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ineffable-rohese · 7 months

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Writing on writing

I write a lot for my job. Like so much. I write all day, sometimes, between emails and reports and policy and plans and website content. A lot of it is standard non-creative writing, but a chunk of my job is creating useable activities that will engage a huge range of audiences. (I'm being cagey here just because a lot of what I'm posting on this here Tumblr , and especially what's on AO3, could potentially cause me professional issues because people are awful and expect Certain People not to do Certain Things.)

So, I write a lot. And I'm good at it. Some parts of writing, the kind I do every day, I'm excellent at. I'm the one my colleagues ask to wordsmith their ideas, or to edit their reports, or to take a collection of random facts and turn it into a compelling argument.

And I'm writing for fun now. Fiction isn't something I've delved into much, and I'm not nearly as comfortable with it as I am with other writing. I feel like I have a good sense of setting and character (though I'm still learning how to communicate both of those things in the way I want to). I can paint you a picture (heck I can give a full sensory experience, sensualist that I am), build a mood, find a spark of humour. Plot is a challenge for me, always has been. My child- and youthhood daydreams were always rambling things, more concerned with what it felt like (physically and emotionally) to be in those imagined worlds than any sort of action, and certainly not something with a satisfying beginning, middle, and end. But I'm learning as I go, and I'm surprisingly OK with that.

When I was in high school, I was made to believe I was a bad writer. My school had extraordinarily high standards for its students, and strict guidelines for what constituted "correct" writing. I was so smart, and so creative, and so undiagnosed ADHD... I hated writing the way they insisted. The neat boxes they expected writing to fit into didn't make any sense to me. I struggled. I cried a lot. I back-created drafts and outlines to fit the final papers that I wrote through in one go because they expected a draft to be the whole thing but bad, and why would I not work and rework each paragraph as I went, like my brain wanted to? Why would I leave errors and bad sentence structure there, where I could see them, where they would drive me insane because I was supposed to just "get it all out on paper" and "fix it later."

And how was I supposed to make a thesis just from my notes? It was, and is, through the process of writing that my ideas come together, and how broken was I made to feel when the thesis I said I was writing (chose at random, based on their restrictive formula of "if A and B, then C" or some nonsense) turned out to be wrong by the time I was done. The number of times I found my thesis in my conclusion was extremely high, and eventually I stopped being surprised when I drastically revised my thesis halfway through writing a paper, but that was years later.

I had one saving grace of a teacher. He wasn't supposed to be our 11th grade English teacher at all - he was the drama teacher, but the normal teacher was out on leave that year and I got lucky. (The other teacher had a Reputation. I don't know if I would have even passed, or come out with any self-esteem intact.) Instead of a five-paragraph essay, I was able to offer creative writing responses. I was encouraged to follow my wild ideas and craft beautiful, dream-like descriptions. I could turn in a poem in lieu of an essay, or reach beyond the text I was studying to look at the wider context, which made my connections-skilled brain sing. It wasn't always great. In fact, a lot of it was shaky at best, but I wasn't punished for trying something new or unexpected, my process was allowed to be my own, and I didn't hate it. Much of it was still a struggle, but it was a struggle I wanted to succeed at, as opposed to merely survive.

With all that, I still managed to graduate thinking I was a shitty writer. Technically proficient - I could proofread and edit with the best of them - but I definitely could not claim "writer" as something I was or could hope to be.

I believed it for the entirety of undergrad, where my first year I spent an entire required writing course waiting for my prof to give me anything other than effusive praise and I ended the term in tears in her office because I didn't believe her when she encouraged me to write more, and where I got straight As in my academic course the last two years, nearly all of which were analysis or history-based and all graded based on term papers. I even believed it through most of grad school where, again, I was writing so much about so many things and getting near-perfect grades.

My final year of schooling, I finally started to believe what all my university professors had tried to tell me. It took so very long and hurt so much along the way.

And now, here we are, and I'm posting my fiction for all the world to see, giving total strangers (and one or two non-strangers) a glimpse into parts of my brain that I'm only now accepting are OK to have and enjoy. And the writing is nowhere near what I wish it was. It's OK. Good even. But I read other's works and I'm blown away by what they can do, and I only wish I could make my words dance that way. Sure, my words dance, but it's not what you'd call good dancing. So every story feels like holding my dripping, beating heart in my hands as an offering and just hoping I'm not embarassing myself.

But you know what? I'm going to keep doing it, for as long as it brings me joy. And it'll get better, and I'll get better, and maybe the 15 year old inside of me will heal just a little more every time. Maybe I'll feel like I can call myself a writer

#on writing #fanfic authors #ao3 writer #late diagnosed adhd #academic trauma #processing

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bluestarlings · 3 days

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🧡💔🖤

aeehh sorryy this got forgotten in my drafts!! anyway lets pretend i just got this thank you for asking <3

🧡: What is a popular (serious) theory you disagree with?

i don't know if i've seen actual theories on pb, but i also unfortunately don't have the best concentration for reading meta. the takes i really disagree with are the ones that paint the characters as one-dimensional and flatten them to fit some kind of mold/agenda, which isn't what they're actually like on the show.

just on the show in general, i've friends who think the show is something embarrassing that middle aged toxic men watch and obsess over, donning the cap and hair etc. and not to say these people aren't out there, i saw the videos from the peaky blinders-festival which did have a lot of men in caps shouting disparaging things at kate phillips. (pretty sure this is the loud group that hates linda, misogyny at its finest.) but it's not the show's fault that some of the viewers lack media literacy. and i've only heard this within UK, my friends/family in the EU have either heard of the show or have watched it and just consider it quality TV, they don't attach a phenomenon like that to it.

💔: If you had to remove one major character from the series, who would you choose?

honestly it's a pretty compelling ensemble series despite the heavy lead, and i don't hate or have major dislike towards any major characters which, kudos to the series. but if you're twisting my arm… i love this question coming from you lol, because my answer would be arthur. alongside arthur, finn and michael are ones that come to mind, but let me get into those first and also cut this here since fuck this got long

i don't know though if finn qualifies as a major enough character. but i do see his purpose as showing the brother who didn't go to war, didn't fight, but i feel like he is underdeveloped and i found the conclusion of his story arc dissatisfactory in how it played out. thinking now, polly was basically shown as his mother figure in season 1, but i can't remember if we were shown any reaction from him to her death in season 6. obviously season 6 is heavily focused on tommy, and it's the covid-season, but still, things like that make him feel untethered and undeveloped.

michael then, i feel as well that his arc was weak towards the end. i liked his introduction, and the relationship he had with polly. it brought out interesting strains between polly and tommy's relationship, as well. i was already a bit uninterested in his arc with gina's appearance, who i don't consider a very strong character either, but i do feel like he wasn't believable enough for me in season 6. obviously though, with polly being written off the series, i feel like we're seeing a lot of the empty spaces she left particularly in the writing around him, so it's difficult to judge his arc without acknowledging that as well.

and arthur, i've found in re-watchings of the series that his scenes and story arc is the one i tend to be least interested in and what i'm most likely to skip. one big thing that really majorly clicked me off him was his treatment of linda. in the morally warped world of pb, i guess it's interesting of me that that's where i draw the line, where i can't empathize with him at all afterwards, this man that terrorizes his wife. i thought his story arc also became quite stagnant and repetitive, and i was disappointed to see linda re-introduced as i was tired of seeing that dynamic. and i'm not saying there wasn't narrative logic to it, but it just did not click with me. i guess what it boils down to, is that i just don't find his brand of trauma recycling as compelling as i find tommy's, and so i don't get that much enjoyment from analysing him or discussing him. that said, i don't mind watching his storylines, and i do enjoy scenes between tommy and him, as i do find some things interesting and touching about their brotherhood and shared trauma, things like that, but tbh that's me finding these things interesting through his connection to tommy rather than for the character by itself. so just for me, i would choose to axe him from not finding him personally compelling enough by himself lol.

i do think he really needs to be a part of the movie coming forward. and i feel very strongly about this. with so many major characters killed, the ones that were with us in the start become even more important. him, ada, lizzie etc, all seriously need to be there, it's not the peaky blinders otherwise. 🖤: Which character is not as morally good as everyone else seems to think?

answered already, here!

#ask #sorry that this is a fucking essay lmao #also thank u for the ask!! <3

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khalixvitae · 7 months

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making clothes, especially alternative clothes, IS fun. the process of creation is the most gratifying part me thinks! however i refused to get stencils because i was like lmfao im already an artist ill just go big or go home and spent 3 hours handpainting the font designs alone onto it which really effed me in my a. getting into the act of DIY 😰 i inhaled the fabric paint so much i swear i had a communion with god and he was slapping me in the face with a wet halibut. i really do get why brands who handmake their unique items price it so high because it requires so much attention and time and id love to support them but i am like... shit fuck poor.... :-///

and if it's not the price of the item or shipping that's the problem then it's the fact that it's literally discontinued. nada. it's been out of stock for years so i can't buy it from them and anyone who sells their originals price it absurdly high. again i can see why (kinda) but i just can't afford it so i might as well learn a thing or two by making it myself! hopefully, and eventually, i will be able to design my own ambitious articles.

my vision for my too-ambitious ass is those madame chocolat shirts. they are so ostentatious and they'd probably give me hell trying to make them but if i CAN do it my ego will be so big plus ill have a cool shirt!!!!

as for rookvil x yuu poly, i imagine it'd be all the better if yuu, either, did not know who they were and thus did not allow the illusion of their fame place them on a pedestal from the get go, or they do know them, and they don't make a very big deal out of it. how fascinating! these two are models more iconic than shalom harlow, than naomi campbell, than kate moss, cindy crawford, christy turlington, claudia schiffer-- you get the gravity of it! yet their nonchalance serves to be even more invigorating than the bustle of the fashion industry.

and if yuu was ardently passionate about the craft and artistry of fashion! they'd be positively enthused by the admiration for the arts many big brands fail to have kept alive. you don't want your designs to be twisted by the sick hand of fast fashion? don't want large brands to piggie back ride off your geniusry? fine. be their one and only designer. design haute couture pieces vil peacocks out on the runway with cutting confidence and striking charisma like no one else can even muster. design avant garde pieces with creative vision rook's theatrical passion will surely complement and even amplify to stun the audience into a stupor at the ingenuity of. design alternative items that would fit them and only them and they will ensure you will have what you want. the claim to your art, the opportunity for greatness, the means to a comfortable life, endless time in their company. isn't it thrilling? to think these two practically have your name on them pretty much all the time, even if save for the days they model for different brands? the paparazzi goes wild upon seeing the two in your innovation.

and sure, their measurements have been taken countless times for past items, but each and every one has to be to a T! they certainly don't complain about their schedules or any of the sort when being roped into another hour long measurements session. yea, they're used to being measured upon modeling for certain items, but never for the sole intent that they are the only ones privy to such privilege-- never for such earnest determination to fulfill their desires and tastes and give them something to remember whilst also having your own artistic ambitions brought to life by them!

urgk. they make me insane in the membrane. i remember i once didn't sleep or eat for 2 days because my magnetic autistic aura compelled me to watch every gothic haute couture runway ever without any break. when you combine the idea of that and a favorite character i go absolutely livid. they haunt my every waking thought and action PLEASE help

Hello dear anon! I’ve had a negative social battery recently so I’ve been easing back into interacting with the world, but this is quite literally the BEST way to reintroduce myself to society. So many things to unpack here, all of them sublimely inspiring. On the topic of paint fumes and communing with the divine- I have also been there ! I can definitely understand your drive to hand paint rather than stencil though, I’m the same way. And finishing a difficult design is SUCH an ego boost I completely agree.

And as for the RookVil poly, I agree !!! A designer who doesn’t really make a big deal out of their statuses would be fascinating! Like sure Yuu realizes they’ve just found their most glorious muses yet, and are in awe of RookVil for their dedication and commitment to the craft, but they don’t alienate RookVil as if they’re untouchable superstars from another planet yk? There’s a kind of comfort the three would find in working together- no one else seems to understand their intense devotion to their respective arts. Yuu can keep measuring, keep realigning, keep tweaking designs until it’s absolutely perfect, and the two models won’t mind at all. For Rook, he finds a deep joy in watching Yuu work so passionately. There’s so much love for their craft in everything they do, and he feels honored to witness it. For Vil, he admires their work ethic and just how critical they can be. It’s not often that he finds someone as particular as he is about their respective art. He loves knowing that Yuu takes it all seriously, not just in the name of their reputation, but because Yuu knows what kind of quality aloty they’re capable of producing. But that also means that the two will urge Yuu to have breaks, to eat and sleep and be a human outside of their studio (and since the two models also need to fulfill those basic needs, why not as the three of them?). They take care of one another- at a certain point in the relationship, it clearly became more personal than work related. None of them really know when it happened- but once Yuu finds themself in the lavish living room of RookVil’s home, the three watching some movie Rook had insisted on playing but instead talking and laughing about everything except what was on the screen, they realize just how far from the professional path the arrangement has strayed. I am also. Fucking insane about this.

And also! I really really get being immersed in an interest that deeply anon😭😭😭 I will say that keeping snacks in my room helps when I fall down those rabbitholes. Sleeping is something I also have trouble with when I’m being plagued by demons (autism) but snacks in room can help work around the eating portion at least for me ! <3

#asks !!#RookVil poly brain worms #twst #Vil posting ！(◎_◎;)#rookism <3

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kittytual · 2 years

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hiii here r my aini thoughts !! i meant to post this when i finished it two days ago but i wanted my thoughts to marinate before i rlly had like. any concrete opinions so here we go. spoilers under the readmore:

writing:

-okay so like .. i personally rlly enjoyed a majority of story beats including the twists. like the first game, i rlly enjoyed how every character is interconnected in some way, from chikara and tokiko being the parents of jin furue and experimenting on him and uru to chikara experimenting on three major characters, mizuki, bibi and shoma.

-amame going from a side character in the first game to the culprit in second game is just??? HELLO?4/$;!$2 in the best way ofc. i love a good revenge plot. hate how they arrested her tho,, god forbid women do anything

-i know some ppl have mixed thoughts on ryuki but i personally adore him fjshdjw i love his gay little crush on date. i don't ship them personally but yeah <3 i do wish that he was more involved w the story more?? like why just play as him in his route then completely throw him away in favor of mizuki only for him to have a rushed arc from date's motivational speech. WHERES HIS RECOVERY ARC I NEED IT ..... THEY DID HIM SO DIRTY

-speaking of which his and tama's dynamic is rlly good i preferred it over mizuki/aiba's. i do think it's kinda confusing tho bc she's meant to be a concerned mother figure to make up for his lack of one but also does like ??? kinky shit to him??? unless that's a joke idk

-also the death scare my behated. why did they do that. whyd they make me cry only for him to be brought back 😭

-mizuki is my daughter and i found her whole explanation for her strength rlly interesting but why overshadow ryuki,, Why

-i think the whole thing w the flowchart was cool but??? confusing af like there r still some things that don't exactly fit in line when u realize the mizuki we were playing as isn't okiura-date, but mizuki kuranushi/bibi

gameplay:

-the somniums r fun as always but also RLLY FRUSTRATING LIKE HELLO 😭 a lot of them play off of metaphors so sometiems it was hard for me to like. do things in a specific amount of time but i'm glad i was able to pull thru without a walkthru, esp since for the most part, i couldn't as the games still new. tokiko and chikara's somniums my behated

-i rlly rlly enjoy the new vr investigations, and having the characters investigate the crime scene and reenact it while in a space that allows u to not miss any details

-the scenes where u hafta like use specific commands to fight back against for example, naix members was Hell on switch. esp since my controllers drift often and i wasn't able to input the command the first time. also the fact that u hafta start the cutscene all over again 🥲

characters

-i mentioned the characters briefly in the previous sections but i rlly enjoyed seeing the returning characters w a fresh new coating of paint. the timeskip designs r rlly good as well

-the new chars r also rlly compelling and they managed to make a majority of side characters major key players in the story and im sure that's good news for a majority of side character likers

-as much as i miss date as a protag, i think his placement in the story as just some dude tryna ruin tearer's plan behind the scenes fits him fsr

-the only character i honestly hated was lien like i thought his whole thing abt not being a locksmith anymore ajd redeeming himself was fine but why???? him falling in love w a high schooler and somehow managing to get w her six years later even tho he literally STALKED her. it would have been fine if they knew each other after the timeskip ajd he didn't pull all that shit but noooooo. gen and amame's dynamic is alos super weird for the same reason like he sees her as a daughter but is??? in love w her???? wtf :[

soundtrack

-OH YEAH THERE R SOME RLLY GOOD TRACKS IN THIS GAME. specifically clue investigation, off the record, insane president, naix's intentions, sweet home, swinging fear, residence limo, recognized secrets, and distortion instigating

-i do think the first game's ost is better but idk i do think a lot of songs stick out

-half to whole>>>>>invincible rainbow arrow

misc

-like the first game i'm soooo confused abt date's whole thing w iris and mizuki?? like iris is initially the person he saw as his daughter and now it's mizuki which is fine but like ... iris being his daughter during his life as falco was never mentioned in the second game which. makes sense as it's a spoiler but still. why cant they both be his daughters and have it so that he lives w mizuki and iris lives w hitomi like how it is w amame and shoma. it's pretty clear that he still has a thing w her

-a lot of times my game was crashing which i guess is typical for a new game but ??? i rlly hope this fix this if i ever go for a replay

-i figured w date no longer the protag, there'd be less anime bullshit/sex jokes/weird age gaps but i guess not :[ like whys there two possible relationships that involve a high schooler and an adult (even in the context of the time skip, it's weird as they met them as high schoolers) and moma still being weird towards iris like. Why

overall thoughts

despite the many critiques i have abt the game, i do think it's a rlly good sequel. is it better than the first game? i don't think so, but i still enjoyed it and any critique of the game i've seen so far has been warranted. i just hope that if there's ever a sequel, they answer specific questions (ex. mizuki's real parents), don't prioritize certain characters that leads to other characters not being as fleshed out, and tone down the horny bullshit. 9/10 may play again

#aitsf #ai the somnium files #ai nirvana initiative #ai the somnium files nirvana initiative #aini #aini spoilers #talk tag

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sylvanfreckles · 1 year

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So. I caved (ha) to peer pressure and watched The Descent, because it seems my plot idea for the DeanCas Horrorfest has some parallels.

I texted live reactions to my friend the entire time I was watching. Under the cut for spoilers.

-Oh who could have predicted the happy family outing in the first five minutes would turn to tragedy

-I'm assuming the main conflict comes when Sad Widow and The Homewrecker come to blows

-I'm not scared, I'm just waiting for these women to stop whining. They've been together five minutes, I think their periods have synced.

-They're sliding down a rope without gloves now. Why are they doing this without gloves?

-OH NO BAD CGI BATS DURING THE DAY

-"Be careful, these caves get pretty cold. That's why I'm not wearing any sleeves, so I can intimidate the cold with my patented Homewrecker Guns."

-"I don't get lost" says the woman who is definitely going to get them lost.

-Oh, look, Captain Homewrecker led them all into danger because no one understands her fEeLiNgS

-Oh, NOW they have gloves

-It's more than halfway over and the scariest monster is Homewrecker's hubris.

-Oh, hey, actual monster. Only took 51 minutes.

-I can't remember all their names, but we have our main character, Grieving Widow, along with Homewrecker, Adrenaline Junky, Experienced Caver (who is done with Homewrecker's bullshit), Medical Student, and English Teacher (who can understand cave paintings?)

-Grieving Widow saw the monster and of course no one believers her. Who would ever believe Grieving Widow when Homewrecker knows everything about caves?

-Those aren't dead animals. Those are bones. Of moose. So there's a moose-sized hole somewhere nearby. Optimus Prime could climb in through a moose-sized hole.

-Fucking fuckbags jumpscare

-And Homewrecker was the real villain. I knew it!

-I know Adrenaline Junky just died, but I'm not sure who of the interchangeable other three did too.

-So either the med student (still useful) or the English teacher (she already read the cave painting so she's dead weight now) is dead. And being eaten!

-Ah! Medical Student survived! Surely she can do an impromptu autopsy in this cave while there are other monsters roaming around!

-Well. Grieving Widow's gonna have some nightmares after this.

-Hey, blood pool!

-Something something...caves represent the female reproductive system...something something birth trauma, I'm sure.

-I mean, it's fitting. The males of the species are blind and navigate by wound, while the females can still see. This whole movie is just a man trying to explain your period.

-Grieving Widow has a higher body count than the monsters

-Homewrecker is like "I'm not leaving without her", and Grieving Widow is like "fuck therapy , I should have been killing monsters!"

-Well, just two left.

-Covered in blood, hooting like a monkey, our lone surviving Grieving Widow speeds off into the fading light, her friends left behind to feed the mountain.

It was okay. Not as scary as the premise made it seem, probably because of all the interpersonal drama surrounding it. It kinda lost the tension for me when Sarah started killing monsters left and right. I'm not gonna say I could do better because I haven't actually done full horror (unless Walrider from Whumptober counts, but that's mostly homage to Outlast and I'm pretty sure it's worse than this movie). I just didn't find it all that scary or compelling.

#the descent #freckles watches movies #live reactions #scary movies #horror movies

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kinetic-elaboration · 1 year

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January 10: Cabinet of Curiosities 1x05

Some quick thoughts on Pickman's Model, because I am sleepy and want to get to bed.

Undoubtedly the best of the first five, even though it did not end strong. I was really digging it in all respects and I had a pretty good idea, I thought, of where it was going. Then it kinda... just disintegrated into randomness without ultimately explaining anything or drawing anything together. Just ooooh creepy imagery, eldritch monster (...inevitably, my fault for giving something based on a Lovecraft story a chance I guess), darkness, death, pessimism, oooooh.

So I'm a little annoyed with that. But everything else was really good: the sets/costumes/mood, the casting (only Crispin Glover could make on-and-off Mass. accents sound consistently creepy), the build-up, the direction. In the early parts in particular, I felt like I could never guess where it was going to go next, and the constant twists in the imagery, and the...not quite jump scares? were sooooo good.

One of my favorite parts was the first visit to Pickman's studio, because I thought it used the visual medium really well--the twisting of the painting, the cackling and groaning and chanting, the claustrophobia, the creepiness of the narration making you feel like you're losing your mind--I don't think that's easy to accomplish, to make just a story and a painting so viscerally WRONG like that. Especially when the story is so...typical? Yeah, witches, old New England, demons, cannibalism, we've all heard it. Similarly, I really loved the section right after, when Thurber is wandering through the streets and then going to the garden party. So much unexpected and weird imagery just really throwing me off. I think that's the kind of stuff I find the scariest, tbh. The uncanny, the Not Right. The first meeting of Thurber and Pickman was also expert: the mystery of Pickman's drawing, the rage of his technique, the slightly perceived reveal, the way Thurber seems to imitate it... There's a lot there to contemplate, I think.

I also liked the line about "family portraits," paired with the beast, but I liked it best, as I expected I would, when it was just a hint in the open, because when it came up again in context it was around the time the whole plot fell apart, for me. So he's related to a witch but also a demon or monster but also everyone sees demons when they die...idk, I don't know what was going on there or at any point from then on.

There's a lot of interest about Thurber too. Why was he drawn to Pickman and his art? Because he's also a talented artist? Because he pushes down the pessimistic and the fearful (always trying to focus on the beautiful, as he says to Rebecca) and so he's both intrigued and repulsed by the monstrous art? Because he's an alcoholic? Because Pickman picked him? (As an aside, I could not decide if I thought Pickman was evil/actively malicious or sincere in his friendship but just...playing with dark stuff etc.) Because he's an ex-soldier? Although WWI would have fallen after their first meeting, before their second, and so I'm not sure what to make of that. Thurber himself blames the visions he sees on "shell shock" and funnily right before he said that, I was thinking 'twist! the art is just art and he suffers from hallucinations and/or paranoia,' which I didn't think was where the story was actually going to/the intended reading but would have actually fit, since we see everything from Thurber's POV. Anyway, I AM a modernist and I like this period artistically so I am intrigued by this angle of the story.

For a while, I really thought there was a pretty simple and classic but compelling story being told here and I was so into it, as someone who's into art and creating etc. I thought the idea was that Rebecca was a witch and her family was evil, and Pickman and the power of his True Art open Thurber's eyes to this reality: that Rebecca is another old New England Witch Woman who wants to sacrifice him (the Husband figure) in a late night Satanic ceremony. Hence, why he sees her father in a vision before he knows who her father is, why he sees the witch woman dressed in black at the garden party, why Rebecca takes him back and marries him even though she appears to leave him at the party, why he has prophetic dreams that seem to bring him ever closer to the Satanic Feast, and why in his last dream he is literally decapitated. It would also make the (otherwise still excellent) scene of her bonding with Pickman over her seance experiences even creepier.

All of this was making sense to me and seemed compact and clear as a narrative, revolving around the idea of Prophetic True Art, until the point where Pickman started talking about his snarling family member. What happened to the witch? The cannibalism? Who is the furry demon/monster? Does he mean literal family or something more generic? How did the unfortunately named Joe Minot and Rebecca get infected with the need to be Devil worshippers? By looking at the paintings? If so, then why isn't EVERYONE gouging out their eyes and why did Thurber himself hold out in such a Protagonist Way against their influence? Joe I could see being a sort of sleeper agent, but Rebecca? Was my theory right but just not explained in so many words? Why did we have to go the grotesque route of child sacrifice for no reason at the end? Was it just as a twist? Like, everything is leading you to believe X so even though X would make perfect sense and be really satisfying, we're going to throw you a curve with Y just for the sake of the curve itself? Is this, like The Outside, an example of the adaptation feeling compelled to use (admittedly iconic) details from the original even though the adaptation itself has developed quite far away from those details and they no longer fit?

I don't know. But I really need to sleep.

#the year 2023 #2023: fandom thoughts #2023: cabinet of curiosities

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i-dreamed-i-had-a-son · 2 years

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Guys, I just watched the first episode of Moon Knight and holy heck. Holy heck this really does have potential to reach close to Daredevil levels of quality

It's well shot, with some truly interesting camera work and framing decisions and consistent lighting

The *acting* oh my GOSH Oscar Isaac go off king! A very solid British accent (and it's not just "basic" British either) to top off an engaging, sympathetic, and compelling performance that immediately got me attached

Darn solid writing. I am very invested in this character's story after one episode because the writing feels natural and is great at developing suspense. The treatment of set-up/payoffs even in just the first episode is extremely satisfying: everything introduced is introduced intentionally, so the things that do receive a payoff this episode (e.g. Marc's reveal) carry real weight, and those that do not (the dead bird skull demon-god-thing) don't feel like cheap baits but rather important parts of a larger, developing story.

On a related note, the writers aren't afraid of mystery, of making the audience wait--or even better, think--and that immediately makes me so much more engaged. I'm drawn in and actively trying to piece together along with Steven what's going on in his life, in doing so creating further empathy between me and his character

The pacing is ~lovely~, not once did I feel bored or confused or like we were spending time somewhere we really shouldn't have been. I stayed engaged with the episode the entire time

Love the music choices! Very different from what I'd expected but they do a good job of making the music fit

Great editing, the transitions they used really help distinctly create the disorienting effects from the switching personalities

They actually made it creepy. Like. I was actually unnerved! They leaned into the horror! And they showed actual blood!! Can you believe it???

The tone was consistent. There (thank GOD) wasn't any bathos; I could take this character and his world seriously, which is extremely important for a character like this because we are being asked to question his reality, and if it is poorly established or not cohesive, then it won't hold up to scrutiny. But Steven's struggles are never truly played for laughs, so his elaborate safety mechanisms in his bedroom, for example, don't seem excessive or paint him as stupid and paranoid. We have sympathy for him, and the only reason we doubt his perspective is because we're seriously shown we should. They could have handled this much more poorly and I'm honestly so impressed at how committed they were to holding one distinct tone and presentation. That's incredibly rare in modern Marvel!

In short, rather than leaving me feeling like the writers are more interested in writing a decent character and establishing his ties to the MCU, this show immediately demonstrates that it is committed to establishing a strong character and story that can stand on their own and truly earn the audience's investment. This is the kind of effort I've been looking for!!

I could go on and on but in summary I'll just say: if the rest of the show continues at this level of consistency and quality, I will have easily a new second favorite show, second only to Daredevil. Moon Knight thus far is exactly what I'd hoped it would be, which is blowing me out of the water because most of me didn't believe Marvel would actually do it. I pessimistically anticipated decent and somewhat intriguing--but now I am extremely interested and impressed. And I'm so excited to see what happens next!!

#marvel #moon knight #quality meta seal of approval #not to hype my own post up i just put that on all meta posts so that i can find them #my meta posts #meta #kay can i just catch my breath for a second #oscaar isaac #oh man. ohhhhh man i am hype #moon knight spoilers #in the strict sense #i didn't really include anything super specific but just in case haha

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xpao-bearx · 3 years

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Part 1 HERE

NOTE: OMG I really wasn't expecting for the previous first part of Heavenly Sins to blow up as it did, but I just wanted to give a huuuge THANK YOU to all of you amazing folks!! 🥰🥰🥰 Your support truly means so fooken much to trashy ol' meh and y'all are the reason I am writing this story series in the first place :')

I do have my ideas, but I still don't know much yet of what to do or even how long (or short) this story will get. So, if you would continue to give me your mindblowing support, it would seriously mean the W O R L D.

I do, however, very much enjoy writing Negan in particular so far. He's one of my absolute fave characters ever and JEFFREY DEAN FUCKIN' MORGAN NEED I SAY MOAR?!? 🥵💕💕

But this second part will be focusing a bit more on our beloved sheriff Ricky boi! Of course, Daryl will also get some much deserved love and attention tho I think he will appear in the story a lil later on.

Also, if you ever feel compelled, you are more than welcome to take some inspo from this story and make your own imagines and such! I'd love to see 'em, so please tag me 😁

P.S. There won't always be long ass notes like this, only if I wanna say something or bring up whatever is important. Also, if you wanna be tagged on any new/future story parts, then just tell moi and I will dedicate the latest one to the people who wanted to be tagged!

DEDICATED TO: The wonderful @buttercandy16 💖

"Heavenly Sins"

Part 2

After your little spiel, you haven't spoken to Negan since then. But on the way home after church, you passed by his house and found him tinkering away on his motorcycle (which you previously learned he interestingly named Lucille) in the garage. Not being able to help yourself, you paused in your tracks and just curiously watched him for a while.

His leather jacket was off, revealing a plain white t-shirt. The shirt was quite tight, and you noted how it perfectly hugged the taut muscles of his chest. Your eyes then slowly trailed to his toned arms, adorned by tattoos you wished you had a better look at. He stopped briefly, placing his tools down before grabbing the hem of his shirt and wiping the sweat on his forehead.

You didn't even think twice as your eyes dropped, hyperfocused on his abs. He wasn't the buffest guy out there, but he was lean and fit and--to put it bluntly--hot. A part of you screamed bloody murder to get a grip on yourself, to just turn your stiff body around and proceed on home. But another part completely squashed down those protests without even a fight; as if your pathetic excuse of a resolve wasn't even meant in the first place.

"Take a goddamn picture, darlin'. It'll last longer."

Your head snapped up, meeting the tantalizing hazel stare of Negan. His lips were curled in a smug smirk, and nevermore in your entire life have you wanted to both slap and kiss someone so badly.

But you only clicked your tongue, shooting him a sharp glare before (at last!) turning and walking away as you hid your blush. In the distance, his amused chuckle begrudgingly sounded like the sweetest fucking music to your ears.

♡♡♡

You woke up at 7:05 a.m. like you typically did the next morning, Monday. It was the dawn of a new week, and while most people dreaded it you actually didn't mind it so much. You had your job to thank for that.

Sure, it wasn't always easy, but it was worth it in the end. You loved teaching and spending time with the children, and you were even more ecstatic since you knew Judith was going to be at the daycare.

As you finished eating breakfast and preparing for the day, you grabbed your bag then went out the door. You opted to walk again today, the weather far too beautiful to miss plus the daycare really wasn't that far away.

Eventually arriving at your destination, you approached the daycare building's doors with a little spring in your step. Once inside, a young woman with her blonde hair high in a ponytail smiled and waved.

"Hi, Y/N! Goodmorning!" Beth Greene greeted energetically.

"Morning, Beth." You chuckled, the girl's radiant smile infectious. You've known Beth for some time now, especially since the Greenes were one of the oldest families in Alexandria and they were well respected. But you got along best with Beth, you thought she was the friendliest and she was also the latest hire of the daycare.

Stashing your bag away in your personal locker, you fixed yourself up a bit before getting your nametag and sticking it on your top. Looking up at the wall clock, you read that it was 7:50 a.m. Perfect, just in time for the kids' drop-offs.

You waited outside with Beth and the rest of the daycare workers, until finally the parents started rolling in. It was the usual; some of the children were wailing, snot snivelling down their nose as their embarrassed parents tried to tug them away from clinging onto their legs. You could only offer a sympathetic smile as you tried to help, while other children were much more relaxed and didn't even spare a second glance at their parents as they were dropped off.

"Well, that's about all of them." Beth piped up.

"Wait, we're still waiting for Judith." You said, searching for the toddler. "Rick said she'd be here."

Beth checked her watch, her brows creasing a little in worry. "That's odd. Sheriff Grimes is never late when he's dropping Judith off."

Just as she said that, there was a honk that disrupted the peace. You and Beth both spotted a crying Judith being held by Lori, the woman appearing utterly exhausted before her eyes locked with yours and didn't waste another second dashing towards you.

"Please don't run when you're holding Judith. Also, no honking is allowed on the premises." It was hard for you to keep the malice out of your voice, but you mentally gave yourself a pat on the back since you miraculously managed to not make it sound the worst it could get.

Lori raised a brow at you, but only handed Judith over to you. Judith immediately quieted down when she saw it was you, you cooing gently at her as she giggled and snuggled up comfortably against your chest.

"Rick will be picking her up later." Was all Lori said, pressing a quick peck on Judith's curly little head before parting ways. As Lori rushed back to the car, you saw Shane in the driver's seat shamelessly attack her neck with fervent kisses and you couldn't restrain an eyeroll.

"Fucking bitch..." You grumbled.

"Uh-oh. Bad!" Judith giggled again, clapping her hands gleefully.

"Right, right. Bad. Don't copy me, okay?" You laughed, completely forgetting about your aggravation as you rubbed your nose with Judith's and went inside.

♡♡♡

The rest of the day rolled along splendidly. No one threw a tantrum and for the most part, all the kids properly shared the wide assortment of toys and even did their activities orderly and on time. So, you decided to indulge them with a small yet much sought after reward.

Painting.

When it comes down to children, painting can be utter chaos. But you figured since they were being so good, you'd allow it. At the daycare you worked in, painting was quite a rare occurrence and that only solidified how much the kids adored it.

Once the materials were set out, it was a dizzying flurry of excited hands grabbing anything it could latch on to. As the kids went about doing their creative business, you found Judith all alone sitting in the corner playing around with some blocks.

"Whatcha doin' there, Judi?" You asked, sweetly calling out her nickname. "You don't wanna paint?"

"I wanna, but not with papers." She replied, shaking her head.

"Oh? Then where do you wanna paint?"

"I wanna paint on faces, but no one wants me to!"

"If that's the case, then I'd be more than happy to let you paint my face." You smiled.

"Really?!" Judith's whole face lit up, jumping up and wrapping her tiny arms around you as tightly as she could. "Thank youuu!"

You chuckled, ruffling her hair and watching as she happily gathered some paint and brushes.

♡♡♡

It was finally the end of a long day, and your face felt a bit itchy from the paint Judith put on you. But it didn't matter; as long as the little girl was happy, it was the best damn day ever.

You were holding Judith's hand as you waited outside for Rick to pick her up, and once he came up with his car Judith beamed.

"Daddy!"

"Hello, sweetheart. Did you have a nice day?" His face looked tired, his greying beard making him appear slightly older than he really was, but his smile was genuine as he carried Judith in his strong arms.

"The bestest! Y/N lemme paint her face!"

"She did, huh? What did you pai--oh my god."

You bursted into laughter at his reaction, flashing him a toothy grin. "In the words of Judi: You're a pretty tiger! Grr!"

"Now that you mention it, I can see it." Rick joined in your laughter, nodding his head. "Looks like we've got a talented lil artist in our hands!"

"Daddy, I wanna paint your face next! You can be daddy tiger and Y/N can be mommy!" Judith proclaimed.

You and Rick flushed pink at the same exact time, but Rick was quick to clear his throat and change the topic. "A-Anyways, Y/N, how 'bout me and the kids give you a ride? Thank you for today, by the way."

"No problem, and sure! Thanks so much."

As you settled in the passenger's seat, two hands covered your eyes from behind. "Guess who~?"

"Hmm..." You hummed, making a show of thinking. "Are you an elf?"

"No!" The hands were removed, Carl popping his head out from the backseat to look at you as he laughed. "It's me!"

"Oh, sorry! You're just so short, I thought you were an elf." You teased good naturedly.

Carl huffed, sticking his tongue out at you. "Y'know, in a few years, I'll be way taller than you!"

Once Rick was done buckling Judith into her carseat, he took his place in the driver's seat and drove out of the premises. You just talked about anything that came to mind: work, the weather, Alexandria's local shops, etc. To anyone else, maybe it seemed like regular boring conversation. But speaking with Rick was truly one of the highlights of any of your days. He was extremely easy to talk to, and he never failed to cheer you up. And it was obvious Rick was the same. He was allowed to simply be himself around you; to loosen up, momentarily forget about the stress and sometimes even the woes that came along with being the town's upstanding sheriff.

As you were nearing your home, Carl decided to cut in.

"Y/N, can we stay at your house? It's been a while since we had a sleepover." Carl asked, his baby blue eyes identical to Rick's alight with hope.

It wouldn't be the first time Rick and the kids would be staying over. You were very close to the Grimes family, sometimes even almost considering them as your own. You didn't mind it. Since you lived alone, it can get pretty lonely. And having people around surely brightened up the house and made you keep your sanity.

"I don't mind, but you gotta ask your dad." You chuckled.

Carl turned to Rick, pouting and giving his best puppy dog eyes. Rick rolled his eyes, but couldn't suppress an inkling of a smile.

"Yeah, yeah. But let me drop you and Judith off with Y/N first. I'll be back, I just need to get some extra clothes and essentials."

"YAY!" Carl cheered, Judith following suit as they both raised their arms and hollered.

"You're so whipped for them." You laughed, shaking your head as you looked at Rick.

"I ain't denying that." He sighed dramatically, grinning.

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ourstaturestouchtheskies · 8 months

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hi !! id love a van gogh painting selection that fits my vibe if that's cool— vibe check: my friends describe me as "outspoken, assertive, creative, and passionate" and have said that i remind them of "deer, sunflowers, and the colors dark red or sage green." i'm a poet, a musician, and artist. my favorite painting is the kiss by klimt and my favorite painter is salman toor but i love a lot of genres of art (van gogh is the answer i don't say out loud because i'm worried it's "basic")- really everything!

visit the art gallery

hi Cam!

thank you so much for this lovely request! and no worries - in this house (my blog lol) we absolutely adore van gogh even if some people might consider it "basic" 🥰 you're in good company!

based on your vibes and the description from your friends, I leaned toward paintings with bright, bold colors that felt confident and creative. and since the artists/artworks you mentioned all lean in the direction of abstraction and use color to express emotion, I tried to find works with some abstraction and an expressive use of color

if you don't like these paintings or don't feel like they fit your vibe or if you simply want something different, please don't hesitate to let me know and I'm happy to make a new selection for you ☺️

based on your vibes, these are the paintings I would select for you (with images and more info under the cut!)

Sunflower by Gustav Klimt

The Love of God by Georgiana Houghton

Deer in the Forest by Franz Marc

Muse on Pegasus by Odilon Redon

Sunflower by Gustav Klimt (1907-1908)

first, since your friends said you remind them of sunflowers, and since your favorite painting is by Klimt, I simply had to choose his image of a sunflower for you! this piece is calm and peaceful, yet bursting with life and color

The Love of God by Georgiana Houghton (19th century)

to me, this work expresses that sense of creativity and passion that comes with being an artist of any kind. when ideas are really flowing, or when you feel especially inspired, I just feel like this piece captures that feeling? idk though, but it's also a very compelling piece. also, Houghton was a spirit medium and this drawing - according to her own account - is not actually "hers" but is actually a drawing by a spirit, it just used her body and her hand to draw it. Houghton would go into trances and then produce these "spirit drawings." her work is fascinating and very understudied, and I just love the energy and motion and movement in this piece

Deer in the Forest by Franz Marc (1913)

since your friends mentioned deer, deep red, and sage green as things that they associate with you, this work simply had to be on this list since it has all three! like Klimt, it leads toward the abstract while the objects in the piece still retain their legibility. the mixture of straight and curved lines gives a sense of dynamism to the work, which seems to align with a sense of confidence and assertiveness. also, the colors are fun and the deer are really cute - so it's also just a very enjoyable picture!

Muse on Pegasus by Odilon Redon (ca. 1900)

lastly, I knew I needed to include a work by Redon, since many of his pieces really feel like they would fit your vibe. similarly to Klimt, he plays with abstraction and uses color to express emotion, although where Klimt tends to be more geometric, Redon is much more organic in the forms he creates. I selected this piece in particular because it depicts a muse, highlighting the idea of artistic inspiration, with the vibrant splattering of colors all around potentially signifying the act of artistic creation. also, I think it's just a stunning piece

those are the artworks that I think fit your vibe! I hope you enjoyed them, but I'm happy to select new ones for you if you didn't ☺️

thank you again for your wonderful request! 🥰

I hope you have a lovely day!! 🥰☺️

charlotte 💙

#charlotte's art gallery milestone celebration #charlotte speaks #charlotte talks art history #gustav klimt #klimt #georgiana houghton #franz marc #odilon redon

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tacosandtomcos · 4 years

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something i've realized: svtfoe's biggest flaw is that, due to the show essentially being 'made up as it went,' very few of the major events & actions have actual consequences. shock & style win out over substance & payoff. the morality is all sorts of whack & heavily protag centered. s3 & s4 should've moved past all that, but instead just. didn't do it. your thoughts? (alright to disagree, i'm still working it out myself)

oh that’s always considered to be a huge issue when it comes to doing stories in general, it’s ok to not have everything being planned out, but you should always have a clear beginning, middle, and end with your story and you should always keep track of character development, the canon lore, tings you need to explain or get back on, ect ect.

and i mean, if you’re an amateur fic writer who works by theirself and you forget some things that’s totally excusable.

But when you’re running a show with a large team whose trying to have this deep lore and expansive story, it’s more important then ever to keep track of all this and not be making things up as you go along.

You don’t HAVE to have a full plan for the blood moon after introducing it, but forgetting about it for a long time and then contradicting everything about it looks sloppy and lazy.

cause if the writers can just make things up as they go along and change things on a whim, you lose that connection with the audience. Why get invested in a plot point if the writers can just brush it to the side? Or pretend it never happened? Or downplay it?

and with characters too, marco being a knight on mewni is one of the biggest excuses as to why he and jackie split, something that’s supposed to affect his character.

but in “The Knight Shift” Marco’s like “Oh, don’t worry, I've been knighted like 10 times anyway”, and because they do this it completely takes away anything you could salvage out of why marco and jackie broke up.

They broke up over marco wanting to be something that didn’t matter to him at all except it did in that episode.

if you don’t keep track of this stuff, you’ll abandon plot points people were invested in, leave questions unanswered that people wanted to know, throw away continuity for characters and story beats, and make yourself look like you don’t have any idea what you’re doing and they audience no longer trusts you to end on a satisfying story.

one second tom’s really sorry because he knew the blood moon was affecting star and marco, the next he’s like “Oh, it’s nothing, it’s a fluke”.

Marco will care about the st O’s princesses, but they never come back after meteora attacks them.

Celena will be left ignored after being pointed out.

We never get any explanation about what happened to shastacan and globgor’s war crimes are entirely ignored as nothing, just like eclipsa’s spells when they shouldn't be.

They’ll have Tom go on about how he and star are hope for the future by being together despite breaking them off anyway and taking all meaning out of that scene entirely.

Alphonse will be entirely left unexplained despite how weird it should be for him to speak to marco and go to a ball that “Supposibly” did nothing for no reason.

and i think it says a lot that the fandom can come up with more compelling answers and outcomes then the crew could, because we payed attention, we actually put more thought into how these things worked or were connected.

and that’s why star’s world is so much fun to play with, it’s got so much to it we can get creative with and explore.

but it’s a shame the crew didn’t seem to care nearly as much about keeping things consistent and keeping track of what they needed to because it screwed them in the long run.

They’re throw away meaningful relationships and character development in an instant to get a ship together, not paying attention to the little things and prioritizing a couple over what would be better for the characters and what messages this mess sends.

They’ll kill magic without actually considering everything about it that’s been established and don’t even seem to consider the morals behind killing it either.

And look, Producer Dominic didn't help either.

He admitted that this was the case, but also denied it entirely (Noticeably when being accused of starco pandering might I add), and it’s not a good look for him to both act like it’s a good thing, or contradict himself constantly on it either.

And look, maybe this was the end daron always planned, who knows, but it’s not earned and it’s not satisfying.

They shouldn't have gotten star and marco together, they shouldn’t have killed magic, and their time should’ve been put more towards wrapping up plot points and answering questions, the climax maybe finishing toffee’s promise or something...idk.

might not have been her end, but it would’ve been miles better then this so to me, they would’ve been better off changing it entirely to be more fitting and avoid all the icky implications that got set out because they crammed starco in how they did and because of the magical genocide and poorly thought out reasoning for it.

I still like the show, but it’s a fine example of what happens when you make things up as you go and change things instead of focusing on what you already have and giving those a well thought out and fitting ending.

This is acceptable for new writers, it’s not acceptable for professional show writers and the crew should’ve put a lot more focus on keeping track of their own show to give it the best outcome for everything they could’ve, whether it would’ve involved starco or not.

Because no matter how they paint it, those two getting together does not make the ending good or satisfying for the fans and honestly they’re worse off for trying to paint it otherwise.

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julyieee-blog · 4 years

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INTO THE WATER

PAULA HAWKINS

I've been sitting on this review for a touch while now, not eager to admit that a book as highly anticipated as INTO THE WATER just didn't work on behalf of me . But it's just the truth: INTO THE WATER didn't work for me. I went into this book intentionally trying to not have expectations for it; in any case , following up a record-breaking bestseller just like the GIRL ON THE TRAIN is an almost unthinkable task for author Paula Hawkins. Unfortunately, I still managed to be disappointed by this read. Lacking within the drive and energy that made THE GIRL ON THE TRAIN such an addictive read, INTO THE WATER could be better appreciated as women's fiction or literary fiction rather than crime fiction. But in fact , bear in mind that I'm scripting this review from a criminal offense fiction perspective, for readers who will see the name Paula Hawkins and think "psychological thriller" so I can only be honest: this book won't delay against Hawkins' debut, and won't suit crime readers trying to find a similarly twisty, addictive, and taut read.

Unfortunately, INTO THE WATER lacks the drive and energy that made THE GIRL ON THE TRAIN so compulsively readable. Truly, i feel readers trying to find literary fiction or women’s fiction might find INTO THE WATER more up their alley than crime fiction readers will. INTO THE WATER are often considered a personality study, where the “character” may be a town with a dark past. This might suit some readers, but i used to be disappointed to get that the mystery and suspense elements of this story take a backseat in INTO THE WATER. As a reader picking this reserve and hoping for a gripping mystery, i used to be sorely disappointed. INTO THE WATER could be beautifully written, but it moves slowly, and drags the reader through an almost unnecessary amount of perspective-changes and narrator-swaps. These elements which may be inventive or experimental in literary fiction or women’s fiction just don't translate into compelling crime writing.

My favorite issue with this book was the confusion within the cast of characters Hawkins has created. The sheer number of characters who alternate narrating this story is overdone and cumbersome—I found myself having to travel back and remind myself of the characters’ roles within the story more times than I cared to. This could be great for painting a portrait of the town during which the story is about - readers certainly get an entire picture of the town’s inhabitants - but it undermines any potential tension that Hawkins seeks to make . A moderate amount of intriguing and vague connections between characters are often an excellent thing; an excessive amount of and therefore the reader can’t possibly be expected to piece together their own theories about the mystery at the book’s core.

INTO THE WATER unfortunately had variety of oddities that made it incredibly difficult on behalf of me to become invested within the story’s core mystery. Without spoiling anything, i will be able to say that I didn’t find the reasons behind a number of the pivotal actions during this book remotely believable. From long-held grudges that would are explained with one simple communication to exaggerated or irrational responses to secrets being unveiled, I just didn’t invest the foremost crucial actions at the guts of this story. I'm always happy to require fiction with a grain of salt - it goes without saying that authors have creative license to explore their characters' personalities however they see fit - but I do need a particular amount of psychological astuteness to actually love a criminal offense book, and that i found that lacking in INTO THE WATER.

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