#(Often to its detriment)

[eleplay]

[thinking about how a friend just makes a ton of tabletop character concepts and is ready to plug them into any game and how i literally will not have any inkling of a character concept until i have some sort of context to build them out of] lark evolved to fulfill her ecological niche

#eleplays dnd #more specifically i was thinking about how lark was built out of the specific dnd style of robust different schools of magic #dnd loves categorization #often to its detriment #but the distinct classification of magic and spells does underline wizard as a clinical scientific nerd approach to magic #which probably influenced lark as a character on some level

[pinkeoni]

Willing to be controversial but I do not think Mike's family relationship or coming out to them is a point the show sees as important. I feel like that is more of Will's arc if anything due to how it has been emphasized throughout the seasons. And I know it is like a popular take but I don't think the show will add a homophobia plotline to Mike's character. I think he's just gonna come out to Karen, and Karen will be understanding and Ted will not give a shit.

Where is that Reddit comment that says “Oh you poked the bear”?

Since this tends to be a bit if a touchy subject for some, I wanna try to answer in as nuanced a way as possible. And since this is kind of an exhausted topic, I’ll put it under a cut.

So starting with whether or not Mike is going to come out—

At this moment in time, I think Mike is much farther from being ready to have a coming out moment than Will is. Could it still happen? It could, and at that point it would depend on how the show handles it. I would honestly really appreciate a coming out scene, but I don’t think it’s a necessity for Mike’s story to be satisfactory. Mike is still gay even if it’s not explicitly stated. Furthermore, Mike can still reach a state of self acceptance without telling other people, it’s so long as he accepts it for himself that is the important thing.

As for the family thing...

I think it would be inaccurate of me to say that Mike's family and home life doesn't effect Mike. Of course it does, in the way that it does every character. And considering how much of a presence the Wheeler family seems to have had in every season, it would be stupid of me to say that they won't have an appearance or that they won't be connected to Mike's arc.

So I think that Mike's family relationship will be there, and it'll have value in the same way that everything in the show has value, big or small, however I don't think it's false of me to say that Will's family relationship is probably going to be more of a central focus.

This isn't me comparing traumas (which is a thing that can and does happen) or saying that Mike's experiences aren't important, but looking at how they function in this story, especially with the knowledge that Will is going to be a major focus next season, then it's reasonable to assume that the Byers family is probably going to be more at the center than the Wheelers.

There's also a lot more unresolved with the Byers family ie Lonnie and his involvement, and yes I am still so confident that he is coming back, if not just from the fact that Jonathan keeps bringing him up in every season. There's also a lot of mystery surrounding Lonnie, whereas with the Wheelers most of it is all there on the table.

My take on the Wheelers is that they are complicated. Perfect parents? No. Abusive? No. I'm not really gonna state where I stand on the "neglectful" debate as I feel like that word exists on a sliding scale that changes depending on who is using it. I was talking about it with Jo @wheelersboy and we agreed that the biggest problem with the Wheelers is that they are passive conformists, which I talk a little bit about in my AIDS post. They conform passively and have the privilege to not have to confront the consequences behind it. When they are at the town hall meet and come face-to-face with the extreme end of conformity, it's a huge smack in the face for them. By the end of the season, they begin to slowly de-conform.

I think that Mike’s core conflict has to do with his feelings of worthlessness and insecurity, and it will end with him realizing his worth for exactly who he is. I think this is absolutely influenced by his exterior environment, but ultimately it will be up to Mike himself to solve this conflict.

#okay idk if its actually as nuanced as possible but thats generally my take 🤷🏼‍♀️ #i see the take often that st is an ensemble show which… is TRUE but at the same time some characters do get more focus than others #sometimes to the detriment of other characters and sometimes just because thats how main characters work #will is probably going to have more focus than mike next season because we were told this. #it doesnt make mike unimportant though #but yes one characters story is going to be more central than the other #my hope is that each character gets the proper amount of time necessary for their individual arc even its wishful thinking #which may not mean equal screentime for each character

[daisies-on-a-cup]

part of me believes that community is foundational and that is it true that human beings were made to be "pack people" and were never supposed to go about this life alone. part of me also believes that going to the grocery store with people you love, doing random, mundane things with those you cherish, is a good thing and deepens social bonds in a way that no other interaction can. however, i think if you can't do those things alone, if you can't go to the grocery store without a friend or eat something without someone next to you, then you are at huge risk of losing your sense of self. there's also something there about mental stability and independence, that if you can't do anything alone, be anywhere with just your thoughts and you alone, then there's something wrong there i think. it's not normal to need someone by your side every waking moment of your day or else something bad will happen. there shouldn't need to be a distraction of a phone or a person for everything you do. it is a beautiful and wonderful thing to do things together, but you should also be able to do it alone without falling to your own mind

#idk just thinking abt something my roommate said the other day abt how she cant do anything alone anymore #i dont think she meant it seriously but its still something ive been thinking about #i struggle with doing things alone a lot and im not oblivious to the fact that its bc of how afraid i am all the time #but ive been trying to do things alone more often even it is as simple as driving to get a coffee or getting groceries #theres peace with being alone too #but on the other side of that coin- too much alone time is detrimental and both sides should be taken in moderation

[dreampearls]

kinda the curse of having collei as a favorite character means that when i see genuine hate for her more often than not its literally 100% completely justified and even though i feel personally affronted reading their reasonings is just like..... well.......... okay Yeah........................

#this doesnt actually happen often its happened maybe once or twice but when it does happen. im just forced to go Yeah you're right #''i dont give a fuck about dendro amber'' <- fighting the urge to beat you with a stick #but mannnnnnnnnnn youre ultimately not wrong #the game does try to push her as dendro amber to the detriment of her character #because at the end of the day she is a product #i think ive said this before but i actually somewhat hated collei when i first played through the sumeru archon quest #just because she embodied so many misogynistic and ableist writing tropes i despise #and it sucks but this is a 10000% valid reason to not care about or even dislike her as a character

[bangcakes]

.

#LMAO.... i was not meant for this loveydovey shid. i am sooooooo lovesick its not even funny #like can someone save me. its gotten so bad #i talked to my mom about it on n off for like 3 hours NDNDJDJJDJD #im just !!!!!!! ah.... i have to be patient. thats just what i have to be #bc rushing will only make things worse #and i cant be heartbroken during the semester. like thatd suck #but then.. i also dont knownif i wanna be in a relationship during school either??????? #like can i handle it or will i go so googoo eyes that i flunk out aJdkdkdkdkdkd #and IN MY LAST TERM????? #like hhhh im so scared i'll never see him again when schools over. which... ok unlikely bc we have the same friends #but even if we DO see each other it wont be as often as now !!!!! #hhhhh i wanna see him everyday 😭😭😭😭😭😭 #HHHHHHHHHHHH GOD #feel like im gonna end up confessing to him the last day of school NDJDJJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJDJD #which !!!! again bc we have the same friends....... could be sooo detrimental!!!!!!!!!!!! #but god i cant just be just friends alright. like hhhh !!!!!@@@ i like him so much 😭😭😭😭 #his eyes are so kind n like the way he looks at me i just !!!!!!!!!@@@ baboom baboom baBOOM.. !!!! ya know !!!!!!!!@ #n e way....... im not seeing him tomorrow (heartbreak hotel) so now i gotta wait A DAY????? incomprehensible #personal

[spinspoon]

AUGHH it makes me psychically hurt anytime any of my friends are like "well... i wanna make x but someone's probably already done it and probably better than me..." or alternatively "well.. i wanna make this but people have already done x better" like STOP!!!! MAKE WHATEVER YOU WANT!!!! MAKE THINGS THAT MAKE YOU HAPPY!!!!!!! "better" IS COMPLETELY SUBJECTIVE AND IMO AS LONG AS YOU ENJOY WHAT YOU'RE DOING THAN IT'S AMAZING!!! CAUSE IT SHOWS!!!! MAKE THINGS FOR YOURSELF AND THERE'S ALWAYS BOUND TO BE PEOPLE THAT WILL LIKE IT TOO!!!!!!!!! ESPECIALLY IN A TIME WHERE HUMAN TOUCH AND CREATIVITY IS AT STAKE!!!!!! EXPLODES EXPLODES EXPLODES

#spinspoon speaks #sprry this was gonna be more coherent but #i got 6 hours of sleep last nifht #but anyway AUGH #literally this stresses me out an Ungodly amount it's not even funny #and it happens so often like #I LOVE YOU BUT PLEASEEEEE LISTEN TO ME FOR ONCE #IM TRYING TO FREE YOU!!!! #imo anyone can do whatever they want for ever as long as it isnt detrimental to you or other beings #MAKING THINGS IS A HUMAN EXPERIENCE AND ITS LOVELY!! STOP LIMITING URSELF #ALSO i know for a fact there are plenty (me included) people that find something and are like “omg i love this so much is there anything #else that captures this exact thing“ #hold on wheres the cake meme

[beetlemancy]

i'm having a hard time putting into words why Love Like The Galaxy is so damn cathartic, but it really and truly is. I just feel like I'm expecting so many misunderstandings, hijinks that cause drama, low blows, etc. Its a drama - its supposed to have uncomfortable plotlines that propel the narrative, right? And while yes there are still hijinks, this drama was like 'fuck that, have a bunch of characters that actually talk to each other.' The drama is coming from actual big overarching problems, overdramatic grandmas, people being really clear with who they like and dislike, familial and political intrigue, etc.

like!! I'm at the episode where Shaoshang and Lou Yao finally break off the betrothal and this has been building for a long time now. I was 100% expecting him to be hurt and I was 100% expecting them to -not talk about it- any further. If this was any other drama, they would have been stoic in their pain, refusing to communicate because <insert beautiful shot of silence here>. Instead, this drama gives us such a gorgeous scene of Shaoshang acknowleding the sacrifice of a good man and realizing that their plans are less important than protecting other people. They secured their bond in the horror of what happens when rebels attack a county - and who they honor now is a man who refused to let that happen to his own people.

Its just so goooooood.

#love like the galaxy #lltg episode 21 #its also just really cool because i feel like in a lot of dramas #the main couple are the ONLY PEOPLE WHO MATTER #often to the detriment of the plot and the world building #but in this show they're just living in it #clearly orbiting each other and yes there are so many slomo shots of them boring holes into each others eyeballs #but it doesn't matter because every character in this show is so well rounded #and the world is lived in #and i'm more excited about the main characters and how they'll fit themselves into it #because of the obvious care that went into the scaffolding

[xamaxenta]

How to have ideas 101

#i ..? feel like im pressured to think about stuff to create all the time that its often detrimental #turn brain off button where #i have lots to think about but none of them appeal? #doesnt make any sense huh

[system-of-a-feather]

I'm out and bored and feeling like I want to hear the sound of my own voice yet here I am, not allowed to start shit on this blog. Woe is me

-XIV

#alter: xiv #These impulses are much less intense and easier to resist than they used to be #but still get these days and periods where I deeply want to start fires and piss people off #just for fun and entertainment #often to the detriment of the system as well #😒 still grumbly about not making fires even if I know its for my own good #probably aspd posting #aspd npd things

[bumbleblurr]

oh no I'm out of b1urr posts to spam rb and torment my followers on main with

#well Actually maybe if i looked through some old blogs i could find stuff but i. dont want to #the psychic damage i get whenever i have to look through them and see shit tier b1urr content including #1) b1urr being characterized as ''feminine'' so that he fits in the role as the ''girl'' #(often done specifically for sh0ckb1urr but ive seen it for other ships too) #2) b1urr literally being abused and this is treated as cute or romantic #3) b1urr being extra flirtatious and/or mean as a way to overcompensate #for the popular depiction of sh0ckb1urr that caused the previous problem listed #4) general misunderstanding of his character (making him a social butterfly and stuff like that) #5) general objectifying of b1urr (this tiea heavily with the first issue #and i dont even want to unpack the Mess that is in terms of how feminity is presented as well as gay ppl in weird gay fandom shipping bs #bc this is NOT an exclusive problem to fanon b1urr content but he's unfortunately a great example of it) #and its like. Oh Boy is it Hard to find b1urr content that doesnt fall into any of those descriptions #its just. pounding my head against the wall #this is why i dont look through the tags as much these days 💔 #i just get met with disappointment bc this is #to my detriment #the standard depiction of b1urr in this fandom :////// #anyway this was just sparked by seeing b1urr buttcheeks for the thousandth time. it broke me #maybe this might inspire me to make blurr content again. spite and desperation #🐝 could you repeat the last part? 🟦

[cinnabeat]

its been a while since ive had such constant headaches :(

#i was gonna say headaches period but no i still get them #it just hasnt been as often #no its like #every day :/ #is it bc instarted school again 😭 #michi tag #clearly work is detrimental to my health and well-being

[shallowrambles]

The 21st century obsession with perfect words + the one true way to express an apology

So, a big problem IMHO in modern therapy circles is the emphasis on words as the only way of communicating your emotions.

That is, unless you REPENT with verbal platitudes, or wax poetica in long rambling sessions that showcase your deep understanding of your own psychology, it's never going to be good enough.

Like, sure, words are important. Verbal apologies can be important.

I've been disowned six times. Twice, a more nonverbal-leaning, stoic family member of mine apologized with a gift. Before you scream, "But you can't just buy happiness and forgiveness!" consider this: WHY can't a gift can't function as verbal apology? Why can't it "count" as communication in some instances? For some people, it's a much safer-feeling way to communicate with you, and when you reject it, that can be just as powerful as rejecting a verbalized apology.

Often, we are too wrapped up in being owed that perfect, straightforward, eloquent apology. But people aren't machines--and rigidly expecting perfect verbal apologies can rob you of equally legitimate, loving connections. Deficits in expressing emotion don't mean that people feel no remorse. (I get it. Some neuroatypical people can't read body language or tone or parse the context of a thing. There is even some evidence that hyper-systemizing predisposes to toxic, emotional scorekeeping of wrongdoings. However, that doesn't mean we get to assume the worst of people, just as neurotypical people shouldn't assume the worst of a poorly-communicating neuroatypical person.)

Sometimes, it really IS about HOW someone says something, or even the nonverbal actions they take to express their remorse. If a someone "reads" remorse in tone and body language, is that somehow less deserving or legitimate than having the perfect words?

In a world that teaches AMABs in particular not to verbalize their emotions, sometimes accepting the nonverbal apology can be good. Maybe putting your boot on their neck and demanding they apologize in the "right" way isn't super helpful in a lot of instances.

#this is such a problem in therapy circles that lean autistic AFAB and gen Z and younger...and it's an issue for working professionals too #we are actively creating lit to get the focus off what young ppl feel they are owed and more how to read others with more compassion #maybe it's social media but ppl too often assume the worst in others to their social detriment #it's important to develop more social recognition and more nonverbal skills #this is something that really bothered me in early episodes of The Winchesters! #it's so cookie cutter therapy driven that it seems cartoonish #the therapy was even bullylike in its presentation at times #you don't pressure someone to share right out of the fuckin gate #expecting a mentally ill character to share openly outta the gate was NOT safe or healthy - no wonder he went home and broke down #whereas the carlos character did it all perfectly with long rambling poetics and it was gross how he was portrayed as good cause he could #and in parallel - it was SO GROSS that the person who couldn't share was coded as BAD #use your words has become an important part of therapy but it can be misused too - like this #not to mention there are somewhat well established gender differences in emotional-verbal and word fluency #assuming the worst in ppl and branding them as insta-abusers or privileged beasts worthy of no compassion is disgusting #it's indicative of an outrage culture and a culture of crucifixion too #all age brackets have problems but the social media using age brackets have THIS in spades

[harmoonix]

𝐑𝐞𝐧𝐚𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞

(astrology observations)

ஜ❀ஜ❀ஜ❀ஜ❀ஜ❀ஜ❀ஜ❀ஜ❀ஜ❀ஜ❀ஜ❀

🖼️: Moon in the 8th house has a lot of deep meanings behind it and the sad part is that sometimes it can cause pain/suffering but it comes with its good things as well if you have your moon at 8° or 20° you can feel the same

🖼️:Water Moon + Fire Sun combo in your chart gives a vibe of both short temper + chill temper, is like a mix between a spicy and sour seasonings

🖼️: Ascendant at 4°, 16° 28° degrees have the cutest face expressions (Cancer Energy), like when they smile or make a specific face

🖼️: Ascendant at 10°, 22° degrees can give you a beautiful looking face and in general your body too, so many people out where look stunning with those degrees on the ascendant

🖼️:Those with Jupiter in the sign of Cancer/4th house can feel the most lucky when they think about their family or creating their own families, it gives them an excitement energy

🖼️: Most people will argue about this but Venus in Scorpio is tricky as hell with the relationships because Venus is in detriment, Scorpio Venus may not know how to act when they're in love or in a relationship

ஜ❀ஜ❀ஜ❀ஜ❀ஜ❀ஜ❀ஜ❀ஜ❀ஜ❀ஜ❀ஜ❀

🖼️: Sagittarius Risings will 100% wanna look for someone who is very communicative with them, and someone who can express their feelings in a relationship (Gemini in the 7th house)

🖼️:Moon in Capricorn/Moon in the 10th house natives can be the ones who have a hard time with telling their true feelings, most of them are close people and don't want to get hurt

🖼️: Lilith asteroid (1181) aspecting Mercury gets excited about hearing other people's voice, like some voice can turn them up just by hearing them

🖼️: Saturn in the 10th house feels like a dad who is constantly watching over you, because Saturn feels at home here is a healthy placements for Saturn and let's say Saturn transforms into a dad figure

ஜ❀ஜ❀ஜ❀ஜ❀ஜ❀ஜ❀ஜ❀ஜ❀ஜ❀ஜ❀ஜ❀

ஜ❀ஜ❀ஜ❀ஜ❀ஜ❀ஜ❀ஜ❀ஜ❀ஜ❀ஜ❀ஜ❀

🖼️: Chiron in Aries/ at 1°, 13°, 25° degrees can struggle with their anger issues or having a hard time to calm themselves sometimes having a hard time to focus on themselves too and tends to forget about things that make them happy

🖼️: Taurus in the 4th house/Venus in the 4th house > They don't express their sensuality often but when they do people get stunned by it. Most natives with this energy make people to feel safe and at home/peace

🖼️: Most Taurus Risings i know have such cute voices and I think is because they have Gemini and cancer rulling their 2nd and 3rd houses (The combo of air + water makes this energy). Definitely they got the physical touch love sign with their Scorpio in the 7th house

🖼️: When it comes to the past I think South Node in the 9th/12th and 8th house makes the native to wonder a lot of about it or to have a lot of questions towards their past lives

ஜ❀ஜ❀ஜ❀ஜ❀ஜ❀ஜ❀ஜ❀ஜ❀ஜ❀ஜ❀ஜ❀

ஜ❀ஜ❀ஜ❀ஜ❀ஜ❀ஜ❀ஜ❀ஜ❀ஜ❀ஜ❀ஜ❀

🖼️: Natives with 5th house empty usually don't want kids, until there is some love asteroid like, for example i have asteroid Aphrodite (1388) in this house but overall my house is empty (no planets just asteroids) and I don't want or wish kids

🖼️: I think Air Risings and Air Moons are the most social people out there because of their open communicative aura/social skills/ they're pretty ambient in their energy as well and they have a good humour tho

🖼️: Sun in the 1st house natives makes the native to be so determined and focused towards their life, they're so ambitious and powerful and their energy overall is just amazing

🖼️: Neptune aspecting Pluto or Uranus makes the native so spiritual, like is amazing they're getting more wise with their age and more mature

🖼️: Neptune in the 12th house has a surreal needy of getting closer with other people's feelings/like they want to know your soul first and before all

ஜ❀ஜ❀ஜ❀ஜ❀ஜ❀ஜ❀ஜ❀ஜ❀ஜ❀ஜ❀ஜ❀

ஜ❀ஜ❀ஜ❀ஜ❀ஜ❀ஜ❀ஜ❀ஜ❀ஜ❀ஜ❀ஜ❀

🖼️: Pisces/Cancer and Virgo placements especially Moon are vey underatted when it comes to being clingy and clinginess, they're so clingy but they don't show it at first

🖼️: Virgo Risings have a very dirty way of talking because of their Scorpio in the 3rd house, they're so so so dirty in talking (when angry they may cuss a lot)

🖼️: Taurus Lilith is so so touchy and needy but they dont usually show it...like they will give you some signs or indications but most of these natives are just hidden sensualists

🖼️: Be careful if you have Lilith in Cancer or Lilith in the 4th house or at Cancer Degrees because you can "absorb" in a way the negative things from your mother, and the meaning of this placement is to NOT be like your mother (you know what I mean like in toxic ways or tendencies)

🖼️: You will never know what is going through the mind of the Uranus in the 1st house, they are thinking at multiple things at once and often can get distracted

ஜ❀ஜ❀ஜ❀ஜ❀ஜ❀ஜ❀ஜ❀ஜ❀ஜ❀ஜ❀ஜ❀

ஜ❀ஜ❀ஜ❀ஜ❀ஜ❀ஜ❀ஜ❀ஜ❀ஜ❀ஜ❀ஜ❀

🖼️: Groom asteroid in your 9th house can indicate having a foreign spouse (if you are attracted to men) if you are attracted to women check Briede asteroid

Asteroids Codes: 5129, 19029

🖼️: Groom 5129 in the 12th house can indicate soulmates or twin flames, maybe even a karmic partner, someone's who's very passionate and sensitive

🖼️: Mercury aspecting Neptune or Mars (Or having those planets in the same house) makes the native "sharp mind - sharp tongue", they are extremely intelligent but can also fool people

🖼️: Jupiter aspecting Venus (all aspects) are so beautiful, when Jupiter aspects Venus it expands your beauty/charm/love to everyone and puts you in the spotlight

🖼️: Jupiter aspecting the Ascendant are the most underrated when it comes to beauty in Astrology, Jupiter literally is blessing you when is touching the ascendant

🖼️: Scorpio/Aquarius/Pisces/ Risings are having 2 ruler planets that can influence their lives, check your both ruler planets when you have one of these 3 risings. Look for Mars and Pluto for Scorpio/Look for Jupiter and Neptune with Pisces/Look for Saturn and Uranus with Aquarius 💅🏼

✨ With all the love, bless you all! ✨

✨ From the past, present or future ✨

ஜ❀ஜ❀ஜ❀ஜ❀ஜ❀ஜ❀ஜ❀ஜ❀ஜ❀ஜ❀ஜ❀

#astrology #astro observations #birth chart #astro notes #astrology observations #placements #astro community #horoscope #ascendant #venus #astro #astro.com #astro.seek #vedic astrology #sidereal astrology

[nanowrimo]

4 Tips for Autistic Writers

Autistic writers can face unique challenges when it comes to writing. NaNo Participant Auden Halligan has tips to handle some of those challenges!

So, you’ve just sat down at your desk, all ready to work on your next chapter, but you just can’t seem to start. Something is itching at your brain, and no matter how hard you think, you can’t figure it out. For autistic writers, that itch might be even harder to get around when compounded with autistic inertia, introspection issues, and sensory processing disorder — even if we were super excited to get started, sometimes the stumbling blocks are enough to keep us from going anywhere at all.

Here are four tips to identify your struggles and work around them rather than against them as an autistic writer!

1. Schedule your writing time appropriately

While keeping a schedule can help you stave off unwanted change in your routine, the need to switch to another task when the clock strikes the hour sometimes feels like a monumental task, one that eventually becomes detrimental to your creative pursuits.

If switching tasks is the biggest hurdle to your writing, setting a designated writing time with no other plans around it could do the trick. Oftentimes, just one hour of time to transition from doing dishes to sitting down at your computer to write is exactly what you need to get past that point and find your writing headspace.

2. Make sure your sensory environment is right

Sometimes getting into that writing headspace is harder than normal, but you can’t put your finger on a reason. Chances are, you’re not quite ready until you have your sensory needs met and you can fully focus on your story.

Personally, I like to be on the couch with my water bottle, a playlist at just the right volume, and a comfortable jacket or hoodie on. For you, the ideal sensory space might involve a desk and a snack, a pet nearby, and a quiet room. For others, it could be outside or even at a library or coffee shop. Autistic people are all different and so are their sensory needs, so this one is super subjective — do what works best for you!

3. Take breaks often

Writing can be exhausting, and if you’re struggling to keep going, you might need to take a pause. If you’re like me and struggle with remembering to hydrate and eat once you’re deep in a task, use your break to get some water and a snack. If you’re having trouble staying focused, get up and move around and stim or go outside to give your brain a reset. If you feel like you’ve gotten some good progress done, however small, reward yourself — do something related to your special interest, dance with a pet, and celebrate your little (or big!) win!

The pomodoro method is a good way to keep yourself from working too long without a break, and if that doesn’t work for you, methods like the Eisenhower method with breaks interspersed and even simply inserting breaks into your scheduled writing time are just as valid.

4. Don’t be afraid to skip around

Another thing that often trips us autistic people up is needing to follow the story down its natural progression, from start to middle all the way to the finish. But inevitably, once we’ve gotten past the initial excitement of having the project started, we hit a stumbling block…and the project gets abandoned. I’ve left behind countless projects because I lost interest after hitting a scene I wasn’t excited for after just a few chapters.

To combat this, try writing out of order! Skip ahead to the scene directly after your stumbling block. You could also skip to the next scene your favorite character is in or even to the climax if it helps you move forward. If you’re having trouble putting your first words down, try writing a random scene in the middle of your story to get into the groove of writing your characters.

Alternately, if you can’t abide by the out of order method and really need to get your characters from Point A to Point B, try putting the scene you’re stuck on in brackets. For example:

[Character 1 and Character 2 fight over the decision to kick Character 3 off the team. 2 leaves in anger.]

It’s simple, efficient, and gets you out of that particular rut so you can keep moving toward that sweet, sweet conversation you’ve wanted to write since Day 1.

Now go forth and write, my friends!

Auden Halligan is a creator through and through. She’s been writing her entire life, but didn’t start participating in NaNoWriMo until 2017–right now she’s working on developing a TV series (or two!) and has several novels and short films in the drafting phase. Auden is currently a college student studying film production and hoping to minor in disability studies. You can find her on her very sparse Twitter at ink.and.spite. Photo by Lisa Fotios from Pexels

If you’re an autistic writer, check out the Pillow Fort in the NaNoWriMo forums! It’s a group for people who are neurodivergent, have disabilities, mental health concerns, or physical challenges that affect their lives.

#nanowrimo #camp nanowrimo #writing #autistic writers #writing advice #by nano guest #Auden Halligan #neurodivergent writers

[mooonwalker]

whats goin on w tbz rn is, once again, unbelievable

#im not like an avid follower of artists schedules or anything like that but even just by interacting w their content on the smallest scale #(follow them on socials) #it was concerning how much shit they constantly had goin on since around their world tour stuff #like they were all over the place. a few weeks after id gone to see them they obv went to other tour spots but then immediately they were- #back in kr to do that concert thing #then back to touring... then the completion of the tour back in kr.... then comeback(s if u count sweet) #and this was one after the other like all i was seein on socials was posts from tbz bc they just. kept doing stuff #n now its reached a point where TWO of the members r on hiatus due to what company claims as general mental health issues #n some of the other members have injuries n stuff. and thats just stuff we know of. like who knows what else is goin on #im not blind to the music industry environment ESP in kpop but tbz r being so clearly overworked #to the detriment of literally everyone involved other than the company #members r clearly struggling. ppl who interact w their stuff can tell theyre not 100% which in turn affects the enjoyment of said content #its all well n good being aware of it and trying to bring it up w to company but like. whats that rlly gna do ykno #n ofc this isnt a one off. in the post i say once again bc its not the first time bht also. its not just tbz #just bc this kind of situation happens relatively often doesnt make it any less unbelievable

[milksockets]

why scan?

scanning is something i've done for probably about 12 years now (i'm ancient, for this site), with varying degrees of regularity, intensity, etc. it has ratcheted up since the dawn of 2023, though, which begs the question: why? why put so much time into what could not-wrongly be considered a passive activity, hunched over a piece of clunky machinery with the express purpose of preserving others' creations? the answers are several, and fascinating (not really).

i am a [sober] drug addict. anything i pursue, consume, create--more often than not--ends up taking on addictive qualities. i'll eat the same specific food item for a month, then never want to see, let alone taste it, again. i'll listen to one song on repeat for days until i'd rather hear nails on a chalkboard than have it shuffle on and assault my ears. one of the reasons that my scanning has increased in volume recently is that i acquired library cards to the 3 nyc library systems: nypl, brooklyn, and queens. as soon as i was able to, i pillaged + plundered those fine centers of learning, leaving any given library with as many hefty scan-worthy books as i could [barely] carry. here, finally, was a *free* way of obtaining more + more + more visual media to consume.

2023 saw me get my first legal, full-time job. as such, my adjusting to that hellish reality resulted in a steep decline in my own personal creative output. collaging, writing, and rapping all fell to the wayside as i slowly acclimated to a life of work that almost everyone else my age has known for over a decade is generally unbearable + detrimental to the maintenance of outside pursuits. in times of famine within my own artistic harvest, scanning, archiving, and sharing others' work is a means of feeling as though i am still contributing to the global oeuvre.

there’s an element of losing my mental self in a series of physical motions that becomes almost automatic after some time. “zoning out” is not something endemic to my daily life; if anything, i’m almost always too zoned in. relief is necessary.  especially considering the shitshow this past year has been in terms of my personal life.

i am a product of capitalism’s cultivating a craving for constant consumption. 

it seems that visual content is only going to continue to get more + more uninspired. has everything been done? did social media ruin it all? in any case, i feel a need to document the past. to a degree, it’s my version of doomsday prepping. (god forbid books go extinct altogether.) 

i have always gravitated towards solitary activities. this topic could be a thesis in its own right.

i thrive on external validation. this reliance is something i’ve improved upon over the past several years, but it hasn’t been altogether extinguished. even though the materials i scan are not of my own creation, i nevertheless feel a vague pride in showcasing them. occasional appreciation thereof satisfies this fixation on others’ attention, albeit in a diluted form. 

i am fortunate to live in a city bursting to the gills with cultural institutions. i am also lucky enough to have some disposable income that can be directed toward fulfilling my ravenous desire for visual media. 

((i keep getting messages about the specifics of my scanner + "process":

i have a cheap ass hp envy 6055e and i just use the software it comes with.

there's nothing special or fancy happening here, and i could definitely invest in a better and/or a large format scanner, etc. but i really just don't care enough and it's not like i'm getting paid for this lmao))

#words