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I wish I’d written this Poem (one of a very occasional series)

Overheard on a Salt Marsh

by Harold Monro

Nymph, nymph, what are your beads?

Green glass, goblin. Why do you stare at them?

Give them me.

No.

Give them me. Give them me.

No.

Then I will howl all night in the reeds, lie in the mud and howl for them.

Goblin, why do you love them so?

They are better than stars or water, Better than voices of winds that sing, Better than any man’s fair daughter, Your green glass beads on a silver ring.

Hush, I stole them out of the moon.

Give me your beads, I want them.

No.

I will howl in a deep lagoon For your green glass beads, I love them so. Give them me. Give them.

No.

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Get thee back into the tempest and the Night’s Plutonian shore! (1884) by Gustav Doré Illustration for Poe’s The Raven

#gustave dore #edgar allan poe #illustration #world in a drop of water

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#kitteh

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Baigneuse au Crépuscule (Bather at Twilight) by Emile-René Ménard (French artist, 1861-1930)

#not quite a mermaid #mermaid #mermaids

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Goldberry, River-Daughter by Marie Magny

#mermaid #mermaids #marie magny #goddesses

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I used to work for a trade book reviewer where I got payed to review people's books, and one of the rules of that review company is one that I think is just super useful to media analysis as a whole, and that is, we were told never to critique media for what it didn't do but only for what it did.

So, for instance, I couldn't say "this book didn't give its characters strong agency or goals". I instead had to say, "the characters in this book acted in ways that often felt misaligned with their characterization as if they were being pulled by the plot."

I think this is really important because a lot of "critiques" people give, if subverted to address what the book does instead of what it doesn't do, actually read pretty nonsensical. For instance, "none of the characters were unique" becomes "all of the characters read like other characters that exist in other media", which like... okay? That's not really a critique. It's just how fiction works. Or "none of the characters were likeable" becomes "all of the characters, at some point or another, did things that I found disagreeable or annoying" which is literally how every book works?

It also keeps you from holding a book to a standard it never sought to meet. "The world building in this book simply wasn't complex enough" becomes "The world building in this book was very simple", which, yes, good, that can actually be a good thing. Many books aspire to this. It's not actually a negative critique. Or "The stakes weren't very high and the climax didn't really offer any major plot twists or turns" becomes "The stakes were low and and the ending was quite predictable", which, if this is a cute romcom is exactly what I'm looking for.

Not to mention, I think this really helps to deconstruct a lot of the biases we carry into fiction. Characters not having strong agency isn't inherently bad. Characters who react to their surroundings can make a good story, so saying "the characters didn't have enough agency" is kind of weak, but when you flip it to say "the characters acted misaligned from their characterization" we can now see that the *real* problem here isn't that they lacked agency but that this lack of agency is inconsistent with the type of character that they are. a character this strong-willed *should* have more agency even if a weak-willed character might not.

So it's just a really simple way of framing the way I critique books that I think has really helped to show the difference between "this book is bad" and "this book didn't meet my personal preferences", but also, as someone talking about books, I think it helps give other people a clearer idea of what the book actually looks like so they can decide for themselves if it's worth their time.

#writing #teaching

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did you ever consider becoming a literary writer rather than a fantasy writer? w

I don't think I ever wanted to be anything more than a storyteller and a writer. Other people can decide where the books get shelved.

#Terry Pratchett #Neil Gaiman #writing #fantasy #favorite #teaching

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#lol #writing #fairies

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Dear Sir,

Huge fan. 🤍

I discovered Good Omens initially when it aired on Prime all those years ago and I loved the story so much I bought the book, read it and instantly fell in love with your writing. My bookshelf is now overflowing with your stories and the likes. Can I also mention how incredibly well cast your adaptations are for television? American Gods, The Sandman, all of it: I love it.

I just wanted to share my thanks to you. For rekindling my love of reading and also illustrating. I have always wanted to make good art and be an illustrator. It's what I wanted to be when I grew up. Even if my family never saw it as a reputable career move.

Life got in the way, but many years later (let's say 30 ish years?) I got here. I'm inspired, ignoring the haters, drawing what I love, finding my tribe and making good art. And with that, here's me tripping and fangirling hard. I hope you enjoy this piece of fan art.

I just hope you know what a difference your words truly make for so many souls out there, mine included. I'm forever grateful.

All the best, V x

You're really good. I'm glad you're drawing.

#V #Neil Gaiman #Gaiman #illustration #writing #Good Omens

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Plum Blossoms at Night by Ohara Koson (Early 20th Century)

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Untitled © Peter Solarz

#Peter Solarz #photography

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Victoria-Rivero

#Victoria-Rivero #mermaid #mermaids

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Annie Stegg Gerard

#Annie Stegg Gerard #mermaid #mermaids #favorite

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koi mermaids 

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drawing every day day 3/?? live action ariel

#mermaid #the little mermaid #gisellesdoodles

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Albert Dros