#I HAVE A LOT TO SHOW THIS WIP DAY THE CREATIVE PROCESS IS BACK AND ATWORK! I’m so happy!

[j-nipper-95]

Six Sentence Sunday

When I started writing this post it was still Sunday here in the UK, so here goes nothing!

Thanks for all the tags recently for WIPs days. I'm always so blown away by the creativity in this fandom, and by how everyone hypes everyone else up. This fandom is something truly special, and I am so grateful to have fallen into it like I did.

I'm pretty sick at the moment (food poisoning + a cold = a very tired and confused Jess), so I don't have the brain power to go back and tag everyone who has tagged me, but just know I see your posts and I am so excited by what you're all working on!!

As a direct result of SickJess being in the drivers seat this week, I'm going to have to delay chapter 8 of Trails for a few days, maybe even up to a week. I don't have the brain space to consider serious edits (and boy does this chapter need some serious editing!) and one of my beta's isn't doing to hot either, so this one will be slow going. This chapter is also chonky for me (6.6k, whereas I tend to write between 2k-5k maximum per chapter), so there's a lot to go through.

TL;DR: I'm sick, editing is a long process, brain no English gud right now, chapter 8 delayed slightly.

That being said, here's a (currently unedited) snippet from chapter 8.

“Who are we meeting?” I ask, breaking the quiet. There isn’t a lot of traffic on the roads tonight, just the odd cab that splashes through the surface water. It’s eerie to see London this quiet, at any time, day or night. “Hush, Snow,” Baz says, not looking at me and nestling further into the collar of his coat. That gets my hackles up.  “It’ll look strange if we just stand here not talking. Anyone could see us out here.” I make a point of glancing around to drive my point home, but also because I don’t trust that the Now Next don’t have eyes and ears everywhere. He sighs sharply. “We’re talking now, aren’t we?” “You know what I mean,” I growl. “Fine, Snow.” Baz shifts slightly, takes a short sharp inhale, then leans back against the railing again. “We’re waiting on someone from the Coins and Medals department. My contact said he’d be able to let us in after ten.” I make a show of looking at my watch. “He’s late.” “I know,” Baz grinds out. “And why is someone who studies coins seeing us about a map and a ring?” “The department deals in more than numismatics, Snow.” “Do they speak English?” He gives me an imperious eyebrow, which pisses me right off. “Don’t be a prat,” I huff, resting against the fence and staring out at the street.

Tagging with my regular list (so apologies in advance if you've already posted today!): @artsyunderstudy @aroace-genderfluid-sheep @aristocratic-otter @bazzybelle @blackberrysummerblog @bookish-bogwitch @cattocavo @chen-chen-chen-again-chen @cosmicalart @cutestkilla @dragoneggos @erzbethluna @ebbpettier @fatalfangirl @frjsti @henreyettah @hushed-chorus @ic3-que3n @ileadacharmedlife @ivelovedhimthroughworse @krisrix @larkral @letraspal @martsonmars @nightimedreamersworld @orange-peony @prettylightsbigcity @palimpsessed @phoxphyre @raenestee @skeedelvee @stardustasincocaine @subparselkie @theearlgreymage @wellbelesbian @you-remind-me-of-the-babe 

#snowbaz #cotta 2023 #the trails we blaze #Sick Jess hopefully won't be around for too much longer (but knowing the way my luck runs I'll be feeling rough for a good few days) #way more than 6 sentences and definitely not posting on a sunday #snowbaz snarky banter is the best banter #up there with their flirty banter

[cheesybadgers]

okay soooo tell me your favorite thing about writing the epic beast that is OHDH. i want the directors cut lol

Ahhh Alex, bless you and thank you for sending this question ❤️😘

And oh boy, where do I start?!! It’s hard to pick just one, so here are three main things:

1) I think one of the trickiest yet most satisfying parts of the process was figuring out a) how any canon divergence made sense for the characters and their motivations and b) what the impact of those changes were on future canon events. It was such a fine balancing act and I had a lot of lightbulb moments in the shower (I swear my shower is some sort of creativity portal lol) solving plot problems. I had someone comment on AO3 saying how much they liked the ‘butterfly effect’ of the canon divergence and that sums it up so well, because one change at the start of the fic has a domino effect on everything else.

Sort of linking on from this, I also had so much fun making characters interact who never met in canon, or only had very minimal screen time together. Horacio and Chucho obviously never meet in the show, but their paths crossing in OHDH led to a whole new subplot and ultimately helped shape the ending of the fic. I wanted this to be a transformative work rather than a re-hash of canon, so if I achieved anything, I think it’s safe to say I achieved that!

2) I was also surprised how much I immersed myself in fic research, more so than I ever did for my degree back at university 😂 I knew I was going to have to do some research when the story got to a certain point, but I just kept falling down different rabbit holes and it expanded my reading list in all sorts of directions I wasn’t expecting. It got me back into the habit of reading books too, which I’m embarrassed to say I hadn’t done much of in recent years. But knowing I needed to read X or Y in order to progress with a certain scene or chapter was great motivation.

I must confess, my knowledge of Colombian history wasn’t great before (it’s not something the British education system covers), but my reading actually made me question and challenge the source material in ways I hadn’t before. So, shipping might be considered just shoving two characters together like dolls, but hey, at least I learnt some history along the way lol.

3) Getting to make up a tonne of backstory (especially for Horacio, who is a bit of a blank slate in canon) and create OCs. I’d never created proper OCs before this fic, so it was fun building them around the main pairing, giving them their own personalities and histories but also letting them affect the story. I think the different locations throughout the fic were like OCs of their own too (I’ve been contemplating a holiday to Madrid since I wrote the chapters set there lol), so the world building aspect of it was a fun learning experience too, and not something that came naturally to me at the start.

I’m sure there are so many more things! I will also say it’s been the steepest of learning curves re: my writing skills as well. I’m probably not even consciously aware of everything I’ve learnt, but going back to earlier chapters has been difficult, because I was obviously much more inexperienced back then lol. The urge to do re-edits has been real, but I don’t think I have the energy for that right now (and it was posted as a WIP, so by its nature it’s going to show the progress of my writing from start to finish).

Back in 2020/2021, I wanted to push myself out of my comfort zone (I think it was around a time during the pandemic when I realised how uninspiring my day job is and how little motivation I have for it anymore, so pursuing creative hobbies away from it seemed like a better use of my time), and it's safe to say I managed that with this behemoth 😂 It's been a huge journey of self-discovery and realising what I'm capable of. Fic used to be something I thought only other people wrote, so there were times I'd pull a metaphor or certain phrasing out of thin air and laugh at my laptop in shock, because I didn't think I had it in me to be poetic lol.

So, my advice to anyone reluctant to start a creative project because they don't feel skilled enough, please, please, please do it anyway. Seriously. Because you will muddle through, learn so much along the way and surprise yourself ❤️

Ok that was a bit of a ramble, but you did say director’s cut, so here we are 😂 Thank you once again for sending this, I've been in such a reflective and bittersweet mood since finishing, so it's nice to focus purely on the positive aspects of the experience 😘

#Ask #Asks #Replies #OHDH

[14carrotghoul]

20 questions for fic writers

ahhh thank you so much for all the tags to @cha-melodius @myheartalivewrites @daisymae-12 @read-and-write- @indomitable-love @happiness-of-the-pursuit and @cultofsappho!! <3 I've been reading through all of your posts at work and I can finally respond!!

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

19 (with one of them being fanart)

2. What’s your total AO3 word count?

62,441!

3. What fandoms do you write for?

Red white and royal blue

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

Déjame Ver Cómo Es Que Floreces

Solo Déjame Estar Junto a Ti

Isn't She Lovely

Whataburger, Whatanight (this one surprised me lmao)

the sadness you carry, it hangs like a ghost 

5. Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

I do! I used to get back within two days but with the boom of readers it turned more into a week because it got a bit overwhelming, but things seem to have slowed down in my stats and I'm hoping to go back to my usual response time! I love engaging with everyone that comments and have had the most lovely interactions <333

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

Probably the sadness you carry, it hangs like a ghost because it literally ends right before Henry has his panic attack with Alex in the car

7. What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

I think every other fic has a happy ending, but I make people cry with Dejame Ver the most! I wanna tally them up someday - get a percentage of that and the comments that I get in Spanish lol

8. Do you get hate on fics?

No *knocks on wood*

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

No. Have written a scene in a WIP that's sitting dormant but am very self-conscious about it in general

10. Do you write crossovers? What’s the craziest one you’ve written?

No crossovers!

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not to my knowledge

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

No. I daydream about translating Dejame Ver but my Spanish is more conversational (LMAO I literally got into the funniest argument with a cashier on what escabeche meant yesterday so I would also have to unpack my regionalisms lol). I'd like to expand my vocab, especially through literature, if I ever took that on

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

No. I think my writing process would drive a co-author nuts lmao

14. What’s your all time favorite ship?

Firstprince

15. What’s a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

i have one that I've never mentioned that's a big canon divergence that makes it so alex and henry have even more beef but it's a slow burn and would basically have to be novel length. My attention has since wandered to shorter ideas, but it's one I'd like to share someday even if it means chopping it up

16. What are your writing strengths?

I feel like I'm pretty good at writing friendships and how characters play off each other in banter. I am pretty proud of my dialogue! And I think my writing (when it's not angst) has a very welcoming and homey feeling.

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

I feel like my writing can be very literal and I could stop and smell the roses more when describing things haha I can click into that mode sometimes but other times I don't have the patience to be super descriptive. I think this also translates into pacing - just wanna get the show on the road lol

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic?

hehehehehe (love it)

I'm hoping to figure out footnotes for my next fic especially bc there's a lot of Aztec words/concepts that are niche and I don't want to pull readers out of the fic too much when they'd have to google things

19. First fandom you wrote for?

Either Twilight or Maximum Ride

20. Favorite fic you’ve written?

Dejame Ver is a pride and joy, and readers' reactions to it still make me all soft and mushyyyy. I've gotten a tiny bit jaded about it bc my family is now a shitshow BUT I try not to let that ruin it for me!

Witchy WIP is gonna be right up there because I feel like it is just an explosion of my creativity!!! I truly went fucking nuts writing it

Tagging @sherryvalli @kiwiana-writes @suseagull04 @cricketnationrise @historicallysam @xthelastknownsurvivorx and anyone else that would like to share more about themselves!

#tag games #about me

[kaylinalexanderbooks]

🖋️"what inspired you to write your WIPs?"

📖"what has surprised you about your WIPs?"

💻"what perspectives do you write in?"

🖥️"what types of writing do you do?"

❤️"what are your favorite scenes from your WIPs?"

😭"what are the biggest challenges writing your WIPs?"

Hello! Thanks for the ask! (From this game)

This is a lot of questions! Haha super excited though. Sorry I took a bit to get to this. Long of course so it's under the cut.

🖋️"what inspired you to write your WIPs?"

The Secret Portal

TSP's inspiration can be traced back to the Rainbow Magic series. I was obsessed with these fairies as a kid, and at one point role played a story with my stuffed animals on two girls discovering they were fairies. In fourth grade during a creative writing unit, I thought back to this story and decided to change fairies (since I thought I was too old lol) to "people with powers" and I added a portal or something. It has since evolved so much and I don't know where the inspiration has come from. Most media I consume is somehow ingrained into my writing style.

School of the Legends

SOTL was inspired by my love for fairy tale retellings. Whatever After and The Land of Stories stick out the most if I'm being honest.

📖"what has surprised you about your WIPs?"

The Secret Portal

TSP has surprised me by how far it's come. How interesting I find it. How it keeps evolving into something I'm more and more proud of. Smaller stuff, like Lexi deviating completely from her original purpose of a self insert, Gwen becoming more important than I thought, how natural the chemistry between the characters has been, my many ah ha! Moments. How much I've grown as a writer and how amazing it is that I can track my growth across over a decade of my life. The positive reactions I've received. How much it keeps getting better. I love it more every day. Hard work is paying off.

School of the Legends

SOTL is not that far in development but I'm surprised by how fun it is to think about. How hilarious the first couple chapters have been overall. Also, I really like a lot of my ideas for adapting fairy tales and stuff.

💻"what perspectives do you write in?"

The Secret Portal

TSP is told in a multi POV format. One major theme is perspective and the inner workings of each character, and I honestly can't imagine it in third. It's taken a lot of work, and the character voices are becoming increasingly more distinct. There are chapters without one focal character told in third person.

School of the Legends

SOTL is told completely in third person, with one focal character per chapter. I think most of my projects from now on will be third so the exhausting and diligent work from TSP doesn't have to be repeated. Only two other works I have planned feel fitting for it anyway.

🖥️"what types of writing do you do?

I obviously do a lot of original fiction, primarily sci-fi and fantasy. Only one idea that I haven't completely scrapped is realistic fiction, and that will likely stay the same. I love realistic fiction, but find compelling narratives hard for some reason. This idea doesn't even have a plot so that's also telling.

On the side, I do a lot of media analysis. I love reviewing movies and shows and analyzing the crap out of them. Not only does this help me process and document all of my opinions but it also gives me a better understanding of the property, writing process, and story progression that leads to my development as a writer.

❤️"what are your favorite scenes from your WIPs?"

The Secret Portal

Favorite scenes aw man. For TSP, the grilled cheese sandwich debate has a special place in my heart. It's unfortunately very long so obviously I'm going to have to cut it down, which I'm working on, but I'm keeping it as is. Also, the intense moments that I'm proud of stand out. Ash getting manipulated, Noelle and Carmen arguing, Jedi's entire backstory, etc. I become super proud of myself for being able to get invested. Any scene with Robbie and Akash honestly.

School of the Legends

For SOTL, it's not that long, but I love the opening scene for Tierney's chapter electric shocking his brothers. But I am also proud of Úrsula's chapter for being pretty nuanced.

I guess both the wholesome shenanigans and also heavy scenes.

😭"what are the biggest challenges writing your WIPS?"

The Secret Portal

Biggest challenge for TSP is honestly world building. I can figure out character and plot enough with hard work but my brain hurts from world building. Which kinda sucks because I want Alium to be distinct. The good news is, it's coming along, and I like the tiny little processes that I make over time. Little things add up, and Alium is becoming more and more of its own thing. I like that, even if it's hard.

School of the Legends

For SOTL, it's stringing together a narrative and structure. I have a lot of characters and plot ideas but can't connect most of them. There are just so many fairy tales. I have no idea how I'm going to work with this. Maybe just making it a string of one-shots with an overarching plot could work. I dunno. We shall see where it goes.

Thank you so much for all the asks!!! This was so fun! Hope this was a good read!

#writing blog #writers on tumblr #writing community #writing ask games #behind the scenes #the secret portal #tsp #teaspoon #school of the legends #sotl #my wips #ask answered #writers of tumblr #writing on tumblr #writeblr community #writeblr

[jonsaslove]

for the fic writer questions 1-10

Thanks anon!

1 Do you prefer writing one-shots or multi chapter fics?

Both honestly. Multi chapters are often more satisfying because you get to tell a lengthy story, and interact with your readers more but one shots challenge you to tell a story in a compact amount of time with a high emotional impact.

2 Do you plan each chapter ahead or write as you go?

I'm definitely a planner, but my outlines are not super super detailed. With my WIP castling the king, I had a pretty solid outline from the start but I decide on the finer details as I go in order to flush out the main ideas I already have.

3 Describe the creative process of writing a chapter/fic

This is fun! I always start by outlining, and for me that looks like breaking up the chapter or fic into scenes. This can just be 1 or 2 sentences about what the fic is about, and then I write chronologically, I'll very rarely go out of order if inspiration really strikes me. Then I go back afterwards and edit things. I'm the type of person who can just write without stopping for anything for a few hours.

4 Where do you find inspiration for new ideas?

Everywhere lol. Music, shows, books, other fics, even gif sets on tumblr. Usually it's the smallest thing that strikes inspo for me!

5 Do you like constructive criticism?

I do...but I also think sometimes people do not understand the difference between constructive criticism and just criticism lol. Be nice to your fic writers, at the end of the day we are doing this for free and for our own enjoyment.

6 Do you have your work beta'd? How important is this to your process?

No, I never have. I don't know how common it is for fic writers to do this. That being said I do spend a lot of time editing my own work.

7 How do you choose which POV to write from?

Ah. It always depends on what story I want to tell. Usually it is from one or both POV of the characters I'm writing from. But when I'm writing longer stories for GOT especially, one of the things I love about the show and book is the breadth of the storytelling and how the world feels expansive so I will often include many secondary POVs.

8 Do you prefer the beginning, middle, or end of a story?

For long fics, definitely the middle. The beginning is exciting but intimidating knowing how far you have to go, and the end gets bittersweet because you know it's almost over.

9 Do you comment on stories you read?

About 75% of the time I try to yes! I know how nice it is to receive even simple comments.

10 Ctrl+f 'blinks' on your WIP and paste the first line that comes up

This is from the chapter I'm currently working on in castling the king.

Robb looks at his wife, blinking several times before looking back at Arianne. The Dornish princess does not falter, her smile stays fixed.

Thanks so much anon, if anyone else wants to ask any questions you can find the post here

#jonsa #fic #writing #asks #mine

[haztobegood]

My 2022 Fic Fest Participation

This went around last year and there were so many incredible fests throughout the year, so I’m bringing it back for 2022! I love seeing all the creative fests that this fandom comes up with. Thank you to everyone that modded fests and created spaces that inspired some amazing works this year!

Number of fests: 8

Numbers of fics: 8 out of the 13 I posted were written for fests and I also created art for 2 fic fests!

Favorite fest/fic: We're Getting Better With Time for the @1dsilverfoxfest. This fest inspired a ton of incredible fics with older characters that were very fun to read. My fic was about second chances and coming out later in life. I received so many lovely comments on this fic.

Fests you would love to do again this year (if they come back): I look forward to @wankersday and @1dtrickortreatfest every year! They are always a fun challenge.

Tagging: @disgruntledkittenface @reminiscingintherain @fallinglikethis @louandhazaf @allwaswell16 @lululawrence @uhoh-but-yeah-alright @beelou @kingsofeverything @jacaranda-bloom

A list of my creations and reflections is under the cut!

The Phantom Heart for @girldirectionfest NR, 500, Harry/Louis | Post Break-Up

I had this scene drafted in my wip folder for so long, it was meant to be part of a long, angsty getting-back-together fic based on a song, but I lost interest in writing it and I never thought it would see the light of day. When this fest was announced, this scene stuck out to me. I polished it up and really focused on trying to make the angst as heartbreaking as possible. And to challenge myself more, I kept it to 500 words.

That's What I Want  for @harryrarepairfest E, 4k, Harry/Lil Nas X | Mpreg

I knew I wanted to pick a very rare rare pair for this fest. It was based on Lil Nas X’s album promo and Harry’s apparent fascination with pregnancy. When I first got the idea for this fic,  I couldn’t decide which one in the pair should be pregnant. I laughed so hard when I finally figured out the plot for this. And for some reason, pancakes/waffles and syrup became a bit of a motif in my writing this year.

Hex Appeal for @wankersday E, 4k, Harry/Louis | Modern Magical Realism

I started writing this one in July of 2021. When the idea struck, I typed it all out in one night. The rough draft sat untouched until much closer to the fest, when I finished editing it. I have an idea for a prequel that I might try to write for the next round.

Close Our Eyes (Pretend We're Miles Away) for @1dastroficfest E, 5k, Girl Direction Harry/Louis | Thelma and Louise AU

I watched Thelma and Louise one night and I couldn't shake the feeling that I needed to write a girl direction au. I wrote out some of my favorite scenes and focused on finding a way to tell their story without so much focus on the deadbeat husband or the detective. When I received the tarot card prompt Judgment for this fest, I knew this fic was perfect. I used a lot of the imagery from the card in the final scene, as well as the growth of Harry's character throughout the fic to fit the prompt.

We're Getting Better With Time for @1dsilverfoxfest T, 5k, Harry/Louis | Second Chances

This fic came together so quickly, and I learned so much from the process of writing it. I got stuck about halfway through, frustrated because I kept thinking that the story would be told better if I could write a long slowburn fic. But I didn't have time for that. I had to shift my focus and the fic is stronger for it. I thought about all the elements I'd want if I were writing the long fic, and tried to show those elements in a sentence or two. It really improved my descriptions of Harry and his life, and created a much more layered story.

The Rescue for @1dtrickortreatfest NR, 666, Harry/Louis | Short Horror Story

I challenged myself to write something scary this year, and I think it worked. I didn't quite know where I was going with it until I wrote the last 100 words. Having such a short word limit is always a challenge, but creating strong emotions in a condensed space is a lot of fun.

It's All Come and Go for @louisrarepairfest E, 3k, Louis/Orville Peck | Truck Stop PWP

I picked this pairing because there were no other fics on ao3 with this pairing and I thought it would be an interesting challenge. I'd watched a stream of Orville Peck's Coachella set and before he played Drive Me, Crazy he said “Truck stops are like the original Grindr.”

Change of Plans for @1dchristmasfest G, 3k, Harry/Louis | Queer Platonic A/B/O Relationship

Two of the prompts submitted to this fest really stood out to me, and I used parts of both to create this. I was really interested in exploring the experience of an ace omega in an A/B/O world, and what that would mean for their partner as well. While I was writing, a post about queer platonic relationships was going around tumblr and that inspired the rest of Harry and Louis' relationship dynamic.

Art for they say looks can kill (and i might try) by @loveislarryislove for @1dreversebang M, 18k, Harry/Louis | Superheroes

This fic was inspired by my drawing of Louis that I submitted to the fest. I loved the idea of Louis being a vigilante named The Rogue and I decided to draw it in a futuristic, cyberpunk style. The fic that Annika wrote is amazing and brought the idea to life! I also drew this piece based on a scene from the fic.

Art for Baby, I Can Love You Better by @homosociallyyours

This collab was for @onedirectionbigbang and Megan's summary was so inspiring. I love drawing girl direction and I created a few pieces for their fic. I can't wait to read the rest and share my art when it is finished!

2021 summary

#fics and wips

[the-bjd-community-confess]

I was an active faceup artist for years, took intl. commissions and all. I was forced to go on a hiatus due to moving for work and health reasons. I feel better now and my life is stable, and I still get a lot of requests to open up shop again, but I just...I just can't. Working on my own stuff, and having a day job that covers my living costs, made me realize how much I actually dread it towards the end. 

 It's just not worth it for how little a faceup artist earns in this hobby, and how much one has to do to even get that meager payment. Hours and hours of leaning over a tiny head, destroying my back/eyes/wrists in the process. On top of that I do Photoshop mockups, take a lot of WIP and final photos, have to discuss matters with the customer, handle shipping and customs. Materials are expensive, and sometimes difficult to get. Even when a commission goes smoothly it's still a lot of work for very little pay. And often it doesn't even go well! 

 No matter how hard I try to reduce any risks/issues, I still have customers who try their hardest to make the whole commission an absolute nightmare to deal with. Like thinking it's okay to change their mind in the middle of the commission, as if it's no big deal and I should just start over (for free, of course). Hounding me for updates several times a day, even though I had just received the head a day ago and am extremely open about my schedule (like only painting on weekends). Approving WIP shots, and later admitting they actually disliked something early on but deciding not to tell me. Arguing about my prices, as if I am not already crazily undervaluing my own work out of fear of being harassed. Wanting me to change my style completely, and then being pissed when my work looks like...well, my work. Not replying to messages for a long time, and then complaining about how long the commission takes. On a more heartbreaking note, showing absolutely no enjoyment or enthusiasm throughout the whole commission and leaving me doubting whether I made them happy and did a good job. Never confirming they actually received a package. 

 And what for in the end? 60, 70, maybe 100 bucks per head when the customer is nice and willing to pay so much? Health issues? My own doll projects waiting to be finally customized by me? In other doll communities customizers are treated so highly, just look for how much Blythe customs go and that weird cult-like fanbase some artists have. But BJD faceup artists are just seen as little painting robots. Good enough to help you get that perfect face for your doll, but not good enough to be paid a decent wage or be treated with some respect. A lot of people don't even think of what we do as art. And I am not interested in the drama if I would open up "artist choice, 300$ per faceup, I decide who gets the slot" commissions. The community is just not made for that. 

 Sure, I made good experiences too. It felt nice to help people own the doll of their dreams, or to make that character they wanted for their doll come alive. I had some great customers that were a joy to work with. Creative, patient, friendly customers. Commissions I felt helped me greatly to get better at my craft. Moments of warm fuzzy feelings when a customer received their doll and was just so happy about the face-up. Interesting dolls I was happy to see in real life, or ideas I just thought were great and wanted to execute. 

 But all this isn't enough to make me return. I dealt with this all for a very long time cause I needed all the extra funds I could get, but I just can't muster up the energy anymore. I feel bad for my nice customers who had hoped to commission me again, and all the new people who just found my work and are sad they can't commission me anymore. 

 Sorry guys, offering commissions just sucks.

~Anonymous

#BJD #ABJD #BJD Confessions #Community Confessions #Faceup Artists #Faceups #Commissions

[brainshock-alpha]

For the fanfic writing asks: 7, 18, 26, 29, 78

7. Post a snippet from a wip.

so here's a short one that i haven't shown you before; after the readmore i'll add a longer one that you've already seen but i still wanna post lol

"Nice outfit." [Raihan turns and sees Piers coming around the corner.] "I didn't fool you for a second, did I?" [they say, grinning.] "You kiddin'? I'd clock those mako eyes of yours anywhere." [The reference gets a good chortle out of them.] "Hahaha! I'm a first-class SOLDIER, don't you know? Macro Cosmos enhanced me with Eternatus cells." "Oh my god, can you imagine?" [They share a good laugh together.]

(the brackets are supposed to indicate like, placeholder text or stage directions that i wanna edit later but in practice i end up bracketing most non-dialogue text on the first pass LOL,,,, it's fine,)

18. Do you enjoy research?  Which fic of yours required the most research?

most of the time i do! it's fun to learn new things, of course. but sometimes, man, i feel like i'm trying to roll a boulder up a mountain (labeled "executive dysfunction" like in a freaking political cartoon) and just not getting anywhere with it. as for which fics need the most research, uh, probably any of the ones where i have to write in a language i don't speak ^-^;;; which so far is just Merlin's Bairns and The Day To End All Days. and really the former was entirely in scots whereas the latter just has scots dialogue, so you might think the former unequivocally needed more research. but here's the thing... end all days has a single line of scottish gaelic... and having to come up with that seriously tipped the scales the other way i think. lmao

26. What’s your least favorite part of the writing process?

proooobably coming up with the first draft of anything... the process of putting ideas down on paper for the first time is always so strenuous for me. for some people, being able to just stream-of-conscious that shit into the text editor is a legitimate skill that needs to be developed, and i'm one of them 😔 not that doing the editing afterwards is always a breeze either... ahhhh

29. What’s something about your writing that you’re proud of?

i've gotten this question a couple times in the past, and let's see, i've already talked about my dialogue writing... and i think i've mentioned my fluff fics too... so how about something else? i like what i can come up with when i put a word limit on myself! i feel like i can convey a fair bit even when i don't have a lot of words to work with.

78. What motivates you during the writing process?

........... divine providence mostly LMAO. uhhh in general i have trouble staying motivated throughout a personal project, or any protracted endeavor. when it comes to creative works, though, i can usually get some fuel out of wanting to see something fairly-to-extremely specific come to life. if i wait for someone else to make things that cater to my niche interests i'll be waiting basically forever, so it's up to me to write about leon trapped in a time loop, or hop trying charcuterie with his new brother raihan, or an autistic grad student falling in love with an autistic himbo jock in a surreal post-post-apocalyptic world... well, you get the point! not to mention it's fun to see people's reactions to my fairly-to-extremely specific ideas :)

the longer wip excerpt that i said i'd post:

[context: gloria and victor just got their gym challenge uniforms, before the motostoke opening ceremony]

"Glo! Get a load'a this. Did you know that numbers with leading zeroes count as different to numbers without?" [he informs her, holding up the top to show off what's printed on the back: Victor 001.] "What!" is her first, honest reaction. But she recovers quick enough to jab at him, "That just makes you a discount Leon, y'know." "Shut up," Victor retorts cheerfully, taking the locker next to hers. "You're just mad you didn't think of it first." [It's a funny move, so she is a little jealous. But she's also pretty happy with her own number, 102, even if no one but Victor and Hop is allowed to know why she picked it.] "Positively fuming, aye. So is it pronounced 'zero-zero-one' or 'oh-oh-one'?" "Uhhh, it's just, 'one'. The zeroes are, uh, silent." He can't even finish his sentence without laughing. "Okay, sure. Whatever. You gonna catch a foongus and start saying 'let's have a champignon time' too?" [cackling] "No, you git! Hop's gonna think I'm a freak!!"

#Thank You So Nice ! #brainshock askpha #brainshock-alfic

[theoldaeroplane]

jouwnaling

had a really, really nice day yesterday, was just in a lovely mood all day. I think it may have been related to the fact I did not get high the night before, so I'm going to try to test that theory and dial my usage down. I really enjoy weed and think it has a lot of benefits, especially for neurodivergent folk, but I'm recognizing that I used it as a way to cope with my situations last year. I'd like to wean myself off it a bit and be more present now that my life is starting to not suck. Still gonna keep it around for fun and really bad ruminating though. Weed makes it so much easier for me to hang out with people in person for a long time, and to go into overstimulating spaces.

Been having tons of fun rotating my version of Link in my brain for Antebellum (the WIP name of my LoZ fic). He has so many problems. He is a dumb motherfucker. I'm also consciously putting a lot of things I've been struggling with into this story, both to process them for myself and to give the fic, you know, that extra layer of authenticity, relatability? It's nice, I'm excited to be excited again. I'm gonna fuck up that elf boy so bad.

Had my second yoga class last night, it was nice. I'm not sure if I can afford to keep going but I'm going to try to. In a way it feels silly to pay for something I could technically do for free at home with a YouTube video, but I think the atmosphere makes a significant enough difference to be worth paying for.

Finally made a vet appointment for the dog. She needs her shots and I can't put off the fact she needs dental surgery any longer.

I really, really need to reopen commissions, but I still feel burned out on art. I'm trying to make some adoptables and YCHs as a middle ground. Haven't had a lot of success there yet. That said, I've been putting a lot of my energy into cleaning up my house and taking care of myself. The house is coming along really well, and hopefully soon I'll have it leveled out enough to make it a nicer space for my creative endeavors.

I applied for another job this week, one totally out of my field and experience: house cleaning. It's not something I'd ever considered, but I found the listing by chance and it occurred to me that a job where I just clean and listen to podcasts sounds like heaven. Especially for my autistic ass. No constant stream of customers. No dress shirts. No repeatedly explaining terms and price sheets. Just show up and clean. I'm sure such a job has its own frustrations (hard on the body, exceptionally gross houses, telling people when something is not in my job description, driving a lot), but, like. My current job---while I genuinely like a lot of the work, and I really love my boss and coworkers---the customer service aspect is killing me, the dress code brings back bad memories, and even though I'm working full time (over full time, even, I'm there 8:30-5 because I take a thirty minute lunch break) I'm not making enough to fully support myself. I keep getting sent home early because there's nothing for me to do, and my boss is only a regional manager and has been very forthcoming with the fact I am already at the absolute highest end of the payscale for my position without taking on more responsibilities.

The fact that I can be working full time and still have to rely on a side hustle, and even THEN can't put anything aside for savings, is awful. I can't do more hours, I can't take on more responsibilities, and I can't get a second job. Any of those things would seriously compromise my mental health and I have to take care of myself. I've always dreaded it when I'm asked to take on more responsibilities at my jobs. I don't want advancement, I don't want to manage anyone (I can barely manage myself!), I don't give a shit what my title is. I want to do my work really well, get paid, and go home.

And the cleaning job, at the absolute lowest end, still pays about 5k more per year than my current position.

So, currently, yeah, housecleaning sounds like a dream job. Show up. Clean. Leave. Repeat. The company in question also has glowing employee reviews on Glassdoor, with the worst things being "could pay better" and "sometimes there's favoritism." I don't have any qualms about """being a maid""" on like a social level or whatever. I like the idea that I would be making a tangible difference for individuals, instead of printing out hundreds of advertising mailers that are going to go directly into the trash. I finding cleaning very satisfying. I like the idea of not sitting around bored because there's no customers and nothing to do and I'm not allowed to have my phone out, and then getting sent home early so I miss out on half my pay for that day. And so much less masking! My god! It sounds like paradise!

The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence, but sometimes that's because it really is better grass.

So. Hoping to hear back about that soon. I filled out a questionnaire thing for them yesterday that seemed like it was basically checking to see if I was a narcissistic sociopath or not. I have a weekend without any Special Events happening for the first time in like a month, just my tabletop games and my volunteer work. My clothes and bedding are all washed, I got most of the dog piss smell out of the carpet from when I was too exhausted to take her out often enough, and I cut my hair. I have a writing project again. I've been making new friends and reconnecting with old ones. I adore going out to the barn every saturday. My therapist says I'm doing really, really well. Everything's coming up Corgi, for now. Fingers crossed :)

[ren-c-leyn]

🥛🍯☕🐄🌳🐔

For the cottage core emoji asks, right? ^^

🥛 Milk: What is a food you find comforting when you are sad?

Homemade macaroni and cheese. Can't explain why, but it seems to help make a bad day a little better.

🍯 Honey: What is one thing you like about yourself?

I like my laugh :D

☕ Tea: How do you take your tea?

Depends on the type and my mood, but generally I like my tea so sweet my housemates give me weird looks when they happen to be in the kitchen while I'm making tea lol. I usually prefer honey, but some flavors, like Lady Grey, I prefer sugar. Strong teas, like english black teas or chais, I will sometimes add some cream too. Sometimes I'll add ginger and lemon to a green tea.

🐄 Cow: What is one other tumblr blog you really appreciate?

How could I pick just one? There's so, so many writeblrs I love T-T

I love @writingonesdreams and her creative stories and chronic enabling. Very curious about other people's wips and writing processes and is happy enough to share her own.

@hannahs-ramblings is a spark of joy, super creative, and has been a highlight of my tumblr experience since I was still a newbie around here. Always has some fun, creative project in the works and like 5 other blogs dedicated to writeblr stuff.

@hyba, can I say enough about hyba? One of my oldest and dearest writeblr friends who has like 900 amazing settings that are in so many different genres and are so beautiful and detailed you feel like you could travel to all of them. A very sweet and caring person, with a knack for writing suspense.

@sleepyowlwrites is a newer writeblr friend, but an amazing one. Beautiful poetry, even when it's not intentional, amazing characters, great art, and fun to just chat with ^^

@athenixrose has some beautiful story concepts and does an amazing job with lifting up the writeblr community.

@bloodlessheirbyjacques is another newer writeblr friend but again has a beautiful story, amazing characters, and is like a bubbly ray of sunshine.

@notwritinganyflufftoday is an amazing writer, and paints too! :D A snippet of her wip that's told through letters made me cry. Very emotional.

@vermontwrites does great descriptions and I freaken love Zazu. Their art is also INCREDIBLE! And their WIPs and settings are very creative and interesting.

@dragon-swords-prophecies is a fellow dnd fan, and their amazing stories and settings definitely reflect that. (I still love the sea elves with glowing spots that can kind of talk to fish. Don't think for a second I have forgotten it.) And their WIPs always have the most amazing titles. ^^

And that list, that's not even half of it. I can keep rambling and screaming about fellow writeblrs I love for hours.

🌳 Tree: What is one thing in your future you are looking foward towards?

I'm looking forward to, hopefully, getting some of my WIPs published some day. To seeing the finished versions of them in print, and realizing that I did it. I actually did it.

🐓 Chicken: What is a comfort movie/show for you?

March Comes in Like a Lion is one I've been going back to a lot recently. It's an anime that follows a professional shogi player and deals with some pretty heavy themes, like depression and loss and family trouble. That's not all it is, though, it has a silver lining. Friendships, fun and comedic moments, quiet moments. I love the way it blends the different moods in a way that kind of feels like life, you know?

Thanks for stopping in! I hope you have a lovely day/evening ^^

#ask game

[zulivaris]

Art Block tips that helped me

 I’ve recently experienced art block after 3 or so months of overcoming my last one. Thankfully this block only lasted a few days thanks to some things I’ve observed and noted down from the previous time. So I’m sharing these few tips in hopes that it might help someone get unstuck :D!

First and foremost if you’re tired, sad or anxious don’t be surprised that you can’t make art, go and take care of yourself by treating yourself with kindness and patience, the sketchbooks and canvases will wait for you :)

The tips are under here:

Separate art studies from the creative time:  When you do art studies you’re there to focus on specific things, learn and understand how things work so you can apply them later in your art. Studies take a lot of energy and focus and are the opposite of the creative "flow” of making your own pieces. If you combine the two the results are either unfocused studies or stiff drawings. When you sit down at your desk ask yourself “Do I want to learn something new or do I want to create something of my own?”

When you have an idea don’t be afraid of being messy: Let’s say you want to make a picture of several cats kolo dancing in the moonlight. How do you go about doing this? Well since you came up with the idea you already have a vague image in your mind, sketch it out with simple shapes, stick figures, circle and spheres etc Don’t worry about cat anatomy, or the dancer’s moves, sketch out the essence of it. This method removes the need to be perfect or accurate. 

Ok after the messy sketch then what? Well now that you have sketched out the essence of your idea (and hopefully had fun doing so) now you go on to look for references! You put the creative process on pause and you can do a few brief studies if you need to: anatomy, color schemes, values, poses. Pick out a few of your favorites but don't obsess over them, they are a guide, a tool.

You know much more than you think. You’ve probably been drawing for a few years now. You’ve probably done some studies and drawn more than one type of subject. Then you have already internalized some of that information. I used to be obsessed with capturing the minute detail of the subject, and not be able to draw ANYTHING without reference. Instead of a useful tool, references became another obstacle to my creativity. That’s perfectionism my friend, and that’s no good. Here is an exercise a good friend of mine offered: Draw a few characters, animals and objects from imagination. Make sure that the subjects have no personal value to you (no ocs for example) so that if you make a mistake you won’t feel bad about it. Make the process relaxed and comfortable, pour a nice cup of joe, listen to your favorite music ... You will notice that you do indeed know how to draw some things without reference, and it’ll help with your confidence. 

The more you do studies the more you understand This seems evident but the more you understand your subject the freer you can be and the easier it’ll be to draw it from imagination in the future. If you really struggle with something to the point of frustration (as in you can’t get it right even with reference) It means you have to study it. Have a study list, for example: hands, perspective, color theory etc. And one of those days you want to study pick something from the list, and look for videos on youtube or useful sites like line of action etc. Only study one thing at the time. You can go from studying hands to studying arms since they’re more immediately connected, but you can’t study hands and then jump to learning perspective right after. Trust me you can learn perfectly fine with the resources online, and I’m sure you’re clever enough to do it :D

Mistakes don’t mean you “suck”  I’ve noticed that the two most common causes for art block are perfectionism and lack of self-confidence.  The two can often go in tandem which is worse :’D But let me remind you of something, you can fix your piece along the whole process. Use erasers, lasso tools, liquify , select, paint it all over etc If something looks off to you then you also know deep inside how to fix it. Useful ways to see what clunks: flip canvas horizontally (helps with placement, proportions), turn the image to grayscale (helps to check values and where your eye tends to look), look at your image in thumbnail size and ask yourself if it’s clear, see the pose’s silhouette and ask yourself if you can tell what the character is doing etc. Don’t fret, everything can always be fixed :)

Perfectionism, sometimes it stops you before you begin Perfectionism causes you to overwork a piece, it makes you draw less, it makes art stressful, it brings insecurity. Let’s remove it with a simple exercise. It can be combined with the “draw things from imagination” once you’ve drawn something you like: dont do line art, don’t shade it, keep it as simple and crude as possible and then...post it. Yes, post it. You’re not at your best? You’re only human, this will help you embrace that very human side of you. You make mistakes. So what? The more mistakes you make the more you know what you need to study and the better at art you become. Mistakes are there to show us what we need to learn. See them as another tool and not a sign of failure.

Make the process as enjoyable as possible: You like art. You love drawing. Never forget this. Otherwise why are you drawing if you don’t enjoy it? It’s easy to fall prey to the mentality of those relatable memes that “art= suffering” or “I can’t even draw the other eye”. No no no my friends, these messages are fueling your insecurities instead of overcoming them. Let me tell you what, art is fun. It is. Art is fun, because I decided to make it fun again. And you should decide on that too. Personally I adore lineart but my hand-eye coordination is lacking to do it digitally, so....I just skipped it. Yes. I skipped it. I do the sketch, I clean it up a bit and then jump onto color which I adore. It allowed me to draw more and more freely. When I draw I listen to music, make strokes with the rhythm, I take breaks often and I drink my favorite iced teas. If you don’t like coloring do it in grayscale, if you love lineart then do that etc It doesn’t mean you won’t learn your weak points in the future with studies and practice, but you won’t let your weaknesses prevent you from drawing at all. No no, you won’t let them. You draw because you want to, despite of them.

Don’t wait for inspiration, provoke it  Inspiration is not a divine and capricious muse. You make inspiration. It’s easy just collect all the things you like, music, artists, objects, characters, animals, patterns, plants etc Make boards on pinterest or similar sites, combine things you like. You like suits? You like birds? You can draw a bird in a suit, or a bird-inspired suit design, there is frankly a lot of ideas that can spring up from little things like these.

When a project stops being enjoyable either pause it for now or move on to the next thing. Pieces aren’t precious. They’re not “the one time I got x right” they are one of many. This advice goes mainly to hobbyists who can afford the luxury of passing to a new project. I have a WIP of a character who is overly complicated (I enjoy a challenge from time to time) sitting for half a month. I sometimes come back to it and add something... but as soon as it starts to create discomfort and insecurity instead of enjoyment I move onto something else. In the meantime I created 3 or 4 new pieces. If I had waited on finishing that piece I would have been severely creatively and physically exhausted. The art comes from you, not inspiration. The more art you make the better you become.

That’s about it :D I know it’s long but I prefer to be thorough and cover all the possibilities. If you have read of this: Thank you so much I hope this helps you at least a bit, if it helps only 1 other person I’d still be very happy. Have a nice one, and kick art block’s butt!

#art block #art block tips #art block advice #art advice #art help #BloggityDiary #art reference #I hope this will help someone out #This will also help me remember my own advice sksksk

[thecomfywriter]

Writing Action Scenes

Okay, listen…

I did not expect to go on such a long hiatus. It kind of just happened, LOL. If you sent me a message or tagged me in something and it seems like I’ve ghosted you— I haven’t. I’m really sorry. I’ll get to it, especially now since my school year is almost over (in like, a week). Anyways— HELLO! It’s your girl— @thecomfywriter — back again with another long overdue post. But let’s just ignore that and move onto today’s topic. Tips on things that have helped me write battle scenes! If yall have your own suggestions and helpful ideas, lmk because I’m always down to improve myself as well, especially since now that the summer is here, it’s 3-7 hours a day writing shifts. I’ve been looking forward to this. ALSO, while we’re here, I was thinking I might start writing a side wip on tumblr. Should I? I dunno. Anyways, here are my socials:

Insta: @tovwriter

Pinterest: @gkm075

Wattpad: @gkm075

Tumblr: @thecomfywriter 

And without further ado, let’s get into today’s post. 

———————————————————————————————————

Writing action scenes that flow well while also having that pace and energy that keeps the readers invested is hard, no doubt. But, through trial and error, here are a couple of things that have helped make the process a bit easier and a lot more organized for me. 

Know the Type of Action:

What do I mean by this? Basically, what kind of fight are your characters having and why? Highlighting the purpose of the fight can help you discover what strategy (if any at all) your characters are using. For example, there is a difference in pace, style, strategy, and emotions during a street confrontational fight versus a battle. Similarly, if the characters have come to the battlefield as a smaller fight to a bigger war, they would have a lot more cohesive and strategic approach to their action than if they were, for example, ambushed by the enemy. Or what if they were the one doing the ambushing? A sneak attack? A siege? The tone of your writing changes a lot depending on your character’s purpose and what type of action they are engaging in to fulfil that purpose. 

Creating a Cast of Characters:

This can be really helpful in keeping track of who is involved in this battle and why there are there. It helps ground your story in a more continuous narrative if the readers are able to follow who is who and how they fit into the scene rather than if they suddenly pop up and no one know why they’re there. Consider also adding in brackets or bullet points under each character their fighting style, possible weapons of choice, strengths and weaknesses. It really helps as a reference in case you need to add a bit of dramatics to the fight by injuring them based off a predefined weakness, or maintain consistency in their skills (avoiding the they’re good at everything ditch) 

Map it Out: 

This really helped me personally, since visuals help me keep track of things a lot better. Creating a map for your playing field can not only help you understand the geography (which can help with realism, grounding the story in reality, using strategic advantages based off the environment) but also help you keep track of where everyone is and what is happening when and where during each part of the fight. It’s the holy grail organizer for me. I use crosses to indicate where the character started in the fight and use dotted lines to show where they move, adding little notes on the side why they did that and how they are using their environment + strengths to their advantage, what occurs in that location, etc. Each character is a different ink on my map, and overall, this is the tip I recommend the most. 

Outlining Key Events:

You really can’t go wrong with this one. If all else fails, writing a heading of what you want to have accomplished in this action scene can help you narrow it down to what is necessary to keep, and what is slowing down the pace of the scene. Under each heading, you can add a bullet point on how to get to that key event and who is involved. The outline is essentially your skeleton on how to navigate the battle

Consider Fighting Techniques + Technology:

Different civilizations, time periods, age demographics, cultural contexts have different fighting techniques and technology that they use to aid them during action scenes. Also using the context of the severity + planning of the action scene is important when considering this point. For example, a random confrontation probably won’t have a practiced, strong fighting technique, and they probably won’t have advanced fighting technology on hand. Maybe they have a knife or brass knuckles, but the rest comes down to do as much damage as possible while sustaining as little injuries as possible. Meanwhile, in an organized confrontation, maybe they bring the entire crew with them and all their metal bats and crowbars, and they as a group are ready to do damage. That type of technology is a lot different than long distance fighting techniques and technology, such as archers at a high vantage point covered by shields, walls of a castle, or archer towers. Maybe they peek through slitted windows, maybe this civilization has special viewing eyeglasses they can use to aim. Be creative with it! 

Okay, so that’s all folks. Thanks for sticking around. And if you did try to interact with me while I was on hiatus, sorry again! I WILL respond, tonight or tomorrow. Take care!

Happy Writing :)

#writing community #writing #writers #writers on tumblr #writerblr #writblr #writing tips #writers tips #writing tools #writers community #advice #tips #action #actions scenes #scenes #fantasy #book #novel #wip

[autumnslance]

Staring at my WIPs and various draft folders (I keep things really organized...) I realized it’s been awhile since I had any new input, to try to keep up my output. Like anything else, the muse needs some care if it’s going to keep flourishing. So here’s a checklist.

First, stop fighting the drafts. Let them have a bit of a rest. Save/backup and close. It’s OK they’ll still be there.

Now. When did you last eat, even just a snack? Are you keeping hydrated? How’s your sleep schedule? We all have different biorhythms, but it may not always be feasible living by our natural one with school, work, home life, etc. Do your best to adjust your schedule to match whether you’re evening or morning and try to get close to enough sleep each night if you can. Tryto get out for a walk now and then, even if it’s just around the yard, or to mailbox, or to the corner and back (wear your mask).

Now that’s out the way, when’s the last time you consumed other media besides your current fandom you create for? Played any other games, or are your Steam and console libraries gathering dust?

When was the last time you watched/listened to a Broadway play or their soundtracks? New albums by favorite musicians—especially any with their own stories, in each song or through the entire EP. For that matter, when was the last time you read or listened to poetry?

Got some books you’ve been sitting on reading? Maybe some graphic novels or comics have come out lately on comixology. Even a book on how to write can be encouraging and inspiring, as they talk about the way words work. Maybe there are some old favorite stories you can revist; remember how they sparked joy before? Do they still? Maybe rereading them at a new point in life, after one’s own creative experience has grown, shows you something new. Maybe books you thought you were indifferent to, or even hated, hit differently now with time and changes. And there’s always something new to borrow or buy.

What’s the last movie you watched? An old fave, or something sitting in the “to watch” queue? A series you’ve been meaning to watch? Don’t binge it; the current definition of consuming an entire season or series in a short time leaves no room to process, to consider, to think about the plot and characters. Depending on episode length, stick to 1-3 at most in the same day. Let it marinate in your mind, then continue the next day.

Do some research; when’s the last time you lost a few hours in a wikipedia dive? Check up some educational or how to Youtube channels. Go find some nonfiction about history, fashion, electronics, whatever floats your boat. Maybe try a hands-on craft or two while at it.

Limit consumption of fanworks. Don’t stop entirely! Keep commenting and encouraging friends! But don’t go binging through your faves tags, especially if you’re feeling down about your own lack of content; seeing others producing while you’re feeling stagnant is an easy way to feeling resentment, jealousy, inadequacy, and other negative things. The point is to step back from fandom a bit, with the rehashing of too-familiar material (and all the discourse around it) to see and learn and do something new and different.

When you get plants, you have to make sure they get the right amount of sun, the right temperatures, the right amount of plant food and water. Or they just wilt and wither. Same with our creativity and ability to produce new content; we have to take care of ourselves and feed our muses new information and content to inspire ideas and concepts.

This is an especially hard year with quarantine and the postponement or suspension of a lot of media we may have been looking forward to. But there’s still some made despite the changes—or because of them!—and we can but try to take care of ourselves. Be kind to ourselves, especially if no one else is. Take some time out for ourselves, and not feel like we must constantly produce only. No one can do that consistently forever.

These are things I think about when I realize I have various WIPs in limbo and some sitting untouched for too long, despite being open. When prompts don’t spark new scenarios or ideas and seem like an effort, a chore, rather than a fun thing to participate in. It’s time to take care of myself and not worry so much about how the words won’t come; the well is currently dry, but that just means I need to spend some time in the rain, maybe dig a new channel to divert the flow.

Not going anywhere; simply taking a breath and taking the time I’d normally use to (try to) write to do something else, until the writing comes as naturally as breathing again, because something’s sparked an idea and the well’s flowing again.

#writing #blogging #about me #musings #media #creativity