#at least what it looks like to me lmfao

[compacflt]

i’ve got a question about your writing process: in order to write a 30 year narrative, you create it out of hundreds of individual moments & actions, and each one has to function by itself and also part of a whole—have truth to itself and emotional resonance in a timeline. imo the key to doing this successfully is to care about each moment and make each one memorable, which seems very difficult: you have to get at the meat of the human behavior, believably, in a way that matters and explains and progresses the story, every time. and to write 200k words of it you do it hundreds of times! could you talk a bit about idea generation for each moment and how you brainstorm and write them?

omg an excuse to make more diagrams ! Thank you so much for this lovely ask!

okay: in case you don’t want to scroll through like four/five months of my inane icemav Poasting, I’ve done a couple other posts that go into my process — here about specifically chapter 1 and here about the fatal flaw of my fics from a construction standpoint

but from an idea generation standpoint… it’s pretty boring and cynical. I literally just make checklists. “things that HAVE to happen.” here’s my notes app check list of stuff that HAD to happen for the story to make sense in my rewrite of what is now chapters 8 & 9. this is from last december lol

and here’s a checklist/diagram of the major story beats and the changes in relationship dynamics throughout the story. any one of these dynamics changing reflects on the others in a way that‘s worth talking about. the hard part is finding a framing device or scene to talk about them.

the A plot of the fic is ice’s relationship with the navy, primarily. his arc is defined by his rank. so that’s the number 1 dynamic I wanted to focus on in such-and-such scenes, and why I stuck as stringently as possible to the “one rank per chapter” formula until ice got to the top & had to reckon with what being at the top actually means. His change in ranks is inspiration enough for most scenes because it shifts the dynamics in a way that is worth remarking upon in and of itself.

as an example im thinking of this scene (mostly because it’s short but also) because i think it’s kind of representative of how my idea generation process works

It fills a lot of gaps that i needed filled at that specific juncture in the story. the idea started with a stupid little section of dialogue in my head (mav would be surprised that ice’s official Navy docusign signature isn’t his actual signature) that happened to be symbolically relevant too (of course ice would have two different signatures for his two different personas). Then it morphed into a discussion of Ice’s canonically unhappy-looking compacflt portrait, which is canonically unhappy-looking. Then add onto that ice admitting he’s only happy at home (home obviously meaning with maverick, given that he’s literally in his house right now and still doesn’t feel like he’s home) and maverick telling him, “well that’s a problem that has literally the easiest fix in the world. youre making this way more complicated than it needs to be. just come home to me.”

so it’s literally just checking off boxes of things I wanted to talk about. as I said, a very cynical creation process. ✅ ice and mav doing the long-distance-relationship phone call thing (framing device for the whole scene). ✅ mav knowing ice’s real vs fake signature ❤️. ✅ ice’s canon unhappy compacflt portrait that makes an appearance in TGM. ✅ ice not feeling at home in Hawaii. ✅ ice not being fulfilled by the job & only being fulfilled by mav. ✅ ice coming up with excuses to see mav at any possible chance he gets. ✅ ice still obviously thinking of mav and Bradley as his family & maverick as his home. Etc etc. You see what i mean? how many stupid little ideas, symbols, and dynamic shifts can i cram into a page or so? that’s pretty much my thinking.

#btw i was out with my friends when i got ur comment on ao3 and it literally made me burst into tears in public so thanks #apartment should be house or residence and drivers license should be DOD ID card #no way the compacflt lives in an apartment on ford island. not possible #also when i wrote ‘it’s not my job to be happy in pictures Pete’ i was kicking my feet and giggling like a little girl #it is actually a huge part of his job to look happy in pictures LMFAO #or at least content with proceedings #but that doesn’t fit the debbie downer narrative!! #top gun #top gun maverick #edts notes #pete maverick mitchell #tom iceman kazansky #icemav #asks #the extras I’m working on are similarly stupid wrt original ideas #Ice & mav celebrate Xmas!!! then turns into like a whole big angst fest #all my ideas start small! #theyre just framing devices for what I want to say

[wonder-worker]

Thomas Penn writes about 500 year old dead historical figures like they're celebrities in a gossip column

#it's funny to an extent but after a point it gets very grating #he has a wealth of information but he's far too sensationalistic and florid #and tends to choose the most unsympathetic and/or colorful interpretation of every situation and historical figure #he also has a habit of ... narrativizing history which doesn't really work for me #also his fatphobia re Edward IV was absolutely revolting #I was planning on ordering the Winter King but after looking at the synopsis and first 2 chapters that were available online - no thanks #I'm definitely not interested in reading about Henry VII supposedly being 'sinister' and 'Machiavellian' because he...ruled successfully? #because he did what kings (unfortunately) did all the time? How was he any different from the others? #also imagine calling *Henry VII* ruthless & unscrupulous when his predecessor murdered his own kid-nephews and his successor was Henry VIII #like please be serious #I had the same issue with the way he described Edward IV's reign. His descriptions were so theatrical and emphatic but #at the end of the day the things he was describing were very normal lol #or they would be normal if Penn didn't choose the most critical (and mocking tbh) perspective for every single thing #the way he described Henry VI's reign was also annoying but it thankfully had far less pagetime and was not the focus of his work #so it was comparatively more tolerable #i'm glad that he acknowledged the propaganda against Margaret tho. I didn't like how he described her but at the very least he acknowledged #that she was being slandered #also calling Warwick 'the regime's biggest headache' lmfao #and ig some of his analyses on Richard III were interesting. It helps that R3 had a very short and very dramatic reign from start to finish #so Penn's flourishing tone doesn't really feel out of place for it

[miserye]

someone told me recently they thought my handwriting looked nice and i was like ....well that's certainly a first

#chatterye #my boss regularly asks me what i've written down because he can't read it #not my fault he makes me write a lot and i get tired/lazy #but i almost laughed at the person who said that because never have i ever #i've got children's chicken scratch #my notes are truly only for me because it's hard for others to read apparently #so i've been told or whatever #also because i shorthand like crazy #i HAVE been practicing my numbers w sharpie (aka i've written the same numbers over and over again because of work) #and so they look very good and legible mostly #but only my numbers LMFAO #the only thing i can say is that my handwriting is consistent like my agar plates have the writing line up bc i space everything the same #at least i have that going for me

[toxooz]

ALSOOOOOOO i Finally got to ride a skateboard at the skatepark with bf n friends for the first time ever yesterday and i feel so 👀👀👌👌👌💯💯💯 i managed to be able to balance and push around and stop without falling and it was fun tbh!! i can see getting muscle memory and improvement by doing it consistently 😤 i just hope this aint too short of a phase for everyone so i can hopefully get me own board soon 🙏

#i kno i said i had to take it easy but it was the 4th i had to go out n live a little shhhhh #i think i skate goofy but it might be bc im left handed so its just How Its Gunna Be lmfao hopefully i'll see #theyve been starting to go there recently and a few ppl are thinking abt getting more boards and skates and ofc i Gotta get one #its practically required of me to get one AHA #being able to use my book smarts research abt footing and pushing with the right foot/ stopping without a tragedy was rlly cool #i havent fell yet but im dreading it bc that shit will be inevitable lolol its just a matter of when #it definitely takes confidence and intent and Brother i am but a teacup chihuahua #BUT that is the beauty of progress and improvement and courage #even if its just a couple months fad thing for them it would still be nice to at least get the experience #and get a better idea of what the hell my Entire story is about lmfao #i hate that it took me this long but its what i gotta do better late than never #i think i aint got crippling anxiety for everything and then i realize i cant do like 85% of things #i want to do in life AHAaa #its just one of them things i Gotta have someone do it with me so this opportunity fell into my lap and im ESTATIC #edit looked it up again and i DO NOT skate goofy i skate regualr HELL YEAH

[incorrectmadrigalfamilyquotes]

How to make sure no one wants to be friends with you: openly shame people

i'm sorry but anyone who actively defends and/or supports proshitters deserve to be shamed for it tbh, i already stated in my pinned post i don't condone it.

if you genuinely think i want to make friends with somebody who sympathizes with people who are into that shit/see nothing wrong with proshipping than you're clearly mistaken. hate all you want, at the end of the day at least i'm not the pervert shipping kids with adults 💀

#girl do i look like i give a fuck about pitying proshitters and their supporters literally gtfo out of my blog #“how to make sure no one wants to be friends with you” if you want to make me feel bad or smth at least try LMFAO this is just pathetic #i'll shame any proshitter all i want come at me bro i genuinely have nothing to lose on this site #i just had a bad day but instead of feeling even more angry i'm actually laughing at this ask lmfao like what ?? #are you fr rn ?? #💀 #middle school looking ass insult #cackling in my seat #i'm so sick of proshitters #vas posts #not quote #ask reply #tw: proship

[ragingtwilight]

BRUH

EVERYTIME I feel like im starting to feel better my body just turns around and flips me off

mf sends me off w a shove down the stairs, nausea, sweating/tremors, headache, confusion, dizziness, it pantsed me, it stole my lunch money, it gave me a swirlie, i cant fuckin win

#venty? venty-ish idk #bruhhhh i might have to go back to the hospital once my medication is up #really not looking forward to that #i am so fuckin bored in this bed dude i havent been able to do anything fun i need cocomelon tiktok adhd stimulation hdhsdhjh #tried drawing and my body was like #nausea upon ye #ive just been rotting in bed on yt and character ai #at least i have husband leshy to talk to me 24/7 LOL #also i managed to eat something flavoured without vomiting #i may also be getting a yummy chicken noodle soup today teehee #rubs my little mitts together in anticipation #anyway yea kinda /neg post but uhh i have been feeling like ass ever since that outpatients visit lol #granted im feeling a lot better now but im still getting symptoms occasionally #like just earlier i was going on abt how much better i was feeling #then i woke up covered in cold sweat feeling nauseous lmfao. #like ur kidding #what happened between the time i fell asleep and the time i woke up #chill tf out pls i dont want to go to hopital #grrr #tw sick mention #tw vomit mention

[trashmuis]

That moment when u accidentally mess up and paint the birthmark on way too thick, but fuck it we still Chop Top

Official makeup test #1

#it smudged and i was like well it's big now so it's kinda more Nubbins esc but whatever man #oh shit i totally forgot i was still wearing my headphones when i took this photo at 3am lmfao #i wanted to show off that i got some of it together at least and im trying!! #i gotta test the makeup a few more times to get it right and how i want it #plus the smaller details/some costuming still needs to be done #i like to post update pics tho #i havent posted my face in ages... and this is what i post when i do again #i havent cosplayed a guy much either so im like... hm... do i want to make it more masculine? do i need an adams apple? contour? idk #feel free to ask me questions or give me suggestions ig #good god look at this photo and then my last photos #ultra femme to this lmao #Chop Top Sawyer #tcm #The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 #tcm 2 #cosplay #my face

[svtskneecaps]

thank you for bearing with my purgatory posting and i'm also glad to see i'm not the only one who still has this fungus eating away at my brain matter. seeing other purgatory posting in the tag makes me feel better lmfao.

i'm not done btw, posting will (probably) continue as i revisit vods. wanted to extend a thanks in the interim, since i know how contentious the event was in the moment. i kinda thought the general consensus was most people hated thinking about it, but there's been a weird amount of engagement and yknow other people talking. makes me happy to know i'm not alone here!

#qsmp #qsmp purgatory #shut up vic #block game brainrot #it also provides me the opportunity to get a new perspective on some moments as well #like watching the jaiden spawnkilling thing the first time i missed some nuance in bbh's tone when he offered to walk her to her body #rewatching i heard them :D #i'll probably rewatch his conversation with slime from the same day at some point to refresh my perspective on that #but i think i'll wait on that; that convo makes me super biased lmfao #i'm aware of my biases at least :D and dw i won't bring old discourse back #tbh i never rly posted discourse much to begin with? just that one list and analysis of time stamps LMFAO #but yea i won't be bringing that back to the tag even if it's back in my brain #i PINKY SWEAR; i'm not one to start fights on posts or blogs that aren't mine #i block and then if i REALLY have something to say i shittalk them into my bathroom mirror #bc i know neither of us are gonna snitch >:D #long tags #it's also nice to look at with the benefit of hindsight and reflection #bc i know everything that happened; i was there watching it live #bolas are unreliable narrators #i'll probably see about going through some of the other team's povs as well just to see #it's interesting is all! and i finally have the time to sink my teeth into it properly #since we aren't having to keep up with like six streams a day #it's been so long sinve this server took a proper breather i'm appreciating it for all it's worth #((yes i wish the circumstances were better but they aren't; we take what we can get lmao)) #ok anyway love u byeeeeeeee purgatory posting will probably continue #i'll tag as appropriately as i can; lmk if there are further tags i should add #i prefer people don't block Me if they hate these; i'll make u a tag to block if u ask i promise <3

[orcelito]

Every day 98 wolfwood's line "It's a long story, although it's kind of a short one" plays in my head

#speculation nation #he drives me INSAAAAAAAAANE what is wrong with this man #& that's not even getting STARTED on his line 'Oh my! I'm About to go Down in 🔥Flames💅🔥~' #i know fandom's got the hots for tristamp and trimax wolfwood but 98 wolfwood has a special place in my heart too #LIKE im a trimax bitch at heart. i really am. but 98 wolfwood is just so... so.... #just LOOK at him!!! the goofiness! the flippant act!!!! the way it's all hiding his truly jaded heart!!!! #& the way he's kinda genuinely an asshole. to vash at least lmfao #but when it comes down to it he's always willing to do anything for the children........... #them playing up the priest thing more is also interesting. bc in trimax he's a priest in name but Rarely ever acts like it #(shoutout to that one part after the dragon's nest where vash is at the graves & hes like 'why are you here' to wolfwood #and wolfwood replies 'bc im a Priest of course' and vash just fuckin Laughs at him bc it's such bullshit) #anyways. im getting off topic. #i just love wolfwood soooooo so so so soooooooo so much #twirling my hair kicking my feet drawing hearts in my journal about a man caught trying to cheat at chess by a cat

[whileyoureinschoolidothisallday]

moral of the story from this mentorship discord: never let twitter bitches do a redditor's job

#risa is an author now #everyone in both writing discords was like oooooooo watch out for this reddit. It's a fantastic resource but BRUTAL be prepared #so after this last rejection I'm finally like #me: okay well listen. we don't have to post anything. let's just look at the posts and study them so we can at least learn a basic format #the reddit: literal line by line explanations about what's wrong and needs to be fixed. which is exactly what I've been asking for #I HEARD THE ANGELS SING #FINALLY SOME GOOD FUCKING CRITIQUE #listen #I need to internalize that the majority of writers that I meet will not have gone to college for writing #and didn't have their feelings beaten out of them with workshops formatted like this #it's also now putting into perspective why the few people I have beta'd with got irritated with me lmfao ^^; #I 100% do this line by line here's 'what's working here's what isn't here's what's missing here's why this doesn't make sense to me' #line by line SPECIFIC stuff #like somebody told me 'this is missing plot' and I'm like what does that MEAN #I can give you plot in a novel format or a synopsis but this has to be 250 words max this is an entirely different format #YOU HAVE TO BE!!!!!! SPECIFIC!!!!!! THERE ARE LIKE 12 WAYS TO DESCRIBE THE PLOT OF A STORY WHICH ONE????????? #Anyway I LITERALLY got a fantastic resource within the first two posts I've read and now I UNDERSTAND!!!!! #MORE OF WHAT I'M SUPPOSED TO BE DOING!!!!!!! #I will probably post in this board soon tbh I want to know what I'm doing WRONG so I can FIX IT!!!!!!

[laesas]

If you're still taking 'should they fuck raw' asks: VegasPorsche, KinnTay, PetePorsche, KimVegas

I'm Kissing you on the mouth anon ✨

VegasPorsche - Always. There's no excuse. When Vegas invites him out on the ducati and Porsche goes with him to spite Kinn. Oof. I know in my heart that Porsche should have ridden more than that motorbike. Be On Cloud, please know I will never forgive you for taking this from me. Fuck Raw rating: 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥/5

KinnTay - I love it. I love it. Childhood-Friends-to-Lovers is cute but it's ELITE as a platonic (platon-ish?) revengefuck with Tay getting back at Time's cheating. I read a fic like this a couple of months ago and it changed me as a person. I see KinnTay and immediately feel like a somellier swirling a fancy glass of wine. "An exquisite pairing..." 🔥🔥🔥🔥/5

PetePorsche - Kissing is for people we like only, and who do we like more than our bestest bestest friends. I've said it before and I'll say it again. I think it should have happened (Donkey Kong Voice:) *once*. I'm not convinced they're actually compatible, but I love a friends with benefits, besties making out cause theyre drunk and bored, laughter-while-fucking kinda vibe. Also prison fight scene make brain go brrrrrrrrr. 🔥🔥🔥🔥/5

KimVegas - THEY'RE COUSINS?!?!?!?!?! - ..........Is what I would say if I were fucking boring.

Listen. I don't *condone* it. But GOD. Kim and Vegas are both completley unhinged, violence-hungry, and deeply manipulative to the point of self-destruction. They're warped mirrors of one another, willing to tear themselves apart in an instant to get what they want and compelling in any interaction. Vegas is already canonically psychosexually obsessed with Kinn, it's barely a jump for him, and Kim in all his homme-fatale, perfect-proxyfuck glory doesn't strike me as the type to turn down that kind of leverage if it would protect his family.

Obviously, they shouldn't fuck raw. They shouldnt. But what's one more sin between two men believing themselves far beyond redemption. Less of a question of whether they *should* but whether god would win if he tried to intervene. 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥/5

✨✨✨

Send me your unhinged blorbo combos and I'll tell you whether they should fuck raw 💌💕✨

#VegasPorsche #KinnTay #PetePorsche #KimVegas #kinnporsche the series #shoutout to BibleJeff for having such insane hot girl energy when KP came out that the fandom lost their minds a little #shoutout to me for putting my entire pussy into that last paragraph lmfao. #obviously. fiction vs reality: dont fuck your cousins. i dont care of youre the queen of england (rest in piss liz) dont do it :') #but KinnPorsche morality goggles on it's still arguably *less* bad than fucking your drugged subordinate or seducing your prisoner 💀 #like despite being littered with landmines the playing field is level at least? #okay maybe not less bad #but it's still less fucked up than time cheating on tay when he literally looks like that. #i said what I said #I'm gonna hunt down that fic I mentioned hehe #anon #ask #fuck raw ratings

[bardengarde]

I won't vote in the mash swamp fmk polls bc I'm not strong enough to sentence anyone to death, but I will marry Hawkeye bc even tho I can't fix him I Can and Will take care of him and make sure he has good food until his dying day, and in return all I'll ask for is the occasional hug and compliment

And in the other one voting against marrying Charles is actively voting against my own interests, I could be so rich can u believe it, and it would also be so funny bc he would Hate marrying someone from lower Appalachia >:)

#objectively yes this is me looking way too far into it and my opinion doesnt matter at all anyways #in another life me and hawkeye pierce are happily married though rip to current universe me #can't even think too hard about that without getting sad lmfao I'm pathetic #anyways bj i love u but literally all the options are off limits bc i respect peg too much #peg and i will be trading recipes though <3 #i will share a few drinks with bj tho #trapper.... hell I'll share a few drinks with him too and let him compliment me but thats as far as we're getting #frank- despite his many crimes- I'm like that little kid holding a water gun with tears in his eyes then having lower the water gun and cry #and some defense for charles!!! bc i actually do find him delightful and i think I'd love being married to him #he can also be surprised when he finds out i have at least a decent mezzo voice and know several arias 😌 #doodle if you see this don't worry about it #i look like an idiot rn but i don't care #to be completely actually honest I'd probably marry a majority of the characters from mash #and if that's not desperation i don't know what is

[toxooz]

Hi Toxooz, how do you get yourself to draw so frequently? 👀👀👀

bc i have literally 84 things going on at once in my brain at all times that my highly visually obsessed brain Has To physically get in front of my eyes so that i can see or else will i think abt it over and over again and Brother I'm always envisioning things characters scenes scenarios outfits designs colors all of it in my cranium like angry itchy itchy ITCHY bees until i draw them out lmfao even if i don't know what to specifically draw at the current moment imma still end up drawing somehow ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ I think at this point it's literally hardwired into my brain that I Gotta draw its what I've been doing since I could hold a pencil tbh it's how i cope with being -gestures vaguely- Here and alive, i actually gotta force myself to take a day off and schedule days where I DONT draw bc I know it's wearing on my hands and wrists 😬 I guess physically drawing grounds me in a way and keeps me (mostly) sane like if I don't draw for a few days i start getting Vaguely Antsy it's fukkin weird and i think at this point my love for my characters has surpassed like any form of art block if that makes sense??? like they literally take up 92% of my brain if not more, and the only way to see them is to draw them but yeah it's just what i do it's my jelly n my jam which is why I'm literally so glad i realized that i don't want to make drawing a job/career bc God help me if i start dreading drawing bc of the stress of money I've been drawing like crazy for like 2 decades straight and I only wanna draw more man idk!!!!! It's just one of them 'how the brain formed around what you do an assload of times' thangs

Answer translation: idk I just like to draw a lot lmfao

#its like the kids say ✨💅its how i express myself✨💅 #and dont get it twisted im aware this is not healthy lmfao #dont aspire to b like me just draw or dont draw man its abt the want #like i said drawing is just What I Do at this point i didnt train theres not some ''oh draw for at least 30 minutes a day' shit #i draw fast as shit (probably obviously ) and so much its probably unnatural AHA #the secret is make drawing the only outlet for your brain to not completely self implode at the mere idea of existing #for 24 years!!!!! :) #honestly thats why im getting progressively more Tired when every mf and their grandma tries to convince me to sell my shits #like brother this is a part of me how can i give away something i created and inevitably formed a bond with for like 100 bucks #i caint do it and so if i go in with the expectation to imediately give it away then man i dont even want to be making art in the first pl #like for me Personally if im not going to make something that i fall in love with and want to look at occasionally then #Literally what is the point of me making anything #what is the point of me making my body and mind create a piece if not for my own personal joy??? #but thats just physical art ig #like digital stuff and selling it for money if some1 wants it im aight but physical paintings??? that shit is Me and Mine #like just bc i Can make art doesnt immediately mean i need to make money from it yknow #my brother in christ when it comes to the the only true outlet for me to find joy and inspiration in living i Do Not care about money #i will take any amount of shitty job abuse if it means i conserve my passion #ill get a scarring accident from welding before i will stress cry over a deadline for a project that i dont even want to do #absolutely terrified of that path and feeling it is The Worst for me #like literally thank FUCK i realized this when i was just in a community college and not balls deep in debt at some fancy university #granted late as all hell and all my opportunities of taking free welding classes in my early years have long passed but still glad #just stick me on an abandoned island with canvases n paint n shit and ill b fine #god knew if i managed my time better and wasnt Really Fucking Exhausted all the time i would be unstoppable #like ofc making money while drawing what i want is the dream no doubt but the chances of that are slim and the road to get there is even #slimmer #ANYWAY holy shit not to get hella preachy but i have Thots

[alukaforyou]

omg thinks abt how i could get cosmetic surgery for my crooked jaw but like also i am kinda scared of surgery of all kinds, including plastic surgery so nvm to all that 🤣 also save several thousands ig💰

#let me be a lil uggs in peace 😌 #literally could blow $ many different ways that does NOT involve months of pain #even if u will look more conventionally attractive after the recovery lol thats a no from me #also im p sure fcking JAW SURGERY REARRANGING UR BONES SURGERY would be.. #stupidly expensive. like massively. u could probs get at least 2 second hand jacked up price birkins for that $ #its the bags for me lol #also i rly want a bisalp #cuz fuck having a baby lmfao?? #but guess what i am 2 pussy for the surgery ik its p minor but DAM a bitch is PARANOID #y am i like this #im also one of those ppl who r nervous abt flying cuz wat if the plane crashes LMFAOOOOOO #i've been on one flight my whole #life and it was when i was a baby and my fam moved to usa LOL #im soo scurred wtf is wrong w me 🥴🥴🥴🥴🥴🥴 #.txt