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#'Never change' - while good-intentioned - suggests an ultimate you defined by this instant of you. Always change. In small ways and big.
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Qrow: Heh. Never change, kid.
Oscar:
Qrow: Shit wait-
#qrow branwen#oscar pine#rwby incorrect quotes#quinpost#oscar like 'oh yeah great advice hadn't considered that one'#change is a good thing though (in general that is - not all change is positive)#but stagnation upheld by the fear of or refusal to change is inhibitory to growth#everyone changes second by second; choice by choice we rebuild ourselves#why should the ozcarnations be any different?#wanting to stay the same in an attempt to hold onto one's sense of self is often the thing keeping a person from becoming themself#Change doesn't detract from identity; it's an addition. A recreation. Change is a symptom of choice.#ofc the merge complicates that ideology. But it doesn't negate the importance of viewing oneself not as a collection of traits and beliefs#but as an ephemeral and intangible consciousness in constant flux. Identity is a manmade and self-inflicted phenomenon#a concept we use to feel we know ourselves as something separate from others; from the universe at large#but it's a dance - as you change yourself; the universe changes with you. You're a part of it after all. It isn't the same without you.#'Never change' - while good-intentioned - suggests an ultimate you defined by this instant of you. Always change. In small ways and big.#I'm not saying you should change the things you love about yourself or shouldn't take pride in who you are right now#but keep in mind there is no one version of you and that's okay. Change and grow and experiment and make mistakes; try and fail and laugh.#live your life not as a thing; 'things' don't exist inherently. The idea of 'thing' is a product of human perception just like identity#because we like to define things and experiences to better understand them#and that's a beautiful quality of ours - our curiosity and examination that drives us to look deeper#just remember you're more than a definition you give yourself or others give you#ever heard the phrase 'you can't step in the same river twice'?#the only reason we consider it the same river regardless of the water and ecosystem changing is location#and we consider our consciousnesses to be located within ourselves. So we see ourselves as we see a river on a map - by its name.#even if every fish is replaced; as mountains replenish the water; if every rock is eroded and carried to the ocean; if it changes course#or even if we ourselves reroute it with a dam; we don't see it as a new river#much like the Ship of Theseus: it has the same name even though every part of it has changed. Is it the same ship? Are we the same person?#It's a false dilemma. The metric by which we determine 'same' is how it relates to us. There's no intrinsic sameness in nature. Nor in you.
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phoenixtakaramono · 7 years
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For the writers numbered questions, how about 8, 9, 13, and 15? By the way, I absolutely ADORE your work☺
Ohhh. How sweet! Oh my goodness. Thank you sincerely for the compliment, dear!
In regards to the “✍ Finally, an ask-meme for writers! ✍”:
08: What’s the best piece of feedback you’ve ever gotten? Hmm. It depends on what “best piece of feedback” would be defined as. If it’s about effectiveness, I would mention the time someone told me that my life would be happier (and more productive) if I simply concentrated on myself and not focus on those around me. I take this as my philosophy in life as well as my works: there’s no point comparing yourself to others. Be inspired, but don’t copy. There will always be those that are better. Focus on your own improvements, be yourself while discovering what makes you “you,” and market yourself as a brand that you’ll want others to see your persona as you see it. It’s alright to take inspiration from those around (do your research/ see what your competitors are doing), but ultimately you’ll still have to give your works your interpretation to avoid plagiarism. Nothing is creative anymore technically, so it should be an interesting challenge for any creator to undertake. There are already plenty of ideas existing already. So, to stand out, what new innovation can you bring to the table?
If it’s about feedback that’s made me the happiest, I hold a lot to my chest fondly. But off the top of my head, the ones that have touched me all involve someone mentioning how they were skeptical at first about the premise but after reading it through, they were won over. It tickles me when I hear from others about how a project of mine is not their usual reading material but it somehow became one of their exceptions after giving it a chance. For me, this really means a lot.
Feedbacks that are long and well-thought out, analyzing my content to share their story theories aloud also tend to make me giddy to continue sharing with strangers this world that I’ve built in my head. I’ve sometimes had remarks and questions that’ve inspired me to make necessary edits, making me realize any plot holes or how something has been (mis)interpreted. I adore when someone makes a deep, insightful analysis, even more so when it’s on the mark.
If it’s about suggestions others have gotten that resonates strongly with me on the most part, it’s these cardinal rules of writing: 1) show, don’t tell, 2) be genuine; don’t write what you don’t write just to please the fans/ pander to them, 3) do your research; know your readership, 4) avoid Mary Sues/ Gary Stus unless your intention plays on the overpowered archetype, 5) avoid cliches and don’t be cheesy, 6) avoid currently trending slang because chances are your dialogue will seem dated once time flies should you rely on lingo that’s popular at the moment since, unless that is your intention, you’d usually want your writing to come across as timeless for mass appeal, 7) as good as you think you are, you’re not infallible; don’t be arrogant and think you’re above taking advice/ help and 8) you have to be excited about what you’re producing.
09: What’s the worst piece of feedback you’ve ever gotten? Worst feedback…would be by impatient readers who have lost credibility and/or respect. With our educational standards, I’m also taken aback by a person’s inability to factcheck when making persuasive arguments. While not everyone is a writer, understandably, as someone who will be hiring others, I am stunned sometimes when I get bollocks that also isn’t impartially, formally written. When one forgets who is the writer and who is the consumer, it…can result in quite the misunderstanding, even if you give them the benefit of the doubt. These usually come in the form of entitled readers who form quick assumptions without doing their research and reading all the way through, who then type out unhelpful complaints. It comes across as more of a scheme to convince writers to change what was written and will write in order to satisfy this personal ideal in their head. They’re so frighteningly attached to this ideal, I’m alarmed whenever they’ve become uncompromising to any other creative alternatives and are at the point where they only want to win the argument to feel validated instead of wanting to be exposed to a unique perspective. My patience is tested even further whenever someone follows up with juvenile rhetoric, or they pretend to be someone else 100% supportive and defensive of their online feedback (despite how suspiciously similar their syntax is, as well as how convenient the timing is). No one likes being taken for a fool.
The instant one demonstrates that they don’t know what they’re talking about, trust is lost.
13: What’s your favorite writing quote? “If there’s a book that you want to read, but it hasn’t been written yet, then you must write it.” -Toni Morrison
"Don’t tell me the moon is shining; show me the glint of light on broken glass.” -Anton Chekhov
15: What would you say has inspired you the most? Factors in my childhood to where I am now. Writing became one of my strengths, aside from art, that gave me confidence and soon became a hobby. So, two answers:
From early childhood, I’d say it’s mainly due to the odd notion of having consumed adult novels throughout primary school, only being exposed to fanfiction later in my teens. No one thought much of my writing skills―even my English tutor from France―until something that I wrote was announced to have won a national writing competition and would be among those published. The faculty, and even to the extent of the principal, noticed me more, treating me like an adult and being friendly. My tutor, who used to sneer at my purple prose and emulation of authors’ writing styles, turned a new leaf and commended my writing exercises. My artistic parents finally had something else to boast about other than how their daughter was so quiet, artistic, and obedient. Relatives became more inclined to gift me books. It was also something that set me apart from my parents and my STEM-oriented peers. All in all, that event was a turning point in my life.
Another answer: nowadays it’s other people’s works or the lack thereof. The works by JK Rowling and Nora Roberts (and her other pseudonyms) paved the way for me, showing how immersive worldbuilding and fictional romance can become. Fanfiction exposed me to more possibilities, infinite worlds created by others like me, and the popular trends. The latter has shaped what I appreciate in my reading material and molded me into the writer that I am today. If it's about when I realized the power of fanfiction and good storytelling, I would say the first most impactful would be the 'Child of the Night' by Scribe. She'd reimagined the Dracula characters so vividly in a way that I'd never envisioned any fan could come up with for any franchise. So, one can say she is a rolemodel.
That’s all! :)
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