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#thinking if i should add the other two to the page. they're not AS significant to the general plot but
memen18-m5r3 · 6 months
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kitty cat
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tainoidiot · 1 year
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Just a random idea that I thought would be cute, if you don’t mind writing for it. So y’know how in Btas Jonathan and Harley are shown to have a sort of friendship? Well, I could imagine Harley learning about Jonathan’s relationship with the reader and pestering him about it to no end. Can’t really blame her considering Jonathan is, well, not the easiest to close to.
I like to imagine she find out about the relationship by pure accident too, since Jon doesn’t seem like the type to openly discuss his personal business like that. You can add on to this if you want, this is just the basics since this just popped into my head lol
WAIT THIS IS SO FUNNY
Also heyyyy I'm back in class I hate college
Secret Secrets Are No Fun
BTAS!Johnathan Crane x Reade. Plus Harley!
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It was pretty late in the day, yet nothing had happened. Gotham was quiet, not a rogue to be heard. Hell, even the batman decided today he'd take the day off to do.. whatever that guy does. Bruce Wayne seems to be having fun though, maybe he should take a page from his book.
This wouldn't sit with Harley. With Ivy taking the entire day to manage her garden, and the Joker basically kicking her out for the day, what was a woman to do? She'd get kicked out any restaurant, and museums are so boring when you're not particularly in the mood. So a walk will do just fine, "You two want some walkies? Let's see if we can snag some hotdogs for ya!" Harley giggled, Bud and Lou excitedly rushing toward the door and crying in anticipation to begin. They're more like dogs now than Hyenas, she swears..
The funniest thing is, though they don't mean it, some rogues stay in touch. That's definitely the case with her and Johnathan, or as the citizens of Gotham know him as that fucking creep with the potato sack costume the Scarecrow. So why not stop by for a visit? Company is always nice! And Bud and Lou are the sweetest babies, who could say no? Once the trio finally stopped at the corner of his residence, Harley noticed the front door open. Before she went to walk, she saw someone unfamiliar walk out. Probably just a henchman or something, nothing to freak about.
"I'll be right back, okay? I'll pick up dinner for tonight, and if you haven't put down your work before I get back I'm gonna force relaxation on you!" The figure giggled, grabbing Johnathans hands to hold softly in theirs. "I promise, just after I write this one reaction down. I'll have it all put away once you're back." And then, Harley covers her mouth so they don't hear the gasp. THEYRE KISSING? WHAT THE FUCK, IS THIS ALLOWED?
After the stranger walks off, not really even noticing the bright blonde and two giant "dogs", she hops out the bushes and giggled "Johnathan Crane! I didn't realize PDA was on the menu for tonight?" She teased. Johnathan looked at Harley and groaned "Hello, Harley.. it's nothing to concern you." He grumbled, pretty embarrassed that she saw everything. "Oh really?" Harley giggled, waltzing right into the dilapidated room. "What did I say about the Hyenas?!" Johnathans gasped as Bud and Lou pushed past him. "Nothing to concern you." Harley laughed, sitting down on a ripped up couch. "Now, tell me everything! They're such a looker too! So kind and really looks at you the way that softens a cold icy heart." Harley fawns, Johnathan blushing "You think so..?" He quickly closes the door and continues writing in his already cramped journal.
"So.." Harley sprawled herself out "Who was that? I didn't realize you were seeing someone, do they know about your work?" She pestered, Johnathan groaning in annoyance "just a significant.. other" He replied, trying to be as vague as possible. Harley screamed, jumping up and going over to the red head to grab his shoulders "Oh my god! You are dating! For such a long time I thought you had a stick up your ass." She laughed, Johnathan now burning red with embarrassment. "They're awfully attractive, how'd you pull them even? No offense, you're just kinda-" "Don't continue that sentence." He growled. Harley shrugged, grabbing an empty box "Come on, let's clean up. I don't want to be the reason why your Significant Other gets on your ass."
With everything cleaned up and ready for Johnathan's date night (minus the vials Bud may or may not have eaten), the duo plopped onto the couch in exhaustion. "Alright.. Lab is clean. Now would you-" just as Johnathan got up, he heard a few knocks at the door. As the door opens, Harley sees the stranger in all their glory, whistling like a cartoon wolf. "You are quite a looker. Ciao, Johnny!" And just like that, she's off.
".. Was that"
"Yep."
"You know her?"
"I do."
"Huh.. I learn new things about you every day."
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thatdesklamp · 4 months
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Hi! I looked at your writing advice page and I think it was really good advice and has helped me a lot, but I was also wondering if you have advice on how to write dialogue?
Because I don't want it to sound boring and cheesy, but I also don't want my characters to be spewing pure Shakespeare lol.
When I read your works, I think you do really well and make things balanced and interesting, with even 3 word sentences :)
Do you have advice?
yo yes I kind of do.
I struggled with writing dialogue most out of anything when I started writing--I'd have to force myself to write it, instead of writing paragraphs upon paragraphs of internal monologues--and so developed a 'Beginner's Method' that ended up working for me:
Talk to yourself as the characters and then write down what you end up saying
For me, this involved pacing around my room and muttering to myself like I was slightly deranged, and then pouncing on my laptop every few minutes to speedtype anything good I came up with. It works best when there's an exchange between only two characters, and you have a general idea of where the scene should go.
Now, this may be the theatre kid in me, but 'acting out' what the characters should say helped me figure out their characterisation better, as well as their vocal mannerisms and inflections to try to make each person 'sound' unique, as well as figuring out how the conversation should flow naturally. It's easy for things to sound forced when you're sitting down and staring at a laptop, so actually getting up and moving actually helped a lot.
Only write out what the characters say, nothing else
At the beginning, I only ever wrote the dialogue. It was just lines and lines that looked like this: I don't think you're right about this made-up conflict we're going to be talking about / maybe i'm not / what do you mean / i mean maybe i agree with you, i'm not right about this made-up conflict / yes you're not
This helps so much with figuring out the flow of the dialogue: you don't get bogged-down in making the writing flowery, or figuring out a really clever way to 'show' that a character is sad without 'telling' they're sad... firstly, just figure out what they're saying.
Add in the flowery bits afterwards
Adding in the 'Person A said' / 'She stared at him' / 'His voice wavered, like [blah blah blah words input here]' after you've written out dialogue helped me loads in the beginning. It then helps you structurally: you can look at your work 'zoomed-out', and make sure you're not clogging your writing with too much description, or too little description, or too much blank space, or too little, or... etc. Nowadays I don't need to really do it like this, as I've got enough practice in that I can figure out the 'flow' as I go (haha) but there are still loads of times when I have a fab idea for how I want a scene to go, and so I just whizz out the dialogue as quick as I can, with only a few markers to help me figure out what I want the characters to be doing. Let me have a look in my notes app to try to see if I've got any IW examples.
[EDIT: HUZZAH!!! I FOUND ONE!!! Here’s literally proof of me doing this for a scene in Chapter 19 of ‘Intrinsic Warmth’:
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Which was then expanded (by a biiiig degree!!) into this:
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In the first one, I didn’t care about formatting, grammar, anything like that. I’m just concerned about getting the words onto the page, as I know I’ll be able to go over it later.
Other general tips:
Nothing is ever solved in one line
The reader's eyes skip over two lines of dialogue (Person A speaks / Person B responds) so, so quickly. I always noticed that it was like two lines were pretty much redundant until I padded them out with just... more lines. For something to seem significant to the reader, or for there to be a purpose for you to include it, I go with a general rule of four lines minimum.
This is because nobody's mind ever really changes in one or line of dialogue. People don't work like this:
Person A: I'll give you £5 for that dress.
Person B: No way. Minimum price, £10.
(Person A is now convinced and will pay £10)
There needs to be some more back-and-forth, for 90% of people. It's very rare that you'll ever find someone so naturally persuasive that they can change someone's mind in one line, or that someone is so easily convinced that their mind can be changed in one line. Most of the time, it'll look something more like this:
Person A: I'll give you £5 for that dress.
Person B: No way. Minimum price, £10.
Person A: I don't know... I've only got £10 in my purse, and that's for everything today.
Person B: Don't worry, Person A. You know I wouldn't cheat you out of your money!
(Person A is now convinced and will pay £10)
However, each line should still add something new. It could be that Person B tries a new method of convincing Person A, or that Person B tries again, saying essentially the same thing but in a different way. That 'different' way should convey something: are they more irritated, more casual, more angry?
Essentially, don't be afraid of writing more dialogue than less. This doesn't mean you should write random stuff, or dialogue that doesn't serve a purpose, but people talk a lot more than you think. Let them talk.
Use single lines of dialogue, it's okay
As in, the bits in italics:
"Hello," Person A said.
"Hello!"
"Heyyyy. What's up?"
Your reader can keep up with who's saying what, especially once you work on developing each character's 'voice'. I used to get so bogged down by making sure every line of dialogue had the character's name attached to it, but in truth you can write these 'single lines' much more than you think. It helps speed the writing up, and it stops your reader from getting that bored, imo.
I don't know what I'm doing to be so fr
Here's the truth: I don't think dialogue is one of my strengths, at the moment. I've spoken a lot about all of your characters finding their 'voice', so you could basically look only at the character's dialogue and you could know which character it is solely from the words that they're saying. It's important for character development, with dialogue being such an important tool to characterise your characters!
But I honestly don't think I'm the best at that. It's something that I'm consciously working on, and I think writing things other than IW will help me stretch those muscles, but it's honestly not something I've got cracked yet. Which is fine--I'm developing as an author! Everyone is, constantly--and I guess a way to say that I'm not tip-top at this, but as long as you're willing to put yourself out there (as in: start writing, start putting words on paper, that's all) then you're going to improve. And that's great! Ha-haaaa
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animehouse-moe · 1 year
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My Girlfriend's Child Volume 1
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This is a relatively quiet manga, if that makes any sense. It is a drama, and it is centered around a rather taboo topic in media. But it doesn't stretch the truth, it doesn't dramatize pieces for the sake of drama. Essentially, it does nothing to promote itself to readers, and instead focuses on telling a very strong story through this medium.
⚠️Warning: Discussion of Teenage Pregnancy Ahead⚠️
Sachi and Takara are high schoolers with their whole lives ahead of them. Though, in Sachi's eyes that comes crumbling down because of a pregnancy test and the scares that it brings with it. This manga does a great deal to address those fears, confusions, and concerns that swirl around Sachi as a teenage girl, and give what almost amounts to an example as to how significant others should handle the process.
So lets get into it, starting with the art. It's a very wispy work overall, that makes very little use of shadows or darkness, instead opting for something that's very bright and almost fades into the light. There's plenty of detail in the art, but you don't quite notice it all the time because of how faint it is. It's all very monotone, which I find interesting. Takara has darker colors in his design, as do a few other characters, but the overwhelming impression is that the art is focused on white and brighter colors. Could it be about bringing the world under Sachi's point of view versus Takara's, given the difference in color palette for the characters? It's definitely possible, but hard to say so I'll leave it as a question.
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The paneling and overall presentation of the manga is well done, opting for providing more information and character acting than scenery or larger spreads. It can become a little dense at times, but overall does a good job of helping better express the characters and provide more life to how they move and act. Take these pages for example.
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There's 8 panels total between the two pages it depicts, and effectively all it does is establish how Sachi is looking for her lost cat Nora. It shows that she's not exactly overly prepared for being out in the snow and cold to look for the cat, and that she's also very diligent and willing to search for this Nora, as she looks underneath a bench as well. I think it's a great introduction to the character and understanding how they typically act. But I will also say, that this type of paneling is evident throughout. That is to say, that the overall creativity in layouts could use some work, as it relies heavily on squares and rectangles that fill space to confine the art and the flow of the content.
Somewhere I have no complaints though is the character designs. They're as detailed as they are unique (that is to say, very), and that Mamoru Aoi is very good with facial expressions and character posing. As much as they are well defined and appealing poses, they feel equally at home when interpolated or imagined to be moving.
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Moving onwards, I feel like Mamoru sensei is using the visual medium to their best extent possible. Not so much in the sense of what they present, but how. Backgrounds and smaller details are used as focus and storytelling elements. Take a scene like this one, that shows Sachi's isolation and dissociation in the moment.
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And a lesser detail that you'll notice is "noise", and how Sachi perceives and interacts with it. Given that we as readers can't experience this noise, it's an incredibly easy detail to miss, but one that exists as a constant in the manga.
There's some really great moments that use it as a way to isolate Sachi in her dissociation as above, but there's also examples when it's used to irritate her or cause anxiety. It's a really fine detail that adds a great deal of character to Sachi's experience. Just take this sequence as an example.
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It easily expresses Sachi's frustration with having to listen to the pot bubble and rattle around while cooking, and is a very simple sequence that gives a lot of life and detail to Sachi's character and how she's handling and processing things. And it happens quite often throughout. Mamoru's shown impressive prowess in visually building things up for readers to understand Sachi, whether they've ever experienced a pregnancy, or been an SO to someone that's been pregnant, or none of the above.
I wouldn't call it a one-two punch or anything like that, but they make sure to include and provide inklings and cues as to Sachi's behavior and demeanor. It creeps up on you rather than appearing out of nowhere, and I think when dealing with such an emotional experience, it's a really important detail to nail to the highest degree possible. Things like this scene that precedes Sachi's isolation at the restaurant that I showed earlier.
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It's a very simple and straightforward piece that speaks to Sachi's isolation from the moment that she thinks she's possibly pregnant. Forced to act like everything is normal and okay, all the students are shown to be hunkering down for class and settling into their normal routine, while Sachi is separated from them, in her own world, struggling by herself with this experience.
Now, moving on to the sensitive topics at hand: teenage pregnancy and teen sex. It's handled well, well enough that it's able to express those explicit aspects without being sexual or prying. It follows the journey from start to finish within this volume. Not to the point of birth or abortion or anything, but to where it leaves off. It doesn't skip a beat in depicting the fears of of being pregnant, of how society will view and treat you, how it can throw a wrench in plans for the future, how alone and scary it can be to experience it. How you go about getting tested and confirming, processing and understanding the experience.
All these pieces are expressed through Sachi incredibly well. She's not lashing out constantly or collapsing into tears at the slightest inconvenience. But those pieces are still there. She loses her temper, she's obstinate, she's emotional. She's conflicted and afraid and alone.
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I think what Mamoru sensei does best here is in explaining the process of coming to terms with a pregnancy. The constant back and forth, the fear and uncertainty that permeates it. The confusion and rushed research and conflicting opinions that change at the drop of a hat. It's incredibly well expressed in such a candid fashion. How a cat can mean the world as to how you treat a pregnancy. How simple words can mean the world one moment and then nothing the next.
Just moments like these that contextualize, and almost normalize the experience for young girls. It adds so much important life and understanding to the story.
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Or pieces like this, that show Sachi struggling with researching and fully understanding pregnancy and how it progresses/appears. I think the best part here is showing her uncertainty. She goes on to say that she doesn't have all the symptoms so she's unsure as to whether or not she's actually pregnant.
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It's just such a great depiction of the experience, that goes on to show that it can happen to anyone. And that even though it can happen to any number of people, those that experience it still struggle and suffer isolated in their own worlds. Unsure of what to do next, uncertain of what to say and how to breach the subject. It's a really candid and close expression of teenage pregnancy, and I think it's an incredibly important read for any number of people out there to help understand the issues, fears, and challenges that come with pregnancy (at any age, really), and how to handle it with your SO.
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perpetual-fool · 2 months
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Guess I should share this, for anyone following along.
I'm not motivated enough to check if I've mentioned this already, but something happened. Dealing with Cat, I realized I'm being left completely confused as to what's going on. I realized I am very much not okay with that, and was going to demand that she provide examples for anything explained, and that she confirm anything I've explained by rephrasing what was said. No more guessing, no more hoping I can trust the other when they insist they've understood. Fucking explain yourself or we're not doing this.
And I expected this to implode immediately. As it has in the past, more or less. People most often simply refused, the ones that pretended to play along would get upset and argue when I told them they hadn't understood.
But it didn't. It worked as well as I could have hoped. And this is something new. It's quite jarring to hear an idea reinterpreted in a way I wouldn't have thought of. Nothing profound or anything, just sort of like they're going at sideways relative to where I'm standing. This feels like it could be the connection that I've always needed. That's also jarring in itself, and I have mixed feelings about it. Because, I wanted to be a part of that world. And if this is how genuine connection actually works, that world doesn't exist. The thing were people sort of vaguely reference what they're thinking or how they're feeling and expect to be understood doesn't work, and never did. I'm genuinely not missing anything because it was never there to miss. (And I did ask, all the way back. 'Talking about this in person', ya, know?) And where that overlaps with doing, I'm not sure what to make of it. Like, there's the thing about music, where no one would ever explain anything because they have no genuine concept of it. And consequently there's the conversations we could never have, say about how to harmonize, how the chord overpowers the melody so if we simply stay a 'third' apart it completely changes the meaning, etc. And so working together was never going to happen. But when they act on their own, is there really no one in there?
Some questions remain unanswered. Predominantly there are two. Why the dishonesty? and why the stupidity? There are times when people are being blatantly crooked with me, and there are times when they seem to be genuine except what they're saying is not plausible. And I don't know how to approach that yet. It's a compound problem. Like, it's not just "why did they lie when I asked this question?" it's then whatever the answer is, why that? and maybe a few times. I don't have a starting point to ask at the moment. I have until next month to figure something out.
Also, I started writing out some vocabulary for effective communication. It'll be a long time until it's ready, and it's too complex to just jump into. But it doesn't feel like a natural language. It feels like I'm writing out 'man' pages for a programming language. Maybe this is how things always should have been.
And that's.. a thing. Even if this doesn't work, this is how it works.
- Tangentially, I've been looking at music lately. Was studying harmony a bit, as mentioned. And the guitar is actually useful for that, which is what I got it for. I'm still unclear how to do harmony, but I guess it's not that complicated and more so a matter of doing the work. The tricky part is just that the relationship between notes in a chord is more significant than the notes' relationship to the key. So if I simply add the note that's going to resonate really well it completely changes the meaning. And I've been practicing singing a bit. It's still surprising how physically demanding it is.
Though about writing music: the bottleneck is having something to share, I realized. I've had experiences I feel some way about, but others have kept me perpetually confused. I don't know what happened, how I should feel about it, or what to call the feelings am I having. Not much of a story there. Still feeling that my own ideas and feelings are wrong and bad certainly doesn't help.
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turnaboutyandere · 3 years
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Ace attorney characters when you pack a bento box (boxed lunch) for them:
(In japan that's a indirect expression of love and in this case a confession)
Phoenix gets it right away. He smiles and blushes. And as he kisses y/n for the first time realizes he might not need to chase rivals away. Out of all of them hes probably the softest receiving a bento box. He jumps straight to calling you his girlfriend. Phoenix thinks about it all day and when he opens it come lunchtime and finds a little love note above his rice he tears up.
(Also if you make two, one for him and one for trucy he will melt)
Miles DOESNT get it right away. He doesnt understand why, when he has so much money, y/n would feel the need to pack him a lunch. He doesnt understand why his confusion causes y/n such a blush for a good five minutes. By the time he remembers the cultural significance they already left. He texts them something between sweet and formal. At noon (though I think he does have a tendency to skip lunch to work) he opens it and finds a little love note. He feels a lot of things at once and just like him ends up very smug
Franziska is silent for a second. It's not that she understands the implications, it completely flies over her head. No shes quiet cause she believes she should be taking care of you and not vice versa. Then she tells y/n to set it on the table, and is very confused when they leave the room practically skipping. It isn't until shes having lunch and her brother and gumshoe walk into the room to give her paperwork does she understand. Her brother asks her were she got it (idk if she's a good cook or would bother learning Japanese cooking) and when she relays your confounding behavior miles has the nerve to laugh. Then gumshoe surprisingly explains it to her. She turns pink and carefully opens it. Sure enough theres a love note in a sealed bag to keep it clean. That evening she buys a locket.
You have to know Diego for a very long time before he let's you cook for him. And he will never again accept open drinks from anyone. So y/n ever the sweetie invites him over in the early morning and hopes it doesnt irritate him. ( it doesnt cause hes already normally there). When he shows up y/n invites him in and leads him to the kitchen and they cook together so he can see whats in everything. He doesnt admit it but it makes him feel like they're married. It's when she hands him not his lunch but a bottled coffee still sealed does he go from crushing to love. Though he didnt like the extra sugar and milk in Japanese bottled coffee, they validated his trauma and therefore is not getting rid of him now.
Dahlia is an odd case. She pretends to not understand. She laughs her laugh like silver bells and thanks them as sweet as she can but I dont think she actually eats it. She worries shes been found out. That your trying to poison her. I can see her being better safe than sorry. Still she opens it to take a picture to post on her social media and sees the love note. She reads it once then again. And smiles sly. Her plan was working
Iris on the other hand completely understands and let's you know she knows. She asks if their seriously ok with dating someone already under oaths and vows. If thier ok respecting such boundaries. When y/n nods she begins to cry. At lunch time when she opens it she begins to cry again for two reasons
1) it's made specifically with her eating restrictions in mind. Y/n did their research
And
2) the love note. Oh goodness the love note. Never before has such a small paper made a girl so happy.
Wocky feels guilty that you pulled the bento thing first. His parents are Japanese and run a cafe and he couldn't make you a bento. When he voices his concerns and they take it as him accepting the confession and kiss him he feels a little better. He normally eats what his parents make for lunch but today. Is different. When he finds the love note he cries. He feels safe with s/o for the first time. Alita never wrote love notes or cooked lunches.
Mia the sweet women she is, flushed but tries to stay somewhat level headed, somewhat her normal level of cool. She sets it on her desk and takes y/n into her arms. She doesn't ask if they mean it cause shes scared they dont. That...it would destroy her, so she doesnt give them a chance. She would return the favor the next day but imagine be honest. I dont think she can cook either. She keeps the love note with everything else that reminds her if y/n. In a jewelry box under a floorboard.
Klavier doesnt understand it.... Much like franziska, he has no clue. But In a way he does? He knows this is something y/n put time and effort and money into, all for him. So he accepts it, calling y/n beautiful in the process. He doesnt get the fact that it was a confession...at first. Then he Googles what it means and sure enough it was a confession. And hes relieved cause he had accepted it and complimented them. He had agreed to their confession.
(before anyone says it, yes, I know Kristoph isn’t actually German, but I don’t care. Capcom can rip my “the Gavins are German” headcanon from my cold, dead hands)
Aight, so, ya girl is back. I’m gonna keep the ask box closed for a bit until I clear out all the asks I have (and finish a request) so please be patient. Thank you!
Damon: Doesn’t get it right away, but thinks it’s sweet that you made him lunch. He may google it later assuming he knows how to use google or ask someone about it, which is how he finds out the meaning behind it. Rather than make you a bento box in return, he’ll get you a bouquet of roses and invite you to join him for dinner instead. Between the roses, though, you’ll find a cute little love note with a smiley face scribbled onto it.
Shelly: He’s been around the block a few times, so he likely knows what it means. He’ll thank you and give you a peck on the cheek, promising to make you lunch as well. Once he finishes eating, he’ll put the note somewhere safe so he can reread it whenever he wants.
Matt: Has a security guard try it before he does, for safety reasons. Once he sees how upset you are by that, he’ll apologize and ask you to explain the meaning behind it (he knows he fucked up lmao). After you explain it, he’ll apologize (while being so fucking smug internally) and thank you for the lunch. He can’t cook to save his life, so don’t expect him to return the favor, but he will leave you a little note where you can find it; something along the lines of “I love you, dude <3“.
Kristoph: Prides himself on knowing a little about everything, so for him not to know the meaning behind your gift is unlikely. He’ll happily accept it and give you a gentle kiss on the forehead, all while hiding how smug he feels. He’ll also give you bento box in return, but with German cooking instead of Japanese. Oh, and that little love note you put in there? Expect to find a three page-long love letter in your lunch.
Ray: Pretty knowledgeable about romantic traditions around the world, so the chances of him getting it are pretty high. He’ll thank you for it rather sheepishly, as this is one of the few times you’ll get to see him flustered. Once he reads the note, though, he’ll pull you into a big hug, tears brimming at the corners of his eyes. Afterwards, he’ll immediately set out to make you a bento box in return, or take you out to dinner if you prefer.
Sebastian: Bless his dense heart, he’s clueless. He’ll be very thankful though, and promise to make you something in return (despite his nonexistent cooking skills). He’ll likely eat it at work and brag about how you made it for him, which is when Miles steps in to explain the meaning behind it. That + the love note is enough to make him cry tears of joy, and he’ll tackle you in a hug the moment he gets the chance to.
Simon K: Doesn’t know how to feel at first because he’s never had someone make him lunch before. Once he sees the note inside, though, he realizes what it means and becomes even more emotionally confused than before. He’ll thank you, rather awkwardly, and promise to make something for you. He’s not much of a wordsmith but he’ll still add a note, expressing how grateful he is for the lunch.
Katherine: Will be on the verge of tears when you give her the bento box, and will flat-out start crying when she reads the love note. She’ll cling to you, thanking you profusely and promising to make you one as well. She keeps her word and makes you a wonderful bento box the very next day. Instead of a love note, however, you’ll receive a song she wrote about you (and she’ll even sing it to you while you eat).
Bobby: Another very dense yandere who is definitely going to get scolded by Blackquill for not understanding what your gift means. He’ll make up for it though, by going above and beyond to make you the best bento box you’ve ever eaten (it won’t be the prettiest and he’ll likely have burned something, but it’s the thought that counts, right?). He’ll also keep your love note on his bedside table so he can read it every night before bed and every morning when he wakes up.
Simon B: He’s a huge weeaboo Japanese cultural enthusiast, so he’ll get it right away. He’ll tease you about it and act cocky as usual, but in reality, he’s trying to hide the very obvious blush on his face. He’ll keep your note safely tucked away in his coat pocket for whenever he wants to reread it. He won’t return the favor right away, though. Instead, he’ll give it to you when you least expect it in order to fluster you.
______
- Mod Dollie
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mistwraiths · 3 years
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2 stars
Apologies for the blurry picture but I couldn't seem to find a good one. The Crown of Gilded Bones is the third book in the From Blood and Ash series. I want everyone to know I'll be putting on my clown makeup after I post this review because despite rating the first two books low and having issues with them, I somehow deluded myself into thinking this one might be better! It wasn't and dare I say it I think this was the worst one by far.
I'm genuinely trying to find something good about this book ot at least something I really enjoyed. I do like that the books pick up right where the last book ends up. The first few chapters are pretty exciting. Around page 600, the last few chapters are fast paced and things are happening. Other than that, I can't really think of anything I really liked about the book.
Crown of Gilded Bones majorly suffers, like its predecessors, in the same four ways. Being too long, repetition, world information and building, and nothing important to the central story or plot happening for huge chunks of pages.
I firmly believe that all the books were half their length and the story beats were quicker coming and longer, it would be far more enjoyable. Instead you're forced to slog through inner monologues that don't add anything new, Poppy getting dressed by Casteel, showers, and other mundane parts. I thought knowing that it would be slow would help me enjoy the book but nope. The whole deciding to go to the realm of the gods literally doesn't happen until nearly the end of 500 pages in.
The worst part about the book being far too long and nothing happening is that when something does happen, it gets rehashed several times to the point where I, as a reader, am exhausted about reading about talking about it. I'm a big lover of communication. I love it when characters who are working together or are together tell each other important information and trust each other, but this is different. Once something happens, it gets talked about it detail for a handful of chapters, usually lasting longer than the actual event itself, and then is brought up again to go over, and then again. It's frustrating because I just want to move on but the story is so determined to go over everything again.
That's not the only instances of repetition. I know authors tend to reuse certain words over again. SJM and her "croon" and "toes curl" and "barked/roared". I can forgive stuff. I can look over Jennifer's constant use of dimples. The honeydew part is the most disgusting. I don't care what flavor Poppy's vagina is. There's a difference when it comes to the same thing happening with the near similar responses/situations being used over and over again as an attempt in humor but it falls flat after its been used several times. I'm talking about the "I have a question" "No one is surprised by that" parts and the Poppy being prone to violence makes Casteel horny and Poppy has to be like you're disturbing. If it showed up once or twice after the initial one, I could get over it. But it's reused every so many chapters. If it's an attempt at humor, it is a poor one.
This book is number three in a series and this book is still chock-full of world building and world information. I could possibly forgive it since I suppose at the start Jennifer didn't plan for a big fantasy series, but it's too much. There's so much information being crammed at you and it's in a very obvious way. Poppy asks and Kiernan or Casteel answers. That's pretty much the only way Poppy and the reader learns anything. At this point, I feel like I need a glossary and timeline because there is so much information.
In fact, despite nothing happening, l don't know how it still feels that there is a lot going on. There's the Solis problem. There's the Poppy should be queen problem. There's the people have concerns of Poppy being queen. There's the Unseen problem. Another Dark One problem? Poppy's lineage/past mystery. Something about waking up the Consort? And a little bit more. It's a lot.
In the second book, I liked Poppy (sort of), Casteel, and Kiernan. However, I find myself not liking any of them that much. From personality to saying similar things, they all feel very much the same character. There's not much difference in personalities or dialogue. About the only difference is that Kiernan is cool, Poppy is compassionate when it suits the narrative, and Casteel is protective. Other than that, there's not much of a difference between any of them.
Poppy is pretty much the same as always. Massively overpowered and incredibly special, doesn't know anything about her world that she lives in, and somehow despite being so special and powerful, she's kidnapped and hurt and then levels up again. We are forcefully spoon-fed how Poppy is so strong, so beautiful, so intelligent and clever. I haven't found one instance that I've been wow that was smart. Poppy's powers she inherently knows how to use perfectly the moment she gets them.
There's also almost no female interactions or female friendships with Poppy. Tawny was barely there in the first one but when she surprisingly shows up here, she's immediately rendered injured and unconscious. We're told Vonetta and Poppy are friends, but there's been almost no interactions. Vonetta gave her clothes once and then delivered a message later. Is that a basis for friendship? Vonetta eventually falls in a hole and Poppy saves her. That's about it. Ileana and Eloana are both older motherly types but also significant worrisome individuals for Poppy internally. Again, there's like one conversation each with them individually. Lyra is introduced to us by giving Kiernan a blow job but no interactions. Hisa and Nova are soldiers but no interactions. It's even mentioned that female draken are rare, but I'd argue that female characters are exceptionally rare. It's ridiculous. It's like there isn't any female that's allowed to have a moment of spotlight or competency other than Poppy. Poppy also has a moment of nastiness that's out of character when she threatens a woman who admitted to her that she had no interest in Casteel and Casteel had said the same and he wasn't interested in her, and she threatens to rip her limb from limb. It's so sudden and startlingly and leaves a terrible taste in my mouth.
As for Casteel, I no longer like him nor do I think he's a good guy. I think he's capable of good, being good, doing good but there's too many times where he's been vocal about killing anyone and burning his own kingdom down if Poppy doesn't get her own freedom of choice or what she want and what not. It's played out as the most truest love but to me, that's like a villain kind of love. If someone I loved burned down a city because I didn't get to choose what I wanted, I'd call the police. The craziest thing I had to read is people believing that Casteel would make a good king when he legitimately states that Poppy's needs comes before his own kingdom's needs. And if hers are met, the kingdom's could be met. That's not how any of that works!
He also does something incredibly reckless. I get it, he couldn't live without Poppy so he chooses to Ascend her. I can wrap my head around it. The fact of the matter is that Casteel refuses to take the blame or even entertain the consequences that could have resulted in that and how reckless it was. Poppy even refuses to allow the conversation. They are both like: I am not a vampry. Nothing bad happened so let's move on. It's astounding. Not only that but I felt it extremely odd that Poppy would have been okay with Casteel making her into a vampry, something incredibly dangerous and something she hates and would never want to be. It's just oh okay well luckily I didn't turn into one. And that's... it? It would have made good tension but no. Instead, they're just in love so much we have to listen to Casteel tell her how strong and beautiful she is every twenty pages.
I was excited to learn more about Kiernan but I still couldn't tell you much about him. Best friends with Casteel, a wolven, and he's always like "no one is surprised by Poppy having question". That's about all I know of him. Those are all things I knew about him in the second book.
Some other things I had issues with is that the villains are eager to spill everything about their plans. I feel like I'm watching a cartoon show with their villain monologues going on and on. Everyone except for Poppy is knowledgeable about everything!! People are constantly apologizing for things they have no control of. Characters somehow know exactly what to say to Poppy all the time like mind reading. I'm annoyed that the gods realm and the draken were such short parts.
When the reveals and the action which took 600 pages to get to happened, I really couldn't find myself caring. Reading felt like a chore. I'm not worried about any of the characters. I don't know if I'm interested anymore in reading this series because it feels like work trying to read it. I'm here for enjoyment and I'm not having a good time.
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onecoloraway · 5 years
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5.1 Nel mio letto appreciation post
because good cinematography is good and aknowledging the fact that it adds to the quality of a scene, that it's an essential part of storytelling should be the minimum.
The clip starts with the image of absolute proximity. We're led to belive this is how Marti and Nico spent the night, in a heart shape, feeling the other one breathing. And if the morning hours made them shift in their sleep, slowly waking up gives them the chance to reorganise their bodies so that they're perfectly aligned again. Even before opening his eyes, Martino puts his hand on Nico's shoulder and strokes it.
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Their bodies slowly remember where they left off. And the sight upon opening his eyes does not startle Marti, not in the slightest. He's so sure in his memories of the previous evening and in them connected like this, that he closes his eyes back a couple more times. He can symbolically leave the scene, he knows nothing can threaten this moment, it won't vanish if he doesn't keep his eyes open. He's feeling so comfortable, as if he'd been waking up by Nico's side forever.
In this next shot Nico phisically leaves the scene and yes, he only goes to the kitchen obviously, but I like to think frames like this have their significance.
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Marti's satisfied expression while he waits for Nico to bring coffee is meant to show and underline their utmost comfort. There is no sense of fear or insecurity at the thought of either of them leaving, no bubble will burst if one of them exits the scene, the fantasy isn't over. And moments like these make you think of the bigger picture. How do they/will they get along in their relationship? With trust and patience?
A bit later in the clip they both leave the frame.
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We don't know for sure where they ended up, because Nico leaves the bed first, then Martino follows, but we don't know if he got him (in time). We like to think they end up on the floor, in each other's arms haha, but that's for other analyses.
When Maddalena calls and Nico reaches for his phone, he "leaves" again, turns his head away. It's brief, but this shot is so significant. That direction (Nico's relationship with Maddalena) is in contrast to what he now has with Marti.
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To me, these frames are almost hints at the bigger picture. Marti and Nico will not always be in the same frame/on the same page, but they will eventually find their way back to one another.
Saw a post earlier saying these overly cinematic shots took away from the intimacy of the scene. I can respect that. But I also think it was very smart of Bessegato to have them move around on the bed, in the room. It essentialy gave them the opportunity to see each other from different angles, which yes, might sound funnny, but I think in these very first interactions is so important. They're not confined to their safe bubble with which the clip started with, their bodies are not constricted to that heart-shape they were positioned in, they can leave that nest and still be ok. They find other positions, spots in the room, but they're completely in sync and very comfortable around each other and trust they will go back to the start again and again.
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Look at their knees touching. Marti's hand on Nico's cheek. Nico's arm under Marti's head. Three spots of touching each other. I adore how natural they are.
Marti saying he'd use the Pope's toilet and being proud of the idea. Nico saying Marti's an asshole for thinking he couldn't fly a plane. Marti teasing Nico about him holding his breath. Nico elbowing him with a fuck you. No tension around never wanting this moment to end, just enjoying it to the maximum.
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Two idiots in love indeed.
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mattkeepsrambling · 4 years
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No One Knows What They're Doing: The Wednesday Conundrum
I've been trying to keep things general with these posts. The idea behind this series was to talk about teaching during a global pandemic. This post is going to be more specific to an issue I am running into.
On Wednesdays, I have an entire day of small group time (hypothetically). This would be when teachers (hypothetically) send me students that they see that need help. I would (hypothetically) work with the students and help get the ball rolling towards them officially getting intervention. I'm guessing you can see where I am headed.
Every week I send the Kinder and 1st-grade teachers a sign-up sheet. Four weeks in, and I've had two kids. I have done everything short of threats, and I get bupkiss. I have spent a lot of time thinking about why, and this Wednesday was when I finally came up with the reason. It is not because they didn't have students to send me (believe me, I have seen the test scores). It is not because they couldn't be bothered with signing up (though I feel part of it is that).
The reason is that they have the wrong idea about my role in their classroom. What hit me today was that the classroom teachers do not see what I do as they should. They fail to understand that I am the same as any other service that their students might get. I am the same as Speech, OT, PT, or SPED. It doesn't matter when I come in: I should be able to pull students. I was talking to another teacher about an idea I was working on to make my Wednesdays better. I mentioned pulling students during a lesson, and her response boiled down to, "but, you can't pull them while I am teaching."
And therein lies the problem. Therein lies why I accepted the position of Intervention Team Lead. The view of the Interventionist needs to change drastically. We are NOT paraprofessionals, teacher assistants, or classroom aids. WE ARE TEACHERS! To be an Interventionist, you need to have a teaching certification. What I do is offer help to students. My goal is for my students not to need me anymore; I said as much to a parent today who wanted to understand why her son was assigned to me.
I have two goals in my job. One is to have the students succeed and take them out of my caseload and get only classroom instruction. The other is to get the students who are still struggling SPED services. Either way, they no longer need my services.
I wrote the above paragraphs on Wednesday after spending much of the day feeling useless. I did what I could to not have a free day and get paid for doing nothing. I was on the same page as both the dean of intervention and the dean of K-2. They just needed to talk to the principal. Starting this coming Wednesday, just in time for our renewal visit, I will be assigned groups to work with. I will pull them and work on letter and number fluency. When the time comes, I will be doing the numeracy assessment as well.
My involvement has been taken out of the teacher's hands. (it shouldn't have come to this, but it has). Now for my little victory of the week (might make this a regular part of this weekly post). Any teacher will tell you that teaching virtually has been a considerable adjustment (they will also tell you that was the understatement of the year). The most significant adjustment I have had to make is what I can realistically get through in a class period (I have an insanely short 30 minutes with each group).
Today I started my first of two first grade groups by telling them we would work on two different ways to add (using dots and using a number line). It became quickly apparent that even that was too ambitious. I decided to keep it simple and work on one, using dots. We did a few problems together and finished up by doing some independently. I kept the problems simple, only using single-digit numbers to get single-digit answers. And they rocked it. Everyone was working, and everyone was getting the answers right. It's one of those moments to hold on to when the days get tough. And they will again. Next week we have our renewal visit, so I feel that will lead to a very interesting post.
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cherrystreet · 7 years
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HELLLOOO MY FAVORITE WRITERRRR ''Tis my bday and honestly would love nothing more than a Drabble from one of your fics but I can't even pick one of them because they're all so gooooood. Maybe TWG or TOW or 210 days or never be or perfect storm omg so many good ones I can't choose but would appreciate anything you'd share!!! 💕💕💕
Hi babe! Happy birthday! I wrote this as quickly as I could so I hope it’s still your birthday where you are! I decided to add to Tug-of-War; is that okay?! xxxx
Harry takes the long way home back from Louis’, the Jeep windows down, muggy air doing nothing to help his already frizzy curls. Every time he thinks about the way Louis leaned into his grip at the concert, his body warm and hands trembling when their fingers linked together, he feels short of breath, has to take another left turn when he should be taking a right. He’s spent ages thinking about what what it would be like to have Louis in his arms, often times tossing and turning in his bed, unable to sleep with how badly he wanted it, just a taste, just to have a little more than he was allowed. But thinking about it and wishing for it didn’t come anywhere close to the real thing, Louis sweaty and swaying to the music, his lips wet, eyes focused whenever he twisted up to look at Harry. And then, with his back pressed up against his front door, Louis stared at him like he wanted to be kissed, kissed by Harry, looking so Goddamn beautiful, and Jesus fucking Christ, Harry deserves a medal for being able to pull himself away from that, for not rushing the thing that occupies his mind more often than he’d ever care to admit. The idea of going home to an empty house when he feels this on edge is laughable, and he doesn’t end up pulling into his driveway until it’s well past three in the morning, nearly two hours after he dropped Louis off.
He takes his time getting ready for bed, showering under a hot stream of water, washing his body three times over, brushing his teeth meticulously, eventually heading into the kitchen to clean the rest of his dishes from the morning before. He rearranges the pantry, scrubs the stove, waters the plants in the living room, sorts through nearly 400 emails, polishes the silver he promised his mother he’d never use, and the entire time, he hasn’t once stopped thinking about Louis.
He catches the time on the microwave clock. 5:04 AM. Only 15 or so hours until he has to be back at Louis’ to pick him up for dinner. He drops the spoon onto the floor, frozen. Only 15 or so hours until he has to be back at Louis’ to pick him up for dinner.
Harry’s torn between screaming and fist pumping. It’s happening. It’s finally fucking happening, and he isn’t ready. How the hell isn’t he ready? He’s been going over this hypothetical scenario since before he could drive, played it out in his head more times than he can count, and here he is, polishing fucking silverware late enough at night to watch the sun rise because he can’t calm down enough to close his eyes for an hour or two.
“It’s just Louis,” he mutters out loud to himself, immediately bursting into hysterical laughter. That’s the problem. He can’t fuck this up; tomorrow needs to go as smoothly as possible. He wants this more than just about anything, the chance to show Louis how perfectly they could fit together now that they’re finally on the same page.
Are they?
Oh, God, what if they’re not.
The sun is just about fully up by the time Harry starts pacing around his house, trying to convince himself that he’s overreacting and he’ll feel better once he gets a few hours of sleep. Maybe he needs to eat something. Or exercise. Or do anything other than think of ways to light himself on fire in the most pain-free way possible.
He falls asleep on the edge of the couch while he’s trying to decide, running sneakers in his hands, and when he wakes up around nine o’clock, the shoes are still in his grip, his hair is matted to the side of his face, and he’s more stressed out than ever.
They agree to meet around eight o’clock for dinner and Harry tries to focus on the excitement factor, rather than the if-I-think-about-this-long-enough-I-could-vomit factor. He gets to be the the one to take Louis to a unique spot downtown, a place he’s positive Louis will love. He gets to share an intimate meal with him. He gets to buy him a drink, share a dessert, tell him how gorgeous he is, and, if Louis lets him, really kiss him goodnight. He gets to have him. God, he hopes Louis will let him.
Harry doesn’t eat all day, too riddled with nerves to force anything down. Instead, he works on finding an outfit, tossing aside shirt after shirt. He settles on something he’s only worn in front of Louis once or twice, an item he’s confident in enough to say he knows he looks good, and the goal is to get Louis to agree. If he can get Louis to admit he finds Date Harry - a Harry he’s never had before - even the tiniest bit endearing, then Harry has won. He can work with that.
He forces himself to stop staring at his reflection about an hour before he heads out to pick up Louis, his top ironed, his skinny jeans fitted in all the right places, his hair actually cooperating for the first time in what feels like decades, and he makes the absurd decision to stand by the door for the remaining time as to not wrinkle anything.
“Absolutely ridiculous,” he mutters under his breath, grabbing his water bottle on the table and his keys on the hook by the door. He’s as ready as he’ll ever be. “But the first step is admitting it. Second step is to stop talking to yourself.”
Louis’ house is only seven miles from Harry’s. Typically, it’s an 18-minute drive, depending on traffic or how distracting Louis is being from the passenger’s seat. It’s mainly highway driving, simple and mindless, and Harry has each and every turn memorized. Could do it in his sleep, practically, if he had to.
Of course, this would be the day a significant pothole decided to emerge on Main Street about two minutes down the road from Louis. Naturally, he hits it while he’s drinking his water. He loses his grip, startled, and empties nearly half of the bottle directly down his front.
“Son of a bitch!” he shrieks, pulling over, ignoring as passerbys beep angrily at him for holding up traffic. He hops out of the Jeep to inspect his wheel, making sure the tire is okay, and fortunately, everything looks good.
Everything, that is, except for himself.
Harry curses under his breath as he checks his watch and sees he doesn’t have time to go home and change. He searches desperately in the trunk for something to change into, pissed beyond belief that he’s soaked to the bone, water starting to drip down into his jeans. The only thing he can find is a t-shirt he changed out of at the gym last week. It doesn’t smell terrible, but it’s not good enough, it’s not what he wanted. It doesn’t matter in the long run, he knows, because Louis has seen him a thousand times and knows what he looks like regardless, but it doesn’t stop him from resting his forehead against the steering wheel, another string of swears falling out of his mouth before he can stop it.
He pulls up in front of Louis’ house just before eight o’clock, cutting the engine and making his way up the walkway. He isn’t nervous anymore; instead, he’s upset, feeling like so much is already out of his control. This suddenly feels like too much, he thinks as he knocks on the front door, scared out of his mind that he can’t do this, that there’s more here than he can handle.
But then Louis is in front of him and he looks so gorgeous, Harry feels like the wind was knocked out of him. His mind is a blur of yes and wow and I look like shit and this is why we’re doing this. This is who I want.
“Hi, Lou,” he forces out, smiling briefly. “You look nice.”
Louis touches the nape of his neck, toying with his hair. “Thanks. So do you.”
He knows he’s blushing. He can feel the heat creeping onto his cheeks. Fuck. “I probably looked better before I got on the road. I was drinking water on my way over here and I hit a pothole and the water went everywhere and my sweater got soaked and this was the only thing I had in my car…” He stops when Louis reaches out to touch his hand, a comfort Harry didn’t know he needed.
“You look good. I promise. Really good.”
Louis sounds sincere, and even if he didn’t, the look on his face would give him away. Harry can feel himself relaxing, smiling, even, and he’s in so deep over his head for this boy, he can’t even stand it. “Okay,” he says eventually. “Are you ready, then? Link is all set?”
“Believe me, he’s set for a while.”
He shrugs, nodding. “I made reservations, so let’s go.”
They start to walk to the Jeep together, Harry leading, and he doesn’t look back over his shoulder at Louis before he pulls open the passenger door. But when they do finally make eye contact again, Harry’s able to catch the barely there pinkness claiming Louis’ cheeks, his neck. His smile is contagious.
This is going to work.
Harry’s running on about three hours of sleep. His neck hurts from the couch, his stomach is in knots from uncontrollable nerves, his t-shirt smells like stale cologne, and Christ, with Louis right here beside him, he has never been this happy.
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xiaolongrph · 7 years
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i'm working on a plot right now, and by nature of the plot, some characters might end up being "more important" to the plot. they're all important, but some play bigger roles/are more directly connected to the pulse, so to speak. do you think this will end up posing a significant problem? if you do, do you have any suggestions for evening out the impact of the roles without overcomplicating things?
Hello! I think it’s perfectly understandable that some characters might have more significance / relevance to the plot than others. Some rpers like being in the thick of things and playing main characters, and some rpers enjoy watching the action while still being a part of the roleplay via minor or side characters. Here are some things I suggest you consider:
How many main characters? If your roleplay has, say, 3 main characters and 12 minor characters, and 2 admins play 2 of those main characters, that doesn’t sound like much fun to me. I know there do exist roleplays where admins play the main characters and help control the inciting incidents, but in your case, if you want to open up the main characters for anyone to play, there should be a bigger main cast to choose from.
What purposes do all your characters play? Can you spread out their purposes? Let’s say Character A is the CEO of the company. Character B is the Government Head. Character C is the Leader of The Resistance. Everyone else is a small civilian. These example roles are all really similar and I’d have a hard time wanting to be a part of it because I feel like there’d just be a divide between Main Cast and Side Cast. Plus, consider that if any one of these roles are open, you leave a huge gap for your other rpers because without a CEO or a Leader, the plot may not advance, and so what’s everyone else gonna do? Instead, consider making a “Board of Trustees” or “Council” mini-group; maybe there’s two or three Resistance Leaders; that way, the plot doesn’t just rest on one player’s shoulders, but can be spread among a few players (and could even add extra conflict, if there’s corruption within the Council or whatever). Plus, even side characters should have a purpose in your roleplay, even if not as big as the main characters.
Add connections between your main and side characters. One of the many things I love about Harry Potter is the fact that it was a ton of side characters, and Harry has so many relationships to explore with those side characters (Ginny, Neville, Seamus, Tonks, Sirius, Snape, Dumbledore,… I could go on and on). I suggest putting together a connections page or list that gives ideas for these kinds of relationships. That way, rpers who play main characters actually have ideas on how to interact with side characters, and they have things to write about and explore besides the Plot. (And connections can go way beyond labels like “friends” or “siblings” – consider, “Main Character A the CEO once dated Journalist Side Character D, who knows a deadly secret about them and won’t hesitate to use it as blackmail.”)
Give enough opportunities for side characters to develop. Don’t make all of your events revolve around Plot and main characters – or if they must, make sure side characters have a purpose in the event too. Reblog or post a meme and encourage players to write about their characters. Put out prompts or challenges. And going back to the above point, adding connections between main and side characters will also help them interact, so that they’re not just sidelined for the sake of the plot.
Communicate with your players! Check in regularly with your players (or followers/potential members), see if they’re feeling included, and see if they have any input for events or activities that could help get everyone involved. Sometimes the best ideas are the ones that the group comes up with; and it’s less stress on the admin lol.
That’s all I could come up with off the top of my head! I also suggest browsing through my “admin help” tag to see if anything there is also useful to you. I hope you found something useful here!
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