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[ewanmitchellcrumbs]

One of my biggest pieces of advice for writing--or, really, for anything--is to learn to love the mechanics of it.

This is not to say that you need to love every second of every part of writing to be a good writer, but I find people who dislike the actual act of writing don't usually make good writers.

I think that this is, in part, where the AI stuff comes from--people who like the idea of writing but don't like (or know how to do) the mechanics of writing choose to rely on AI because they see it as handling the mechanics, which they see as the less important part.

But the mechanics are a huge part of it. The plot, the characters, the world, the idea--all of that is important. But writing is also about the paragraphs and the sentences and the words. It's about playing around with wording or sentence structure or phrasing to see what works best. It's about literally writing the sentences--all of the sentences. It's about choosing where the paragraph breaks are, where scenes end, where chapters end.

And if you hate doing the mechanics of it--if you hate putting pen to paper or fingers to keyboard or however it is you draft--you will hate writing, and you will come to hate your writing. Because you will resent the actions required to do it. You will hate having to sit down and do the writing, because you hate actually writing.

There's nothing wrong with not enjoying actually writing. You can tell stories in other ways. Record a podcast. Sing. Tell stories to your friends.

Or teach yourself how to enjoy writing. Figure out what parts of it you do like and make those a bigger part of your process. Is text to speech easier? Do that to start. Do you not want chapter breaks for your first draft? That's fine.

Anyway, tl;dr: you will be a better writer and have a better time at it if you enjoy the mechanics of writing.

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Entitled white women I swear to God

People have been doing book clubs since forever. They do not put George RR Martin on the phone so he can join the chat.

Oh, thank you, kindly court jester jingling into my life under the brave banner of anonymity, for illustrating the exact problem of current fandom.

(This ask is about this post about private fanfiction "book clubs," for those of you who are not following my jester's ire.)

The bedrock of the problem entrenched fandom is having with the newer "TikTok fandom" element is that we have a fundamental disagreement about what fandom is, and what is the social relationship between the people who write fanfiction, make fanart, etc, and the people who read that fanfiction and enjoy that fanart.

(I am not going to use the term "content creator." Because that term is not applicable to fandom, fanfiction authors, or fan artist. Kill the capitalist in your brain. Content is hummingbird nectar made with artificial sweeteners. It resembles the real thing at a distance, but it is devoid of nutrients. It will fill you up so you're not hungry while starving you. Generative AI can produce content because it's empty; it doesn't mean anything. It doesn't even want to engage with you. The sole purpose of content is to get you to sit still long enough for the people who own the platform to squeeze whatever it is they want from you out of you and then abandon your malnourished husk until the next time they can get something from you.)

George RR Martin is not a member of fandom, and the relationship he has with his readers is fundamentally different, because his relationship as an author is explicitly a professional one. When George RR Martin sells a book—not to his readers, but to a publisher who acts as intermediary—he is given a lengthy contract outlining the terms of the sale. How much he will be paid, what can be done with his work by who, etc. George RR Martin is not your peer.

Fanfiction authors are your peers. They're your next door neighbors. They write fanfiction to connect to other fans in celebration of a canon everyone involved loves. Nobody makes a single red cent from writing or sharing their fanfiction. George RR Martin has sold 90 million copies of his books, and he gets money for every one. Because TikTok has trained you that people who are putting their creations out there are monetizing the experience of you reading or watching their art, the "TikTok fandom" element has you sorting your peer posting fanfiction on AO3 into the same category as George RR Martin. But your relationship with George RR Martin is a professional one, and the expectation from fanfiction authors and artists is a social relationship.

When you have a private book club reading and discussing fanfiction without ever telling the author or, God forbid, leaving a comment about how much you enjoyed the story—which is the expectation entrenched fandom authors and artists who view fandom as a social relationship—you think you're reading a mass produced novel from someone who has already been paid for it several times over, but this isn't even Walmart vs. local mom and pop. What are you actually doing is going to your neighborhood block party, picking up the cake someone made and brought to share, and taking it back to your house to eat with friends.

We are your peers. We are your neighbors. We are doing this for free because we want to talk to you about our common interest. No, it's not "payment." We offer our work for free, and you have the option of treating us like vending machines or ChatGPT or Walmart. This is a social relationship; you have this option just as you have the option of leaving your shopping cart in the middle of the parking lot instead of walking it to the cart return. You have that option just as you have the option to stick your chewed gum on a park bench or park your car across three handicap spaces or take a shit on the floor of a public bathroom. How you treat your peers and neighbors, how you treat the people in your community, is up to you.

You can keep stealing cakes from block parties. But don't be surprised when people get fed up with it and stop having block parties. Then you'll be stuck buying cake from Walmart or consuming artificially sweetened hummingbird nectar from ChatGPT while vultures raid your corpse for data.

Thanks for coming to my TEDTalk, court jester. Now get the fuck off my lawn.

[ewanmitchellcrumbs]

EVENT UPDATE

If you've taken a stroll through our Discord server lately, you'll know that quite a few of us have been going "Where has the time gone? I only have an outline/concept/NOTHING!" and "What do you mean we have three weeks left?!"

Fear not! We understand that this year's event was on a shorter timeline than previous years since we removed the word count requirements and opened our prompts up to not only fic, but art and gif making.

But life happens. Many people will be gearing up for the start of the school year or maybe the summer has taken a toll.

We are extending the Deadline for the event to Sunday, September 28th at 11:59PM BST.

So fear not, those of you who are staring at empty word documents with a growing sense of panic. And welcome! To anyone who wanted to join in grabbing a prompt but thought they were too late!

Please feel free to reach out to us if you have any questions.

Happy Creating!

AO3's FAQs for how Prompt Meme challenges work

The challenge dashboard

Join our Discord

[ewanmitchellcrumbs]

Rhaenyra Targaryen portrait drawing

[ewanmitchellcrumbs]

just fyi you shouldn't emulate the problematic behavior depicted in fiction. just because something looks okay in a story doesn't make it okay in real life. this is about talking to your ex. do not text your ex. that's the devil speaking. you're not in a romcom. you're not in a fluffy fanfiction. it won't work out. don't do it.

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2 years to put out six 30 min episodes. television is dead.

[ewanmitchellcrumbs]

Tear Down My Reason - Masterlist

Pairing: Aemond Targaryen x Strong!Niece!reader Warnings: Arranged marriage, smut (individual warnings will be applied to each chapter)

Summary: Aemond exacts cruel revenge upon his niece for the loss of his eye at the hands of her younger brother. Shortly after, a bloody war ensues, that neither expects to survive. Left as all that remains of House Targaryen, the pair are forced to come together as King and Queen of Westeros. However, forced into a marriage that neither of them want, they soon learn that not all battles are fought with Valyrian steel and dragonfire - manipulation and cruel words wound just as deeply within the confines of a marital chamber.

Author's note: No tag list. Follow @fics-by-ewanmitchellcrumbs and turn on post notifications. Community labels are for cops.

Chapter one: I Can Tell You About Pain

Chapter two: A Single Tear

Chapter three: Blood Moon

Chapter four: Fault and Fracture

Chapter five: Sadness Comes Home

Chapter six: The Dusk in Us

Read on AO3

More Aemond fics

[ewanmitchellcrumbs]

the black queen 👑⚫🔴

[ewanmitchellcrumbs]

Sneak Peek: Flyting & Fidelity

Sensing her son's growing loneliness after his elder brother began spending more of his time with his new friends, Queen Frigga of Asgard invited a promising young seiðkona, Lady Sigyn Hreiðarsdóttir, to join Prince Loki in his magical studies. Though he was dubious at first, having grown accustomed to his solitude, the two were soon inseparable – the very best of friends. Until they were not. Nearly a millennium passed without a word exchanged between them. Then, after decades without laying eyes upon her, Loki at last saw Sigyn once more. She stood beside a warrior of the Crimson Hawks, some brute called Theoric, as he asked for the Allfather’s blessing upon their betrothal. Loki vowed to do anything in order to stop the marriage.

Pairing: Loki x Sigyn

Warnings: angst, bullying, forced marriage (kind of), violence; additional warnings will be posted with individual chapters

Author's Note: It's my first non-Ewanverse fic in years! I've been obsessed with Loki (and Tom Hiddleston) ever since I first saw Thor, and while it has ebbed and flowed, it's never disappeared. Now, I'm finally posting the Loki fic I've been writing in my head for more than ten years! The first chapter should be published by the end of the month. I'll be publishing them here, then reblogging to my Marvel-specific blog, @pluckybarnes

I'll be taking inspiration from the MCU, other Marvel content (comics, books, animated shows, etc.), and Norse myth. So it won't be completely compliant with any one of these, but rather a mix of all of them! Each chapter will be told in two parts: the first a flashback to their childhood and adolescence, and the second taking place in the "present day."

Without further ado, the sneak peek...

There was a strange girl in the Queen’s library.

She did not appear to be a threat by Loki’s estimation. Young – likely near his age, give or take a few decades. Small – so short that her legs dangled off the edge of the couch she sat upon. Noble – judging by the rich color and fine fabric of her dress, as well as the gold and jewels adorning her.

Besides, anyone who was a true threat would not look so terrified upon being discovered.  

“Who are you?” he questioned, moving further into the chamber but purposefully leaving the door ajar in case he needed to call for the guards.

The girl jumped off the couch and lost her balance as she quickly moved to curtsy. Her hair – the brilliant golden color typical of Asgardian nobility – fell over her face like loosened curtains. She finally righted herself and wrangled her hair back into place, looking at him with wide, ruddy blue eyes. “Prince Loki, it is an honor to meet you.”

Definitely nobility. She had the refined speech and enunciation typical of formal instruction, and though it was clumsy, she had curtsied properly. Still, it did not explain why she was there or who she was, and Loki was losing what little patience he had left after a morning spent with Thor and his new foolish ‘friends.’ “I asked you a question. Who are you?”

“Oh! My apologies, my prince.” Another curtsy, this one far more graceful than the first. “I am Lady Sigyn Hreiðarsdóttir.”

A somewhat familiar name. Lord Hreiðarr was the patriarch of a minor, but still respectable, noble house. Large holdings in the west and a good reputation for producing capable warriors through the male line. Some healers through the female line, if he remembered correctly. Hreiðarr himself had gained acclaim for his service in the Crimson Hawks, then as a respected voice at þings once he inherited his father’s title.

Still, his daughter had no right to enter the royal family’s wing, much less the Queen’s private library.

Loki approached, squaring his shoulders and jutting his chin out slightly to make him appear more intimidating and regal. “Well, Lady Sigyn, why are you here? Are you not aware that these chambers are reserved for the royal family?”

Her eyes grew wide, but she did not retreat. “Yes, my prince. I – ”

“Do not fret, Loki,” his mother’s voice drifted in from the balcony, laughter buried within its gentle tones. “She is here by my invitation.”

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Aemma & Viserys, the wedding day

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I took you for a king.

[ewanmitchellcrumbs]

I hop this doesn't come across as being horrible as I'm not sure how to word it.

But potentially holding off on announcing Ewans casting, he's not a major star- I do get he's popular from HOTD but is that really enough of a reason.

Again I didn't know how to ask the question without sounding like a dick!

You are totally fine, and I get it! But also Wuthering Heights is not a major production, and Emerald Fennell isn’t an A-list director either. She’s already blown her load, so to speak, with Margot and Jacob. Ewan is the last smoking gun she has left, and she saw what his fandom did for Saltburn, so she will cling to that for this film, unfortunately.

[ewanmitchellcrumbs]

Hello hello - hope you're well!

I don't know if this weird or not, but I love following your blog, reading your asked and answered, reading your opinions and pics and stuff - I think you've got a really cool place here and I hope you're proud of what you've built!

Because of this, I've kept up with the new wuthering heights adaption than I otherwise would have, which meant I've now read the article about the test screening (and your a&a about it). And I have to say, not looking too forward to it.

I don't think there's necessarily anything wrong with doing a completely new adaption that challenges the original text, or contextualises it in different ways, or just does something different. It can make stuff interesting, or can get new people interested in the original text.

On saying that - I feel like, for the most part, there needs to be a reason for those changes, and this article indicates that the new film will just be changing stuff because. And there's like, very little to no reason. And I'm just not sure I see the point of that. Like, there's a reason the characters are likeable or are frustrating to read about, or there's a reason they do stuff that literally anyone with a brain wouldn't do, but it just seems like there's parts of thus film that just are pointless and don't add anything other than fetishisation and objectification for the sake of it.

But as you've said, take it with a pinch of salt - and also, it could be interesting as a piece of media. But yeah.

Feel free to ignore this, as I can imagine just how many messages you've had about this topic and you're probably very very sick of it!

Hope you're having a good time though!!

Just wanted to answer this to acknowledge the first part of your ask, as it's incredibly kind, and I am super appreciative of your sweet words. Thank you! <3

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MAISIE WILLIAMS as ARYA STARK and JOE DEMPSIE as GENDRY GAME OF THRONES // 2.02 The Night Lands

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"There’s hyper-sexualized imagery" I mean the first look had Heathcliff putting his fingers in Cathy's mouth soo...I think this absurdity was expected tbf. I already had less expectations but the bar is in hell for this movie to be good. I'll go for a hate watch and if Ewan is there that'll be a saving grace. I'm damn sure Emerald is going to milk Ewan's popularity during the promos.

I wanted to ask whether you will watch this monstrosity? If not I completely understand but if you do will you be down for some of your thoughts/analysis/review as I really like your opinions?

If the test viewer needs to sign NDA then how come they can give details of the opening scene? Just curious

Even if Ewan wasn't rumoured to be involved, I would likely still watch this, simply because it's an adaptation of one of my favourite books, and even though I know it will be bad, my morbid curiosity always gets the better of me. Not a hate watch, per se, more of a peeking inside Pandora's box.

NDAs are required for all test screenings, they stipulate which details of the film can and can't be disclosed publicly after viewing. If participants aren't prepared to sign then they aren't permitted entry, and legal action is pursued if the NDA is breached. Unannounced cast members were likely part of this screening's NDA, which is why there's no mention of anyone specifically in any of the write-ups.

[ewanmitchellcrumbs]

hi Ange <3

just saw your asks you answered about the Wuthering Heights movie, and I was like....what the fuck? why do these people take literature that I love and that's so good and use it as a vessel for whatever the hell it is they're trying to do? like good grief.

that whole thing about the opening scene?

MORTIFYING

anyway, aside from that, hope you're well and send kisses to the fur baby

-🦋 anon

I honestly don't think the majority of the people involved in this production have even read the book. The casting director even said something alone the lines of the book not mattering! I think because Wuthering Heights is such a classic work of literature, people think they know what it's about, despite never having read it. This entire film is giving me the vibes of people who write fan fics when they have only ever seen TikTok edits, eugh.

I am well, and I hope you are too! I hope your summer break is a relaxing one so far xoxo

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for your kinktober thing if your asks are still open could you possibly do a combo of 1 and 3 with Bucky and Loki? Like it’s Bucky sister/stepsister and she visits him at the tower while Loki’s there idk I think it would be hot

I’m no longer taking requests for Kinktober, as the slots are all filled. However; I didn’t get any requests for Loki, so I will definitely squirrel this away as something to write just for the fun of it. I may take me a little while to get to, but I will reblog this post once I have a plot idea. Thank you!