a fact, but I do wonder if it hits more readers than I'm aware of. I know not every person is going to like every ship, but I still feel bad.

👨‍👧‍👧 Do you tell people in real life that you write fic? 

Oh, all the time.

In fact, there's a round of questions I ask literally every new person at one of my jobs. 1. How old do I look? (because they often guess I'm around 20-25 when they're actually a decade off and it makes me feel young XD) 2. You like books and reading or anime and manga? And then their answer to 2 will direct how the next part goes, which is either "I wrote a book and it's an isekai!" where I then blabber about my book for 30 minutes, or "oh, which anime? Have you seen Assassination Classroom? Great, cause I write fanfiction for that!" and then I proceed to blabber about that for 30 minutes. I do this because otherwise I never bring it up and there've been a couple people that were disappointed they didn't know I wrote/drew sooner, so I've just decided on this introduction of "yes, I draw, I write, I'm awesome, please check out my stuff" and then I proceed to never bring it up again because I haven't practiced my social interactions beyond that first one. (Did I mention I'm socially awkward despite being very chatty? Well, at least I got it out. I'm very bad at marketing otherwise.)

It always touches me when they ask how my art/stories are going later and it makes me not regret my word vomiting introduction as much, so I keep doing it. It helps because otherwise I feel way too into myself, introducing myself like that, like I'm a salesperson selling my stuff, which I am essentially doing. I know this, but no one will know about my stuff if I don't talk about it so, this is how I do.

✨ Choose three adjectives to complement your own writing.

Deep, intuitive (as in with the characters), and smooth (usually because of flow and/or how smoothly I tend to do AUs or mix ideas in crossovers).

Thank you for the ask! Love you Hailey!!

[acefaun]

My hectic day was ok for me and i am super tired right now. But guess what, i open tumblr, my most beloved lady posts and i see someone has requested the exact thing i wanted 😲.

And my sweet, kind lady is fulfilling ours wish by writing two endings ❤���� I'm so happy!!!!!! 💋

I sympathize with you, love. 🤯I hadn't realized how tiring a hectic day could be since I haven't had one in a while. But since I started work Saturday I haven't been able to touch any of my fanfics! AND I HAVE AWESOME IDEAS TOO! Curse my current 7-days-a-week schedule 😩 no time for fics.

I took brief notes at least so when I finally stop running around like a chicken with my head cut off I'm not going to have forgotten the horrible things Tauxolouve is going to do. ✨ If only work wouldn't be murdering me then I'd be able to CAUSE CHAOS.

~On the bright side, I'll get a day off to write all the fanfics I want because I need to get my last wisdom tooth out soon. 😙 It's my last one... So after the surgery I'm going to be stupid. 🤯 I'm only running on 25% wisdom right now. By next month I'll have 0% wisdom left!

(I think the last time I got three wisdom teeth out I feel asleep writing a fic about Zyglavis taking care of me... I'll have to find it! 😝)

And I promised Huedhaut's yandere piece last week, but then was rereading it and decided to add more Huedhaut drama because he wasn't getting as much drama as the other guys.

I have Hue at 9.6K right now which is better, but I'm not sure if adding a murder mystery this late in would make it too long. 💀 But I really high key want to. Because I'm digging the idea.

Shadow Dui gets framed for murdering your best friend. Of course, it could be no other god but the god killer himself! After all, Shadow's already killed one best friend. He could easily kill someone else's.

BUT. This answer is too simple isn't it? Later on, Dui is finally able to contact you through his telepathic powers and he tells you everything he knows. By all means, you can't trust ANYONE in the mansion. The murderer is one of the 12 Zodiacs and is hiding amongst you!

Sadly, this means you can't go to your loving boyfriend Huedhaut with this information because be is sadly ALSO a suspect! You have to find the killer on your own. Leading to interrogations and questions like "Where were you on the night of the murder?"

Huedhaut's going to get so edgy and pissed when he finds out you're investigating the murder and actually succeeding in finding out clues. But... It honestly just makes him love you more becuase you're such a smart goldfish. He knew you were worthy of having the soul of his goddess.

While he doesn't want you to see him as the bad guy, at the same time, he wants to see if you can actually put all of this information that you're gathering together. And if you do find out it's Huedhaut... Well, that's troublesome.

Ever since I found out the moon is an apple, I've been in a hardcore detective mode. I need detective books to read so I can ease my desire for mystery solving.

IM STILL GLAD WE'RE ALL MATCHING THE ENERGY FOR AN UNHINGED TAUXOLOUVE. I CAN'T WAIT TO RETURN TO MY CHAOTIC FANFICS! 💖💖💖

[notebookmusical]

Aww that's so nice that you were watching a livestream while I was there. I'm so happy that I got to experience that and happy I got to go at all. It was really amazing and I already miss it. The thing with surprise songs is that it's really subjective..like a coworkers daughter apparently said she would have rather seen All of the Girls..which is also cool. I would've liked that too but it was better for me that Aaron was there cuz that doesn't happen every show. The only thing that could've possibly made it better is if she brought Hayley out too..lol. Anyway loved it so much and she did also wear the pink Folklore dress which is one I was hoping for. It was just so cool to even see the Folklore cabin in person too and the Vigilante chair dance.

Anyway..for my other ask..I usually don't read sequels or series. The only time I did was with HP or Twilight and that was when all the sequels were already out. But I totally get what you mean about cash grab and spinoffs. I'm interested in the new Hunger Games movie spinoff though! I think sometimes it's natural or it might be because readers want more. Like with this one, I think the book is like 10 years old and people have discovered it and seeing people like it inspired her to write more maybe? Also it works sometimes when you are writing a different characters perspective too..which is the case here apparently. If I did read series regularly, I would probably forget about it too though lol. Also..I loved the first season of Crazy Ex Girlfriend!!! I never got to finish it though cuz I stopped having Netflix..but I do like when a show is able to wrap up the story. I feel like that happens more often now actually..like when a show is based on a book so there is only one season. Then there's something like the new Sex and the City reboot show which seems kinda unnecessary but you still wanna watch for the characters lol. I did like how they updated part of it..like what it would be like for them now and in their 50s though..which made it seem a little fresh at least but it was just okay. I know people were unhappy with Gilmore Girls too..which idk how to feel about either. So I'm usually up for having more to a story or characters I love but sometimes it messes with what you already imagined in your head I guess. These two books do stand on their own though and you probably don't need to read the sequel either unless you want to and that's if you like it lol. I probably will though cuz I get curious and then I could let you know how it is. Also if you do end up reading Some Mistakes Were Made..you could let me know how it is, or I could start reading it again..or together maybe? I've taken a break from reading too this week since I was focused on Taylor but excited to get back to it. I hope you have an awesome trip in Chicago this week! 🩷

hi 🩷 friend!!!! i missed you while i was out of town 🤍 i hope you've been doin well! what have you been up to? have you read anything good lately? it is so, so interesting how people feel about surprise songs!! because to me i think they're just a bonus to the 43 songs that we're already incredibly lucky to hear, but i've seen people on tiktok/twitter/etc. genuinely upset and angry and claiming that their surprise songs like, ruined their experience or whatever and i'm like ... really? i just feel like the relationship "swifties" talk about taylor is ... very ... interesting, to say the least! my friends and i were so hopeful that hayley would be a surprise guest in seattle night 2, and they'd sing castles crumbling (we were also convinced that she'd acknowledge folklore though, and she didn't) because paramore was supposed to play in seattle the day after seattle night two but had to reschedule. and i'm SO happy you got the dress you wanted for folklore! i think the folklore outfits are just so, so pretty — they might be my favorite set of costumes for the whole show. i'm quite intrigued with the new hunger games prequel! i haven't read it yet (and i've actually only ever seen the first hunger games movie), but i really loved the trilogy when i was younger and have been thinking about finally sitting down and watching them (or maybe rereading, once i'm done with my current rereads). i do agree a prequel like this feels more natural, rather than say, shadowhunters, which has like 50 million books! if you ever get a chance to finish watching crazy ex girlfriend, i highly recommend it!! i also just love all the musical theatre references and i just think it's really well done. i haven't rewatched it since it aired, actually, but i do want to rewatch it soon! i am just very, very bad at watching tv! i'm currently watching the summer i turned pretty, and then when i'm caught up with that (or when i have a little more breathing room), i think i'll watch the second season of heartstopper! i was really excited about the new gossip girl (especially since a couple of theatre people are in it), but it just did not … work for me at all. and yes!! i would definitely be down for a buddy read of some mistakes were made if you'd like? i could start it next week if that works for you!! i just need to get my life together and hopefully finish one or two of my current reads first! i had a lovely time in chicago, thank you my dear 🤍 definitely dreading being back at work tomorrow!

[rainswept]

ngl i had to take a fat nap after that response ☹️

i have genuinely never felt so overwhelmed with emotion before, now we're in the same boat because i don't even know what to say to tell you exactly how much i enjoyed reading all of it. i got that whole eyes burning going on n shit and im having a very fun awesome time trying to put a name to whatever the feeling in my chest is (not), but love sounds like a nice way to put it so we'll go with that! i love you too, and appreciate the time you took to write everything out more than any sentence can convey the full meaning of

you're right about me not expecting my ask to mean so much, i wrote it because i knew most authors (and creators as a whole) like hearing how their viewers discover their work. you said you were curious in the notes of the url post, i thought i might as well send in my story to satisfy.

it would be a big step for me, but also a chance to say something nice to someone who inspired me and then move on after a “thank you” or vague acknowledgement to… prove to myself interacting isnt as bad as i thought it'd be?? something like that. i’m not sure what i wanted you to say, or how i wanted to feel about it

bbuut as per usual, you managed to surprise me no matter what i was looking for ( ‾́ ◡ ‾́ ) and it wasn't all over the place or hard to understand at all. my turn to be dramatic:

“what is the point of feeling if, as soon as you pry your eyes away from the page, the emotion fades with the ink?” is definitely a question i connect with. impressionable teenager check ‼️

i said i want to love like you because the way you dedicate yourself so completely is something i’ve never been able to do. i wasn't into picking apart characters before because i thought it was obsessive.

they aren't real right? who cares? which leads me to the metaphor i used for your writing: wholly consuming. imagine not being able to delve into those depths. of course it feels uncomfortable to be pulled under the waves at first— you aren't going to be able to breathe— but the underwater life has so much to offer. i know it now, because i’ve seen that unknowable infinity in your work and in your passion. and there's so much more to sea (ba dum tiss). thank you so much for showing me that

love changes a lot of people. it is sacrifice, and you often have to make compromises. so why not let myself be devoured by that endlessness? i would rather suffer, be swallowed by the ocean and have all of my soft edges filed into jagged pieces by the currents than to have never known that pain at all. because it changed me. i want to remember that.

i want to remember your words, and the part you played even if i am left with only hurt, because love is also giving. it's greed knows no bounds. it's scary, the only thing i had to offer was myself and my experience. but it's getting easier. i’m happy to be seen as a member of your audience, and will applaud every success long after our interests no longer align because that is my compromise for you ♥(ˆ⌣ˆ)

hope all that makes sense. i like the umbrella tag! i’m being perceived and i haven't exploded (yet) (destruction is imminent) ☂️

ANON i am so sorry for the late response i had to process this. i’m having such a hard time posting these bc i just want to keep them treasured in my inbox forever ugh

long post again

ANYWAY. you’re so poetic this is insane. hello???//?/? when i first saw this there were tears in my eyes literally. i cannot. the first paragraph. actually all of them. i . died?? goodbye?? this is the end of me as i know it. i will never be the same. these r the most impactful words anyone has ever said to me i think. i have no words. genuinely no words i’m going to melt into thr floor. plea. please. spare me anon. spare me. i’m in agony right now ur writing is so beautiful. ANONNNNN😭😭😭😭😭😭 god i will never recover. i am in tears

“i said i want to love like you because the way you dedicate yourself so completely is something i’ve never been able to do. i wasn't into picking apart characters before because i thought it was obsessive. they aren't real right? who cares?”

i get that, in a way. but as you said — “which leads me to the metaphor i used for your writing: wholly consuming.” — that’s how it feels to me, too, and it always has. i get the idea of thinking something isn’t important because it’s not real, but i’ve always latched onto them regardless. so i had to write, honestly. to get it out. because otherwise it would consume me instead. it sounds very dramatic, i’m aware, but it’s true — i have so many feelings surrounding these fictional pixels and stories and they have so much to offer and they take up too much space in my brain and if i do not talk about it i will Explode ™️. Or Implode ™️. so i write! because i want to. because i have to. because otherwise it will Swallow Me Whole. and i’d rather embrace it! i’ve always been an ‘obsessive’ person when it comes to interests — it’s all or nothing for me. so it’s one or the other — i can drown or i can swim, but i can’t really get out of the water of my own volition,,, and i’d rather not drown. so i’m both glad i inadvertently introduced you to that way of seeing things, and regret it, because it does hurt sometimes. but it’s worth it to me, and it seems like it is to you too, so that’s good!

ONCE AGAIN i could copy and paste this entire ask and comment on it but i fear it’ll just be me repeating your sentences and gawking at them and it would get way too long. 😭😭😭😭 so i’ll just let your ask speak for itself

“i’m being perceived and i haven't exploded (yet) (destruction is imminent) ☂️” also we can explode together actually. i’m glad u allowed urself to be perceived because. oh my god. 😭😭😭😭 this ask changed the trajectory of my life forever. half joke. destruction is not imminent you’ve got this

also, you’re definitely more than just a member of my audience now, in my opinion. if you do decide to stick around (and i hope you do), i hope we can become friends eventually too! even if you decide not to, these interactions have meant more to me than you know! so thank you, either way

[gyaruxqueer]

Hi gals, I'm here for a mini-blog post!!

I haven't been posting my own looks lately because, to put it simply, life has been fucking me over ! My depression has been hitting me extremely hard this winter--there's been several weeks where I don't see the sun, and as someone who grew up in a sunny desert for 25 years it's a huge change! This is my second winter here and I'd like to think I'm handling it better than my first...but only because I'm on anti-depressants now (^_^;;;) On top of that my financial situation is looking a bit rough; I can only work one job because I have chronic back pain and physically can't do more work than I'm doing (and as it stands I can barely get through a 12 hour work week without feeling like I got run over by a steam roller), and my hours are shit as we're in our slow period...not to mention the weather has made it nigh impossible for people to go out and about unless you have an off-roading vehicle with 4 wheel drive (which my fiance does! Unfortunately he Also works and I can't always steal his car). Said fiance is ALSO in his slow period at his job, but he's more able-bodied than I am on the chronic pain front and may get a second job if he can find something flexible enough.

So, that's where I'm at. Rent takes up most of our money, and what little remains goes towards food. And my fiance's gas (them big ass off roading cars are gas guzzlers fr....unless you live in a particularly rough terrain area do yourself a favor and DONT buy a Jeep. Or a Hummer. Or a big truck). And when we haven't been stressing about money my mental health current baseline is "in the firey depths of hell," so I'm still not doing well!

I'm using all my energy to survive right now, so as you can imagine I don't have a lot in me to do makeup for an hour every day. Things will look up, that much I know! But it may be a while.

If any of you are feeling particularly generous, I do have a Ko-Fi ! I take commissions as well if you'd like something in return, but please do NOT stress yourself out if you're also struggling financially. Or if it's a choice between donating to some rando on the internet or a charity to, say, give assistance to Palestinians then PLEASE pick the latter.

But that's that!! Hopefully things will be smoother sailing in the future. Thanks for reading! Have an awesome day!!

- Stars ☆

[monkberryfields]

hi mads, srs again!! sorry for dropping off the face of the earth! finals..... happened and then i lost all sense of time for a week 🙃 how did your finals go?? i hope your potato famine paper wasn't too unmanageable and that it was interesting to write. i ended up writing 7000 words for an original nature writing project bc i had wayyyy more to say than i anticipated lol. the music history thing is super cool too!! that's definitely been the most interesting part as i've gotten into classic rock: how music evolved over time, what influences changed the styles of music, and how artists influenced one another. in mike nesmith's autobiography, there's a bit about how jimi hendrix singlehandedly changed the entire rock scene and basically shook everything up the way the beatles had back in '63, and mike recalls a dinner at a restaurant where john lennon came rushing in out of breath and super late for the meal because he had been in a club watching hendrix perform and had recorded the performance and proceeded to play it in the restaurant bc it was so life-changing. it's so wild that there's these singular moments where things can change so suddenly, and people can remember decades later the moment they first heard the new style and how it made them feel.

do you have any fun plans now that you're on break? any fun traditions? i'm excited for a lot of the christmas baking! i've already made some gingerbread cuneiform tablets for my mom (she's a history teacher lol) so now i'm getting ready to do some real christmas cookies, maybe bake some small loaves of bread, and recreate some pastries that i used to love getting when i studied abroad! we're trying to go low-effort for christmas meals this year, so the desserts are really the only things that are going to be fancy lol.

travelling back to 60s london would be so much fun!! and your concert choices are a+, i saw stop making sense at the movie theater recently and it totally blew my mind, it would be amazing to be part of that crowd just having fun!!

i hope you're having a relaxing break so far and take some time for self-care!! christmas is just a few days away, so i hope you're having fun and feeling festive! 🎄🎆🎁☃

much love!!! -🦋

Hello Secret Santa! No worries!! I was hoping your finals went well and that you're alright!!

My finals went great! My professor was very impressed with the potato famine paper so it made me feel accomplished. Also, 7000 words is no joke!! That's awesome! We did our fair share of writing this semester, and we need to give ourselves a pat on the back for our hard work. What were some cool things about your nature writing project that you're proud of?

Yes!! That's the reason why I love classic rock so much is that it really did create the ways we listen to music today! Also, I love Jimi Hendrix so much. I think he was a true innovator. And I've never heard that story before between Mike and John about Jimi. I wonder if it correlates with the anecdote from Paul who went to see Jimi Hendrix days after Sgt. Pepper's was released and Jimi had learned to play it. I like how all these bands' and artists' histories sort of intertwine with each other. Super fascinating!!

Right now I have mainly been trying to watch the videos in my YouTube watch later playlist because I had over 300 videos (I know, I know...). I also am trying to read some books during the break because I know I will not be able to read them once the semester starts back up again. I'll also be trying to write a bit of my Master's thesis during the break which I'm nervous about.

My family isn't the type for traditions, but we do cook a huge Italian dinner for Christmas Eve. I've also baked up a storm with a lot of premade cookie dough. One Christmas, I would like to try and bake everything from scratch because I know I can bake, I just don't have much time to. Also, the cuneiform gingerbread tablets sound so cool!! I bet that was fun to do. I haven't baked bread in a while, but I feel like I should get back into it. I know how to make the big Italian bread loaves, but I really want to try to make sourdough. I just need a starter. Desserts are always fun to get fancy with. I baked some nice pies for Thanksgiving this year that were pretty fancy! What are some of your favorite desserts to bake? Also, where did you study abroad?? I've always wanted to do that, but the pandemic happened unfortunately.

My wishes are the same to you! Everyone deserves a relaxing break and time to themselves to practice self-care. I definitely have, and it's been great! I'm trying to get in the festive mood and I hope you're having a great time with your family this holiday!! :)) Is there anything you're anticipating gift-wise?