#and it might take another 7 years to write the next sentence

[a-hackneyed-premise]

Who just wrote an ENTIRE SENTENCE for The Colour of Heartbreak, after having not even looked at it for about seven years?

This girl.

#tcoh #stuff i write #everlark #god is there anyone on this site that still cares about this fic? #who knows #and it might take another 7 years to write the next sentence #but i feel good

[onskepa]

Can you do a reader who has an accent with the sully family + spider?

Hello darling! So I dont know what accent you wanted, so I am going with a Mexican accent. Since it is easier for me. I also take it you wanted a human reader so that is what we are going with! This might be short, idk, I type as I go! Hope you enjoy!

Italics means na'vi talk

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Flor

Another day in the thriving planet of pandora. Meaning, another day with their good friend flor! A nice, loving human that the sully kids love to see as their teacher and friend. Spider enjoys spending time with flor as she gives him some insight of what planet earth was like many years ago. Spider loved flor, she was like a mother figure to him. The closes thing he has to a parent.

To the sully kids, she was the best. Teaches them some English but other languages that she knows. Of course in secret as to not let neytiri know her children are learning other demon languages.

What makes flor more outstanding compared to the other humans was because of her accent. Sounded very odd yet very interesting. As young as the kids remember, Flor would try her best to speak in na'vi rather than english, according to flor, "na'vi is easier to speak than english because of the dialects". Whenever flor would speak in English, its comes out....a bit funny. Of course the kids wouldn't point it out as means to be nice and respectful but it was so odd how english comes out of her mouth compared to neytiri or other na'vi.

Spider woke up feeling excited for a new day. Getting 'dressed', he waits in the main area of the lab for flor. And as always on the clock, Flor walks to the main room exactly at 7:00 am. On the dot.

"good morning flor!" spider says with a wide happy grin. Flor smiles and hugs in, giving him a soft kiss on the head. "Good morning araña" flor replies with a kind smile.

Putting on their masks and doing the needed procedure, they both left the lab and into the world of pandora. Making their way to the village, spider cant help but spike a conversation with flor.

"ok ok, so how about, 'I went to get some water'?" spider asks. Flor took a moment and replies "I whuent to get some whater". Spider grins, its not like he is making fun of her and should flor feel uncomfortable he will stop.

That is a game they play, spider or any of the sully kids say a sentence, flor would repeat it but with her heavy accent.

Arriving at the village, the sully kids were quick to see flor and spider and ran to greet the two. Tuk, abusing her cuteness power, jumps into the arms of flor, snuggling into her embrace and just enjoy to be with flor again.

"good morning flor!" tuk says cheerfully. Flor chuckles and boops tuk's nose, "good morning mi niña pequeña". Tuk doesn't 100% know the meaning but from how flor is saying it, it must be a good thing.

"move tuk! I wanna hug her too!" lo'ak tries to nudge tuk but the little one has a good grip on flor. "ok ok, you two, plrease colm down. Lo'ak, you are a beeg boy" flor says in english. Most of the time she does it on purpose since the children like to hear her accent.

Lo'ak pouted cutely, his tail swinging low and ears pinned down. Reminds her of a toddler not getting what he wants. "lo'ak, its ok, we can hug later as much as you want" flor says kindly. Lo'ak liked the idea and returned to smiling happily again.

Kiri looked a bit imaptient, ready to have the full day with flor and her siblings. "can we go now?" she asks. Flor laughs inwardly.

"now we cahn go. Be shur to be close and together pleez. Neteyam, you can leed the way tooday" flor says, which neteyam happily complies.

There, spider and the sully kids surround flor as they go on another day full of adventure and learning new words.

Credit goes to my mom since she has a heavy accent so I took some words from her. I hope this is what you asked, I don't mind re-writing it! Tell me what ya'll think! until next time! see ya!

These are some spanish words!

Araña = spider

mi niña pequeña = My little girl

Flor = flower

#avatar #avatar the way of water #na'vi x reader #na'vi avatar #avatar 2 #na'vi x human #lo'ak #kiri #spider #tuk #rda #na'vi x human reader #na'vi x y/n #neteyam #spider x reader #lo'ak x reader #tuk x reader #kiri x reader

[em-dash-press]

Drafting Your Creative Time: Your Guide to Planning a Year of Creative Writing

2024 is about to start. You’re going to venture into another year of writing incredible stories, but what will that practically look like? I feel more in charge of my creativity by planning rough writing schedules. Here’s how you can do the same without locking yourself into a too-strict calendar that leaves your writing spirit depleted.

Set One Writing Goal

Twelve months is a lot of time, but anyone can handle a single goal. Make the next year easy on yourself by picking one thing you want to accomplish (and let’s not make it “publish my novel” if you’re just starting the manuscript on January 1, given how it takes roughly 18 months of work after you get an agent) (and that can take a few weeks to a few years, depending on your querying experience!). 

Try picking a manageable writing goal like these:

I will write 10 chapters of my novel.

I will make a collection of 5 short stories I write this year.

I will submit a short story to at least 3 contests this year.

I will publish one new work of fanfiction in the next 12 months.

I will write one short story in a new genre.

Publishing a book can be a long-term goal, but your 2024 goal should be easy to break down into manageable steps you can accomplish by yourself. You’ll be more likely to reach the finish line and work toward another goal.

Establish a Stress-Free Writing Schedule

Creativity comes and goes, but your writing will never get done if you don’t form some kind of schedule. Your upcoming year could look something like this:

I’ll write every Wednesday night between 7-7:30 p.m.

I’ll use voice-to-text to get my story-related thoughts on virtual paper for five minutes every morning before school.

I’ll do freestyle writing for five minutes on Mondays and Saturdays to keep my thoughts flowing, even if I don’t find more time to work on my story that week.

Your schedule should be realistic, which means it shouldn’t stress you out. Make it match your weekly and daily routine. When do you naturally feel most energized? When can you carve out ten minutes for your craft? 

Remember, you can always (and should!) adjust this set schedule as time goes on. Your non-creative schedule most likely won’t look the same on January 1 as it will on December 31.

Save a Few Writing Prompts

You might have a few weeks here or there when you’re juggling life’s responsibilities and can’t get to your WIP. It happens to all of us!

When you’re busy, try answering a writing prompt in three sentences or less. Use your phone, a sticky pad, or whatever’s nearby. You never know if it’ll inspire you later when you’re free to write.

In the meantime, you’ll keep using the creative side of your brain so your writing abilities don’t feel so distant.

Check out these prompt apps if getting online isn’t your thing or takes too much time from your busy schedule!

Find a Writing Community

There are so many ways to build a writing community. Start a tumblr about it (guilty as charged) or join a Facebook group. Find an active Reddit thread about your favorite genre or join a Discord server with writers. 

You don’t even need to start talking to others and making friends if it makes you anxious. Read what people are saying to get inspired by everyone. You’ll naturally join in when you get excited about something they’re discussing and keep creative writing at the front of your mind.

Read Lots of Books

I always feel more connected to my writing when I’m actively reading. Artists of any kind need a source of inspiration to keep their creativity flowing. Keep an actively growing To Be Read list with apps like Story Graph (a Goodreads-type app that isn’t owned by Amazon and gives so much more information about your curated reading history!).

Visit your local library if you don’t have the money for new books all the time (who does?). As you get inspired by what you read, you’ll also pick up skills from authors you admire or note things you don’t want to recreate. Study each story’s structure and character development. You’ll return to your WIPs with renewed passion.

Embrace the Scary Editing Stage

Your first draft is your thoughts and dreams poured out on paper. The editing stage is where you refine and re-write your work until it shines. Set aside specific time for editing after completing a first draft of any story. Even if your editing phase doesn’t take very long, working on line edits and developmental edits will make your work so much better.

It’s also a normal form of frustration for writers, but one that happens no matter where your writing goes (on fanfiction websites, short story contests, a literary agent’s desk, etc.).

Schedule Your Rest

Writing might feel like a natural hobby, but your brain and body still need to rest after periods of intense focus/work. Schedule rest periods into your daily or weekly calendar. It’s time to recharge in whatever ways best suit your body, like:

Sitting outside

Walking in a park

Reading

Sitting in a hot bath

Going to the movies

Sleeping in

Keep in mind that sometimes you’ll need more rest than others. Extend some self-compassion by checking in with your physical and mental energy frequently during the next year. If you take time to rest, you’ll be less likely to burn out creatively.

-----

This next year will be full of growth, challenges, and joys in your writing life. Embrace every second by resting and writing in new ways.

#writeblr #productivity #writing productivity #creative writing #creative writers #writing advice #writing tips #writers of tumblr #writing #writing community #writing help #writing resources #writing inspiration #new years resolutions #creative writing resolutions

[fandomfrolics]

For the unwritten fics: 7 (for ted, obvs), 10, 15!

7. What are your plans for -character-?

Sorry, this is such a funny question out of context. I have many plans for that sad dad and some of them may even make it into published fics one day but off the top of my head, the gist of my plans are:

Ted gets laid (angsty)

Ted gets laid (happy)

Ted gets laid (emotional)

Ted gets laid (filthy)

Ted comes back to London and his old job

Ted goes on a road trip

and just to cover all my bases, Ted is sad.

15. Do you have any unwritten scene that you think about a lot?

Answered this here! But there's another unwritten thing I guess I think about once in awhile, which I had a vague idea for after the s3 ep where Ted calms himself down from his panic attack but I don't think I'll ever actually write so I'm just gonna summarise the whole thing in a long run-on sentence:

Basically Roy sees/overhears Ted chanting "he's okay" quietly to himself and surmises it's about Henry and he takes Ted outside to look at the moon because when he first went off to Sunderland he called his grandad crying about being so far away and his grandad told him to go outside and look at the moon because no matter how far apart they were they'd always be looking at the same moon and the whole thing is essentially just a conversation they have lying on the pitch while looking up at the sky.

10. If unpublished, can you show a sneak peek of what you've written?

This isn't actually from one of the 'plans' OR the idea mentioned above but it's another one I don't think I'm ever actually going to finish so thought I might as well share some of it. It's a Thanksgiving fic with Henry, Michelle, and Ted's mom all visiting London (established but background T/R iirc). I wrote most of it more than a year ago but surprisingly the Ted's mom characterisation still fits pretty well I think (except her name but that would be pretty cray cray if I guessed it right). Anyway! Here's a little Ted & Michelle part of it (behind a read more since this is already so long).

“Thought you could use this.”

Michelle glances up to see Ted holding a bottle out towards her. The corner of her mouth quirks up. She takes it gratefully, sipping lightly as he settles down next to her on the steps.

“So,” he says after a brief, loaded silence, “you gonna tell me what that was all about back there, or am I gonna have to try this beer tactic with my momma instead?”

Michelle doesn’t crack. “Don’t ask your mom.”

“Okay…” He peers at her. “You realize you’re making me more worried, right? Not less? You can see how you might be doin’ that? With this whole thing?” He gestures between them.

She sighs, holding the bottle to her forehead. “Ted, I’m sorry, but sometimes your mother can be a real—”

“Pain in the ass?” Ted guesses.

“I was gonna say ‘piece of work’ but hey, if you wanna go there…”

“Okay." She lets him tug the bottle away from her face, watching him put it carefully down on the step between them. "Michelle, what on earth is goin' on?”

She sighs again, then finally shifts to face him. “Ted, you know sending Henry to live here…you know that’s as much for him as it is for you, right?”

He swallows audibly. “Are you second-guessing this whole thing, ‘cos I know I’ve always been a bit of a soft touch with him but it’s only been like three months, you gotta give me more of a chance, I promise I’ll—”

“No, Ted, it’s not—” She shakes her head vehemently. “You’re doing fine.” She smiles. “More than fine. Henry seems to have really settled in well here.”

“Oookay…” He tilts his head. “Is that what’s botherin’ you? That he’s doing too well? ‘Cos I swear, he misses you like crazy. And I lied, I’m still a soft touch. I totally bribed him into eating those green beans earlier. But I swear to god, the kid is—”

“No, no, Ted, it’s not—” She cuts him off with a laugh and his mouth falls shut. She stares at him quietly for a long moment before she flicks her gaze away, back out to the long garden. In the dark it looks like it goes on forever. 

“God, I’m going to have to tell you, aren’t I.”

“I think so?”

It feels like it’s always like this between them, the punctuation remarks reversed, and it used to be so exhausting, to be the one always carrying around the full stop, but she appreciates it about him more, now, that he doesn’t push. Now that she has some distance, she can fully appreciate the rarity of it, of the way he can prompt and give space all on the same turn.

#I feel like I'm actually not doing this right but oh well #I think I am no longer in my '10s of concurrent WIPs I'm actively working on' era #instead my google docs is riddled with half-written unpublished fics and idk who that person was who wrote them #ANYWAY #thanks for asking!! #ask game #asks #kittensittin

[ginevralinton]

Thank you for the tag @ailendolin ♥♥

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

Currently 67

2. What’s your total AO3 word count?

197,359

3. What fandoms do you write for?

BBC Ghosts, mostly, at the moment, but I also do some classic lit fics every now and then

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

A second (minor) heart attack

Cast Back (embarrassingly)

House Share

A piece of the universe

Not quite like the books

5. Do you respond to comments?

I do. I feel like my replies aren’t all that thrilling, but I always try to say thank you!

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

I have a (possibly) bad habit of needing to end with at least a glimmer of hope, however, I think ‘where the evening splits in half’ is angsty (I mean, it refs a canonical character death and one that always makes me sad) and ‘a workshop of filthy creation’ (for lack of resolution/continued pain)

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

Maybe the whole ‘Not to get mushy but…’ series. ‘Those That Love Us’ and ‘House Share'. I think contentment, connection, found family and love are the vibes the endings give, so maybe that’s what counts as a happy ending?

8. Do you get hate on fics?

Not that I can recall

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

I tried, once. I think it’s really bad, so I won’t be doing anymore for now.

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

Not really, unless we’re counting ‘Uninvited Guests’ or ‘a workshop of filthy creation’ which could be considered crossovers with my original works, as they feature my OCs. I did, however, once write a modern AU crossover of Frankenstein, Wuthering Heights and The Italian in my first year of uni, but that shall remain buried somewhere in my laptop.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not to my knowledge.

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

I don’t believe so!

14. What’s your all-time favourite ship?

I’m not sure – I either find I like one thing or several equally so… Still, as I’m answering this as a writer, my favourite to write has been Julian/Robin or Lucy/Ginevra

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

I’m not sure I’ll ever finish the next parts of my Ginevra/Lucy fic (a continuation of ‘Don’t let them get you down, you’re the best thing I’ve seen’) – I tend to just add to it every now and then, when I feel inspired.

I have also started gathering ideas for a sequel to ‘workshop of filthy creation’ and I have a few lines noted, but right now, I’m not feeling inspired to write it. Never say never though.

16. What are your writing strengths?

Perhaps writing narrative voices that fit and align with the character they’re trying to capture, and from whose perspective the story is told from? By which I mean making conscious word choices, thinking about thought patterns, using appropriate metaphors and tones for that character?

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

I definitely struggle with plot – and while I’m not really one for grand, action packed narratives, I do sometimes feel that instead of taking the straightforward path from A to B when I’m writing, I tend to meander, get distracted by other details, get tangled up in reflections and reminiscing, so everything I write is slow. I also struggle a lot with endings – a desire to tie things up probably too neatly, or an inability to actually just reach the ending? That, and I can often be a slow, slow, slow writer, so I might start a piece and take weeks to actually complete it, which can lead to tone shifts, I think.

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

I wouldn’t personally feel comfortable doing it, because my GCSE German is awful, I’ve never learnt another language, and I’m not sure I trust translators for full sentences. In terms of the practise in general, it is fits in with the canon, and ‘makes sense’ for the character – sure, I don’t mind. I mean, I’ve read Charlotte Bronte’s Villette after all.

19. First fandom you wrote for?

It was for a British comic I believe, back when I was 12/13…I did re-upload it from ff.net to A03, so if you really want to read it, you can, but don't expect much.

20. Favourite fic you’ve written?

My personal favourite is probably ‘Don’t let them get you down, you’re the best thing I’ve seen’, because it took a lot of work, combined some of my favourite things and allowed me to use what I researched and wrote on for my MA dissertation in a creative way?

My other favourites are:

‘Those that Love Us’ - this was fun to write, and I enjoyed the challenge of capturing the vibe and language of the book, while also making it my own.

‘A Second (Minor) Heart Attack’ - a very early Ghosts fic, but it made me smile

‘House Share’ - possibly because it was such a project and I completed it

I'll tag @someoneplsloverobbierotten @sonnet-of-anarchy @its-a-hare-pom-pom @natequarter @thelastplantagenet and @athelstan-anglecyning, if you wish :)

#tag #writing #bbc ghosts #villette #great expectations

[sunnyupsidedown]

Some Dark Rise Thoughts:

[major spoilers below. Like literally the first sentence]

- I just wanna pat myself on the back for figuring out that Will was the Dark King or somehow related by a couple chapters in. Like, the first bit was boring as hell but I know C.S. Pacat writes stories with good twists so it was a matter of figuring out what would make the book the most interesting and I was not disappointed in the least

- Anyway, just because Will is the Dark King reborn, I don’t think it means he’s going to start being evil and taking over the world and killing people. The whole point of the book gives off the vibes of fighting predetermined fates. Will doesn’t want to be evil. He wants to figure out who attacked his mom and get revenge. Also to (probably) figure out why she wanted to kill him in her final moments. He wants to protect his friends and those who have helped him. Are those things that make someone evil?

-- Throughout the book, he is a very unreliable narrator and doesn’t divulge a lot of information about himself to even his friends. He had his suspicions about who he was so I think it’s more a way to protect himself. Like. When Kathrine found out and immediately wanted to kill him. Though in her defense as well, Simon was probably still a caring fiancé in her mind since it was maybe 2 or 3 days since her world was turned upside down. So seeing a strange boy she just met standing over the dead body of the man who was providing a future for her and her sister through marriage, might have been difficult to process all at once. Which gets into the fantastic complexities of characters and plot but I digress.

-- Anyway, he hides himself because he doesn’t want people to judge him for what he was in a life he doesn’t remember. Like they did with James. And it’s not like he was 100% sure until towards the end.

- I really wanna know what happened while Will was growing up. If Kathrine and Elizabeth are sisters, how does Will fit in? Maybe I need to reread the book. Kathrine looks like his mom but Elizabeth doesn’t but Will’s mom claims them both as hers. Was Elizabeth Will’s mom’s aunt’s kid? Does Kathrine remember Will’s mom? Did Will not notice his mom pregnant when he was around 6 or 7? Who is Will’s father? Do Ladies only have girls? Does Will have Dark King blood in him? Does James have Betrayer blood in him? If they’re both Reborns, would blood matter? Did the Betrayer have children or could that be passed down from a sibling? I need answers!! AAA

-- Also. How did Will know where to find Kathrine? Did he already know the sisters and just pretended not to know??

- “I will follow you.” “Of course you will.”

-- Dead. Dying. I have expired.

- Thinking about the myths. They say that the Lady is destined to kill the Dark King. But like, in the past, if she killed the Dark King, would he have been able to give the order to have all his servants slaughtered with him? Unless he had a will or something but I feel like once he’s dead, what would keep get people to do that for him. I wonder if he was gravely injured and was on his deathbed instead?

-- Slightly related, I wonder if Will’s mom raised him instead of killing him because the Lady and the Dark King are supposed to fall in love. In this iteration though, familial love. And then in her final moments, to fulfill her destiny, she tries to kill him, but going back to the whole ‘The Lady is destined to kill the Dark King’ bit, maybe instead of killing, her destiny is to just stop him. Yes she could stop him by killing him but she also stopped him in a way by making him promise to protect her daughters. Maybe even stopped him by being his mother (until she wasn’t) for however many years.

- I need to know more about Devon. I wonder if that’s another subversion. Well. It is, but like. I want to know the motivations behind a unicorn going rogue.

Okay I’m done. I know for a fact that whatever happens, the next two books in this trilogy will destroy me and I gladly look forward to it.

#dark rise #c s pacat #will kempen #james st clair #thoughts on #m #spoilers

[muldxr]

2022 writing review 🤍

another year has come and gone! i was tagged by @neondiamond @beardyboyzx @wabadabadaba @so-why-let-your-voice-be-tamed

1. Number of stories posted to AO3: 18

2. Word count posted for the year: ~56k

3. Fandoms I wrote for: One Direction

4. Pairings: Harry/Louis, with a dash of Zayn/Liam in my new fic

5. Story with the most: Kudos: greased lightnin’ [155] Bookmarks: Hill Country [54] Comment threads: Hill Country [17]

the rest is under the cut!

6. Work I’m most proud of (and why): Hill Country was a creative experience from start to end. I mentioned this one a lot this year, but there's nothing major I would change about it. I will always, genuinely, enjoy re-reading it and I thank everyone who gives it a chance

7. Work I’m least proud of (and why): it was a really hard year so i don't want to be negative about any of my works <3 they all have their strengths

8. Share or describe a favorite review you received: I appreciate @lululawrence for kindly reccing dark blue on her June podcast episode here! I was in awe because it is a fic that i didn't think anyone would enjoy - and she COMPARED IT to other iconic crackfics, and it's just a big honor to have this underrated gem on that list.

9. A time when writing was really, really hard: lately my writing motivation has dwindled as the daylight disappeared, and i didn't have a very fun time writing in aug-oct but i'm prepared to do better in 2023

10. A scene or character you wrote that surprised you: does Figs count? i loved the creativity that came with this style of poem and the 'scene' it sets up. i have been testing my limits with writing shorter but more impactful works this year

11. A favorite excerpt of your writing: this is from after hours and i can't resist a scene where all hope is lost

“Harry, please, leave it.”

“I’ve been trying to hold onto something, to find something good out of the bad. Why don’t you?”

“Because.”

“Because why?”

“You said I’ve been too quiet. You said I wasn’t helping you figure it out, but I was. And I can’t be positive about it like you are, because the answer’s fucking obvious.” He makes a sweeping gesture at himself, an absolutely broken flick of the hand. He doesn’t bother to look at Harry. “It’s my fault.”

Then Harry can’t get a word in while Louis passes him, walking into the house. He doesn’t follow, not right away. Sooner or later he’ll have to go up, work through the stubbornly silent treatment to console Louis, and come up with an easier way to separate their guilt from what they have to do. 

That, and because, when the sound of footsteps returns, Harry realizes he has the keys.  

13. How do you hope to grow next year: 1) I want to continue betaing/cheerleading, so hit me up! 2) I hope i can write another 15k+ fic! that would be great because I enjoy the chance to sit with a plot/cast of characters for longer than a few months

14. Who was your greatest positive influence this year as a writer (could be another writer, beta, cheerleader, etc): people who tagged me in snippet games!! i don't post those very often because it's hard for me to write more than a few sentences at a time and I have a lot of scattered dialogue and incomplete scenes, but i enjoy interacting with everyone

15. Anything from your real life show up in your writing this year:  this is a deep-dish-pizza-loving household, thus after hours gave it the attention it deserves. hill country also held a lot of texan essence~ and i'm glad i poured it in there. I-80 was inspired by a roadtrip. see-see was based on 15+ years of movie-going experiences (if i figure out how, i might write a longform deaf au, emphasis on might). i think that's it? i try to be creative and pull inspiration from things, but if it turns too personal it's difficult to not want it to be 100% perfect

16. Any new wisdom you can share with other writers: not to say this applies to everyone - but I have learned in the last 1.5 years of writing fic, it's important to take things in moderation when planning wips and committing to fests. i learned this the hard way, and it made me reevaluate my connection to writing and taking care of myself

17. Any projects you’re looking forward to starting (or finishing) in the new year: it's a slow year! I am working on fics for @harryrarepairfest and @omegaharryfest due in March before I take a personal break. Then two more projects finished by November? I'm also open to writing for other fandoms 🫣

18. Tag some writers whose answers you’d like to read. @allwaswell16 @uhoh-but-yeah-alright @onlythebravest @tommokat @beelou @phd-mama @littleroverlouis @starsweredible @thedevilinmybrain and who else wants to share!

#* #another year another review!!! #i think i'm repeating myself but whatever. thank you for reading!

[zaunite-leo]

𝓦𝓱𝔂, 𝓗𝓮𝓵𝓵𝓸 𝓽𝓱𝓮𝓻𝓮!

Welcome to my first blog here on tumblr! Thank you for stumbling across my account. While you’re here, allow me to introduce myself.

『About the writer

My name is Sam, and I am the creator of this Semi-selective roleplay account. My pronouns are he / him. I ask that you use that when referring to me. I am 20 years old, and have been writing for over nine years now. I am very passionate about the multiple fandoms I am apart of and am eager to learn more about them to better portray my muses. This is a multi-muse account, you can expect to see a post regarding each muse’s information soon! (Please be patient as this account is under heavy construction)

I write in a 3rd person literate novella style. While my responses may vary from time to time, I will try to keep my replies at least 3 paragraphs long. Please Keep in mind that my replies will vary on how busy I am that day, and how much I am given. Just try your best and have fun!

I personally prefer to write either in discord or in private DM’s, though we could always figure something out if there is another platform you prefer.

You can find me on discord as @haashunter#6005

『Current muses and fandoms

『Rules

1. I will not write with anyone under the age of 18! For my replies 𝘮𝘢𝘺 include;

The use of strong language, graphic violence, and in-depth descriptions of topics not suitable for children. (𝘐.𝘨. 𝘴𝘶𝘣𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘢𝘣𝘶𝘴𝘦, 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘥𝘳𝘢𝘸𝘭, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘯𝘴𝘧𝘵 𝘵𝘰𝘱𝘪𝘤𝘴, 𝘦𝘵𝘤.) 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘐 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘵𝘰𝘭𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘰𝘳𝘴 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘦. 𝘈𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘦𝘺𝘦𝘴 𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘵𝘭𝘦 𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴!

2. Absolutely no God-modding

I will not under any circumstances use my muse nor my writing to force upon a decision or action against your own. I only ask only for the same amount of respect. If there is something you wish to incorporate in the story I would prefer to be contacted outside of writing to figure out a way to interject it into the plot.

3. I will not tolerate any hate speech or bullying.

Out of respect for both of us, I would ask that we keep both politics and religion to ourselves. Especially so if wanting to use it to harm me or any other user of this platform. Unless explicitly left between muses or as a plot device. Which would’ve been given the ‘okay’ to do so beforehand. However, slurs of any kind will NOT be tolerated inside or outside of roleplay.

4. Please be respectful.

I ask that you return the same amount of respect I give you. If one of us feels uncomfortable with certain topics, we will respect boundaries such as these to keep writing fun for the both of us. After all, roleplay is meant as a fun pastime let’s try to keep it that way! :)

5. Please notify me if you will be unable to continue a roleplay, or If you will take longer than 2 weeks to reply.

This is rather self-explanatory. There is no need to notify me that you may be a bit late to reply, or if you are unable to reply within the next few days. We both have a life outside of writing after all! That being said, if at any point you loose muse for the roleplay or decide it is no longer fun please notify me! Maybe we could work something out to fix the issue.

6. I will not write SA or R*pe of any kind.

This is one heavy topic I will never write. Similarly I never want to see or involve it in any roleplay I am in. If at any time there is a mention of S*xual assault within the roleplay it will lead to a reminder.. If it happens more than once I will no longer be writing with you. This topic makes me incredibly uncomfortable, so please try to understand. I will show you the same respect when avoiding any triggers of your own. :)

7. Please no one sentence replies.

I understand everyone’s muse may fluctuate and similarly might the time you can devote to writing. However, I put effort into what I write and have taken time to better my understanding of the lore regarding the universe our characters are apart of. While I do not expect the length of my replies to be matched, I ask that you give me at least 2 paragraphs. So I can give you a reply I am proud of.

With all that in mind, please don’t hesitate to reach out and say hello! I cannot wait to meet you! :)

#wip intro #welcome to my blog #midnight mass #arcane #roleplay

[nostalgebraist]

Writing Almost Nowhere is really exhausting.

(Just to be clear: I'm not complaining. I like doing it. If I didn't want to do it, I'd stop.)

I write in long, continuous intervals, many hours at a time. It takes me 1-2 hours to rev up to full speed, and once I'm there I keep going for much longer, for 6 or 8 more hours.

During these trances, I rarely get distracted. I don't take breaks, or think of taking breaks. I don't do anything except write, steadily and slowly.

A single day of this isn't enough to produce a chapter. Usually it takes two. (The work required can fit into a single weekend, but only if I do very little else that weekend, and only if I'm okay being kinda useless the following Monday.)

As an example, according to my git logs, the most recent chapter (#28) was written in two long stretches:

One lasting 7 hours and 33 minutes

Another lasting 11 hours and 17 minutes

Chapter 22, the one with Sylvie talking to the Ells, was written in a single sitting. But it was a very long sitting.

As you might expect from this description, I feel utterly drained every time I finish a chapter. Not just physically or mentally but like, spiritually.

At the time, I always think about characters in fantasy stories who can call upon magic powers, at the price of a little bit of their soul. Like the Madoka girls, or like Rose in Homestuck, the kind of stories Rose is a riff on.

I know this comparison is probably like, "extra" or "cringe" or something, but it is what always comes to mind.

I often feel a sudden apathy or even revulsion towards what I've written, once it's done. I specifically remember feeling this way toward Chapter 22, that one with Sylvie and the Ells. I had to hold my nose, so to speak, and force myself to post it, against my sleep-deprived gut sense that it was wholly without any value. (It seems strange to remember this now, because when I've re-read that chapter I like it a lot.)

Writing this book is always an intense experience. It feels like, I dunno, taking a final exam? Or like taking the qualifying exam for one's major, maybe, is a closer analogy.

I don't really know why it's like this. TNC was like this, I think, except with much shorter chapters and a much shorter book. I think Floornight was sometimes like this, but less so. Although I don't remember Floornight as well.

Some of it is just that AN has a particular style, and that style is really effort-intensive to produce. I have to linger over every word and sentence, not even so much in the name of good writing as because it's impossible to write in this style without lingering over every word and sentence. It's a lingering, deliberate style.

The amount of calendar time I've spent on the book exacerbates the intensity, too. By now, a lot of the events I'm narrating are ones I came up with literal years ago. I've been playing them over and over again in my head for a very long time. And now I feel I have to produce a string of words that does justice to those years' worth of daydreams.

I guess that's why a qualifying exam comes to mind. You've spent years studying the subject, but none of that matters now, no one can see it, all they can see is what you do in the next few hours -- which is suppose to sum up those years of studying. Got that? Good. Now go.

Anyway, that's a lot of why the book's taken so long. It is simply difficult to fit around the rest of life.

I said I would finish it in 2022, and so far I'm more or less on track. And that is no more or less than what it sounds like: spending a significant fraction of my weekend time inside of these intense, exhausting trance states. It's a weird thing to do to oneself, and I wouldn't choose it as a long-term lifestyle. I definitely would not have done it organically, without the target date pushing me.

I don't know if I'll continue writing after I'm done with this book. I probably will, sooner or later. If I do, I'll try to write something with lighter, more flexible requirements of me. This book, though, is just what it is -- that ship sailed long ago, and I do want to see its voyage through.

#almost nowhere #blah blah blah

[quinnandersonwrites]

Do you have any advice for writing while also working a full-time job? By the time I get home I barely have any energy left and it feels like I spend my entire weekend recovering just enough to go back to work on Monday. It's also not the kind of job where I can write while I'm there. I've been trying to write this book for years and it's just...not happening.

Oh, this is an excellent question. For the record, you're 100% not alone. Lots of people, myself included, struggle with this precise thing. When I wrote full-time, I was able to produce 6-7 titles annually, but now I have a day job, and I'm lucky if I write a book a year. Which is still a lot--I'm not trying to put myself down--but it's nothing like it used to be.

Pretty much every author dreams of being able to quit the day job to write full-time, but for most of us, that just isn't feasible. I look back on all the lazy days I had in college to churn out fic, and boy do I miss that. Didn't appreciate it enough, that's for sure.

To answer your question, I'm going to quote an author who gets quoted on tumblr all the time. Apologies if you've already heard this advice, but it bears repeating: Nora Roberts was asked how she balanced writing and raising children (another full-time job), and she said, "The key to juggling is to know that some of the balls you have in the air are made of plastic and some are made of glass." If a glass ball falls, it'll shatter, but the plastic ones? They bounce, no real harm done. Essentially, it's okay that you can't do it all. No one can. But you can prioritize the things that are important to you, like finally finishing that book.

Now, that's not much help if all the balls in the air are glass, or if you're too tired/burned out to do the juggling act at all. In that case, I recommend scaling back your expectations. Writing a single sentence is better than nothing. Outlining part of a chapter is better than nothing. Thinking about plot points in the shower is better than nothing. It might take longer, but you'll get there eventually. One teensy manageable step at a time.

Some other general bits of writing advice that help me:

If you're stuck on a scene or trying to find the right word, move on. Put whatever is supposed to happen there in brackets, keep it general, and keep going. Seriously, once I started doing this, I wrote so much faster, and when you go back to edit, for some reason, the part you were stuck on will unstick itself if you just leave it alone for a bit.

When you finish a chapter, don't stop there. Start the next chapter, even if you write a single sentence or some brackets with whatever is going to happen next. Makes it so much easier to start that next chapter if you have a jumping-off point.

I have a sticker on my laptop that says "One More Page," and it's become something of a mantra for me. When I think I'm done, I push myself to edit just one more page, or write just one more sentence, and then I'm allowed to stop. It's not that hard, and it adds up over time.

Best of luck, and if you have any more questions or want to talk books, I'm here!

#writing #writing advice #writers of tumblr #writer's life #authors of tumblr #published authors of tumblr #quinn anderson #answered #nora roberts

[cksmart-world]

SMART BOMB

The Completely Unnecessary News Analysis

By Christopher Smart

September 19, 2023

“REAL HOUSEWIFE,” REAL ADULTERY — OMG!

Call it news you can use, Wilson. Monica Garcia, the new cast member on “Real Housewives of Salt Lake City,” had an adulterous affair with her brother-in-law. We would never lie about a thing like that. You can read all about it in The Salt Lake Tribune, where Smart Bomb's old pal Scott Pierce keeps a close eye on the Real Housewives. People have a thirst for this stuff, Wilson, because it's titillating and piques prurient interests without — here's the best part — any risk. And, of course, it's great click bait. But we digress, the reality TV show needed a new cast member after Real Housewife Jen Shah was sentenced to six and half years in the big house for conspiracy to commit wire fraud. You're right, Wilson, you have to wonder whether Jen Shah was a housewife or just a huckster in heels. And what does this say to little girls who see these women cheating and, well, cheating. What if Mattel created Real Housewife dolls? Look out, Barbie! NEWS FLASH — This just in: Jen Shah has bonded in federal prison with Elizabeth Holmes, the one-time Theranos CEO who got 11 years for duping investors in a billion dollar blood-testing hoax. It's like “Orange is the New Black,” only for real — life imitating art, imitating life, imitating weird B.S. on TV. Is this a great country, or what.

THE FEW, THE PROUD, THE “WOKE” MARINES

Alright now Wilson, this is serious. The U.S. Marines are “woke.” And that ain't all — the Navy is “woke” and the Army is “woke,” too. No word on the Air Force or Coast Guard yet but it's not looking good. Alabama Sen. Tommy Tuberville got wind that sailors were reading poetry on an aircraft carrier. Poetry, for god's sake. Next thing you know Marines will be reading Shakespeare — from the halls of Montezuma to the shores of Stratford-upon-avon. Holy Hamlet. No wonder Tuberville is holding up all those military promotions. “Biden is building a woke Army,” he hissed. Right now, they're probably making the basic training grounds on Paris Island into the Globe Theater. What's next, funny hats and shirts with puffy sleeves. OK, that might be a slight exaggeration, but the writing is one the wall. In a recent congressional hearing, Republican congressmen took issue with military brass and their efforts on inclusion and diversity and wondered aloud about “pronoun training,” for drill instructors to be sensitive to non-binary recruits: “Excuse me sergeant, but I demand you call me 'they.'” Actually, there is no “pronoun training” and the military is about as woke as John Wayne. The Republicans doth protest too much. It's much ado about nothing.

TOP 10 REASONS MITT ROMNEY IS LEAVING THE SENATE

10 – The Capital Cafeteria discontinued lime Jell-O.

9 – Mike Lee is a dick and says we're not a democracy.

8 – Brando wannabes, Sen. Josh Hawley and Sen. J.D. Vance, make him puke.

7 – Nebraska Sen. Chuck Grassley's breath. Is he dead or alive.

6 – That slut Ted Cruz, who thinks his beard makes him look like a cool cat.

5 – The Capital Cafeteria's pan-seared Atlantic Salmon tastes like cat food.

4 – Mitch McConnell couldn't vote for impeachment because he didn't have the cojones.

3 – The slime on the Senate men's room doorknobs where Lindsey Graham has been.

2 – He's tired of being the sucker who takes one for the team.

1 – And the top reason Mitt Romney is leaving the Senate: Republicans.

Post script — That's going to do it for another splendiferous week here at Smart Bomb where we keep track of impeachments so you don't have to. This is as good a time as any to impeach Hunter Biden, er, uh, oops, make that President Joe Biden because — according to a handful of right-wing Congress members — he deserves it. Payback is a bitch. Democrats should have thought about that when they impeached then-President Donald Trump in December 2019 for abuse of power and obstruction of Congress after he pushed Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky to dig up dirt on then-presidential rival Joe Biden in exchange for $400 million in military aid that had already been approved by Congress. He was acquitted in the Senate 53-47. Then those damned Democrats impeached Trump again on the ticky-tac charge of “incitement of insurrection” for the attack on the Capital. The Senate voted 53-47 to convict, falling short of the needed two-thirds majority. Now it's Joe's turn even though there is no evidence tying him to Hunter's business dealings in Ukraine. Hunter has been indicted on tax evasion and three gun charges. Impeach the bastard! And while we're at it we might as well impeach his father — on principle alone. Then, let's go after the First Lady.

Poor Jen Shah and Elizabeth Holmes — they're just rotting away in prison, Wilson. Luckily they've found each other and can exchange notes on how to — and how not to — rip people off. They've done the crime and now they've got to do the time. So wake up the band and let's crank one up for those ladies of the big house:

Breaking rocks in the hot sun I fought the law and the law won I fought the law and the law won I needed money because I had none I fought the law and the law won I fought the law and the law won I miss my baby and I feel so sad I guess my race is run Well, she's the best girl that I ever had I fought the law and the law won I fought the law and the law won Robbing people with a six gun I fought the law and the law won I fought the law and the law won I miss my baby and I miss my fun! I fought the law and the law won I fought the law and the law won I miss my baby and I feel so sad I guess my race is run Well, she's the best girl that I ever had I fought the law and the law won I fought the law and the I fought the law and the law won I fought the law and the law won

(I Fought the Law — Sonny Curtis, popularized by the Bobby Fuller Four)

[bokuaosubs]

Nice to meet you! Please take a short look! (Sunaga Miuna 1st blog)

It’s nice to meet all of you! My name is Sunaga Miuna!

To begin, thank you very much for opening this blog! I’m very happy! (^^)

(It’s a celebration!) The first blog!!! I’m so happy that I get to write this! I’m so, so happy, that this might end up being a long blog, but I’d like to introduce myself once more and share my thoughts on our current activities, I think! I hope you will read it all the way to the end! (^^)

Firstly, my name is Sunaga Miuna!

I’ve seen lots of ppl say ‘I can’t read ‘Kokoro’ and ‘Umi’ (心に海) as ‘Miuna’ (心海)~!!’ (lol)

Actually, nobody’s read the name Miuna right after only seeing it once, not even while at the hospital’s reception or when being called for attendance at school… (><)

I was named after my father’s wish, and my parents chose this name with the intended meaning ‘I want you to have a heart as wide as the sea’!

I seriously love this name!

I’ve thought of a haiku [poem made up of three 5/7/5 syllable sentences] to help you remember my name!

Here goes. ‘Hello there. With a heart as deep as the sea, I’m Miuna.’ I hope you’ll be able to remember me (^^) lol

I was born on the 11th of April 2005, I’m 18 years old and I’m now a high school senior! My birthday took place during the time of our audition, so please celebrate with me next year~! (^^)

I’m from Saitama, I’m 156.4cm tall, and my blood type is type A! I can be a bit rough sometimes too (lol)

My favourite food, in order, is: 1st place: ice cream 2nd place: seafood 3rd place: Happy Turn [a type of Japanese rice crackers] 4th place: yakult-style drinks 5th place: doughnuts 6th place: sweet potatoes 7th place: plums 8th place: hamburger steak 9th place: kiwis 10th place: beef tongue!

So far, I’ve liked everything I’ve eaten… (lol) When it comes to food, I want to talk about it lots. Anyway、、there is not a single type of food I dislike!! ZERO!

When it comes to cooking, my go-to is roughly making simple rice! I like preparing meals like that (lol) I used to prepare lunchboxes every morning for school, and I’d practice making them slightly better, at least a little bit, each and every day, but back when I was in elementary school, I accidentally made a mistake between sugar and salt when making cookies, and ever since then, my older brother has issued me an order meant to forbid me from cooking (><)

Also, I have always loved playing outside and… I’m a bit of an athlete! Just between you and I… I got first place in sports examinations for three years in junior high school!! I also played volleyball during that time! In high school, I wasn’t able to join any clubs because I had a part-time job, but I won a medal for a marathon in my second year of high school! (^^) All in all, I would like having a field day with all the members one day!

Now, from here on, I think I’ll start writing about slightly more serious things.

I applied for this audition because I wanted to change both the circumstances and myself.

Going to school was hard for me, and, of course, there were still things I enjoyed doing, but every day I used to be scared of one thing or another… I’d wake up in the morning, go to school, go to my part-time job immediately after school, and then go home once my part-time job shift would end.

The next day would come as soon as I got to close my eyes under the covers. ‘Is there a single place that wants me/I’m meant for…’ That’s what I used to think.

I was afraid of what people thought of me, and I always cried throughout the audition… I didn’t really think I could pass, and with each round of screening, I was losing more and more confidence in myself.

But, the moment my name was called during the announcement of the soon-to-be members, I felt as if someone had recognized me and my worth a little bit, and as if I had finally found my place in the world.

My goal is to become an idol who can understand the hearts of my fans and be close to their hearts, too, so that they will come to think, ‘Miuna-chan is working hard, so I will work just a little harder myself, too’.

If you, by chance, feel the same way I did a few months ago, I hope you’ll remember me. I’ll be waiting for you!

Individual talks… other events and such… please come see me!

I want to talk a lot with my fans who are reading this blog right now!

I want to meet you all and become a group big enough to perform in big venues and in all the prefectures!!

Now, I’m really wishing to meet and talk with our fans as soon as possible! (I can’t wait to meet you all!) (⑉･ ･⑉)

I will always be here. BokuAo will always be with you, too. I promise, I won’t make you regret supporting BokuAo and I!

I promise I’ll do my best and really give it my all!! And! The other 22 members are all really charming, and I respect them quite a lot. I really, really love the members and I’m a fan of theirs as much as you are! (lol) I hope you will take the time to read through all 23 of our blogs! I would be happy if you could discover the strengths of each of the 23 members and support us as a group! (^^)

Ah! Also! I’m going to announce the answer to the one question that was written on the official fan club’s self-introduction page here!

The first hint: ‘タ’ (‘ta’) The second hint: ‘テ’ (‘te’)…

The correct answer is… ‘Vertical reading’! (lol)

Once you read it vertically, it becomes “mi-u-na” (^^)

If you got the correct answer, please let me know the next time you have a chance to meet me or talk to me! ·͜·

Eh… I’m sorry… woah… This blog seemed really long once I reread it… ((sweating))

I really have lots more to write… but I won’t write it all here~!!

I would be happy if you could get to know me little by little (^^)

As a first step, I would like to show you two photos today!

The first one is a picture of me in my favorite clothes that I used to wear when I was in kindergarten, because I was fascinated by idols ever since then and the clothes did look like an idol’s costume… (lol)

The second one is a recent photo of the time I made lunch before going to school in the morning, from the personal documentary shooting that was recently posted on SNS!

And, last but not least… do you remember my words from the unveiling event~?! They were ‘Thank you for today’!!! I think I’ll end the blog with that!

Well then!! I look forward to seeing you all soon! (ˊᵕˋ) Thank you very much!!

【Thank you for today.】

Thank you for finding me, Thank you to everyone who gave me a chance and thank you for reading the blog until the very end!!

[TL by: yuzuiro]

#blogs #1st blog #sunaga miuna #tl by yuzuiro

[stellarron]

2, 7 and 25

Aqua my beloved!! 💙✨

[ ask game for fanfic writers : OPEN ! ]

2. Talk about a notable time a narrative or character has looked you dead in the eyes and said “fuck your plan, here’s what we’re actually doing.”

The one that’s coming to mind is this (modern AU, low fantasy) idea with Baizhu where he was a doctor destined to die within the next year, but considering the dynamics of the world that I set up for that idea, I decided it worked better for another character…

That’s all I will say about it now though. :) Technically speaking, both ideas could coexist as different longfics within the same ‘universe’… So 👀

7. Tell us about the plot of the first fanfic you ever wrote.

IT WAS A KPOP FANFIC WHEN I WAS 14 AND I DON’T WANNA TALK ABOUT IT (curls up in a corner)

25. What’s your revision or rewriting process like?

I read my own writing over and over and pick out a million and one flaws each time — from minor things such as a word not fitting here or sentences not flowing well there, to more significant aspects like pondering questions readers might ask or loopholes they might point out in the overall narrative. If I’m writing a series grounded in a real-life modern or historical context, there’s also the matter of making sure the way I depict things is true to reality and does justice where it’s due.

… Which is admittedly why having friends to take a look at my work and tear it apart critique or praise it where it’s due is crucial to me, or I’d be stuck in this neverending loop of pursuing perfection. I think my foremost foible as a writer is that I believe I’m a good writer, just not good enough.

#god… it’s beeen 12 years since that first fanfic huh . #.aqua #.pst #thank u for sending these in bestie <3 they were a lil tough but i still had fun #i have changed my ways since that first fanfic. please do not judge me too harshly

[yatescountyhistorycenter]

The good ol’ days of Italy Hill

By Jonathan Monfiletto

“How much more vividly we recall to memory incidents that happened during our younger years of life than we can events of much more importance that take place in later years.”

With this observation, Byron Ansley – writing as B.H. Ansley – began the first in a series of at least seven essays that appeared in The Chronicle-Express between March 1936 and May 1938. Whether commissioned as what we today might call a guest column or submitted as a letter to the editor, these essays describe in vivid and colorful detail Ansley’s childhood in Italy Hill, growing up on his family’s farm situated on the western border of the town of Jerusalem.

At the time Ansley wrote these essays, he and his wife, Minnie, were living at 460 North Main St. in Penn Yan – nowadays, this is roughly the vicinity across from the Yates Community Center and next to The Homestead nursing facility – and likely operating Ansley’s Dairy in the village. It might be difficult now to envision a farm within the village limits of Penn Yan, but it was there until at least the mid-1940s. Byron was in his mid-60s when he wrote these essays, and he had lived in Penn Yan for about 16 years after living and farming in Jerusalem.

I say Byron and Minnie “likely” operated Ansley’s Dairy because I haven’t yet seen “Byron Ansley” and “Ansley’s Dairy” in the same sentence anywhere, but I am almost certain Byron Ansley was the dairy’s owner. Someone once sent me a photo of a glass milk bottle embossed with “Ansley’s Dairy – Penn Yan, N.Y.,” which instigated my research into the Ansley family and their farming, and the limited information I have uncovered seems to show Byron and Minnie being the only Ansleys to live in Penn Yan and own a farm.

Whether Ansley intended to write his essays with any regularity, his first few contributions fall almost weekly – appearing in the March 26, April 9, April 16, and May 7, 1936 editions of The Chronicle Express. He talks about a period of time 50 years prior, in the mid-1880s when he was a young teenager; he talks about the remoteness of being 12 miles from the railroad and relying on the stagecoach to bring mail and newspapers. He recalls life on his parents’, William and Anna, farm and on the swamp the farm encompassed, listing the flora and fauna he discovered in his boyhood rambles. He names the classmates who attended Jerusalem School District No. 12 and their families who lived near and around the Ansleys, noting his family’s 10 children “furnished a baker’s dozen” of the school population.

Another time, Ansley writes about a hundred-year-old sawmill his father disassembled in order to re-use the lumber and about an old-fashioned threshing floor situated in a barn across from the schoolhouse. He remembers Mr. Prosser’s coal kiln – a circular structure 20 feet in diameter and 15 to feet in height, made of brick and mortar – and how a full load of black ash would burn and smolder for days to produce charcoal. The Ansley family, with William being an agent for farm machine companies, owned the first self-binder to cut and bind grain, and Ansley looks back on how those machines improved over time from unusable to efficient.

Ansley’s final three columns, at least from what I have been able to find, appear more infrequently – December 12, 1936; February 18, 1937; and May 19, 1938. He died at June 16, 1943 at age 70 – following a long illness, according to his obituary – so whether he realized it, these writings came toward the end of his life. It is these essays that offer the most colorful insight into Ansley’s boyhood adventures. In one, he describes a fox hunt “a triad of old veteran fox hunters” took part in – he being one of the three, presumably – but tells the tale from the perspective of the fox, who is eventually able to outfox (pun totally intended) the hunters and their dog and escape the hunt unscathed.

In another one, he relates the story of a drifting shyster who came to town under the guise of wanting to organize the local farmers into a new political party but wanting only to run off with their money. Ansley and some friends decided to hide out in the ceiling of the schoolhouse to witness a meeting of this shyster and the farmers because of some rumors they had heard about the initiation process of the group; in their attempt to get out of trouble when they were exposed, however, they ended up exposing the drifter for who he really was.

Ansley’s final essay – perhaps final indeed but at least final as far as I have been able to locate – brings a sense of nostalgia as he takes the reader along on a tramp through his beloved swamp. Throughout the journey, he stimulates one’s senses – the sight of the various bird species and the twilight sun, the sounds of farm animals and wildlife, the touch of the gentle breeze, the scent of the flowers and the trees – and makes a person feel as if he is actually walking in the swamp and not just reading words on paper.

So go Ansley’s remembrances of his boyhood in Italy Hill, on his family farm and in his beloved swamp and around this rural, remote community. Written 50 years after his teenage years, his words seem poignant and profound. Perhaps they are even more so today, nearly 90 years after they were first written.

#history #historyblog #museum #archives #yatescounty #jerusalemny #italyny #byronansley #ansleyfamily #italyhill

[m39]

Doom WADs’ Roulette (2004): Introduction

Well, folks... I’m back! Back from my break. After watching some of the stuff from Disney+ and finishing the rest of the WADs that became official add-ons for Bethesda’s Doom port at this point. But it’s time to come back for the next year of WADs.

And hey, look at the date! It’s December 10th! The freaking 29th anniversary of the first Doom game’s release!

Right on time, folks! >:]

With that said...

Ladies. Gentlemen and Others, welcome, to the Doom WADs’ Roulette, where I review the best WADs according to Doomworld’s Top 100 WADs of All Times and (now) Cacowards. Today, we are starting to check out top WADs of 2004. Here are the rules:

#1 We are playing on GZDoom (ver. 4.8.2 4.9.0).

#2 We are playing on Hurt Me Plenty.

#3 Vertical aiming is on.

#4 No infinitely tall monsters.

#5 The WAD will be downloaded from the archives unless it’s not there among other reasons.

#6 We are playing WADs shown on a Doomworld roster from top to bottom in that order.

#7 Lighting is set on Legacy.

#8 Deathmatch WADs and the winners of the Worst WAD award do not count.

Welcome to 2004. Poland is finally in UE, Bill Gates is STILL richest, Facebook appears (in times before Zuck was replaced by a robot lizard pretending to be him), another probe is sent to Mars while yet another one discovers two new moons of Saturn.

2004 was also the release year of Painkiller, Half-Life 2, Far Cry, and Rome: Total War among other games.

As for the Doom franchise, the long waited Doom 3 was finally released. It was praised by journos, but I don’t think the regular game audience felt the same due to how that game was such an oddball of the franchise.

As for the other stuff, uhm... the Board game version of Doom is released... Yeah...

What about the 2004 roster of WADs? Well, here is the funny story. After the Top 100 WADs of All Time, released for the 10th anniversary of the first Doom game, the folks behind DoomWorld wanted to do something like that again but on a somewhat smaller scale (and because they were lazy). None of their ideas would come into fruition until Stephen Browning AKA Scuba Steve came out with an idea that would later become the first-ever Cacowards. And thus the 1st edition of this ceremony was born (actually titled 11th due to the first decade of Doom WADs being technically done already).

Now, the deal with the Cacowards, is that it’s more than just 10 WADs that were considered the most memorable WADs of the year. It also has runner-ups, honorable mentions (if there are ones), WADs with the longest development cycle, WADs that make you LOL, WADs that are best for Deathmatches, best Doom mapper of the year, Did You Know... sections, and the WADs that are complete and utter garbage. And that’s just the first Cacowards.

Due to how the WAD roster has now extended to more than just 10-11 WADs (and believe me, it gets bigger in the future in some cases (Cacowards 2021 as of writing this sentence)), I’ve decided to modify my formula for reviewing rosters. So instead of typical from top to bottom like with Top 100 WADs, I will split the Cacowards rosters into three sections (or as I like to call them - Leagues), starting with the Bronze League.

The Bronze League will be dedicated to WADs that earned the additional rewards. So no top 10 golden boys, no runner-ups, and no honorary mentions. After reviewing these WADs, I will take a break from one to three days depending on how many WADs were in this league. It might get longer.

Also, as I mentioned in the rules, I won’t be reviewing the best Deathmatch maps/WADs and the WADs that were considered the worst of the year. For the former ones, I’m not a multiplayer guy. I’m not interested in this. And for the latter... I mean come on. I’m here to have fun making these reviews. Not to torture myself.

Now, starting off with Cacowards, 2004 has two WADs worth taking a look: The Mordeth Award WAD, and the Mockaward WAD. I’ll talk further about these awards when I’ll cover them the first time but for now, we will start with the former winner in five minutes.

Get ready folks.

The Cacoward season is now open!        

#doom #Doom WAD #introduction #doom mod #doom 1 #Doom 2 #2004 #doom 2004 #cacowards #Doom WADs’ Roulette

[duckprintspress]

Ten Things We Hate About Trad Pub

Often when I say “I’ve started a small press; we publish the works of those who have trouble breaking into traditional publishing!” what people seem to hear is “me and a bunch of sad saps couldn’t sell our books in the Real World so we’ve made our own place with lower standards.” For those with minimal understanding of traditional publishing (trad pub), this reaction is perhaps understandable? But, truly, there are many things to hate about traditional publishing (and, don’t get me wrong - there are things to love about trad pub, too, but that’s not what this list is about) and it’s entirely reasonable for even highly accomplished authors to have no interest in running the gauntlet of genre restrictions, editorial control, hazing, long waits, and more, that make trad pub at best, um, challenging, and at worst, utterly inaccessible to many authors - even excellent ones.

Written in collaboration with @jhoomwrites, with input from @ramblingandpie, here is a list of ten things that we at Duck Prints Press detest about trad pub, why we hate it, and why/how we think things should be different!

(Needless to say, part of why we created Duck Prints Press was to...not do any of these things... so if you’re a writer looking for a publishing home, and you hate these things, too, and want to write with a Press that doesn’t do them...maybe come say hi?)

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1. Work lengths dictated by genre and/or author experience.

Romance novels can’t be longer than 90,000 words or they won’t sell! New authors shouldn’t try to market a novel longer than 100,000 words!

A good story is a good story is a good story. Longer genre works give authors the chance to explore their themes and develop their plots. How often an author has been published shouldn’t put a cap on the length of their work.

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2. Editors assert control of story events...except when they don’t.

If you don’t change this plot point, the book won’t market well. Oh, you’re a ten-time bestseller? Write whatever you want, even if it doesn’t make sense we know people will buy it.

Sometimes, a beta or an editor will point out that an aspect of a story doesn’t work - because it’s nonsensical, illogical, Deus ex Machina, etc. - and in those cases it’s of course reasonable for an editor to say, “This doesn’t work and we recommend changing it, for these reasons…” However, when that list of reasons begins and ends with, “...because it won’t sell…” that’s a problem, especially because this is so often applied as a double standard. We’ve all read bestsellers with major plot issues, but those authors get a “bye” because editors don’t want to exert to heavy a hand and risk a proven seller, but with a new, less experienced, or worse-selling author, the gloves come off (even though evidence suggests time and again that publishers’ ability to predict what will sell well is at best low and at worst nonexistent.)

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3. A billion rejection letters as a required rite of passage (especially when the letters aren't helpful in pinpointing why a work has been rejected or how the author can improve).

Well, my first book was rejected by a hundred Presses before it was accepted! How many rejection letters did you get before you got a bite? What, only one or two? Oh…

How often one succeeds or fails to get published shouldn’t be treated as a form of hazing, and we all know that how often someone gets rejected or accepted has essentially no bearing on how good a writer they are. Plenty of schlock goes out into the world after being accepted on the first or second try...and so does plenty of good stuff! Likewise, plenty of schlock will get rejected 100 times but due to persistence, luck, circumstances, whatever, finally find a home, and plenty of good stuff will also get rejected 100 times before being publishing. Rejections (or lack there of) as a point of pride or as a means of judging others needs to die as a rite of passage among authors.

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4. Query letters, for so many reasons.

Summarize all your hard work in a single page! Tell us who you’re like as an author and what books your story is like, so we can gauge how well it’ll sell based on two sentences about it! Format it exactly the way we say or we won’t even consider you!

For publishers, agents, and editors who have slush piles as tall as Mount Everest...we get it. There has to be a way to differentiate. We don’t blame you. Every creative writing class, NaNoWriMo pep talk, and college lit department combine to send out hundreds of thousands of people who think all they need to do to become the next Ernest Hemingway is string a sentence together. There has to be some way to sort through that pile...but God, can’t there be a better way than query letters? Especially since even with query letters being used it often takes months or years to hear back, and...

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5. "Simultaneous submissions prohibited.”

No, we don’t know when we’ll get to your query, but we’ll throw it out instantly if you have the audacity to shop around while you wait for us.

The combination of “no simultaneous submissions” with the query letter bottleneck makes success slow and arduous. It disadvantages everyone who aims to write full-time but doesn’t have another income source (their own, or a parents’, or a spouse’s, or, or or). The result is that entire classes of people are edged out of publishing solely because the process, especially for writers early in their career, moves so glacially that people have to earn a living while they wait, and it’s so hard to, for example, work two jobs and raise a family and also somehow find the time to write. Especially considering that the standard advice for dealing with “no simultaneous submissions” is “just write something else while you wait!” ...the whole system screams privilege.

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6. Genres are boxes that must be fit into and adhered to.

Your protagonist is 18? Then obviously your book is Young Adult. It doesn’t matter how smutty your book is, erotica books must have sex within the first three chapters, ideally in the first chapter. Sorry, we’re a fantasy publisher, if you have a technological element you don’t belong here…

While some genre boxes have been becoming more like mesh cages of late, with some flow of content allowed in and out, many remain stiff prisons that constrict the kinds of stories people can tell. Even basic cross-genre works often struggle to find a place, and there’s no reason for it beyond “if we can’t pigeon-hole a story, it’s harder to sell.” This edges out many innovative, creative works. It also disadvantages people who aren’t as familiar with genre rules. And don’t get me wrong - this isn’t an argument that, for example, the romance genre would be improved by opening up to stories that don’t have “happily ever afters.” Instead, it’s pointing out - there should also be a home for, say, a space opera with a side romance, an erotica scene, and a happily-for-now ending. Occasionally, works breakthrough, but for the most part stories that don’t conform never see the light of day (or, they do, but only after Point 2 - trad pub editors insist that the elements most “outside” the box be removed or revised).

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7. The lines between romance and erotica are arbitrary, random, and hetero- and cis-normative.

This modern romance novel won’t sell if it doesn’t have an explicit sex scene, but God forbid you call a penis a penis. Oh, no, this is far too explicit, even though the book only has one mlm sex scene, this is erotica.

The difference between “romance” and “erotica” might not matter so much if not for the stigmas attached to erotica and the huge difference in marketability and audience. The difference between “romance” and “erotica” also might not matter so much if not for the fact that, so often, even incredibly raunchy stories that feature cis straight male/cis straight female sex scenes are shelved as romance, but the moment the sex is between people of the same gender, and/or a trans or genderqueer person is involved, and/or the relationship is polyamorous, and/or the characters involved are literally anything other than a cis straight male pleasuring a cis straight female in a “standard” way (cunnilingus welcome, pegging need not apply)...then the story is erotica. Two identical stories will get assigned different genres based on who the people having sex are, and also based on the “skill” of the author to use ludicrous euphemisms (instead of just...calling body parts what they’re called…), and it’s insane. Non-con can be a “romance” novel, even if it’s graphically described. “50 Shades of Gray” can sell millions of copies, even containing BDSM. But the word “vagina” gets used once...bam, erotica. (Seriously, the only standard that should matter is the Envelope Analogy).

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8. Authors are expected to do a lot of their own legwork (eg advertising) but then don't reap the benefits.

Okay, so, you’re going to get an advance of $2,500 on this, your first novel, and a royalty rate of 5% if and only if your advance sells out...so you’d better get out there and market! Wait, what do you mean you don’t have a following? Guess you’re never selling out your advance…

Trad pub can generally be relied on to do some marketing - so this item is perhaps better seen as an indictment of more mid-sized Presses - but, basically, if an author has to do the majority of the work themselves, then why aren’t they getting paid more? What’s the actual benefit to going the large press/trad pub route if it’s not going to get the book into more hands? It’s especially strange that this continues to be a major issue when self-publishing (which also requires doing one’s own marketing) garners 60%+ royalty rates. Yes, the author doesn’t get an advance, and they don’t get the cache of ~well I was published by…~, but considering some Presses require parts of advances to get paid back if the initial run doesn’t sell out, and cache doesn’t put food on the table...pay models have really, really got to change.

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9. Fanfiction writing doesn't count as writing experience

Hey there Basic White Dude, we see you’ve graduated summa cum laude from A Big Fancy Expensive School. Of course we’ll set you up to publish your first novel you haven’t actually quite finished writing yet. Oh, Fanperson, you’ve written 15 novels for your favorite fandom in the last 4 years? Get to the back of the line!

Do I really need to explain this? The only way to get better at writing is to write. Placing fanfiction on official trad pub “do not interact” lists is idiotic, especially considering many of the other items on this list. (They know how to engage readers! They have existing followings! They understand genre and tropes!) Being a fanfiction writer should absolutely be a marketable “I am a writer” skill. Nuff said. (To be clear, I’m not saying publishers should publish fanfiction, I’m saying that being a fanfiction writer is relevant and important experience that should be given weight when considering an author’s qualifications, similar to, say, publishing in a university’s quarterly.)

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10. Tagging conventions (read: lack thereof).

Oh, did I trigger you? Hahahaha. Good luck with that.

We rate movies so that people can avoid content they don’t like. Same with TV shows and video games. Increasingly, those ratings aren’t just “R - adult audiences,” either; they contain information about the nature of the story elements that have led to the rating (“blood and gore,” “alcohol reference,” “cartoon violence,” “drug reference,” “sexual violence,” “use of tobacco,” and many, many more). So why is it that I can read a book and, without warning, be surprised by incest, rape, graphic violence, explicit language, glorification of drug and alcohol use, and so so much more? That it’s left to readers to look up spoilers to ensure that they’re not exposed to content that could be upsetting or inappropriate for their children or, or, or, is insane. So often, too, authors cling to “but we don’t want to give away our story,” as if video game makes and other media makers do want to give away their stories. This shouldn’t be about author egos or ~originality~ (as if that’s even a thing)...it should be about helping readers make informed purchasing decisions. It’s way, way past time that major market books include content warnings.

Thank you for joining us, this has been our extended rant about how frustrated we are with traditional publishing. Helpful? No. Cathartic? Most definitely yes. 🤣

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#duck prints press #original content #writing advice #sort of