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dailyadventureprompts · 6 months

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Homebrew Mechanic: Meaningful Research

Being careful about when you deliver information to your party is one of the most difficult challenges a dungeonmaster may face, a balancing act that we constantly have to tweak as it affects the pacing of our campaigns.

That said, unlike a novel or movie or videogame where the writers can carefully mete out exposition at just the right time, we dungeonmasters have to deal with the fact that at any time (though usually not without prompting) our players are going to want answers about what's ACTUALLY going on, and they're going to take steps to find out.

To that end I'm going to offer up a few solutions to a problem I've seen pop up time and time again, where the heroes have gone to all the trouble to get themselves into a great repository of knowledge and end up rolling what seems like endless knowledge checks to find out what they probably already know. This has been largely inspired by my own experience but may have been influenced by watching what felt like several episodes worth of the critical role gang hitting the books and getting nothing in return.

I've got a whole write up on loredumps, and the best way to dripfeed information to the party, but this post is specifically for the point where a party has gained access to a supposed repository of lore and are then left twiddling their thumbs while the dm decides how much of the metaplot they're going to parcel out.

When the party gets to the library you need to ask yourself: Is the information there to be found?

No, I don't want them to know yet: Welcome them into the library and then save everyone some time by saying that after a few days of searching it’s become obvious the answers they seek aren’t here. Most vitally, you then either need to give them a new lead on where the information might be found, or present the development of another plot thread (new or old) so they can jump on something else without losing momentum.

No, I want them to have to work for it: your players have suddenly given you a free “insert plothook here” opportunity. Send them in whichever direction you like, so long as they have to overcome great challenge to get there. This is technically just kicking the can down the road, but you can use that time to have important plot/character beats happen.

Yes, but I don’t want to give away the whole picture just yet: The great thing about libraries is that they’re full of books, which are written by people, who are famously bad at keeping their facts straight. Today we live in a world of objective or at least peer reviewed information but the facts in any texts your party are going to stumble across are going to be distorted by bias. This gives you the chance to give them the awnsers they want mixed in with a bunch of red herrings and misdirections. ( See the section below for ideas)

Yes, they just need to dig for it: This is the option to pick if you're willing to give your party information upfront while at the same time making it SEEM like they're overcoming the odds . Consider having an encounter, or using my minigame system to represent their efforts at looking for needles in the lithographic haystack. Failure at this system results in one of the previous two options ( mixed information, or the need to go elsewhere), where as success gets them the info dump they so clearly crave.

The Art of obscuring knowledge AKA Plato’s allegory of the cave, but in reverse

One of the handiest tools in learning to deliver the right information at the right time is a sort of “slow release exposition” where you wrap a fragment lore the party vitally needs to know in a coating of irrelevant information, which forces them to conjecture on possibilities and draw their own conclusions. Once they have two or more pieces on the same subject they can begin to compare and contrast, forming an understanding that is merely the shadow of the truth but strong enough to operate off of.

As someone who majored in history let me share some of my favourite ways I’ve had to dig for information, in the hopes that you’ll be able to use it to function your players.

A highly personal record in the relevant information is interpreted through a personal lens to the point where they can only see the information in question

Important information cameos in the background of an unrelated historical account

The information can only be inferred from dry as hell accounts or census information. Cross reference with accounts of major historical events to get a better picture, but everything we need to know has been flattened into datapoints useful to the bureaucracy and needs to be re-extrapolated.

The original work was lost, and we only have this work alluding to it. Bonus points if the existent work is notably parodying the original, or is an attempt to discredit it.

Part of a larger chain of correspondence, referring to something the writers both experienced first hand and so had no reason to describe in detail.

The storage medium (scroll, tablet, arcane data crystal) is damaged in some way, leading to only bits of information being known.

Original witnesses Didn’t have the words to describe the thing or events in question and so used references from their own environment and culture. Alternatively, they had specific words but those have been bastardized by rough translations.

Tremendously based towards a historical figure/ideology/religion to the point that all facts in the piece are questionable. Bonus points if its part of a treatise on an observably untrue fact IE the flatness of earth

#homebrew mechanic #d&d mechanics #research #tableskills #tabletop inspiration #dm tip #dm advice #exposition

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yumeka-sxf · 13 days

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I try to stay away from negative topics, but after hearing talk on social media yesterday and seeing this post from @such-a-downer, I just had to give my two cents about the complaints regarding yesterday's chapter being "another short mission" and that Endo is somehow being "lazy" or whatever.

I honestly don't understand this mentality of criticizing manga-ka, or any artists really, because they aren't delivering by whatever standards you personally think are appropriate. To me, it just seems like entitlement because Endo has no obligation to cater to any specific fan's wants. This is his story to tell the way he wants, and his characters to develop at the pace he deems fit. This isn't a business contract where we're paying him to deliver content we want every two weeks without fail. If I'm consuming the fruits of someone's creative labor for free, I certainly feel no right to complain if sometimes their content isn't what I wanted or expected. I'm fine with that because 1) I know it's what they (the creator) wanted/needed at the time, and 2) even if a particular chapter wasn't my cup of tea, I know other fellow fans out there somewhere are enjoying the heck out of it, and that's cool!

We also have to remember that SxF is basically a one-man show. If Endo is busy or sick or whatever, it's not like he can have someone fill in for him to write and draw the series. That's what a hiatus is for, that's what making a short chapter instead of a longer one is for...that's how artists should be treated so they don't get burned out and stressed. Plus, art shouldn't be rushed. Any artist knows that there are times when you have trouble coming up with ideas and maybe need a little extra time to develop a more complex section of the story. To immediately jump to conclusions that he's lazy or doesn't know what he's doing is ridiculous. Maybe he didn't feel good for a few days, maybe he's been busy with other SxF events, maybe he just needed more time to get a particular future arc developed, or maybe he just has basic IRL obligations to take care of like we all do...you don't know what's going on in his life, so don't make assumptions.

Another thing to keep in mind is that it's literally impossible to please every fan. One of the comments I read for example, someone was ready to drop the series because we haven't seen much of Yor in "a while." All I could think of was "didn't she just have a pretty big role only four chapters ago when they went to the ski resort?" Plus she was the star of chapter 91, which was less than ten chapters ago. So according to this person's standards, four chapters without seeing a particular character is "too long"? What if it was only three chapters, would that be acceptable? It's not right to push our own personal standards of a series' pacing as the "correct" way: some people want to see more of character X while someone else wants to see more of subplot Y, so should both complain that the manga-ka isn't doing right whenever they focus on something else? I'm not saying you shouldn't make criticisms of a manga-ka's work, but the criticisms should come from within the narrative itself, not superficial things like chapters focusing on subplots/characters you don't want to see or not having enough "plot-advancing" content when it's not a plot-focused series.

People who have read SxF up to this point should know the general flow of the chapters: mostly slice-of-life episodic, with more plot-heavy, intense arcs once in a while, like the cruise arc and bus arc. It's an ensemble series that spends most of its chapters focused on at least one of the Forgers, but occasionally other characters here and there. That's how the series has been for years and will likely continue to be. So if you keep complaining because you only like the dramatic story arcs and not the "nothing happens" episodic chapters, then maybe the series just isn't for you. It's totally fine if that's the case, but don't act like Endo is doing something wrong because he's not providing the particular thing you want in his story.

To summarize, Endo has no obligation to cater to particular fans' standards, just as we have no obligation to keep reading his work if we don't like it. But being a fan to me means respecting the creator's pace and vision even if it's not always what I personally want. I can find something to enjoy in every chapter because I'm a fan of SxF, not a fan of one particular aspect of it. But I also will not complain every time my tastes aren't being catered to and will simply occupy myself with other things while I wait. What's the big hurry, after all? I'm in no rush for SxF to wrap up its plot and I'm glad Endo isn't rushing either.

And that's all I'm gonna say about this topic, lol. On a happier note, I'm going to finally see Code White on Thursday! 😁 More to come later~

#spy x family #sxf #spy family #spyxfamily #sxf manga #sxf manga spoilers #sxf spoilers

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qqueenofhades · 9 months

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Good Omens Season 2: Some Thoughts (and also Screaming)

First, /screams

Second, obligatory disclaimer that this meta contains MAJOR SPOILERS for all six episodes. If you somehow have managed to remain virginally unspoiled, look away now, scroll past, or add "good omens s2" and "good omens spoilers" to your block list, as those are the tags I have been using for all posts and reblogs.

Third, /screams more

Okay okay okay. Deep breaths.

Anyway, so, uh, how about all that, huh? First, the good thing about the tone of the season overall was that it felt considerably darker and more adult, in a good way. We didn't have the precocious kiddies, the kitsch and literally-comphet Anathema and Newt, the so-clever narration, etc. All that was gone, which makes sense when you consider that a) the end of last season saw them reboot into an entirely new universe, and b) the fact that God has gone silent is, in fact, a major plot point for the season. We don't have Her slyly telling us the story, or indeed anything, and everyone is left to make their own judgments and take their own actions. Which, obviously, gets them into a lot of trouble, especially when Metatron (the Voice of God, aka someone acting in the belief that they're speaking for God and therefore doing terrible harm) swoops in with the ultimate buzzkill at the end of episode 6. But we'll get to that.

The downside was that the main, present-day plot (hiding Gabriel in the bookshop and trying to get Nina and Maggie to fall in love) was fairly thin, felt stretched out and at times weirdly paced, and otherwise existed mostly to get us to That Ending and the setup for season 3. But the ending was so damn good (if obviously, very painful) that I can't be TOO mad, not least because we spent six episodes with them just making absolutely no pretense about the whole thing being as incredibly homosexual as possible. I'll be honest: I did not think they were going to actually, explicitly go there. Neil Gaiman has been so consistent about "your interpretations are valid and you're welcome to read it however you want, but the only canon is what's on screen," which I think is frankly a good thing (not least since the Neil GAYman Cinematic Universe is consistently very, very good to us queers), that I just... didn't quite think they'd pull the trigger. Sir Terry is dead and can't have active input, this is based on a book published 30 years ago, maybe they didn't want to make it LIKE THAT... etc. I certainly hoped, but I didn't really think they would.

Uh. Well.

As I said in my various semi-coherent liveblog posts, I honestly don't think there was a single straight person in the entire season, among both major and background characters. Aziraphale/Crowley and Maggie/Nina are the obvious paralleling couples, but Beelzebub (using "they" pronouns and addressed as "Lord" despite presenting as femme/femme-adjacent) is clearly nonbinary and therefore also queer, and the countless gay/queer side characters were just /chefs kiss. From Job's son making a sassy pass at Aziraphale, to the random Scottish goon with Grindr on his phone (which he then gives to Aziraphale, because what is subtlety), to the interracial couple with the trans spouse at the Pride and Prejudice ball, there was just a lot of casual, unremarked, non-story-critical queer representation visible at every turn. It's like the NGCU saw the bigots wailing about Sandman season 1 being extremely gay and went CHALLENGE ACCEPTED, LET'S MAKE GOOD OMENS 2 EVEN MORE GAY.

God bless.

Obviously, Jon Hamm as Amnesia!Gabriel stole the show (he was SO fucking funny) and it was also incredibly fun to watch Miranda Richardson repurposed as a scheming demon. Nina Sosanya also reappeared as Nina the coffee shop owner, which leads us into the Maggie-and-Nina subplot. They're obviously, wildly, incredibly clearly an analogue for Aziraphale and Crowley themselves, but they're also each, crucially, a mix of both. On the surface, Maggie is Aziraphale: the plump, blonde, earnest, sweet-natured one owning a slightly dated book music shop and somewhat clueless about emotional nuances, while Nina is (also on the surface) Crowley, the hard-edged dark loner who doesn't want to open herself up to people or be spotted caring. But emotionally, Maggie is Crowley: the one openly pining, clearly besotted, only wanting to hang around their crush and do whatever they can to make themselves useful, while Nina is Aziraphale. Interested but reticent, attracted but conflicted, trapped in an abusive relationship with a demanding offscreen "lover" (Lindsay/Heaven) who tries to constantly control and shame them without ever offering much, if anything in return. By the end, they bring themselves around to what Maggie/Crowley are offering, but by then, well. We've got a lot more problems on our hands.

As I also said in my earlier posts, this entire thing has always been a metaphor for religion, queerness, and what religion -- especially abusive, fundamentalist, organized religion -- does to queer people, but they really cranked the FUCK out of that metaphor this season. Aziraphale is guilt-tripped, controlled, and shamed for his attraction to Crowley at every turn. He is torn between his imagined duty to Heaven, in all its ignorant, uncaring, bureaucratic, gratuitously cruel system that he still insists on seeing the best in because he can't bear the alternative, and the chaotic and sometimes grey but genuinely more good morality that Crowley offers him. (Can I just say, we were explicitly shown that the two of them together doing "just a little miracle" are more powerful than Heaven AND Hell combined.) And at the end, he's told that the only way he can be with Crowley -- what Metatron explicitly blackmails him with -- is if they both go back to heaven, submit themselves to the cruel system again and give up everything that has made them who they are: their home in London, their human friends, their reliance on each other, their independence, their own ways of doing things. You can be queer in this (religious) framework, but only the limited, watered-down, controlled, controllable, constantly-under-supervision kind of queer, which relies on both you and your lover "converting" back to the true faith. And if you don't cooperate, they will literally kidnap you, lie to you, manipulate you, take you from your soulmate, and force you right back into doing the one thing (destroying the world) that you never, ever wanted to do in the first place, because in their minds, that is still better than this. It's for your own good.

Ouch.

And the thing is: that's why the ending a) hits so hard and b) is so fucking painful, because of course Aziraphale agrees. He has no conception of being able to defy Heaven on his own; he has always, always needed Crowley for that. In the flashbacks, when Aziraphale is faced with an order from Heaven that he desperately does not want to carry out (such as letting all Job's children get killed), he still relies completely on Crowley to "outsmart the rules" and find a better way. Crowley is A Crafty Demon; that's what he does, and so Aziraphale rationalizes it to himself that therefore that must be fine. Even in season 1, when he really didn't want the Apocalypse to happen but initially thought it was his duty as a good Heaven footsoldier, he relied on Crowley to talk him out of it and allow him to do what he really wants instead. That's their whole dynamic in a nutshell, as exemplified in that scene in episode 2, where Crowley tempts Aziraphale with the "pleasures of the flesh" while sprawled on his back in Ravish Me mode like the giant walking gay disaster that he is. (Sorry, buddy. That beard. Can't do it.) Everything that Aziraphale's existence is, that makes him who he is, that he loves and cherishes the most (in this case, food and wine) comes from Crowley. Everything else is just background noise.

Throughout the season, what we see is Aziraphale increasingly coming around to the fantasy of being with Crowley. He's coy and flirty; he talks about "our car" and expects Crowley will let him (which he does); he wants to have a Jane Austen ball and for them to dance together (oh my heart); he even thinks, at the crucial moment, that the best way for them to be together is to go back to heaven just like they were in the beginning, once more perfect angels, as if those entire six thousand years of struggle and grief and pining and separation and falling didn't happen. And Crowley -- poor, poor, brave, devoted, heartbroken Crowley -- has just heard for the first time in said six thousand years that actually telling the person you love how you feel is an option. Maggie and Nina tell them point-blank that their whole stupid plan failed because people aren't chess pieces who can be moved and automatically achieve the desired result. And of course this gobsmacks the dearest and dumbest Ineffable Husbands, because they can't conceive of anything else. People are chess pieces in the Great War of Heaven and Hell; Aziraphale and Crowley themselves are chess pieces who have been desperately trying to get out of being moved by external forces, but that doesn't change the fact that that's what they are. They don't have volition or agency aside from that which they can sneak for themselves in brief and stolen moments. That's it.

Until, well. It's not it. They discover that this whole would-be war is actually an elaborate ruse to cover up another angel-demon romance, that of Gabriel and Beelzebub. (I'll be honest, I'm 99% sure they did this storyline because they saw the fans crackshipping them, but I appreciate a fictional narrative that values and incorporates its fans' input, rather than trying to constantly "trick" or "outsmart" them or "do what they don't expect.") And Gabriel and Beelzebub get to be together, but only by leaving their world forever. They have to desert their homes, their structures, even their own identities, and never return. And Crowley and Aziraphale are so rooted in their "precious, perfect, fragile" life in their little corner of Soho, with their bookshop and their Bentley and their dining at the Ritz (which they didn't get to do in the end because METATRON /shakes fist), that that just doesn't work. Neither of them can conceive of doing that. So Aziraphale thinks "go back to heaven and try to make the terrible system do some good and take what we can in terms of being together" and Crowley just... pours out his heart. He's ready to fucking propose. He barely stops himself from saying something to the effect of "I want to spend eternity with you." He begs, he pleads with Aziraphale to go away not in the literal sense, but the emotional/metaphysical: to finally break this toxic dependence on Heaven and tell them once and for all where to stick it. And because he is desperate to make Aziraphale understand, he finally throws all caution to the winds and recklessly, desperately, adoringly kisses him, the one thing he's wanted to do for ages and...

Gets. Shot. Down.

Ugghhhhh. I'm suffering all over again. Aziraphale wants him, hungers for it, for them, and yet he's been so abused and so conditioned by Heaven (he's still blithely repeating to Crowley's face that "Hell are the bad guys!") that he just cannot accept that kind of desperate, blind, limitless, lawless affection. He even forgives Crowley for this "transgression," just to really twist the knife, and Crowley just can't take it, can't face up to how terribly this has all gone up in flames, after he went to heaven trying to find the answer for Gabriel's situation. Gabriel, who he fucking hates. Gabriel, who tried to kill the angelic being he loves (and for which Crowley has transparently never forgiven him). And yet at one pouty puppy-eyed look from Aziraphale and a warning that whoever is harboring Gabriel might be in danger, Crowley leaps headlong into the Bentley again and rushes to the rescue while "Good Old Fashioned Lover Boy" is blaring. He stoutly protects Gabriel; he does a miracle to disguise him; he lets him have hot chocolate and stay in the bookshop; he guards him from the literal demonic horde outside. All because of Aziraphale. That's it. And then, it still doesn't work. Not only that, Gabriel's absence and decision to forego Armageddon gives Heaven the one tool they finally need to take Aziraphale away from him.

I repeat: Ugghhhhhhhh.

(In a good way. Ngl, I love this angst. This is the kind of angst my brain Thrives on, the Thematic Parallel Romantic Character Arc kind. Nom nom nom. But also: AGONY.)

I also need to talk about Aziraphale driving the Bentley, aside from the obvious metaphor of him being in Crowley's home while Crowley is in his. Last season, we had the "you go too fast for me, Crowley" scene with them sitting in said Bentley, which was Aziraphale saying he's not ready for a relationship. In this season, as noted above, we see Aziraphale increasingly embracing the potential fantasy of being with Crowley. But here's the catch: when he's in the Bentley this time, driving it, setting the pace, acclimating to the idea, he's driving his own idea of what the Bentley/his relationship with Crowley is. It's not the real thing. He plays classical music; he supplies himself sweets; he turns it yellow; he drives too slow. Crowley calls him in another old-married-couple snitfit to complain that Aziraphale's messed it up, but what Aziraphale has actually messed up (or will, by the end of the season) is far more consequential than just a car. He's changed the entire shape of their relationship to the one he thinks can make it work, and it just doesn't. It has to be them -- "we could have been... Us" -- or it's not even close to the truth. It's not worth their time.

I repeat: Ouch.

Speaking of the writers validating fan theories, I know we all picked up and screamed about on Crowley's idea of Peak Romance Guaranteed To Fall In Love being sheltering from rain and gazing into each other's eyes, which confirms that that poor bastard was indeed ass-over-teakettle gone as soon as he met Aziraphale (again) in Eden. I also need to talk about the 1941 redux, because wow. This time, the danger comes from Hell, which we see being its usual self: gleefully, pointlessly cruel, pettily backbiting, dirty, sniping, tedious, endless, determined to mindlessly destroy because They're The Bad Guys and they like it. So they blackmail, spy on, miracle-block, illicitly photograph, and try to prove that Aziraphale and Crowley are secretly a couple, right after Aziraphale himself has just had the Light From Heaven realization that he's in love (which we all also picked up on in s1). They're forcibly outing them (to speak of more Religious Queer Trauma) in order to break them up/get them into trouble with their authorities/families. Aziraphale and Crowley manage to escape it mostly by dumb luck, but Crowley having an altogether freakout, hands shaking, barely able to actually point the gun at Aziraphale even in the knowledge that it's supposed to be fake, is just... wow. He can't even fathom the idea of ever trying to destroy him in earnest, especially when he knows on some level that Aziraphale also finally just realized his own feelings. So I just need to --

/screams

Anyway, Aziraphale's entire arc this season is doing what he thinks is the right thing and then inadvertently causing harm and damage as a result. In the Edinburgh flashbacks (live slug reaction of me: SEAN BIGGERSTAFF???!!) he tries to stop Elspeth from stealing bodies and gets Morag killed and Crowley drinking the laudanum to save him (though that part with David Tennant just riffing left and right, using his natural Scottish accent, and being Tiny Crowley/Huge Crowley was hilarious). He invites his neighbors to a Pride and Prejudice ball and makes them all the target for demonic attack. And of course the Job episode: Aziraphale, horrified at Heaven's callous cruelty, desperate not to get Job's children killed, willing to go along with Crowley's tricks to save them somehow, tempted by Crowley to do the fucknasty with their angel bits eat some food and decide that he likes it. As mentioned, the whole thing about God being silent this season is a major thematic choice. The only time we see/hear God is Her communing with Job from afar. Aziraphale enviously imagines the answers he must be getting (he's not, he's baffled and perplexed), while Crowley longs beyond words to even have the opportunity to ask the question: why? Why do this? Why is this your plan?

And of course, this absence culminates in the Metatron, the Voice of God, the person arrogantly claiming that they're speaking for God and know exactly what Heaven wants, being able to seize Aziraphale by the short hairs and absolutely fuck him over. Gabriel is gone/decommissioned/eloping with Beelzebub, so Heaven needs a Supreme Leader (God apparently is no longer a factor in the equation). And what this Supreme Leader needs to do is finally unleash the Apocalypse that Gabriel decided to pass on (the Second Coming). Aziraphale needs to be punished, taken away from Crowley's influence/love, and put back under Heaven's explicit control, so Metatron spots a great opportunity to do all three at once. It's not an accident that the exact tool he uses to get Aziraphale to agree is "now you can actually be with Crowley!" Aziraphale and Crowley have been trying so hard to hide out from their respective Head Offices, but now all at once, there's this seemingly miraculous opportunity for them not to have to do that anymore! They can be together! They can be sanctioned by Heaven! They can give up all this hiding and sneaking around and lying! Isn't that better?

... As long as, of course, they give up absolutely everything that makes them who they are. No big deal. Minor catch. Probably nothing.

Metatron doesn't let Aziraphale have time to escape, or think it over, or reflect, or anything. He pressures Aziraphale to come with him immediately, or be once more subject to Heaven's implicit wrath/destruction/judgment. Believe me, Aziraphale already KNOWS he's made a huge mistake, as soon as he hears what Metatron really wants: bringing him back to unleash the Apocalypse that Aziraphale and Crowley have given up literally everything to prevent. He doesn't need time to reflect. By the time my man is in that elevator, he's well aware of what a catastrophic misjudgment he's made, and yet --

Aziraphale needs this. He has, as noted, literally always relied on Crowley outsmarting Heaven's cruel orders in order to prevent himself from having to do them. He's relied on Crowley rescuing him ("rescuing me makes him so happy," WELL BUB, IT'S BECAUSE YOU ALWAYS NEED IT). He admits to Crowley's face that "I need you!" He hates Heaven's sadistic meanness, but he has absolutely no framework, in and of himself, to defy it. When the rubber hits the road, he will crumple and try to go along with it, and now he's been put in a position where he's going to have to stand up, defy Heaven, and make the break once and for all BY HIMSELF. He doesn't have Crowley around to do it for him, he has no support, he is going to arrive in Heaven and be shuttled straight off to the Apocalypse 2.0 War Room. The only way he gets out of this is if he actively stands up, if he chooses himself and Crowley and their life, and he has to.

The thing is:

Aziraphale has lived his entire eternal existence Looking Up. Up is the direction of Goodness and Heaven. Up is where Angels go. Up is where Aziraphale comes from and where Demons and Hell are not. But now he's going Up, in a position to take over the whole shebang, and it's the last thing he wants.

So he's going to have to come back Down.

He's going to have to Fall. He's going to have to get back Below at all costs. He's going to have to finally, once and for all, understand what led Crowley to make the choice to leave Heaven and never come back. It's only then that they can possibly be together on any kind of conscious, equal, deliberate footing, claim their own agency, reject Heaven AND Hell, and try to really earn that South Downs cottage and that happy-ever-after, and it's gonna hurt so good.

Now if you will excuse me, /screams

#good omens #good omens meta #good omens s2 #good omens spoilers #ineffable husbands #look this probably could have been twice as long #but i had to stop somewhere #I JUST HAVE A LOT OF FEELINGS

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writingquestionsanswered · 12 days

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I wrote a book, but my novel is dragging way too long. What's the best way to determine what needs to get cut?

Fixing a Dragging Novel

#1 - Make sure your conflict is clear.

Every story should revolve around a conflict. The action of your story is created by the protagonist's attempt to resolve that conflict by pursuing a goal. Sometimes when stories drag, it's because there is no conflict or because the conflict is weak, leading to a meandering plot. (see: Understanding Goals and Conflict)

#2 - Consider your novel's structure.

Even character-driven novels have structure, meaning there are typical story beats and plot points that need to occur. As with plot-driven and combination stories, there are many different potential structures you can use. You can also follow a structure loosely (taking only what works and discarding what doesn't) or combine what you like from multiple structures. What matters is that it works for the story you want to tell, and that it helps you hit the natural points of a good story.

#3 - Consider your balance of action, exposition, and dialogue.

Stories should maintain a relative balance of action (things happening), exposition (explaining things), and dialogue (characters talking.) Ideally, every scene should have a relative balance, depending on the needs of the scene. If you have a scene that's 80% exposition, 15% dialogue, and 5% action, that scene is really going to drag. And if the next scene is 65% dialogue, 25% action, and 10% exposition, that scene is probably going to drag, too. That doesn't mean you need to have a 33% balance of all three, but you want to make sure that one doesn't completely overwhelm the others unless it's absolutely necessary.

#4 - Consider your pacing.

Even when you balance action, exposition, and dialogue, some scenes will have a slower pace and some scenes will have a faster pace. If you have too many fast-paced scenes in a row, or too many slow-paced scenes, the reader gets bored which makes the story drag. That said, it's a good idea to vary your pacing to create a relative balance between fast and slow. If you've had a couple of fast-paced scenes, stick in a slow-paced scene or two to allow the reader to catch their breath. If you've had a slower-paced scene, try following it up with a faster-paced scene to liven things up.

#5 - Make sure everything pulls its weight.

Every bit of everything that happens, every bit of info given and things explained, every conversation, every scene... all of it needs to be there for a reason. If you're writing a story about researchers going to Skull Island to find King Kong, you can't have a whole scene on the boat taken up by a high stakes card game unless things happen during that card game that are critical to the reader's understanding of the characters or plot. Things can't be there just for fun, or because it's cute, or to give the characters some interaction. Everything has to contribute to the plot in some way. If you have a lot of things happening that don't really matter in the story, it can make your plot drag. That said, go through your story and look at the things that happen. Ask yourself if you can remove that moment, event, or scene without it affecting the overall story. If you can, or if a few minor changes would make the removal work, it's a moment, event, or scene you can think about cutting.

I hope that helps!

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I’ve been writing seriously for over 30 years and love to share what I’ve learned. Have a writing question? My inbox is always open!

♦ Questions that violate my ask policies will be deleted! ♦ Please see my master list of top posts before asking ♦ Learn more about WQA here

#wqaadvice

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darcydoesfuckall · 1 month

Text

Why you should write that AO3 comment:

Hello! I am an AO3 author and professional fandom dipshit. This is an "essay" on why you should leave that comment on the fanfic you just read.

Table of Contents:

"Commenting is too much effort!"

"I don't know what to write!"

Do you want more fanfic?

Fan creators are human beings, not AI content generators.

You can count it as charity work on your metaphysical taxes.

"Commenting is too much effort!"

Yes, writing a comment takes energy. I'm an introvert, I get that. I have two counter arguments to this point.

AO3 comments are not the SAT:

This is a comment from my latest fic, Quantum Entangled.

Three words and a heart. It requires zero consideration, it isn't specific to the fic, it's something you could copy-paste, even. A comment like this is better than nothing. I'll let my reply from AO3 explain why:

"You know what, I appreciate this way more than you'd probably expect. The temptation to lurk is a strong one, both for social anxiety reasons and internet content-consumption culture reasons. But when people lurk, I can't tell that they've enjoyed the story. The more people that lurk instead of interacting, the more I assume that my work wasn't good enough, irrespective of the reader's actual feelings. So this was a very welcome comment to read. Thank you for indicating your enjoyment. I will endeavour to write more stuff for you to lurk on in the future. :)"

A comment like this, one that is as thoughtless and low effort as possible, is still a comment. Something that denotes a reader's interest. Because, and I can't be clear enough about this, I HAVE NO OTHER WAY OF KNOWING THAT YOU LIKED IT. Kudos and comments are my only window into the reader's experience.

Sure, I'd love more detailed and thorough comments on my work, but, if that expectation is the thing that's going to stop you from commenting at all, I'd prefer the bland copy-paste appreciation.

Onto my second argument.

Do you know what also takes effort? WRITING THE DAMN FIC:

You do not get to complain about being forced to type a congratulatory handful of words after reading that 200k slow-burn fantasy au. Do you know how many hours went into that thing? Do you? Because I can guarantee that it was A LOT. All that writers are asking for is a single emoji. A kudos, at the very least. Consider the effort that went into the creation that you've just experienced and give just a thimble full of it back.

Authors lay out a feast for you to devour. They're only requesting a "thank you".

"I don't know what to write!"

Like in the previous example, an AO3 comment can be as simple as three words saying that you appreciated it. Just an acknowledgement that you were there. It doesn't have to be fancy.

But if you want fancy...?

Here's one of my comments, from Tishae's Better Together.

Let me break it down for you.

"Stunning. This au is so well developed. I love how you managed to maintain tension after the point that they discover that their feelings are requited. This was brilliantly paced, and the action (esp the ending) was so engaging."

The comment opens with appreciation. (Think of it as a sandwich with love as the bread. It starts and ends with my enjoyment.)

There are specific details about what I liked.

"If I may ask, what was the crime that the Metatron committed? Maybe I'm bad at reading between the lines or maybe I missed something, but I'm really curious as to what dirt they have on him. Victimless? Bad enough for imprisonment, but not so morally reprehensible as to make Anathema reveal it? Did he embezzle? That's all I can really think of."

Continues with a specific question about the story and plot.

Shows that I was critically engaged and actively considering the story.

You don't have to have questions about every fic that you read, but don't be afraid to ask them if you do. I love it when people ask me about my work.

"Thank you for the delicious food. I honestly thought that you were going to have Crowley's final look be something in grey (black and white being the theme of the show, metaphorically representing separation/binary, so Aziraphale was uncomfortable with it due to the implications. Grey, symbolising unity/shades of grey as an idiom, would then be the biggest middle finger to the Metatron) but I do really like what you came up with."

Gratitude.

Thoughts about how I read the plot. (This is something I particularly love to read as an author. Please tell me what's going on in that funky lil' brain of yours!!)

"I'm hoping this comment provides plenty of dopamine. If the task activation and instant gratification parts of your brain light up, you might be more likely to write GO content again. Love your work, thanks for sharing it. I hope you gain 3 inches of metaphorical dick length. Please keep writing."

Encouragement to keep writing. (This is the best way to ensure that creators remain in the fandom)

A funny comment to sign off.

Now that you know what to comment, let's start on the real reasons why you should.

Do you want more fanfic?

Fun fact! Fanfictious Authoria are a species that sustain themselves entirely on a diet of brain worms, unfinished WIPs, and kudos. As one of the three fundamental food groups, removing kudos from the fandom ecosystem causes a complete collapse of the natural order. In times of unprecedented scarcity, entire populations of Fanfictious Authoria can die out completely. This means that the production of fanfiction, in that particular region of fandom, stops entirely, often causing major ecological damage, and the subsequent deaths of fan species in the same genus. (Like the Fanfictious Artia, or the Fanfictious Editour, both of which subsist on fanfiction based diets to survive.)

In conservation efforts, experts are imploring readers to donate kudos and comments toward any fandom region that they want to stay alive.

But I digress.

When I want more content, I tell the author. Ask and you shall receive; it's the best way to convince an author/artist to make more.

My comment on @mrghostrat's And They Were Streamers

You liked it? Then COMMENT! Not for the author's sake, but for your own. You want to see the ending of a WIP? Well, it'd be a terrible shame if the author gave up on it because they thought no one was reading... They don't know that you enjoy their work until you TELL THEM. They're not psychic, you have to help them hear you. Commenting on the things you like influences the creators of said things to attribute the act of making content (and, notably, making the type of content that specifically appeals to you) with the dopamine hit of reading your reaction. Treat them like Pavlov's dogs. Ring the kudos-bell.

Fan creators are human beings, not AI content generators.

They have real human feelings and real human egos. The contemporary attitude towards media engagement is skewed towards algorithmic, instant, and uncritical consumption. This is pumping straight gasoline into the beautiful lakes of our fandom ecosystem. Fandom cannot afford to treat its creators like mechanical text generators. We are not an unfeeling assembly line, only there to produce content. We are enthusiasts, engaging in our hobby. No fan creator has to show you anything. They are fully within their rights to keep their works hidden in their computer files, never to see the light of day. Every fanfic on AO3 is only there because someone had the grace to share it with you. You are not entitled to an author's work, just as they are not entitled to your kudos. We have a mutually beneficial arrangement. Do not forget your part in this symbiosis.

It's a problem that extends beyond AO3. Tumblr is a less enthusiastic place than it used to be. Fandom as a whole is drifting towards a consumption mindset. I, for one, am sick of it. Reblog things, like them, share them. Make fanart of fanart. Who gives a shit? Do the cringy thing. You don't have to cultivate your blog aesthetic. Be who you are, like what you like, and have enthusiasm about all of it. Fandom should be an expression of radical self acceptance. Embrace it. Leave essays about fics that you liked. Reblog the essays of other's when you see them. Exist in the mutual joy of seeing and being seen. You are not just an external observer, absorbing content from a distance. You are here too. Wave back at us. Say 'hi.'

You can count it as charity work on your metaphysical taxes.

My final appeal is a moral one.

Commenting on AO3 is just a kind thing to do.

You are your actions. Are you the kind of person who does the kind thing when no one is watching? When no one will care?

Fanfiction is a hobby, and I'm not here to guilt you about how you spend your leisure time. I'm only here to say that there is a kindness you could be giving the world.

If you are one of the people that performs this kindness, I thank you.

#ao3 #fanfiction #fanfic #GO fandom I'm looking at you #good omens #ineffable husbands #crowley #aziraphale #ineffable wives #ineffable husbands fic rec #ineffable idiots #ineffable partners #ineffable spouses

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petitprincess1 · 3 months

Note

What critiques do you have of Hazbin? I'm wondering because I keep seeing a lot of criticism and hate towards it and I don't Wana get into something that's possible waste of time. Srry if thats rude

Dude, you're perfectly fine. I'm gonna keep it to like five points bc some things that I have problems with are mainly nitpicks. None of this, imo, is a dealbreaker for me. However, if it is for you, fair.

This is one that everyone has talked about and I fully agree with. The pacing is whiplash-inducing. I still do believe it's better than HB S1, but there is just so much information being thrown around that it's mind-boggling. The songs definitely help to slow things down a bit and introduce more info in an engaging, catchy way. However, I feel like there were some eps that either needed to come sooner or later in the series. I get they were fighting the clock, but still.

Lucifer and Charlie's relationship needed better explaining. Without going into spoilers, from what it felt like in the Pilot, it seemed like they were building up to something a bit more confrontational. I always figured Charlie possibly embellished Lucifer's words, but now it makes it feel like Charlie was talking to a completely different man. Someone that isn't even her father. Lu acts so much like Charlie, or vice versa, that it seems almost impossible to misinterpret his words.

NO FILLERS! The closest episode to a filler is the 3 ep, but even that brings up information and moves the plot along with key points. Now, that's not a bad thing entirely. It keeps you engaged. But this show very much lacks any breathing room. There's so much being thrown your way. Either things get overly talked about or not talked about enough. Which brings me to my next point-

The world-building is both fulfilling and empty. You do get a good sense of Heaven and Hell in this universe, especially Hell. You get an idea of the hierarchy and even some hypocrisy. However, we also don't really know how Heaven nor Hell operates. Like Lucifer appeared to be a shut-in. Yes, Lilith was the one inspiring demonkind, but what about when she disappeared? Is that why everything is garbage now? How much does Lucifer influence Hell? Where are the archangels? Was this conflict not important? Is there a "God" even in this show? What is Heaven's hierarchal system? There's so much being said, while also nothing being explained.

This one is the lowest for me bc I'm a bit torn on it. I've seen a few people complain about how the main characters are introduced as if you're supposed to know them. I didn't get this feeling, but I'm also a fan of Hazbin. I try to go in with a fairly "empty mind" so that I can view the material without rose-tinted glasses. However, it felt like some of the characters were given decent introductions at times. Idk. I'd like to know other's opinions on that.

Another one that I want to add is probably more diversity in the body sizes in the show. I'm not too worried about it bc Helluva Boss does a great job with body diversity, but Hazbin seems to be fairly stick and slender. But, again, I'm not too worried about it.

All in all, those are my biggest issues with the show. Like I said, none of these are dealbreakers, especially since we'll be getting a S2. Vivzie seems to listen to criticism, judging by the differences with HB S1 vs S2. So, I'm really hoping that we finally get to relax and actually get to know the characters more. Like, Adam shows the 7 Deadly Sins, while Charlie shows the 7 Virtues. I hope Adam isn't permanently dead bc I feel like this would be a good wake-up for him. He'll become the being that they were exterminating. But only time will tell.

Majority of this can be blamed on Prime and A24 for only giving them 8 episodes. I feel like either a longer run-time or more eps would've helped the show. Hopefully, they'll have learned from their mistakes in the next season.

#hazbin hotel #long post #hazbin hotel analysis #media criticism #vivziepop #ask answered #ok 2 rb

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sunset-a-story · 10 months

Text

Hey, folks! I just had to quit my new job. Its "flexible hours" (a requirement for my physical disabilities) were actually over-managed deadlines that required a 7-day work week and it was untenable. So! As an income-less person, I'd like to put this out there:

I'm Offering Alpha & Beta Reading Services

Why me? I have a degree in Creative Writing. I was gainfully employed as a professional writer for 6 years. I have been published in literary journals and was a founding editor of a literary journal that I helped run for years. I have a 1,200+ page serial that will start to be released in the next 6 months and I just plain love stories.

Alpha Reading

Alpha reading is geared toward Zero Drafts or First Drafts where the creation process is still a work in progress. I'm reading as a writer who wants to help make your story work. As an alpha reader, I'm not worried about your grammar or spelling--just the content. My job is to cheerlead you through this first draft while giving helpful, gentle notes as a fellow writer. We'd nail down exactly what sort of comments you want or don't want but it can look like feedback on:

Plot structure

Pacing

Description

Setting/world building

Characterization

Dialogue

Spotting plot holes/continuity issues

You can also request no critique if what you really need is just someone who will read your draft, leave encouraging comments, and get excited with you.

Beta Reading

Beta reading is for more polished drafts from writers looking for constructive criticism on how their wip reads. I'm approaching your story less as a writer and more as your test audience. I will be honest but kind about issues and genuinely excited about your victories. Again, exactly what you're looking for can be nailed down on an individual basis so you get the type of support you want. (Note: I am not a line editor. I can point out obvious errors but that is not what I do.)

As far as pricing, $0.0015 USD per word seems like the lower end of the industry standard and, while I have alpha/beta read before, I haven't been paid for it yet so that feels fair. That works out to a 25K word story being $27.50.

Thanks, all! Please DM me if you're interested.

#beta reading #alpha reader #beta reader #writeblr community #writeblr connect #services #I feel weird doing this but bills gotta get paid #Thanks all!

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sinimake · 4 months

Text

Some writing tips i use that makes writing less hard

Hope some people might find it helpful idk. Read below.

I always start with dialogues. Arguably, it is the easiest part that advances the plot the most. I write down dialogues with the barest of tags just to indicate who's saying what.

Now, add the tones, movement, and expression into the dialogues tags. Characters gotta deliver the lines somehow and you fill the space between the conversation.

When conversation is happening, internalization must occur. If you're writing from A's pov, and A and B are having a conversation, A gotta listen then reflect on B's words. You don't need to do this after every sentence but it is one of ways you set the pacing of the story. For example, B tells a shocking news to A, A take a moment to absorb the info and think. The internal thought can be from a line to paragraphs and the lenght of it sets the pacing.

Furthermore on the pacing, i personally like to equate the amount of time reader spends on reading to amount of how much they need to linger on the scene. Imagine in a fight scene, you keep the sentences short, to the point, and not complicated to deliver the fast speed of combat. When you lengthen the scene and sentences, you are putting them in a slow motion in midst. So control the pacing with your words.

Now, let's tackle settings and expositions. You can apply the tactics i use in my dialogues, but one golden rule i keep is that i write things readers can't experience first hand. If your characters are playing uno, you don't need to explain the rules in detail. What you need to do is be in the head of your primary character. Don't say winter was cold and snow was falling. You describe how character is feeling the cold on their back, snow is featherlight on their cheeks, etc.

Since we are talking about character pov, let me mention head hopping. Head hopping is where the general pov of chapter changes/hops characters in the midst of the writing. Example: we are reading from A's perspective, and then suddenly, we get a passage on B's inner thoughts, which A should not be aware of. Personally, i find head hopping distasteful. Some people can do it artfully and purposedly, like Stephen King. But if you don't have experience in that style, avoid head hopping like a plague. If the pov is in A, you only show outward emotions and actions of B.

Now you have general direction of the writing, let's add ✨️Character flare✨️. I like to think this is where you, as a writer, really shine and obtain your style. Your character is the essential core of the story, so when you write, the narrative must have their flavor. Percy Jackson series is widely liked because it is so fun to read from his perspective, his humor, and his outlook. If your character is a cop walking down a street, you show the world through their eyes. Are they double-checking dark corners? Or eyeing suspicious looking people? If your character has weird sense of humor, they will probably describe things in obscure details. Go wild with it. If your character is gen z, you can write in their cringy slangs (/j)

Now we have the skeletal of writing done. Till now, don't bother with editing. Only write even if the sentences sound shit. When you're done with base draft, you go back with a critical eye. If you're stuck on a scene, immediately skip. You can come back later with a fresh head space. Perfection is something you should worry about only in the final stage of editing.

Strange tip, but put your font to Comic Sans if you can, you will thank me later. I know it looks so jarring and ugly, but something about it makes the brain go lose on the creativity cork. I was skeptical first too, but it worked on me, and now i have 73k words in 3 months under my belt. *shrug*

And voilà, the very simplified breakdown of writing. Hope you found it somewhat helpful and happy writing everybody 😊 💪✍️

#writing tips #writer stuff #ao3 writer #creative writing #fanfic writing #writing

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justatalkingface · 6 months

Text

Everything Changed When The War Arc Attacked:

Or, why do I hate the War Arc so fucking much?

At this point, eh, why not? Writing every day is supposed to be good for improving as a writer.

ECWTWAA is a simple, quippy line that holds all of my festering loathing for watching MHA gleefully hurl itself off a cliff once the War Arc happened, and, much like someone jumping off a cliff like an utter moron (or the Air Nomads after the Fire Nation attacked), it has never truly recovered.

*sigh*

In retrospect, MHA had been going downhill for a long time before that point, and a lot of it was something I noticed unconsciously, but didn't quite rise to me really paying conscious attention to it, beyond a few notable points (*cough*, Bakugou, *cough* FuCkiNg NIGHTEYE), but as my brain was somewhat in the off position as I read, I was still enjoying the ride, even as it bumped; the enjoyment was as much, if not more, that I used to enjoy it more than the actual content, but there was enjoyment.

If MHA before The War Arc was a somewhat imperfect roller coaster ride, the only way I can describe the War Arc is if the roller coaster ride abruptly ended in the side of a cliff, only somehow dragged out for months of slow paced agony. I watched, in vaguely real time, as Hori systematically trashed the last foundations of his story, the swan song of one of the best, most interesting characters in the series, toss aside the sudden yet exciting development of it's main villain, and escalate to a higher gear than ever before the constant work to protect some of the most vile characters, including said mass murdering villain, from even the slightest criticism by sacrificing everyone around them, as well as the very integrity of the story, to the alter of, 'They're not that bad, honest! Don't hurt their little feelings, you bully!'

And, I watched him finally finish the lobotomy on his main character, permanently ripping away what remained of his original personality and intelligence, leaving an empty puppet, a Deku, with the singular purpose of driving the story faster, and faster, and faster towards that thing that Hori seems to crave above everything else now: The End.

Freedom, freedom from the strangling chains of a merciless Jump schedule, of a plot long grown too complex for him to manage, or for him to even want to try, and from the burden of writing characters and stories he so clearly seems to despise, for some reason. And if they only way he feels he can get it is by burning everything he's done down to the ground, well, Hori's clearly more than willing.

In all honesty it became obvious that, in all of MHA, he only actually liked six things: Endeavour, Bakugou, body horror, dramatic, flashy fight scenes with flashy super powers, attractive women in minimal clothing and vaguely fetish-y torture scenes on attractive women in minimal clothing.

These things, from that point on, are the only things he has spent real, actual time on, developing, giving focus to. Everything else, everything else, is rushed, pushed constantly forward by Deku, the puppet, as he runs from plot point to plot point as fast as he can, never allowed a moment to rest, to reflect, to really think at all, all in the name of progression as empty as he has become.

In all honesty, it was a needed, if unwanted, shock to help me realize the truth, but at what cost? At what cost is this clarity? The joy is gone now; once I dropped my unconscious acceptance of the narrative, everything I had been ignoring came to me a rush of horrified realization, even the most mild of flaws became glaring, and now reading the early chapters that got me into this story in the first place is just... hollow now, like I'm watching my old self enjoy them, rather than enjoying them myself, and I can't help but be both jealous and vaguely contemptuous at the innocent pleasure that person had.

I'll admit, I'm being more dramatic than I'd like to be, but... I've said this before, I'd been reading MHA for years before this point. Years of enjoyment, interest, and focus, and it's all ash to me now. I'm somewhat bitter about it.

#bnha critical #mha critical #everything changed when the war arc attacked #bakugou critical #endeavour critical #nighteye critical #izuku deserves better #izuku is a person #deku is a puppet #me looking at the dimension where hori didn't do any of this shit #reference post

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deception-united · 12 days

Note

I’m kinda at a weird faze in my creative life right now, I want to write something, but I’m still hung up on the skills of writing not the art of it. I tried to condition myself into writing just for the fun of it yet I’m always left wondering if there a better way to get my point across. Maybe that’s because for my age…I should be writing better.

My question is, how do I just write just for the fun of it, and how do I increase my vocabulary? I’ve heard people say to use the dictionary, but that really eats up time and most words people never use in an actual conversation. Anyway that’s my question.

Thanks for asking! Here are a few tips:

Freewriting

Balancing the desire for improvement with the enjoyment of the craft itself can be a challenge for some writers. Different things work for different writers, but an exercise I like to do is freewriting. Freewriting is a technique where you write continuously for a set period of time without worrying about grammar, structure, or content. It can help to bypass your inner critic and tap into your creativity. Set a timer for 10-15 minutes and write whatever comes to mind, without stopping to edit or revise or even come up with a comprehensible plot. Make it nonsensical. Just write.

Experimentation

Try experimenting with different styles and genres. Don't feel confined to one particular type of writing. Trying out different writing styles and drawing inspiration from other writers can help you discover what you truly enjoy and where your strengths lie. Explore various forms of expression and writing to find what resonates with you.

Draw Inspiration

Something I like to do when I'm reading books or fanfics, and highly recommend if you're trying to increase your vocabulary and improve your writing, is take note of descriptive phrases or words that I like for future reference in my own writing or as inspiration. Or I'll write down words that I don't know so I can come back and check their definitions—I keep a list of those, too.

Integration

Once you've collected a list of words and phrases you like or don't know, challenge yourself to incorporate them into your own writing. Experiment with using these words in various contexts—prose, dialogue, poetry, different situations—to deepen your understanding and comfort level with them.

Remember, writing is a journey, and there's no one "right" way to do it. These suggestions could be effective for you, or you might find another method that suits you even better. Embrace the process and keep honing your craft at your own pace. Happy writing!

#ask #writeblr #writing #writing tips #writing advice #writing help #writing resources #creative writing #writer inspiration #writer problems #writer stuff #writing problems #deception-united

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alonetimelover · 1 year

Text

Action! - part 5 - Social Media

Pairings: Director!Reader x Joseph Quinn (+ ex!Harry Styles)

Warnings: swearing, privacy invasion, victim blaming (two comments)

Summary: Privacy has been breached. More songs and albums were written. Halloween happened. Italy. Drama.

Side note: The villain in this fictional story is fictional.

check out the previous parts! part 1 part 2 part 3 part 4

series masterlist

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ynupdates

♥️ 💬 ➤

liked by ynshands, harryupdates and 12 818 others

ynupdates the reviews are here! 'Don't Worry Darling' critic's score is 38% right now, and 'Bones And All' is at 87%! Overall, critics say that DWD lacks good pace and contains lots of plot holes. They do praise Florence for her performance and say Harry's accent changing is crucial to the plot - his acting although wavers from quite good to acceptable. 'Bones And All' however is gaining praise all over the world. YN is applauded for her directing, but even more for her acting. People call her 'the new sensation'. Timothée as always played beautifully.

im so happy for our yn being appreciated all over 💓

view all 3 818 comments

harryupdates i had the opportunity to watch DWD on its premiere in NYC and i do agree with critics. what's more IT IS NOT a film about female pleasure. literally there are two sex scenes and that's it.

ynsmybestie i feel like a proud mother 🤧

ynshands i smell two oscars for yn

harrysmoustache kinda disappointed that the dwd script was changed after yn's fiasco. it must have been decent if she considered it

⤷ harrysmylife nick kroll said the script changed almost entirely and that's when the confusion happened

joeandynfann yn is THE ARTIST of the 20s, im making rules

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harrysnonefan

♥️ 💬 ➤

liked by harrysmylife, user451 and others

harrysnonefan Harry's phone got hacked! pictures mostly of him and yn are all over the internet. this is the most appropriate one i could post.

view all 6 188 comments

harryupdates please delete the post, they got enough privacy invasion for months today. stop.

ynupdates delete it!

harrysmoustache i understand it's all over twitter, tiktok and ig, but you don't need to post about it. their privacy was invaded, those are VERY PRIVATE photos.

ynsmybestie i feel sorry for yn. she's getting so much hate for photos that clearly were taken by the two of them, not only her. point at the couple that has never taken any quite intimate photo, ill wait.

joemyman i hope yn has people close to her helping her deal with it healthy.

harrysmoustache i feel sorry for harry as well. lets not forget his privacy was invaded too.

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text messages between YN and Harry

Harry Styles

hello, yn. i just wanted to let you know that i have nothing to do with the leak that happened. the team is already working on solving it as soon as possible. im so sorry you need to deal with it, H.

yn🌻

why haven't you deleted them?

Harry Styles

I don't know, truly. i think i just forgot about them being on my icloud.

yn🌻

it's too late now, but please delete them anyway.

my manager will contact you soon about the statement that should be made and all that. goodbye, harry.

Harry Styles

i really am sorry, yn. i hope it didn't affect your relationship too much.

yn🌻

thank you for your concern, we'll manage.

Harry Styles

i'm sorry. i really am, YN.

read 10:24

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text messages between YN and Jeff

Jeffrey

i couldn't wait for your move forever, yn. i hope you appreciate the work those photos will do. they have the potential, don't they?

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celebrityupdates

♥️ 💬 ➤

liked by ynupdates, harryupdates, ynshands, harrysmoustache and 716 918 others

celebrityupdates !BREAKING NEWS! YN YSN is sueing Harry Styles' manager, Jeffrey A. for drastic invasion of privacy. Lawsuit was brought against Jeffrey this morning at the Los Angeles County Superior Court. At the moment the case is open to the public with YN's direct enquiry to stay this way. For more information head to our website.

view all 124 928 comments

ynupdates it was jeff's fault? oh my god. the situation got even sadder and more twisted now. I'm wondering if harry had anything to do with it... I hope not

harryupdates if he's responsible, i hope yn'll get all the money and justice

harrysmoustache he's sick. selling your friends and his girlfriends body for promotion??? #cancelljeff

ynsmybestie i feel so sorry for yn. i hope she'll get her justice. that's the least she can get after all the drama.

user617 i didn't need to know that

hater168 shouldn't have taken photos like that in the first place, could save ger money for the trial

⤷ ynshands she can do whatever she wants with her body. she can be photographed by someone if she wants. her body, her choice. if someone else is placing their hands on it, it's her right to sue them.

hater718 hope she's losing it

joemyman hopefully its going to be a quick trial. she went through enough the last couple of years.

——————————————————————————————

yourinstagram and harrystyles

♥️ 💬 ➤

liked by josephquinn, taylorswift, annetwist, beyonce, rihanna, tchalamet, florencepugh, ronniecoleman and 21 382 716 others

yourinstagram In the last few days you saw my previous partner's and my body without our permission. You also learned that I filled the lawsuit against my former manager, Jeffrey, because I believe and am ready to proof he is responsible for this invasion of privacy.

This lawsuit isn't only for us. It's for every person that got their body being used. For every person that had their photos leaked, being taken without permission, sold or used for promotion.

I believe in your story.

What is private should stay private.

YN and Harry

view all 615 939 comments

josephquinn You are the strongest woman I know. ❤️

florencepugh privacy isn't a choice, it's your right. you cannot take it away from us. my body my choice. #istandwithynandharry

tchalamet your bodies shouldn't be used against your will or without your permission #istandwithynandharry

taylorswift much love and strength for you both #istandwithynandharry

beyonce take what's yours, yn. 🤍

rihanna your body, your choice. 🤍

joekeery you deserve justice. #istandwithynandharry

annetwist 🤍

ronniecoleman #istandwithynandharry

ynupdates thank you for speaking up about something that people are quiet about! i hope you'll get justice #istandwithynandharry

harryupdates justice is yours. #istandwithynandharry

harrysmoustache joined post? couldn't predict that in my wildest dreams. #istandwithynandharry

ynshands take your money, girl! sue his ass! #istandwithynandharry

hater182 boring

hater168 shouldn't have taken photos like that in the first place, could save her money for the trial

⤷ yourinstagram Your concern about the way I'm using my money is astonishing. This case is worth every penny, if it can bring people like you to acknowledge the problem that invasion of privacy is.

⤷ yourinstagram I can photograph myself in every shape or form I want, it is not your body to decide. And it's my right to sue people that decides to use my body without permission.

⤷ ynshands and that's how you put haters in their place

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harryupdates

♥️ 💬 ➤

liked by ynupdates, harrysmoustache, ynsmybestie, hArrysbtch and 56 283 others

harryupdates Harry leaving the courthouse with his lawyer. YN and Joe were walking right behind him. THEY WON THE LAWSUIT!!!! Jeff is obligated to pay 3,6 mln $ in total for direct invasion of privacy. He is also not Harry's manager anymore, it is unknown who took his place.

I'm so happy it is over. I hope they, especially YN, will catch a breath to enjoy life without all this fuss.

view all 8 182 comments

ynupdates the way they needed just one hearing in the court. jeff really started something with a wrong person

ynshands im so happy for yn and harry. i hope that them winning the case will allow people in the similar situation to sue anyone that invaded their privacy

harrysmoustache thank god its over

ynsmybestie im so happy for them

joemyman i love how Joseph didn't leave yn even for a moment

⤷ ynshands right? also she was grasping his hand so tight, poor baby was soo nervous 😓

⤷ harryupdates did you see how harry was trying to discreetly observe them?

⤷ ynshands I did! but it was so obvious. he was literally glaring at them. the sad smile said it all

⤷ harryupdates he really is still in love with her

user383 only if all the cases were solved this quickly...

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ynshands

♥️ 💬 ➤

liked by ynupdates, harrysmoustache and 12 829 others

ynshands Matty Healy said that Harry wrote a few songs for 'the 1975' newest album. Those songs are: About You, Human Too, Happiness and All I Need To Hear. 'One day I got a message from the number I've never thought I would hear from. Harry fuckin' Styles was it, saying he had some songs that could work for us. We used every single one.' said Matty in the interview. Similar situation happened to Lewis Capaldi, 'Well I was drunk and sent Harry - I mean Harry Styles a DM, a video of something. (..) All in all, he screenshotted it and then randomly asked if I was interested in hearing a song he wrote. Forget Me is all written by him, I just changed the melody because Elton John told me to.'

harry wrote five songs about yn and decided to give them away instead of using in the next album???

view all 3 292 comments

ynupdates she is the muse

ynsmybestie i imagine it's nice having songs being written about you, but if it's your ex? i don't know.

⤷ harrysmoustache well, he's writing about her beautifully

⤷ harrysmoustache 'there was something 'bout you that now I can't remember; it's the same damn thing that made my heart surrender' in About You made me ugly cry

⤷ ynsmymama what about 'I don't care if your insincere; just tell me what I want to hear; you know where to find me; the place where we lived all those years' in All I Need To Hear? even writing this made me cry. the whole song is just heartbreaking 💔

⤷ harrysbtch and in Happiness there are a few like: 'she showed me what a love is' and 'I would go blind just to see you' and 'I'd go too far just to have you near' and 'her body's like a modern art; take it out in front of me' and 'I'm never gonna love again' .... like im dancing but my cheeks are wet

⤷ ynsmymama i just relistened to the album and Human Too is like his apology and at the same time his excuse of what he did in their relationship... he's not going to stop writing about her, that's for sure.

harryupdtaes the lewis' story??? he's so funny

⤷ harrysbtch but the song? heartbreak anthem once again

harrysbtch the whole chorus to Forget Me has me in tears

harrysgrammy songwriter harry has entered the chat

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taylorswift

♥️ 💬 ➤

liked by yourinstagram, josephquinn, ynupdates, harrysupdates and 10 292 193 others

taylorswift Midnights, the stories of 13 sleepless nights scattered throughout YN's and my life, will be out October 21. Meet us at midnight.

view all 217 293 comments

yourinstagram it was an honour working with you. thank you for putting my words into this astonishing album. 🌃

⤷ taylorswift are you kidding me? you're the star here.

josephquinn 💜

ynupdates yn singing??? name one thing she cannot do

ynshands she directs, acts, writes, sings, what's next?? she's fucking amazing, I love her

ynsmybestie apple music released the song titles and writing credits and im sorry but yn wrote lavender haze, sweet nothing, vigilante shit and mastermind BY HERSELF? with having credits on each song??? songwriter yn era is here, and im so ready for it

⤷ ynsmymama i haven's heard the album but i know, I KNOW it's gonna be my favourite just because yn wrote most of it

harrysmoustache maybe she wrote a track about harry?? we could possibly get her point of view for the whole relationship or drama

⤷ taylors22 if you want songs about yn and harry then listen to evermore. willow, champagne problems, gold rush, 'tis the damn season, tolerate it, happiness, coney Island, closure, evermore, it's time to go. they all are rumoured to be about yn and harry. someone did a video on it, you should look it up on yt. it's worth it.

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harrysmoustache

♥️ 💬 ➤

liked by ynupdates, harryshoee, harryupdates, ynsmybestie and 9 292 others

harrysmoustache FIRST LOOK AT HARRY AS DANNY ZUKO FOR THIS YEAR'S HARRYWEEN!!

YN AND JOE RECREATED THIS SCENE FROM DIRTY DANCING AS JONNY AND BABY via YN's IG story.

that video made me really 🥵

view all 1 293 comments

ynupdates harry really said 'im gonna make her my whole personality'

ynupdates yn and joe are looking divine 🔥

harryupdates he sang hopelessly devoted to you

⤷ ynshands isn't that yn's favourite song from grease?

⤷ ynsmybestie nope! she loves 'you're the one that I want'

joemyman they are the perfect couple. they won this year.

harrysbtch i worry for harry. everything he does is somehow, more or less, connected to yn. it's getting unhealthy

⤷ ynshands i hope he'll find someone to make him happy again. its sad watching him be so attached to yn.

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2023

joemyman

♥️ 💬 ➤

liked by ynupdates, ynshands, harrysmoustache and 9 282 others

joemyman OMGHSJEDJKD guys!!!! I met Joseph and YN in Italy tonight!!! look how good this man looks

view all 3 399 comments

ynshands spill the tea, lola!

⤷ joemyman I was at the restaurant for my birthday and when the waiter brought the cake my friends started singing. In the middle of the song I saw YN and Joe walking past our table, holding hands and being all cute. Immediately we stopped singing and stared at them with amazement.

⤷ joemyman If that wasn't enough, YN turned around and walked up to us, with Joe right after her (hand on her waist and shoulder) and wished me a happy birthday in italian! Joe then did the same. Later she sent our table the poshest dessert available on the menu.

⤷ ynshands OMG! that's so sweet of them

⤷ joemyman yes! and also after we finished celebrating, yn and joe finished their diner. i found a courage to walk up to them, thank them and ask for a photo. they were super chill but kindly refused a join photo (what was totally fine, YN looked super tired). we took a video of joseph speaking italian with yn laughing in the background, and that's a screenshot of it

ynupdates so good to see them again. it's been a minute since we saw them last

⤷ harrysbtch there wasn't anything after the halloween last year

⤷ ynupdates i mean yn won two oscars earlier this year, but didn't show up at the ceremony

⤷ ynandjoeforever i'm a new fan, can you tell me what she won the oscars for?

⤷ ynupdates sure! last year she directed and starred in a movie called 'Bones And All' with Timothée Chalamet. She won the Best Leading Actress and the Best Director. Timothée also won the Best Actor.

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celebritygossip

♥️ 💬 ➤

liked by ynupdtaes, ynsmybestie, harryupdates, harrysmoustache and 384 927 others

celebritygossip EXCLUSIVE photos of YN YSN pregnant on the beach in Italy. For the last six months YN and her boyfriend, actor Joseph Quinn has been living in Italy, staying away from Hollywood gossip. Last January YN won two academy awards for directing and starring in a movie 'Bones And All' but didn't accept them in person. Was being pregnant a reason to skip the gala? For more photos head to our website, link in bio.

view all 47 938 comments

ynupdates 'YN and Joseph on the private beach in Italy' says the caption under this photo on your page. If it's a private beach then it means you broke the law by having taken those photos, invading their privacy. Once again...

ynsmybestie oh man, you're next to be sued by YN for invasion of privacy. hope you have enough money for that 💰

harryupdates they went away to have some peace and quiet and here you are with those photos... smh

user382 how long have they been together?

⤷ joemyman almost 2 years

⤷ user829 so she was with styles more years and couldn't be pregnant?

⤷ joemyman it's not your business.

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yourinstagram

♥️ 💬 ➤

liked by josephquinn, florencepugh, tchalamet, taylorswift, joekeery, milliebobbybrown and 47 738 728 others

yourinstagram baby quinn says hi

view all 340 489 comments

josephquinn what a beautiful baby mama 🤰

florencepugh hi baby quinn! 👶 auntie florence's gonna spoil you rotten

⤷ yourinstagram joseph just put the crib together. you outdid yourself, flo ❤️

tchalamet my godchild has the best parents in the world

⤷ ynshands stop... timothée is going to be a godfather???

ynsmybestie timothée knows he's got no chance anymore

⤷ tchalamet she's gonna be my crush forever, ain't no other way

⤷ yourinstagram stop it, timmy

⤷ josephquinn yeah, stop it, TiMmY

taylorswift i'm writing you lullabies, baby

⤷ yourinstagram please record 'em. baby already loves your voice.

joekerry hello, baby joe

⤷ yourinstagram i'm not naming my baby after you

⤷ josephquinn that's my name too...

⤷ yourinstagram your name is dada, i don't know what you're talking about, mate

annetwist Congratulations to you two, darling! ❤️

⤷ yourinstagram thank you, Annie!

milliebobbybrown see you soon, baby quinn! 🤴

ynupdates congratulations darlings!

harryupdates so so so happy for you both!

ynshands she probably wouldn't have posted the photo if that gossip page hadn't invaded their privacy... yn can't get a break from paps

comment liked by yourinstagram and 4 484 others

joemyman a baby with genes from yn and joe??

⤷ ynsmybestie imagine the baby has joe's big eyes and yn's hair

⤷ joemyman the most beautiful baby in the world

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text messages between YN and Harry

Harry Styles

Congratulations on your pregnancy, YN. Hoping the baby and you are healthy, H.

yn🌻

thank you, Harry. we're feeling great, baby's healthy.

annie's said you took a break, how is it going?

Harry Styles

You don't need to talk to me if you don't want. I understand. Just wanted to congratulate you after mum told me about your pregnancy

yn🌻

i think i'm mature enough to put the past in the past. also anne is seemingly worried about you, harry.

but if you don't feel comfortable yet, then it's okay. thank you again for the message. hope you are well.

read 4:67 pm

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vogue

♥️ 💬 ➤

liked by yourinstagram, josephquinn, florencepugh, ynshands, harryupdates and 2 938 028 others

vogue 'I was always infatuated with motherhood and the beauty that mother love is. Being pregnant just deepened my understanding of those emotions,' says our August cover star, YN YSN. To get to know YN more, her past and future, and her anticipating projects - head to your local stores and buy VogueMagazine August issue.

The sneak peak of the article is available on our website, link in bio.

photography: josephquinn styling, hair and makeup: yourinstagram

view all 182 384 comments

yourinstagram thank you katiesmith for this interview!

ynupdates 'Joseph is everything I could ask for in a partner. He's caring and loving, a good cook which is crucial while being pregnant. He's also very patient with me from the very beginning of our relationship.' the way she describes him is just so lovely

ynshands 'He's a kind hearted, tender man. He thought me a lot, and I'm grateful for having shared a part of my life with him. I only could wish him the best, he just deserves it.' YN talking about Harry. she has nothing but good things to say, despite everything she went through because of that relationship.

harrysmoustache 'It's part of a process, I understand it. Harry's an artist and that's how he deals with live, by writing about it. I found it therapeutic too, and somehow Taylor [Swift] put my rubbish on her album Evermore' she confirmed evermore guys, SHE CONFIRMED IT. also it's not rubbish, babes. its a masterpiece.

florencepugh sexy mama 🔥

joemyman 'I wasn't planning on announcing my pregnancy and that's why we moved to Italy earlier this year. I wanted something to be just my partner's and mine. Joseph was doing everything he could to protect us, and I am so grateful for him and his involvement. If not that one photographer, we'd still be in Italy, having pasta for breakfast.' we were right girlies, she didn't want people to know

⤷ ynsmybestie what about the next part?? 'No, I didn't sue them. I had had enough the last time I was in court. The stress it caused then would be bad for a baby, which is my first priority right now. Joseph, however did report that incident. I remember hearing him say 'I won't allow them to put you through it again, there's no way' and that felt like the quiet 'I love you' he whispers to me every night.' im- 😭

⤷ joemyman i know, man. joseph is just perfect, so protective and loving, couldn't ask more for our yn

⤷ ynsmymama i love how we simply adopted yn, even though she's probably older than all of us

harrysbtch but did you guys see that shade she threw on WB???💀 'I heard about Henry returning as SuperMan, yes. Am I going to direct him? No. I'm keeping my distance from WB. And also the only superhero film I see myself directing is The Amazing Spiderman 3 with Andrew Garfield.' her crush on Andrew is still there

⤷ ynshands i respect her decision. WB did her dirty with DWD and it really started all the drama she's been through

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josephquinn

♥️ 💬 ➤

liked by yourinstagram, florencepugh, tchalamet, taylorswift, joekeery, ynupdates and 17 820 028 others

josephquinn You made me the happiest man alive - a father of our beautiful daughter and your husband. Thank you, lovie.

comments to this post have been limited

yourinstagram and I am the happiest woman with you by my side. I love you.

florencepugh cheers to the best couple in the world!

tchalamet i loved being your flower boy 💐

taylorswift so so so happy for you guys

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text messages between Harry and Joseph

unknown number

Please cherish her. She deserves the world.

read 5:29 am

#action!universe #director!reader #joseph quinn x reader #joseph quinn #harry styles fake ig #harry styles

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genericpuff · 1 year

Text

I've come to the stunning realization-

-that Lore Olympus is basically to the webtoons industry what Youtube Kids is to Youtube.

And I'm not talking about the general "Youtube Kids" label, I'm talking about those videos - Elsagate, Johny Johny, Cocomelon, Mickey Mouse tattooing Spongebob or whatever other weird example you can think of - which are explicitly designed to game the algorithm, turn views into money, and most of all, gain and keep the attention of the one demographic that won't question what they're consuming - children.

!!!!THIS POST HAS FAST PASS SPOILERS AHEAD!!!!

I mean, this is undoubtedly just a tinfoil hat theory, but think about it:

Bright oversaturated colors that are attention-grabbing.

Meme faces and 'lol rAnDoM' humor even when it doesn't suit the situation at all.

Art that's all around ugly and cheap on a technical level but still stands out due to its color design and prioritized advertising.

Vapid surface level scene-to-scene writing that doesn't connect or have any meaning in any coherent way.

One-dimensional projection characters who are easy to manipulate and sway for audience sympathy or anger even if those opinions change on a dime based on actions in the moment.

Cliffhangers that are less like true cliffhangers and more like clickbait. Episodes nowadays tend to be filled with drawn out plotlines, vague hints that can be applied to just about any school of thought, and non-sequitur memes to fill the time until they can hook the reader with another cliffhanger to keep them coming back next week.

Coin prices have gone up but episode length, substance, and quality have noticeably gone down. Even if they reach the same panel count they usually have, dialogue is minimal and pacing is brutally inconsistent to the point that plot progression is often non-existent.

Banner ads that run constantly, often in the first or second (or both) slots, with push notifications and pop-up ads also becoming more frequent whether you're subscribed to the comic or not.

And underneath ALL of that, we've got blatant objectifying and sexualization of female characters regardless of context, misogyny that claims to be progressive, racist undertones, borderline fetish content that constantly toes the Terms of Services line, normalization of problematic/toxic relationship dynamics, a creator who's more interested in 'getting back' at critics than writing an actual story, and underlying messaging both from the characters' and the creator's behavior that encourage witch-hunting, rejection of accountability, and blind devotion.

All this is essentially why I've given up consuming LO entirely, beyond just on a critical level as of late. There was a time long ago when I stuck around in the hopes it was going to get better, that maybe it was just going through a "rough patch" as some stories do. After that I stuck around because I wanted to see how it could possibly pull off its ending. And then after that, I simply stuck around for the laughs and community banter. But now I don't even find it funny anymore, the punchline of how bad it is has gotten incredibly old. And at this rate, as much as we'd like to believe it's going to end in its third season as it's been mentioned in the past, we also were told it was going to end between 100-200 episodes prior to that - the way it's going, I can't even stick around "for the ending" because LO is going to be around for as long as WT tries to milk it, despite it no longer having a heartbeat.

As much as I've loved talking shit about this comic and it's undoubtedly the main reason so many of you followed me here in the first place, I'm not going to lock myself in some kind of purgatory hell just to be proven what I already know is going to happen - either the comic continues on forever, doomed to be a lifeless mascot for the zombie corporation that is WT, or RS eats shit while trying to stick the landing with a plane that has no functional parts.

There's a quote from Caddicarus that I couldn't help but think of as I typed this up, from his nearly-decade-old review of Dalmations 3 (oh god, it's nearly been a decade since that video came out what the actual fuck-)

"And this is where I officially lost all fucking care. I realized it wasn't going to end anytime soon. It's one of those rare instances where the novelty of how awful everything is actually gets really tiresome and unfunny." - Caddicarus

#this isn't me saying i'm not gonna talk about LO ever again #i'm just explaining why i haven't engaged with it directly for weeks now and why my LO essays are less often nowadays #i'm even slowly phasing out of the critical community for it #it's just exhausting #and bad for my mental health #i'd rather put my efforts into something positive like rekindled than continue to give this propaganda on a stick more attention #i still love all the pals in the community but it's more to do with the content itself that's being discussed than the people discussing it #lore olympus critical #anti lore olympus #antiloreolympus #lo critical

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