#writing about crafts

[lgbtlunaverse]

Nothing will dispell the "the curtains were just blue" myth faster than writing something yourself, because the amount of pretentious symbolism i am putting in my silly little fanfics is ridiculous. I mean SO much with these words, literally every single one of them. This fic has twenty five typos and zero correct uses of punctuation but if there's curtains you bet your ass I put thought into what colour they were.

[elodieunderglass]

changes and trends in horror-genre films are linked to the anxieties of the culture in its time and place. Vampires are the manifestation of grappling with sexuality; aliens, of foreign influence. Horror from the Cold War is about apathy and annihilation; classic Japanese horror is characterised by “nature’s revenge”; psychological horror plays with anxieties that absorbed its audience, like pregnancy/abortion, mental illness, femininity. Some horror presses on the bruise of being trapped in a situation with upsetting tasks to complete, especially ones that compromise you as a person - reflecting the horrors and anxieties of capitalism etc etc etc. Cosmic horror is slightly out of fashion because our culture is more comfortable with, even wistful for, “the unknown.” Monster horror now has to be aware of itself, as a contingent of people now live in the freedom and comfort of saying “I would willingly, gladly, even preferentially fuck that monster.” But I don’t know much about films or genres: that ground has been covered by cleverer people.

I don’t actually like horror or movies. What interests me at the moment is how horror of the 2020s has an element of perception and paying attention.

Multiple movies in one year discussed monsters that killed you if you perceived them. There are monsters you can’t look at; monsters that kill you instantly if you get their attention. Monsters where you have to be silent, look down, hold still: pray that they pass over you. M Zombies have changed from a hand-waved virus that covers extras in splashy gore, to insidious spores. A disaster film is called Don’t Look Up, a horror film is called Nope. Even trashy nun horror sets up strange premises of keeping your eyes fixed on something as the devil GETS you.

No idea if this is anything. (I haven’t seen any of these things because, unfortunately, I hate them.) Someone who understands better than me could say something clever here, and I hope they do.

But the thing I’m thinking about is what this will look like to the future, as the Victorian sex vampires and Cold War anxieties look to us. I think they’ll have a little sympathy, but they probably won’t. You poor little prey animals, the kids will say, you were awfully afraid of facing up to things, weren’t you?

[the960writers]

Lincoln Michel Dec 12, 2024

I’m using “TV” as a shorthand for any visual narrative art from feature length films to video games. A lot of fiction these days reads as if—as I saw Peter Raleigh put it the other day, and as I’ve discussed it before—the author is trying to describe a video playing in their mind. Often there is little or no interiority. Scenes play out in “real time” without summary. First-person POV stories describe things the character can’t see, but a distant camera could. There’s an overemphasis on characters’ outfits and facial expressions, including my personal pet peeve: the “reaction shot round-up” in which we get a description of every character’s reaction to something as if a camera was cutting between sitcom actors.

[...]

My theory is that we live in the age of visual narratives and that increasingly warps how we write. Film, TV, TikToks, and video games are culturally dominant. Most of us learn how stories work through visual mediums. This is how our brains have been taught to think about story. And so, this is how we write. I’m not suggesting there is any problem in being influenced by these artforms. I certainly am. The problem is that if you’re “thinking in TV” while writing prose, you abandon the advantages of prose without getting the advantages of TV.

[...]

When I talk with other creative writing professors, we all seem to agree that interiority is disappearing. Even in first-person POV stories, younger writers often skip describing their character’s hopes, dreams, fears, thoughts, memories, or reactions. This trend is hardly limited to young writers though. I was speaking to an editor yesterday who agreed interiority has largely vanished from commercial fiction, and I think you increasingly notice its absence even in works shelved as “literary fiction.” When interiority does appear on the page, it is often brief and redundant with the dialogue and action. All of this is a great shame. Interiority is perhaps the prime example of an advantage prose as a medium holds over other artforms.

[pangur-and-grim]

when editing the Sir Cameron book, I read the entire thing out loud, and whenever I hitched on something (the flow got interrupted by a sentence that was too long or too short or too lumpy), I went in and fiddled until it ‘read smooth’ again. it was soothing to do, but also it took soooooo long!

[foolishsunshine]

Meme redraw! Astarion knitting content is pretty much all I’ve got in my brain rn sorry (not sorry?)

(I’m not anti-acrylic yarn please don’t yell at me)

[toyboy-molloy]

armand playing minecraft with daniel's grandkids but they like to mess with his carefully crafted world and he's just like 'if I wish to keep having relations with your grandfather I cannot eat you :)' they tell daniel his new boyfriend is really fucking weird but they like him

[firelise]

I think the other thing i love about Conclave is some of my favorite poets and writers are queer people who are/have been profoundly devoutly religious like the moment i found out benjamin alire sáenz went to monastery and was on track to becoming a priest before becoming a writer I was just like "Aha! That's what it fucking was, that's where this philosophical torturous burden and deep empathy for others I'm feeling from your work comes from" deeply intellectually curious devout clergymen are such interesting people, its delicious, you cant get that shit from anywhere else

[crabsnpersimmons]

the workweek is upon us

it's dangerous to go alone

here take this

may he offer you some whimsy in these trying times

[scrawnyghstts]

sorry but I have to throw in my 5 cents, I keep hearing and even seeing so many clickbait videos about Pianosaurus being a bait and how Mob waisted him yada yada yada and like...? Would it have been better to have him than Baba and hopefully get a better sequence or sth? yeah! did he serve his purpose perfectly in the story from a narrative set up perspective? YES.

I think people don't realise how important of a scene is the introduction of a major character!!! and pianosaurus was crucial for the introduction of Doey! that cut scene gave me actual chills. think about it, not only is it a jumpscare, but we see a smiling Doey show up and offer us help after he just brutally ripped apart a toy of which he knew had a person stuffed inside it .

it shows how unstable Doey is, it places all these doubts and ideas in the player's head about his character, it also shows his strength and just how scary Doey can be, it's terrifying! and perfectly so for a horror game!!

so yeah maybe pianosaurus was a wasted opportunity, because of his cool design, but I think the writers did an amazing job with him and that scene has to be one of my favourites in the whole chapter

[naffeclipse]

Feel free to egnor if it's too personal.

But how did u learn to be so good a writing? Was it a passion. An inspiration that drove you. A natural talent?

Natural talent is not something you should think about when wanting to learn/get better at something you enjoy. I'm not saying someone can't be talented or have natural instincts for something, but a person can develop any skills they'd like as long as they dedicate themselves. This quote from Ratatouille comes to mind:

"Anyone can cook... but only the fearless can be great."

So, I don't think I have natural talent. I rarely think anyone does. I think writing or any artform/practice comes from desire and dedication.

I started writing fanfiction in middle school because I was passionate about it! I had a lot of ideas for original books, and I wanted to explore them on the page and in words. My writing sucked when I first started. It was amateurish and unrefined, full of grammar mistakes and incomprehensible characterization, but I didn't stop writing. I was, and still am, having too much fun.

I think the only way to get good at something is to do it over and over. I've been writing for years, and now that I'm in my mid-twenties, I think that shows. The only real way to figure out and grow with your skill is to work on it every day. You will learn and better yourself naturally through exercise.

If you want to write, write! If you want to get better at writing, keep writing. Let what you love fill up your scribbles and smear all of your plotlines. Don't be consumed by being good or skilled enough because that's not the point. The point is to enjoy what you create. The rest will naturally follow.

[wellijustfinnihedoneofthebooks]

Coming out as marius pilled since reading blood and gold

[lilaco21]

I think everyone needs to have a go at a new hobby every once in a while because:

1. You might find something you enjoy

2. You gain more respect for those who can do said hobby

3. You remind yourself what it actually feels like to not know anything about a subject

[wishchip106]

If Charles and Erik made niche YouTube tutorials what do you think each of them would make videos on?

(Also consider old bald ass Charles streaming modern games on twitch. And occasionally Erik pops in to give him snack/drinks and a smooch)

somewhat modern au where Charles started streaming in his twenties and doesn’t retire until his eighties 😭🤚 (he wears cat headphones)

anyway i feel like Erik would make carpentry tutorials (as he was a carpenter in the comics) he would also show off his sculptures he’s made that are a mix of both wood and metal

added bonus he also crochets and knits (that’s just my hc that he does that 😔)

i feel like he would be popular in the arts n’ crafts side of youtube ngl

for Charles i feel like he would make educational videos

like he would sit in front of a green screen and point at the animation as he explains how photosynthesis works

one day he finds out about youtube shorts and he would just post study tips on there 24/7 (HOW MANY OF THESE HAVE YOU MADE??)

anyway cherik would stream minecraft together 🙂‍↕️

cherik let’s play i’m crying 😭😭🤚

[captain-space-kin]

Silly goofy thing for my Oppositeshipping venom au! Inspired by this post Art by me but the social media layout was done by the wonderful @crying-over-cartoons

The original layout, close up images, and tag list are under the cut o7

@Inspectorghoul @fading-through-existence @juniperjellyfish @carmelo-san @lightningchicken

@crying-over-cartoons @officercooks @mywasasi @ashclouds366 @basicallyjaywalker 

@finn-m-corvex @garmaballs @nyaskitten

[sleepymaven]

HSR: Halovians' Halos

My Headcanon/Idea About Halovian Halos

Alright, let's get into it!

So, halovians' halos are not attached to their heads, as we already know and can see clearly with Robin.

Robin with her halo clearly removed from her head to disguise herself.

We can also see in Robin's trailer that they can shine their halos, like gold and any other metal.

Robin getting her halo shined for the cameras. Courtesy of our beloved Sunday ♡

So, this got me thinking. What if the halos are just pieces of metal?

Thinking about it some more, no matter how you look at it, there could be no way they are born with metal hovering over their heads, right? Whether they hatch from an egg or come out live from their mother, it would theoretically be impossible.

Unless, somehow it sprouts up after they are born, this just wouldn't work from a biological standpoint.

So... what if their parents make their halos for them after they are born?

It could be a sentimental and special experience crafting and welding the metal for their new child together, gifting it to them once they are born so they can keep it with them for their whole life.

It would explain why they are removable, can be cleaned and polished, and would add a nice sentimental touch to every halovians' unique halo as it would have been painstakingly crafted from their parents.

This could also add a sort of angst element if you were to create a halovian character without a halo or just with a plain halo.

It could mean that they were abandoned or their parents did not put much care or time into their child and that would be reflected more outwardly that way.

Perhaps a lack of halo could also signify a halovian going against their heritage and abandoning their family themselves. After all, what better way to shun your parents then to rid yourself of the one special gift they gave to you to remember them by?

Omg, I love this thought of mine! I'm so proud of myself here for thinking this up at like 2 in the morning! This is one of my best thoughts I've dreamt up in a hot minute. :3

[frosteaart]

per aspera ad astra: through hardships to the stars

yeah i'm having feelings about @cupcakeslushie feral!leo au again

[click image for higher quality]