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writers-potion · 12 days

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hi!! im working on a story that takes place at a 2012 public high school - the issue with that is that i was not in high school in 2012 lmao. do you have any tips on how to keep it feeling realistic?

Well, neither was I!! But here are some tips:

Define Your General Setting

Sure, high school has a different feel compared to an average town/city setting. However, it is still a part of the bigger community, and will be impacted by external factors.

What part of the world are your writing about? What's the general economy like? What's the most common occupation of the kid's parents? What's the prevailing fashion/art/music style?

Your teens will be impacted by the popular culture and trends of the time, so start by outlining the general setting!

Fashion

I think this is where schools have changed the most. There are going to be some overlaps between early 2010s and late 2000s, so if you think in the direction of Y2K fashion, it should fit.

On a general note, I think 2010s fashion was vibrant, with lots of colors and flashy items...

Side fringes and backcombed/straightened hair were still very popular

most girls had huge messy sock buns on top of their heads

boys had the Justin Bieber cut.

Jack Wills and Hollister were pretty popular, and a lot of girls had a Paul's Boutique jacket and a Jane Norman bag for their PE kit (or one of the Hollister bags with a topless guy on).

Converse were universally cool, and there were lots of imitation brands.

Open flannel shirt over a t-shirt was a pretty popular outfit.

Skinny jeans and band t-shirts

bright chunky rubber band bracelets.

Vans were cool among the alternative kids.

Getting different colours on your braces was cool.

Most of the boys had at least one of those t-shirts with the buttons and the mismatched cuffs.

School-uniform-wise, short ties with big fat knots were cool, and hard kids would pluck a stripe or two out of their tie.

Tucking in shirts was initially not cool, then it became cool to tuck at the front but not the back.

Lots of boys wore black trainers, and lots of girls wore those ballet pumps.

Girls doing their lips with their foundation, with a thick ring of black eyeliner and spidery clumpy mascara - and having a visible orange line where your foundation met your neck was common.

Multiple ear piercings were popular with the alternative crowd

Belly button piercings were big for girls

Just search up some pictures on Google, you should get plenty of "Early 2010s teen fashion starter pack"

Social Media

Smartphones were already popular, and with the introduction of Snapchat(2011) and Instagram(2010), the social media hype was just starting to boom

Facebook and Twitter were popular - basically everyone was on it

TikTok(2016) and Discord(2015) didn't exist yet

Pictochat

Phones were allowed in the classroom, but phones/laptops weren't an important part of school work like it is now.

Digital Devices

Phones-wise, most people had pretty basic dumbphones (although they were just called mobiles back then), and not everyone carried them all the time

Blackberry (BBM), Nokia, LG Cholate, iPhone if you're rich enough

Most kids were on PAYG phones, so you'd run out of credit sometimes (i.e. no more calls or texts) and have to go to a physical shop to top up. Nobody really had data, and there was always a moment of panic if you accidentally opened the web browser on your phone because it was so expensive. Wifi became a thing around 2012.

Nintendo DSes: Mario Kart, Animal Crossing, Nintendogs

iPods or another MP3 Player

Slag

Slang-wise, Urban Dictionary is a good resource.

Fleek, peng and YOLO were popular with some crowds. Leetspeak was a thing online, especially in nerdy communities. Emoji were starting to take off

rawr" (or "rawr means I love you in dinosaur") and "xD" as a laughing face

Music

One Direction, Jedward, Katy Perry, Carly Rae Jepson, Justin Bieber, JLS, Little Mix, Beyonce, Paramour, My Chemical Romance, Bring Me The Horizon, Black Veil Brides, Ke$ha, Eminem, The Killers, OMI, Gotye, Bruno Mars, Macklemore, Skrillex, deadmau5, blink-182, Green Day, Taylor Swift, Lady Gaga, Nicki Minaj, Rihanna, Lana Del Rey.

Fandom Stuff

Twilight was huge, then Hunger Games.

Harry Potter was everywhere all the time, people would go to midnight releases for the books and movies.

High School Musical was popular, then that crowd migrated to Glee and Mean Girls.

The Olympics were in London in 2012

Other Stuff

Reese's peanut butter cups, Marshmallow Fluff, Nerds, etc.

Veganism wasn't well-known, but still there were a few

Lots of casual homophbia, kids jsut genuinely not knowing rather than truly hateful towards it

Here are some movie suggestions, that shows school like in early-mid 2010s quite well:

Easy A

The Duff

LOL

For YA Novels - Be Timeless

Before you start doing any of the things above, remember this if you're writing a YA novel: The key of this genre is to feel somewhat timless, taking readers back to their high school years no matter when and where they've gone through it.

High school is the phase where many people feel awkward, unsure of themselves, feeling special in their own head but knowing that they're not really.

And it's not like the problems just disappear when we hit adult life. A major reason why YA novels are so popular is that they address themes that are repeatedly felt by the general human being, often in a such a direct, straightforward way that provides vicarious satisfaction.

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yongislong · 2 years

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intimate moments + dreamies.

wc: IDKKK GAH genre: fluff/domestic/suggestive?/angst???/established relationships nonidol!dreamies/always self-indulgent lol

cw/note: no cws i dont think! count how many mf times i mentioned studying in this LMAO :| v long, i went overboard EEK enojoy!!!

mark... back rubs. he screams back rubs to me idk. like back rubs but also if you're stressed, he gives such good like upper back and shoulder massages like HELLO. the best part is he doesn't even really know he does it. its like those videos of him fixing hyucks posture, it comes so naturally to him. it almost relaxes him too, to just have you sit on a cushion in the floor in between his calves, while he dangles his legs over the sides of your arms and gives you the most earth shattering shoulder rub you've ever had, he finds comfort in your comfort and lets out all his stresses on your back as well lol. reserved for quiet moments, like usually when you're on the floor studying and he senses you both need a break or you're both watching a movie on the couch and he sets a pillow on the floor and you're already in position bc you've gone through the motions so many times lol. but sometimes he'll just rub your shoulders or neck while you're both just... shopping, cooking, walking, or while mark is waiting for his turn to play while watching chenle shoot a basketball with yangyang. v soft and nice, ur posture and shoulders feel better than ever (even ur lower back like he will dig his knuckles into any place on your back its insane)

renjun... online shopping next to each other. ITS SO... ok hear me out. he's a material girl, therefore converting you into a material girl... its just nice like, using a bit of your hard earned money on nice things is just... nice! you'll sit next to each-other and put on y'all's favorite comfort cartoon and go to town on buying makeup, skincare, a bed for your shared bunny, sweaters, you name it. its like the modern day instances you see in movies where the married couple reads before they go to bed TT. every once in a while he'll start poking your upper thigh asking questions and showing you cute things he finds or maybe you mentioned a problem you had with your skin or something and he's showing you some skincare/makeup products he found that might work for you or just clothes he thinks will look good on you. its cute when you both share a computer as well and just browse together. makes for quality time and helps both of you guys gauge each-others tastes and def helps when planning gift ideas. its funny though how much he would shift positions though LMAO like one second he has his legs straight up in the air resting on the headboard with his phone over his face and next thing you know he's in fetal position or grabbing your ankles to pull your lower half over his thighs to prop his laptop up on your legs haha

jeno... crocheting. LIKE THINK ABOUT IT, this tall, lean man who's 40% veins and 60% just pure muscle LOVES to sit down and make little hats for you and your shared cats and its... like its insane. neither of you guys knew how to do it until you saw videos of people on tiktok making hats and little accessories for their pets, and it inspired you. the next time you go grocery shopping with jen, you sneak away to the craft section and snatch a crochet starter kit. when you bring it back to the cart, he looks at you a little questioningly but you give him a smile and he ruffles your hair and demands you to promise to teach him. now you have a box tucked under your bed filled with small hats you and jeno have made your cats the hats he's made you are in your closet hehe. you do this at least once every two weeks. you sit down and come to a consensus about what to make and you both begin rummaging through the different colored yarn. when jeno's hands get too tired, he's pulling you to lay in between his legs by grabbing the sides of your hips. he doesn't mind sitting in silence but... if you're there... he's so talkative. so much to the point where sometimes you have to stop because he's making you laugh or react so much that your hands are shaking a ton and you keep messing up which only makes you guys laugh even harder TT, picturing him laughing so much he tucks his head into your neck to muffle his sounds or wrapping his arms around your waist tighter every time you tell a good joke... gah

haechan... watching your show. not a show that you're in just a show you share LOL but to me... intimate moments with haechan are a lot more personal and emotional? idk why i think of him that way after you guys have a long talk or even sit in silence for a while and come to a mutual understanding that u both need movie time, the best way to end the night and stop the tears is watching both of ya'll's favorite show. it could be something that came out years ago or something you both wait to air every friday BUT it's just nice! it could also be a movie, but just washing away the bad day, or even ending a good day on a better note, it's a moment where nothing else matters. on his bed, with the biggest white comforter he could find, like 17 plushies, turning the lights off but having the room be lit by the golden hour lamp he has as well as any scattering lava lamps or light up trinkets he has like the heart shaped fairy lights you got him, 3-5 strawberry cake scented candles lit and its just UGHHHH. both of you are both fresh and showered with dewy faces from your skincare, hair and bangs being held up by matching bear headbands he bought. OHH and the show HAS to match the season. scoobydoo mystery incorporated to celebrate october 1st... uhm YEAH! anyways you share his laptop which is covered in stickers he had made of you and his friends or just like random stuff, his wallpaper is you, his profile picture for hbo max is you and his password is your name/his nickname for you as he snakes his arms over you, he lays his head on your chest and drapes one leg over your waist like a koala

jaemin... late night convenience store visits. jaemin seems like a night person! he lives such a quiet life to people that don't know him very well, just walking around being gorgeous and smiling softly to everyone. until he meets you and he feels like he can be himself and is encouraged to by someone other than the dreamies. sure he has the other neos but not everyone knows him like you and jeno do. as friends, you would notice him on social media late at night while you were scrolling as a break from studying. constantly posting aesthetic night pictures of him and his views at the park or random, weird looking snack he sees on his private snapchat story. now, he has you to go with! moments like this are used as breaks from studying or just 2 am cravings for pizza bites. you both talk about nothing or everything in these moments. he has an entire folder dedicated to pictures of you in his phone and almost 80% are in the 7/11 across the street. OHH and one time you went to japan on a study abroad together and he lost his mind because the late night stores there are so good and omg he freaked out about everything and about how pretty you looked under the lights, etc. best two months of his LIFE. now he posts pictures of you in his private story instead. the dreamies lose their minds every time he posts bc oh my gosh, he used to go alone and they were all so worried about him but little did they know he just loves to look around and stuff or sometimes he would just go in hopes that he would catch you bc the store is in the middle of both of yalls apartments and NOWW he has you!!!! and they adore you as well and you bring out the best in jae. ugh :")

chenle...getting ready together. every moment with you, to him, is intimate. but he loves seeing you evolve from the moment you wake up puffy and sleepy, to picking out your outfit, and doing your hair or makeup if you wear it and he loves see you in your element. its such a personal thing to get ready together because, its something that was once done alone, until you found each other and moved in together. playing an any winehouse vinyl and having the crackling noises and music be muffled by his high-pitched laughter when he tries to style your hair and does an awful job or when he tries to help you brush up your eyebrows and makes them into a weird shape like!!!! and oh my god he laughs so loud you would think he was watching the funniest stand up routine in the world like jesus TT you have to remind him through laughs and a hand to his mouth that you do in-fact live in a complex with other people lol. but in all seriousness you are letting him into your personal bubble!!! and aren't even mad/awkward with him because he's touching you like this!!! you trust him this much, especially considering he knows how much you value alone time and personal space or just... even letting anyone see you in your rawest form. ofc he's honored to help you get ready and aids in picking out your outfit for lecture or work if you actually wear the outfit he gets so smug and flirty but he's practically bright red. and vice versa!! he likes propping you up on the bathroom sink and letting you help him trim his brows, put pomade in his hair, put on his moisturizer while he cages your figure by putting his hands on the granite next to your thighs, which encourages you to link your ankles behind his back. TOOTHPASTE KISSES... need i say more!?

jisung... watching him dance. I KNOW OK, basic but i mean come on, he's incredible and its a big part of him yet he's kinda blissfully unaware but also cocky in a way where he will do some insane combo or move and everyone starts freaking out and he's just stops mid dance and looks around like o_0 and is so confused as to why... like he's just... he didn't think it was that big of a deal LMAO. but he started to have so much more assurance in himself especially once he starts inviting you to the studio with him. he begs you to come, it usually doesn't take much persuasion but you were mid task or studying lol and you're like... babe can i finish... and NO RESPONSE he just smirks and shuts your laptop and goes over to you and drapes you over his shoulder or police style drags you out of the room by caging you in with his long ass arms while dragging you out the door. when in the studio its kind of a toss up of what genre he does but he tends to always allocate a certain genre to a certain feeling that plagued him that week. if he's had a hard week, it gets a million times better once he see your eyes full of adoration though the mirror and he stops mid dance giggling and runs over to you and hides his faces in your criss-crossed lap babygirl agenda BUTT if he's had a good week or something positive happened, he LOVES to drag you to the mirror and show you what he's learning. whether you're bad or you dance as often as him, he's always enamored. on more chill days though you justdance battle it out on the giant flat screen tv tucked away in the corner. he reaches over to the nobs on the wall and the music is so loud, but not loud enough to muffle the laughter and thuds of both of you guys falling to the floor from cackling so hard yes his dance teacher is mad lol

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1indigoisles · 2 months

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So we all know this Shadowhunter children's rhyme, right? We wouldn't be true TSC fans if we weren't.

Black for hunting through the night

For death and mourning the color’s white

Gold for a bride in her wedding gown

And red to call enchantment down.

White silk when our bodies burn,

Blue banners when the lost return.

Flame for the birth of a Nephilim,

And to wash away our sins.

Gray for knowledge best untold,

Bone for those who don’t grow old.

Saffron lights the victory march,

Green will mend our broken hearts.

Silver for the demon towers,

And bronze to summon wicked powers.

And remember that short story, where Jace proposes to Clary the first time, and quotes, "Green will mend our broken hearts," and how it makes sense because Clary's eyes are green and she mended the person Jace used to be and made him a happy man? In this scene here:

Well, what if that's applicable to other TSC characters as well? Specifically the ones coming up in TWP?

Because, for starters, Ty has gray eyes: as in Gray for knowledge best untold. And we all know how smart Ty is, and how much he wants to learn. He's a freaking Centurion for the Scholomance by the time TWP rolls around!

Secondly, Kit has blue eyes, as in, Blue banners when the lost return. Because Kit is a loss to the Blackthorns, especially to Ty. And because in TWP, Kit comes back, the lost returns. And he has blue eyes? Coincidence, I think not.

Now Dru is a bit complicated, because her eyes are blue-green, so she can mend broken hearts, and she is someone who is lost herself. But it makes sense if we think about her and Ash together. Ash has green eyes; Green will mend our broken hearts, and as we all know, Dru suffers from trauma that she talks about with no one. She's going to basically be the one hot badass goth girl with closeted PTSD trope girl, and Ash is going to put her back together. It can also be seen as a nod to Dru ending up with Ash, and her eyes, being a mix of blue and green, could represent an initial confusion over her affections, what with the JaimexDruxAsh love triangle we all know is coming.

Is this anything?

#It is so random I know okay?#So sry if it's half incoherent #the wicked powers #twp #cassandra clare #shadowhunters #the shadowhunter chronicles #kit herondale #ty blackthorn #ash morgenstern #dru blackthorn #jaime rosales

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eekshade · 5 months

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I’m very for angst right now- Bucky in his Winter Soldier ‘mode’ in some way hurt his boyfriend who then was sent to the hospital. Later on when Bucky’s back to normal he realized what he did and feels very sad about it and visits his partner

sorry this took so long, i know it's not really what you were looking for, more of a hurt/comfort than angst.

Sorry, Sweet Home.

Bucky Barnes x m!reader

Word Count: 644

Warnings/Info: made this on my phone, this isn't really angsty, more fluff than anything, just a hospital scene; no actual violence, not proofread, no real warnings

Bucky sat in the pure white and blue hospital waiting room, speckles of color pop out in the minimalist paintings of nothing in particular. Tears pricked in his eyes as the guilt of harming you caused him to shudder deeply. How could he do this? How could he let himself slip like that? How could he hurt you when all you wanted to do was help? He felt numb as he shifted uncomfortably in the stiff seat.

The doctor came to him, Bucky didn't fully know what was said to him. The sound of his heart and undescribed buzzing flooded his ears. His body moved by itself as he made his way through the spotless hallway to your cleansed, pale room.

His eyes land on your somnolent body, he blinks to clear his eyes of the warm tears. His mind races a mile a minute, his self hate and shame boils in his heart. His body feels like it's going to give out underneath the weight of it all. His thoughts come to an abrupt end at the sight of your warm, shaky smile.

“Buck…? You okay?” You whispered, voice soft as a small kit.

“Am I okay?” His voice cracked deeply, taking a breath before continuing, “Are you?” He made no effort to move closer to you - the guilt stopping him.

“Of course I am, I can take you any day.” You jested, he let out a soft whimper at that.

“Honey, can you please come over here.” You pleaded with a warm smile.

He nodded hesitantly, pulling up a chair to the side of your bed. Knees pressed against the soft plush of the mattress, the contrast of the cool metal bringing him no comfort.

“I am so sorry.” He apologized, voice barley audible out of fear that if he spoke too loud, he wouldn't be able to get the sentence out. Tears running down his soft cheeks, the salty taste enters through the corner of his lips.

“Hey, no no no, don't do that. It's not your fault.” The pads of your thumbs gently wipe the tears off of his pretty face.

“-But I put you here? How could this not be my fault? I let myself go, and I let myself hurt you.” He croaked, “ I'm a monster.” He avoided eye contact like the plague, opted to look at his hands tangled with yours.

You broke into laughter, warm and bubbly, he looked up at your face, confusion gracing his angelic features.

“Sorry, I just, I love you so very much. Do you know that?” You snickered.

“Callin’ yourself a monster, but - god, I mean, look at you.” You say with a harsh snort.

“What does that mean?” He smiles at you, guilt seeping out of his system at your antics.

“Well, for starters you have an entire bookshelf of only fantasy, you organize your clothes by color, you're insanely good with kids, you love carnivals, you fold your socks, you are a cat whisperer, do you need more?”

He looks at you sweetly, opening his mouth to respond, but he closes it when he can't find the right words to choose. He looks down at his lap, a lovely smirk on his lips. He's trying to hide it almost like he's embarrassed of himself for being so easily swayed.

“Look at me.” You responded curtly. His blue eyes swiftly look up at you, shaken by your icy tone.

You lean in and leave a quick tender kiss on his slightly chapped lips, he chases your lips as you pull away. He whines as you stop him from continuing. You rest your forehead on his, your breath mixing together, “I love you, Buck, so so much.” You mumble into the small space between you two.

“I love you more.” He kisses your cheek.

“Sure sure.” You scoff, catching his lips once more.

MARVEL MASTERLIST

#marvel x male reader #bucky barnes x male reader #bucky x male reader #male reader #mlm fanfic #bucky barnes #m!reader #marvel #james buchanan barnes

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pokeharvest · 2 years

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My coloring of the wonderful lineart provided by @gothamguts :D! The coloring of the Krypton Roses is based off of this image.

[Image ID: Two versions of a digitally drawn image of Superman and Bruce Wayne. The picture is a redraw of an Al Parker Whitman’s chocolate advert with Superman and Bruce. Bruce is seated and holding an open newspaper, wearing a dark indigo suit and grinning as Clark hovers over him from behind, placing a kiss on his forehead. Clark is holding a box of purple and green roses with white leaves, the box reading, “1 Of A Kind! Garden Starter Kit. The Krypton Rose!” with a red ribbon attach on its front. Clark’s cape billows around him and Bruce in curls, and wedding rings glint on both their ring fingers. Purple and green petals from the roses float in the air around them. The first version has flat colors, while the second version has shading. End ID.]

#clark kent #superman #bruce wayne #batman #dc #my edits #poke things #i spend like. 4-5 hours straight on this lol

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pinkmoondoll9shihtzu · 3 months

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My Old man's tale about benetint (product) & review:

in summer 2008 i was 14 & my best friend's family took me to Vegas w them. she had only just moved to my school for 9th grade & i hadn't met her older sister til this trip. She was 21 & soooo insanely beautiful like if barbie was a hollister model she had the look so refined in every sense, i was dazzled by her.

& she was so sweet to us, my friends parents went & did their own thing so the whole trip we spent with her but she wasn't annoyed about it at all she seemed content to hang w us & protect us from vile men along the strip.

On this trip i went to sephora for the first time. hadn't heard of it before. it had huge windows so everything was glowing from sunlight & it was sooo overwhelming. my friend's sister liked this brand benefit so i picked out a little starter kit that came w bad gal mascara, high beam highlighter, booing concealer, and benetint.. Let me tell you for the next year i cherished this kit like it elevated me a new level towards Prestiged Adult Woman status. but the makeup was noticeably nicer quality for sure! from my memory at least.

the thing i remember most was benetint cus i wore it soooo much for the rest of the summer & beyond, i stretched that tiny bottle as far as it wld go cus i luved it sm.. but after it ran out i never tried to use it again idk just being a teen moving onto the next thing. But lately i jst rly wanted a goood lip tiiiint cus i dont wanna b wearing lipstick or gloss all the time its too much i just want chapstick but i like a little more color too.. usually i wld use lip liner but it always felt like it wld smudge off so quick n its kinda drying.

so i tried benetint again bcus i remember it being so easy to put on n then just forget about, it didnt get on ur clothes or teeth or nothin. after wearing for a couple weeks i can say this is still tru! i rly like it, very convenient, chapstick goes gr8 over top so my lips r never dry from it. its kind of expensive but it lasts a long time , for me i dnt have much makeup rn so felt nice to get st i actually use ^^ the taste & smell of it are mildly rosey, rly brings me back to those times..

being in vegas those 4 days w my friend n her sis are definitely a core memory for me it was totally surreal. i wish i had photos still but no clue where to find them, my friend's fb account got hacked years ago n had to get deleted, so many photos gone </3 we stayed at treasure island & across the street was this huge mall that was repeatedly playing an ipod commercial with the song Shut Up & Let Me Go by the ting-tings, like... ON REPEAT, ALL DAY & ALL NIGHT, so that song gives me the wildest flashbacls like i'm literally There. In the august heat. i can smell it like. its amazing thank you advertising :)

this is not an ad btw i mean obviously LOL i honestly just got thinking so hard about vegas '08 after purchasing The Product. oh yeah there was thunderstorms too... i went to hot topic at the mall which was wild for me since they didnt have one any where near my town.. i got some shorts from hollister i remember, also a rarity. friends sis got me my first ever drink, a peach daquiri...just one <3 it was such a nice break from my woeful home life lol i wanted to live in america so bad after this xD

thats my story...o and benetint is chill i mean i genuinely wanted to recommend it to ppl who want st simple it looks rly pretty cus until this i was struggling to find anything worthwhile. theres other shades too. Yup. Thanksyou for reading my LiveJournal Entry tonight minasan ^_^ Hope you're well x

-PMD9

#frossworld #pochitareviews

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simsbyhellie · 1 year

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cute pastel micro house 💛💗

Gallery ID: HellieDawn

#sims 4 #the sims #the sims community #ts4 #ts4 build #tiny house #micro house #pastel #cute #functional #starter #pink #pink lover #kawaii #lovely #colorful #fun #pastel pop kit

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mathysphere · 7 months

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Hiya! since you seem quite knowledgeable about this sort of thing, do you happen to know a good place to start when learning how to cross-stitch? I've never tried it before (nor have I done a lot of needlework) but I've been drawn to it due to the similarities it shares with pixel art. I have looked up starter kits and the like but they tend to be focused on topics that are rather... eh. boring to me unfortunately.

Oh heck yea! Yeah, lemme grab some links and info--

Luckily, cross-stitch is really easy to do-- you get some special fabric that's woven so it makes a grid, a blunt needle, a pattern, and whatever thread colors the pattern needs, and then you just stitch a whole bunch of X's and you're done!

The best fabric to start with would be called '14-count Aida'; a lot of big-box craft stores carry it, plus smaller embroidery stores should too. '14-count' is the size of the grid, and means every square inch of the cloth is woven to make a 14 by 14 grid, and Aida is a common variety. It's nice and stiff, so you may not even need to put it in a hoop, though you can still use one if you'd like.

If you get 14-count fabric, get a Size 24 Tapestry Needle. I wouldn't use a sharp needle, though you could if you have to-- a blunt one like a tapestry needle will be a lot kinder on your hands!

I'd recommend starting with a small, simple pattern in a design that you really like. Like, say, something like these would be pretty good to start:

[All You Need is Love by JuicyArtByDarina][Euler's Identity by StitchForge]

...while these might end up being too ambitious:

[Saturn V Rocket by SpiritLineDesigns] [The Elements According to Relative Abundance, also by SpiritLineDesigns apparently? Man, that's some good range]

That's just a recommendation, though-- you know your own patience for long projects better than I do, so if you see something you love, go for it!

No matter what pattern you get, it should always have a list of thread colors in it: the standard type is DMC embroidery floss, which you can also get at embroidery stores, some of the big-box craft stores, and also online. The pattern should also say how big the design will be, but when you buy your fabric be sure to get something with some extra room. I typically aim for three or four inches bigger than the design, just to be extra safe.

Once you've got those-- plus a pair of scissors, and also a hoop, if you'd like one-- then you're ready to stitch! For that part, I'll defer to Peacock and Fig and her video tutorials, since I reckon it's easier to follow that part if you can see just how the stitches actually happen.

The stitching itself is super easy-- it's all just makin' X's.

Hope this helps! ✌️

#chit chat #ask #krazybomb #cross stitch #cross stitch tutorial #tutorial

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purringfayestudio · 1 year

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What advice would you give to someone who wants to start making plush? I've been making knitted toys for a few years now and would like to get into fabric plush, but it just looks super intimidating, especially the cutting/patterning part.

It's all a matter of perspective, since knitting shapes like toys looks super intimidating to me! But is some general advice I'd give to someone looking to start making plush with fabric:

Patterns: It's easiest to start off with a pre-made pattern, either a free one or one you purchase (links below). Start with something simple, meant for beginners, but interesting enough to motivate you. These come with fewer pieces and easier shapes. Once you get the hang of things, you can start researching pattern-making approaches and find one that works for you.

Fabrics: Start with something easy to work with. Felt and fleece are popular starter fabrics. I started with felt. Later you can explore minky and faux fur.

It helps if you organize your fabrics and pattern pieces beforehand. I make little piles of pattern pieces for every fabric color. That way I can trace and cut them all at once, and don't miss any.

Sewing: Look at it like a puzzle. You match up pieces one by one, and sew each seam one at a time. It's less intimidating if you only look at the next step, and just keep plodding along until you reach the last step, and voila, plushie!

Tools: You don't need anything expensive to start! Anything can be hand-sewn with just a needle and thread and scissors, available in any small cheap sewing kit. You'll probably also want a seam-ripper for inevitable mistakes (mine gets a lot of milage still!). Fabric can be old recycled clothing, or from the discount bin; stuffing can be fabric scraps or the guts of an old pillow. You can also get second-hand sewing machines that still work great.

If you're ready to dig into some more technical info, check out these comprehensive beginner's guides written by other skilled plush-makers. They've put a lot of time and effort into putting these together, and are much more in-depth than I could get into in a tumblr post. (Feel free to add more in the notes!)

NazFX: Naz's Beginner Plush-Making Guide (She also has video tutorials)

Makeshiftwings: Plush Making Resources (includes pattern sources, videos, etc.)

Metroidhat: Sewing techniques and materials guide for beginners

Cholyknight: Plush Sewing Basics

And remember there's no such thing as talent! Your first attempts may not succeed but keep working at it, and you'll get there.

My first plush (felt dolphin) with a recent plush (Red fox, 2022).

#art plush tips and resources #sewing resources #plush artist #I'm putting together a faux fur sewing guide but I wouldn't consider it for beginners

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screechthemighty · 5 months

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Titanfall fic writing is back, babey!! Fun fact, I started writing this *checks notes* literal years ago, but only just now circled back to it now that I'm filling in the holes in the Titanfall part of my Respawn Cinematic Universe. I will be eventually circling back to the stuff that happens after The Citadel, don't worry! I just wanted to get this one out of the way (again: literal years). AO3 link will be in a reblog, but you can read the first chapter below!

crash and burn (and then return again) | a titanfall 2 fanficpart one

cw: vomiting, loss/grief, shutdown, references to alcoholism

Things would’ve gone a lot differently if he were a in movie. For starters, Cooper wouldn’t have passed out within five minutes of arriving on the main battleship.

That was his own fault. His body had been giving him signs it was going to quit on him the whole flight back. He was shaky, almost dizzy, nauseous, and it felt like someone had replaced his brain with piles of stuffing. Cooper had figured it was just the adrenaline. Been there, done that. He’d be fine once he had something to eat and some real sleep. He didn’t say anything because it wasn’t a big deal.

Turned out it, was a big deal.

His memories of what exactly happened were hazy. Commander Briggs was there, he knew that, and Robert Taube. He remembered there were a lot of other people, and that he thought it was all those eyes on him (even in a positive light) that were making him feel worse. He tried to be subtle about excusing himself. He wasn’t sure if he succeeded or not; he thought someone followed him, but he couldn’t remember if it was Commander Briggs or Taube or both. Maybe it was neither. But he was pretty sure he remembered someone asking if he was okay, and replying that he didn’t feel so hot.

That must’ve been when he passed out, because his next concrete memory was lying on a moving gurney and someone checking his pulse “...repeated physical contact with an unknown energy source, we have no idea…” someone was saying.

Cooper risked opening his eyes. Commander Briggs was there, Taube, too, and a nurse, and a medical droid. It wasn’t that big of an audience, but it felt like a whole stadium of people once he realized what happened. “Did I throw up on anyone?” he mumbled.

“No,” Taube replied bluntly. “You about to?”

“...uhm…”

He must’ve gone grey or green or whatever color you turned when you were about to puke, because Taube swore and got out of the way. At least that way, Cooper didn’t throw up on anyone. Puking on the floor in front of his new CO, a respected war hero, and two medics was still in the top ten most humiliating moments of his life. There wasn’t much in his stomach to throw up, just water and one and a half energy bars. But apparently his body really didn’t want it.

There was a hand on his shoulder, someone asking him something, but Cooper barely registered the question. He stared down at the floor, eyes defocused. This had happened before, right? Fracture? Yeah. Fracture. He’d hit his head, suffered a concussion. Did he have another concussion? He’d fallen so many times on Typhon. He’d thought the jump kit and the helmet would take the worst of it but…hell, he didn’t know. He had no clue what he was doing. “Shit,” he muttered.

“Were you given any medication during Broadsword?” asked the med droid. Its voice was neutral in a calming way, but higher pitched than BT’s had been. Thinking about BT made his stomach churn. “Exposure to any other energy sources?”

Had he? So much had happened. He could barely keep track. “Uhm...s-sansufentynal. After my drop pod landed. And...Lastimosa…” The name tasted bitter in his mouth. “…gave me something, I don’t know what. He said it might knock me out, but I’d feel better once I woke up. I was in a power chamber, there was some radiation, but I think it wasn’t so long that my suit couldn’t handle it.”

“Understood.” The med droid began speaking in softer tones to the medic, something about blood work and scans; Cooper was too busy trying to control his still-revolting stomach to really pay attention.

Am I dying? Did I really survive all that bullshit just to die like this?

“You’re not dying,” said Taube roughly. Cooper looked up at him, confused. Had he said that out loud? How out of it was he right now? “Just keep it together, kid. We’re gonna get you help.”

He was the one resting a hand on Cooper’s shoulder. The reassuring pressure of the grip contrasted with the way Taube actually looked: worn down, five o’clock shadow, bags under his eyes. He looked just as ready to pass out as Cooper felt.

Cooper couldn’t blame him for that. It had been a hell of a long day. Using the past tense didn’t feel right, though. A day like that couldn’t just be…over. Not like this. Not with…

He lay back down and shut his eyes tightly.

He can’t be gone.

How can he just be gone?

The thought kept echoing in his head as they dragged him into a private room in the medbay. Cooper went through the motions, sitting up, letting them look him over, responding to any questions he knew the answers to. The answers kept getting shorter and shorter; if that concerned the medics, Cooper barely noticed. Everything was growing more distant—sounds, sensations, the overall feeling of reality. All he wanted to do was curl up somewhere quiet and dark and sleep.

Sleep and wake up in a world where BT wasn’t gone.

Cooper had gone quiet.

Barker hadn’t noticed it at first. He’d only realized because he’d happened to glance in Cooper’s direction. He was hunched over, face buried in his hands, not making a sound even as his shoulders shook slightly. Barker wasn’t shocked—after everything Cooper had been through, having an emotional crash with the physical one wasn’t out of the blue or anything.

Should I do something?

Barker barely knew the guy from Adam, but he had a feeling Briggs didn’t either. That might’ve been part of the problem, now that he thought about it. All that shit and no one he could talk to about it. Still, one of us should say something. Briggs was still talking intensely with the human medic, and the bot didn’t look like the reassuring type. It was either interrupt or…

He sighed. Ah, screw it. “Hey, Cooper?” Barker said carefully as he stepped forward.

Cooper didn’t reply.

Shit. “Cooper?” Barker repeated, a bit louder this time. When that didn’t get a response, he knew it was time to switch tactics. Cooper had been a rifleman before this; maybe he just needed a good prod from a CO to get him out of it. “Pilot,” Barker tried, trying to force his voice back into tones he hadn’t used since the IMC.

Still nothing.

Except he hadn’t been pilot for longer than a few days, right? Field promotion, no time to get used to it. So maybe…

“Hey, Rifleman.”

Cooper straightened up immediately, shoulders squared, hands dropping down from his face. “Sir,” he said. His eyes were pink, still wet with tears. He didn’t seem to register who Barker was at first; his body just responded to the rank. Muscle memory. Hell of a thing.

Barker had Cooper’s attention all right, but now he didn’t know what to do with it.

“You, uh…” Barker took another few steps forward and clumsily rested a hand on Cooper’s shoulder. “You okay?”

The kid looked at him like he was trying to figure out the right answer to the question.

That look didn’t last long. Whatever it was Cooper was trying to press down and re-shape into an acceptable answer shattered like a glass bottle. His composure and decorum went with it. Next thing Barker knew, the kid’s face was pressed against his chest as his body heaved with audible sobs.

Damn it, I am not equipped for this.

Though he may have been more prepared than everyone else there. Briggs looked just as caught off-guard as he did, and the medbot wasn’t going to be any help. The flesh and blood medic looked lost, too. Barker shot them all a baffled look as he clumsily patted Cooper’s shoulder. You’re gonna let me do this? Really? “’S’okay. Let it out.” Don’t worry about me telling anyone. I will definitely be drinking enough to forget this. “I’m sorry.”

The words tasted sharp, bitter. I get it. That part was left unspoken, but he did. The empty hole in your head, in your soul. You formed bonds quickly in combat. Cooper might not have had the years of connection Barker had with Juliet, but that wouldn’t make it hurt less. Someone sacrificing themselves for you never went down easily.

Barker gritted his teeth. Definitely drinking tonight.

“You’re safe now,” he said instead. “We’ve got you, kid.”

Cooper’s sobs slowed eventually. He let go of Barker’s jumpsuit, instead tightly hugging himself. He rocked slightly in place—self-soothing, if Barker had to guess—and his eyes stayed clenched shut. “Can’t,” he choked out.

“Can’t what?”

“It…mmph.” His shoulders hunched more tightly, like he was trying to shrink into himself. “Bright.”

Briggs finally snapped out of it and went to dim the lights. The medbot said something to the human medic, who cursed quietly and started digging around through some nearby drawers. Barker, meanwhile, crouched in front of Cooper, trying to catch his gaze. “That better?” A pause. A nod. “Anything hurt? Like, about to drop dead hurt?”

Cooper hugged himself more tightly. Damn it, I’m making things worse again. Barker didn’t think this was a panic attack; he’d seen plenty of those before. So what is it? What’s wrong?

The medic nudged him aside gently and held out something to Cooper. “Here,” she said. “Do you think you can use this?”

She small tablet she’d passed him had an application open with a bunch of buttons. Barker could see an alphabet, and some standard words and phrases. Cooper took the tablet, then stared at the application as if trying to register what he was looking at. After a lengthy pause, he tapped one of the options.

“No.”

Okay, they were getting somewhere. “No, nothing hurts?” Barker guessed. Cooper nodded. “What do you need, kid?”

A pause. This time, Cooper tapped at the letters.

“Alone.”

…yeah. Fair.

“Can we clear the room, guys?” the medic asked. To Cooper, she added, “We’ll be just outside. Come get us if you need anything, okay?”

She seemed confident that Cooper wouldn’t hurt himself or have a heart attack, so Barker followed the others outside. He took one more glance at Cooper as he stepped out, and almost wished he hadn’t. The freshly minted pilot had hunched back over, the tablet hugged tightly to his chest. It was something no one should see, least of all the drunk who’d only just met the poor guy.

Barker looked away. Jack Cooper was going to be the talk of the town when they got back to Harmony. The least they could do was let him grieve in private while he still could.

#titanfall #titanfall 2 #fic: crash and burn (and then return again)

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netherworldpost · 1 year

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AI art predictions with a laundry list

This is a very long post, so as an advertisement to entice you to read it, let’s start off with my proof points. It ends with advice on what to do if you make things and/or want to make things and are concerned.

I remember when royalty-free microstock ($1/photo) began. It fundamentally changed stock photography, ending a significant number of careers, creating a significantly larger number of photographers -- as well as graphic designers AND illustrators who now had floods of reference photos they could not access before.

I remember when boilerplate WordPress starter themes began. They largely are a “paint by numbers” kit of parts. A lot of web developers rallied against it, claiming they would go out of business. Some did, most did not, a great number went into business using them as tools.

Hell, I remember when WordPress started. Similar story to above.

I remember when Adobe created built-in color palette tools. These are, essentially, color wheels. There were a lot of designers and illustrators who claimed this would give the public and/or low skill designers too much power.

I remember when free logo generators started. See above notes.

I remember when ultra cheap graphic design freelance services began. Fiverr and Upwork, etc. See above notes.

Hell I remember when digital printers started gaining a neck grip on small scale commercial printing. Bad time to be a 1 and 2 color press shop.

Tech bros and their priests will continue to throw money and other resources at it from about mid 2022 until early 2024

A combination of boredom, other opportunities (good, bad, and neutral), lawsuits, and the inescapable physics of what is required to create new AI art will taper off interest around early to mid 2024

The arc of interest will diminish far sooner but will occasionally be spiked back up by a combination of:

^- click-bait news articles and new breakthroughs in tech

^- click-bait news articles that claim there is a new breakthrough because the reporter/outlet is just catching on to existing things

^- tech bros claiming a new breakthrough (that isn’t new) because they have reinvented existing tech and/or are outright stealing from existing tech

Some levels of AI will continue forever with varying degrees of aesthetic attraction

On some level, the continuation will be because some tech bros and their priests are interested in pursuing the tech and are uninterested in the benefits/costs

On another level, it will continue as a weapon against artists (at large) because all tech invented is utilized as a weapon by bad actors against specific groups people

On yet another level, it will continue as a weapon against specific artists because all tech invented is utilized as a weapon by bad actors against specific people

Some (a moderate sample size) artists will lose everything for a little while but ultimately adapt, a smaller sample size everything permanently and leave the art profession

The public at large will begin in earnest interest as a “we can create stuff too!” but then lose interest over time because quality (as measured by uniqueness) and accessibility (as measured as “free vs. paid”) will steadily decrease

The decrease of interest will spike tech bros desperate to reclaim their throne into accelerating outright theft and abuse because at the nature these specific tech bros are parasites and have nothing positive to offer either the tech or art ecosystems

Corporate interests will both utilize AI art for their own interests while suing to stop their own direct properties from being used. These lawsuits will generate attention-grabbing headlines but almost exclusively be settled out of court and/or the AI companies will simply be bought to bring the tech/people into the fold/shut down

Artists (at large) will engage in the various platforms. There will be generalized outrage for 1 - 5 years as a combination of acceptance, resignation, and useful labor-saving tools are built

^- schisms will enter the art community. Some points will be made as legitimate discourse, most will be stated as individual artists use this as the point-of-the-day to prove themselves better than everyone else.

Ultimately:

Tech will continue building what they can, scraping every resources available at the lowest cost possible and often through piracy, until it becomes untenable via cost and boredom

Artists will continue to create, adapt, and evolve. Some unfortunately will legitimately lose everything and drop out of the career for a period of years, some forever.

There will be a convergence point then the two will separate out slowly. The path will be painful for artists. The public will vastly be ignorant, those who know mostly won’t care, some will passionately rally for artists.

Advice for people who make things:

Keep making things. Despair is an automated weapon that targets you, the more you feed it, the stronger it grows.

Do not personalized despair. It is easy to give into the thought of a conspiracy theory against you, or your industry. I view the accuracy more as “people/institutions who do not know, or care, about your existence are building their own empire. Sometimes you’re a tree line of border protection against wind, sometimes you’re lumber. Either way you’re not considered in any instance except when you’re useful, and never as an individual.”

Protect yourself as possible (file copyright takedown notices, keep an eye on prices to keep yourself in business, do not actively participate in contests that scrape AI, block people onsite who advocate for AI art if you yourself do not)

Protect your business funds as possible (multiple streams of income where possible, keep an eye on costs -- is fancy packaging actually necessary, from a business perspective, or are you making it fancy because you’re an artist)

Build a community as you can, everywhere you can. There is an absolute effort-to-cost ratio that must be watched -- you can, as of writing, literally sign up for a MySpace if you want. I wouldn’t recommend trying to build a network there.

And to repeat: keep making things. There are tools you used to get started, there are tools you USE RIGHT NOW, I promise you, that were once heralded as “the thing that will kill art.” It didn’t, except where it did, and in both instances everything evolved to whatever our current state is.

#long post

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