#feel free to give me feedback and share your thoughts on any of them etc etc you know i live for interactions abt my head blorbos

[rainbowsky]

Sunshine By My Side - a few answers

I've gotten quite a few questions about Sunshine By My Side. People want to know what it's about, what I think of it, whether I recommend it, etc. so here's some info related to the questions I've been getting. I apologize for not answering your asks individually.

About the Series

Sunshine By My Side is currently available on iQIYI with English subtitles. The first several episodes are available for free at 720p, while VIP subscribers are able to access more episodes earlier, at 1080p.

It hasn't yet appeared on WeTV international.

While there is a romantic storyline, this series is considered a 'life drama', not an idol romance like Oath of Love. It covers major life and workplace issues in a serious way and is intended to appeal to a much broader audience from a wider age range.

Contrary to popular belief, it isn't based on an original screenplay. It is an adaptation of a 2017 Taiwanese drama called My Dear Boy (this is confirmed in the credits of Sunshine By My Side).

Here is a synopsis of Sunshine By My Side (from MyDramaList):

Of course, the two stories will not be identical. There will have been some changes made to adapt it to the approach this new series wants to take.

Jian Bing (Bai Baihe), a well-known advertising director, and Sheng Yang (Xiao Zhan), a newcomer in the industry, randomly crossed paths inside a restaurant one day. One has just ended a marriage, while the other was waiting for a love to finally fall apart. These two strangers eventually developed a bond and began embarking on a journey of sublime growth and budding romance. With the company of Sheng Yang, Jian Bing was able to gain her confidence back both in life and in love whereas Sheng Yang grew up from a young and carefree youth to one with a keen edge under the guidance and encouragement of Jian Bing. The two healed each other, grew up together, and overtime learned to love one another.

However, challenges in life are inevitable. Faced with their differences both in their identities and experiences, objections towards their relationship within their families, and rumors in the workplace escalating, Jian Bing and Sheng Yang finally decided to let their future play out through the course of time. Three years passed, allowing them to grow and change for the better. A lot of their firsts were spent with each other, and this trust they held and the experiences they shared back then went around and finally found them, making them gravitate towards each other again.

Here's a trailer:

My Thoughts

As for whether I recommend it or not, I haven't actually seen any of it yet so I can't give you an informed recommendation. However, I have been really looking forward to this series because the story looks good, the female lead is a well known and well respected actor with real talent, and the script writers and director are also well respected.

I have a feeling this is going to be a good series. The feedback I've heard so far from people who are watching it has been solidly positive. So yes, I would recommend it based on all of that.

And ultimately I think it's worthwhile to watch as many projects of theirs as we can - even the bad ones *coughoathoflovecough* - because even when a story totally sucks and is poorly told, we still get to see how they approach certain roles, we learn more about their experiences and growth as actors, and we can talk about their projects from a well-informed perspective.

Nothing annoys me more than when fans shit-talk shows they haven't even seen. If you haven't seen it, you haven't yet earned that privilege, my friend. 😅

Anyway, I hope you all get a chance to see it, and that you enjoy it. I will be watching it eventually, when I have time. I will also be writing a review of it once I'm finished.

I hope this answers most of your questions. If I missed anything, please feel free to send in another ask.

#xiao zhan #sunshine by my side #ask

[heartsyncproductions]

Future Game Jam Idea I want to make happen

Putting this on my Tumblr instead of just my Twitter because I never pay attention to Twitter so I forgot about this idea BUT

During my Year in Review it made me realize part of the reason why I don't interact with the community as much as I'd like is that it doesn't really feel easy to break in, in a way that feels comfortable with interacting with others. I think the rise of so many communities being so heavily focused around Discord makes it super unfriendly to some people as well (I'm in the Indie Otome Discord now, however it took since 2022 to take that step to join any type of server due to my Schizoeffective Disorder/paranoia making Discord really scary asfjdlkafjl) and it just made me think.

What if there was a game jam whose whole point was to help with the anxiety of making a game/interacting with the community? Rambling thoughts below:

Placeholder name and subtitle: The No Stakes Game Jam (The jam to help you find friends and community)

One of the things I learned through doing three game jams last year, is that it's so much less daunting to comment on a game when it's expected of me vs commenting on a game when it isn't. It's so silly I know, as a game dev I love when people comment idc if I know them or not. But I think since I'm /also/ a developer it makes me overthinking it really bad. But you know. Life hack: you can't overthink commenting when it's expected of you-

Like there could be a requirement of like "You have to comment on at least one other game or else your entry will be removed" or something, and then there could be like a Bingo card with extra challenges if participants wanted to.

I was also thinking of using the discussion board to share resources to manage anxiety/mental health (since game jams can be stressful even for people who don't struggle with the community/socializing part) as well as posting maybe a check in or two throughout the jam depending on how long I run it.

There could also be two version of it:

Non-ranked for those that just want to try engaging more with other game devs and

And a ranked version specifically made for those anxious about critiques/reviews/etc both in giving and receiving and would have posts and resources to help manage anxiety around the topic, as well as general advice on how to learn to critique and how to manage getting feedback as well

The Non ranked version would happen first so that way people could transition from there to the ranked version after (obviously people can just do one or the other).

Anyway, this is just coming from someone with severe paranoia around internet spaces and is trying to think of ways to make it easier for others. If you've read through all this, thank you! And if you like the idea/have thoughts feel free to add on or share! I actually really want to make this happen at some point if I'm able to!

#game jam #indie games #game development #visual novel #idk this might be a weird idea since it's a little less about the game and more about forming a community around making a game #in a way that might be easier for people but there will still be a bit of focus on just the nerves of making a game as well #and it should hopefully feel super beginner friendly #like I remember posting my first game I wanted to perish asfljkda #and sometimes Determination or something isn't enough to beat the Mental Illness ya know? #anyways I'm rambling thanks for tuning in #also the indie otome discord is great my brain is just on fire #very much a me problem

[macabremoons]

Writeblr Positivity Tag

@hallwriteblr did a post of this tag, and I knew I had to try it out! Doing what they did and putting the blank format underneath the cut!

Gently tagging: @squarebracket-trick, @leisoree, @serenanymph, @immortaladrien, @thesoftestofpetals, and anyone else who wants to join!!!

1. What motivates you to write?

The plot threads I have later down the line in my wips and my characters. Both of these points are really the same. I am excited about the things I have planned because they highlight the characters, and I am excited because my characters for the things I have planned.

2. A line/short snippet of your writing that you are most proud/happy of. If not maybe share a line of someone else's work you love (just please credit them)

I have to pick just one????? Oh lord.

Undead things aren't supposed to grieve other undead things, and yet so many vampires were now without fathers, mothers, brothers, and sisters.

3. Which OC makes you smile every time you think/talk about them and what are they like?

@mouseinthegreenhouse's Maximilian. They have to put up with my simping sm HIOEWHOIW. It's hard to describe Max in a way that does not boil down his character. He just has this presence that you feel in every page, this captivation. A slow, measured way of speaking where he knows no one would dare interrupt him. Love him to bits.

4. What process of writing do you enjoy the most?

I haven't really gotten to the editing phase with any of my OG works, so I guess I have to say drafting?

5. What part of writing do you think you are the best at? (Yes stroke your own ego it's okay)

Character. I try my best to write characters that are analysis worthy. That have a deeper meaning in their existence and that have a lot to say about the world. Of course not all of my characters are as well thought out as others, but when I do put my all into it there is so many intricacies that go into them.

6. What is something in the writeblr community is most enjoyable?

THE PEOPLE. I LOVE YOU GUYSS. I love seeing your works and hearing your feedback and the tags and the asks. And the mutuals. The mutuals. Getting to know other writers and getting to talk about writing more deeply with them is so much fun.

7. A writing tool/device you use that helps you with writing? (It could be speech to text, a writing program etc)

I use WPS Offcie for my more serious projects. It's like Word, but free, and also not owned by Microsoft. This helps me not write in the middle of the night on Daycycle and work on it healthily. It is the bane and boon of my existence.

8. A piece of worldbuilding that you like in your own story? (It could be the magic system, a particular place in the story, a law etc)

Why must you continually make me choose a favorite child? I like how I tackled the elements on daycycle, I suppose. The fact that every element has it's own ideology behind it gives me a lot of freedom with what I can do with it. It also helps me say a bunch of stuff with it! And I enjoy making none of the elements good or evil but keeply neutral with their own psychological behavioral patterns.

9. What piece of advice would you say to encourage others to write if they are having a rough patch?

People are going to tell you to just keep going and you're going to think that it's impossible. I'm sorry to tell you that it's hard, but it's possible. I believe in you and your ability to write through this.

Unless you are going through writing burnout TAKE A BREAK. TAKE A BREAK. TAKE A BREAK. "But what if--" NO. BREAK. NOW.

10. Tag some people whose works you love/have been your biggest supporters

@squarebracket-trick for her amazing writing. I really feel like I could have a discussion about any form of writing with her and she'd have something to say. @sugar-phoenix, @lyra-brie, and @leisoree for listening to my rambles and sharing their gorgeous juicy ideas to me. @wipsbymor for RJ. What I have to say more? Sigh, also for her continued support and kindness. @hallwriteblr, yes tagging you again, for being such a kind person in this community and for writing that sage one shot. @serenanymph for being one of my first mutuals and a talented writer to boot. And to everyone who is my mutual! I love you all!!

1. What motivates you to write?

2. A line/short snippet of your writing that you are most proud/happy of. If not maybe share a line of someone else's work you love (just please credit them)

3. Which OC makes you smile every time you think/talk about them and what are they like?

4. What process of writing do you enjoy the most?

5. What part of writing do you think you are the best at? (Yes stroke your own ego it's okay)

6. What is something in the writeblr community is most enjoyable?

7. A writing tool/device you use that helps you with writing? (It could be speech to text, a writing program etc)

8. A piece of worldbuilding that you like in your own story? (It could be the magic system, a particular place in the story, a law etc)

9. What piece of advice would you say to encourage others to write if they are having a rough patch?

10. Tag some people whose works you love/have been your biggest supporters

#tag game

[multiplicity-positivity]

our system is specutien (word we learned today from this blog! thank you very much! we thought we were invalid for having two hosts frontstuck 99.8% of the time) and for anyone who isn't those two people, it's really hard to front and discern what we're interested in or to try and find interests. this turns into a feedback loop where few people have positive triggers and so it's rare for other people to front with us because they don't have interests and don't know how to get them. do you have any advice for how to help on this? it's really difficult (and emotionally taxing) for me, as the frontstuck host, to try and relinquish enough control that my interests/tastes/etc. don't get in the way of that self discovery process. but it also sucks to have a bunch of people who exist but can't really talk to people in the outerworld because they don't have interests or even opinions on most topics. so.... we're wondering if you can help? as a fellow specutien system? (we also wonder if it would be easier for us to try and unstick ourselves if more of our headmates were, yknow, well-rounded)

Hi! We sure are specutien - our host doesn’t always sign off because he’s usually at least somewhat dissociated/disconnected from interacting with the real world, but he always is here at least to some extent!

We’re sorry y’all are going through something like this, but we do feel like it’s something many systems do struggle with! It can be so hard for frontstuck members to learn how to step back or give up control for the first time, and it can be even more difficult for members who don’t front often to figure out who they are and what they like! Our system went through something similar during our syscovery!

We do have a little template for folks to use who are interested in getting to know their system members - each headmate can feel free to fill it out at their leisure if they’re interested!

And this may sound weird, and others might disagree with this advice, but we’d like to share some thoughts on how y’all could go about learning more about each other, even with some members frontstuck all the time!

These frontstuck members might be able to learn more about the other headmates… by filling in information and fleshing out the rest of their system on behalf of their other members.

This means the frontstuck headmates could do things like make picrews for different members, think of what other headmates’ likes, dislikes, and interests might be, and do other things to help round out the other members! If they get anything wrong, or any member is uncomfortable with another headmate making decisions on their behalf, they could always speak up about it or change things later!

In our system we have some parts who never front. However, we still have picrews/a general idea of what they look like, and some basic information about them that these parts were never able to front and establish for themselves. If we’ve gotten anything wrong, they’ll usually reach out to tell us as such or at least send a vibe that we’ve made the wrong move. We’re working on building internal communication, and as our communication gets stronger, we’ve been able to learn more and more about the alters who at first we knew very little about!

If y’all are interested in finding more positive triggers to help bring specific members to the front, it might help to try making individual playlists for each member of the system! The frontstuck members can make playlists with music that reminds them of the different headmates, rather than choosing music that the headmates picked out themselves. Of course, if any headmate wants to have input on the music that goes in their playlist, they should feel welcomed to! This just provides a way for those who are frontstuck to try and create more opportunities for other members to front in the future!

I guess in general though, we’d say y’all should take your time with this and take things one day, one headmate, and one interest at a time! If you as a host start to feel exhausted or overwhelmed, y’all may need to take a step back from this process. And that’s okay! It’s important to take breaks and take care of your own physical and mental health while attempting to learn more about your system.

Also, in our opinion, your headmates don’t have to be very differentiated in order to be valid as system members and worthy of autonomy and respect. It’s okay for your headmates to just exist as they are - they don’t need to have a huge list of differences or things that make them unique in order for them to be valued and cherished as they are! Some systems don’t like for their members to be very different and well-rounded, and some systems genuinely just don’t work like that. So we guess it’s important for y’all to accept each other for who you are as you are now. If some headmates change naturally in the future, then great! If not, that’s okay too! What’s most important is that y’all are taking care of each other and looking after each other to the best of your abilities.

We hope this helps a little bit! Feel free to reach out if you have further questions… regardless, we’re wishing you and your headmates the very best in your future!

🌸 Margo and 💚 Ralsei

#specutien #frontstuck #long post #internal communication #differentiation #positive triggers

[nextinline-if]

I understand that I haven’t seen the whole message yet from that anon yet, so I’m sorry to you and them if I’ve completely misread this, but please, please don’t feel pressured into making whatever these changes are.

It’s the first chapter and I feel like it’s a little premature for people to be commenting on the way the mc acts. As you say, you were planning for the mc to come into themselves in the next chapters (and I personally feel that there were a range of ways to react to the mc’s lack of control which would no doubt be developed further). The MC has just become the Harbringer, and whether that was by their choice or not, they have been sheltered, and they don’t have control over their life yet. Key word there being yet. From what I’ve gathered from your answers to asks etc..MC is going to have the chance to gain that control through their investigations and through their new role as the Harbringer and future king/queen/royal.

As for Anna and MC’s relationship, personally I really loved it. I’m not entirely sure what anon didn’t like, but if it was how close they were despite the difference in status, then as you said, they’re childhood friends and Anna seems as though she will end up being their sister-in-law eventually anyway (barring any incidents). On top of that, the MC wasn’t even the heir most of the time that they’ve know each other, and there doesn’t seem to be much emphasis on status within the kingdom anyway considering how chill the Queen is.

Again, I haven’t seen the full message and I’m sorry if I interpreted anything incorrectly, but ultimately this is your story and I would be pretty sad to see you overhaul it because one anon was being nitpicky about the first chapter. Unfortunately, this actually seems to be a trend in royal/medieval IFs where people get upset if it’s not completely historically accurate or people are actually nice to each other. Please tell your story the way that you want to otherwise you may find yourself falling out of love with it. You’re a great writer and I love your IF !!

hey...🥹 thank you (and everyone else who has shared their opinion, including the original anon).

I’m not going to lie, I do feel pressured but NOT because of the anon, but because one of my inherent flaws is to try to please people. Again, I realize this is impossible especially when it comes to writing and sharing that with others. But, I pressure myself into trying to do better, be better. It’s due to the way I was raised but unfortunately, it has stuck to me as an adult.

I think it’s fair to say my initial response was too emotional. I admit that I should have waited to post what I did because I’m a firm believer of stepping away first. But I felt embarrassed and hurt due to my insecurities. Which is really fucking stupid on my part 😅 And I was just like “I’ll take the demo down next weekend and do it all again.” However, I’ve been looking at the game and I’ve been reading and responding to yours and others thoughts, and I don’t plan to do a massive overhaul. I’ve spent all of my free time for months, almost a year on this game and it’s world. I also skipped a lot of meals and sleep (not intentionally) but because it’s something I care about a lot.

I agree that if I give into too much, I will lose my passion and this game will die like many WIP. I don’t want that. Especially since this game is how I’m healing from my own loss. I need to write this game, for myself if no one else. That said, I will still consider the anon’s feedback as I work on my game. And I’m still open to other people’s feedback. Always.

Some of the rest of their message, which I will still address on Friday, does have some fair feedback about making more choices available, especially in reference to F. And this is feedback others have given me as well- and I’ve said I do plan to add more choices/reactions.

But, you are right. The demo covers two days. The other chapters are meant to be a month of events/activities and there will be way more opportunities to shape MC. They are not a blank slate and neither are their relationships with certain characters. There are games that allow that though.

I’ve also tried to emphasize that my game is not meant to be historically accurate - it’s just a world I built with elements of history that fascinate me. But I do think I see what you mean about the trends.

Thank you for your message - it does mean a lot. More than I can express through this black hole of a blog.

#demo thoughts #anon reply #writer motivation 💜 #author’s note

[dearestones]

Oh HECK YEAH i love when you do these!!! :D ❄️☂️🌪 please! :) (also, is it okay if we respond to them? Lol? It's such a joy to hear your thoughts :) and that upcoming oc fic of yours has me like 👀👀👀👀 but i dont wanna spam lmao) hope you're having a great day!!!

Hey, Devin here!

Also, feel free to interact in any way you like! You can write in the tags, through the main reblog, asks, dms, etc! I love getting feedback from my readers!

(This is a cue for you to spam!)

^^^PLEASE

Anywhoozles!!!

❄️ Share a snippet from a WIP of your choosing.

Since you seemed interested in my oc fic, I’ll give you a snippet from there!

☂️ Is there a fic concept you have that you'd like to just explain and share because you're not sure you'll ever write it? If so, what is it?

I really want to write a polyam fic with either octatrio and an oc or AceDeuceYuu. It would be really cute and explore how their dynamics changes from their fourth year at internship to the very beginning of their adult lives.

For AceDeuceYuu, Ace and Deuce would be the main ship before they realize that they’re both head over heels for their favorite magicless prefect. The romance for Ace and Deuce starts in third year when they begin to have more respect and regard for one another while their budding romantic/sexual feelings for Yuu starts manifesting when they’re all roommates after graduation and they need to look for work together.

It’s gonna be a trial for all three of the characters where Deuce realizes that he doesn’t have to stick to monogamy, Ace has to make sure to be open when communicating, and Yuu has to open their heart that maybe, even when they can’t go back to their home world, they still have two idiots to go back home to.

(By the by, Grim is also there, but he wants to open up a Beast Taming course back in NRC and spends most of the story interning at another academy that specializes in the subject).

As for the octatrio and their oc fic… I can’t give it all away because it relate to another wip, but basically, it’s about forgiveness, acceptance, and openness between landfolk and sea folk dwellers. There’s going to be angst, anger, and a whole lot of shenanigans and dinglehoppers and whatsitcalleds for the vast majority of it.

The first wip is contingent on creativity while the second depends on the fact that I need to complete another wip before getting to the polyam.

🌪 Sum up a WIP with a few fic tropes/Ao3 tags.

For my twst oc WIP:

* Crowley’s A+ Headmaging/Parenting

* Isekai

* Angst

* Drama

* Bullying

* Alternate Universe

* Hurt/Comfort

* Found Family

* Deviates from Canon

* Everybody is Bad at Feelings

* Original Characters (seriously, there’s a lot of them)

* Worldbuilding and Lore

Thank you so much for the questions and I hope you have a wonderful day!

Feel free to ask more questions spam me and message me if you like! :D

#fjshii #fjshii ask #answered #ask game #twisted wonderland #twst #dearestones #devintrinidad

[ssa-atlas-alvez]

20th Birthday Celebration

Hello and welcome to my 20th birthday celebration sleepover thing! I was going to do it on just a weekend but have since decided to make it the whole week! (Whoa!) So, every night, I will sit down and answer your asks and interact (starting from 6pm, BST). Feel free to send asks in preparation before the 12th of June and throughout the days, I just won’t post the answer until 6pm BST. (My birthday itself is on the 13th but I thought I would start a tumblr celebration early aha). This is going on until Sunday the 19th of June.

So, to do this, I have combined a load of questions, prompts, etc from multiple lists I have found on tumblr to create a Frankenlist! So, when sending a number through please specify which category is under and which fic/character/fandom/character the question is in relation to! 

I may add more questions or prompts as we go :) Also please make sure you read my rules before submitting any request, thank you

For example: Questions, 27 for y/n hotchner series

Or: Angst writing prompt, prompt 8, Derek and Spencer You can request x reader, or you could request that it be related to an ongoing series or a oneshot that has been written (Angst prompt 8, Derek and y/n hotchner for example).

Questions to ask me:

Top 3 favourite lines

2 or 3 sentences from something you haven’t posted yet

A line that made you feel second-hand embarrassment

Series or one-shots?

A line that made you feel a fluffy happiness

Reader insert or OC?

Advice for new writers

Favourite response to one of your works

How do you get your inspiration?

Your favourite chapter/part from a multiparty series

Three works of yours that are must-reads

What is something that you wish you knew before you started writing?

What’s a spoiler for a wip or series?

A line that made you laugh out loud

Favourite story

A line that made you cry

Describe one of your completed works in three words

Any ideas for a possible wip?

Opinion on AUs?

Does anyone in your personal life know that you write on Tumblr?

Is writing cathartic or stressful for you?

Do you focus on attention to detail when you read fics? Are you more or less attention to detail focussed when you write fics?

Do you have any upcoming WIPs? How far along are you with them?

Tell me about one of your abandoned WIPs. Why did you abandon it?

Share a snippet that you’re proud of from an upcoming fic/chapter.

What are some topics you will never write about?

Were there any ideas you had for [insert fic] that you couldn’t make work? What were they?

How do you develop your OCs? (x reader can be included in this)

Are there any fics you’d love to see but don’t want to write yourself? What are they?

Who has been your favourite character to write about in [insert fic]? What do they bring to the fic?

Which OC of yours do you think is the most similar to you? Which OC is the most different? Why?

Why did you choose to write [insert fic]? How long have you been working on it?

Do you prefer writing multi-chapter fics or single-part fics? Do you prefer reading multi-chapter fics or single-part fics?

Do you think you would be friends with your OCs in [insert fic]?

Which fic that you’ve written relates to you and your personal life the most?

Do you stick to canon when you write characters and fics?

What has been the proudest moment for you so far since you started writing?

Do you feel like your work gets enough recognition? What kind of feedback do you like to receive?

Which fic have you put the most work into? Which fic have you put the least work into?

What’s one piece of advice you would give to anyone who wants to start writing or posting their writing online?

What do you like most about your own writing?

What embarrasses you most about your own writing?

What is one WIP you think you may never pick back up?

Do you have any WIPs that you would never let see the light of day? If yes, what are they about?

What is your fave fic to receive comments/messages on?

Do you write every day?

Post a snippet from a current WIP.

What is something you recently felt proud of in regard to your writing (finished a fic, actually planned for once, etc)?

Is there anything you enjoy doing that you think your readers hate?

What time of day do you prefer to write? Why?

Are you a planner, plantser, or pantser? Is it consistent?

Current number of WIPs

Do you tell people in real life that you write fic?

Who is one character you haven’t yet written for that you would like to?

What is one growth area you have for your writing?

Do you read your own fic?

What inspired you to write [insert fic here]?

What is the hardest part of writing fic?

What’s an idea you have that you can’t quite call a WIP yet?

Do you do research for your fics? What’s the deepest dive you’ve done?

What is a headcanon you have about your own work?

Name one of your fave comfort fics (doesn’t have to be your all-time fave).

If one of your fics was going to get you arrested, which one and why?

Do you spend more time reading fic, writing fic, or do you do both equally?

Anything else :)

Writing Prompts:

General:

None of the following, I have my own prompt

“Pay attention to me”

“YOU SAID TO BE HONEST STOP HITTING ME!”

“Okay, so maybe I didn’t see that coming.”

“I’m too sober for this.” “You don’t even drink.” “Maybe I should start.”

“You met me yesterday,” “Yes, and I would die for you. Next question,”

“I’m telling you. I’m haunted.”

“Well, that’s tragic.”

“I’d kill for a coffee…literally.”

“How drunk was I?”

“Excuse you, I can be as dramatic and ridiculous as I want, outside of work hours. You can’t stop me.”

“Yeah, well, I’m cooler than you, so suck it.”

“This is the opposite of what i told you to do.”

Angst:

“Do you even love me anymore?”

“I can’t help but feel like I’m falling apart.”

“You’re my boss, not my mum. Why are you so worried about me all of a sudden?”

“I don’t love you anymore.”

“Everything hurts.”

“I needed you. Where were you?”

“Don’t act like anything has changed. Nothing has changed. You hear me? Nothing. I still hate you.”

“I can’t stop thinking about them. They’re on my mind constantly. I love them but they couldn’t give a shit about me.”

Things I’ve said (or have at least thought or stuff that has happened with my friends):

“People need to stop making me laugh. But most of all me because I'm fucking hilarious.”

“Is it a bad financial decision if it makes me happy for a split second before the impending doom hits?”

Person A: “I'm digging myself a hole.” Person B: “Its okay, I'll get in your hole.” Person A: *blushes because they definitely fancy Person B*

Person A: “What on earth happened?” Person B: “Person C screamed that they were going to hide and I had to find them. When I walked into their room they were hiding under a burrito blanket, naturally, I made myself known and tapped them-” Person C: “You kicked me!” Person B: “I tapped you!” Person A: “Continue…” Person B: “Person A jumped, smacked their head on the bottom of the bed and gave themselves concussion.”

“Stop wobbling the table!” ”I'm sorry! my legs are too short to push my chair!”

“The A-non.” “What?” “the A-non,” “It’s anon,” “Oh this is going to be on the next one [chat post]”

“You learn new things everyday.” “Thats because you ask stupid questions I have to answer,”

Person A: (me) “I love my plant, his name is Gwaine and he’s my child.” Person B: “Hey you should take before and after photos of them.” Person C: “Oh yeah that would be cute-” Person D: “One now, and then one in six months of him sobbing over gwaine’s shrivelled remains.” Person A: “Fuck off!” Person A: “I’m sorry for telling you to f*ck off I didn’t mean it! I’m sorry I love you!”

“My gender is a bit of a sticky situation,”

“I think it was a nervous piss,”

“I haven’t got my knees on,” “Why?” “I can’t put my knees on because my knees are bruised.”

Person A: “Guess my birthday,” Person B: (me)“Is it June?” Person A: “Yep,” Person B: “Is it the last day of June?” Person B: “Is it the 31st of June?” *realises there’s no such day*

Person A: “And then I got Syphilis,” Person B: “...” Person A: “Wait, not Syphilis-”

“You should have a hoe phase.”

Where I got the questions and prompts from:

I used some of the text posts from @fablewolf44 

https://www.tumblr.com/blog/view/make-me-imagine/653272946266292224?source=share

https://www.tumblr.com/blog/view/mzjmesa/669750788798693376?source=share

https://starsholland.tumblr.com/post/177886303732/writer-ask-game

https://sweetfogarty.tumblr.com/post/183384116723/fic-ask-game

https://2soulscollide.tumblr.com/post/661031920678928384/dialogue-ideas-writing-block

https://whcczes.tumblr.com/post/169717391964/prompts-list

https://wishiwasanavenger-archive.tumblr.com/post/190047246564/prompt-list

https://andypantsx3.tumblr.com/post/654649556338950144/fanfic-ask-game-the-movie-the-sequel

Tagging some people who interact with my posts or who I think might want to get involved (or who I follow and think are fantastic): @wolf-knights @eldrai @call-me-tears @redheadjustin @kameronrose @gay-prentiss @usermoreid @chocolatebananahandshero @softhairedhotch @makaylajadewrites @bye-bye-gremlings @tobias-hankel @casparwrites @foggyblues-ralvez @angelhotchner @whump-town @masterwords @katytheinspiredworkaholic @auroracalisto @scorpio-hotch @reidology @thebisexualdogdad @ssamorganhotchner @hotchseyebrows @bisexuaboy

Let me know if you want to remove your name from the tag list :)​

#atlas speaks #criminal minds fanfiction #criminal minds #fanfiction #calling all fandoms #derek morgan #aaron hotchner #send me some asks #20th birthday #spencer reid #Jennifer Jareau #david rossi #luke alvez #matt simmons #tara lewis #penelope garcia #emily prentiss #911 lone star #911 #Marvel #BBC Merlin #Merlin #Gwaine #Arthur #gwenivere #Lancelot #Morgana #Percival #Elyan #Leon

[gyuhanniescarat]

request guidelines (please be sure to read)

Please refer to my blog guidelines post here, before referring to this post, and continuing to send in a request.

❀ request status ~ Open ♥ send in chats, reactions, mtl's, ideas, etc.

*feel free to send links, but please specify whether it is sfw or nsfw*

Hiii my luvvies!! Please make sure you have thoroughly read through the content of this post, and do try to adhere to the following rules, otherwise your request will most likely be rejected/deleted. These guidelines have been established for my personal comfort and safety, as well as to protect the comfort of those that may come across my blog. Please be respectful of that.

»»———- Request Guidelines ———-««

❀ Please be aware that I am not always on tumblr, but, I will do my best to answer as often and as many requests as I can. I may possibly have several other requests or wip's I am focusing on at any point in time. I do reserve the right to reject any request regardless of whether or not it actually breaks my guidelines. Similarly, I also reserve the right to close my askbox from requests at any time.

❀ I will NOT under any circumstances write suggestive or nsfw pieces for and/or about minor readers or underage idols.

*Note: I will NOT write for '05 liners or younger*

❀ Just because I am writing for legal age idols, that doesn't mean I will be writing for all legal age idols. Please refer to my Groups I Write For post for specifics. If you'd like to request a piece with a certain idol, just ask me if I can write for them. As long as I know the person well enough, I can give it a try!

1. Please state which group member/(s) you would like to be included in your request.

2. Please indicate the reader insert you would like (fem, afab, gender-neutral), otherwise I will default to fem reader, and use of fem pronouns as this is what pov I have the most experience in writing.

3. Don't be vague in your request! I do definitely appreciate the creative freedom, but please provide as much detail as possible (ie. don't just say 'mingyu x reader smut').

4. Please be nice and considerate in your requests, and try to refrain from using common phrases like, "can i have", "request(ing)", "can you do" in your asks. This is totally a 'me' thing. Yes, I know I am willingly sharing my writing with kpopblr, but such phrases make me feel like this is just transactional rather than simply sharing my thoughts with fellow fans.

5. Multiple requests are allowed, Please just send them through as separate asks. I will try to answer all asks in the order they're received in my inbox, but will also be trying to stagger them out. Please try to limit yourself to about 2 or 3 requests at a time.

6. Please don't be a silent reader! Don't be a stranger! Try to interact with my works whenever I post them. Please do leave me feedback and tell me your thoughts, if you feel like doing so. Feedback is one of the best and free ways to support your favorite content creators on tumblr

❀ If you're unsure about whether or not your request majorly crosses my guidelines, just ask and I'll let you know :)

Thank you for reading this! These rules are quintessential to my personal comfort and online safety. I greatly appreciate your cooperation in complying with these guidelines I've set.

»»———- Continue to my Does Not Write post, and read through the contents of that post before you send in a request ———-««

© gyuhanniescarat | 2023 - all rights reserved.

#⚠️: important info #request guidelines #request rules #❀。• *₊°。gyuhannies navi ❀°。 #💌🥰 navi #jessi.txt #gyuhannie.txt

[liquidluckdrabblechallenge]

Liquid Luck Drabble & Art Challenge | Survey Results

Hi!

First of all, a big thank you to the people that filled out the survey! ❤️

Here are the results! If you don’t feel like reading it all, scroll to the bottom and there are the results/changes in short.

1. Favourite / Least favourite prompts

The least favourite type of prompt turned out to be songs. I am not saying we will never have a song prompt again, because I still want to keep the option open for people to send in songs. But, because of it being the least favourite prompt, and phrases and quotes being one of the more popular prompts, I have decided to change things up.

From now on the prompt I post on the 16th won’t be ‘photo/art/song’, but ‘photo/art/song lyric’. Might sound like the same thing, but with song lyrics I mean one or two sentences. Say I pick Toxic by Britney Spears, the prompt could be for example ‘A guy like you should wear a warning’, or ‘ With a taste of your lips, I'm on a ride’. If you like the quote/phrase prompts, see it as a random quote/phrase, absolutely no need to use the actual song or its meaning as inspiration. If you like song prompts, definitely feel free to use the whole song as the prompt. Hopefully this gives you more of a choice! And feel free to send in any lyrics you’d like to see as a prompt (preferably just one or two sentences).

2. Do you want to be tagged when there’s a new prompt?

So turns out most of you see all of the prompts, so that’s good! No need for a tag list just yet. But if Tumblr decides to change things up again and you start missing prompts, let me know and we’ll see again if a tag list is needed.

3. Do you prefer an ongoing challenge (like the Liquid Luck Drabble & Art Challenge) or events with a deadline (like Liquid Luck Never Have I Ever / Liquid Luck Roll The Dice)?

Most people answered both. So we are definitely keeping the Drabble & Art Challenge, and we’ll still have some of our inbetween events. Also, most people didn’t seem to prefer either a 1-month challenge or a longer challenge. So as I’m planning events, I’ll figure out what works best for each challenge.

4.  Would you like to see another round of Liquid Luck Roll The Dice Challenge or Liquid Luck Never Have I Ever?

Answers were split between Roll The Dice, Never Have I Ever, neither and both. So seeing as Roll The Dice got the most answers for now, we are definitely doing another round of that. We’re actually pretty close to starting the Winter Edition, so keep an eye out for that! And as for the rest, we’ll figure it out later. Maybe we’ll do another Never Have I Ever, maybe not. Maybe we’ll find a new challenge. Who knows. 🤷

5.  What would be your preferred time of the year to have an event with a deadline?

Most people answered ‘I don’t care’, but a few people mentioned that they’d like there to be an option to combine it with other challenges. That is always an option for Liquid Luck challenges, so feel free to combine it with anything else you see (if the other mods are okay with it too). And the Winter Edition of Roll The Dice will be a longer challenge so hopefully it can be combined with a few other challenges over the coming months!

5. Any other thoughts?

I so appreciated your kind words, so thank you for that!! I also appreciated the negative feedback, and I will definitely take them on board. I’ve changed song prompts, I’m trying to plan things that are most liked. So hopefully that will make a small difference. There was, however, one comment I’m not sure what to do with. Maybe others can help out with this? People mentioned that there is just not enough interaction with het/gen works in this challenge. Now, I’m posting prompts and sharing this challenge everywhere I can think of, hoping that it will make people come to the blog and check out all the works. But, unfortunately there is indeed very little interaction (likes, reblogs etc.), and not just for gen/het works, but for 99% of the works. I have no idea what else I can do, so maybe I can ask people to share the works they like, or to share some prompts to hopefully help grow our little challenge and make more people come to the blog and check out the works? Or if anyone has other suggestions, definitely let me know! I don’t want people to create something and feel like it’s not appreciated, so if anyone has suggestions, please let me know.

In Short :

Song prompts will be song lyric prompts from now on, for now there will be no tag list, and a new round of Liquid Luck Roll The Dice is coming soon!

Thanks again, and if you have any other thoughts, feel free to let me know in a message or an (anonymous) ask.

❤️

#liquidluckdrabblechallenge

[sleeplessmidnight26]

1. How did you come up with your username and what does it mean?

2. Which fanfic of yours has the most feedback? (bookmarks/subscriptions/hits/kudos)

4. Do you have any regular/favourite commenters?

5. Is there a fanfic that you keep going back to read again and again?

7. Which AU do you find yourself writing the most?

9. Is there something you’d like to write about but are afraid of people judging you for it? (Feeling brave? If so, share it!)

10. Is there anything you would like to be better at? Writing certain scenes or genres, replying to comments, updating better, etc.

13. How many stories do you have saved in/with your writing program?

15. Have you ever co-authored a story?

16. How did you discover AO3?

17. Do you consider yourself to be a popular or famous author in your fandom(s) on AO3?

18. Do you have a nickname or fandom name for your readers?

19. Was there an author who inspired or encouraged you to write?

20. What writing advice would you give to a beginning author?

22. Have you ever gotten a bad comment on a story? If so, what did you do?

23. Is there a certain type of scene that you have a hard time writing? (action, smut, etc..)

24. What story(s) are you working on now?

27. Do you think you’ve improved as a writer since you first started?

28. What is your favorite story that you’ve written?

29. What is your least favorite story that you’ve written?

30. Where do you see yourself (as a writer) in 5 years?

1. SleeplessMidnight was just something I thought of because I can’t sleep at night I guess. 😅 seemed like a cool username and now it’s stuck haha.

2. Before He Cheats is the my most popular, it had the most response, probably because of the huge twist I threw in there.

4. (I assume this should be 3 but I’m keeping it 4 to keep from confusion) Yes I have a few regular commenters. I do love getting comments and try to respond to each one as quick as possible.

5. I do keep going back to read Love Me (With No Explanation).

If you’re talking about mine, I keep going back to read You’re Safe Now. Because this one is the most meaningful to me. It helped me work through the abusive relationship I had with my last job.

7. I guess I find myself writing AU no powers with Marvel. I have written other fandoms but haven’t posted them on my AO3 account. Or like AU somewhat along the canon storyline with my own twist.

9. Hmmm 🤔 I guess I’ve got some ideas for some stories. I’ve been thinking of a threesome kinda situation 🫣 also maybe like a torture scene. Both I haven’t written but low key want to.

10. I guess I’d like to be better at writing smut? 😅🫣 I feel like my writing on that isn’t good. Like every scene I write, I delete and re-write it. I’d also love to be able to upload more but life 🤷🏽‍♀️

13. Too many to count. Haha 😂 one day I’ll get around to uploading them.

15. I have not co-authored a story. But I would love to if the opportunity came up.

16. My cousin showed me. I originally started on fanfiction.net not anything that was good but I’m locked out of my account so I can’t get back to that.

17. I wouldn’t consider myself famous, although I do find it wild that I got so many requests. I’d say I’m becoming well known but I wouldn’t consider myself famous yet.

18. I don’t know what I would call my readers/fans (omg I have fans😳) but if anyone wants to name them, go for it 😅

19. Not really. I’ve always kind of wrote stories, it’s been my coping mechanism. I stopped for a while because I was battling self harm but I’m now six years free of SH.

20. Just write, don’t think about who’s going to read it or if it’s good. Just write what you want. You can go back to edit later.

22. I’ve gotten a couple. I just ignore it or kill it with kindness. One comment I didn’t even get a chance to respond to before another reader came to my aid.

23 Smut, I’m so self conscious that I’m writing it wrong. 🫣

24. I have so many. My first request. I’ve also got some ideas that I need to get too. I have too many WIPs that it’s a problem.

27. I definitely feel like I have, or I hope I have.

28. My favourite story I’ve written would probably be beautiful trauma. It’s very different focusing on such an age gap.

29. Unexpected True Mates. It’s my first omegaverse story and I feel like I’m butchering it. Probably why it’s taking me so long to finish it 🫣

30. Honestly, I have been thinking of writing an actual book and getting it published. So maybe I’ll work on that. But I don’t know who would read it. 🫣

Wow that’s quite the series of questions 😂 it’s still wild to me that I have fans and people that want to ask me questions. But I do enjoy the interaction. Which is why I love comments. 🫶🏽 thank you!

[scuopsie]

i usually keep my freak outs in the tags! rarely do i comment on the post directly in a reblog. i understand both sides though. for me, as a fic writer, i love feedback and reading someone’s thoughts. it doesn’t matter where they’re shared. this is the first time i’m hearing about accounts being blocked for this though. wow :o but valid. freedom to block whoever you want. i’m also not sure why i said reblogs specifically because sometimes i’ll make my own posts and end up talking to myself lol.

also, there’s definitely been a change with reblogging. it’s so evident and sad tbh. i’ve been on tumblr since 2014/15 and started writing fics in late 2016. however, i wrote for two other fandoms before discovering kpop, so i totally saw everything you said about interactions, discourse, huge accounts, relationships between mutuals etc, but in other spaces. it’s also interesting to read what you wrote about people heading to twitter. i’ve see the exact kind of posts you mentioned there, but i didn’t consider they might’ve left tumblr. the shift is also obvious when you see someone in your notifs who doesn’t have any reblogs. do you block those accounts? i never have, and idk if i should.

(that is another can of worms indeed. i used to be active on the shawn mendes side of tumblr (yikes lol🥴) and i remember feeling so intimidated by certain blogs. i feel that way a little bit now, but it’s no comparison to how it used to be)

cheers to all those anons. y’all amused the hell out of me. i still see some with similar energy these days… oh nostalgia

please... don't even get me started on fics... i never posted my fics on tumblr (onyl links to them) but even on Ao3 it's pretty much dead... if i didn't love writing so much I would never waste a second of my life writing with the number of feedback ppl nowadays give to ff authors. which is very little. yeah... some blogs were really weird about it. believe it or not one time a blog vague posted about me because I had tagged someone under their post (it was fantaken pics) and then they went on and on about how tagging ppl under their post messed with their notes. they were so rude... I ended up blocking them. like nope. i do not want that energy on my dash idc how many followers u have. but yeah personally I don't think that's something anyone really has the right to be mad about. this is a free website and people are free to do whatever they want (so long as it doesn't include any female body parts ofc *clown emoji*) and even if it mildly annoys me I never get that heated up over it and I definitely don't block bc of it slflsd

yeah I remember how intimidating big accounts used to be... and it feels like a lifetime ago when u think about it... maybe some people just... idk, grew out of the phase? I don't want to believe that ppl who used tumblr for years would move to twitter. it makes no sense. there are definitely people who just found other interests and left and thats normal. what's not normal is those people not being replaced... this stuff usually happens in a cycle. some people leave and some more join but I don't see anyone new around here. seriously, do u know a stan account who is new? literally everyone I know here has been here since I joined this fandom if not earlier.

edit: I forgot to answer to this one!!! abt empty blogs, I don’t usually check the blogs in my notes unless they look really sketcy (/are obv a p08n bot) but ive definitely seen blogs that are completely empty and even have the default icon and stuff. i usually leave them along and give them the benefit of the doubt. maybe they’re fans who don’t want to be active and post stuff and just want to consume and keep up with their faves.

#there's no way to know how many of ur followers are still active sadly #but i can confidently tell u that I got at least twice as much interaction last year when i had about half the amount of followers as now #if u go to my archive last year and filter 'ask' tag there will be A LOT of asks in each months archive #now? maybe 2-3 a month #and it's not like our ult aren't active #when i was a vixx stan blog vixx were active for about 2-3 months in totall in the 2 years i stanned them #and we still had a TON of interactions with our moots and the big accs #starlights would make content from old videos even when there wasn't any new content and we always had so much to make discourse about #monsta x too has so much content that if they stopped releasing content right now we'd still have years worth of content to talk about #they have SO MANY VARIETIES ITS INSANE #as i mentioned the other day i blame this on streaming culture too #people literally don't know how to have fun #they think everything they do has to in some way benefit the artist and that is so messed up #ask #anon

[liquidstar]

Woo!!! After forever I finally finished drawing this batch of ocs!!! I’m so excited to finally post them, it’s taken some real restraint to wait until they’re all done so I can post them as a set lol. Click on the pics for a better view!

But these are all the members of Pandemonium, aka The Grimdark Guild. A rival guild to the main cast, they’re literally all about the chaos, with more edgy darkly-inclined look to them they’ve sort of gained a reputation as being the gothic guild, but that might not hold equally true for all members. Still they all welcome the strange and macabre, and about expressing yourself in any way you see fit. Do whatever the fuck you want! It’s chaos! It’s Pandemonium baby! 

I’ll put info for each character under the cut, but as bullet points rather than a whole paragraph, since there’s 10 of them! I’ll put close-ups for each of them too because they’re hard to see

Name: Saturn

Name Origin: The planet of course! Which got it’s name from the Roman God of generation, dissolution, and wealth. 

Pronouns: He/him

Age: 36

Guild rank: Guildmaster

Weapon: Rings

Ethos (Power): Spatial direction. Control over the direction of objects with his rings.

Flaw power is based on: The meticulous controlling nature of his power is based on his own scheming nature.

Notes: His tactic for building up his guild is to cause absolute chaos everywhere else and so far it’s working.

Name: Porrima 

Name Origin: A binary star system named for a Roman Goddess of prophesy 

Pronouns: She/her

Age: 19

Guild rank: 4 star

Weapon: Gurz

Ethos (Power): Fortuity. Fortune telling, but her prophesies are often vague

Flaw power is based on: Her pessimistic and gloomy nature, she often interprets the fortunes in the worst way.

Notes: If you can make her smile she’ll be your best friend.

Name: Kari

Name Origin: A moon named for a figure from Norse mythology which represented wind (Which she runs like!)

Pronouns: She/her

Age: 17

Guild rank: 2 star

Weapon: Roller blades 

Ethos (Power): Alacrity. Enhanced speed and agility on her roller skates

Flaw power is based on: Her incredibly hyper demeanor. 

Notes: “But Finn those aren’t roller blades, they’re roller skates! Roller blades are-” She has knives in her shoes. They’re literally Roller blades.

Name: Vanth

Name Origin: A moon named after a psychopomp who guides the souls of the dead to the underworld.

Pronouns: They/them

Age: 25

Guild rank: 5 star

Weapon: Twin scythes

Ethos (Power): Decay. The ability to cause things to rot away by touch 

Flaw power is based on: Their ironic fear of impermanence

Notes: Listens to death metal lol. get it.

Name: Lyra

Name Origin: From the constellation Lyra the lyre. 

Pronouns: She/her

Age: 26

Guild rank: 4 star

Weapon: Lyre

Ethos (Power): Lullaby. She can influence people’s moods and abilities through her music. 

Flaw power is based on: Her soft overly-empathetic nature.

Notes: The heart of the guild, keeps everything together amidst the chaos.

Name: Valetudo

Name Origin: A moon named after the Latin word for fortitude. 

Pronouns: She/her

Age: 28

Guild rank: 4 star

Weapon: Guandao

Ethos (Power): Immutable will. She can lock objects in-place, including herself, basically becoming an immovable object

Flaw power is based on: Her stubbornness 

Notes: The holder of everyone’s braincells

Name: Hebe

Name Origin: An asteroid named after a Goddess of youth

Pronouns: He/him

Age: 13

Guild rank: 1 star

Weapon: Bladed yo-yo

Ethos (Power): Spacelink. Portal creation, only works in places he’s already been.

Flaw power is based on: His thirst for adventure and reckless youthful vigor

Notes: He’s literally just a kid he just wants to have fun

Name: Cerberus

Name Origin: An obsolete constellation named after the mythical 3-headed dog

Pronouns: He/they

Age: 23

Guild rank: 3 star

Weapon: Dadao sword

Ethos (Power): Trifold. He can make two clones of himself. 

Flaw power is based on: Their instance to handle any and all burdens themself. 

Notes: Dogboy (professionally diagnosed)

Name: Corvus

Name Origin: From the constellation of Corvus the Crow

Pronouns: He/him

Age: 28

Guild rank: 5 star

Weapon: Bec de corbin

Ethos (Power): Black Plume. He can control his feathers individual once they’re plucked off within a certain timeframe.

Flaw power is based on: His sacrificial nature, once they’ve fallen off they won’t go back on.

Notes: Thank you to the anime Princess Tutu for inspiring his vaguely bird-shaped hair.

Name: Alkes 

Name Origin: A star whose name means “Teacup”

Pronouns: He/him

Age: 14

Guild rank: 3 star

Weapon: Parasol

Ethos (Power): Open wound. Any cut made by his weapon will not stop bleeding until he wills it to, or you die.

Flaw power is based on: His harsh and malicious demeanor 

Notes: Also known as Pandemonium’s Vampire. Somehow the edgiest member of the guild despite his appearance. 

And if you made it this far I love you and I want to thank you by showing you this special picture taken of the guildmembers:

#finn's ocs #finn's art #oc references #yayayayayayayayayayayayayay i did it im so happy #i hope it was worth waiting this long to post!!! but maybe it will put more ppl off from interacting w it ;; idk #umm thats it :) i finally did it. #feel free to give me feedback and share your thoughts on any of them etc etc you know i live for interactions abt my head blorbos #even though theyre the ''edgy'' guild i based them all off of different types of alt fashion. some more loosely than others like #porrima is meant to be the emo one but her outfit is moreso like. an oracle. she has the bang tho #meanwhile others are more blunt like kari is obviously scene #alkes was based on lolita fashion and i COULD have gone with lolita goth for him but i chose not to #simply because i like the contrast of having the character with the most broken ability and gothic nickname be not what people expect #no one sees him coming its why hes so good at being the vampire #ah i could talk abt the choices i made for all their designs or more details abt their characters in general for paragraphs tho so like #im going to cut it off here bc i dont wanna tag ramble for too long BUT if anyone wants to send an ask feel free to!! #could be abt all of them or one specific one or just general comments or concerns or anything. like i said i love to hear it! ok byebye

[ggukkiereads]

ik ur on hobi lockdown rn but when u get the chance can u recommend some married bts fics? except the marriage is kind of on the rocks but it works out in the end. lmao this is rlly specific but i’m just craving it

🌷 LOL 😂 Since you're so nice that you noticed my Hobi Lockdown 😁, here are fics I remember with the scenario you mentioned. A lot of these I have yet to re-read so details might be hazy (so if I remember it as a happy ending but it actually isn't, please forgive me 😁). There are also recent fics that I haven't read yet so I probably missed a lot.

Marriage on the Rocks Type of Fics 

*updated - I just remembered some fics

Yoongi

I Feel You in my Heart @purpletaecup - ongoing series | divorce au. feat Jungkook | Angst ~ you can subscribe to the fic so you’re notified once there’s an update 🥰

Divorce @xjamlessparkx -  completed series [17/17] (read this long time ago but it has a happy ending...I think?)

Cut Me Open @hayjeon - two shot |  married au (but falling apart), medical au, surgeon au (spin off of the Jungkook fic Cardiovascular Palpitations) | A, F, S (i included this in the coworker yoongi rec list too!)

Away From You @personasintro - ongoing series [16/?] | divorce au

After the Honeymoon Fades @onherwings - one shot | okay, so they’re not really married but the way their relationship is written, feels like it is. It’s also one of my favorite on-the-verge-of-breaking-up fics and actually the first fic I thought of when I saw your ask 🥰 [author removed the fic on tumblr, added alt link]

Sticky Notes @threeletterslife - one shot | like LDR but they still live together (engaged) and they use sticky notes to communicate 😢

Honeymoon Horrors @/jimlingss - drabble but this is perfect! it’s actually funny too! yet there’s so much longing ugh. someone sent the author an ask what happened after the drabble so please read the follow-up imagine here

Jungkook

Jaded by chasinghorizons (ao3) - marriage tension ugh this is good and realistic. Also check Rain by nijoon

Second Chances @parkhabits - one shot | headed for divorce, estranged~ (I have to say it’s been so long since I’ve read this but I saw a note I made in 2018 with the ff. emojis: 😭😭😭🥰🥰 - so it ended well 😅)

Taking Chances @neonlights92 - one shot | arranged marriage but OC wants to dissolve arrangement | smutty tones 😉

Don’t Leave Me + part 2 @kpopmademyday -  two-part drabble | arranged marriage x jerk jungkook ~ okay, I’ve read this a long time ago so I don’t know if there are other drabbles. I just remember JK’s trying to make things work, there’s a park, someone threw water, etc.

Wherever There is You @vinterjeon -  one shot | marriage on the rocks | this is the first fic of the author I’ve read and then I binged on their ongoing fics after 🥰🥰

Arranged Marriage @yeontantrash - one shot | gang au,  arranged marriage but she keeps trying to leave him. fluffy ending 🥰 |

Thinning Thread @flowerwrites06 - one shot | divorce au | A, S, F (thank you dear author for reuploading this =))

Heartbreak Anniversary @pbandjk - drabble | about to divorce | exes who has to share bed during daughter’s birthday (OC’s parents didn’t know about the breakup) 

There’s a Jungkook fic I remember where they’re headed for divorce and OC went back in time to change the situation. It’s unavailable but if it gets reposted I’ll update this 😉.

Seokjin

Fall in Hatred @jimlingss - one shot | marriage au 

When the Sea Sleeps @taecalikook - one shot | starting to question their marriage which used to be ‘convenient’ before

We Go to War by seraphicserendipity [AO3] - series [9/9] | socialites, PR stunt marriage (👍)

Taehyung

Love is Not Over @rookiegukie -  uhm they’ve been divorced so it’s not exactly a marriage!au but I just want to recommend it lol

One Night Stand @sodoyouknowbts -  completed series + drabble (daddy!taehyung 🥰)  accidental pregnancy x got married but seems not working out

All This Stigma @army-author - two shot | 14.9k | fwb au, accidental pregnancy, arranged marriage 😭💖 (I love how angsty this is!)

Hoseok

Love Me Again @adoringjjk - one shot | CEO Hoseok

Dalliance @sugaurora - one shot | sort of cheating, but not really? | this is not even angsty, I swear. I read this on AO3 and found out author has tumblr too! You can follow on either platform

Most of my favorite Hoseok fics with this theme have been deleted or it didn’t end well (angsty ending) - if anyone has Hoseok fics to recommend, please feel free to share 🥰

Jimin

The Arrangement @kpoptart216 - series 14/14 | arranged marriage 

Of course, Faded Love by jamaisjoons which I probably included in every fic rec list. 

There’s another Jimin fic I can’t remember the title of 😭. Like they’re in the middle of divorce proceedings because she thinks he’s cheating on her and Namjoon is OC’s lawyer. It’s angsty then it turned smutty (help! if anyone knows this fic 😥) - UPDATE: I just remembered the fic. It's Gratuitous Redemption by minjoonalist but it's been deleted 😭

Namjoon

Stitches @glassbangtan - one shot | got married early 

Mad Passion has similar themes, I think? Not on the verge of breaking up but they need to fix some issues in their marriage.

🥰  Please note that the fics are NOT mine. Please show these authors love by reblogging their fics, giving them feedback, and engaging in any positive interaction you can think of! 

🌷 posted: 2021 Feb 19 | updated: 2021 May 16 (added Heartbreak Anniversary JJK)

#🌷 chats #asks #BTS fanfic #bts x reader #bts marriage au #bts divorce au #jungkook x reader #yoongi x reader #taehyung x reader #jimin x reader #hoseok x reader #seokjin x reader #none for namjoon x reader #bts angst #ggukkiereadingcollection #🌙 anon

[gwynrielweeksofficial]

Gwynriel Week Official Schedule

Hello everyone and welcome to the official page for Gwynriel week 2022! In this post I will be detailing the date and prompts, as well as any additional info! 

Rules

The only rule I have is that you remain respectful of other ships and characters in the ACOTAR fandom. Gwynriel week is meant to be a positive time where we bring up our ship and the characters, not tear down, insult, or disrespect others.

Date

After some feedback on when to host this event, I’ve decided that Gwynriel week will run from March 6-12 which I hope is enough time for everyone to prepare! 

Who can join?

This event is open to anyone and everyone! Users who have been here since the start of the Gwynriel community as well as new ones who have just found it are all able to participate in this appreciation week!

Content

When it comes to the content you can share to contribute to Gwynriel week, it really is up to you. Drabbles, artwork, moodboards, incorrect quotes, sharing book passages, music playlists, etc are all allowed! Whatever you feel most comfortable sharing is what you can do.

What to tag

If you would like your content to be seen/shared by this account, please tag @gwynrielweek2022 and #gwynriel week 2022! It’s both the easiest and fastest way for all of us to find Gwynriel Week content!

Prompts 

Day 1: Swooning like his Shadows

Gywnriel had many interactions in both A Court of Silver Flames and in the Azriel bonus chapter. Tell us your favourite interaction/moment between the two of them that made you swoon, just like Azriel’s shadows do for Gwyn. 

Day 2: Different yet Similar

Gwyn and Azriel have vastly different personalities with her being talkative and bubbly while he is quiet and moody. However, the two both share similar attributes of loyalty, drive, and passion. Highlight both the differences that make them stand apart and the similarities that bring them together. 

Day 3: Imagination Running Wild

All of us in the Gwynriel fandom have our own thoughts on how Azriel and Gwyn would interact with each other in all the stages of their relationship. Now is the time to let your thoughts run wild on the absolute gems these two are together through whatever headcanons you’d like!

Day 4: Lovers in every Lifetime

Would it really be an appreciation week without an AU day? Regardless of what universe they are in, we can all agree that Gwyn and Az would be perfect for each other. Share your idea of Gwynriel in any alternate universe you’d like!  

Day 5:  What the Future Holds

There are so many different theories that the Gwynriel fandom have for the upcoming books and what the future for the two of them looks like. Give your own contribution of a theory or build off of another one that you find your favourite!

Day 6: Song of Soulmates

Gwyn sings, Azriel sings, the Cauldron that decides mates sing, the mating bond sings- do you see where I’m going with this? Today is the day where we discuss the possibility of Gwynriel being mates and all that it may entail for the two! 

Day 7: Free for all

As the prompt says, this is a free day which means you can post whatever Gwynriel content you want. It could be just a random thought you had, an artwork you did, anything related to Gwynriel is allowed!

Questions and Concerns

If you have any questions at all pertaining to this event, don’t hesitate to message me either on here, my fandom account @cascadingmoon or dm the event Instagram account @/gwynrielweek2022 and my fandom Instagram account @/cascading.moon!

Thank you everyone for your interest in Gwynriel week and I cannot wait until it rolls around!

#gwynriel #gwynriel week 2022 #gwyn x azriel #azriel x gwyn #gwyneth berdara #gwyn berdara #azriel #acotar #acomaf #acowar #acofas #acosf

[enamouredfae]

♡ Pick a Card ♡

What does the person you have in mind think about you!

This is a short and sweet pick a card where I look to tell you how the person occupying your thoughts thinks about you. These can be things they want to say, but feel they can't; the feelings they have for you, the fears and the longings that have to do with you; perceptions of you, etc. This can be a specific person you know or someone you will meet in the future, it can even be a part of you. You can ask about your future spouse, love of your life, twin flame, soulmate, ex, friend, inner child, past self, etc.

Before picking a card ask and meditate on:

"What does [person] think about me?"

then intuitively pick the pile(s).

Disclaimer: I want to remind you that most of the messages are very open to interpretation, and the first "clear" meaning of the message isn't necessarily the right one for you. For example, "i know nothing about you" could mean that they don't recognize you anymore or that you don't share enough information about yourself, but it could also mean that this person is a stranger to you atm. Pick up on the nuance that feels right to you. If you feel like a card isn't accurate or does not resonate, you are most likely right. Don't take the reading as fact. Trust your intuition, and do tell me in the feedback the parts that feel right and the ones that feel wrong, I'd love to hear different interpretations on messages too!

This reading is for entertainment purposes only.

This is a timeless reading for the collective, therefore it is likely that some messages will not resonate with you. Please only take the messages that do! The messages that do not, are meant for somebody else. Remember that the future is never set in stone and that you possess free will! Love you! ♡

Pile 1 ✧ Leaf

leaving, fall, falling in love, drifting through life, lack of control, being pushed around, recipient, yin, withering away, slowly dying, depressed, walked over, easy-going.

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* ✧ *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧ ･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* ✧ *:･ﾟ✧

Who are you thinking about?

introvert | same age | taller | whip | book | 11 | 26 | 2 | 8

they could be someone you had an argument with or an argumentative person in general, intelligent, secretive, they may have a higher education and be seen as an expert in their field, there may be a power imbalance, dominant, disciplinary, manipulative, you may have written in your journal about them, there may be a secret involved in this connection, using sexuality as a tool of persuasion, coercion into kink/sexual situations, knowledgeable in sex, secret sexual relationship, you may learn a lot from them, they could be a teacher, sexy, they could be abusive please be careful, you may not know them yet or they could be hidden from you atm, thoughtful, critical.

8 might be their life path number. they may be born on the 26th or the 8th. themes of the 8th house in astrology might arise a lot in their life. they may have 8th house or Scorpio placements. you may have significant 8th house synastry.

11 might be their life path number. they may be born on the 11th. themes of the 11th house in astrology might arise a lot in their life. they may have 11th house or Aquarius placements. you may have significant 11th house synastry.

2 might be their life path number. they may be born on the 2nd. themes of the 2nd house in astrology might arise a lot in their life. they may have 2nd house or Taurus placements. you may have significant 2nd house synastry.

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* ✧ *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧ ･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* ✧ *:･ﾟ✧

What do they think about you?

"i wish you tried harder."

"you've outgrown me."

"right person, wrong time."

"your expectations are too high."

"is it because i remind you of them?"

"you didn't seem interested."

Pile 2 ✧ Key

key to one's heart, locked away, hidden, protected, only few can open, key tattoo, looking through the keyhole, looking withing, treasure, opening up to the world.

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* ✧ *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧ ･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* ✧ *:･ﾟ✧

Who are you thinking about?

ambivert | gray or blue eyes | younger | stars | moon | 16 | 32 | 7 | 5

divinely guided and blessed union, synchronicities are prevalent with this connection, feeling like the universe participated in you finding each other because of how unlikely or based on luck it feels, wish fulfillment, dreaming of/about each other, knowing immediately, being a muse, somebody well-liked in their job, popular, you may meet at night, you may know them from work or meet them on vacation, manifesting a person, feeling like a blessing to someone, hopeful, visionary, aquarius/cancer and/or 4th/11th house placements, 4th/11th house synastry, they may have a hidden side, famous, dream come true.

7 might be their life path number. they may be born on the 7th or the 16th. themes of the 7th house in astrology might arise a lot in their life. they may have 7th house or Libra placements. you may have significant 7th house synastry.

5 might be their life path number. they may be born on the 5th. themes of the 5th house in astrology might arise a lot in their life. they may have 5th house or Leo placements. you may have significant 5th house synastry.

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* ✧ *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧ ･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* ✧ *:･ﾟ✧

What do they think about you?

"i find pieces of you everywhere i look."

"our love is what movies, books, and songs are written about."

"please start putting yourself first."

"i don't know if i want to be near you, or to be you."

"i play the song that reminds me of you."

"i'm manifesting you."

Pile 3 ✧ Fleur de Lys / Lily

french, royal, pure, faithful, gardner, gold, feeling reborn, motherhood, 100 years of love, fertility, strong morals, growth, in bloom, spring/summer/fall, not a cat person.

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* ✧ *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧ ･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* ✧ *:･ﾟ✧

Who are you thinking about?

different ethnicity/nationality | blonde | tattoos and/or piercings | man | lily | 28 | 30 | 10 | 1 | 3

they may identify as male, or embody a lot of masculine/yang energy, they may be older than you, very peaceful, you may feel like you can tell them any secret because they are very discreet, they may feel or describe themselves as a "grandpa/grandma" or dress like one, they may be very mature, they might've had to grow up fast, they can feel very serene and like a safe space, they could be the "calm" friend that you just recharge with, enjoying each other's company in silence, they may remind you of your grandpa/grandma, they may be a mentor, they may often talk out of experience or randomly say something very wise.

1 might be their life path number. they may be born on the 28th, the 10th, or the 1st. themes of the 1st/10th house in astrology might arise a lot in their life. they may have 1st/10th house or Aries/Capricorn placements. you may have significant 1st/10th house synastry.

3 might be their life path number. they may be born on the 30th or the 3rd. themes of the 3rd house in astrology might arise a lot in their life. they may have 3rd house or Gemini placements. you may have significant 3rd house synastry. ✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* ✧ *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧ ･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* ✧ *:･ﾟ✧

What do they think about you?

"i'm scared of being vulnerable."

"i don't feel the same way you do."

"if we're lucky."

"i always check your horoscope too."

"you're romanticizing toxic things."

"you're my safe space."

Pile 4 ✧ Knot

balanced, harmonious, interconnected, interlaced fingers, hair knots, sacred geometry, synchronicity, self-sufficient, symmetry lover, 444, four-leaf clover.

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* ✧ *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧ ･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* ✧ *:･ﾟ✧

Who are you thinking about?

green or hazel eyes | older | colourful hair | rider | child | 1 | 13 | 4

they may be a mailman or a delivery person, incredible conversations that can change your perspective on things, immature, naive, happy inner child, enjoys simple things, young, may be a student atm or when you meet, appears into your life with a new beginning, or causes a new beginning, they may be a very trusting person, could literally be a child (under 18), could come with huge announcement, constantly changing, unpredictable, hyper, could have a child together, may have met them during some sort of visit, helping them grow, may see you as a child, trustworthy.

1 might be their life path number. they may be born on the 1st. themes of the 1st house in astrology might arise a lot in their life. they may have 1st house or Aries placements. you may have significant 1st house synastry.

4 might be their life path number. they may be born on the 13th or the 4th. themes of the 4th house in astrology might arise a lot in their life. they may have 4th house or Cancer placements. you may have significant 4th house synastry.

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* ✧ *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧ ･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* ✧ *:･ﾟ✧

What do they think about you?

"i know nothing about you."

"i want us to grow old together."

"cupid ran out of arrows when it came to us."

" i still think about you, i can't let you go."

"i'm obsessed with you and it's not pretty."

"i write you in my daydreams."

Pile 5 ✧ Fork

forks from twilight, great cook, picky eater, a pick-me-up, eating with a specific fork, collecting forks, separation, falling/sliding through the cracks, bifurcation, neptune.

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* ✧ *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧ ･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* ✧ *:･ﾟ✧

Who are you thinking about?

brunette | straight or wavy hair | extrovert | woman | dog | 29 | 18 | 11 | 2 | 9

they may identify as female, or embody a lot of feminine/yin energy, friendship, loyal, dependable and helpful, humble, "bitch", may be very compassionate but also may be inclined to pitying people, may be a person who is blindly loyal to people that do not deserve their loyalty and love, "we accept the love we think we deserve", very giving and loves giving, golden retriever as a person, supportive, could be codependent, animal lover, a person in your friend group, or any group you belong in, wants to receive love, but even when they don't, they still give the other person their all, requires a lot of attention, athletic, active, optimistic, feels the need to help and people please because they feel like that's the only way they'll deserve love.

11 might be their life path number. they may be born on the 29th or the 11th. themes of the 11th house in astrology might arise a lot in their life. they may have 11th house or Aquarius placements. you may have significant 11th house synastry.

2 might be their life path number. they may be born on the 2nd. themes of the 2nd house in astrology might arise a lot in their life. they may have 2nd house or Taurus placements. you may have significant 2nd house synastry.

9 might be their life path number. they may be born on the 18th or the 9th. themes of the 9th house in astrology might arise a lot in their life. they may have 9th house or Sagittarius placements. you may have significant 9th house synastry.

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* ✧ *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧ ･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* ✧ *:･ﾟ✧

What do they think about you?

"please don't break my heart."

"i hate us."

"you're one more reason for me to stay."

"you hurt me."

"it's like I'm looking in a mirror."

"our relationship isn't balanced."

Pile 6 ✧ Dolphin

swimmer, psychic, sensitive to one's environment, perceptive, being able to read people easily, intuitive, protective, paranoid, healing, freedom, in tune with emotions.

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* ✧ *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧ ･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* ✧ *:･ﾟ✧

Who are you thinking about?

LGBTQIA2S+ | brown or black eyes | shorter | key | garden | 33 | 20 | 6 | 2

they may be the key to your social climbing, you may meet them at a party or social gathering, you may meet them when celebrating smth or in a venue, they may be very social and inviting, open-minded, party person, they are very important to you, they feel like a revelation, they may make you realize smth about yourself, opening lots of doors, they will reveal their secrets to you and vice-versa, they will open you to a whole new social group, opening up to the world, they may hold the key to your soul-tribe, one of the few people who could open you up, they see right through the facade you show the world, hidden treasure in a crowd.

3 or 6 might be their life path number. they may be born on the 6th. themes of the 6th house in astrology might arise a lot in their life. they may have 6th house or Virgo placements. you may have significant 6th house synastry.

2 might be their life path number. they may be born on the 20th or the 2nd. themes of the 2nd house in astrology might arise a lot in their life. they may have 2nd house or Taurus placements. you may have significant 2nd house synastry.

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* ✧ *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧ ･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* ✧ *:･ﾟ✧

What do they think about you?

"i've outgrown you."

"i'm longing for your touch."

"i won't change for you."

"i wish you knew how much you've helped me."

"stop trying to change me."

"together for a good time, not a long time."

Thank you for reading! Love you all.♡

You can buy me a coffee if you feel called to do so! This is never necessary, but always appreciated! ♡

#4:44 #i hope you all enjoy!!! #take what resonates #pick a card #pick a pile #fortune telling #divination #cartomancy #tarot cards #collective reading #collective tarot reading #collective oracle reading #free tarot reading #free oracle reading #tarot #tarotreading #oracle #oracle cards #love reading #oracles #witchcraft #enamouredfaepickacard #enamouredfae

[thevalleyisjolly]

Hi there! If you feel up to it, would you be willing to expand a bit more on the idea of white creators creating poc characters who are ‘internally white’, especially in a post-racialized or racism-free setting & how to avoid it? It’s something I’m very concerned about but I haven’t encountered a lot of info about it outside of stories set in real world settings. Thanks & have a good day!

Hey, thanks for asking, anon!  It’s a pretty nuanced topic, and different people will have different takes on it.  I’ll share my thoughts on it, but do keep in mind that other people of colour may have different thoughts on the matter, and this is by no means definitive!  These are things I’ve observed through research, trial and error, my own experiences, or just learning from other writers.

The first thing I guess I want to clarify is that I personally am not opposed to a society without racism in fiction.  It’s exhausting and frankly boring when the only stories that characters of colour get are about racism!  So it’s a relief sometimes to just get to see characters of colour exist in a story without dealing with racism.  That being said, I feel like a lot of the time when creators establish their settings as “post-racial,” they avoid racism but they also avoid race altogether.  Not aesthetically -they may have a few or even many characters with dark skin- but the way the characters act and talk and relate to the world are “race-less” (which tends to end up as default white American/British or whatever place the creator comes from).  Which I have complicated thoughts on, but the most obvious thing that springs to mind is how such an approach implies (deliberately or not) that racism is all there is to the way POC navigate the world.  It’s definitely a significant factor, particularly for POC in Western countries, but it’s not the only thing!  There’s so much more to our experiences than just racial discrimination, and it’s a shame that a lot of “post-racial” or “racism-free” settings seem to overlook that in their eagerness to not have racism (or race) in their stories.

A quick go-to question I ask when I look at characters of colour written/played by white creators is: if this was a story or transcript I was reading, with no art or actors or what have you, would I be able to tell that this character is a character of colour?  How does the creator signal to the audience that this is a character of colour?  A lot of the time, this signal stops after the physical description - “X has dark skin” and then that’s all!  (We will not discuss the issue of racial stereotypes in depth, but it should be clear that those are absolutely the wrong way to indicate a character of colour).

This expands to a wider issue of using dark skin as a be-all-end-all indication of diversity, which is what I mean by “aesthetic” characters of colour (I used the term “internally white” originally but upon further reflection, it has some very loaded implications, many of which I’m personally familiar with, so I apologize for the usage).  Yes, the character may not “look” white, but how do they interact with the world?  Where do they come from?  What is their background, their family?  A note: this can be challenging with diaspora stories in the real world and people being disconnected (forcibly or otherwise) from their heritage (in which case, those are definitely stories that outsiders should not tell).  So let’s look at fantasy.  Even the most original writer in the world bases their world building off existing things in the real world.  So what cultures are you basing your races off of?  If you have a dark skinned character in your fantasy story, what are the real world inspirations and equivalents that you drew from, and how do you acknowledge that in a respectful, non-stereotyped way?

(Gonna quickly digress here and say that there are already so many stories about characters of colour disconnected from their heritage because ‘They didn’t grow up around other people from that culture’ or ‘They moved somewhere else and grew up in that dominant culture’ or ‘It just wasn’t important to them growing up’ and so on.  These are valid stories, and important to many people!  But when told by (usually) white creators, they’re also used, intentionally or not, as a sort of cop-out to avoid having to research or think about the character’s ethnicity and how that influences who they are.  So another point of advice: avoid always situating characters outside of their heritage.  Once or twice explored with enough nuance and it can be an interesting narrative, all the time and it starts being a problem)

Another thing I want to clarify at this point is that it’s a contentious issue about whether creators should tell stories that aren’t theirs, and different people will have different opinions.  For me personally, I definitely don’t think it’s inherently bad for creators to have diverse characters in their work, and no creator can live every experience there is.  That being said, there are caveats for how such characters are handled.  For me personally, I follow a few rules of thumb which are:

Is this story one that is appropriate for this creator to tell?  Some experiences are unique and lived with a meaningful or complex history and context behind them and the people to whom those experiences belong do not want outsiders to tell those stories.

To what extent is the creator telling this story?  Is it something mentioned as part of the narrative but not significantly explored or developed upon?  Does it form a core part of the story or character?  There are some stories that translate across cultures and it’s (tentatively) ok to explore more in depth, like immigration or intergenerational differences.  There are some stories that don’t, and shouldn’t be explored in detail (or even at all) by people outside those cultures.

How is the creator approaching this story and the people who live it?  To what extent have they done their research?  What discussions have they had with sensitivity consultants/readers?  What kind of respect are they bringing to their work?  Do they default to stereotypes and folk knowledge when they reach the limits of their research?  How do they respond to feedback or criticism when audiences point things that they will inevitably get wrong?

Going back to the “race-less” point, I think that creators need to be careful that they’re (respectfully) portraying characters of colour as obvious persons of colour.  With a very definite ‘no’ on stereotyping, of course, so that’s where the research comes in (which should comprise of more than a ten minute Google search).  If your setting is in the real world, what is the background your character comes from and how might that influence the way they act or talk or see the world?  If your setting is in a fantasy world, same question!  Obviously, avoid depicting things which are closed/exclusive to that culture (such as religious beliefs, practices, etc) and again, avoid stereotyping (which I cannot stress enough), but think about how characters might live their lives and experience the world differently based on the culture or the background they come from.

As an example of a POC character written/played well by a white person, I personally like Jackson Wei and Cindy Wong from Dimension 20’s The Unsleeping City, an urban fantasy D&D campaign.  Jackson and Cindy are NPCs played by the DM, Brennan Lee Mulligan, who did a good job acknowledging their ethnicity without resorting to stereotypes and while giving them their own unique characters and personalities.  The first time he acted as Cindy, I leapt up from my chair because she was exactly like so many old Chinese aunties and grandmothers I’ve met.  The way Jackson and Cindy speak and act and think is very Chinese (without being stereotyped), but at the same time, there’s more to their characters than being Chinese, they have unique and important roles in the story that have nothing to do with their ethnicity.  So it’s obvious that they’re people of colour, that they’re Chinese, but at the same time, the DM isn’t overstepping and trying to tell stories that aren’t his to tell.  All while not having the characters face any racism, as so many “post-racialized” settings aim for, because there are quite enough stories about that!

There a couple factors that contribute to the positive example I gave above.  The DM is particularly conscientious about representation and doing his research (not to say that he never messes up, but he puts in a lot more effort than the average creator), and the show also works with a lot of sensitivity consultants.  Which takes me to the next point - the best way to portray characters of colour in your story is to interact with people from that community.  Make some new friends, reach out to people!  Consume media by creators of colour!  In my experience so far, the most authentic Chinese characters have almost universally been created/written/played by Chinese creators.  Read books, listen to podcasts, watch shows created by people of colour.  Apart from supporting marginalized creators, you also start to pick up how people from that culture or heritage see themselves and the world, what kind of stories they have to tell, and just as importantly, what kind of stories they want being told or shared.  In other words, the best way to portray an authentic character of colour that is more than just the colour of their skin is to learn from actual people of colour (without, of course, treating them just as a resource and, of course, with proper credit and acknowledgement).

Most importantly, this isn’t easy, and you will absolutely make mistakes.  I think the most important thing to keep in mind is that you will mess up.  No matter how well researched you are, how much respect you have for other cultures, how earnestly you want to do this right, you will at some point do something that makes your POC audience uncomfortable or even offends them.  Then, your responsibility comes with your response.  Yes, you’ve done something wrong.  How do you respond to the people who are hurt or disappointed?  Do you ignore them, or double down on your words, or try to defend yourself?  Just as importantly, what are you planning to do about it in the future?  If you have a second chance, what are you going to do differently?  You will make mistakes at some point.  So what are you going to do about them?  That, I think, is an even more important question than “How can I do this right?”  You may or may not portray something accurately, but when you get something wrong, how are you going to respond?

Essentially, it all comes down to your responsibility as a creator.  As a creator, you have a responsibility to do your due diligence in research, to remain respectful to your work and to your audience, and to be careful and conscientious about how you choose to create things.  It’s not about getting things absolutely perfect or being the most socially conscious creator out there, it’s about recognizing your responsibilities as a creator with a platform, no matter how big or small, and taking responsibility for your work. 

In summary:

Research, research, research

Avoid the obvious no-no’s (stereotypes, tokenization, fetishization, straight up stealing from other cultures, etc) and think critically about what creative choices you’re making and why

Do what you’re doing now, and reach out to people (who have put themselves out there as a resource).  There are tons of resources out there by people of colour, reach out when you’re not sure about something or would like some advice!

Responsibility, responsibility, responsibility

Thank you for reaching out!  Good luck with your work!

#the valley is posting #thanks anon! #writing advice #hope this helps! if another POC has something to add - please go ahead!