fraxinvs

[fraxinvs]

I used to work for a trade book reviewer where I got paid to review people's books, and one of the rules of that review company is one that I think is just super useful to media analysis as a whole, and that is, we were told never to critique media for what it didn't do but only for what it did.

So, for instance, I couldn't say "this book didn't give its characters strong agency or goals". I instead had to say, "the characters in this book acted in ways that often felt misaligned with their characterization as if they were being pulled by the plot."

I think this is really important because a lot of "critiques" people give, if subverted to address what the book does instead of what it doesn't do, actually read pretty nonsensical. For instance, "none of the characters were unique" becomes "all of the characters read like other characters that exist in other media", which like... okay? That's not really a critique. It's just how fiction works. Or "none of the characters were likeable" becomes "all of the characters, at some point or another, did things that I found disagreeable or annoying" which is literally how every book works?

It also keeps you from holding a book to a standard it never sought to meet. "The world building in this book simply wasn't complex enough" becomes "The world building in this book was very simple", which, yes, good, that can actually be a good thing. Many books aspire to this. It's not actually a negative critique. Or "The stakes weren't very high and the climax didn't really offer any major plot twists or turns" becomes "The stakes were low and and the ending was quite predictable", which, if this is a cute romcom is exactly what I'm looking for.

Not to mention, I think this really helps to deconstruct a lot of the biases we carry into fiction. Characters not having strong agency isn't inherently bad. Characters who react to their surroundings can make a good story, so saying "the characters didn't have enough agency" is kind of weak, but when you flip it to say "the characters acted misaligned from their characterization" we can now see that the *real* problem here isn't that they lacked agency but that this lack of agency is inconsistent with the type of character that they are. a character this strong-willed *should* have more agency even if a weak-willed character might not.

So it's just a really simple way of framing the way I critique books that I think has really helped to show the difference between "this book is bad" and "this book didn't meet my personal preferences", but also, as someone talking about books, I think it helps give other people a clearer idea of what the book actually looks like so they can decide for themselves if it's worth their time.

Update: This is literally just a thought exercise to help you be more intentional with how you critique media. I'm not enforcing this as some divine rule that must be followed any time you have an opinion on fiction, and I'm definitely not saying that you have to structure every single sentence in a review to contain zero negative phrases. I'm just saying that I repurposed a rule we had at that specific reviewer to be a helpful tool to check myself when writing critiques now. If you don't want to use the tool, literally no one (especially not me) can or wants to force you to use it. As with all advice, it is a totally reasonable and normal thing to not have use for every piece of it that exists from random strangers on the internet. Use it to whatever extent it helps you or not at all.

#writing #writeblr #writers on tumblr #writing tips #book reviews

[fraxinvs]

#writeblr #poems #poetry #i gasped as i got to the bottom #i want to turn this poem around in my brain for a few hours

[fraxinvs]

I was feeling a bit sad today, so I re-watched Kiki’s Delivery Service. I had some thoughts brewing about its plot in relation to Legends and Lattes and started typing out my ramble, but it turned out to be a bit longer than I expected and might be better as its own post.

In any case, the movie is still very good and I’m feeling a little bit better now that I’ve watched it ^^

#charliechats☕ #kiki’s delivery service #i dont really watch movies and series all that often anymore #so as soon as i rewatch something thats basically saying that its one of my favorites

[fraxinvs]

Currently reading 📖: The Picture of Dorian Gray

Progress: Chapter 2/20

Because my brain is searching for novelty at the worst possible time, I downloaded this for free off of Apple’s books app. A part of me feels like if I want to learn how to write better, I should read the Classics™️ and I keep hearing this one get thrown around in reader spaces. Also, yknow. Free books.

I thought this was gonna be a dreary old classic, why are Basil and Dorian Like That™️??? I mean this in the most endearing way possible; I am now invested in the horrors that will eventually befall Mr. Gray.

I’m sensing a theme being set up between the author’s note at the start and Basil’s thoughts about art, also interested to see how that’s explored. What I am not a fan of? The way Wilde arranges his sentences. I love commas as much as the next guy but the arrangement is a bit hard to follow.

#charliechats☕ #bookblr #currently reading #the picture of dorian gray #do you ever think about how knowing what classic books are about is essentially the worst case of latecomer spoilers? #ive been thinking about it ever since learning that dr jekyll and mr hyde being the same person was supposed to be the big reveal

[fraxinvs]

Random Worldbuilding Questions

Are there any foods with symbolic meanings that are eaten on special occasions (e.g. katsudon for victory, or new years oranges for luck)? How did the tradition get started?

We all know about weddings and marriage, but are there any ceremonies that symbolically / legally / magically officialize a different type of relationship in your world’s culture? (Adoption, apprenticeship, friendship, etc.)

What’s a rule or social norm that is widely followed in theory, but in practice everyone knows it’s not a big deal and breaks it all the time?

Are there any trades or hobbies whose practitioners are stereotyped as weird or extraordinary? (E.g. the “mad hatter” trope.) Why? How true is this perception?

What are some cliches, tropes, and/or plots that commonly appear in stories written by your world’s inhabitants? What were they inspired by? Why are they popular?

What is a common way to subtly insult someone in your world, without crossing into overt rudeness? Gifting an item with negative connotations? Addressing them more familiarly or formally than normal? Backhanded compliments?

If you pulled a random average Joe off the streets of your world and asked them to draw a house, what would they draw? (Shape, roof style, position and number of windows, etc.)

Is there a place in your world that nobody has ever been to - the bottom of a cave, the moon, another dimension, etc.? How do people know it exists? Why haven’t they gone there? What do they believe it’s like, and how right/wrong are they?

What aesthetics are considered “advanced” or “futuristic” in your world - canvas wings, shiny chrome, smooth plastic? How has this changed over time?

What’s a fun fact about your world that you as the worldbuilder are dying to share, but nobody ever thinks to ask? 

#writing #writeblr #writing prompts #worldbuilding

[fraxinvs]

Advice for writing relationships

Ship Dynamics

How to create quick chemistry

How to write a polyamorous relationship

How to write a wedding

How to write found family

How to write forbidden love

Introducing partner(s) to family

Honeymoon

Date gone wrong

Fluffy Kiss Scene

Love Language - Showing, not telling

Love Language - Showing you care

Affections without touching

Giving the reader butterflies with your characters

Reasons a couple would divorce on good terms

Reasons for breaking up while still loving each other

Relationship Problems

Relationship Changes

Milestones in a relationship

Platonic activities for friends

Settings for conversations

How to write a love-hate relationship

How to write enemies to lovers

How to write lovers to enemies to lovers

How to write academic rivals to lovers

How to write age difference

Reasons a couple would divorce on good terms

Reasons for having a crush on someone

Ways a wedding could go wrong

Arranged matrimony for royalty

If you like my blog and want to support me, you can buy me a coffee or become a member! And check out my Instagram! 🥰

#writing #writeblr #writing tips #relationships

[fraxinvs]

helpful sites for writers

i have a little collection of websites i tend to use for coming up with ideas, naming people or places, keeping clear visuals or logistics, writing basics about places i've never been to, and so on. i tend to do a lot of research, but sometimes you just need quick references, right? so i thought i'd share some of them!

Behind the Name; good for name meanings but also just random name ideas, regardless of meanings.

Fantasy Name Generator; this link goes to the town name generator, which i use most, but there are lots of silly/fun/good inspo generators on there!

Age Calculator; for remembering how old characters are in Y month in Z year. i use this constantly.

Height Comparison; i love this for the height visuals; does character A come up to character B's shoulder? are they a head taller? what does that look like, height-wise? the chart feature is great!

Child Development Guide; what can a (neurotypical, average) 5-year-old do at that age? this is a super handy quickguide for that, with the obviously huge caveat that children develop at different paces and this is not comprehensive or accurate for every child ever. i like it as a starting point, though!

Weather Spark; good for average temperatures and weather checking!

Green's Dictionary of Slang; good for looking up "would x say this?" or "what does this phrase mean in this context?" i love the timeline because it shows when the phrase was historically in use. this is english only, though; i dig a little harder for resources like this in other languages.

#writing #writeblr #writing tips #writer resources

[fraxinvs]

You can only write regularly if you’re willing to write badly. You can’t write regularly and well. One should accept bad writing as a way of priming the pump, a warm-up exercise that allows you to write well.

– Jennifer Egan

#writing #writeblr

[fraxinvs]

Something I've found is that if you want to develop really deep and rich worldbuilding, you've got to put your main or favorite characters out of your mind for awhile and look at things from other people's perspectives. What's the world like for the people who've never heard of your main/favorite characters, or have maybe heard of them, but mostly feel indifferent about them? How is the world affecting them, and how are they responding to it? If you shift your focus away from your main/favorite characters and start looking closely at everyone else, you're going to find some incredibly interesting things.

#writing #writeblr #writing tips #worldbuilding

[fraxinvs]

lots of times if I tell my boyfriend that I am proud of him for dealing with a situation, or that I'm sorry he's having to deal with a situation, he will say "no it's my own fault." meaning that he feels like he doesn't deserve praise or comfort for dealing with a situation that is his fault. (for example a financial problem caused or exacerbated by him having been too anxious or absentminded to deal with the situation sooner.) and I tell him this and I will tell y'all this, that I don't believe that. I think you are even braver and stronger for taking steps to deal with a mess that is of or partly of your own creation, because you have to cope with guilt and shame on top of the thing itself, and because you're fighting against the same ingrained dysfunction in yourself that caused the mess. that's like the bravest and most constructive thing you can do and you should be proud and I am proud of you.

#mental health #thank you op #i really needed that today

[fraxinvs]

Cheat code for writing disabled characters in sci-fi/fantasy without eliminating their disability:

Don't change humanity, change what's available to humanity.

i.e.: If your magic removes/fixes a defect or your sci-fi lets you select for traits at birth, that's changing humanity. That's altering a fundamental aspect that real humans live with, and distancing your fictional version of humanity from the real deal by cutting out a portion of it that your setting deems "undesirable."

If your magic/sci-fi aids a defect (like magic netting that acts as a brace, or a wheelchair with wheels that transform to fit the environment), then you're taking humanity as we know it and saying "wouldn't it be cool if we had these tools?"

Don't change what makes us human, change what humans can create.

Cheat Code 2: What kinds of aid to use to accommodate disability

Cheat Code 3: How to make your setting itself disability-friendly

#writing #writeblr #writers on tumblr #writing tips #disability #worldbuilding

[fraxinvs]

I can't find this one post I read before where the OP talks about 'reading with grace' and giving the benefit of the doubt when engaging in any text instead of immediately assuming the worst about the writer. If anyone else has seen the post pls send the link I would be very grateful TT

#charliechats☕ #i couldve sworn i saw it somewhere here;;; #did it really exist??? #i sincerely hope my brain isn't making this up that would be so embarrassing #bookblr #writeblr #writers of tumblr

[fraxinvs]

Introduction Post

Hiya Tumblr! Happy timezone~

I’m Charlie, I am legally an adult, and I use she/her and they/them pronouns. Existing on the internet is scary, but I’m trying to carve out a space for myself.

My main hobbies are reading, writing, journaling, video games, tabletop games, drawing, and painting! I tend to go through phases and cycle through them, so you might see a bit of everything here. I'll mostly try to share my thoughts and put my last remaining brain cell to use ^^;

If you'd like to see my writing, I post my fanfics on Ao3 as user Fraxinvs. I have no idea where I'll put my originals if I ever decide to post them, but I'll let you know where you can find them.

Tags will be listed below and updated as needed.

Thank you for reading! If you're on my blog, I hope you find something you like :>

—Tags—

#charliechats☕ — My own posts

#art — All visual art goes here

#spoilers — The post may contain spoilers for a book, show, or game

#blog intro #introduction #pinned post #charliechats☕ #how do i tag? #what do i tag? #i'm not exactly new to tumblr #just to posting and the culture surrounding it