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#be your own cheerleader
westernlarch · 4 months
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Happy 1st Fic Day!!!! 🙌🎉🥂
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It's been exactly one year since I posted my first fanfiction and first story ever 🎂🎉👏 I am using this day to reflect on my writing journey, how far I've come, and to celebrate the positive experiences I've had.
I spent the summer of 2022 playing through the Mass Effect trilogy. I had played ME1 & ME2 years and years ago, but never 3. I was so moved by the games that I felt inspired to write my own post-game story. I began writing Taproot in early October, and I signed up for an AO3 account soon after that. (Coincidentally, it was also AO3's birthday two days ago!)
My experience with writing has been a rollercoaster of emotions, which I'm sure all you fellow writers understand. Days of flowing words and ideas, followed by weeks of creative drought. Feeling proud of my work, then feeling discouraged by lack of engagement. Feeling like I've taken leaps and bounds, feeling discouraged at my 'progress'. But throughout it all--up or down, good or bad--I held onto the vision for my story because I am passionate about it. It matters to me.
161,793 words later and I have 12 works on AO3. Taproot is about half-way done, coming in hot at 95k+ and counting.
I'm a big believer in being your own best cheerleader. We all deserve to give ourselves a pat on the back for the effort we've made. We should celebrate our wins, the things we've learned, and the things we've created. No one knows more than you just how hard you've worked on something. We deserve kindness and compassion from ourselves. We deserve grace.
As a present to myself today, I'm sharing one of my favorite scenes from Taproot (from one of my most favorite chapters!). Shepard and Garrus have a long-distance chat in "The Endurance of Perennials" 😄 I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!
"At this point, I don't see any of us avoiding more war." "I can barely contain what's happening on one small patch of Palaven. What happens if it gets bigger? We can't afford for this thing to drag on." His voice was coarse and low. Shepard cocked an eyebrow. "Hey…anything you want to talk about?" "Actually, yeah." The exhaustion in Garrus' voice crept through the line. "I wanted to ask for your advice last time, but uh, there were other things to discuss." "Shoot, partner." She was more than happy to wear her commander's stripes. She strolled along an alley and towards the lake, her hands clasped behind her back. "How do I put this?" he asked. There was a pause. The line hissed again, making Shepard wonder if they had lost connection. "I—I haven't gone…soft, have I? Lost my edge?" "What do you mean?" "I built something of a reputation, cultivated a 'legend' if you will, as Archangel. The guy who will stop at nothing to put the bad guys down." "No kidding!" Shepard said sarcastically.
"Well, word of Archangel got around to my troops. They're all expecting me to do something bold—to grab the krogan by the quads and be done with it. The problem is, I don't know if that's the right thing to do." "Since when do you care what people think of your reputation?" "I don't. But one of my sergeants, he's got a way in. It could end the hostage situation and sabotage the rebel network. I shot him down, but now I'm having second thoughts." "You think this plan of his has some merit?" "It does, I won't deny that. The tactician in me is quietly cheering. We could shut this thing down for good if we do it right. But it's risky. It could end with a lot more dead turians—there are enough of those already. And able bodied soldiers are a precious resource." "What does your instinct tell you?"
"The old me would have said 'screw it' and gone for the kill. But…it's different now. The citizens are desperate, they're barely holding on. My instinct is telling me to play it safe." "In that case, the question you have to ask yourself is: who am I doing this for? Me? My soldiers? The Primarch? My people?" "Is 'all of them' a good answer? What would you do, Shepard?" She knew what her answer would be. But this wasn't her fight and it wasn't her place. Garrus had spent long enough in her shadow, looking to her for guidance. "That's not for me to say. They're your people, Garrus. You know them best. I'm only here to listen and ask the right questions." Shepard plucked a ripe apricot from an obliging tree and sniffed it. Its perfume was lush and honey-like, the skin of the fruit golden and unblemished. "I may not know the details, but I know you. You've always had it in you to be a good leader. Omega was a brutal lesson, but you went on and made the most of it. And what about the war? What other turian could have gotten the stuffy Hierarchy to make a move? Your dad may have been the one to convince the Primarch, but you were smart enough to go to him with all the evidence laid out. You persisted. You should trust yourself—I know I do." "That means a lot coming from you…Hero of the Galaxy." "Mmhmm, think you're so clever, do you?" Garrus gave a small chuckle. "Thanks, Shepard. That really does help." "Good." Shepard smiled softly as she came to the end of the alley. A gentle zephyr rustled through the trees. She stared at the angry, tangled twigs poking up from their branches. Their disarray made her anxious, and the impulse to take a pair of loppers to them surged from her stomach. Such a drastic action would be foolish, however, and she put the thought to bed until spring. Shepard looked past the short fencing and over the precipice, at the rippled water ahead. "God, I wish you could see it here right now. I've got this beautiful view of the lake, the mountains, a big grove of trees. And the sky is just so big. You'd love it here. It's hot like Palaven, but without the humidity." A pinch in her heart made made it difficult to breathe.
"You can see the sky where you are? Damn, guess I need to plan a vacation." "I don't think anyone in the entire galaxy is planning a vacation right now, love." "You're right. But a man can dream." The faint rumble of a turian's voice emerged from the background. The voice was short and gruff. "Just a second Shepard." Garrus silenced the line for a moment. "Listen, I've gotta go. We'll talk again soon? Video next time?" Imagining him by her side, Shepard stroked her arm. "In person would be better." "Oh don't do that to me, Circe. You know I can't leave. " "I know you can't." His words had made her shrink, but she wasn't about to let it show. "You realize it's been six months now? A woman could grow a whole human baby in that time." "A whole one? What, instead of half of one? What exactly are you trying to say, Shepard?" Shepard laughed. "Nothing, just that I miss you. I could really use one of those turian headbutts right now." "Heh, me too. Not a day goes by that I don't think of you. You know that, right?" "Mmmm." The words I need you teetered at the end of her tongue, like a diver poised at the edge of a cliff. But what awaited her in those waters was dark and disorienting. If she said the words, who knew where it would end.
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poetry-in-my-bones · 4 months
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Hello Hello,
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Picture Credit - @jessczapalskipoetry on Instagram
👆I saw this post yesterday and it just made my day🪄🤎
🌨🌨🌨🌨🌨🌨🌨🌨🌨🌨🌨🌨🌨🌨🌨🌨🌨
Updates ~
I had my exam recently & I tried my best but wasn't really satisfied with how I performed.
My next exam is 10 days later & I'm going to try my hardest for it.
I'm discontinuing the 30 day challenge as it wasn't working for me.
I'm now starting an 11 day challenge (for now) in accordance with my next exam. It's not too much like a 30 day challenge so I know I can keep up with it.
The 11 day challenge is going to be filled with study as well as life updates because I recently realized that I stop taking care of myself when my exams or something equally important are around the corner. I want to change this habit of mine so bear with me.
That's it, I guess.
I hope december is treating you all well 💚
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The fact I'm so impatient to intro Thor tho--
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soulinkpoetry · 2 years
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When people have stopped seeing the light in you, be your own cheerleader. Show everyone that you’re still worth fighting for. You carry the light of a thousand suns in you. Don’t forget that!
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Music by Katy Perry
Firework
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HAPPY 4th OF JULY 🎆
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lillybaaaka · 2 years
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Me: Why am I so absurdly proud of having written two whole paragraphs today? I haven’t even gotten around to judging how well they fit into the story or how well they’re written. I’m just SO HAPPY to have written a little something everyday for the last week. Why can’t every writing session be this way?
Also me: it can!! It will!! Fighting!
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tessaannedesigns · 24 days
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Motivational Kitty Post! 😻❤️
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New Year, New Me (lol)
I know, I know. You’re gonna see A TON of posts just like that title. And people overhype it.
But the question I pose: So what?
So what if they wanna brag about their dreams for the upcoming year?
So what if they wanna post their goals that they are eagerly hoping to strive towards and obtain?
Why not push your friends to reach for the stars?
Why not encourage them to work their hardest to meet the goals they set for themselves?
Be a cheerleader, dude.
There’s enough negativity in the world without you adding to it. If you really care about them, and they’re truly your friend, then you should want them to succeed.
If you don’t, then just go ahead and delete them. Cause there’s no point in watching their lives, if you don’t wanna be a part of it.
I know I’ll have some goals coming for the new year. Like blogging more, just because I need an outlet.
And that’s another thing!
If you have goals, make them! Despite the the Debbie Downers and Negative Nancies.
DO IT FOR YOURSELF. It would be awesome if you had the support of those you love and call friends and family. But their support (or lack there of) DOES NOT and WILL NOT define your success. That’s all up to you.
So get out there and do you, boo 💕
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hajihiko · 12 hours
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☀️
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poorly-drawn-mdzs · 1 month
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“Poorly-Drawn” Poorly-Drawn-MDZS by my friend who has no context for what MDZS is, but has read every comic of mine in support.
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alexandriaellisart · 28 days
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rah rah rah
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akkivee · 2 months
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ichiro apparently
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orionsangel86 · 6 months
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By the way if you wanna know how my attempt at inktober is going...
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There is actually a sketch in progress underneath the cat, its just difficult to work on it when he refuses to move!
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poetry-in-my-bones · 5 months
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Day 1/30
What I did today -
🌛 got some much needed rest
🌺 ate noodles
🪕 practiced some mock questions
Off to sleep, gonna do better from tomorrow 🤧
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2-4-6-8 who do u appreciate?
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itsdefinitely · 2 months
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💀😡
starting off strong!
💀 least favorite lord in black and why 😡 least favorite character from npmd and why
based off design... pokey. he is so swagless please i need to give him cool pants please please why doesn't he have shiny pants and a feather boa he deserves one give him heels you cowards
as for npmd (characters who have a speaking role): brenda. hearing her talk the first time made my soul float out of my body. i didn't recognize it as bryce; i thought they genuinely got a teenager to be brenda. it just took me off guard how real she was. compared to everyone else matching their stereotype, brenda acts like. a regular teenager
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caffeinatedopossum · 11 months
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People that hate polyamory are honestly the weakest link
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