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commander-hanji-zoe · 4 years

Note

Do you have any headcanons on veterans x reader on quarantine lockdown headcanons. Baking, Reading, Exercising?

Ohhhh I have so many! Thank you for this ask ❤️ One of these days I’ll master the art of answering a head canon question quickly and with shorter answers. But today is not the day! There’s a few nsfw bits under the cut. This is over 3k words....how??

Mike

Mike is fond of long lay-ins, it’s what he lives for at the weekend. He loves you so much and enjoys nothing more than being comfy and snuggly under a duvet with you. Eating breakfast, watching Netflix, just chilling and enjoying one another’s company. So during lock down there’s gonna be a lot of time in comfy PJ’s lazing around in bed.

Mike loves cooking and cooking shows! The two of you have a date night once a week where you cook together. You always light some candles, listen to jazz and have a glass of wine or two while cooking. One week you try making your own sushi, the next it’s Jamaican curry, then it’s pizza night! Trying new things is something you both love (both in and out of the bedroom *cough* more on that later.

When restrictions are eased a little and you’re allowed to sit outside/drive for exercise, the two of you take a long countryside drive together and find a quiet secluded spot where you can sit and have a picnic and watch the clouds go by.

I see Mike as a guitar kinda guy, so he’ll teach you if you don’t play and if you do, the two of you will enjoy spending some time writing songs together and playing along to your favourite rock and indie tunes.

You enjoy watching live acoustic gigs and concerts which are being streamed by artists and comedians etc. Mike encourages you to get dressed up with him, you have drinks while watching and often end up dancing as if you were at a gig in person.

Binge listening to podcasts together ‘The Magnus Archive,’ ‘Welcome to Nightvale’ and ‘MaMbBam’ being favourites.

Star-gazing. Sitting outdoors at night, during the day the two of you will spend time in your garden but it’s night time you really enjoy it the most. Sitting outside on a blanket and with another over you, you make sure all the lights inside are turned off so you can enjoy watching the stars, moon, planets, satellites etc above you. You often have a glass of wine or a cocktail as you sit out there, sometimes you fall asleep in Mike’s arms so he’ll carry you up to bed.

Finally Mike is very good at giving you personal space, while he loves taking up new hobbies with you and spending time doing things you love together, he also knows you both need your space. It makes the time you do spend together so much sweeter.

Erwin

Even though you don’t need to go out to work, Erwin is still up early. When he wakes he showers and then prepares for the day by making you both a delicious breakfast. Think poached eggs, grapefruit, french toast, yoghurt and fruit etc. He likes listening to the radio over watching TV first thing in the morning so you have that on for a bit.

You enjoy daily workouts together (with Saturday or Sunday off). Erwin takes them unsurprisingly seriously, however, he does make them fun. The two of you will have little competitions with one another and Erwin creates a workout playlist for you - it’s an eclectic mix and includes songs that you both end up singing along to.

Erwin loves to play the Piano but due to his work he only usually touches it a few times a month if that. With lockdown he starts playing daily, there’s a few times when you wake up and he’s already practising - it really is beautiful. Sometimes if he knows you’re watching he may stop playing, or at least change what he’s playing to something you know so you can sing along or join in. If you’re quiet though you can stand in the door for 5-10 minutes without him realising and he’ll continue to play classical music.

As well as the home workouts you try to go out once a week for a run, as much as Erwin just wants to get on he would never leave you behind if you’re struggling to keep up and will wait for you (he’s a gentleman after all).

Canvas painting, sometimes Erwin struggles with getting out or showing his emotions, after doing virtual tours of art galleries online you suggest ordering a canvas, some acrylic paint and palette knives. It’s amazing the level of emotion you see pour out of yourself and Erwin onto the canvas, it’s incredibly therapeutic so you order more canvasses.

The two of you really enjoy binge watching documentary shows - you know the second Tiger King came out Erwin was all over that. There’s this side to Erwin that not everyone gets to see, or at least when they do it’s very rare. But during lockdown you get to experience it more frequently, he really does have a great sense of human and likes to have fun. While he enjoys documentaries about WW2, science (Unabomber: in his own words is also on the list) things like Tiger King, Dark Tourist and Louis Theroux docs are also a guilty pleasure.

The two of you will spend some evenings laying chess by candle light with a glass of whiskey.

Levi

I feel to say that you’ll be cleaning a lot is a little obvious and I actually think that for the most part Levi would prefer to crack on with that on his own - it gives him peace of mind and it’s something he has control over. He enjoys it

Together however, expect DIY Projects or painting/decorating. There’s things the two of you have talked about doing for ages and never gotten round to, now you have the perfect excuse. From painting a feature wall in your living quarters to making a little step wooden step ladder for the garden that you can put potted plants on. The two of you use your time to get creative around the home.

Dancing - the form of fitness you decide to take up is dance. At first Levi scoffs at the idea but then when he realises what a work out it actually is and how much strength and flexibility is required for some of the tutorials you’re following, he’s game. The two of you end up choreographing a dance together - it’s super cute (and hot in places - oops)

You’re the kind of couple others are jealous of because you just work so well together, spending the perfect amount of time doing things together and apart.

Being a lover of tea, Levi decides to educate you on the many different types by subscribing to a ‘tea lovers’ subscription box. You take the time to sit with him and really enjoy each tea, just talking with no noise from the radio or TV.

Levi likes to put together tapas or cheese tasting boards, he chooses the food for the main, you put together a starter or dessert and pick the wine that goes with the flavours he’s mixing. Together it’s like a perfect harmony. You set the table, light candles, listen to jazz and it’s almost as if you’re at one of your favourite restaurants.

Watching Horror movies, you’ve probably seen every horror movie on Netflix, Amazon Prime etc. which is available to stream come the end of lockdown. Horror was actually how you met, you were at the cinema to see ‘Hereditary’ and none of your friends wanted to come with you so you went alone. Levi and his friends (the other vets) were in the same screen and sat next to you. So now Levi is strangely sentimental about horror movies. There’s cuddling up under blankets in the living room and plenty of popcorn along with movie themed cocktails.

Video calls to your friends, you do more of the talking but Levi sits by you throughout and occasionally joins in. He’s loathed to admit it but he really likes seeing everyone’s faces and hearing their voices.

Moblit

Moblit has a large collection of puzzles, a few were completed when he was younger but a lot of them aren’t. He used to get frustrated with them but always wanted to finish them so he could frame them and put them up around the house. When lockdown happened you think it’s the perfect opportunity for the two of you to work on them together and help him out. Turns out it’s actually a lot of fun and a pretty good was

Baking! You both love the Great British Bake Off, before lock-down you were always talking about how you wanted to give the recipes a try but of course something else always came along. Now lockdown is the perfect excuse to order some ingredients online and get baking! The kitchen often looks like a mess, Moblit gets flour on his face and even in his hair? You don’t know how it happens but you have a lot of fun doing it and hey what you bake usually turns out pretty good.

Subscribes to Disney+ the second it comes out - and the two of you binge watch your favourite Disney movies singing along to them (I get the impression Moblit would be a huge Hercules and Moana fan).

Watching Avengers Infinity War together and later on in the evening he turns to you and just says, “I love you 3000.”

Bike rides through the countryside (as long as it’s close to home of course and you can stay safe!)

You watch art shows together (like the still life drawing classes on TV or Grayson Perry’s art class). Shows which have been made specifically now for lockdown to help inspire people to take up new hobbies. Both of you are pretty inexperienced at art or drawing so you have a lot of fun watching the shows, following the instructions and seeing where your hand and pencil lead you. You both end up discovering your own unique style of drawing - this inevitably ends up doing a still life of one another (more on this later).

Hange

Hange really struggles with lockdown, it makes them feel pretty anxious and they hate not being able to be out and about exploring/doing their job/learning new things etc. So Hanji needs quite a bit of love and looking after, care packages for the two of you go a long way so you order nice things in the early days of lock down. Hanji’s eyes light up when you hand them what you’ve ordered.

Loads of gaming, you both enjoying exploring other worlds along with fantasy so everything from World of Warcraft, Skyrim, The Outer Worlds, Outer Wilds to the Final Fantasy games, The Witcher and Assassin’s Creed are all up your street. Sometimes you play alone, sometimes you watch one another play while reading magazines. Often when playing WOW you play together and share a mount, heading into raids together and working as a team. It’s not as good as being outside and exploring the world for real but it’s pretty close.

Loads of movie marathons with enough sweets to make you sick, especially the gummy kind like Haribo.

Hange - Arguments over who loves who more, it’s usually in the middle of a TV show that you’ve been really invested in but now with the impending end of the world, it’s so easy to get distracted. The ‘arguments’ usually end up in pillow fights and just laying in one another’s arms in silence.

Home made science experiments - yup, you knew this was coming. There’s so much you can try at home with simple house hold ingredients. Hange also orders kits online so you end up growing your own crystals (not the drug kind lol), making your own ‘volcano’, making slime, dying flowers etc. At first you rolled your eyes when Hanji suggested it but actually it turns out to be a lot of fun and it’s pretty interesting, so you end up learning something. Hanji also orders DIY Sweet kits which are as fun to make as they are to eat.

When it comes to heading outside to clap for key workers the two of you are gonna be dressed up to make the children smile. You’ll be banging pots and pans or possibly have a kazoo or tambourine.

Nanaba

There’s loads of Gardening, it’s something the two of you always liked but found you didn’t have the time you needed to commit to it as much as you’d have liked.

Cuddling on the grass in your garden, rolling around enjoying the sunshine and sun-bathing side by side.

The work out of choice for the two of you is yoga. You light incense and some candles as well as listening to mediation music and just take some time out to be alone with your thoughts - together. You both agree that stretching really helps you especially where you’re working from home, it’s so easy to get back ache!

The two of you love dancing

Nanaba decides to take up quilting and crochet. It’s something her mother and elder sister taught her how to do but is practically a forgotten hobby. You help one another to remember the basics and decide to make a giant patchwork quilt for your sofa. You work on it together so that there’s a part of both of you in it, you take inspiration from your garden and the world around you, even though it’s a lot smaller than it was before. If either of you prick your finger the other is there to kiss it better.

Preparing relaxing baths for one another, you enjoy much of the bath on your own but sometimes the other will sit on the toilet and read aloud or just come in for a chat. Lockdown makes you more open with one another than you were before.

Getting into bed early before the sun has set, you keep the curtains open so you can watch the sky turn orange. Plenty of time in bed means you have time to binge watch the latest TV shows and not feel guilty about it if you have work the next day.

Witchy things - tarot card readings, candle magic, little rituals in the garden and kitchen witch magic like making dandelion honey or moon spell cookies.

Below are a few nsfw thoughts (I didn’t write many but a couple kept bouncing around in my mind).

Erwin -

Sex first thing in the morning, the kind of lazy, sleepy sex that the two of you dream of having but never have time before work. Now, you do and Erwin intends to make the most of it.

Also shower sex, sometimes this follows the sex in the morning so by the time you finish work you’re already feeling tired. Often it follows the workouts you do and it doesn’t take either of you long to cum seeing as watching one another get sweaty and flex muscles - the tension is unbelievable.

If you get too distracted during the work day, either by Erwin or TV (or if you distract Erwin too much) they’ll be punishments in the form of spanking and rough sex from behind, hair pulling and all. It’s the first time you find yourself wanting to be punished.

Levi

Sex in spaces you’ve just cleaned, it’s sort of a punishment if you back-talk him as he’ll make you clean up afterwards. Secretly he loves dirtying the sheets, it’s almost like an ultimate fantasy for someone who is so clean and neat, but he really has to be in the right mood for that.

Lockdown is a chance for the two of you to explore some of the sexual fantasies you’ve discussed but never tried from light bondage (to start) and role-play.

Switching, in your relationship neither one of you is particularly the dominant or submissive one continuously, rather you enjoy switching, but when you are in the role you both take it seriously. Now you’re in lockdown and it’s easy to get bored, you both agree to really extent the roles on the day you’re both in the mood, you could lead Levi round on a leash and collar all afternoon and he won’t complain.

Mike

Checking in on you as you’re working and trying to convince you lunch break sex is definitely a thing that will help you concentrate on your important presentation in your afternoon video conference. But of course he leaves you a bit of a mess and without a minute to spare so you appear on camera looking like you’ve been dragged through a hedge backwards.

With Mike there’s also a lot of time to get creative in the bedroom, you have longer in the evening to take your time exploring one another and discovering new positions you’d never have thought possible.

When lockdown goes on much longer than anticipated Mike decides to turn up the creativity a notch. A rather large unmarked parcel arrives containing a latex bed sheet and sex swing, so you know you’re not going to be getting a lot of sleep for a while.

Moblit

Kisses that last for hours, the kind that start innocently and slowly you find yourself getting worked up and wanting more but Moblit continues to tease with those kisses and will pretend he has no idea why you’re worked up. However he does go weak at the knees if you praise him so that’s usually the way to get what you want.

The still life drawings of one another start off fully clothed and very quickly become nude studies. You can only take it seriously for so long before he pounces on you or you on him and it’s like ‘that’ scene from Titanic within minutes.

Endless, almost excruciating foreplay.

Hanji

Has always liked to have fun in bedroom, with lockdown it’s more of an excuse to dress up and play around, I’m thinking teacher & student or Doctor/nurse & patient. Hanji really gets into the role.

Science experiments continue to the bedroom, you decide to give the whole electro-stim thing a go.

Also with the DIY sweet kits there’s also a little left, so popping candy, expanding foam candy and more are used to adorn your bodies - it doesn’t stay on long as the combination of candy and sex is too irresistible to leave alone.

Nanaba

Sex outdoors, your garden is pretty secluded. It was something you talked about doing a lot but always found your weekends were too busy with friends and others that you just never got round to it. There’s grass stains on your knees and your clothes and you’d both wear them with pride outside the house if you could.

Bath tub sex, even if it’s a little uncomfortable it’s so intimate and personal that you don’t care how much of a mess you make or how many bruises you end up with. Lockdown hits you both hard mentally and bath tub sex is a way of feeling better and cleansed.

There’s also a chance for some sex magic which involves wax play, again, something new you’d thought about for a while and now you both just wanted something to make you feel alive.

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wilwheaton · 4 years

Note

Would you be willing to donate your voice talents to an indie podcast for an episode or two? Should we contact your agents or would you be willing to handle it on your own? (The voice actors don't get paid as most of us are doing for the love of it and what money we do make has thus far gone into promotion and production costs.) At the very least, would you be willing to listen to the show and mention it on social media if you like it?

I love that you asked me, and I’m going to give you an answer in public that I hope doesn’t turn too many people off: I *love* that you are being creative and making amazing new art. That is wonderful, and I wish you all the success in the world. When I was younger, I did projects like yours all the time and I loved it.

But I can’t be part of this for you, and I want to explain why.

I get asked all the time to donate my work, my time, my experience, etc., to projects, and I always have to decline. It’s not because I don’t believe in you, or want to support you. It’s because I’m working full-time as it is, and any spare time, energy, or creative inspiration I have really needs to go into my own projects, as I continue to build my career as a voice performer, narrator, and (hopefully) novelist.

I don’t feel your ask is unreasonable, at all, and I’m *thrilled* you had the courage to reach out. I’m also honored to be thought of as someone you want to work with. I hope you understand the practical realities of my life, and I hope you aren’t put off by my need to decline your kind invitation.

As to your final question, I rarely listen to podcasts these days, and I struggle to make time to listen to audiobooks. You can send me a link when it’s done, and I’ll make an effort to give you feedback, but I can’t promise anything.

I wish you the best of luck! I hope you’re the next Welcome To Nightvale.

#cptbane

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nat-20s · 4 years

Text

i woke up at 4:30 in the morning with this messy meta about the comparative horror styles of welcome to nightvale vs the magnus archives and how i like them both very much this is not a one is better than the other post because they’re DIFFERENT but also why, personally, nightvale has freaked me out more than TMA (the magnus archives- im gonna use the abbreviation from now on and in scientific papers u gotta ESTABLISH the acronym and it’s actually kind of annoying bc they’ll establish it ONCE in the abstract and then never say what XJFEFJDOSM or whatever stands for again so if ur like wait WHAT was that again u gotta scroll all the way back up and it’s a whole thing but I digress) and it has to do with WORLDBUILDING and FRAMING DEVICES and USE OF SECOND PERSON and only a little bit how if a character unironically says “innit” i automatically can’t take them seriously. Anyway it’s stuck in my head so you know I had to make it your problem. Also I’m putting this under a read more bc fjsdjlks holy shit this is gonna get LONG and RAMBLY and D E E P L Y nerdy

WORLDBUILDING, FRAMING DEVICES, AND (THE USE OF) YOU IN MANGUS AND NIGHTVALE

Part A: whose universe is it anyway? Welcome to horror where the lore is made up and the logic doesnt matter

so I am not the first or last to compare (/maybe wanna crossover a little) the worlds of

wtnv (welcome to nightvale) and TMA and like for good reason bc in many ways they feel very similar but in TMA it’s like What the FUCK is going on with all of these horrors and nightmarish scenarios I am FREAKED out where as WTNV treats it’s horrors as typically mundane which

A: plays into why when WTNV is like “remember how we’re a horror :)” it’s like OH SHIT bc if Jon Archivist is scared you’re like well yeah it’s scary out there but if CECIL PALMER, general attitude of a peppy cheerleader when facing terrors beyond imagination, is scared, you KNOW shit is FUCKED

B: isn’t entirely accurate, because I don’t actually feel like they are set in the same world. here’s where things get sticky when it comes to realities and whatnot but I do wanna stress that yes I know WTNV and TMA are both works of fictions BUT I would personally say that

TMA is set in a parallel universe: a reality that’s similar to our own but also distinctly separate from anything that we, the audience, can witness but never participate in

WTNV is set in a hidden universe: it is set in our (the listeners) own reality, and is done in such a way that it feels like if you looked hard enough for it or if you just had a bout of bad luck or if you happen to drive down a certain road in a long stretch of US desert (side note: if there’s any real life place nightvale would be set in it’s definitely new mexico have you ever been in new mexico it’s called land of ENCHANTMENT for a reason if I drove into new mexico and drove back out a few days later and like THIRTY YEARS had passed I’d be like yeah that tracks) that you could end up in the reality of nightvale. Who’s to say there’s not a faceless old woman secretly living in your house? Are you sure there’s nothing odd in your mirror? Who can ever be sure time is working correctly?

Which brings me to

Part B: You(yes, you!)’ve Been Framed!

Listen. I fucking love a good framing device. Every time a podcast is like “here’s why the events of the story are recorded in the world of the story” I go bonkers in yonkers that shit SLAPS. TMA and WTNV both do this, but (at least up to ep 176 of TMA, this whole fuckin essay could still be blown out the water) TMA’s framing device doesn’t account for an audience, where as WTNV’s the audience is a core component

the framing device of TMA is that these spooky stories are being recorded by an archivist in order to have an audio version of written statements. Cool! It tells the audience why these recordings exist, and why they’re episodic. Later in the story, the tapes begin to spontaneously show up because of Spooky Reasons that have yet to be Fully Revealed, but it still isn’t for an audience. When Jon Archivist records these tapes, they’re basically being recorded for a Void. Yes, the tapes are originally for a potential researcher to listen to, but that ain’t you chief. You are not part of the narrative (so far at least! Again, maybe the audience will be brought into the story when it’s revealed What’s Up with the spontaneous tapes, but so far nah), there’s no in universe explanation for why you personally are listening to these stories. You aren’t present in the story, in the framing device, so you are not a part of that world.

The framing device of WTNV is that you are tuning into the community radio of a small desert town, Nightvale, that you are a part of. After all, if you are tuning into something local, you’re strongly implied to be local. Thus, we have a framing device that explains both why it’s recorded AND why you’re listening. The audience is absolutely involved in the narrative rather than a simple spectator. Cecil Palmer is not recording into a Void, he’s talking to listeners of which you are a part of. (side note: this makes nightvale liveshows SUPER fun if u get an opportunity to go to one I HIGHLY recommend it bc while there’s not ‘audience participation’ in the classic sense of like magic or comedy acts the narrative IS constructed in a way that you feel less like a witness of a story and more of a participant like the one I went to most of us pulled our legs onto out chair bc oh SHIT maybe there IS an escaped librarian under your chair making a grab for your feet SUSPENSION OF DISBELIEF IS FUN AS HELL YALL)

These framing devices are enforced and enhanced upon by who the “you” in a narrative is.

In TMA, when there’s a “you” being referred to, when there’s a listener, it’s usually an in universe character. When there’s lines like “i’m sorry, that’s not what you came here to listen to” it’s not referring to you personally, it’s talking to Jon Archivist or Gertrude Archivist or Insert Archival Assistant. When TMA does use a more general “you”, it’s still in universe rather than the external listening to audience. You can include yourself as part of that general you, but it’s not inherently built into the narrative. If you want to distance yourself, you can also do that. You are not automatically in this world, even if much of it feels repeatable and/or similar

WTNV sometimes uses you to refer to an in universe character, because conversations do happen, but in the episodes where it’s like LMAO THIS IS A HORROR, the “you” and general second person is actively both discussing a known character and the listener personally. One of the most recent episodes, ep 171 “Go to the Mirror?” is a BRILLIANT example of this, where Cecil is simultaneously discussing himself and his experiences AND you as well. There’s something he can only see in the mirror, something with such sharp claws, on his shoulders, but it’s also something you personally can only see in the mirror, something on your shoulder. You are not exempt from the story, you can’t be exempt from the story, because you’ve always been a part of it. (Also side note go to the mirror is SO fuckign good it made my heart fuckin POUND the amount of times that despite knowing it was fiction I looked over my shoulder so many times. I know a shit ton of people listened to WTNV in like 2012/13 and dropped off and felt guilty and never caught up again but like. Catch up on nightvale it’s good for body and soul and also Cecilos just keep winning)

WAY too long; didn’t read: to me personally while I LOVE both TMA and WTNV, WTNV is scarier to be because TMA feels like a story that you’re bearing witness to (also thank god british people aren’t real and were made up for the Peppa Pig Cinematic Universe), WTNV feels not just like a story that you could be in but actively already are and that makes things SPOOKY

Also this isn’t related to the essay but shout out to whoever first decided that horror narrators should have nice even voices we really all be soothed by some grisly ass stories the amount of people that fall asleep to WTNV/TMA is WILD

#wtnv #tma #this essay is for me and me alone #and it's basically like go to the mirror? that wild sun of a gun sure is SCARY

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hillblah · 3 years

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Podcast Recommendations:

I just spent nearly 2 hours writing these for a work Teams thread #justpandemicthings. So uh, here you go. If you’re following this blog (why tho?) you might like my vibe, so you might like some of these! Finding categories is hard, so I've mostly lumped podcasts together in small groups by loose connections, or vibes. This is also how I sort my bookshelf after admitting defeat on having a perfectly coherent system. Past me would have been horrified, but I think that's what growth looks like. Some descriptions are all mine, some are copied from the creators. Feel free to read into which ones I copied and which I wrote myself as much as you want.

Fiction:

36 Questions A 3 part musical podcast about a couple on the brink of divorce. The title references the "36 Questions to Fall in Love" (/build intimacy) that can be found here: https://bigthink.com/ideafeed/how-to-fall-in-love-36-questions-and-deep-eye-contact

Alice Isn't Dead Audio diaries of a long road trucker searching for her wife who she thought had died, but Alice Isn't Dead. Really cool sound design and writing from the team behind Welcome to Nightvale. Slight absurdist/ more than slight horror vibes. There's 3 seasons in total that tell a meandering overall story roadtrip. Best listened to while parked in an empty carpark on the edge of town with rain running down the windshield and creating flickering shadows from the streetlights. It took me a few attempts to listen right through the first episode, but I eventually fell in love with the sound/feel/vibe of the podcast. Teaser is here: http://www.nightvalepresents.com/aliceisntdead

The Magnus Archives A horror fiction podcast examining what lurks in the archives of the Magnus Institute, an organisation dedicated to researching the esoteric and the weird. Each episode is presented in the form of a witness statement being read by the newly appointed Head Archivist of the Magnus Institute - London. Over time the stand-alone statements start to form connections, and then an overarching plot. I don't normally enjoy horror, The Magnus Archives is absolutely the exception. Really well told stories with incredible soundscaping. Maybe don't listen right before bed...

Kiwi Podcasts about Sexuality and Gender:

Micro Wave Feminism Micro Wave Feminism is a place for open, inclusive, loving and vulnerable feminist chats. It's all about talking to real people about real sh*t and experiences of femininity and masculinity in this crazy (beautiful) world we live in. Really interesting discussions on feminism through the personal experiences of kiwis. Sporadic episodes as a non-professional labour of love, but boy does it have cozy vibes.

BANG! RNZ's BANG! explores sex, sexuality and relationships over a lifetime, from parents attempting "the talk" with their children, through the fraught teen years, modern dating, long-term relationships, contraception and conception, right up to intimacy in retirement homes. So many people talking about their experiences with all aspects of sex, sexuality, relationships and gender. My personal favourite is the Takātapuia episode from season 2: https://www.rnz.co.nz/programmes/bang/story/2018651794/bang-season-2-episode-6-takatapui

Let's Get Sexual Let’s Get Sexual is a podcast dedicated to exploring sexuality. It is part of the growing global movement to normalize conversations around sexuality, to embrace its complexity, and highlight how we all have our own sexual journeys. Similar vibes to BANG! But with a more personal approach and more time with each guest. Really interesting conversations with people from all walks of life.

Kiwi Current and Not So Current Events:

Gone by Lunchtime The Spinoff's politics podcast. A good balance of views from the 3 hosts, and the only politics podcast that has made me laugh out loud multiple times.

The Citizen's Handbook Robbie Niccol (White Man Behind a Desk/that guy that I went to school with) partners with RNZ for a video series all about the history of Aotearoa, and the things all citizens need to know about where we are now. There's also a podcast that goes with it, that's a game show? Really the video series is the more important part... But the podcast is a great listen.

Isolation:

The Habitat The true story of six volunteers picked to live on a fake planet. You know those stories that occasionally pop up about people living in isolation with each other to see what happens so we know about the problems and can prepare for space travel? Well this 7 episode podcast follows a group of 6 imitation NASA astronauts stuck with only each other for a year. Something I'm sure the rest of us will never have to experience right?

Our Plague Year Essays and listener messages about Our Plague 'Year'. Some really talented writers pouring emotions out. This was one of my favourite podcasts last year, though some of the episodes hit a little hard. My personal favourite episode (so far) is Trust Ends at the Windshield, featuring Hank Green, Meg Bashwiner, and Erin McKeown. Which talks about the the-show-must-go-on mentality, includes this gem: "We are killing people because we are bored. We are killing people because we are entrenched in a toxic, capitalist society that values money over life.", and was one of the triggers for me writing a 12 minute, spoken word, poetry adjacent, thing, last year.

Doing Stuff:

Cortex CGP Grey (educational youtuber) and Myke Hurley (host of about 50 podcasts) talk about productivity, and how they run their businesses, and education, and the Apple ecosystem, and a whole bunch of other things. Long episodes, and occasionally dated by reference to current events. Definitely not a super condensed productivity podcast, more of a personality / sitting in on a conversation vibe.

Start With This Art is hard, starting is hard, if you want to start somewhere you should start with this. The co-creators of Welcome to Nightvale talk about making things/the artistic process. Every episode ends with 2 assignments, one thing to consume, and one to create.

Building Positive Culture:

Dare To Lead Brené Brown talking with other people about Leadership. Really interesting and inspiring conversations. Top recommendation is the episode with Simon Sinek.

A Bit of Optimism Simon Sinek talking with other people about working together to make a better world. Really interesting and inspiring conversations. Top recommendation is the episode with Brené Brown.

TED Worklife Organizational psychologist Adam Grant takes you inside the minds of some of the world’s most unusual professionals to explore the science of making work not suck. From learning how to love criticism to harnessing the power of frustration, one thing’s for sure: You’ll never see your job the same way again. Pretty new on my feed, but every episode I've listened to so far has been an absolute hit!

Interesting Stories/People:

TED Radio Hour TED talks, collated into similar subjects with extra stuff pulled out interview style. Good to search through the archives to find areas you're interested in, or just pick a random episode and dive in!

99% Invisible - 10,000 Years [person from work who I’m too lazy to edit out a reference to] has already recommended the podcast, but I want to throw in my favourite episode. It's about the challenge of trying to mark nuclear waste sites in a way that will last 10,000 years (for reference 10,000 years ago stone tools were a pretty neat invention) and is absolutely fascinating. https://99percentinvisible.org/episode/ten-thousand-years/

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angelinarecs · 5 years

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Welcome to Night Vale Recs

One of my favourite podcasts! You can follow the full rec page here.

Organized by pairing (or gen) and then alphabetized by title. Summaries (which have been copied from their respective stories) and descriptions are provided. Notation at the end of the description indicates if a story is completed or a WIP.

Cecil/Carlos

An Accident of Science - Cecil announces something on the air and Carlos is the most surprised of them all. Romance/Family. Carlos tries to navigate the weirdness of the Night Vale medical system when he learns that Cecil is expecting. Oh look, I’m reccing another mpreg fic. Gee, I need to get a better coping mechanism for the ‘ovaries don’t function’ shit and stop posting these things. But they’re just so cute and my unnecessarily hormonal ass wants more. One-shot.

A Radio Host is Always Tenacious - It had already happened to Carlos, so Cecil really should have seen it coming. But then he was out reporting on the sudden torrential downpour and it was nearing Night Vale’s cooler season and honestly, Carlos was so cute when he was doing science that Cecil didn’t want to bother him with something so insignificant… Sickfic. In which magic rain reveals the truth to the citizens of Night Vale and causes mass pandemonium. Cecil is forced to confront the memories he buried after Cassettes and Carlos tries to keep everything together long enough to get them both out of danger. Slightly weird, oddly written, but fitting of Night Vale. Complete.

for the way across - Cecil is jumped while walking home from work, and Carlos takes him to Abby’s for help. Fluff/Hurt/Comfort. A blind!Cecil story. It’s not the most original plot, but I did enjoy the look at disability and bloodstone circles in Night Vale. One-shot.

Four Years Later - It’s been four years since Carlos first arrived in Night Vale, and he is planning to propose. Meanwhile, Kevin finally escapes the desert otherworld and decides that the only way he can be with Carlos is if Cecil is out of the picture—permanently. Angst/Hurt/Comfort. A take on the possibility of Cecil being immortal as well as an explanation for his fear of mirrors. This is one of my favorite fanfics and I really love how it ties into and plays with several parts of cannon so well. A must read for angsty Cecilos fans. Complete.

Offspring - “Listeners, I can’t stand it any longer. I have the most exciting news and I just can’t hold it in anymore. Carlos, my beautiful, perfect husband, I hope you’re listening, because this announcement is mostly for you. As some of you might be aware, I experience a cycle every six years and while that would usually be an embarrassment to admit, this time it brings me nothing but joy. After a visit to the Night Vale General Hospital this morning, I discovered that I’m carrying six eggs, all of them occupied. That’s right listeners, I’m pregnant!” Family/Fluff. Cecil is pregnant in only the way Night Vale could allow, but he and Carlos are excited to start a family. This is cute and fluffy and I need it in my life right now. One-shot.

The Night of the Silver Teeth - The sex that started it all is sort of Carlos’ fault. No, that’s not fair. It takes two to tango, they say. Except that in Nightvale they’d say, “It takes two to spawn a vicious, toothed, screaming hell-creature that will chew its way out of your insides in the middle of the night and leave your boyfriend working far above his medical qualifications to save your life. But oh, isn’t it the cutest little button!“ Horror/Hurt/Comfort. Cecil unexpectedly has a child in the middle of the night or, more accurately, the child chews its way out of his abdomen. Poor Carlos has to figure out how to keep everyone alive and in one piece. I love when crack and horror intersect in fun and terrifying ways! Also, some really well done characterization with Cecil’s radio show. One-shot.

Night Vale’s Newest Citizen - The City Council declares Night Vale a “disaster zone,” and puts all citizens on strict rations. Except there isn’t enough food to go around, and Cecil decides that Carlos is more deserving of their food than he is. Angst. Cecil makes stupid decisions, Carlos is oblivious until it’s almost too late, and Night Vale’s emergency systems screws everyone over. Angst in the beginning turns into delightful fluff at the end. One-shot.

No One Said Possession Was Pleasant - “…she turns to look back, and we all see her face and we…” Cecil paused, though not entirely by choice. He felt a push at the back of his mind.

“We….” He struggled to continue speaking, he felt himself floundering in his own mind. Somewhere in his fleeting consciousness Cecil registered panic, a tightening in the vocal chords, which were normally soft and loose. His voice scraped across his throat. He could feel his pupils contract painfully, his skin rippling. “we…. The Woman From Italy, Oh! Merciful Goddess!” Hurt/Comfort/Fluff. Episode tag for The Woman From Italy, mostly just a guilty pleasure excuse to see Cecil affected by the horrors that Night Vale regularly goes through. One-shot.

Palmer, Cecil G. Sertraline - Set sometime before Condos. (31.5) Cecil has certain preferences for transportation and date nights and unusual sleeping habits. Carlos is very accepting of it all, but a little confused. My theory of how Carlos found out his boyfriend has a chronic illness. Fluff. Am I reccing this because I also have a chronic illness that my spouse has to contend with, maybe. But it’s cute and very in character, so here it is. One-shot.

Red Flagged (Or, Five Times Cecil Saved Carlos from Almost Certain Death, and One Time Carlos Returned the Favor) - Does what it says on the tin. If this is terrible, I am not responsible. If it is okay, then yeah. I take full responsibility. Fluff/Romance. Cecil is always there to save Carlos, mostly from himself, as the scientist tries to figure out life in Night Vale. I’m always a sucker for 5+1 because I love the variations on a theme and this did not disappoint even if most of the individual plots are drabbles. One-shot.

Scientific Reasoning - Earthquakes in Night Vale have never been real, have never been felt…until today. So what does that have to do with the radio station, and why can’t anyone contact Cecil? Hurt/Comfort. Carlos has to rescue Cecil after an earthquake nearly destroys the community radio station. Much drama and just the right amount of hurt-comfort ensues. This story was written fairly early in cannon and so some Steve Carlsberg hate, but still a cute read. Carlos is an indulgent boyfriend and Cecil is a workaholic. One-shot.

This is Good - After a particularly vicious punishment from Station Management, Cecil returns home to find a welcome surprise who isn’t as nonchalant about what happened as he is. Angst. Carlos tries to patch Cecil up while coming to terms with the how horrifyingly normal violence is in Night Vale. Oh look, another guilty pleasure fic! One-shot.

You are a Mystery to Me - Carlos has an accident. Cecil causes an accident for himself. Thus, side-by-side hospital beds and a front-row seat for your partner’s suffering. Hurt/Comfort. No matter how romantic matching hospital beds might be, both Carlos and Cecil are just happy that the other one is alright. One-shot.

#welcome to night vale #night vale fanfic #cecilos #cecil palmer #carlos the scientist #weirdness #general shenanigans #these boys are so cute #angelina's recs

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what-even-is-thiss · 5 years

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I’m still listening to Welcome to Nightvale and I find its format to be fascinating. I’m on episode 90 now and when you listen to 90 episodes of something in about a week you start picking up on some patterns. I want to talk about the structure of the show for a minute because as someone whose passion is storytelling I am so fascinated with this.

Also if you, like me before last Monday, have no clue what Welcome to Nightvale is and are wondering what the heck it is, feel free to use this as an explanation of sorts. I’ll try not to include spoilers. I’m more interested in how the plot is structured and presented, not the actual contents of said plot.

First off, the format. A community radio show in a small city. Likely the talk show/advice guy you’d hear in between songs and game shows and other programs on the radio. Or, so I assume. The day seems to go on as he talks and there’s less than 20 minutes of actual content there once you take out the weather(a song played in the middle of the show and not an actual weather report) and the advertisements placed at the beginning and end of each podcast.

Most times we only hear one voice. The voice of Cecil Palmer, who we never get much of a description of except that he’s not young, not old, not tall, not short. And because of the format it takes a long, long time to get even that little bit of information. Cecil tells us local news, government announcements, a traffic report, sometimes a horoscope, community calendar, or a segment of fun facts for children, and he reads out an advertisement from a sponsor. Once in a long while someone will send him a recording of an ad or press release or someone will break into his recording session. Even more rarely, he invites someone onto the show and they come of their own free will. For the most part though, we just get Cecil.

Because of this format, we get a very limited view of the events in the town. The information we get is what people release to the press or what Cecil and his many different interns see with their own eyes. We see the world through Cecil’s voice. So his own opinions, what the government and his bosses don’t want him to say, and his limited spot from the recording booth make sure that we find out the full story as slowly as possible.

In addition to this, what counts as “normal” in the town of Nightvale is different. It’s a place where things like supernatural events and murder and totalitarian government are commonplace and nobody seems to mind. Because of these events, the citizens of Nightvale, including Cecil himself, are weird, mean, uneducated, and scared, but they love being a community. And, we have a difficult time placing when something weird is going on because of the nonchalant way that disappearances and interdimentional portals and other such happenings are reported.

I find this to be so, so fascinating. I’ve never really seen a story told like this before. It takes a very long time to understand what is happening with any of the plots and there are dozens of them. Dozens of plots, and each one would maybe take thirty seconds to explain to you individually but they all take hours and hours of listening to fully uncover. There are little inconsequential plots like love stories or the history of a small part of town, and then there are big ones. Earth shattering, universe ending level kind of events. And sometimes an event that seems small turns out to be a plot to end the universe while other times a plot that seems huge tends to just be something for one episode and appears later but isn’t that important. (listen to episode two for a good example of this. all hail.)

And mixed in with all of this, with all of the death and destruction, heartwarming stories, gruesome creatures and the ongoing saga of the dog park is the philosophical part of it. The parts where Cecil thinks about how nothing matters. When he is supposed to be telling us about traffic but instead tells us a story about someone finding their way through the desert or leaning on an old fence or what led them to a bar for a drink. The general confusing atmosphere of the show. The endless bittersweet endings mixed with dry humor you’re not sure is satire or what but you think it must be.

It’s a series full of repetition and it is slow to change, but it does change. It changes at the pace everyday life does. Nightvale takes place in real time. In episodes released in 2015 the characters directly reference that it’s the year 2015. They reference modern artists and tv shows. It’s a fantastical supernatural story told at the pace that real life is.

I find all of this to be endlessly fascinating. It becomes one of those things where the story isn’t as important as the experience of getting there. Finding out the story, finally, feels rewarding. Like you’ve just pieced a puzzle together. It’s the slow burn of the century all the way through and It’s just so fascinating. It’s not my favorite series. I don’t think it ever will be. But I do think it might have one of my favorite framing devices of all time. A radio show. A radio show in a city that doesn’t exist presented by a host that has a mysterious backstory and a lot of weird opinions.

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urbanteeth · 5 years

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Novel Prep

Thanks to @dimawriting and @maple-writes for tagging me!!

WIP: The Inbetween

Tagging: @drist-n-dither @theforgottencoolkid @minny-santa and uhh anyone else who sees this!

This gets pretty long so I’ll put it under a read more.

First Look

1. Describe your novel in 1-2 sentences (elevator pitch)

The crew members abroad the Perseus Space Station were tasked with investigating the first signs of early human-like civilization on an exoplanet. The truth behind the ruins scattered across the dying planet, however, is stranger, darker, older than anything they ever expected.

2. How long do you plan for your novel to be? (Is it a novella, single book, book series, etc.)

As of right now, The Inbetween is a single book divided into 5ish parts. The POV will be third person. Still not sure if I want to switch between characters for each chapter or if I want each of the 5 parts told through the perspective of one of the main characters. I am playing with the idea of a sequel. I also want to write about the before and after the events of The Inbetween. There are also at least two AUs running around my mind so I might explore those too.

3. What is your novel’s aesthetic?

Dark skies full of stars, floating weightlessly, lonely planets, geometry, singularity, the smallness of existence, amorphous shadows on the wall, empty corridors, static, flickering lights, hearts racing from adrenaline, the taste of blood in your mouth as you run for your life

4. What other stories inspire your novel?

The Inbetween originated from me wanting to take some of my unused characters beyond them just being characters. The earliest drafts of The Inbetween were short stories inspired by Wolfgun’s music. The story eventually grew into what it is now thanks to a few episodes of Star Trek and Welcome to Nightvale. Lots of the scenes I currently have written were born from daydreaming to Carbon Based Lifeforms’s music. I would say CBL has had the biggest influence on the story.

5. Share 3+ images that give a feel for your novel

This one is for the last part of the book.

Main Character

6. Who is your protagonist?

There are five protagonists:

Emmett Reyes: Mexican-American, 19 (at the beginning of the story), aro/ace, trans, biologist

Johann Herschel: British-German, 20 (at the beginning of the story), bi, nonbinary, pilot and navigator

Neveen Jalal: Egyptian-American, 19 (at the beginning of the story), lesbian, chemist, starship medic, lowkey inspired by my high school chem teacher

Oliver West: Korean-Canadian, 20 (at the beginning of the story), gay, mechanic

Alternis: A.I., years active unknown, primarily used for security and scouting

7. Who is their closest ally?

Their closest allies would be each other. Here’s some specific friendships:

Overall: they grow as close as family. Nothing like a near death experience out in the middle of the cold, indifferent void to make five kids bond for life.

Neveen + Emmett: Nerd friends! With him being a biologist and her becoming a medic, they share a love for the subject. They bond over their love for their cultures. They teach each other words in their native tongues.

Johann + Emmett + Oliver: Partners in crime!! These three are as ride or die as you can get with a group of friends. While Johann isn’t always keen on the chaos, he still goes along with it because “who’s going to serve as your guys’s impulse control???” Secretly, he loves it.

Oliver + Johann: Oliver becomes pretty supportive of all his friends and his relationship with Johann is no different. Oliver makes for a pretty good listener and he doesn’t mind hearing about his friend’s worries. He’ll offer some pretty good advice as well.

Neveen + Oliver: Oliver is, without a doubt, the most social of all the crew members. Unlike him, however, Neveen is the exact opposite. He will respect her space if she needs it, but he is also there to make sure she doesn’t lose herself in it. In a lot of ways, he reminds Neveen of her own sister.

Emmett + Alternis: These two form a pretty close bond. Both share feelings of becoming static in life. Both struggle with insecurity and general feelings of anxiety that they are not good enough. However, they both also share a deep curiosity for the world around them. She likes to ask him questions knowing he won’t brush them off and he feels comfortable enough to ramble on about whatever subject is most interesting to him knowing that she is willing to listen with interest herself.

Bonus:

Commander Mitch Connor + his crew: At first, Mitch was pretty hesitant to be this mission’s commander. They’re all kids, two of them fresh out of high school almost. However, he quickly learns that this crew is more than capable. They’re adaptable and fiercely resilient. They know how to use their strengths to their advantage and do so creatively. Most importantly, though, they genuinely care about each other.

8. Who is their enemy?

The story’s main antagonist is a weird hivemind entity that is partially made from various alien life forms and part alien tech. It’s main purpose is to find creatures its programming deems perfect specimens and then merge with (eat???) them to take on their abilities. The creature was once a technologically advanced alien race from a different dimension who sought to create the “perfect being”. No one’s really sure what “perfect being” meant for them, but eventually they, and most of their old universe, were all consumed by their creation. The entity then traveled across many other dimensions still seeking specimens to consume. While it has no definite shape or can even be considered a single animal, it’s still very much sapient. It’s hard to tell the age or if it was supposed to be machine or animal or even what species it originally was. However, the minds and voices of its creators live on with it.

If you want an idea as to how it sounds, it’s a little like the Warpers from Subnautica but with multiple voices. Here’s a clip.

9. What do they want more than anything?

They all have different dreams that they are pursuing, but they basically all want a life where they can be happy and have closure.

Emmett wants to be at peace with himself.

Johann wants to find a place that he can call home.

Oliver wants to protect the little he already has.

Neveen wants to achieve her dreams.

Alternis wants to belong.

10. Why can’t they have it?

Emmett is, first of all, much too doubting in himself. He worries so much that he can’t appreciate the things he has done right or the things he can do. He isn’t very kind to himself.

Johann misses the life he had on Earth. He and his family moved to a new planet because they don’t really like Earth and want to experience something new. But Johann never feels the same sense of “home” as he did on Earth.

Oliver’s job is helping out his mother with their repair shop. So, when the shop is threatened with closure, he is desperate to find another job, but since he dropped out and never finished school, he’s having a really hard time coming up with something that will provide enough. This is why he ends up joining the space program.

Neveen is in a somewhat similar boat. She has dreams of working as a doctor and all of her time and effort goes into studying for that. She, however, ends up getting rejected from three different schools in her area. She starts to feel like time is somehow running out for her.

Alternis has had a hard time. When she didn’t fit the expectations her creators set, she quickly discovered that her differences were seen as something flawed. She spent a lot of her early days either alone and she grew to be resentful towards people. But she wants to be accepted, so when they told her she was to be assigned to the Perseus Station, she had a lot of mixed feelings about the situation.

11. What do they wrongly believe about themselves?

Emmett: not smart/good enough, not allowed to make mistakes

Neveen: her success determines her worth, has to do things just right or Else

Oliver: dumb for dropping out of college, is not much other than the comic relief in his friend group

Johann: thinks he can run from facing what’s really bothering him

Alternis: needs to have a purpose to be worth something to others, needs to change to be accepted

12. Draw your protagonist! (Or share a description)

Emmett: 5′2, curly brown hair, brown eyes, tan skin, a scar running from jaw to cheek, there’s a picture @auroradrawing made here!

Neveen: 5′5, long black hair, brown eyes, dark skin, red hijab

Johann: 6′2. dark blond hair, blue eyes, pale skin

Oliver West: 5′10, black hair, brown eyes, pale skin

Alternis: i made a post on her appearance here

Plot Points

13. What is the internal conflict?

I would say that the overall internal conflict for all the characters is them struggling to understand that they are human which means that they are allowed to be wrong, make bad decisions, have emotions, and fail and none of this undermines their value in any way.

14. What is the external conflict?

The main external conflict is survival. They come into contact with a powerful interdimensional creature who is possibly hundred of thousands of years old or more and they have no idea how to stop it. After their station and only way home gets destroyed and they find themselves stranded with no way to let anyone know what’s happening, they realize that they have to find a way to at least repel the creature as it’s not just their survival at stake, but also that of their friends and family back on Earth.

15. What is the worst thing that could happen to your protagonist?

Death, probably. There’s a lot of things that would be left undone and unsaid and also literally no one else knows what is going on, so it could be a while before anyone back home realizes they’re never coming back. And that thought is one of the scariest things they can imagine.

16. What secret will be revealed that changes the course of the story?

Basically the purpose of the entity and them figuring out what it is and what it wants changes everything they were led to believe at first about the planet and the origin of the ruins.

17. Do you know how it ends?

Yes. They all get a happy ending because I’m done with the sad shit. Also happy endings are good?? Like give me more happy endings dammit! They go through so much shit and get tested so much, like, they deserve their happy ending.

Bits and Bobs

18. What is the theme?

You are stronger than you think. Let yourself be flawed. Things might not be okay, but they will work out. You have a place in the universe, no matter how small. Tomorrow is a new day.

19. What is a reoccurring symbol?

Darkness, geometry/symmetry, fire (?),static, lots of the names of things have meaning behind them

20. Where is the story set? (Share a description!)

There are two made up planets on which this story takes place. The first planet is Thesan-4. This planet is a desert-like planet. It’s in the Milky Way for sure, but I haven’t exactly figured out where yet. This planet is primarily used for military/astronaut training. At least 40% of the story will take place here. The other planet is an icy, Earth-like planet. I call this planet the Mirror World in my head but the actual name is pending. Here is where the remains of early civilization are found and this is where the Perseus crew is assign for their mission. At least 60% of the story will take place here.

21. Do you have any images or scenes in your mind already?

Hell yeah! Scenes and a general outline are all I have right now. A lot of the little details are still pretty vague though.

22. What excited you about this story?

Oh man, is “everything” an answer? I always wanted to write a story set in space, but my biggest issue was finding a good plot. Like, I had the characters and I had some vague idea of a setting, but no actual plot or conflict. This story spent a lot of time on the back burner and I honestly thought about abandoning it a few times. However, it has come to grow so much and I’m really happy I didn’t abandon it. I love the lore behind the antagonist and the character interactions and uhhh well damn. Everything!

23. Tell us about your usual writing method!

I think the very first thing I come up with is either the setting or the characters. Then, I make the characters that I feel would go best with the setting or vice versa. Other details like names and stuff come way later. 99% of my writing process is music. If I need a certain mood for a scene, I’ll put on some music that fits and I’ll listen to it a few times before actually writing. I find that this helps me come up with scenes so I don’t really struggle at that. Putting them down on paper is harder lol, especially when I can see at least three different ways to write the opening. But once I start writing, everything flows much easier.

#these were all such excellent questions #thanks for the tag

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itmakesasound · 7 years

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Goosebumps with ghost stories

Hi Deirdre! Your passion is so inspiring to me. I wasn't going to write to you about this because I thought I didn't have any goosebump moment I could remember, but you made me realize that we all have a personal mindblowing moment - and that made me really happy. It has nothing to do with actual ghost stories by the way. So here it goes: I've been listening to Welcome to Nightvale since 2012, my first year of high school. I'm in my third year of college and I still listen to new episodes as soon as they come out. Cecil's voice has been with me not only through tough times in Nightvale, but in my own storyline too. It hasn't been until recently since I could buy the live shows and enjoy the recordings (it's impossible for me to actually go to a live show, considering that I'm from Brazil). I was never capable of pointing out exactly what awakened such an affection within me about this particular show, it gave me a lot of mindblowing moments, but my big personal, goosebump moment with Nightvale came when I listened to the live show Ghost Stories. Which is hilariously ironic now that I think about it, because Ghost Stories makes you think about things and people that haunt you in a different light. I'm trying my best not to spoil the experience for anyone so instead of retelling what was told, I'll give a little context about what I was going through at the time: my dad was in a rehab clinic where, in his third attempt to treat his alcoholism, he found out he had an undiagnosed, untreated personality desorder besides his well known anxiety and depression. As a family dealing with all that, as beautifully portrayed in the live show, things can get hurtful and resentment taints every past and present interaction we have between us. So I'm alone in the dark, in my room with my earbuds on listening to the podcast before going to sleep when Cecil recites this incredibly stunning speech in the final part of the episode that has me paralyzed, tears of joy streaming down my face and just goosebumps all over through all 13 minutes of the epilogue. In that moment, a single phrase allowed me to understand something I've been trying to grasp throughout my whole life: the concept of "feeling lucky to be haunted by the family you have." To me, this moment was forgiveness. And even tough it seems like a bittersweet moment, it was my happiest moment in months, because it was the start of a healthier way of dealing with a complicated subject, and I'll always be grateful for that.

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withwherewithal · 7 years

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1, 4, 5, 11, 30?

1) if someone wanted to really understand you, what would they read, watch, and listen to?

- For someone to understand me they should read Good Omens, watch The Triplets of Belleville and listen to Welcome to Nightvale as well as the podcast QWRPLine.

4)do you like your name? is there another name you think would fit you better?

- My name is William Jake Allen Forbes, I do like it a lot, though I was almost named Elwood instead of Jake which could have been neat.

5)do you think of yourself as a human being or a human doing? do you identify yourself by the things you do?

- Hmmmmmmm Can I answer this one with some existential screeching and a tensing of my muscles, like I do a whole lot of stuff, like woah am I doing things, and eventually one day I will stop doing things forever.

11)describe your ideal day.

-My ideal day at the current point in my life is one where I wake up early, around 8:30, and start by feeling refreshed. I rise quickly and am soon out and about. I would head down town to go to a game store and get to play some Magic and have fun interactive games. Then I would go grab lunch at a nice local restaurant. Eventually I would head home and make a tasty recipe that I have not tried before and I would have friends over for dinner. The only improvement is if I had someone with shared interests to experience this beautiful journey of life with, but that is ok.

30) pick one of your favorite quotes.

- All I can think at the moment is that Socrates said “all I know is that I know nothing at all.”

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ill-be-istj-if-no-one-else-is · 7 years

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Podcasts for your functions!

In honor of #trypod, here are the podcasts I listen to, semi-arbitrarily assigned to functions! But seriously check any of them out.

Also I tend to go for either surreal radio-show style fiction, or people just joking about dumb stuff.

Si: Sawbones. I recommended this for I think INTPs a while ago, but I think any Si users (...and non-Si users since ISTP sister is a fan) will appreciate it. It’s about all the ridiculous and sometimes horrifying things that people have done in the name of medicine, from trepanation to patent medicines. I’ve also appreciated the handful of more serious episodes: there was one about the hosts’ daughter’s birth, and more recently a few about immigration medical requirements and health insurance. But mostly it’s informative, historical, and funny.

Ne: Crossover Appeal. It’s a podcast about fandom, namely taking two things and mashing them up, but usually things that don’t usually get mashed up (read: no superwholock to be found). I don’t listen to every episode because I frequently find I’ve only read/watched one of the works, but I’ve loved the HP&HP (Harry Potter and Lovecraft) Halloween special, the Yay Hamlet Hamilton/Hamlet one, and the Orphan Black/Phryne Fisher episode for badass ladies. And the fact that it’s every other week and you can skip around probably works well for Ne users.

Ni: The Beef and Dairy Network. Deeply surreal, with that dark and dry humor that is often characteristic of Ni users. There’s a consistent underlying storyline/conspiracy, and a bit of political sarcasm in the mix, so I think that will also work for Ni users who appreciate the payoff of sticking with a serial story with an unusual format, that sometimes draws from reality but twists it.

Se: My Brother, My Brother, and Me. This one is pretty famous (Justin, the oldest brother, is also a Sawbones host and I found MBMBAM through Sawbones), and it’s characterized by a combination of terrible advice and weird riffing and tangents. I think Se users will particularly appreciate the combination of rapid-fire switches in the conversation along with concrete yet impractical suggestions and goofy humor.

Ti: Within the Wires or Alice Isn’t Dead. Both of these are Welcome to Nightvale shows, but with a smaller self-contained story that unfolds slowly, allowing you to try and deduce what will happen next (and probably often fail). I think they both fall well along the Ti-Fe spectrum, though honestly what do I know. Within the Wires in particular seems to be a good Ti-Fe show and is in my opinion the strongest (Orbiting Human Circus wasn’t my favorite though I did enjoy it overall).

Fe: This American Life. A classic, not only because it’s something people have been listening to forever and can all share, but also because of its dedication to telling the stories of every kind of person and finding the commonalities between these different stories. I don’t always listen to it (it’s a lot; also sometimes it will lead to you crying in your car and now that I don’t have a car I’d really rather not burst into tears on the subway) but I do love it and thank it for having this message of how we’re all the same on some level.

Fi: Pop Rocket. It’s about pop culture, and it’s a great hangout show - the hosts are a diverse group and are all close with each other. They focus on a single topic each episode usually but what impresses me is how great they are at letting each host talk about pop culture from their own perspective and relate it to their personal experience in a way that is effective and interesting.

Te: She’s Running. This is really new (only 2 episodes) and it’s interviews with women who are running for office at any level (city, state, federal) in the U.S. . It is not technically partisan though it’s obviously got a very pro-women message and the two interviewees so far are affiliated with the Democratic party. It has a message of getting out the vote for these candidates, but also provides some really great insight into the work involved in running a campaign, even a small one.

Are you being paid by WTNV and Max Fun?

No, I wish.

I’m looking for more/None of these are for me, but I’d love other podcast recs!

Thanks! Other recommendations include:

I figure since this is on Tumblr you’re all sick of Welcome to Nightvale but I do listen to it and enjoy it. It does have the drawback of being both serialized and pretty far into that serial - you'll want to go back to the beginning and that will take a while.

Speaking of - I never listened to season 2, but season 1 of Serial, about a young man jailed for his sometimes-girlfriend’s murder in the Baltimore area that might have been due to a combination of Islamophobia, the fragility of memory, and the fact that in the early 2000s, we didn’t really understand cell phones, was rightfully a hit. Listen if you like true crime or even if you don’t (I usually don’t).

I stopped listening to Aisha Tyler’s Girl on Guy regularly because I lost interest whenever the celebrity wasn’t someone I knew about and also because it’s really long and no longer worked well with my listening habits after I moved from a regular job-having car owner to a grad student who depends on NYC public transit and has an irregular schedule. However, Aisha Tyler is hilarious and a great, empathetic interviewer (I’m pretty sure she’s an ESTP with good Fe from the impression I have) and I recommend it if you’re into more long-form interview style listening.

I also stopped listening to Professor Blastoff which features Tig Notaro, Kyle Dunnigan and David Huntsberger. A large portion of that is because I found Kyle Dunnigan kind of annoying (which is mostly a clash of senses of humor I think - don’t take my word for this since it’s definitely a personal taste thing). It’s also really long (usually about 90 minutes if I recall correctly) so it similarly doesn’t work that well with my listening, but if you do a lot of driving or can listen to podcasts while you work, check it out! I did listen for some time, especially around when Tig Notaro was just out of her year of terrible things and getting a lot of fame for that. It ended in mid-2015 due to scheduling conflicts, but there’s a big archive if you’re just looking for something to listen to that isn’t strictly up to date.

I mostly listen to comedy, pop-culture, and story/fiction podcasts because I am a very visual learner so any more technical/educational podcasts tend to not work for me - I spend the whole time wishing I was just reading an article or watching a video. However, if you’re more an auditory learner, I did enjoy Freakonomics - I just felt like I forgot everything immediately and would rather reread the book. There are some great resources online specifically for finding educational podcasts so if that’s your interest, have at it!

#trypod #podcasts #mbti

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dorothydelgadillo · 6 years

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9 Creative, Feminist Podcasts to Inspire You

There’s a lot of pressure on creative professionals—regardless of what point you’re at in your career—to be constantly producing the next eye-popping design, cutting edge UX experience, or killer site design. But sometimes the creative well is just . . . dried up.

A tried and true creative block hack is to look to your favorite creative professionals and the work they’re putting out into the world. Even if its in different mediums, styles, or genres, seeing creativity in action is what gets the brain motivated and back on track for some stellar ideation.

But if you don’t have time to crack open a book or binge watch six seasons of that award-winning show, might I suggest popping in your headphones for 30 minutes instead? Whether it’s during your daily commute, on a lunch break, or while doing other tasks throughout your day, podcasts are a perfect resource for inspiration that can be tapped into while you knock off other projects. Even better? These podcasts are all examples of feminist creativity, featuring baller female professionals, patriarchy-smashing heroines, or social justice minded discussion.

Keep those creative juices flowing with these nine podcasts sure to keep you entertained and motivated to get back to your own project.

1. Sooo Many White Guys

The brainchild of stand up comedian and writer, Phoebe Robinson, this show from WNYC is now in its third season and also boasts Broad City’s Ilana Glazer as an executive producer. Robinson is also one half of 2 Dope Queens, the popular stand up podcast and live show with fellow performer Jessica Williams, but SMWG is less about stand up and more about underrepresented voices in media. Operating on the idea that the media landscape is oversaturated with straight white guys, SMWG only hosts interviews with guests who aren’t cis, white, and male. (The exception to this rule is that Robinson caps every season with an interview with a straight white guy. Last season’s closer? Tom Hanks.)

2. Stuff You Missed in History Class

If you’re looking for an educational, conversation-based show that has covered everything from The Whiskey Rebellion to Anne Lister, hosts Holly Frey and Tracy V. Wilson have your back. Produced by HowStuffWorks.com, this podcast has been around since 2008 and has gone through several iterations of hosts. With an intersectional approach to the range of historical events, figures, and phenomena they investigate (often themed by season and by holidays), Frey and Wilson are thorough, entertaining, and offer a view of history through a feminist lens.

3. Alice Isn’t Dead

For those who find a good fiction story particularly inspiring and who don’t mind a little mystery or horror, may I introduce you to the delightful audio landscape of Alice Isn’t Dead. Produced by the same team that made the genre-bending Welcome to Nightvale, Alice isn’t Dead follows the story of a woman driving a truck across America, looking for her missing wife, and attempting to solve the ever-more-tangled mystery of her disappearance. Keisha, the narrator, isn’t your typical heroine, and her story is as much about coping with crippling anxiety and fear as it is an ode to American highways. As of this writing, two parts of the series have aired, with a third set to come out in April of 2018.

4. The Guilty Feminist

Comedian and writer Deborah Frances-White hosts this roundtable-style podcast where women of all backgrounds gather to discuss current issues through a feminist lens—while embracing the fact that the tenets of feminism (which Frances-White refers to jokingly as “lofty principles”) are often undermined by insecurities, fears, or hypocrisy that we all have. What’s special about Frances-White’s show is her openness about how uncomfortable it can be to navigate feminism in this day and age. If you’re ready to laugh, cry, and commensurate with these women about everything from emotional labour to doing your best but being a mess, this podcast is worth a listen.

5. How to Be a Girl

Marlo Mac lives in Seattle and is the single mother of a 10 year old transgender daughter. Together, they document the challenges, triumphs, and daily life of growing up trans. Delightfully low-fi and full of heart, this show broke new ground when it hit the airwaves in 2014, and has since been picked up by NPR and KUOW (Seattle’s Public Radio Station). Mac is candid and open with her listeners as she navigates cultural, societal, and parental expectations around gender. HTBAG is the perfect listen if you find inspiration in good storytelling, genuine family moments, and new perspectives on timely, real-world issues.

6. Ologies

Science lovers, rejoice—the Ologies podcast is here to not only showcase the wonderful, weird worlds of different sciences (everything from hematology to cosmology), it’s also chock-full of female identifying scientists and experts. Host Alie Ward is a veteran podcaster and science lover herself, with a background in comedy that makes the show fun and easy to listen to. Ward doesn’t only interview female scientists, but she does an excellent job of putting together show lists of experts from a range of fields and backgrounds, guaranteeing there will be an episode or two for you to get excited about.

7. On Being

Host Krista Tippet is a big deal in the audio space—and for good reason. She’s been working as a journalist, speaker, and writer since the 80s—and has booked guests on her show such as the brilliant writers and thinkers Rebecca Solnit and Ta-Nehisi Coates. Each episode of On Being begins with Tippet asking the guest about the spiritual background of their childhood, before moving into their bodies of work and how that work intersects with the complicated cultural landscapes of today. Meditative and hard-hitting, download On Being to broaden your horizons and feel #blessed.

8. The Mashup Americans

Dedicated to exploring and navigating the complexities behind mash-up identities—or the identities of Americans with multicultural backgrounds—this podcast is part of a larger company owned by Amy Choi and Rebecca Lehrer that helps other outlets create content for mash-up Americans. While themes of identity and multiculturalism can be found across the audiosphere, Mashup Americans stands out because of both the holistic approach Choi and Lehrer take to their topics (everything from parenting to the names for mashup holidays), and the depths to which they delve into them.

9. Homecoming

Created by podcast giant Gimlet, Homecoming is an audio drama series that follows the shady goings on at a rehabilitation center for American veterans returning from war. Gimlet went all out for their first scripted series—Homecoming features the dulcet tones of notable actors like David Schwimmer, Katherine Keener, Oscar Isacc, Amy Sedaris, and David Cross. The story centers on Keener’s character and how she reacts to the unfolding mystery of the work she does at the Homecoming center, and how her decisions shape the lives of the soldiers around her. This show is a great listen if you’re looking to get swept into a mystery that continually presents you with moral quandaries and big narrative reveals. Let the imaginative writing on this podcast get you back on a creative kick.

from Web Developers World https://skillcrush.com/2018/04/12/best-feminist-podcasts-inspiration/

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fic-dreamin · 7 years

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I do not remembering buying this book. It appeared ... I do not remembering buying this book. It appeared on my coffee table one morning smelling of rotting meat and ash. Go to Amazon

While I greatly enjoyed the book While I greatly enjoyed the book, I had a hard time reading it, as it would intermittently become completely translucent and leak a viscous substance onto my hands. I switched to the ebook format, but a crack developed in the screen of my Kindle and the word "NO" replaced all of my titles. So I downloaded the audiobook from audible. The blood sacrifice and hours of chanting required to get this title was tiring, but I feel it was worth it in the end. Too bad that it can only be read once every ten years on the crescent moon. Go to Amazon

Great fridge book I found this book in my fridge, I sat down and turned the pages, absorbing knowledge, all in all its a great novel. Go to Amazon

I loved this book just as much as I thought I ... I loved this book just as much as I thought I would. I loved all the characters, and it was just everything I wanted. It really felt like just a really long Welcome To Nightvale podcast, so if you can get the audiobook (which I hope to do at some point) I definitely recommend listening to it because I imagine it would be an amazing experience. Go to Amazon

Weird At Last, Weird At Last I LOVE THIS BOOK. I pre-ordered it way back when it first became available, and am just now sitting my sorry butt down to give a review. For people who know and love Night Vale (like me) this book is perfect. It gives a deeper look at NV and what goes on outside of Cecil's perception behind the microphone. For people not introduced to NV, this is just super cool and weird, with a writing style that can feel a little disjointed at times, but that's the way it's supposed to feel. That's how NV feels, and I'm pretty sure that's how the people who live there feel too. I've seen a couple reviews that don't seem to like the writing style, but it is almost exactly like the podcast in written form, and I can have a hard time processing words if I don't see them, so I read the podcast online anyway. As always, the story is super creative while also making me want to read 10 more books about it just to figure out random little side pieces of info that everyone in the story just accepts as normal parts of their lives. Seriously, I could read about NV all day long. Everyone should just do themselves a favor and read this book RIGHT AWAY. Go to Amazon

Perfect for Nightvale fans As a person who listens to "Welcome to Night Vale" every night to bed, I was pleased to find that all the charm of the podcast was put into the book as well. It is nice to get these little stories to help flush out the world and I can only hope that they make their way into the Podcast cannon much like how the live shows have. When the book arrived it was a little bit thicker then I expected but that is just more to read. (That can be good or bad depending on how people like their books.) At the time of writing this review I am only a few chapters in and it seems that each chapter is their own little peek into the citizens of nightvale but I will update this review when I get though the whole thing. For fans of Nightvale and all the weird things going around in the little desert community, I suggest getting it. As a fan of books, I suggest just taking a peek at the sample and listen to one episode of the podcast, and that is pretty much the tone of the whole book. If I could poke a jab at it, I would have to say that it is a little too close to the source material, in that I feel like someone not into nightvale would miss a considerable amount of content in the book, Go to Amazon

Audio doesn't always read well I loved the podcast before they went full social justice warrior, and bought this book. It reads exactly like the podcast script. That's a bit like saying it reads a bit like a Shakespeare play. There's an entertaining story here, but the style and pacing are off-putting. So slow, so tired, so, well, boring. Go to Amazon

It's really a great story line with characters The Night Vale novel will make you laugh, cry, and have mild existential crises while listening to it. It's really a great story line with characters, although they are bizarre and not of the world we know of, who are extremely human through and through. It's a relatable story, as relateable as Night Vale can be, and the humanity of it really made this an experience I'll never forget. Cecil's smooth tones and great character voices complement the story and make it easy to follow along. While you may need to listen to the podcasts to get some of the more strange references that are made, this is really a story I think anyone who appreciates absurdity mixed into everyday life will love. Go to Amazon

This is a masterpiece! Each character has a depth ... Four Stars Trippy Excellent read Helicopters keep us safe So Enjoyable! Confusing at first and then amazing! Pretty Good, Partially Cursed Five Stars And after the Library scenes I got even more happy with my Kindle

#Jeffrey Cranor: Books

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fic-dreamin · 7 years

Photo

I do not remembering buying this book. It appeared ... I do not remembering buying this book. It appeared on my coffee table one morning smelling of rotting meat and ash. Go to Amazon

Great fridge book I found this book in my fridge, I sat down and turned the pages, absorbing knowledge, all in all its a great novel. Go to Amazon

Four Stars Trippy Excellent read Helicopters keep us safe So Enjoyable! Confusing at first and then amazing! Pretty Good, Partially Cursed Five Stars And after the Library scenes I got even more happy with my Kindle I can't believe people actually read the whole thing.

#Jeffrey Cranor: Books

0 notes