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oh-saints · 1 year

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anything with max please! but please make it happy ending?

taking a little break from footballers, shall we?

you

despite all the success and achievements max verstappen has secured in his bag, there's still one thing he wishes to have but knows he can't.

max verstappen x doctor!reader

note: this is inspired by one of the scene from one of my favourite kdrama; hospital playlist (s1; 2020). i hope i do the drama some justice for its amazing rollercoaster ride (#spoiler) so max can be humbled for a minute. but this time, i happen to write during my family trip so this is not proof-read yet.

when the name of his very bestfriend popped up, max couldn't hold back from smiling.

he'd previously told her that he's coming back tonight and asked if she was free for a catch up session. due to the nature of their jobs, the two friends couldn't see each other as much as they'd love to.

if he had his way, she wouldn't be working as hard as she is now. nothing in this world can make max's life better—and this was saying a lot when he's achieved everything earthly possible—than to have her at every race. win or lose, max knows there's always someone waiting on him to cross the finish line, as long as he's safe and sound.

nobody ever asks that of him. it's always wins, titles. no matter the cost, no matter the consequence of this very dangerous sport.

"hi—"

"can you come over tonight?"

max's heart immediately took a free dive.

＊✿❀○❀✿＊＊✿❀○❀✿＊＊✿❀○❀✿＊

"so sorry i called you very late into the night,"

she didn't let him express how much he'd missed seeing her. as soon as she opened the door, she strode back inside of her apartment. her hands immediately reached for the white pristine coat hanging on the wall as she passed by.

"i got a call from the hospital but my nanny's not picking up,"

max was still silent. they'd fallen into the habit of her saying the same thing and he'd remembered them all by now. after this, she'd cited her usual justification. "sorry, i forgot telling you about it because there's always someone calling me when i want to do that."

"sorry, i forgot to tell you—"

"i know, i understand," and max truly does. with how little monaco is, he understands she becomes a well-sought surgeon here. he's actually rather proud, if anything. "go save the world."

she looked up at him from behind the kitchen counter, and max swore she looked dashing as ever, with the gentle yellow lighting highlighting her features. she is one of the rare kind, one who never needs an elaborative piece of clothing to enhance her beauty. she is inner beauty personified—at least per max's standard, but supposedly it says a lot because max isn't kidding when he said he'd seen the bests of the world.

"thank you, max. you don't know how grateful i am of you," and that smile right there, radiating gentleness and calmness and pure yet gratitude, is the very reason why he always heeds to her whims. "but my kid's burning right now so can you do things i've listed down here while i'm gone?"

"sure."

there went another of max's resolution, even before he knows what she'd asked of him. he's so puny in her hands that his father once gaslighted him with her as a bait. so different to the cold, ruthless max verstappen everyone labels him to be.

after running through everything on the list together and making sure max understood them once more, for she wouldn't be able to be contacted for at least the next 3 hours, she finally put her arms to the coat hanging on her shoulder proudly. she reached for her bag, and when she was about to pick up the car keys, max halted her hand.

"please use taxi," he said, and she wondered why. "for my sanity sake, knowing you'll make it safe there."

she wanted to argue that there was no guarantee she'd make it safe with a taxi, no different than driving on her own, but she nodded wordlessly. she'd asked max to come down here in short notice, not long after he told her he was in town and only to make him babysit her kid, but he'd come with no question asked. taking taxi was the least she could do for him.

it seemed like the kid knew she left their home, for the cry ensued not long after, like a chick looking for the hen. thankfully it wasn't max's first rodeo, more over when his girlfriend has her kid of her own.

unfortunately.

"hey, hey," he cooed gently, and the little one scratched the teary eyes, crying stopped at the sight of max. he was always the favourite in this household, always coming here with something in his hands the kid doesn't know it exists. toys, actions figures, you name it. "are you okay?"

"maxie?" suddenly he remembered his sister's comment about his father instinct spiking whenever this particular kid was around. he'd even let them call him by his first name, no specific title else needed. so unlike him, when he taught leo and luka to call him by "oom maxie" or uncle maxie in dutch.

"thirsty or hungry, schatje?" max immediately picked up the split version of his best friend, and the feeling of being hugged back affectionately by his best friend's entire world contended the best feeling in the world for him. it was as if the little treasure was trying to get a hold of him entirely with their little arms and hands, like he meant the world for them.

like he is the world to them as much as the kid means the world to him. oh, if only they knew...

the kid passionately shook their head as soon as they tucked themselves comfortably against the crook of his neck. max paced back and forth for them, in hope his bouncy steps would calm them down.

"alright, lieve. you let me know when you do, okay?"

but he was only met by soft snores.

he peered down at his best friend's entire world, the axis to her existence, the reason behind her juggling her personal and professional world just to make sure they get only the best of both worlds. for that alone, max had already loved the kid like his own.

and he'd love to have them as his own, providing everything the kid's heart desire, knowing he could give them everything of it at a heartbeat. knowing he could give them what they deserve, after being deprived of a proper, fatherly love for so long.

if only she let him. if only she saw him as one.

but max knew it all boiled down to him. if only he'd denied her desire to get married to that good-for-nothing that turned out to be a cheating bastard she called her ex-husband, she wouldn't have to suffer everything of this on her own. the child didn't have to go through all the mess life would bring to someone so early in their age.

it pained him that he never let out the "marry me instead" that was poking the tip of his tongue when she'd asked you to be her men of honour. it hurt max verstappen to the point of no return, more than being robbed a championship win, that he could've had the smart kid with her instead from a long time ago, and a life he'd always dreamed of building.

with her, and no one else.

because he knew that whatever he was feeling right now, as he was holding her entire life in the home she built so hard despite the single-mother stigma, is the closest thing to right in this life that feels so wrong.

not even his multiple championship titles he had in his bag. not even the feeling of winning a race so many he'd grown accustomed to. per max verstappen's standard, that was given; with so much hard work he'd been putting since he could walk, thanks to his father.

his phone dinged, breaking his train of thought. it was the alarm that he'd set up to remind him of the checklist she'd made for him. the sound stirred the child in their sleep, and as they noticed him walking away from the room, they whined, "please stay, maxie."

like the effect of the mother had on him, he succumbed to the whim. but good lord, my goodness, there had never been something as liberating as that. it was a paradoxic feeling where you don't feel weak as you surrender yourself, instead it grew so much on him that someone needed him. it feels so damn good to be needed by someone, his heart soared so high as the revelation hit him.

maybe that was what max verstappen had been yearning for.

that one piece in his life that anyone around him didn't know how to fill the void. a home to go back to, he thought, as he fell asleep in such a ridiculous position to fit the crib's size.

but due to his lightning reflex towards every sound and movement around him, max jolted up when he heard a click of the door closing. it was small; he deducted it wasn't mean to be disturbing.

that could only be her checking up on him.

the kid was now drenched in sweat in his embrace, so he decided to change the pajamas first before heading out of the nursery. he did it as fast as he could because he knew she was making his favourite mushroom soup outside from the smell of it.

the pang on his chest came back as he got out of the child's room, only to be met by his best friend's back from the kitchen, busy scooping her signature delicacy to a bowl matching the set only designated for her and her child—his bowl—because it looked so domestic. they looked so domestic like this. they looked like they'd make a great family.

yes, it wasn't the first time they did this, but that was what made it hurt all the same everytime he came over.

"how was the surgery?"

just in time when she turned her body to him. she smiled immediately, both at the sight of a disheveled max and at the question thrown at her. max looked so bulky in the house full of her delicate touch, so different yet not out of touch, for his question brought warmth to her chest.

it'd been a while since someone had asked the question—the simplest question of asking how she'd been holding up at work—that didn't come out from her child's mouth. from someone who actually knew how hard it was to make a living. from someone who was genuinely interested at what she did. from someone all of the above.

"got a bleeding out of hand but all's good now," she'd spare the bloody detail later. right now, she just wanted to bask how peaceful their rhythms are as the f1 winner took a seat on the other end of the kitchen counter. "i hope my kid's not a hassle for you."

"you and your kid can never be a hassle to me," max made sure to stare down at her as he replied her, wanting her to know he wasn't kidding. "i love spending time with you two."

and it scared her deep down to see max so set on what he said. she could only hope he wasn't implying anything else behind his words, for she was afraid it would bring unattained hope to her heart.

despite her strong display she'd paraded around the town, she is only a human with two hands and feet and a heart. and she is a woman, first and foremost, who was once in love in max verstappen.

the real max verstappen before all the achievements, the fame, the titles. when max verstappen had eyes only for the glory, and never hungry for anything else.

but the one-sided journey could be so lonely, she never realised that. it resulted her finding love in a hopeless place. at least that was was she thought, love, until she discovered her ex was cheating with one of her fellow doctors.

so she knew she had to extinguish every kind of sparks before it grew stronger. especially now, where every of her decision doesn't only affect her, but her child also.

"spend your time for something else, max," she smiled bitterly now and max already hated whatever her mind fed her just seconds ago. "tell me, what's your favourite thing to do in your spare time? going for a vacation?"

"whatever it is we're doing now," max replied, soup still untouched. it frightened her that the eyes were not just set anymore; she'd recognised that winning determination anywhere. "wanna know why?"

she sat down, eyes trying to hold his, ignoring the fluttering feeling inside of her and set her mind to simply wanting to know the words he had in mind. max took it as an invitation to might as well break it down.

"because it's you. it's always been you."

#anon asks #oh-saints answers #oh-saints writes #max verstappen #max verstappen blurb #max verstappen blurbs #max verstappen imagine #max verstappen imagines #max verstappen one shot #max verstappen oneshot #max verstappen fic #max verstappen fanfic #max verstappen fics #max verstappen fanfiction #max verstappen x reader #max verstappen x y/n #max verstappen x you #oh-saints writes request

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hit-song-showdown · 6 months

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Year-End Poll #74: 2023

[Image description: a collage of photos of the 10 musicians and musical groups featured in this poll. In order from left to right, top to bottom: Morgan Wallen, Miley Cyrus, SZA, Taylor Swift, Metro Boomin and 21 Savage, Rema and Selena Gomez, The Weeknd and Ariana Grande, Luke Combs, SZA, David Guetta and Bebe Rexha. End description]

More information about this blog here

Before getting into the ramble, I'm just going to get ahead of the responses and clarify that when I name a song on these polls, I use the official name of the song as it's listed on the Billboard charts (obviously unless the official title includes an uncensored slur or the song was credited to an artist's deadname, which I haven't had to deal with as of now.) Luke Comb's cover of Tracy Chapman's Fast Car is simply listed as "Fast Car - Luke Combs" on Billboard. Not "Luke Comb's cover of Fast Car" or "Fast Car by Tracy Chapman (Luke Combs version)."

Now that I got that out of the way. Hi. Good to see you all again. Welcome to the end of 2023. We made it.

This is going to be an interesting entry on this blog for me. Because not only is this the first time I posted a poll from the current chart, this is also the first time since 2009 when I have not been closely monitoring the charts all year. So right now, I feel like I'm trying to look back to figure out what happened.

So. What happened?

Ever since the streaming era began, it's been clear that pop success matters less and less, but that feeling was especially strong this year. I'm not saying any of these songs are bad (that's not the point of this blog). But streaming splintered people's listening habits so much that everyone is able to listen to their own thing. Before I got big into chart watching, I was not an avid pop listener. But I was still knew which songs were popular because they were so much harder to avoid.

As I'm writing this, I've been listening to various Top 40/100 stations on the radio. Even ignoring the number of Christmas songs, I have yet to hear a song that came out in 2023. It makes sense to hear songs from 2022, since songs often take a while to build momentum (such as the tracks from SZA's SOS), but I've heard songs from 2014, 2013, 2006, 1995, etc.

And that's not even touching the year-end chart itself which includes 1. songs from 2022 (Kill Bill, Anti-Hero, Snooze, Calm Down), 2. a remix of a song from 2016 (Die for You), 3. a cover/remake of a song from 1996 (Creepin), 4. a cover of a song from 1988 (Fast Car), and 5. a song with an interpolation of a song from 1998 (I'm Good (Blue)). There are only 2 songs on the top 10 that are from 2023.

This year's tendency to look back is emphasized further by the genre which had the largest presence: country music. Not just because country music tends to be more traditional, but country music hasn't had a presence this big on the top 100 since the 90s. The biggest song of the year is a country-pop track by Morgan Wallen, whose 36 track album debuted at number one on the Billboard album chart. Not the country album chart. The Billboard 200. Beyond that, we have Luke Combs, whose cover of Fast Car reached the top 10, but two other singles from his album Growin' Up reached the Billboard Year End 100 without relying on the usual techniques country songs often need to cross over to the pop charts. Additionally, each year as of late tends to have it's pick of "think-piecey songs," whether it's Blurred Lines in 2013, WAP in 2020, or [insert any Taylor Swift song here]. The two most controversial songs of the year also happened to be country, with Oliver Anthony's Rich Men North of Richmond and Jason Aldean's Try That in a Small Town.

Why was country so big this year? One of my theories is that with streaming splintering people's listening habits so much, chart metrics will tend to favor physical media. I don't think it's a coincidence that Taylor Swift tends to dominate the charts while also being one of the top-selling artists on vinyl. If people are willing to pay actual money for your music instead of letting it stream in the background, the charts are going to calculate that differently. Not only are country fans more likely to buy physical music, but the two previously mentioned controversial country songs were also helped by right-leaning listeners boosting their sales, resulting in the two songs receiving a 78 and a 66 position on the year-end chart respectively.

As I'm writing this, I'm worrying that I'm not giving country music its proper credit. "Why was country music so big?" is a question that doesn't need to have a deeper answer. "A lot of people liked it so it had a larger presence" is also a sufficient answer. Country music doesn't have to cheat to reach the charts. The reason I'm delving into this is not the mere fact that country was popular, but the fact that country was so popular and seemed to shape the pop landscape as a whole, while not having the usual staples of a country-pop crossover. Unlike previous crossovers, none of the songs I mentioned needed a pop star or a rap verse to break onto the pop charts.

But speaking of a genre requiring a pop star to find a mainstream chart presence, 2023 marks the year of the first afrobeats song to reach a billion streams on Spotify, with Rema and Selena Gomez's Calm Down. But even without the pop feature, afrobeats also had an explosive year in 2023, and it's possible we'll only see the genre grow more popularity, similar to how reggaeton took over the pop landscape after Despacito crossed over to the mainstream American charts in 2017. If you, like me, aren't that familiar with the history of this genre and you would like to learn more, please know that afrobeat and afrobeats are two distinct genres. This article also does a good rundown of the differences and their respective histories. Also, while the song itself isn't afrobeats, Unavailable by Davido came out this year and it's incredible. The full album is amazing too. It's dreamy and atmospheric with energetic drums and I need to find a slot for it in my favorite releases of the year.

For a year where pop music was widely considered to have a down year, I sure had a lot to talk about. I haven't even touched on the "decline of rap music" (especially sad since it's the 50th anniversary of the genre), Taylor Swift's dominance (I mentioned her twice though; she'll live), or delved deeper into the presence of older songs on the charts. It certainly was an interesting year in music to talk about. But listening to it? Well, I'll let you decide that.

But if you look past the top 10 (or even the top 100), this was an incredible year for music. I haven't had the time to listen to every new release (thanks law school), but I still listened to enough that I came out of this year with some of my favorite musical projects of all time. I plan on sharing my favorite songs/albums of the year in a later post.

Thank you for spending this year in music with me.

#billboard poll #billboard music #tumblr poll #music poll #2020s #morgan wallen #miley cyrus #sza #taylor swift #metro boomin #21 savage #the weeknd #rema #selena gomez #ariana grande #luke combs #david guetta #bebe rexha

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bsforbg · 12 days

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[CONTENT NOTE: Abandon all hope, ye who enter here.]

She opened her eyes, and it began.

“Good morning, sweetheart! Eight hours exactly!”

She was already crying, but no one seemed to notice.

“I’ve made you a light, healthy breakfast, and I’ve warmed the shower for you.”

She sat up slowly. She’d expected it to be bad, but… not like this.

“You’re looking really good today, baby!”

She sat on the edge of the bed, staring down at her thighs. They were now more toned than she’d ever dreamed they could be. Prettier, yes, but also stronger. Inviting and propulsive and sleek; everything she ever wanted. She bitterly glared at them through her tears.

“Here are your vitamins and supplements, and a little cool water to wash them down!”

She swallowed both in quick succession, and then padded silently to the bathroom. As had become his habit of late, he stood outside the shower and watched as she bathed. If he felt she was scrubbing too hard, he would intervene and insist she wash gently but thoroughly. He timed her application of conditioner with a stopwatch. And he inspected her as he softly dried her with a towel. She’d never dreamed she could feel so worthless.

“Okay, I’ve queued up your music, and the lights will shift to guide you through your meditation. Just breathe and enjoy, honey!”

Manufactured tranquility washed over her, and she wished —not for the first time— that she could drown in it. Anything would be better than drifting, lost in something warm, enveloping, and mysteriously hostile. A whispering choir in her headphones hissed to her of harmony and health, but her only answer was a pattern of choked sobs that would pass for measured breathing to anyone watching.

“Five more miles! Don’t you dare look tired yet! You can do it, I believe in you!”

Her afternoon in the gym was never pleasant, but it too was getting worse. He’d always enjoyed hurting her and then mocking her pain, but this was… this was diabolical. The miles flew by as she labored under the lash of his affirmations.

“Wow. That was wonderful. Just wonderful. Play it again!”

She’d never imagined playing violin, back when he signed her up for lessons. And yet there she was, playing, and then watching him smile and cheer. His applause was the worst. All she ever wanted in the world, the most precious resource in existence, offered enthusiastically… and she couldn’t enjoy it. Every clap of his hand was a percussive omen of blows yet to be borne.

“Your calves are tight, but we’ll get them nice and relaxed in no time!”

His hands moved over her body with a thorough confidence that was both reassuringly familiar and increasingly contemptuous. His touch had once been a clutching, clawing, clamoring thing, meant to pull her in and never let her go; now it was the kneading of a dutiful baker, preparing a doughy loaf for the window. She let her little sounds of despair die deep in her throat where he couldn’t hear them; he might decide she was still tense and start over.

“So you’re all showered, brushed, and tucked in… good end to a good day, pumpkin! Get yourself some shut-eye and be ready to be great again tomorrow! Night night!”

She was almost asleep when she heard him later, outside her door. Where he didn’t need to be. On a call she didn’t need to overhear. She sighed with relief. Not at what he said —which made her want to vomit— but at the sound of his old voice, his true voice.

“Oh, it’s going well. You know how it is… just another day of preparing my cattle for market.”

She wished so much that she hadn’t disappointed him. She truly did.

#stories

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theweeklydiscourse · 8 months

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i'd be fascinated in seeing you write discourse on throne of glass, it really has a lot to unpack... i love your acotar commentary!

Now that’s an interesting idea! I got halfway through the first book in 2020 before I got distracted by another series, but I picked it up again in 2021 and read all the way to the end in rapid succession. I’d heard about Sarah J Maas’s writing before and I was exposed to some divided opinions on the qualities of her writing. Some hated it, but most people loved it and I decided to read the series so I could draw my own conclusions about the state of her books.

Long story short, I did not like her writing. But, there are certain aspects of TOG that make me prefer it to ACOTAR.

But, I read the series all the way through so I could make an informed assessment and critique of her writing without getting things wrong. Like you said, there is a lot to unpack and if I decide to reread the series at some point I’ll definitely write about it. Off the top of my head I have about three things in the TOG series (in no particular order) that have captured my attention.

1) The books in the Throne of Glass series should not be nearly as long as they are

One of my professors always told us to make every word count in our essays to create concise writing and I wish Maas had an editor who would tell her the same thing. Many of the books in TOG are bloated and could be improved if Maas would just cut down on some of the material in her books. There’s a lot of unnecessary fluff that pads out nearly all of her novels and it makes the pacing of the story very poor and uneven. This is particularly noticeable in her habit of creating a vast wasteland of nothing for chapters and chapters before finally reaching the REAL action (at which point the book ends and the reader questions their life choices)

2) The racism in TOG is impossible to overlook

I can’t even discuss Nehemia’s death without raging. Describing the way she died feels so surreal, it’s like Maas shoved her hand into a glass jar of racist tropes and pulled out a handful of them. Another detail I distinctly remember from reading Heir of Fire was when I was reading Sorsha’s description for the first time and noticed that she had “tan” skin and looked like she was of Eyllwe descent and I thought: she’s going to die, isn’t she? AND LO AND BEHOLD, yet another WOC killed in the most brutal way imaginable to advance the character arcs and angst of white characters. I got downvoted to hell on the Throne of Glass subreddit for pointing it out, but it must be said.

3) I was disappointed by Manorian.

This particular grievance is something I’ll elaborate more on in the future because to me, it represents a larger problem in Maas’s writing that should be addressed more often. I intend to write about his more in the future.

Also thank you so much for the compliment! I’m so glad that you liked my commentary on ACOTAR :)

#throne of glass #heir of fire #Queen of midnight #dorian havilliard #manon blackbeak #manorian #nehemiah #sjm critical

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rhysdarbinizedarby · 10 months

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Rhys Darby on Hollywood’s Writers Strikes

BY CHLOE DAVISON (July 15, 2023)

Writers turn their pens from scripts to protest signs; The Writers Guild of America (WGA) are striking. Waving signs that read “pay your writers or we’ll spoil Succession” and “I told ChatGPT to write a sign and it sucked,” the WGA are picketing for contracts that guarantee job security and fairer pay. These infamous strikes prevent writers from creating new content, and since entering this strike on May 2nd, Saturday Night Live and Late Night Shows have halted filming. More Hollywood production disruptions are inevitable unless a deal is struck.

I sat down with actor Rhys Darby, who zoomed in from LA, to discuss how the writers strikes might affect us here in Aotearoa. The Auckland-born actor is a true Kiwi success story. Originating in stand-up, and starring in the breakthrough Kiwi comedy series Flight of the Conchords, Darby’s comedy has since infiltrated Hollywood. Starring in the blockbuster Jumanji and queer rom-com Our Flag Means Death alongside Taika Waititi, Darby is making us proud over in Hollywood.

These writers are fighting the good fight, though the quiet question of “what will happen to my telly?” can be heard in hushed tones among audiences. We audiences may resent the disruption to our favourites, but I wonder: why do we rely so much on American productions, do we not have our own media identity? I fear not.

Darby shares in the consensus of support for the WGA: “It’s about fairness in the industry starting at the grassroots level, which is the writers.” He fears without writers, the Kardashians are our standard for good television. “Without the writers, there’s nothing happening. We’re watching Kardashians, no offence against them, but we’re basically going back into reality.”

Darby suggests that the reason we in New Zealand are invested in the writer’s strikes, and why we feel impacted, aligns with the reason for the strikes. WGA have historically striked at times of change in the industry. 2007’s strike allowed writers to generate revenue from internet-distributed media, ‘81 and ‘85 centred around the financial distribution of home video. This time writers are picketing for fair residuals from streaming services.

Darby thinks “the world’s become way smaller than it ever has in the past,” thanks to the internet. “We are all watching the same kind of stuff, thanks to streaming services.” Because of this, there’s no longer a physical barrier between international media, presenting one global stage for which media to be judged. Perhaps streaming services are a modern Silk Road, a shared network. Hollywood’s pinnacle, the Oscars, might just reflect this, having awarded the Oscar for best picture to a non-English film, Parasite, for the first time in 2020.

My question still lies unanswered: Why is New Zealand’s media identity so weak? Why are our consumption habits so Americanised? Darby has the answer. He says, “It’s a real battleground for like— ‘Is this Kiwi or is it actually American what we’re making, how many New Zealanders are in it?’ Well, I can tell ya, there’s a lot of crew that are Kiwi because we’re very good with our crew.” He cites the sitcom Wrecked, “that was an American production, American writers… it was I think 90% New Zealand crew.”

“We’re hard-working people, and we’re utilised a lot, and so people forget about that… they think of writers, they think of actors, but they wouldn’t think of the rest of the industry that are working behind the scenes to make these things happen.”

Micah Winiata, one of these backstage Kiwis, shares similar ideas. He says that “physically being on set you can notice the behavioural differences with crew. In broad strokes, Kiwis get stuck in and do the job and complain less, and Americans (typically) like productions to go through unions, following the rules to the tee.”

When speaking with Rhys, his wife, producer and publicist Rosie Carnahan, interjects from offscreen, “I was just gonna say they need to continue to be competitive with filming rebates as well.” Rhys replies, “so we need to be more competitive with filming rebates to attract productions to our country. I came up with that, not my wife.”

The New Zealand Screen Production Grant (NZSPG) grants international productions in New Zealand a cash rebate of up to 20% of production costs. This rebate, though not as competitive as other nations, does serve to attract productions to New Zealand, and may account for the significant Hollywood presence in New Zealand, yet no national media identity.

Economically, New Zealand differs heavily from Hollywood in terms of funding. New Zealand media entities are overwhelmingly government-funded; this has pros and cons. Winiata is for it, saying “New Zealand can fund and create films which may not even have any international commercial value, but are culturally valuable for the nation unlike America, where it is solely profit driven; if there is a market and an audience there is money to be made. The structure of this funding means we can create taonga for future generations to come.” Winiata values this taonga, reflected in his own work such as TIAOI (2021), a silent documentary he produced, and set in his hometown of Tauranga Moana.

However, by building a national media identity on the foundations of government dollars, these dollars are biased, political, and shielded. It’s almost a dangerous premise: where does government media cross the line and become propaganda? Darby thinks that maintaining a cultural bubble is New Zealand’s pitfall, “it’s a competitive world, but it’s really important for us to tell our own stories. And have them relatable… that’s the key, is to have them relatable to the wider world so that it gives them more life.” He cites Apple TV’s 2020 comedy-drama Ted Lasso as an example of cross-cultural appeal and success. “At the end of the day, it just needs to be relatable.”

New Zealand may not be synonymous with Hollywood just yet, but we are far from absent from the big screen. You’ll simply have to stick around for the credits to see us.

source: Tear Away NZ

#rhys darby #ofmd #our flag means death #interview #sag aftra #sag aftra strike

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mcromwell · 1 year

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A ‘Primitive Wiggle’ Art Style Retrospective

In 2020, I intentionally developed a simplified art style to avoid burnout and explore new techniques: The Primitive Wiggles! Let's have a Wiggles Retrospective!

This was the first painting attempting a simpler style, “Coyote Joy”. From its success, I developed the style further to be a utility that fit my personal art-making habits and desires.

And here is the first sketchbook page of experiments! Initially, the Wiggles had much smaller ears, a more blunt muzzle, outlined shoulders. They had eyebrows, too! You can see on these pages I’m attempting to get muzzle, paw, and eye shapes down.

A few more attempts and we are getting somewhere with the consistency. I was just drawing them over and over thinking about 1) ease of execution and 2) versatility of shapes/poses.

And finally we have more of a solidified paw shape: muppet hands. (It was the right choice.)

At the time, I drew this and went "YES, THIS is what I'm going for" and I still like her even now! Some small things are different, like the Wiggles almost never get 2 sets of whiskers anymore, but she still holds up. Note how bushy their tails started out-- nowadays they’re way longer, skinnier, like a coyote and not a fox.

Some other things that changed: notice how not every one of them has eyelashes. The eyelashes became something I'm weirdly insistent on-- they're just cuter that way!! (Pieces from 2020)

The style used to be defined by one particular technique. But now, I let the Wiggles exist in many forms! Being flexible is part of their point-- make art no matter what, no matter when, with any materials available. (Pieces from 2022)

Just look at the difference in snoot length alone. (Top: 2020, bottom: 2022) I consciously made their snoots longer and their ears bigger because I want them to lean more COYOTE.

I would say some inspirations for the Wiggles would have to be Keith Haring (simplicity, fun, bold lines) and Rick Bartow (how he handles texture/negative space and the blurring of lines between abstracted and representational). The style was also sort of inspired by cave art, for philosophical reasons.

Basically, I was burnt out with my work. I wanted to make art, but every time I tried, I hated it. Adding another style to my repertoire was liberating. The constraints and considerations that held me back with my main style were no longer there. And now that I have the Wiggles, my other styles don’t bum me out as much, I just get to make art however it suits me best at the time. (I have mental health struggles that put me at highs and lows quite rapidly, so this was sort of a necessity if I was to make art my full-time gig, which I did in summer 2020. The Wiggles were born in December 2020.)

I made the Wiggles by myself and FOR myself. (I am quite attached to them. ♥) They gave me permission to have fun, made me overthink less, and break out of self-imposed restrictions that hindered my creativity. They've come a hell of a long way since 2020, and I have, too!

I hope you enjoyed this Wiggles Retrospective. May they inspire you to play, experiment, and step out of comfort zones! Take a leap of faith-- be WILD! Be NONSENSICAL! AND MAKE SOME WEIRD ART!!

#primitive wiggles #maranda cromwell #marandart #m cromwell #mcromwell #artists on tumblr #art style #art styles #style #style development #art progress #artist #coyote #primitive art #naive art #stylized #multimedia #interdisciplinary #long post

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scotianostra · 4 months

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February 9th 2002 saw the death of John Noble, co-founder of Loch Fyne Oysters and Loch Fyne Restaurants.

n 1978, Noble was looking for a way to help support the estate, which he had inherited, along with considerable debts, from his father in 1972. When Andrew Lane, a marine farmer, suggested the idea of growing oysters, Noble was immediately enthused.

Recalling that in his childhood he had ground up oyster shells to feed to the hens, he was also aware that the unpolluted Loch Fyne waters, warmed by the Gulf stream, would be ideal for growing shellfish.

However, when he told his bank that he was going to lay an oyster bed, they were unimpressed. “Everyone must have a hobby, Mr Noble,�� they responded.

But Noble realised that oysters, which had once been a cheap staple in Scotland, could again be popularised. “We were,” he recalled, “reverting to an ancient tradition.”

The venture grew from a few hundred seed oysters to the millions that are laid down today. Noble and Lane created a flourishing industry, and Loch Fyne Oysters are now exported to shops and supermarkets across the world.

Noble himself became something of an oyster expert. He had an encyclopaedic knowledge of the history of oyster growing and a great love of bivalve trivia; he enjoyed explaining the prodigious feeding habits of oysters, which, when in search of food, filter so much seawater that, were they the size of humans, they would down the equivalent of five municipal swimming pools a day.

Soon Loch Fyne Oysters was branching out with oak-smoked salmon, mussels, langoustines and many other delicacies, which are sold through Noble’s successful mail order business.

In 1980, Noble and Lane decided to set up an oyster bar at the head of Loch Fyne. It began as an umbrella and a trestle table and was then transferred to a nearby cowshed. Soon the venture had become a restaurant, open all day (which particularly suited Noble, who regularly took breakfast there) and serving oysters on ice and fresh seafood in simple surroundings.

Noble’s ethos, that anybody should be able to enjoy good food at a reasonable price, proved highly successful, and Loch Fyne Restaurants is now a large chain of eateries.

Noble was immensely proud that his smokery, restaurant and mail order business at Ardkinglas provided “as many, if not more, jobs” than it did when it was a traditional working estate in his great-grandfather’s day. At the time of his death, his enterprises employed more than 100 local people.

Greene King bought the business over in 2006

Unfortunately due to spiralling costs the majority of the Loch Fyne restaurants have now closed. At its largest, the chain had over 40 restaurants. Some had already closed by 2020, and due to the Covid-19 pandemic of 2020, Loch Fyne permanently closed 11 more restaurants, with further closures following and the last restaurants closing in November 2023.

The mokehouse, Seafood Restaurant, Oyster Bar, Deli & Home Delivery at the head of Loch Fyne is still trading as a separate business, it too closed for a time, but reopened last month. https://www.lochfyne.com/?fbclid=IwAR3Dqq6GDxH77ZX-CN_6h9Ega3VebU3gTpe0e-1PDnuzxOQFGAXgmxQBLPE

#scotland #scottish #history #oysters #seafood

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chorusfm · 5 days

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Neon Trees Announce New Album

Neon Trees will release Sink Your Teeth on September 20th. Track Listing * Favorite Daze * Secret * Bad Dreams * Recover * Heaven * El Diablo * Past Life * Paper Cuts * Cruel Intentions * Acting * Leave * Losing My Head RIAA Multi-Platinum alt-rock band Neon Trees today announced their fifth studio album, Sink Your Teeth, their first in four years and first on Round Hill Records. Last week, the band shared “Bad Dreams,” an energetic electro-rock single, the third to be revealed from the album. “‘Bad Dreams’ is about escapism and the idea that in your head, or in the fantasy, you can be (or be with) anyone, you can do anything and go anywhere,” says lead singer Tyler Glenn. “Growing up closeted and not coming out til I was 30, I often felt like my only outlet sexually or romantically was in my head. “I wanted to capture the sensation of carnal desire, the weirdness and sometimes absurdity of dreams, and how submitting to the ‘bad’ can sometimes feel oh so good, especially when it’s only ‘just a dream.’” Written over the course of three years, Sink Your Teeth offers an opportunity for longtime fans to return and for new fans to discover the band for the first time—proverbially sinking their teeth into the music. It also evokes a sense of bite and rawness in the music and lyrics that is compellingly relatable. For Glenn, the songs reflect a state of mind felt by many in a post pandemic, chronically online digital age, where the uneasiness and anxiety of modern love and modern life are more potent than ever. Like all of Neon Trees’ work, the album reveals a balance between the dark and the light. “The question was, how do I capture that energy and that feeling of anxiety, but not make it solely about a period of time in our lives or make people only reflect on that when they listen?” Glenn says of the album. “The songs do contain some of the anxiety and existential crisis I was feeling at the start of the decade, but there’s also a thread of hope. It’s not wrapped neatly in a bow at the end, but there’s still a hopefulness.” Starting on July 20, Neon Trees will hit the road with 311 and AWOL Nation as part of 311’s “Unity Tour.” A full list of dates is included below. Neon Trees began a rapid ascent from the Provo, Utah alt-indie scene to the forefront of popular culture fueled by their debut album Habits. Its lead single “Animal” scored a double-platinum certification from the RIAA and took home “Top Alternative Song” at the Billboard Music Awards. Success continued for the band with their sophomore album, Picture Show and its hit single, the 5x platinum “Everybody Talks.” The subsequent release Pop Psychology, bowed at #1 on the Billboard Top Rock Albums Chart and produced another hit, “Sleeping With A Friend.” In 2020, Neon Trees returned with their fourth studio album, I Can Feel You Forgetting Me, featuring the single, “Used to Like” which landed at #1 on the current Alternative chart. In addition to chart success, the multi-format band has amassed 1 billion streams and recently logged over 40 million views on TikTok, while garnering acclaim from Rolling Stone, Entertainment Weekly, and USA Today. Their live performance continues to electrify with over a decade of countless sold-out shows, marquee festival performances as well as appearances on “Good Morning America,” “Today,” “Jimmy Kimmel Live!,” “America’s Got Talent,” and “LIVE! With Kelly.” --- Please consider becoming a member so we can keep bringing you stories like this one. ◎ https://chorus.fm/news/neon-trees-announce-new-album/

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alexis-royce · 5 months

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Mr Eaten, 1, 2, 9, 12, 22

(Obviously spoilers under the cut.)

1. Why do you like or dislike this character?

Okay, so. I’m not a fan of Mr Eaten.

Back in 2010, I loved Seeking. It went against everything I knew about how a game was supposed to work, and it was a very indulgent set of mechanics to describe seeking forbidden knowledge at the cost of a slow, incremental everything. I stopped playing when it was removed from the game, and when I started playing again in 2020, it was with the intention of finishing Seeking and closing the door on Fallen London. But I fell back in love with FL, and I really started to care about my Academic again. So I turned away from the name.

I still think that Seeking is a great story and very cool! But personally, it’s a little too linked with IRL nasty and self-destructive habits. The Discordance is an excellent spin on similar mechanics, and I like it much more.

Eaten itself is nothing, to me. It is not a character. It is the void that Candles left. It is grief without relief, hate without protection or restoration. Eaten is not worthy of its seekers; once again, a Master is abusing and subjugating humans, just as cruelly as any of the others.

2. Favorite canon thing about this character?

It’s a very successful ghost story. I’m sad that most people are going to just learn it on a wiki nowadays. Picking off bits and pieces in your daily Fallen London life really can’t be beat. Putting the timeline together, peeking in wells and realizing what The Masters did is absolutely awful.

9. Could you be roommates with this character?

Absolutely not.

12. What's a headcanon you have for this character?

If Fallen London were a musical, here’s its ballad: https://youtu.be/63CgHZKtmzw?si=Lgv0C9_g4XFIJb7Y

youtube

22. If you're a fic reader, what's something you like in fics when it comes to this character? Something you don't like?

Since Eaten/Candles is such a void, I like getting to see different characterizations for it. Candles was thrown under the bus twice by its people for no good, so it’s hard to fault folks for woobyfying it. I don’t know quite enough about how much Veils is at fault for what happened, but I’d be up for fic recommendations that explore their relationship! Killing Candles made the hate and pain that was left behind, so much more dangerous than it was while alive, and I’d like to know how the others feel about that.

#fallen london #Mr eaten #Smen #asks

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easton-m · 5 months

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EASTON.

&&. wait, is ( easton emil madden ) quitting next season? i've heard through a grapevine, that the ( 41 ) year old ( quarterback for the new york giants ) is aiming for his last superbowl. somehow, he reminds me of ( david gandy ). some say that he is ( aloof & calculating ), but i think he is actually ( analytical & diplomatic ). ( penned by logan, they/them )

— BASICS

NAME: Easton Emil Madden AGE / D.O.B.: 41 / 03.10.1981 GENDER / PRONOUS / SEXUALITY: Cismale / he/him / Homosexual HOMETOWN: New York, NY AFFILIATION: Civillian JOB POSITION: Quarterback for the New York GiantsEDUCATION: High School Graduate / Havard (1999-2003 / Crimson Football) RELATIONSHIP STATUS: In a relatioship with @astrorahi CHILDREN: None POSITIVE TRAITS Tidy, secure, forgiving, discreet, reflectiveNEGATIVE TRAITS: Secretive, stiff, petty, cold, abrupt

— BIOGRAPHY

TW: Abuse, internalized homophobia + homophobia, eating disorders

Easton gets tired of his family's wealth when one of his middle school friends claims he's ignorant and no fun to be around, and he gets so sad that he feels sick for days. Friendship heartbreak is the worst, his mother says, and when he's in Highschool and his next "Friendship breakup" feels even worse, Easton figures there might be more to it. But his feelings, his emotions, they're all overshadowed by his mothers ex-husband, his father - William Madden. To be precise, everything is always overshadowed by his father's existence, his money, his work. Even his mother is, and the impact his father's violence and way of raising his kids has on his life is bad. Easton started sneaking out - started hanging out with the "bad guys", with the poorer people, risking his life just to get a part of normalcy.

Then, football enters his life. After always pushing himself to be perfect, good, no mess, in control of his emotions, always in control of his emotions, football is his escape route. It's messy. Dirty. Allows him to get angry and violent, allows him to let his control slip. And it does, once or twice, badly, but his media team is good, his lawyers are better. What his father's money cannot fix, though, is how lonely all the attention makes him feel, and how the success in football gets to him in college, where his eating habits slip for a while and he struggles to keep up with the sport, and school, and... figuring out he was gay, right before a big game night, which led to the worst game he ever played in his life. It couldn't be. He'd done business. He'd done football. He'd taken every crump of compliments, every word of appreciation, every cold nod and every punch to be good. To be perfect. No, to be good enough, and then he just isn't.

After his first and final football game of college, the scout of the New York Giants asks him to sign a contract, and there's no hesitation. No denying. It's what he's earned himself - his father hasn't asked him to, nobody has, he's old enough, he can do whatever he wants. And he does. And sticks around.

As good as Tom Brady. Possibly soon to be in the Hall of Fame, the newspapers read, and while he's offered many more contracts, he sticks around with the Giants, pushes them to Superbowl and gets them many wins. But he's never fully himself - he's not outed, fake dates women (during college and a few years after), and when 2020 comes around and he thinks of quitting - he does it. After a game, at a press conference, he speaks up about his sexuality and publicly outs himself as homosexual. The shitstorm is massive, but so is the support. Easton doesn't talk to his father about it. His mother knew. Of course she did. He loves Persephone with all his heart, and will likely never stop.

But there's more to the oh so famous NFL player - behind closed doors, there's his obsession with Haribo Gummies in all colors, but especially red and green, his favor for watching old romance movies with his beloved sister, Livy, the friendship bracelets his niece and nephew made him he always wears around, and his passion to memorize every little thing about his loved ones. His jersey number is 4 - Liv's favorite number.

And recently, he's been photographed wearing NASA hoodies around. Hm. A sponsorship? Who knows.

— WANTED CONNECTIONS / PLOTS

EXES: Some of the girls he fake-dated in College to be seen as straight. Probably broke up with them for dumb ass reasons. Could be great friends now and laugh about it together (he never purposely hurt anyone and likely told them he was gonna busy and wonky with their relationship).

COLLEGE BUDS: Went to college from 1999-2003? Could've met at Havard, a party, or during a game! Maybe some former football players?

#PRESS BEEN NOSY; intro post.

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luxxsolaris · 8 months

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Victoria's Secret Rebrand and the Selkie example

This is something thats been in the works for over a year now- a lot of commentary surrounding the VS rebrand has focused on largely fatphobic and body exclusive critique which is not the perspective I believe should be taken towards criticism of the rebrand. This discussion will focus on the idea of the 'angel', why people are upset with the rebrand and why people SHOULD be able to critique it

The popularity of Victorias Secret has been declining to the point of near irrelevancy in the early 2020s after years and years of criticism for culturally offensive runways, fatphobia, problems with sizing, and pushing their models into severely disordered eating habits in fear of being dropped as ambassadors over half an inch of fat. Things got so bad for the brand that in 2021 they announced plans to change their concept entirely to a more subdued, low-key, neutral collection showcasing their new ambassadors and shifting focus onto the success of these women as opposed to their body type.

The brand of Victorias Secret has been predominantly centred around the fantasy of the angel- women so ethereally beautiful that brings a developed sense of elegance, seduction and glamour to their shows. Part of this desire to rebrand was to escape this idea of the male gaze and this male centred fantasy created by their runway shows in that these women were designed to be the 'perfect' woman oftentimes forgoing the actual opinions of what women wanted to see from the brand. This is where the critique of the new-wave VS collection begins.

Thousands of people have taken to tiktok to spread the entirely fatphobic rhetoric that the reason there has been such little support for VS even into their rebranding because they have abandoned the original idea of the angel.

This mindset that models for VS must adhere to a specific image of femininity is not only disrespectful to the women currently involved as brand ambassadors but to the very Angels they claim to defend as hoards of familiar VS Angels including Adriana Lima, Erin Heatherton and Bridget Malcolm have all come out and discussed the ways in which their modelling careers have affected their eating habits and body image, with Lima commenting (same article) that she would refrain from eating solid foods for nine days prior to a VS runway show.

To wish for Victorias Secret to be this unattainable display of the peak of feminine beauty and sexuality is to push the women involved to unhealthy extremes, damaging their bodies to the extent of chronic exhaustion and missing periods due to extreme weight loss . The push for body inclusivity was a desire to see beautiful women represented by all body types but also a movement to protect the women already involved in the agency and allow them to be and feel healthy and glamorous.

so what happened to the glamour? The recent 'my wings my way' campaign has received a lot of flack for its sense of casualness, embracing a new kind of natural beauty reminiscent of the pages from a 90s magazine as opposed to the high feminine glamour of the 2010s era. Similarly, the new VS collective underwear release has focused on more neutral, subtle styles with a large range of nude colours to appeal to all skin tones almost identical to the Dove body inclusivity campaigns from 2017.

These concepts are both beautiful in design, but the 180 degree turn from the original concept has left fans wondering if the iconic Look of the brand has been entirely abandoned upon its movement to become more inclusive to age and body type. It's a decision that has subsequently prompted more criticism, this time focusing on the ideas of 'why cant my body be glamorous?".

Why did body and age inclusivity mean that the ideas of femininity, glamour and angelic beauty had to be forgotten? Is VS sending the message that plus sized bodies are not sexy? Is this an attempt to cater to 'what women want' without actually acknowledging what women want (again)?

Natural beauty is a wondrous thing, it's something that everyone possesses and that needs to be celebrated- but thats not the point of Victoria's Secret. Brands are allowed to adhere to a certain aesthetic. Brands are allowed to have a target audience based on selling a specific type or style of clothing. Women appreciated VS garments for feeling glamorous and hyper feminine- what needed to change was the ranges of sizes they carried and the way in which the shows were run (and their intrusive in store measuring lets be real) to ensure that all women of all sizes and ages had the opportunity to experience that high feminine fantasy.

That's where Selkie comes into play. For the past two years selfie has presented absolutely phenomenal spring/summer collections at NYFW with models of differing shapes and sizes- and their 2024 collection featuring their first disabled model (whose name I have not been able see featured in any articles on the runway).

Selkie embodies what people wanted to see of a VS rebrand. Maintaining the essence of who the brand is- for VS as a hyperfeminine, classy and sexy underwear brand- and feeling that fantasy within inclusivity. The strive towards appreciating that all bodies are beautiful should not have to sacrifice the aesthetic of the garments and in such sacrificing the core audience who appreciated and anticipated their designs.

Selkie's work proves that all bodies are mystical and goddess-like and ethereal and embody the fantasy that their audience are attracted to. The angel can be fat or disabled or old and still be angelic. The fantasy of the angel is not held in body type or skin colour or age or ability but in the women who feel it. What was needed of VS was to allow women to feel their angelic fantasy instead of marketing it towards a male gaze through an unrealistic standard of the ideal woman. What was needed was allowing their models to feel beautiful instead of pushing themselves on strict food exclusionary diets to obsessively maintain their weight. Victorias secret needed a rebrand in conduct that didn't sacrifice the identity of the brand. Because let's face it, there was nothing wrong with a glitzy thong.

#fashion blog #fashion commentary #selkie #victorias secet model #Victorias secret #fashion essay #fashion analysis

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writingdotcoffee · 2 years

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Rebuilding My Writing Habit

I burned out this summer. Luckily, it wasn't one of those life-changing burnouts where I'd have to change careers. But it was significant enough that I couldn't focus and barely got anything done. This time, using more force didn't help. I had to take an unscheduled writing break.

The summer months are the most productive for me. In 2020, I wrote about 70,000 words. In 2021, it was 68,000 words. This year, it was only about 8,000 words (or 11% of my usual output). You can see the drop for yourself:

Here's the corresponding time chart (about 85 hours in summer 2020, 66 hours in 2021 and 8 hours in 2022):

Thankfully, my burnout improved early in October. I regained my ability to focus. And I was able to get excited about writing again — a feeling that I missed dearly. I'm grateful to be back. I love writing, and not being able to do it was weird.

Starting Over

Unfortunately, not writing much for months killed my writing habit. I no longer feel the pull to write every day. I have to build it up again.

Incidentally, I've had my writing routines combust many times before. Early on, I thought this was a sign that I didn't have what it takes to write.

If I can't write at least 500 words every day, what's the point? That's what Hemingway did, didn't he?

For some reason, I kept trying. I even built a writing app that helps writers create a writing habit (talk about procrastination).

Things are not what they seem

I've been tracking my writing with Writing Analytics for over two years now. One thing that I learned from the data is that your immediate failures overshadow almost any past accomplishments. You may be pumping words out like a firehose for months. Then you skip a day and feel like everything is over.

I was struggling with a project once, feeling like an abject failure. Then I looked at the charts, and the numbers were huge. I wrote something like 150,000 words over the past year. That genuinely surprised me.

I may not be the most productive writer in the universe, but hey, 150,000 words aren't anything to sneeze at.

I realised that the value of tracking your writing isn't only in the immediate accountability of it. Far greater value is in being able to look at the data when things aren't going well.

You'll see that you were productive before, and you'll be productive again. That's why I'm far more relaxed about my current situation than I would've been in the past.

Here's My Plan

Here's what I'm planning to do to rebuild my writing routine.

1: No Word Goals

I won't be setting any goals for now. At this stage, building a habit is the goal. It doesn't matter how many words I'll write now. If I can create a strong habit now, I will write more later.

Setting too ambitious goals early on is one of the most common reasons why people quit. Writing 500 words a day is a noble goal, but if you're not ready for it, you'll give up.

It's like running. If you haven't trained for years and start running 10 miles every day, it'll be over pretty soon.

2: Build a Streak

Over the first few weeks, I want to write for at least 15 minutes per day. Whether I write five words or 500, it's a success. My main priority is not skipping days. That's how you build a habit.

If I miss a day (it happens), I'll use James Clear's rule of doing whatever is in my power to write the next day. Missing a day is a mistake; missing two days in a row is the beginning of a new habit.

Writing Analytics has a built-in streaks calendar that does this automatically. To be honest, I also miss receiving one of the streak awards. Ah, the joys of instant gratification!

3: Write Wherever I can

The traditional "sitting down to write" hasn't worked for me for years. I write on the train, when I'm queuing for something or when I have a moment during my lunch break.

Sure, I do a lot of writing from my desk at home too, but there's only so much you can do at 10.30 p.m. after a frantic day.

Geting five or ten minutes of writing in wherever I can is absolutely essential for this to happen.

It's also the reason why I made Writing Analytics mobile-friendly. It syncs your work immediately, so it's ready on your other devices right away. This used to drive me insane with the previous editor I used. Sometimes, it took ages for the cloud sync algorithm to figure it out. In some cases, I had to reboot my laptop to trigger it. Not ideal to be sitting around for 20 minutes while your app syncs the last three paragraphs of your draft.

4: Stay Accountable

Quitting is far easier when nobody's watching. I plan to use two ways to keep myself accountable.

Word Tracking

In the first instance, I'll keep myself accountable by tracking how much I write. Writing Analytics does this for me — it's almost as if I built the app myself 😅.

As I said earlier — when you're in the trenches, your perception of how well you're doing can become skewed. Tracking your writing removes any doubts.

External Accountability

Sometimes, self-accountability isn't enough. There's a reason why people excel at work or school but struggle to get anywhere with their personal projects.

I've always done my best work from the coffee shop or library. Being around people who work makes me want to keep going.

That's why I built Challenges into Writing Analytics. It's a way to work alongside other writers. You can see their progress, and they can see yours. It's like sitting in the library, but the library is right inside your word processor.

You can join a challenge from your phone too. I'm so excited about this feature, and I'll be using it every day to get my writing habit back on track.

Final thoughts

Losing my writing habit used to terrify me. I did a lot of unhealthy stuff just to keep hitting arbitrary daily goals that were unrealistic for me at the time. I did this because I didn't see the big picture, and it caused a lot more damage than I realised.

Creativity comes and goes. You ride the wave for as long as you can. Then you have to find a new one. Sometimes, the best thing to do is to let go and start over.

About the Author

Hi, I’m Radek 👋. I’m a writer, software engineer and the founder of Writing Analytics — an editor and writing tracker designed to help you beat writer’s block and create a sustainable writing routine.

I publish a post like this every week. Want to know when the next one comes out? Sign up for my email list below to get it right in your inbox.

(I won’t spam you or pass your email to a third party. You can unsubscribe at any time.)

Past Editions

#250: I Burned Out, October 2022

#249: Finish More Things, July 2022

#248: Serious Procrastination, June 2022

#247: Learning How to Fail, June 2022

#246: Your Art Is Like a Journal Entry, May 2022

#writing #writers #write #writing tips #writing advice #amwriting #writing life #writeblr #writing update #personal update #me #writing analytics

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awakefor48hours · 7 months

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Stolen Hearts

[Fanfiction.net] || [AO3]

Fandoms: Miraculous Ladybug & Avatar the Last Airbender Warnings: None Characters: Marinette Dupain Cheng, Azula Relationships: Azula/Marinette (Azulanette) Additional Tags: bisexual marinette, lesbian azula, one shot, Aged up, Marinette and Azula are both 28, slight OOC

Summary: After a successful heist, Paris’s most infamous cat burglar, Ladybug, goes home to her roommate, Azula, who has big news for her.

After scouring the internet for a long while, I have come to the conclusion that I am the only person who ships these two. I checked basically everywhere for a fanfiction, fanart, AMV, or even just an edit of Azula and Marinette, I checked tumblr, reddit, instagram, AO3, fanfiction.net, livejournal, wattpad, quotev, tiktok, youtube, and even the third page of google so welcome to what I will confidently say is the first ever Azula x Marinette (a ship I’m calling Azulanette) fanfiction.

I'm so glad you're here to watch my brainrot of this crack ship I've slowly come to love. Once again, since I can confidently say that this is the first ever Azulanette fanfiction in the world, I'm going to ease myself into writing about Azulanette as I'm planning to write a longer/multi-chapter fic in the future, I want practice writing these two before I take on something like that. The only "plan" I have is to just experiment, see what works and what doesn't work before that fic is published. I also need to rewatch ATLA again as the last time I saw this show was back in 2020.

For nearly five years, Paris had been intimidated by a cat burglar that goes by the name of Ladybug. Ladybug was a criminal mastermind. The only known information the police had on her was that she always wore a ladybug-printed outfit and would always rob places in the morning or dusk, never at night. Wearing a bright red outfit in the middle of the day should make her out to be a very easy target but somehow she would escape before the authorities would even realize that they were robbed.

That begs the question: where does she go after a heist?

Ladybug ran on the rooftops of Paris at dusk. She knew it would only be a matter of time before the bank realized that they'd been robbed but she didn't worry about that because she was almost home. She took a giant leap, jumping over the street below her, to a new rooftop and saw her apartment just a few meters away. A few seconds later, she made it to her bedroom window, opened it, then jumped through. Just as her feet touched the floor, she heard police sirens start to blare outside.

Another successful heist.

She popped her head out of her room to greet her roommate, Azula. They've been roommates since the beginning of Ladybug's crime spree. It was their secret and the reason and they were only people who knew. It was nice to have someone like her.

"Hi, Marinette, how was your heist today?" Azula greeted.

Marinette, the name of the person behind the mask, smiled then pulled out her magic yo-yo and pulled out some of the cash she stole. She was currently holding 6 thousand euro but left the other 2 hundred thousand inside her yo-yo. "Successful, as always." Marinette said proudly.

Marinette moved back into her room and changed out of her Ladybug outfit and into a comfortable red sweatshirt and gray pants. Once she was changed, she talked to the kitchen to start making croissants. Making pastries after a heist was a habit she started a while ago. It helped to calm down and remind her of home. Azula also loved this habit so Marinette always made sure to make enough for both of them.

Marinette walked around the kitchen, grabbing the ingredients she needed. But before she started, she noticed Azula standing at the threshold. "Marinette, can I tell you something before you start?"

"Yeah go ahead." Marinette then put down the flour she was holding and walked towards Azula.

When she walked over, Azula took Marinette's hands and looked at her. "Marinette these past five years have been some of the most amazing years of my life. You're so imaginative, smart, funny, and make the best pastries I've ever tasted."

"You're homemade tea is definitely the best I've had."

She chuckled lightly. "You should try my uncle's tea. His tea is much better than mine."

"Then you should try my father's pastries too. He and my grandfather make some of the best pastries ever made."

"I look forward to it. But I really want to tell you something." Azula looked down, sighed heavily, then looked back up. "You are truly amazing. Especially the way you've managed to steal anything that you put your mind to, it's always impressed me and recently you've stolen something from me."

Suddenly a slight feeling of panic set in. What did she steal this time? She's had problems with accidentally stealing from Azula's stuff in the past, usually her phone, but she always gives her stuff back in the end. She doesn't even know what she stole this time so she didn't know where she may have put it this time. She has nearly 2 hundred thousand dollars in her room right now so she could at least pay it back.

"Marinette, you stole my heart."

In that moment, Marinette felt her worry melt away. Her face started to heat up and the air left her lungs. She could barely believe this was happening. They've been roommates for a while and Marinette had definitely started to develop feelings for Azula too. She just never thought they would be reciprocated.

“Well, you should know you stole my heart too.”

They looked at each other for a moment then leaned in for a kiss. It was like heaven, an eternity of happiness, despite the fact it only lasted for a short moment. Once they separated, Marinette said, “I guess we can get our families together when we tell them the news.”

And with that, the first ever Azulanette fanfiction is done. I cannot express to you how hard this was for me. I’ve written and rewritten so many things about this fic should go, this is actually the third attempt/fanfiction I wrote. After a while, I had to realize that I just needed to sit down and write this. In fact, the rough draft for this fic was handwritten because I had some extra time before one of my classes.

Also, and I’m sure this might be a bit obvious, this fic was inspired by Batcat. An anon mentioned that Azulanette reminded them of Damienette and I realized I should integrate myself in the DC x ML side of the fandom so I’ve been binging DC content because it’s been a while since I’ve really sat down and enjoyed DC content outside of Harley Quinn (character and show). Anon, if you’re reading this, you played a big part in this fic and thank you for pointing that out.

With that being said, I’m proud of this. It took about a month and an embarrassing amount of times falling asleep at the keyboard to write this fic but I couldn’t be happier that it’s finally out in the world. Once again, I do plan to write more (especially the other two fics I started to write) but right now I’m mainly just focusing on how Azula and Marinette’s relationship would function.

#my fanfiction #crossover fanfiction #miraculous ladybug #avatar #atla #avatar the last airbender #azulanette #marinette x azula #azula x marinette #marinette dupain cheng #azula #atla azula #crack ship #one shot

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