#The sort of things that we publish and the direction we're going

[aquitainequeen]

Applicants for the Editorial Assistant position: I love reading and literature! I spend a lot of time on BookTok! I'm passionate about exciting narratives!

Me, alternating between assessing candidates and scrutinizing a manuscript to make sure there are no nasty permission surprises: Oh, you are applying to the wrong department, my friend.

#my life #my job #no part of publishing is glamorous but this section is especially un-glam #Also in this job you will not enjoy reading for long #Some advice for anyone wanting to get into publishing: #what's most desired in a candidate is time management (because you will be juggling MULTIPLE tasks in a heavy workload) #communication (with your team; with other departments; and with authors/editors) #(in editorial especially we are the authors' first point of contact. their travelling companion; their taxman #their confessor; their therapist and their punching bag) #admin capability (you're going to be using Word Excel and Adobe a lot; along with any database the company uses for their records) #and actually knowing what the company publishes #show us that you've done your research!!! #go on the website. find a few books that you like. mention them. #or just do your research on us and say what you like about us! #The sort of things that we publish and the direction we're going #I KNOW it's horrible applying for jobs and you're often applying to lots of different places at the same time #but you have to tailor your application to fit #You have to show that you understand the sort of company or imprint that you want to work for #and yes previous publishing experience is very desirable as well #that's always been much harder to get though

[dduane]

At @dduane's Ebooks Direct, now in progress: the Summer Solstice "Get Our Whole Store For $44" Sale!

(ETA: I'm reposting this because some folks have been getting the non-discounted version of the sale, and I want to make absolutely sure the right version of the sale URL is in place. Obviously I don't mind refunding people the overpayments, but I think we'd all rather they didn't happen.) :)

(Sound up for Vaguely Inspirational Music!)

The Solstice arrived a little more than an hour a day ago, so we're celebrating the best way we can think of: by making the ebooks at Ebooks Direct even cheaper than usual.

That's right: we're reinstating the "Get Our Whole Store For $44 Sale"! That's 36 of Diane Duane's ebooks (@petermorwood's are still with another e-publisher, sorry, though there's a freebie of his in the package...), all DRM-free and with free replacements included in the price if they're lost or you change platforms. The package on offer includes the 9-book set of Young Wizards New Millennium Editions and the LGBTQ-centered Middle Kingdoms books, along with much more fantasy and SF. So if you've missed out on this offer previously, now's your chance to take advantage of it! (And us. We don't mind.) :)

Also, in honor of Pride Month—and much earlier than we'd normally put a new release into the whole-book package—we've added Tales of the Middle Kingdoms #2: Overdue to the offer. The only other place this new work appears at the moment is in the 2023 Pride Month package. (If you've been looking at that package, please note that everything in it appears in the Whole Store bundle, at a similar discount level. But the Whole Store offer will only last for 72 hours. The Pride package will be available until Irish midnight [GMT+1] on June 30.)

Interested? Then just click here to put the $44 whole-store package in your shopping basket and grab yourself a bargain! The product page will say it costs $55. But the link above has the discount baked in. Use it and the store will show the $44 price when you've gone through all the checkout steps before payment. (Sorry about this: it's how the store behaves when there are two discount offers running at once.)

If you go through to the just-before-paying stage and are still seeing the $55 price, please put the discount code EVERY72 into the "gift card or discount code" field on that page, and enter it. That'll sort things out.

Meanwhile, If you're not interested in the offer, would you consider reblogging it so that others in your timeline can have a look? Thanks! (And one final note: due to Brexit, unfortunately this offer isn't valid in the UK. Details about the situation are here. Our apologies, as always, for the inconvenience.)

Meanwhile, happy day-after-Solstice to everybody! (Bearing in mind that there's another one going on in the Southern Hemisphere... though probably not so sunny.) And here's hoping that our offer will make your longest day (or shortest one) a little brighter.

#ebooks #sale #get our whole store for $44! #seriously we should have our heads felt #(and I say that as a retired head-feeler) #Diane Duane

[i-heart-hxh]

Do you think togashi Will sink killugon in the future by denying the romantic reading of their relationship?

Hi anon! I strongly don't think that'll ever happen. I truly believe including the romantic subtext between them is intentional on Togashi's part, and I want to be clear I'm not saying that just as a shipper, but as someone who has spent years deeply analyzing the series as a whole, as well as Togashi's influences and interests. The deeper I look into it, the more I'm certain he includes all the things he includes with full intention.

Again, I post this because everyone deserves to see it:

Togashi wanted to create works with queer characters before HxH even existed, and he was deeply invested in this concept! It's possible pieces of HxH even came out of this original idea he had--he did say he might publish it someday in "a different form," so it's not an impossibility.

I think likely one of two things will happen with Gon and Killua's relationship in the future of the manga:

Togashi will bring them back and reunite them, and we'll (at least eventually) get some sort of ending for them that may not be 100% undeniably canonically romantic, but likely continues with the same kind of romantic subtext and ambiguity that's been present all along. (Think something like: They decide to travel together again and promise to stay together without it actually saying if they mean it in a romantic way or not, but there might be hints or wording that imply it is intended in that way, with Togashi trusting those of us who see it that way will understand.) Or maybe we hit the jackpot and he does make it explicitly canon. I don't think that's super likely, but if anyone could get away with it, it would be Togashi, for a whole list of reasons I won't get into on this post.

Sadly he won't reach that point in the manga due to his health and how much of the series remains, but he won't say either way what he intends their relationship to mean, and we're free to continue to interpret it how we want.

There are other possibilities of course, but I think those are the most likely outcomes. I do think he fully intends to reunite Gon and Killua and I've written about this in-depth (whether the series actually reaches that point or not). I don't think he intends to "sink the ship" ever because he's the one giving us an uncountable number of reasons to believe in the ship in the first place... And I do think he's doing it out of his own personal interest, not just for marketing reasons or whatever like we see in some other shounen series. It's deeply embedded in the series and the number of things pointing in this direction is just so, so many.

I don't think there's any reason to be pessimistic about Gon and Killua's future, aside from the factor of Togashi's health. However, I try to take the attitude that, in the case that it doesn't ever get finished (and assuming Togashi doesn't have some sort of back up plan, and I suspect he might), we get to choose ourselves how it ends. I deeply hope we get a canon reunion between them someday, the thought of this happening is something that keeps me going in life, but if we do have to continue to imagine it ourselves, it certainly could be worse.

#hunter x hunter #hxh #killugon #gonkillu #gon #killua #meta #asks #anonymous #my posts #yoshihiro togashi

[vinecradle]

16 OMG - what was once mine, will be yours (✿)

scaramouche x fem!reader

blue is for scaramouche, green for heizou

masterlist | previous | next

"scara, what's the thing you wanted to find? is it like.. maybe another keychain? an id holder? an acrylic standee? or a phone case of some sort?"

"its a secret. you'll see later when we find it." he smiled smugly, playing around with his necklace as you walked beside him.

feigning a scoff, you then pointed towards a tall building with the words "AKADEMIYA" lighted up brightly. "we're almost there, you've gotta lead the way though. i don't know the directions to the inazuma classes.."

scaramouche nodded and continued walking, "yeah, just keep on following me." putting his hands in his pockets, his thoughts racing miles per hour.

fuck. am i really giving it to her? i cant believe this.

��� ➶ ｡˚ 　　°

"we're here." scaramouche spoke as you admired the entrance to where inazuma class is located.

..this place is so pretty..! "wow... am i allowed to take a picture of the entrance? am i?" you questioned excitedly, taking out a phone from your bag.

he shrugged, "i think it should be fine, it's not like they don't have a video published of a tour of the whole akademiya. feel free to." you smiled and nodded, taking some pictures of the place for yourself and showing him the results once done.

"do you like them? look! i even caught a picture of you here." grinning happily, you handed your phone to him as you watched the corners of his lips lift up. "yeah, they look nice. mind sending me these pictures?"

nodding happily, you sent the pictures to him.

"we should start looking now. you could start from the front of the class, i'll start from the back." scaramouche said, and began to search for the item.

you then picked up an artificial flower that's in half, showing it to him. "i guess someone in this class got heartbroken or something like that.." sweatdropping, you grabbed a cardboard box nearby and put the flower inside.

i think this'll take awhile to find..

┊ ➶ ｡˚ 　　°

"scara, it's been around 20 minutes.. did you find anything? all i found were stuff like school books, hair ties, keychains, and hairclips. what's up with people and keychains?" you questioned as he sighed softly.

"well, keychains are nice and you can bring it everywhere with you without it adding too much weight to your bag. there's one spot left we haven't checked, we should look there."

nodding, you followed him behind and began looking again. your eyes went towards a small cat plushie, grabbing it gently and showing it to the male.

"scara, is this what you were finding?"

his eyes widen slightly and went back to normal in a blink of an eye, walking in front of you. "yeah, it is.. if you look on it's back it has my nickname in cursive."

your eyes sparkled, handing over the plushie to him. "it's really cute.. and it kind of looks like you in some way. maybe it's the color?"

scaramouche gently pushed the plushie towards you again, "take it, i wanted to give it to you. it's something my aunt made for me, but i wanted you to have it now."

your eyes softened as you looked at the plushie and at him, holding the plushie near him again. "wait, i can't take this! it's yours, isn't it? i can't take this.."

the male shook his head and placed his hand on your head, "keep it, really. what was once mine, will be yours. i want you to keep it for yourself." ruffling your hair softly.

"then.. thank you. lots of thank you's. i'll update you every day with a picture of this cat plushie whenever i wake up! i'll take care of it with my whole being."

scaramouche chuckled and walked out of the class, "it's nothing, i think we should go back to our dorms now. it's kind of late, don't want our dorm advisers to scold us now do we?" you smiled and nodded, holding the plushie close to your chest as you closed the door.

and as you both walked away, you saw a flash of burgundy hair from the corner of your eyes. stopping in your tracks, you shrugged the thought away.

in a corner, a certain male put a hand over his mouth. "wasn't that yn.. and she was with scara? oh my god. a new discovery. i'm so glad i followed my intuition to find my hair tie at this hour!"

• heizou sneak.. i had to

• btw i know the plushie looks big BUT PRETEND ITS SMALLER THAN IT LOOKS

summary :: wanting to go back to your dorm from the library, and accidentally leaving a friend's book there not knowing she has the intention of making you give it to someone she's trying to set you up with, a note inside with your number. without anyone realising, the book is in the hands of someone else, and you then wake up to a message from an unknown number.

author's note :: i think starting from next week i'll go back to my old schedule of updating twice or thrice a week since i go back from school earlier now!! 🫶🏻

taglist, opened (1/3) :: @aeongiies @hrtswinter @zyilas @cofijelli @stuckinadreamland06 @elyionaa @thenightsflower @ohmyfinggod @mikctp @cherrybeomgyu @raideneiari @sakiimeo @xiaosonlybeloved @simp4bakuh03 @kunikuzushiit bolded cannot be tagged!

#genshin impact #genshin impact smau #genshin au #genshin fluff #genshin imagines #genshin impact au #genshin modern au #kunikuzushi #scaramouche x y/n #scaramouche x female reader #scaramouche x you #scaramouche x reader #scaramouche smau #wanderer x reader #wanderer #omg vinecradle smau #vinecradle

[anatee]

INSUFFERABLE | General Hux x Reader | pt. 6

INSUFFERABLE | General Hux x Reader Smut. 18+. MINORS DNI. This is a direct continuation. I’m back, girlies and I wrote this somewhere in between the preparations for my real book to be published very soon. There will be more parts, of course, I'm still deciding if I want to destroy the Starkiller or not break his heart this time.

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5

Word count: 6.48K

Content warning: fem!reader x Hux; Force Awakens plot but everything happens much slower; soft Hux with feelings appears but he is also a bastard; a few curse words; smut: fingering, oral (f receiving), face sitting, this part is sponsored by Hux being the giver basically

"Come with me. I have something you'd like in my bedroom."

Bloody Hux. He knew exactly what to say to keep her going and all riled up, even after absolutely ravishing her just minutes earlier.

"A surprise? Another one? You sure know how to keep me on my toes."

Hux smiled smugly, then beckoned her to follow him to his bedroom. There, she immediately noticed a new piece of black and red furniture standing opposite the bed.

"A holotable?" she asked in surprise. It was one of the largest types she knew the First Order used, new and polished.

"Precisely." Hux entered, and the door closed behind him. "I had it installed today. Now we can... Watch things, should you wish."

A warm smile spread on Y/N's face at the mere thought. "It would be lovely to watch something with you and just relax..."

"Then we'll do just that."

She held his gaze for a moment, allowing warmth to fill her up completely. She walked up to him and cupped his face, then left a soft, affectionate kiss on his lips.

"You've been really spoiling me lately... But I can't say that I complain."

He let out a sigh, then offered her a soft smile, again experiencing some feelings he had never felt before. "Maybe I like doing it."

"I'll go take a shower before this then... Unless you want to join me?"

As much as he enjoyed the offer, he already had a plan.

"Go, I'll order dinner for us in the meantime."

"Always efficient planning." She nodded in admiration, then smirked. "I can see why they made you a general."

He shook his head, but allowed himself a smile. "You like walking on thin ice, don't you?"

She grinned at him. "Because we're on an ice planet, General."

Before he could reply, she grabbed something from the wardrobe and disappeared behind the bathroom's door. He couldn't stop smiling; she was a little bastard at times, and he had punished people for much less before. Yet, when she teased him like this, it was so enjoyable, it made his heart light, it made the stress from his body evaporate... He couldn't get enough of it.

Twenty minutes later Y/N came back to the bedroom in an outfit that made Hux raise an eyebrow.

"Is that my shirt?" he asked, adjusting his position on the bed, where he was sitting with the remote in hand.

She just smiled, adjusting the large, black shirt that covered her butt just barely, acting as a very comfortable nightgown.

"Maybe."

"You have your own wardrobe here and you're still stealing my clothes?" he asked as if he did not enjoy the view. Her legs were exposed completely, and it would be a lie to say she didn't look attractive in the unusual attire.

"But this is large, comfy, it smells like you and... Oh, tell me you don't like how I look," she argued, then settled herself on the bed, right next to him, her warm legs enjoying the cool feeling of his luxurious sheets.

"If you need new clothes, I can order them for you," he said to tease her, but at the same time, his offer was serious.

"Very funny."

"I was serious, though." He looked at her. "Is there anything you need?"

She cocked an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"I don't know. Clothes, cosmetics, anything else of that sort? I told you I can order these for you."

"You... Would do that?"

"Y/N. You had probably noticed by now how much I'd do for you."

Her mouth fell agape. Of course, he had given her gifts before, but hearing such words was a completely different experience. She swallowed hard, trying to calm her heart.

"I don't want you to think I'm with you for all these perks."

"I never thought that," he replied immediately. "And I am offering. Who else am I going to give gifts to? Ren, maybe?"

Y/N couldn't help but let out a short chuckle. "Oh, I think he'd appreciate a gift just from you."

"Don't even make me imagine that." Hux visibly shuddered at the thought. "Y/N... Love," he began, making her feel even more excited, "I do not know much about all of this, but I know I want to care for you. And you know I have the resources to do so. And don't worry, I told you I have a trusted vendor."

Her heart melted as she gazed into his eyes, taking in the words that made her fall for him even more.

"You're wonderful, you know that?"

He chuckled quietly. "Say that to your dear friend Kylo."

Having said that, he passed her his datapad, smiling softly all the time. Hux took great pride in knowing that he made her this happy; it made him almost as satisfied as using the Starkiller weapon, and he was fascinated to discover these new feelings he had never had for anyone before.

"Choose something for yourself," he said, having opened the app through which she could make orders. While she started browsing, he turned on his new holo table, searching for something for them to watch.

"Oh, I know!" she said after a moment of scrolling through everything. "I'll order sheet masks."

Hux raised an eyebrow, taking a glance at the datapad's screen. "Sheet... What?"

"It's a skincare product. We'll use them together. They'll help you relax, promise. How about one with a porg on?"

He gave her a look of disbelief. "The General of the First Order with a porg mask on?"

She grinned mischievously, his response only making her want it more. "I can't wait to see that."

He shook his head, yet did nothing to stop her when she started choosing the masks. As long as he could have them delivered as something classified, there was nothing to be worried about.

Classified porg sheet masks.

"Oh, there came some message for you," she said, seeing a notification pop up on the screen. Hux didn't even glance at it, his eyes focused on the holo. He trusted her completely, hence allowed her to read the message, not very concerned about whether it was something classified or not.

"What is it?"

"It's Mitaka," she replied, having opened the message. "It's a severe snowstorm again... Should I send them an order?"

Hux rolled his eyes. "They can handle that themselves, idiots."

"So I will just tell him to fuck off..." She smiled, ready to type the message. "Officially, of course," she added quickly, having received a stern look from Armitage.

"Feisty, aren't you?"

"Learning from you."

"I do not swear on duty."

"And am I on duty now, General?"

He let out a sigh, but a smile was dancing at the corners of his mouth as he looked at her with genuine affection. "What would I do without you and these snarky comments of yours?"

She shrugged. "Bore yourself to death."

After that, she moved even closer to him, then placed a long, passionate kiss on his lips, one that left them both feeling a bit intoxicated. It was an unspoken confirmation that all this banter was there because of how much they cared for one another.

"It felt like you needed that," she whispered, barely parting from his lips, and he nodded.

"I did," he replied before repaying her with a kiss full of even more emotions than before.

She turned back to the datapad, sent the message to Mitaka and then finished choosing the products she wanted.

"That would be all." She passed him the datapad again. "If it's too many, I can remove them..."

"Too many?" He raised an eyebrow, looking at the screen. "You chose less than ten products."

"Because I don't want to take it all for granted..."

He sighed, shaking his head. "Seems like I need to add some myself."

He clicked a few buttons swiftly, then left the datapad on the night stand. "Ordered. Everything should be here tomorrow."

"Thank you, Armitage," she whispered, kissing him on the cheek. Then she leaned her head against his shoulder to watch whatever he had chosen.

For a while, they watched the holo in silence, until Armitage's hand began to wander. At first, he just rested it on her thigh, then began massaging it, glancing at her just barely as if to ask for permission. She only smiled in response, doing nothing to stop him, so he allowed himself to keep going.

She had a feeling just touching her thigh may not be enough for him. He had been teasing her all day, and it seemed like he was nowhere near the end.

Hux's hand soon wandered underneath the shirt she was wearing, and he very quickly noticed it was... Just the shirt.

He shot her a stern look. "No underwear again."

She smiled at him, trying to look innocent, but he could see it all in her eyes. "It's healthy to sleep that way..."

"Surely," he replied before quickly placing his hand in between her legs, making her let out a small gasp.

And there he was, using his hands just like she wanted him to. His fingers were putting pressure in all the right places, circling her clit and folds carefully, pulling out the quietest whimpers from her. With every precise move of his finger, she became more and more excited, and he could feel the wetness growing rapidly.

"Quick today, hm?" He chuckled, finding his fingers already glistening with her arousal.

"You had me sensitive all day..."

"Oh, I'm not saying it's a bad thing. Means I get to do this..."

He easily slipped his finger inside her, earning a moan that satisfied him greatly. It somehow turned him on, him pumping his finger in and out of her while they were both pretending to still watch whatever he put on. But did he even care for the show? The sighs, the moans and the slightly wet sounds of his finger moving against her soaked folds was all he needed to keep himself entertained.

"The food is taking long today, isn't it?" he asked, knowing very well she wouldn't be able to give 

him a coherent answered as her moans grew louder, her chest raising and falling faster and faster as she quivered with arousal.

"Right there," she breathed out, throwing her head back against the headboard. "Please, keep rubbing right there..."

"There?" he asked with a mischievous smile on his face as he glanced over at her. Two of his fingers were going in and out of her at a rapid pace as his other hand kept on rubbing against her clit, just in the right places, as if he had a scanner to check which spots would bring her most pleasure. When he noticed even more wetness, he ignored her pleading him not to stop and took his hands away. She let out a shaky breath.

"No, no, Armitage, I beg you, let me..."

"I will, Y/N," he smirked, seeing the desparation in her eyes. "But I want to clean you up this time."

Before she could ask what he meant exactly, he adjusted his position on the bed to lay flat and indicated the spot above his face.

"Get over here."

Her mouth dropped as she realised what he wanted to do, but she had absolutely nothing against it.

"Gladly..." She slowly crawled towards him. "But you might just drive me crazy from everything that happened today."

"Maybe that's what I want," he replied without an ounce of hesitation, making her smirk as she put her knees on both sides of his head, then held onto the headboard to keep her pussy right above his mouth.

She could feel his hot breath against her sensitive skin as he chuckled, seemingly content with her position.

"Now that is quite the view."

Even just these words were enough to give her goosebumps. She could feel each of his breaths against her, and it made it harder to keep herself steady in that position. Before she could recover, his breaths were replaced by his tongue, making her whimper.

He was licking her all over, tasting, savouring both her and the moment, making sure not to miss a spot. The helpless moves of her hips, a clear indication of begging for more between the moans and the whispers, made him want to give her even greater pleasure. He knew how sensitive she was after everything that happened earlier in the day, and oh well, he wanted to exhaust her with pleasure.

He slid his tongue inside her, grabbing her hips at the same time and allowing her to ride it. She had never tried something like that before, but stars, this was one of the most pleasurable experiences her body was blessed to have. She kept on rocking her hips against his mouth, her nails digging into the headboard as she felt the inevitable building up, faster than ever before.

A loud, electronical buzz seared through the air, muting their heavy breathing just for a moment.

"It must be the food..." she uttered between the gasps as Hux's licks send a shiver after shiver through her body.

"I don't fucking care," he rasped against her, his hot breath making the sensations almost unbearably pleasurable.

"Hux!" she cried out without thinking, overwhelmed by the feeling of his tongue coming into contact with her overstimulated clit again.

And then it all stopped. She felt him back down as his grip on her hips tightened to the white of his knuckles.

"What did you just call me?"

His tone was almost sinister, sending a shiver down her spine. There was no Armitage that she knew anymore, it was General Hux of the First Order, speaking as if her life depended on his mercy. And at first, she got scared, her mind still clouded by pleasure... But then she remembered she had nothing to be afraid of, and smirked.

"Hux," she repeated proudly, holding onto the headboard and feeling his breathing against her wetness. "Is it high treason?"

"Yes."

"What is the punishment?"

He didn't reply—instead, he gripped her as tightly as he could and forgot about licking. He was devouring her at this point, sucking and grazing her folds and clit with his teeth, pulling a moan after moan of both pleasure and pain out of her throat. Her hair was sticking to her forehead, sweat dripping down as it took more and more of her power to keep herself above him and not just smash his face with her thighs. At this point, it only took a few more licks, a few more rubs of his fingers and she let go, crying out his name again. It shook her body to the core, emptying her mind of any thoughts; there was nothing but that incredible pleasure running through her veins.

She could not see it, but she could almost sense the smirk Hux had on his face after all of this. She fell onto the mattress next to him, helpless, exhausted and wet all over, her thighs burning along with her overstimulated pussy, her mind not allowing her any coherent thought.

Hux wiped his mouth, then watched her chest raise and fall quickly with satisfaction. Then, as if nothing happened, he left the room to finally receive their food.

When he came back, he stopped in the door to adore the sight he had created. Y/N was still on the bed trying to catch her breath, both her hair and the sheets a complete mess. Her skin was glistening with sweat, just like her folds which were still soaked.

"Look at you." He smirked triumphantly. "A little mess, aren't you?"

She raised her head slightly and looked at him in disbelief. "It's your fault."

"I'm not particularly sorry for what I did." He looked clearly amused as he set the tray with food on his night stand. "You enjoyed every second."

She just rolled her eyes, knowing he was right. Although exhausted, she sat up slowly and watched him walk to the bathroom. He came out of it quickly with a black towel. He then began wiping her skin, gently and tenderly, as if he didn't almost bruise her hips mere minutes earlier.

"Thank you," she said quietly when he finished, giving him a peck on the cheek. He smiled softly and walked back to the bathroom to get rid of the towel and wash his own face.

Soon they were eating on the bed, again, finally actually watching what Hux had put on. Both of them were happy, intoxicated with each other, exchanging pointed looks every few seconds. That day was a hell of a rollercoaster, full of pleasure, but also some pure feelings... Of something strong swirling between them.

They were just about to finish their food when Armitage's datapad buzzed. He looked at it, and Y/N watched a smirk form on his face.

"Oh, look at them. Seems like they managed to tackle the snowstorm without me." He rolled his eyes and put the datapad away as she giggled.

She loved that man.

For the next week, Y/N was not allowed the luxury of seeing or talking to Hux at all. He was busier than ever, with Starkiller preparing for a next attack and Kylo walking around, huffing and puffing because the scavenger girl he apparently needed so much was nowhere to be found, just like the droid.

Never before had she missed him this much. She could do with anything, just a look, a smile, she didn't even dare wish for a touch. He yearned for her just as much if not more, but was overwhelmed with duties, briefings, reports, and everything else. She got to speak to Kylo more than to her lover, and Ren was not in a particularly good mood, as his search was still failing.

It was a standard, cold evening on Starkiller when Y/N threw herself onto her bed still in her uniform, exhausted after her shift. Changing clothes seemed like too much of a task then, so she just stayed there and picked up her datapad. Oh, laying in Armitage's bed, especially in his arms, would be the perfect cure for this day...

She didn't normally approach him, usually he initiated their meetings because of safety reasons. However... She could send him a message, right? Even if he were busy, he could respond whenever he had the time...

Y/N didn't think about it much. She opened the private channel and sent him one simple message that conveyed everything she was feeling.

I miss you.

She sighed as she saw the message got marked as delivered. What now? He could not respond for hours, if at all. She was already trying to gather some will to go to the bathroom, when suddenly, her datapad buzzed. 

He replied.

Then why don't you come and show me how much you miss me?

Her heart began racing immediately as she sat up on the bed. Energy began flowing through her at once, the tiredness long gone. She typed a reply as quickly as possible.

Where are you?

His reply came just as quickly.

In the briefing room.

She bit her lip. They have never met there before.

Alone?

Again, an immediate reply to her hopeful message.

Alone.

That was all Y/N needed to spring up and start fixing her uniform quickly.

I'll be there.

Since she wasn't on duty anymore, she untied her hair, put on some perfume and generally freshened herself up before leaving her quarters. She kept her uniform on so as not to be too suspicious, very aware of the security cameras that were in the briefing room.

Hux was standing by the long, shiny table of the room with three datapads before him. It seemed like he was watching all of them at the same time, focused, but the moment he heard the door open, he looked up immediately. A smirk formed on his barely lit face as he watched her approach him with a smile of her own.

"What is this non-statutory hairstyle, Lieutenant?" he asked, earning just a chuckle for her. He enjoyed it and she knew that.

"Long day?" she asked, keeping her hands to herself, even though she would love to just throw herself onto him as soon as possible.

He sighed, the dark circles under his eyes clear even in the dimly lit room.

"Too long." He closed his eyes for a moment. "Too long of a week."

"And you're still busy tonight?"

He sighed again, pointing to the datapads. "As you can see. I wasn't avoiding you, just so you know. All the things you ordered came to my quarters as well. It is just I barely had time to..."

"You know you don't have to explain that to me," she cut him off, smiling at him sweetly which he did not expect. "I don't blame you. I know how much you work... Can I help you in any way?"

His heart began beating faster. Even though it's been a while since their relationship started, it was still difficult for him to understand 

He lifted just a corner of his mouth, leaning in slowly. "A kiss would be a good start."

"But the cameras?" she leaned back before he could touch her, and he raised an eyebrow.

"Oh, Y/N." He gave her a smouldering look, wrapping his arm around her waist to pull her towards himself. "Are you forgetting who I am? Maybe I need to give you a little reminder."

"What?"

Hux smiled triumphantly, seemingly satisfied with her reaction, then pressed a button underneath the table that locked the door.

"The cameras are long off. I do know how to prepare for you, love."

Shivers went down her spine as he said that. Oh, how she missed that feeling of his hands on her, and when he caressed her lower back with his gloved hands, it quickly gave her that pleasurable sensation she had been missing.

He placed a kiss on her lips, a sweet one, one that made them both crave for more the moment they parted. Who knew one kiss could work such wonders?

"I missed you," he whispered, leaning his forehead against hers. "You and your insufferableness. If it weren't for Ren's tantrums, I would have more time."

Y/N chuckled, putting her hands on his shoulders. "Aw, my poor little thing... You're like a parent with a rebellious teenager, hm?"

"What did you just call me?" he replied huskily, and she could see something switch in his eyes. "Oh, you're really asking for a reminder, Lieutenant."

Something about the way he said it made her knees weaker. She felt him slowly push onto her until her back hit the table, and then he kissed her passionately. His large hand began roaming 

over her chest almost as if he wanted to rip her uniform apart.

"Is my uniform non-statutory, General?" she asked while she watched him look her up and down hungrily. She was happy to know his desire for her never died down, and he could read all of his intentions just from these moves.

He looked into her eyes, allowing all the yearning he had during the week to turn into lust. 

"I will check. Thoroughly," he replied in such a tone that her skin got covered in goosebumps. "And punish you accordingly."

He unbuckled the belt on her waist, put it aside, then unbuttoned her shirt as quickly as possible and proceeded to put the material parts aside as if opening a curtain in a theatre. He revealed a black bra, one that lifted itself a little, uncovering a bit of her underboob, and it drove him crazy.

He lowered his head to place a kiss on the delicate skin between her breasts.

"For an insufferable lieutenant... You're exceptionally beautiful," he whispered, causing warmth to spread through her entire body. He knew just the right words to say.

"Thank you..."

"Thank you, General," he corrected her. "You need a good reminder of who I am."

He sent her one last short look before taking a step back to grab her hips and pull her pants down. Then, he kneeled down on the floor as his hand landed between her legs, pulling a loud sigh out of her. He began rubbing her through the thin material of her panties, kissing her inner thigh in the meantime.

She almost wasn't able to think at that moment; she missed that so much she almost forgot how strong were the emotions he could make her experience with the slightest touch. With every move and kiss, she felt like the yearning, the exhaustion, the stress of her duties disappear.

"Now, we can't be making any mess here... So you'd better hold still."

She swallowed, then let out a gasp as his movements became more rapid along with her breathing. Her body was reacting more and more intensely to his actions, and the fact that they were in the briefing room only added to the thrill. She knew the door was locked and no one would dare interrupt the General, yet had the unexplainable fear that someone may barge in and see her spread out on the table at any moment.

Hux noticed the wetness on his glove, and a smirk found its way to his face.

"Let's see... How long you can last without making a mess?" he whispered, then used one of his fingers to pull the material of her panties aside.

She saw his face for a split second before his mouth met with her hot skin. Her moan echoed against the walls so loudly that for a moment she worried someone might have heard her. However, the table and chairs of the briefing room were the only witnesses of Hux's mouth and tongue made her unable to think about anything else.

She saw him throw one of his gloves to the floor, then grabbed the rim of the table as he slid one finger inside her. He didn't give her much time before adding a second one, his mouth not leaving her clit for a second.

Her breathing got shallow. Her hand found his hair and tugged on it, pulling his face even closer as she buckled her hips to help herself. Seeing how much she enjoyed it, Hux added a third finger, sending her over the edge immediately. At that moment, she was not sure whether she was about to experience an orgasm or a heart attack.

But it was the former that washed over her, so intense she needed a moment to catch her breath again. Hux picked up his glove, then stood up quickly, rubbing his lip as he watched the picture before him with satisfaction.

"Now," he put his hand under her chin and made her look at him, "who made you feel this good?"

"You," she panted in response, but he was not happy with it.

"My rank."

"General."

He raised his eyebrows, as if prompting her to continue.

"General Armitage Hux of the First Order."

"Good girl." He smiled, then glanced at the table. "And look at you, you didn't even stain the tabletop."

"And here I thought," she said between pants, jumping off the table to put her pants back on, "you were tired."

"I'm never too tired for this," he replied quickly, putting his glove back on swiftly.

"I'm guessing you're expecting me to pay you back?" She began buttoning up her shirt again, as he looked back at his datapads like nothing out of the ordinary just happened.

"I will gladly be paid back, but not now. Not today, even. I still have much to do," he explained, indicating the datapads. That was not the answer she expected, and she felt a knot form in her stomach. When he was back in the light of the screens, his dark circles became evident again.

"Did you even eat anything today?" she asked worriedly, although a small smile sneaked onto her face for a second. "Except for me, that is."

"Today? No."

She gave him a stern stare, putting her hands on her hips like a disappointed mother. "Armitage."

He looked up to see her stance and let out a sigh. "Y/N, I don't have time for this."

"You had a good amount of time to eat me out just now, you have time for food, too."

"That's different."

"Stars, you're unbelievable." She put her hand on her forehead. "I'm starting to understand Kylo, you know?"

Hux gave her a glare, but didn't say anything. He knew she was partially right, and her care for him was still something that surprised him greatly. 

Never before had anyone cared for his well-being.

"Listen," she said sternly, "you can be the damn emperor, Armitage, I don't care. I will stuff that food into you if I have to."

He sighed. Arguing with her was pointless, because he knew she would not give up, but he didn't want to let her win, either—even if his stomach had been rumbling for a few hours now.

"Listen, I am going to your quarters and ordering food. You'd better get your ass there in an hour."

He found it hard to hide the smile that her words caused and tried his best to remain cold. "Bold words to your superior."

She crossed her arms, unbothered. "Oh, and what are you going to do? Discharge me?" 

"For disrespecting my rank, breaking into my quarters... Yes, I could do that."

"Breaking?" she laughed loudly. "I know the password, General." She put his hand on his forehead, fixing his ever-so-perfect hair affectionately.

Even Hux couldn't help a chuckle this time. He brought her closer and held her just for a moment, taking deep breaths. Having her this close, with her nuzzling his neck, was better of a cure to his stress and troubles than any food or sleep might have provided. That warmth, her witty comebacks and just the fact she really cared... He had never felt like this, and stars, he didn't want that feeling to disappear.

"Thank you," he whispered eventually, placing an affectionate kiss on her head. "I've told you that a lot, but remember, you really are my cure."

She just kept her head on his shoulder, moving to him as close as possible with a sincere smile on her face. She knew she would never grow tired of hearing this.

He kissed her forehead. "I'll try to join you soon... But do be careful when you enter my quarters. Your packages are in your wardrobe."

"Understood, sir," she said quickly and gave him a little salute.

He shook his head, but the corner of his mouth twitched a little as he tried to hide yet another smile. "Hand salutes are not performed if a soldier is not wearing a headdress."

She rolled her eyes. "Oh, I believe eating a soldier out on a table doesn't fit the rules, either, yet here we are, General."

He did smile this time.

"Go before I change my mind," he said quietly, clicking a button to unlock the door.

She decided to give him one last quick—and risky—kiss, then walked towards the door as if treading on clouds.

"Love you," she said with a soft smile, turning to him one last time before the door slid open and she quickly disappeared behind a turn of the corridor.

Hux stared at the spot where she disappeared for a long moment, unable to ignore that warm, pleasant feeling in his heart she had caused with just these two words.

"So do I," he whispered, for the first time admitting it out loud even to himself.

As much as Hux wanted to find himself back in his quarters, his duties were still haunting him. He went there much later than he expected, still not having finished everything he wanted.

Y/N must have been waiting for him for too long. He did feel bad about it, but at the same time hoped she understood some things just couldn't be changed, no matter how much he cared for her.

The door to his bedroom slid open, and his heart broke just a little at the view.

The room was dark, just barely lit by the blueish glow coming from the holotable. Something was playing on it, but the remote was all forgotten next to the bed. The packages he ordered for Y/N had been taken out of the wardrobe, but remained unopened. On his bedside table, there was a tray with food—and Tarine tea.

Finally, Y/N herself was fast asleep in his bed. The sheets next to her were moved aside, as if waiting for him to slide in. She prepared all of this. She waited.

And he didn't come.

Hux let out a sigh. It was new to him, the fear of disappointing someone. Most of his life, he was his own most strict judge. But now he had Y/N—someone he didn't want to disappoint, someone whose opinion really mattered to him, and he was still learning how to tackle all of this.

He grabbed the remote and turned the holotable off, then went straight to the bathroom. He didn't plan on waking her up; he was exhausted, and she deserved sleep, too.

Hux was too tired to even try eating. He took a sip of the already cold tea, then slowly settled himself in the bed so as not to wake her. Once he covered himself with the sheets, he let out a long sigh, as if trying to breathe out all of his stress and exhaustion. He placed a small, innocent kiss on Y/N's head to tell her the 'good night' she didn't get, and before he knew it, fell asleep with one of his arms around her.

Hux was not expecting to be woken up by a kiss on his forehead, but that was exactly what made him open his eyes. For a moment, he wasn't sure whether Y/N's smiling face before him was real or still a dream.

"Good morning, very scary general..." she whispered, running her hand through his hair affectionately and giggling. At that moment, he was harmless, with his sleepy eyes, messy hair and a soft smile he didn't even try to hide this time. Still half asleep, for a moment he forgot the load of work awaiting him that day...

"A good morning indeed," he replied huskily, then brought her closer in a tight embrace and placed a kiss on her head. "Judging by your smile, you're not mad at me."

She backed away from the hug a little to see his face, then watched him in confusion. "Why would I be?"

"Because you prepared everything last night and I came la..."

"Armitage, it's not my first day here," she cut him off and cupped his face to make him look at her. "I know how busy you are. It's all fine, I promise. I'm glad you got any sleep at all, but I was 

worried you may oversleep."

He sighed as he turned his head towards his bedside table. He was grateful she woke him up; even if his body was desperately calling for more rest, it was just the time for him to get up. Then he turned back towards her and his expression softened, still feeling an ounce of guilt because of the last evening.

"Do you want to be off duty today?"

"Only if you are."

He shook his head. "I can't. I have so much to take care of I don't even know where to start."

"Then I don't want to. At least time will pass quickly while I'll be working. But speaking of working, you," "are overworking yourself, Armitage."

"I'm the General, it's my duty and..."

"Oh, come on," she rolled her eyes, "you can sell the military bullshit to Kylo or Snoke, not me. You know what I mean. I worry about you. I wish you took more breaks, or at least remembered to eat... You being exhausted won't make you any more efficient and you know that."

Hux watched her all this time with sincere shock on his face. The fact that she was so understanding and so caring, doing something no one in his life had ever been able to show him, was making him feel like he didn't deserve even an ounce of her kindness.

"I still find it hard to believe you care for me this much," he said quietly, and she just sighed in response before hugging him tightly once more. That embrace expressed more than words could ever tell him. They stayed like this for a moment, bathing in pure bliss, before Hux moved to look at her face again.

"Why didn't you open your packages?"

"I wanted to open them with you."

"I am sorry," he replied with yet another sigh. "See, that's why I didn't invite you this week. I wouldn't have found the time to..."

"Hey, I told you it's fine. Just sleeping with you is enough for me," she cut him off again.

These words made him smirk immediately.

"Sleeping with me, hm?"

She groaned in response.

"Sleeping. As in closing one's eyes and snoring, you rascal." She smacked his arm lightly, making him chuckle.

"And here I thought you liked more than that."

Hux earned himself another smack on the arm for that response. He chuckled again, and soon, Y/N was not even pretending to be mad anymore. 

She snuggled into his chest, knowing the last calm moments of that morning were about to pass by.

"I'll come tonight too, okay?"

He looked at her apologetically. "I don't know when I'll finish."

"It's okay. We'll open the packages together and..."

A loud buzz from Hux's datapad pierced the air, making both of them sigh in frustration.

"There we go," he said with evident irritation, but still reached for his datapad quickly and answered the call. "What is it?"

"General, an informator of ours had just spotted the droid we had been looking for on Takodana."

"Send our squads there immediately and inform Ren. We can't allow a failure this time. And keep on updating me."

"Understood, sir."

He finished the call, and Y/N let out a giggle she had been stifling.

"Inform Ren? It's almost like you're developing a soft spot for him." She poked him in the chest playfully, getting a glare in response.

Finally, Hux got up from the bed and stretched his arms, as if physically preparing himself for the task ahead.

"Well, then. Do any insufferable lieutenants happen to want to assist me during this very important operation?"

Y/N grinned.

#hux #general hux #first order #general hux x reader #armitage hux x reader #armitage #armitage hux #armitage hux smut #general hux smut #star wars #star wars x reader #star wars sequels #star wars fanfiction #fanfiction #smut #star wars smut #kylo ren

[vivilove-jonsa]

I know you and Amymel are both publishing your OG stuff now. How is that going for you both? And do you have any tips for someone who might want to do that sort of thing?

Thanks so much for the ask, Anon. I mentioned it to @amymel86 and, while we're keeping our pen names relatively private, we truly appreciate you checking in with us :)

How's it going? It's going great! We're both thrilled to making money off writing smutty romance 🤣. To quote Amy, 'Sex sells, girlies.' But I'll add that the swoony, romantic, buttery goodness is what keeps readers coming back for more.

Tips? You got it! I'm going to put them under the cut for those who are interested but I'll preface this with the following - we are writing romance novels (primarily as eBooks) that we're self-publishing on Amazon. If you want to be the next Hemingway or Virginia Woolf, that's awesome but our route might not be your route...

Tips for self-publishing romance on the Zon and making BANK:

First off, research. Read, read, read a genre that interests you. What's killing it in the rankings? What's not? What are readers looking for?

Drill it down to a specific niche and find the tropes that work best with it. Unlike with fanfic, you will not make a killing as a newbie writer switching widely between genres and niches. Your Sweet and Clean Christian Western Romance might be fantastic but your fans won't be delighted if you follow it up with an Erotic Dark Mafia Romance. There is so much out there! Sports Romance, Regency, Paranormal, Small-Town, Billionaire, Bikers, Mountain Man... go find yourself a new book boyfriend. Choose the heat level you're comfortable with. There are readers for all levels.

But, find something that appeals to you and stick with it for the time being, learn the ins and outs but make sure it's something you can see yourself writing. Don't choose Reverse Harem or Shifter Romance simply because they're popular if you can't stand reading them. You're setting yourself up for failure that way.

Second, do a little light craft book reading. For romance, I highly recommend Romancing the Beat by Gwen Hayes and 7 Figure Fiction by T. Taylor as a starting point.

Join an indie author's discord group for important tips and stuff that you might wind up paying to learn from others. It's free and you can choose what's worth retaining and what's not. The one Amy lured me to last year is AMAZING and I've picked up so much information/resources that I never would've known about stumbling around on my own.

Pick a pen name. Do not write under your actual name. You do not want your grandma reading your book. Or maybe you do but you might not want your boss or ex or neighbor reading it. Make sure it's not a claimed pen name. Google it, check Amazon, etc.

Next one is the hard part... write a book. Dream up your story, write down those 'moments' that come to mind (you won't remember them all otherwise) and outline that sucker. Then, WRITE IT. Which sounds impossible but it's not. Most full-length romance novels fall between 60 to 85k words. There are soooooo many fanfics that are longer than that. Take a deep breath. It's doable.

The must-dos for your first book:

Think it up, write down what tropes you're looking at using, outline (at least a little) and write it. I made that sound so easy, didn't I?

2. Edit, edit, edit. You don't have to pay an editor or copywriter - I have not so far - but, for the love of God, don't release something riddled with typos or full of purple prose. Streamline it, make it page-turning goodness readers have a hard time putting down. Throw it in grammarly and spellcheck the bejesus out of it.

3. Format it using a free site like Reedsy or Kindle Create from Amazon's Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP). All that lovely spacing we enjoy doing on Ao3? That will not fly here. It's going to look like an actual book... because it is!

4. Make a cover or get one made. Look at what sells in your niche and copy it. You want to be an outlier? Wait until you're bringing in 50k a month to set the trends. Otherwise, you'll just be passed up. How much work it is can be niche dependent. Fantasy or Sci-Fi Romance might require a lot of talent to get the right look. Contemporary? Easy by comparison. GIMP or Photo Shop work great but there's a learning curve. Also, I recommend Deposit Photos or similar sites for photos/model shots. Don't steal photos off the internet for something you're selling. That will get you in hot water. Remember your cover is the first thing readers see and it needs to sell what you're offering.

5. Write the blurb. Some writers do this first but I am not one of them. It's HARD. However, I cannot stress how important this is to get someone to give your book a look, second only to the cover. It's 100 to 200 words to tell people why they absolutely have to read it! Don't do a summary of the book either. Feed them tropes, give it a hooky intro, draw them in like flies with honey.

6. Get ARCs (Advanced Reader Copy reviews) through a site like Booksprout or SM like Author Facebook groups. It'll get your book in front of eyes and it's lovely having a bit of feedback and some shiny 4 and 5 star reviews queued and ready when you publish.

7. PUBLISH IT. Flip that pancake as we say in the discord group I'm in. Serve it up, see who's biting and keep that griddle hot to make the next one. It will be even better.

And remember, this book will probably not be THE BOOK. And your first pen name will probably not be the one you retire on. It's okay. Every book will teach you something new about who you are as a writer. You'll grow, you'll get better. I'd rather publish a dozen books that are okay if I'm improving than talk about the ONE I'm going to write someday. It's totally worth giving it a whirl.

For more direct tips, feel free to send specific asks. I'm happy to help anytime :)

#writing #romance writing #romance novels #writing asks #writer tips #self publishing #anon ask #vivi rambles

[rebeccalouisaferguson]

One unanswered question from the first season relates to the very bottom of the silo. Juliette has a crippling fear of water, and very nearly ends up in what looks like a reservoir at the base. But surely that will come into play again? Chekhov's water, if you like. To that question, Ferguson was quick to tease:

"Oh, buddy, you're gonna have to see. That is such a good question. If I tell you, I'm gonna have to kill you. So, you know, we're stuck in that. There's a big door down there. I know we haven't activated the door without wanting to explore what the door might be. I’m just gonna leave it right there."

How Long Could Silo Run? 

The series is adapted from the writings of Hugh Howey. The series started in 2011 with the short story "Wool," which was later published together with four sequel novellas as a novel with the same name. Along with "Wool," the series consists of Shift, Dust, three short stories, and Wool: The Graphic Novel. This means that the series could quite easily be a straight three-season run, or could be expanded, depending on how the creative team—and of course, Apple TV+—feel about the show.

For Ferguson, she's signed her contract, and she's locked in for "two, three years" going forward. As for speculating about how many seasons it could run for, Ferguson would prefer to focus on number two and see where it takes them, with her plan being to shoot Silo for the foreseeable future—SAG-AFTRA strike pending, that is. She went to say:

"I'm a businesswoman. I go in with my head screwed on. I sign a contract and make a deal. I'm not gonna tell you what that deal is. [Laughs] I very much know what I want. It's down to my wonderful team at Apple, as well, to see what they wanna do. You know, we all save our backs. We see what works for the future. At my age and with what I've done, you don't get to a point where you go, “Let's see what happens,” you know? I'm already blocking off November for another shoot."

Ferguson continued, "I think two, three years ahead. Right now, sir, it’s one fantastic fucking show, and we’ve green-lit number two. Apple is extremely happy, and I'm happier. That's where I'm gonna leave it. We started filming Season 2 quite recently, so we are chockablock, smack back in the beginning of the shoot. I am doing this for some time in the future."

Ferguson is a Fan of Silo's Production and Apple TV+

Where Ferguson was happy to elaborate, however, was her praise of both Apple and the production of the series. Lauding their ability to combine techniques and styles, bringing in directors and seeing what works and what doesn't was an aspect of Season 1 that was widely praised. Ferguson expects that process to be further streamlined as the show evolves into its sophomore year.

"We work with different units and different directors, and it's something I really love because everyone has their style and their technique," she said. "So what we've seen in Season 1 is not a smash of what worked and what didn't work, it's an ongoing change because we have new directors dedicated to new episodes. And they will themselves see what they like or didn't like, or where they want to take it, and what feeling they want. Do they want, you know, Wes Anderson? Do they want David Lynch? Where do they want to take it?" She went on to say:

"And that's what I love. It's the creative individual, right for their episodes. And then, obviously, there is a thread going through, you can't sort of wing it in every direction, but there is a lot to be learned. But we all learn different things, and we all love different things. But what's really amazing is—and once again, I can throw it back to Apple, but I am one of their biggest fans—their trust in this process, their trust in Graham and in the directors and in us, gives us such freedom to actually feel free to create. It's not a common thing for studios to be like that as a buff. So it's a playground. It's a fantastic playground."

She continued on to say, "I feel like a sponsor for them, but I really love them. And take away the fact that we're doing Silo, the shows are so meticulously thought through of what they make, why they make it. You can see a thread of the quality that they make, so I feel so bloody honored that we are making it for Apple."

A key component of that creative process is the writing on the show, with Graham Yost playing a major part in it. During a writers' strike, the work of those behind the screenplays becomes more magnified—it always should be—but Ferguson adores the way the show sets up ideas and then pays them off. She's a fan of how it doesn't need to answer every question, but answers them enough to have you come back for more. Ferguson went on to say:

"What I feel with the writers—and I'm referring to Season 2, seeing it further on—things that I have questioned before and things that I was wondering about really ties up. If Graham is very good at something, it is tying knots together. It might not give you a complete answer to things, but enough to satisfy your urge of the huge questions. Then you have emotional feelings, or why or how did that happen? And you know, we might not want to answer all of those questions, down to character, as well, and our own little secrets we sit on as actors. But the way things are linked together, it's brilliantly written. Absolutely brilliant."

Ferguson Shares Her Biggest Challenge

One might think playing Juliette could end up being a career-defining role for Ferguson. The lead in an acclaimed series—particularly when she's already become such a star through the likes of Mission: Impossible—certainly puts you on a certain trajectory, but the chance to tell a story over a prolonged period of time gets you out there more, and it allows you to reflect on what aspects of the character require more nuance and get more of yourself into that performance.

In the case of Juliette, however, she's so closed off from everybody else that Ferguson almost had to fight to keep from putting too much of her own personality into it, which was her biggest challenge.

"I think I was having so much fun… For me, Rebecca, I am a person, I'm curious, I lean in, I'm so sure in work or interviews or promotions. I speak a lot. I'm not loud, but I'm not scared of making a fool out of myself. Privately home, I'm quite quiet and I'm very calm. I have two very separate identities. Juliette is awkward, and I am not socially awkward. I mean, I am maybe because I'm very blunt [laughs], and people might find it uncomfortable, but I'm not Juliette in the sense that she's very socially awkward and she doesn't like people. She doesn't like being close to them, she doesn't like their energy. She walks around people. And sometimes, when I was comfortable in the scene, I forgot about it, and I moved into my own character. So I had little tricks that I had to do for myself to kick myself into Juliette. The way that she holds herself and the shrug or she leans back when people lean forward, and I found that quite hard."

#rebecca ferguson #silo #silo interview #interview #wool #silo apple tv #juliette nichols #silo spoilers

[januarygale]

I am SO curious to see if The Mars House is in any way inspired by Aye, And Gomorrah... by Samuel R. Delaney.

Delaney's story is a short story from 1967 and was first published in Dangerous Visions, an anthology of 'risque' new wave sci-fi. (And it's an allegory for being queer during the 60s).

It's about a so-called "Spacer", an astronaut who works physical jobs on different planets -- who has been neutered prior to becoming a spacer to eliminate the risk of harmful mutations of the reproductive cells (don't question the science, it was the 60s). Anyway, on earth Spacers are fetishised because they are androgynous and somewhat of an 'exotic' thing and some of them are sex workers, and pretty much all of them are living at the edges of society and keep to their own community. The plot is about the disconnect between "frelks" (the ones with the spacer kink) and Spacers -- the protagonist wants to be seen as human, as a person, and the frelk fails to view them as anything other than a sexually stunted object of her fascination.

And I get that that's way too sexual and direct for a Pulley novel but somehow with Aubrey being non-binary and January being "Earthstrong", something that sets him apart from the people from Mars, it kind of seems to touch on the same themes. Obviously Spacers and Earthstrongs are different kinds of people entirely -- one too 'childlike' and the other one too strong thus 'dangerous' -- but they are both far removed from the 'normal' population of their (new) homeworlds and therefore misfits of sorts. And given how much Pulley's novels so far have been about a desire for connection... Especially connection that shouldn't exist in the eyes of society, and connection that the MCs (Valery and Raphael come to mind) simply don't think they can or should have. I feel like the parallels are there, but maybe that's just me.

And I don't know how Pulley is gonna treat Aubrey's being non-binary, but I suspect that we're gonna get a whole ass analysis. And if we do, I hope the whole 'living on a different planet on which your body behaves and developes differently until it's in stark contrast to what other human body of your sex/gender look or feel like' is going to be part of it. Which would also be a parallel to what's implied with the Spacers.

Idk if I'm making sense but all in all I'm chewing drywall about it currently.

You can read Aye, And Gomorrah here, btw. Do it. Delaney is one of sci-fi's most prolific writers for a reason and the story has aged pretty well.

#the mars house #natasha pulley #long post

[newkiqx]

Nearly every single modern computer utilizes cobalt, a mineral whose supply chain is so heavily dominated by slave labor that it's practically impossible to ethically source. Ignoring AI, it is even ethical to do digital art at all? The production of a drawing tablet is not a victimless crime.

I feel you when you want to reduce this to something as simple as a comparison. But bear with me (or alternatively, I put a tl;dr/conclusion at the end).

Much of capitalism is unethical - yes. I agree with this point completely. It's impossible to completely avoid unethical consumption in the world we live in. But it's good to be thoughtful of it and I think businesses and governments responsible for bad practice should be held accountable. Sadly I can't change the world on my own in any meaningful way, but i'll do my part where I can & vote people into power that care about this too.

Taking your comparison for a second, I feel like the art project of that OP was asking a much more direct "I bought cobalt I didn't need and then turned into a children's toy, could this be art?". And my reply was basically yeah sure it could be art, but was it worth it? My point is that I'm not sure on that last part, and leaning towards a 'no'. They specifically sourced it unethically and made that the center piece, which is distinct from the utilitarian nature of consumer electronics we need to get through our lives. Unethical sourcing of art can be a goal or statement (like here cw dead pets) but will then of course still be a part of it. I don't think ethics were considered for the post we're discussing though and it instead only discussed the very unproductive 'is it art' discourse. This, of course, matters about as much as my "dick" being objectively "long" or not.

Maybe getting a little sidetracked, but I also want to mention that cobalt is an extremely useful metal, whereas AI.. well.. i've mentioned the very human cost of mturk and the wholesale theft of the entire internet. There's also:

the power required

the jobs in art it threatens and therefore the skilled labor we stand to lose if we're not careful

the inevitable price hike and betrayal of the public as soon as alternatives are out competed (this will happen)

the risks of biases (racism, ableism, sexism) in an opaque weighted system like AI & the fact we cannot deal with this except for slapping some extra prompts in front

AI poisoning our actual collective knowledge with untrue shit. Recent cases in point being the hilarious fake mouse dick science being published and the ai generated inaccurate servals on google, but there's a lot more going on

the risks of companies and people in power using AI to more efficiently screw everybody over and hide behind 'machine told me so' accountability loopholes

the risks of AI being used in all sorts of malinformed use cases

But what are the gains? What do we stand to win? Call me cynical, but we already had an infinite amount of pictures at our fingertips, as well as all the mediocre writing you could ever want (but actually much better because someone loved writing it). I feel like all these general AI's are good for is filling the pockets of some very rich robber barons and grifters, as well as diluting everything that's beautiful and true in the world.

Quick sidenote - Some specialist AI have genuinely already improved the world, like with medical screenings, but even then it's hard to really call it a win because reverse engineering the reasoning of an AI is so fucking hard. And again, they're a slippery slope with insurance companies wanting a piece of that pie badly, just so they can apply their 'justified' penalties to people not even sick yet.

tl/dr; So in conclusion, no, I don't think your comparison holds up. I agree that it sucks that so much of necessary consumption is unethical in ways we can't easily fix as consumers. But one thing bad does not equate other thing good. If anything, it should inspire you to do better where you can make a difference and hold the ones responsible for the exploitation in this world accountable.

Don't let it eat you up though. I'm not even saying you can't use it for inspiration ever. But any art based on these generated pictures cannot be divorced from the ugly side we'd rather not see: the underpaid army of technically not slaves and the wholesale theft of everything.

also sorry but i couldn't not include this (source: matt bors)

#long post #txt #ask #fuck ai art #ai #ethics #negativity

[nazmazh]

I don't think it's a thing, or at least not as pervasive of a thing as previous iterations of it, but it seems like True Crime Podcasts never really got the full Moral Panic(TM) treatment that other dark/lurid media got in their times.

Like comics were put under the yoke of The CCA, which effectively killed the crime (true or otherwise) genre, because it was believed to be a corrupting force.

Rock music, TTRPGs, and video games got an extra dose of Satanic Influence flavour in their panics, without even necessarily being all that lurid anyway, but especially with HUGE variability in tone and style between works in the same medium - Like KISS and others leaned into the "Ah! We're so strange and scary!" vibe. And several rockers intentionally pushed the boundaries of "acceptable" sexuality and expression for the times, sure. And much of the demonization of rock is rooted in racism because it was developed from African-American music styles (with certain genres, where the influence, and popularity with Black people was more obvious, got hit especially hard because of this). But like, the freaking Beatles were seen as potentially "dangerous" and "unwholesome" (the scandal of it all!) even before they leaned fully into New Age and other general weirdness that I could see as being especially off-putting to the kinds of people that go on these moral crusades.

Violence and any sort of sexual expression/depiction in movies and TV was blamed for corrupting the nation, especially the youth - and to some extent still is. Doubly so for video games.

Computers, the internet, and social media are still seen as direct pipelines of filth into vulnerable minds.

Heck, even Novels were seen as a craze that would drive the women and youths towards inappropriate behaviours, back when they first started being published - Too easy to print and distribute (way more possible for people with ill morals to publish material!), too conviently accessible by anyone - Not needing as careful of handling or storage, and much less likely to get damaged being carried around than previous printing methods; they'd distract from duties and anything could be published in those books, and they'd be easy enough to conceal from disapproving guardians due to how compact they could be

But I can't say that I've really seen much, if any real targeting of True Crime Podcasts with these sorts of accusations in any sort of very visible way. Not even from the usual moral crusader suspects (though I'm sure some of them no doubt are out there railing against the podcasts, because that outrage against everything is what sustains certain kinds of fundamentalists), and certainly not in the mainstream media - The most I think I've seen is a few mild, often self-deprecating, jokes, said with genuine fondness, in a few more trope-savvy works here and there.

And that's despite the presence of many of the crusaders' favourite punching bag traits:

- Lurid subject matter

- Often sensationalized presentation

- New form of media

- Easily consumable by the masses

- Incredibly popular, especially paired with a rapid rise in popularity

- Especially popular among women (who, as we know from previous panics, clearly have such delicate sensibilities and fragile, malleable minds that they absolutely, positively cannot be trusted to make their own decisions about media consumption. CLEARLY.).

I would make a note about it definitely being popular with young women, which it is, sure. But honestly, I'm reasonably certain it's not especially more popular with them than with older audiences. The podcast format specifically may not necessarily be the favourite medium for a older potential audience member, especially compared to a younger potential audience member, but there's plenty of people middle aged and older that happily listen to podcasts. However there is an absolute glut of true crime shows on TV, often marketed towards women. The Investigation Discovery spin-off channel is pretty much all true-crime shows and documentaries (with maybe some Based on a True Story- style dramatizations thrown in for good measure). And even though it's not specifically, explicitly a women-focused channel in the same way, say the Hallmark Channel or Lifetime are, much of their shows formatting and much of the marketing material definitely leans toward targeting and retaining women specifically as an audience. I can remember my grandma contentedly watching the channel all day long. And let's not forget the archetypical "Lifetime Movie" is generally taken to mean a True Crime "It Could Happen to You"-cautionary tale-dramatization.

Heck, even the collection of books inherited by grandma when her mother passed away included a large amount of non-fiction books about "Tracking The Murders of [such-and-such] County" and suchlike. So, no, I don't believe the True Crime fascination is exclusively a young person phenomenon. It's been around in some form for quite a while and maintains its appeal across age demographics.

So, what gives, moral crusaders? Where's your campaigns declaring True Crime Podcasts a danger to society? Where's your press tours? Why don't you have politicians taking the floor in meetings/council/congress/etc., to declare this media to be the scourge of the nation and the latest existential threat to Western Society? Won't SOMEBODY think of the children?!?!

I know we as a society aren't all stuck watching the same news/media sources anymore, and in many ways we're not as beholden to the control/influence of the, often (but not exclusively) Evangelical, Christian institutions that used to really push this stuff as an issue to the forefront of public discourse, but I can't believe that they'd've just completely gone away and stopped trying to force everyone else to adhere to their sense of indignation and live under their moral code.

It's almost as though they're not stirring up as much outrage about this because they found something else they think is a bigger problem and/or stands a better chance of catching on with mainstream audiences.

And... oh.

Oh.

Oh no.

Well.

Shit.

I started writing this ramble upstairs, watching TV with my parents. They've been watching that "Based on a True Story" show. And that's what got me thinking about the pop-cultural niche True Crime Podcasts have found themselves in, and reactions to them compared to reactions to other forms of media that have discussed/depicted violent crimes and other controversial subject matter in the past and present (See also: Only Murders in The Building).

This was supposed to be an all-"Haha, isn't it kinda silly how things are?" little quip about how "Outrage ain't want it used to be". From my very privileged white dude point of view. But I think I stumbled into something here. Something that I might not even be the best person to talk about. So I won't go too in-depth on subjects I'm very much out of my depth on, but, I do kinda wanna get to my conclusion.

So uh...

Yeah, okay.

The Moral Crusaders are busy with other topics.

They've found bigger fish to fry, so to speak.

They're out there railing against favourable and even neutral depictions of queerness in media, especially children's media.

They're out there railing against social justice, racial equity, historical rectification, truth and reconciliation.

They're out there railing against science and education and instilling earnest curiosity in people.

Against secularization, diversity, and inclusivity.

Against correction of their own misinformation and indoctrination.

They put it all under one banner these days, and rail against it all as though it were a conspiracy to deliberately supplant them.

They're too busy crusading against "Wokeness" - Their idea of what that means, anyway.

I don't think it's the only reason there's not a big crusade against True Crime Podcasts, as I've said above, Christian morality has reduced official and unofficial influence in so-called Western society than it did in times past. And there's much better access to resources for getting different information and opinions on a subject than the people immediately around you and whatever the handful of news channels and papers you have access to tell you. That is to say, sources that require very little effort on one's own part. It's a heck of a lot easier to google something or check wikipedia than it would have been to have to trek down to the library and ask if they have any books or journals or magazine or... any sort of information about a subject.

And it's not like their boogeyman of "wokeness" isn't anything new for them to crusade against. They've always complained about it in some form or another - Who could forget the outrage against children's media back in the day?:

"Is Bugs Bunny gay?" "Is Spongebob gay?" "Is Tinky-Winky gay?"; "This book discusses subjects that should only be talked about between a mother and her daughter! It's disgusting!"; "I couldn't let my kids watch anything with magic in it - That's the devil's work! That's why I don't trust these mainstream educational programs!"

In terms of more outrageous complaints about children's media.

That's not to mention complaints about other media - Those expressly intended for adults. Or complaints about progressive actions taken in society in-general. Some of these have typically appealed only to the most vocal of cranks - The kind of things complaining about depicting characters who do un-Christian things in works, or that students are being taught proper sexual education or that vaccination is mandatory for entry into institutions like public schools.

But there's plenty of complaints that don't garner immediate pushback from less-extreme conservatives or even so-called moderates: "Why is there so much diversity in casting these days? Why can't they just make their own shows?", "Why are they coming after that comedian for telling edgy jokes?", "Why are they pushing this global warming crap down our throats so much anyway?"

In "wokeness", they've found something that seems to not only unite everything under one banner, but resonate more strongly with some people than the old canards of "liberal" or "politically correct". Sure, there's always been people who have said those with the same contempt and venom that they use for the truly heinous things of the world. But in co-opting "woke" from the original meaning among Black people expressing solidarity with each other and encouraging others to to remain aware of the social and political issues that definitely, almost-always negatively, affected their lives, the moral crusaders have found something that strikes a nerve with a large swath of people who might otherwise have not agreed that several of their bugbears actually needed opposing. Now, there's a single enemy ideology that pervades all culture-war issues. It's all connected, you see. Something you thought was harmless? No! You see, that's just how they're going to infiltrate your mind! Your childrens' minds! Don't give them any ground at all!

Awareness of an issue was and still is basically the mildest thing to ask of someone else. As a call to action, "Stay Woke" is a pretty small request.

The crusaders make it out as though it's a battle-cry, a command - A decree that all aspects of all things must adhere to the most progressive, indeed, transgressive views, opinions and approaches on all subjects. That this is upending the previously established status quo just for the sake of upending it. And that this interpretation is the one adopted by all powerful entities in society - Government (especially including the education system), mainstream media, big businesses, etc. And that these entities have oppressive reasons in mind to force those beliefs on society. And that dissent against this woke "nonsense" is the objective truth in a world gone mad! It's an imperative to preserve your way of life!

And, uh. No.

Whatever world they're living in where that's actually happening is quite different from our reality, of course.

Honestly, though? It doesn't need to start out seeming like a big conspiracy - Even asking for honest awareness, in good faith, might be enough to infuriate non-crusaders. People don't often voluntarily to entertain the notion that things they do, things they've done, and things done in their name by others, that they continue to benefit from, are indeed "bad" actions.

Because that now feels like a personal attack against them. They're bad people for not pushing back against this. They must be considered complicit. How dare you think that of me!?!

And then, then the crusader-types just need to introduce the notion that this consideration being "demanded" of this otherwise passive group is the result of a slippery slope of this entire progressive, questioning mindset. Acknowledging any part of it means accepting all of the crusaders' hyperbolic claims about what that ideology actually means.

Through the magic of "Wokeness", it's all connected - It's all out to get you.

Where does it end? Didn't you see how they treated that one guy? Surely, he's no monster. If they can go after him for something so harmless, what's stopping them from coming after you next, for something that's probably even more innocuous?

Moral crusaders know the value of a good persecution complex.

It's not just asking you to be aware of how your presence in the world affects it. It's targeting you. Right?! That's surely the point of this is to find a guilty party and punish them! They're going to make you take the fall for this and directly suffer the punishment for it! You can't let that happen!

It's not even as explicit of a line of reasoning as this.

But either way, the moral panic is spreading and the crusaders are getting a bunch more people loudly on-board with their crusade.

They're banning books and calling for show cancellations under the whole banner of "woke ideology".

They're getting their press tours. Speaking with friendly talking-heads to puff themselves up, then going on with people unwilling to challenge their claims in the interest of fairness - And even if the commentators do push back, the crusaders will spin it as "the woke mainstream media trying to suppress our beliefs" and use that as a recruiting tool.

They're getting their politicians going on rants in city council meetings. During campaign rallies. In congressional/legislative sessions. In published opinion pieces.

In judicial rulings.

In enacted legislation.

The crusade continues. In many ways, it's as pervasive and successful as it's ever been.

It's not True Crime Podcasts that have been the subject of a moral panic this time around.

They must not be "woke" enough to bother with.

#ramblings and rantings #culture war #social issues #moral panics #long post #(Don't act so shocked - I gave my blog here that 'Assorted Rantings' title for a reason) #(so the occasional ramble/rant is to be expected right?) #Been in a real write-y mood lately for some reason #hopefully this scans reasonably coherently #this took way longer to write out than I thought it was going to #that first half was basically done #I was already to click 'post' and send it out into the world #but as I was asking that question in that paragraph the answer hit me #and I realized I couldn't avoid discussing the elephant I'd just spotted in the room #that's kind of why it feels at least a little like two separate posts tbh #this was largely off-the-cuff so I am happy to receive any corrections to my interpretation of things #or any hard evidence for or against my assertions

[wavedream]

Prime Directive #0 - let's get the ball rolling

Here we go. It's happening, just as I threatened. Let's start our look at Dreamwave's first Transformers G1 miniseries, Prime Directive, one issue at a time. Pray for me, folks, people keep reacting in horror to me telling them about this project and it's making me nervous.

Some context before we begin our comic today, though. When it came out in 2002, this miniseries was the first attempt to seriously reimagine the G1 franchise since it originally ended in the West. The then-contemporary mainline Transformers fiction was anime prouced either wholly by or in conjunction with Takara, and none of it was in the style of the original G1 cartoon. In 2001, the Takara-made Car Robots series was imported by Hasbro, dubbed, and tweaked a little into the Robots in Disguise cartoon. In 2002, when this comic came out, Takara and Hasbro's joint efforts had resulted in the Armada series. Both were complete reimaginings of Transformers compared to what had come before.

So unlike today, when G1 nostalgia is ubiquitous enough that a common complaint amongst the fanbase is that it's impossible to escape, when Dreamwave released this comic there hadn't been any G1-esque English language media of note in years. In addition, the early 2000s were the start of the nostalgia boom we're still living through today in terms of pop culture, where the process of old franchises being strip-mined for constant reboots began. 'That cartoon you liked as a kid is getting a new comic, and it's for ADULTS this time!' was still a selling point with some novelty to it. The stage was very much set for this to be a succesful endeavour, and Dreamwave was banking on that to be their big break as a comics publisher.

And with that, here we are, folks: the first issue of Dreamwave's big Transformers revival. ...Sort of?

Before Dreamwave published their first Transformers miniseries, Prime Directive, a 6-page preview was produced to be sent to retailers. If you've followed any monthly comics before, you'll probably know that ahead of an issue dropping, companies typically release 4-6 pages as a preview ahead of time; this, by contrast, is an entirely original piece, taking no content from the upcoming first issue. If nothing else, that gives a good indication as to how hard Dreamwave were banking on the Transformers license being their big break.

The thing this preview is most remembered for is probably that it features five pages of nothing but humans talking, with only one brief glimpse of any robots. We open on said humans in the arctic, a setting which is notable because a) it gives me immediate Bayverse vibes and b) it's very obviously been picked so Lee doesn't have to draw too many backgrounds. I mean, look at this.

And hey, let's be fair. It's a lot of extra work to draw six whole pages just for a preview. There'll be plenty of other reasons to call Lee a lazy hack as we go through this project, so I'll let him off easy here.

What I won't be as kind to is the dialogue.

Right off the bat we begin with a very clumsy attempt to get some themes in here. When you're working within such a small pagecount, that's a wee bit tricky. A deft writer might have a conversation pull double duty, telling you a couple of each characters' quirks so they immediately feel like more than cardboard cutouts while having it relate to a wider idea. Since Sarracini is not a deft writer, instead we get a sports metaphor that makes no sense whatsoever and which goes on for two whole pages.

Decompressed storytelling was a big thing in comics around this time, with western monthly releases experimenting a lot with the sort of slow moving, character-focused pacing found in other examples of the medium, like longer form graphic novels and manga. Unfortunately, a lot of the people who jumped on this wound up not understanding how to make it work on a structural level, and they really just made less things happen per panel and page to imitate the aesthetic elements. Dreamwave is an absolutely stupendous example of this approach. This is all foreshadowing.

What we actually learn in these two pages is that this Lazarus guy has taken the other guy to the arctic. He's some kind of potential investor in a project Lazarus is looking for partners on. Lazarus apparently hasn't explained why exactly wandering around the frozen tundra is important, and the other guy is understandably pissed. It's a little unclear why he came along to the arctic when he has no idea what Lazarus wants to invest in, but here they are, trudging through the snow.

So they argue, and then a very confusing set of panels happens.

I had to squint at this for a hot second to work out Lazarus is supposed to be grabbing him painfully. Lee is not a master of… much of anything, art wise. And clear, readable action is something he struggles with from the get go. Anything that needs a reader to understand implied motion and momentum has a good chance at winding up a dud.

No worries though. We get straight back to po-faced declarations of The Themes Of The Comic, Honest, which only requires that he draw people standing around.

I have a high tolerance for comic book-y expository nonense. But it's so entirely joyless here. Shoot me, I have to read the entire rest of this fucking series.

On the next page, we finally get to something Transformers related I can draw your attention to, though. There's a full page of them coming across a monitoring set up for something (oh my, I wonder what it could be) in the ice. It's more space filler of no real interest, but this particular text box might ring some klaxons in a modern day Transformers fan's head:

Now, this isn't an example of 'what do you MEAN, Dreamwave did that first?!', a refrain that will crop up quite a few times as we make our way through these comics. It's true that a shocking number of franchise staple concepts originate in Dreamwave, but the gladiatorial element isn't one of them. That goes back to Marvel, with the UK-only prose story "State Games" establishing it as part of the backstory for both Megatron and Optimus. But it is notable that Dreamwave is going to be where a lot of people encounter this concept for the first time, given that the prior story was not just a UK exclusive, but specifically a prose story tucked away in an annual rather than the regular monthly comic. (And yes, spoiler alert: it will crop up again in Dreamwave.) I would not be surprised to find out the revival of this concept in places like the Aligned continuity owe at least some debt to the idea resurfacing in this series.

Anyway, the comic then tries to persuade us that the thing most of interest when it comes to what can be gleaned from terrifying alien war machines with all the onboard tech and weaponry they have is that they turn into cars sometimes. No further explanation is forthcoming. Lazarus just sort of says this as though it's self evident and moves on.

Look, making the fact Transformers characters can transform central to the fiction is my whole thing. I want it. When Transformers media doesn't take advantage of that stuff, I am sad. But the degree to which this falls flat is a bit of a warning as to a problem this series is probably going to come up against a lot as we go on, and which plenty of recent Transformers media aimed at fans has struggled with. How do you do things like that in something that isn't made for eight year olds and running on "rule of cool"? Transformers turn into cars and planes and weird animals and such because that's cool to a child who wants to buy awesome toys. It's tricky to translate that into a story aimed at adults that takes itself remotely seriously. In no way impossible. But if you don't really consider how you plan to approach that part, and indeed a great many elements integral to Transformers, you're probably not going to nail it.

They talk for another goddamn page after this and oh my god, this preview should have been three pages tops. I'm not making you read all that. Just rearrange the words in one of the above panels, it's about the same experience.

Finally, FINALLY, we hit the jackpot with the last page: a full page spread of Soundwave, partially obscured in ice as they excavate him. (See? Bayverse vibes.)

Soundwave is pretty much the single most iconic non-Optimus Transformer in broader pop culture, so that tracks. (Honestly, he'd probably give OP a run for his money.)

And it is a very nice bit of imagery, though they really didn't need those damn speech bubbles down there. But you can see here where the concept for this preview originates. All the build up being so you can have the final full-page splash of an 80's-style iconic character to get the audience hyped up. In the hands of a better writer, that would probably have worked perfectly well. As it stands, the fact this apparently did get people hyped is really more just down to Soundwave being really cool, I reckon.

So that's the preview. It's on Earth, the robots came to Earth a long time before under circumstances we don't know about, and now some shady humans have found one of them. It's a decent enough setup. One so good it's been used in Transformers at least twice; seriously, that is just a description of Megatron in Bayverse, right?

After all this riveting comic content, the original version of the preview also featured some teaser art. This gives us a bit more of an idea what the upcoming series might look like, since we get all of one panel of Lee actually drawing a robot in this one.

Pat Lee's art is, of course, one of the more infamous elements of Dreamwave's comic. He called his style "anime inspired" a lot, which was a real exciting prospect in 2002 if you were a certain kind of nerd. You can sort of see some of it in his art. In that very 'western artist in 2002 working off an English language how to draw manga book' way that is a peculiarity of the time period. But it sure doesn't look like, say, the Transformers work of Studio OX.

More to the point, his artwork is frequently a mess, with terrible composition, incoherent proportions, very little understanding of perspective, and little to no emotion conveyed by its characters. He tends to draw his robots all very... puffy and inflated-looking, too. This style would form the basis of a 'house style' all other artists brought in were expected to follow. Even when much more competent artists than Lee are to be seen, they'll be somewhat shackled by the restrictions put in place there.

And that's a wrap on this wee little six page preview, so god knows how much I'll have to say about the series itself. Stay tuned to see if any robots get to speak next time!

#maccadam #dreamwave #prime directive #transformers

[nicosraf]

i wanted to reach out to you and tell you the impact your book has had on me. i am ftm, also hispanic and raised deeply catholic. in fact i would crush on the paintings my family kept of micheal around the house because he was always so beautiful. it was as catholic as you could be, i was taught by nuns, told all the stories. being able to reclaim these nostalgic and mystical stories through this new, queer lense is so liberating, like it can finally be for someone like me again.

looking through your blog and hearing your story has inspired me. i am also a writer, a year your junior. your direction, skill, delicacy in your craft gave me the impression of someone who’s been writing books for over a decade. reading your blog and seeing that the book has more entries in the works has me overjoyed; do you have any sort of timeframe on when we could expect the next installment, or at least get some updates? ^_^

My fellow trans hispanic taught by nuns who developed a crush on the painting of Michael in the house!!!!!! You're my brother in arms

I'm!!! so happy you feel like you can reclaim what you've been taught with a liberating and queer lens. That means so much to me, literally. Back when I was drafting I felt like I was literally writing for no one so :') <3 Honestly, it seems like we're in a boom of queer literature reckoning with religion, and that's super exciting. I hope we see more queer angels and saints and gods and God stories soon!

In terms of release dates – alright, the plan was that I'd drop the sequel late this summer and then the 3rd book in late 2023 or early 2024. I was also going to drop an unrelated novella at some point this year. But, ABM did a lot better that I expected. This has given me 73823 more things to do, so it's been really difficult to work on actual writing and editing.

Also, nobody get your hopes up, but there's been some expressed interest in Angels Before Man getting picked up by a traditional publisher. This would mean ABM gets re-released and then the sequels would come out after that. Again, do not take this as confirmation of re-release, but I figured I'd keep y'all in the loop that things are Happening.

I'll hopefully have more concrete updates in summer! If I'm not allowed to say anything, then I'll vague post about it skkss

#do NOT take this as confirmation im begging #But yeah trad pub and I are in Talks and that takes FOREVER #and I might still back out but I'll let yall know immediately skskks #also out of curiosity i looked up when i finished my first book and that was actually 9 years ago? jesus christ #i feel old #Anyway the Michael painting is right by my front door and whenever i saw it i would just stare at Michael gayly #thats why im the Way I Am #maybe if Michael wasnt so kissable !!!!!!! #mine #ask #angels before man

[laventadorn]

Hey, you're one of my favorite writers and I'm looking to start writing fanfiction. Have you got any tips for beginners? ❤️

i've been letting this percolate, but instead of bubbling gently away with ideas, it's rather been losing direction in my brain's spin cycle.

Part of my problem is that I do not personally find writing advice very useful! A former teacher and essayist, John Holt, said, "We learn to write by writing, not by reading other people's ideas about writing."

I think that 1) writing and 2) reading are the best ways to develop one's writing -- but this is the sort of vague, all-encompassing statement that sounds like "in order to live your life, you have to live your life." It's true! but functionally useless.

So, to try and make something useful out of these gobs of information in my brain, I think it depends on which of the following you want to develop:

Process

Understanding of your taste

I'll go more in-depth into these behind a cut because I started embarrassing myself with the length of this.

Process

This refers to just the way you go about getting the actual writing done. Some people are very regimented and this works for them -- cf. wake up at 5 and write for two hours, have breakfast at 7, then write until 10, and so forth (I think Ursula K. LeGuin did something like this? anyway it makes me want to spit blood, I'd die). Some people like to write best with fancy pens in fancy journals. Some people keep diaries next to their bed and write when they first wake up. Some write x number of words every day. etc. If you're so inclined, you can read what other people share about their processes.

However, not a flippin' one of those have ever worked for me. I couldn't explain why to you or myself; but I've tried all kinds of other people's processes and they were nothing to me. It was like trying on clothes that didn't fit.

Obviously this is not to say those people hadn't experienced enlightenment and worked out the best method for them. They just hadn't worked out the best method for me. They're not supposed to! I tried, it didn't work, that's all.

It's useful to see what other people have worked out; maybe it works for you! I have a writer friend who writes every day and publishes novels regularly. But I cannot write every day. I've tried, and eventually all I do is punish myself for not meeting my word count goals, and then I turn into a gnarled ball of anxiety and guilt. It's counterproductive.

(I did learn what not to do, though. I also learned I have a tendency to get in my own way. I can add more about my self-discovery process in another post if you want.)

tl;dr - One size doesn't fit all. Just because it worked for them, it doesn't have to work for you. This is normal and natural.

2. Understanding your own taste

We all like some writers and not others. (I'm honored to be one you like!) It doesn't mean writers are bad when we don't like them, nor does it mean our taste is bad -- it just means what and/or how they like to write doesn't align with what and/or how we like to read.

A piece of writing advice I do find useful is that you learn what you like by studying what you like to read. For instance, my very favorite author is Jane Austen. My favorite thing about her (there are many things I love) is how she develops characters; character is the most important aspect of a work for me. So it's useful for me to study how she creates and delineates character (I also read annotated editions of her books because, well, English degree nerds do stuff like that for fun).

It's not all this high brow, though -- when I come across a fanfic Snape I like, I also study that :3

By doing this, we're not so much trying to replicate this person we like and admire (although we can, and other writing advice says to do this explicitly as part of the learning process) as we're trying to understand ourselves and learn from people we like and admire. In this way, we learn how to do grow toward the place we want to be as writers.

(This is also not limited to authors -- you can study books, TV shows, movies, etc. All fiction eventually ends up at the same place, and we tend follow our own taste across mediums. You can also study one author for their prose, another for their humor, a third for their world-building, etc. - it's the Olympics!)

tl; dr - Studying your faves to understand yourself helps develop your writing. Metacognition is the process of thinking about one's cognition; this is that, but for reading taste. The more we learn about ourselves, the more we can do.

--

I was going to add a third point about writing voice and a fourth about interests but this was legit getting embarrassing in length, and idk about you, but if someone gives me too much information at once my brain shuts down. If you are not like me, feel free to tell me! I didn't want it to turn out to be useless to the target audience, i.e. you who sent the ask :)

Also hit me up if this is too vague/all encompassing. I'm hard to shut up once I get going; I find it hard to get going usually because I know it's hard for me to shut up!

#laventadorn replies #is this even useful?? idk man

[smittenroses]

Memories are better than Gifts - Interest check

Ah yes, Christmas, it's coming up, isn't it?

Christmas is an amazing time of year, one of which we can celebrate love, joy and... *checks smudged hand* real people? No no, we're on tumblr, we're lonely fuckers so we're celebrating fictional crushes and OTPs instead.

This idea has been brewing in my mind for a while so I decided to open up the concept to anyone who wants to join, not only to celebrate the year that has come and gone in nearly a blink of an eye, but to celebrate the amazing people I have met in this community.

The collab focuses on the concept of memories that are more precious than any gift, be it soft moments or ones that are made better with the love and support of another.

Status: CLOSED

DEADLINES

Interest check ends: November 30th (Australian time), 16 days after this post. Date fics due: 15th December (Australian time) Masterlist published: December 20th (Australian time)

What's the dress code? (RULES AND REGULATIONS)

You must be following me — new followers are always welcome and you are free to unfollow after the event has finished.

In order to make sure everyone is comfortable, I please ask that you do not write "problematic"* content with the intent of romanticisation — now before you come running at me, pitchforks blazing, this accounts for things such as teacher/student (and similar relationships), paedophilia, racist, transphobic, ableist, etc, content, essentially things that will defiantly cause a stir if it's meant to be portrayed in a romantic light. This however does not include things such as trauma and recovery, mention of past events, age gaps between adults*, etc. Darkfic is also allowed. — *I define problematic content as things that defiantly are considered taboo and frowned upon, hence the wording of this particular rule. — *for age gaps, please do not play on the troupe of the older person waiting for the younger person to come of age, that's creepy. — no age ups are allowed for this collab.

In order to ensure fairness, double-ups are allowed but I am only accepting 3 per character or ship — people enjoy certain characters or ships and that is perfectly fine, being that this is a non-fandom specific collab, but I have to ensure some sort of variety exists. However, should someone drop from the collab and they have a ship or character that was in demand, I can open up that spot for the next person that had requested for that character.

Multiple entries are allowed — however, like the rule prior, there is a limit; one blog is allowed two characters/ships or a character and a ship each.

You do not need to write about Christmas in particular — if you have another Holiday that is celebrated instead of Christmas and want to write about it (e.g Hanukkah), it is 100% accepted; not everyone celebrates Christmas.

How to RSVP (joining the collab)

To join, just send me an ask in which includes your blog name (if you're anon), the character or ship you wish to write for, the fandom and what type of memory you wish to cover. You are 100% allowed to specify AUs and tropes that you wish to cover. — example: smittenroses, Albedo (Genshin Impact), watching the snow fall, modern AU, engagements.

Once you have submitted interest, please reblog this post.

If you are wishing to participate in the NSFW part of the collab (all participants for that half will need to be 18 or older), please direct your asks to @/corruptedroses instead

If you plan on posting to AO3, Wattpad, Quotev, FF.net, etc, please also include that in your ask.

Setting the Table (Requirements)

All submissions are to be written works, however, art is allowed to be included as well if it is a part of your submission(s).

All fics are to be at least 500 words minimum, there is no maximum and you are encouraged to go wild.

Content will be split across two master lists, across two blogs: sfw (smittenroses) and NSFW (corruptedroses), the second one will be hidden behind the new community feature as to protect anyone who is a part of it.

please tag with #memoriesovergifts22 and tag me in it when you're done! Due to the specific Holidays surrounding the collab, fics are asked to be done no later than the 20th of December, the finished list will be published on the 24th of December.

#memoriesovergifts22 #collab #interest check

[golmac]

More on workshop

So. I was asked in a reply why I don't like CW workshop. It's a good, reasonable question. I tried to answer, but there's a character limit for replies. I'll try again here, and hopefully I won't get too bogged down in the details.

Before going to grad school, I worked in automobile factories. In manufacturing, processes are the activities that, in total, lead to a desired outcome. A process that consistently leads to desirable results is said to have a high level of quality.

Workshop is a process, just like painting a car door is a process. There is a loose collection of practices or activities that make up the workshop. We're taught about them in pedagogy classes and articles. Mechanically, workshop favors certain types of writing over others. This is a function of what can be quickly and easily articulated in a group setting.

Its stated goal--making poems better--is pretty loaded. A workshop, like any social organism, has persons with more and less privilege, more and less social capital, and so on. What happens when you get a bunch of people together to make art "better?" A teacher has a big role to play in making such spaces equitable, and some have a lot of success, but the question is still fraught IMO.

The upshot of having people from various backgrounds with different aesthetic tastes is that workshops often... I won't call it the lowest common denominator because that's insulting and not quite right, but it is fair to say that workshops push art in the direction of things that everyone agrees on. I mentioned Raymond Carver in my earlier reply because I think he's the prototype of that Iowa Writer's Workshop author. His stories feature things that are aesthetically very solid. Economical prose with specific, evocative imagery. The narrative voice never editorializes. Masculine, verby constructions. This is the kind of writing that workshop privileges. I could use Mary Gaitskill as a more recent example (I love Mary Gaitskill!).

& you know what? There's a good reason for that. Raymond Carver's stories are very, very sound, technically. So people agree. Be more specific. Don't editorialize. It's very good advice, which is why people keep handing it out. It all makes so much sense that it's easy to overlook the fact that good poems and stories don't always comply.

I had a poem that got published in Nimrod, a nice mid-tier journal out of TU. It's about a single mother at her child's funeral. She's explaining to her child (or talking to herself, perhaps) why she didn't call the baby's father. I spent twenty minutes of my life fielding questions about where the father is, and why he and the mother aren't still together, and where they met, and I'm like Jesus, people, this is a sonnet, not a Raymond Carver story. We never talked about technical features of the poem. This was not an unusual experience for me.

That's to say nothing of workshopping poems about mental illness. I felt like I was being dissected, and I'm not shy about discussing my diagnosis.

Ultimately, I just think groups of people are good at evaluating some sorts of art but not others. I also think that's ok, as long as that's understood.

Anecdotally, my writing students all preferred one-on-one conferencing, anyway. By a wide margin. I'm out of that game, now, but if I were teaching Introduction to Creative Writing again I'd do one workshop (because it's an expected competency of the class) and otherwise do conferences. On my evaluations, students said that conferencing made them feel more valued as writers and that the feedback was more useful. And that was my jam.

#wall of text #too many words

[menagerie-of-monsters]

Find the Word Game

Picked up an open tag from @cljordan-imperium

Tags for, hmm... @k--havok, @dogmomwrites, @nothwell, @leave-her-a-tome, @calicojackofficial, @space-cadead

Your words are: silent, star, stop, scar, surround

My words are: temper, magical, equal, brush, and leg

Temper

From Captured by the Fae Beast, which is cheating since it's published, but I love this passage too much to resist.

He opened his eyes again, looking at me with tension and unhappiness. "You may hear things—" "If anyone fucking dares to repeat anything they heard, I will punch them in their stupid fucking faces," I snarled back, cutting him off and unable to contain the white-hot rage in the face of that shame and devastation in Dain's expression. The force of that anger made it a little easier to comprehend why Dain had so brutally taken revenge on the two archers sent to kill us. If King Omahice had walked into the room at that moment, I would have been sorely tempted to go at him with one of Dain's many swords. He jerked back slightly, his eyes going wet and gleaming. "You… don't want to know?" he asked, his voice shaky. "Not like that." I tried to get my temper back under control, though I kept seething. "I want nothing from you that you don't want to give. If those Court of Mercy motherfuckers try, they will find out exactly how much of a match I am for the Beast of fucking Phazikai."

Magical

This one's from The Gardener and the Water-horse, which is in the last throes of editing :>

"'Flirt'?" he asked, as if he'd never heard the word before. Well, maybe he hadn't. He was a big damn lake in the middle of nowhere, and people probably didn't come and… talk to him. Maybe the sorcerers did, or worked with him, but Barixeor was abyssal, and that sat in direct opposition to water. And ordinary people like me mostly kept out of the way of dangerous magical creatures when we could. Like I'd be keeping away from this one, if he wasn't blocking access to my broken water pump with his naked body. "Um, you know, the sort of back-and-forth thing we're doing? With all the arch smiles on your part and mild exasperation on mine?" The water-horse looked puzzled, and I shook my head. "Human thing," I said, even though that wasn't at all true. Pretty much everyone flirted, if they were interested in such things. "It's a type of light banter that people do when they find each other attractive, I guess?"

Equal

A fun snippet from The Serpent's Bride, which I'm still dabbling at while I work on the Echoes of the Void and Monsters of Faery series.

Conflicting desires flooded me, making me freeze in place. Part of me - the part that had woken up under the impression that I was in my bed at home with a nameless lover - quickened from the feel of a man fitting himself to my body with obvious desire. The rest of me violently alternated between shock at having Talazen up against me like this, scrambling panic from the reality of the fact that at some point I was going to have to fuck a snake, and a blank sort of incomprehension of what sort of physical reality I was currently experiencing. Talazen made another low sound that sent equal parts interest and horror though me like the flights of arrows. His tongue lazily flicked out, sweeping across the skin of my chest, and the taste of my body's tumult finally woke him. The serpent prince went completely, eerily still, with the same perfect motionlessness of a viper lying in wait for prey. My heart hammered against my chest, and I realized I was holding my breath. I let it out shakily, then took another breath and said, "Good morning, Talazen."

Brush

Eyy, next-in-line book! This is from In the Claws of the Raven Prince, which is the next up in Monsters of Faery, and due to come out April 2023~

"Who was that ass?" I said, voicing my ire at the situation. "You'd think people would know better than to bait a manticore." Ayre spread his wings, stretching them, then snapped them closed and shook himself. "He's the only child of my father's only sibling, and thus theoretically fifth in line for the Raven Throne, as I am theoretically fourth." "Only theoretically?" I asked, patting my chest to invite Ayre to come lie on me. He did with a sigh, draping his lanky body across mine and nuzzling up against my neck, his slim fingers tangling with my hair. "The Courts respect primogeniture mostly by accident," he said, his lips brushing against my neck with tantalizing warmth. "The heir to the Court is the closest blood relative to the Monarch, but that need not be a child. Even if you have children, the heir may be a sibling, or someone to whom you've given your blood in a ritual."

Leg

And for a glimpse into the future, this is from Beneath the Dragon's Wings, which is book 3 in Monsters of Faery and thus will enter the world sometime around October 2023. Varistan, the half-dragon in question, is the ass mentioned above xD

I'd imagined he would be strange to look at, but he was no stranger than any other fae--less strange, even, because I didn't expect him to be human at some deep, animalistic level. Sprawled across the couch, clad in black, he was simply a man, sulking and well on his way to being completely wasted. But he was also a monster. One enormous black wing stuck up along the back of the couch, with the other hanging off it; they curled up at the bottom like a relaxed bat's, but the talons and scales couldn't be anything but a dragon's. Two long fingers and a thumb rested at the wrists of his wings, black-skinned and tipped with claws. His long tail draped off of the couch and across the coffee table, the thick blades of his spade relaxed. His legs belonged to a dragon in their shape, though he could stand upright like a man, and those powerful, taloned feet could surely gut a man. His face was all fae, save for the two horns arching over his head. His arms were more bulky and his chest broader and deeper than most fae, though—Because he flies, I thought as I examined him. The ruby eyes and maroon hair against his black coloration and clothing made him look like a villain out of a picture book. If someone had asked me to come up with an evil half-dragon, I might very well have made someone who looked exactly like him.

#tag game #find the word game #fantasy romance #fae romance #monster romance #captured by the fae beast #in the claws of the raven prince #monsters of faery #the serpent's bride #the blue kingdom #the gardener and the water-horse #echoes of the void #beneath the dragon's wings #snipperdoodle