#also there's a run-on sentence in here that's a whole paragraph

[destinygoldenstar]

Don’t pause your story to explain characters/character chemistry.

What I mean by this is putting your story to a halt to have a paragraph or two explaining who your characters are in sentences you use on character sheets.

Now I’m not saying don’t use exposition. It’s necessary after all.

But there is a way to get your audience to understand who your characters are without pausing the story progressing. You can tell your audience who they are without it feeling like you’re shoving the info in their face.

I’m going to show an example from one of my own works:

“Charlie Sue is the world of Fate’s well known Chosen One. Every week on Saturday Morning at the strike of twelve, it’s his job to go out on the town to hunt for crimes to fight and bring justice to. However, despite his fame status, he’s rather unenthusiastic of this action, and would much rather keep quiet and curl up in a book to read about the average life of the folk without destinies. But due to his status, he will still do the job and can’t say no.”

“Sherilyn Rosuto, his housemate, is quite the opposite. She loves these crime fighting outings. She’s an action seeking girl at her core, taking interest in the brawling going around town, sports or otherwise. She is loud, carefree, and impulsive in how she approaches things, so Charlie has to keep her in check.”

“Charlie and Sheri are childhood best friends. They care about each other very deeply and want each other to be at their best. Sheri is Charlie’s Number Two. Wherever he goes, she will always be thrilled to tag along. She keeps him motivated about the next outing, whether it be training, or her own enthusiasm. Despite destiny decreeing Sheri as merely a sidekick to Charlie, Charlie truly values her as a good friend he can’t do without.”

What’s WRONG with this?

Well, one, this is a character sheet from mine before I even wrote a draft.

These paragraphs are good at directly telling you who these two characters are and what their dynamic is.

BUT that’s all they do. They put the story in a screeching halt to give the audience this exposition. As a result, it’s telling you how you should feel about them, without actually giving you a reason to care about them or their chemistry.

You can get all this important information across through action and interaction.

Make some key lines implying who they are and what they’re thinking. Making it feel like they are who you want them to come across as.

In this case, two best friends who motivate each other.

So instead of using those paragraphs, I created a whole introductory scene of these two and their dynamic, setting up the action to progress the story.

What does this say about them? A LOT, ACTUALLY.

Everything in those paragraphs from earlier is established here, but it’s natural, and not pandering who they are. You SEE how good of friends they are and what their characterization is.

Now granted it’s not perfect, on a Google doc this scene is about 2 1/2 pages so it could be trimmed if you wanted it to be.

Charlie starts the scene lazily reading, establishing not only his interest in books, but what else he takes interest in on what he’s reading. It’s said what the title of the book is. So you get a picture on his interest in the mundane life outside of his current life.

Sherilyn is the one to bring up the time, AKA, what time it is they usually start their outing. And she spends this section trying to strike up a conversation with Charlie to get him to come along.

She also talks about a sports related event, showing she takes interest in that sort of thing. She is also a brawler of the two of them.

Sherilyn also smashes her mug to get his attention, showcasing her loose cannon personality. You can tell from that simple action that she’s not only the talkative loud type, but the impulsive type.

Charlie’s clumsiness is also shown here as he accidentally breaks a lamp throwing his book. (Lamps breaking is a running gag throughout this book btw)

Sheri also has ice powers. That’s shown as she uses it to take care of the lamp mess.

You also get a description of their sides of their room to get more sense of their personality. I personally love these sorts of setting descriptions, especially if they’re telling you something about their characters. Charlie has some more of those mundane books, again, bookworm into mundane stuff. There’s some trinkets on his nightstand, implying that Charlie likes collecting these mundane non-magical things. Sheri meanwhile is an artist, a spray painter to be exact, and she’s a bike rider and a boxer, those are the kind of things she does, and the sports she’s into.

Charlie also sarcastically cheers for the day at their dog, again showing he doesn’t actually like these outings.

Sheri then, playfully, gets them warmed up for this outing to motivate him. Which starts more of their banter and interactions to understand both their characters and how good of friends they are.

Charlie comments against not showing off his body, telling us he doesn’t like that kind of exposure.

Charlie mentions Sheri dreamed of getting muscle since her twelfth birthday. Indicating that these two have been friends for quite awhile. (They’re seventeen.)

Sheri also uses the dog to describe something world building wise. Weeklings. Which are implied in this scene to be monsters by Sheri’s playful description. Charlie also comments that Bridge (location) Dark Lords (character group) don’t usually carry the kind Sherilyn is describing. Telling us where they are on the worlds map and how low the threat level is where they’re at.

These two also have playful banter regarding weaponry, in a friendly way. Telling us Sheri doesn’t use weapons, and Charlie advices she try it, showing concern for her when he asks if her face counts as a shield.

Sheri gives some encouragement to Charlie. She understands him and that he doesn’t like these outings, indicating familiarity and that she’s known him for awhile. She cheers him up a bit by suggesting going to a movie afterwards. Not a bar brawl lol.

You also see how Charlie is the cautious one by speaking against taking a motorcycle to their outing. And Sheri is the athletic one and wants her friend in top shape.

SO MUCH INFORMATION AND SO MUCH CHARACTER, AND BARELY OF IT IS NARRATED DIRECTLY. YOU SEE IT NATURALLY.

This whole scene is meant to be a character establishing scene that helps you understand the main characters and to get the action of the story started. The crime fight outing they’re going to kickstarts the entire plot.

Show Don’t Tell. Move the story along.

If a scene isn’t progressing the story, it should be telling you something about characters and why the audience should care about them.

Your audience should be shown why they should care about your characters and their dynamics. By getting to know who they are and why they either care about each other or don’t.

[jackoshadows]

Wait what?! There's a theory that Sansa said 'you know nothing Jon Snow' in their childhood? 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

This is an example of how these shippers just don't care about the context of that phrase and it's narrative importance to Jon Snow as a character and his arc of leadership. There's an actual reason for why Ygritte says that to Jon Snow! Why would Sansa say that to Jon?! What is happening?

It's like when they see quotes like 'You should look behind you, Lord Snow. The moon has kissed you and etched your shadow upon the ice twenty feet tall." or 'The white wolf raced through a black wood, beneath a pale cliff as tall as the sky. The moon ran with him' and it connects to the Moon symbology for both Dany and Arya and they want something similar for Sansa and they do this:

Like they just cut the sentence and took the first word of that sentence and attach it to the preceding sentence 🤣🤣🤣🤣

Also sun and son?! 🤣🤣🤣🤣

Like no need for meaning and sentence structure and all that - we will just take this word from here and put it together with that word from there and voila! Jonsa happens.

It's the same with 'You know Nothing'.

Let us read this paragraph both ways.

First, assuming this is the way it's meant to be read:

The Night's Watch takes no part. He closed his fist and opened it again. What you propose is nothing less than treason. He thought of Robb, with snowflakes melting in his hair. Kill the boy and let the man be born. He thought of Bran, clambering up a tower wall, agile as a monkey. Of Rickon's breathless laughter. Of Sansa, brushing out Lady's coat and singing to herself. You know nothing, Jon Snow. He thought of Arya, her hair as tangled as a bird's nest. I made him a warm cloak from the skins of the six whores who came with him to Winterfell … I want my bride back … I want my bride back … I want my bride back … "I think we had best change the plan," Jon Snow said. - Jon, ADwD

He nearly committed treason by running away to help for Robb, came back and decided that his place was at the Wall as a brother of the NW. Hence the first phrase.

Kill the boy and let the man be born - a man puts his duties above family and time and again Jon has chosen the Watch over his family - Bran, Rickon and Sansa.

You know nothing Jon Snow - If this phrase connects to any Stark it's Arya because Jon actually compares Ygritte to Arya several times, right from their tangled messy hair.

Secondly the phrase could play into his conflict of love or duty. It's a hard decision and one he cannot make easily. Is it right? Is it wrong? He doesn't know! What about his oaths and the threat from beyond the Wall? But then what about Arya being hunted by the likes of Ramsay Bolton? - 'You know nothing Jon Snow'

It's also the rule of three as he goes down the list - Jon chose NW over Robb, Jon chose the NW over family and now the third option - he chose Arya over the NW.

And Jonsa shippers know it makes no sense for their Jonsa nonsense when the whole paragraph is read hence why they selectively copy and paste only this sentence. Notice how it always starts at the end of Jon grouping Bran, Rickon and Sansa together:

Of Sansa, brushing out Lady's coat and singing to herself. You know nothing, Jon Snow.

And taken out of context it makes no sense - 'Of Sansa' - what does it mean 'Of Sansa'? Because there is preceding text there that they just omit because it doesn't go with their 'theories'.

If you are going to attach 'You know nothing Jon Snow' to Sansa, then you have to do it for Bran and Rickon as well. Like so:

He closed his fist and opened it again. What you propose is nothing less than treason. He thought of Robb, with snowflakes melting in his hair. Kill the boy and let the man be born. He thought of Bran, clambering up a tower wall, agile as a monkey. Of Rickon's breathless laughter. Of Sansa, brushing out Lady's coat and singing to herself. You know nothing, Jon Snow. He thought of Arya, her hair as tangled as a bird's nest. I made him a warm cloak from the skins of the six whores who came with him to Winterfell … I want my bride back … I want my bride back … I want my bride back … "I think we had best change the plan," Jon Snow said. - Jon, ADwD

So even reading it this way - 'You know nothing Jon Snow' is about family, about Bran, Rickon and Sansa.

In which case:

'kill the boy and let the man be born' - when he abandoned Robb.

'You know nothing Jon Snow' when he abandoned Ygritte and equating this to how he has always put the NW above family.

'I want my bride back...I want my bride back...I want my bride back' - the reference to Arya as Ramsay's bride, he snaps at this point and we get the amazing 'We had the best change the plan' line from Jon Snow.

Again rule of three: NW vs love - Jon chose NW, NW vs love - Jon chose NW, and finally NW vs love, Jon chose love. Because yes, he does decide differently between Ygritte and Arya.

So any which way one reads that paragraph, 'You know nothing' is either connected to Arya or it's connected to Bran, Rickon and Sansa. So no, it's not a 'Jonsa related quote' lol.

'You know nothing Jon Snow' is not some phrase just connected to Ygritte for shipping reasons. It has meaning and weight behind it, it's about Jon's decisions as a leader and it increasingly comes into play in ADwD because leadership is hard and Jon is always having to make choices, of making the unpopular but right decisions and is increasingly confronted by the knowledge that yes, he does have a lot to learn and needs the advice of wiser folks like Maester Aemon, Donal Noye, Qhorin Halfhand and Samwell Tarly.

[palmviolet]

do you have any tips or suggestions to someone writing rust? I’m slowly working on a fic rn and your writing for him as been my favorite out of everything I’ve read so far

hello yes i adore this question, and i’m so honoured you like the way i write him (and welcome to the party… can’t wait to read your stuff)! it’s tricky, because my characterisation (and my writing process as whole) is pretty intuitive, which is great when it works but not so great when it doesn’t work and i can’t understand why. i actually answered a similar question last year (answer here - i had to go digging for it in the archive lol) but i’ve written a lot of fic since then so let’s see if i have any new insights. 

i write a very limited third person pov, stream of consciousness style. but being so embedded in the pov means that that style changes depending on who’s the one doing the thinking. when i write rust, it’s a great deal looser and more figurative than marty, or maggie, or laurie, for example. rust is less grammatically correct in the sense of run-on sentences, comma splices, memories blurring in across paragraphs. it’s more river of consciousness than stream. and i do break those same rules with other characters’ povs, it’s a big part of my style as a writer generally, but with rust it’s emphasised for effect. because that’s the way he talks and the way we get the sense that he thinks. he’s weird, he’s poetic, he’s viciously intelligent but raised in the woods and probably didn’t go to college (currently working out what exactly i think he did between alaska pt 1. and joining the police academy at 21 with @bonesandpoemsandflowers). none of this lends itself to a regulated, linear way of expressing his thoughts. 

having said this, you might not be a stream of consciousness writer at all, which means all this advice lends itself only to his actual dialogue and behavior in the fic. which still stands. he’s pretty restrained in what he says or doesn’t say, a lot of the time, but in certain circumstances he’s prone to a monologue. choosing those moments is in itself so key for his character — is he doing it because he’s comfortable (arguably, with marty), is he doing it because he’s putting on a show (with gilbough and papania)? and if he’s not — see his short, almost monosyllabic statements of fact about what happened to sophia, the way he doesn’t philosophise with maggie — why not? 

this also depends a lot on which era we’re in. honestly i had the best time characterising him in 2000 in out of time man just because he’s so underrated in that period and he’s the closest to what the world believes he should be: a capable, masculine cop with an accomplished girlfriend and a social life (ish). in playing that role, as we see a little in 2002, he’s harder, blunter, less philosophical (compare his interview technique in 2002 vs. 95, it’s much less preacher-y and more traditionally professional or empathetic: he’s more normal, but not really) but really this belies all the hurt he’s still holding down inside himself, buried deeper than in ’95 or ’12 but very much there. i loved the challenge of all the things he wouldn’t say in this era, but would think about, or else not think about, refuse to think about, but have simmering away somewhere unspoken anyway. half the battle of writing rust is transmitting feeling between the lines.

and so the same goes for ’95 rust — fragile and holding himself together, hoping for social connection in a way that belies his outspoken nihilism — and ’12 rust, who’s long since given up on said connection but his cynicism has only brought his hurt closer to the surface. and all versions of rust (except maybe post-carcosa rust, who might try haltingly to unearth some honesty within himself, some of the time) are outspokenly pessimistic and denounce personhood entirely while still absolutely being a person, a feeling, remembering person who can’t stand being a self and yet is nonetheless. and the challenge is transmitting that, what he won’t think about or admit, through the things he will. 

i hope this was helpful! do update me on your progress; the td fandom is small but mighty. also sidenote the aesthetic of your blog is 10/10. 

[roomwithanopenfire]

Six Sentence Sunday

Happy Sunday everyone!!! Thanks @monbons for the tag <3

I come today with excellent news! I've finally, finally finished writing The Way We Are. After I'd resigned myself to the last chapter taking me 5 million more years, yesterday everything started to slot in to place and I'd finished it!! Ofc I've yet to send the chapter off to be betaed, and still need to edit the whole fic, and the last paragraph of the fic is still something like INSERT A COUPLE GOOD ENDING PARAGRAPHS HERE, but I've finished it!!! I'm so so happy, and hopefully I can start posting again within a couple of weeks. (So if you haven't read the first two posted chapters yet, now would be the perfect time)

Also, I posted a fic this week! A cute little Fiona/Ebb oneshot. Here are some sentences from that:

I look back at Fiona. She’s still off-center—I haven’t brought her all back yet, haven’t found the sticking point. “What do you want?” I ask. It’s a dangerous question. Fiona’s wants are dynamite. They always have been. Destructive and explosive, but I’d set them all off. Burn the world down. “I just—” Fiona starts. Then she shakes her head. “Never mind.” “No, tell me.”

ALSO this has been such a fun week opening all of the valentines from the valentine exchange. I'm so blown away by all the creativity in this fandom and I can't believe I get to be a part of it! Thank you for brightening my mailbox the past few weeks <333

tags and hellos under the cut

@alexalexinii @aristocratic-otter @argumentativeantitheticalg @artsyunderstudy @arthurkko

@beastmonstertitan @blackberrysummerblog @best--dress @bookishbroadwayandblind @bookish-bogwitch

@the-beard-of-edward-teach @brilla-brilla-estrellita @cccloudsss @ciescen @confused-bi-queer

@cutestkilla @drowninginships @facewithoutheart @emeryhall @fiend-for-culture

@hertragedyconnoisseur @horsesarenotdeer @hushed-chorus @iamamythologicalcreature @ileadacharmedlife

@theimpossibledemon @larkral @lovelettersto-mars @meanjeansjeans @m1ndwinder

@nausikaaa @noblecorgi @orange-peony @prettygoododds @raenestee

@rimeswithpurple @run-for-chamo-miles @rbkzz @shrekgogurt @simonscones

@skee3000 @supercutedinosaurs @sweetronancer @talentpiper11 @terra-fae

@thewholelemon @valeffelees @you-remind-me-of-the-babe i think the tag limit is 50 tags, i only have room to make one more friend 😭😭

[shini--chan]

Woah a hetalia blog in 2020 and a Yan one at that??? The world has BLESSED US! Could I please request Germany (and Russia If that's okay. Seprate not together) stalking and kidnapping their love interest?

Yandere Hetalia - Germany, Russia (Cat in the bag)

Germany

Ludwig would be so befuddled by his own feelings at first, that it would take some time for him to get back on track. In the meantime, he'd do everything he can to drown out the emotions that are causing him so much agony. It could be through work, household chores, dozens of personal projects (if you want to prevent a terrible future for yourself, it would be in your best interest to help him run away from his feelings.) Though, in the end, that won't be enough, and he'll eventually find himself scrolling through all your social media profiles. 

The more he ignored it, the stronger the urge became. It left him jittery, unable to focus. Ludwig already was reading the same paragraph for the third time, since the meaning behind the words never stuck. He wasn't even by the last sentence when the words began to blur due to overpowering thoughts of you. You, who he didn't want to think about due to the urges and desires the mere notion of you invoked. 

Slamming the laptop closed, damned be the deadline, he then snatched up his phone. Instagram was opened in a second and within a few clicks, he had your profile. He found himself hypnotised by the photos of you on display. There was one of the older ones that was a favourite of his, one where the light of a setting sun caught your features just right. 

Ludwig opened it, and leaned onto the table until he was half lying on it, the phone upright in front of his face. Far too close as well and he would have chided any other person doing it. Almost reverently, he traced the outlines of your face, exactly like he did with icons of the Virgin Mary in another life, when he had still been Holy Rome. 

He wouldn't be sure on how to approach you, so he would take the stereotypical dating ideas like going to the cinema together, or to an amusement park. Would be formal to the point it would be painful, but would loosen up as the evening progresses. 

It would only make him more obsessed with you and he would start following you around, and interrogating people about you. Not stalking, this is researching, is what he would tell himself. With you being so precious to him, he just needs to make sure that he caters to your needs and doesn't hurt you by accident. That would be all. His own curiosity and obsession with you would play absolutely no role in this, absolutely not sir. 

Most of the stalking would take place via social media, with him creating various sock-puppet accounts. Ludwig would go to great lengths to make sure you don't connect all of them to him - like showing different writing styles and personalities, and sometimes even feigning not knowing certain languages. The purpose of these accounts would be to watch you, and also engage with you on different topics and from differing standpoints in some cases. The anonymity the internet grants would be a boon here. 

Aside from that, he would also track you a lot. Germany would use this to "coincidently" run into when you are out and about and then invite himself to whatever you are doing. You'll find him joining the same clubs that you are a member of, if he isn't in them already. Often, he would come across as overbearing. 

The kidnapping would spout from the selfish desire to have you all to himself. He would be aghast by his own thought processes, and suppress it. Suppress it until it would come bubbling back to the surface stronger than before. He would find a whole host of justifications for his criminal actions - that he is allowed to be selfish, that the individualistic culture of Western society promotes his actions. 

Still, he would be filled with guilt and so apologetic for breaking in and knocking you unconscious. Law enforcement would have a very hard time finding you and Ludwig wouldn't really be inclined to release you. 

Russia

In Ivan's case, it would start very tame. The stalking would begin during the process of getting to know you and stem from suspicions of you not being forthcoming. During the first meetings you'd have, he'd inquire about your dislikes and likes, what you like to do in your free time, your opinions on certain matters. If you let him, he'll take you on long walks and converse with you about literature and philosophy until the sun sets and rises again. Though, there would alway be the nagging doubt about the truthfulness of your statements, something that would only be amplified should you show fear in any form. 

Thus, he would stalk you to find out how honest you are with him. Part of this wouldn't even be really following you around or watching you undress. In part, it would consist of going through your collection of books, investigating your taste in art and music, reading any journals you keep and checking what clubs you attend. To get an even better grasp on your personality, he would also look into who you are befriended with, as well as your relations with family members, and do background checks on all of them. 

The apartment you lived in could tolerate a good cleaning, in Ivan's humble opinion. It wasn't like you lived in a pig sty, leaving dirty clothes and rotten food lying around. Rather, it was the sort of "dirty" of a person that didn't have the time to wipe down the surfaces. 

Ivan couldn't help but grimace as he eyed the book shelf. There was a layer of dust on the free spaces and even on top of a few books, thus preventing him from actually taking out the one or the other and skim reading through a few pages. Leaving traces wouldn't do - if you couldn't relax in your own living space, then you'd start hiding behaviours. He'd just have to learn more about the books at home and through the internet. 

Home. It was a cosy little home that you had established for yourself here, but it was nothing compared to what he would give you once your relationship was more "official". First, he had to ascertain how honest you were being with him. So far, so good, you had been truthful with him - but it was possible to speak nothing but the truth and still be dishonest and devious. 

Turning on his heel, he headed to your small bedroom. A book was on your nightstand, just waiting for him to pick it up and flip through. Which is what he did.

Finally, he would also watch you. Some people talk or mutter to themselves when they are alone, and he would like to hear what you say when you think that nobody is watching. Also, humans do such fascinating things when they are sure that they are alone - what will you do? What bad habits will he have to exorcise out of you? Do you eat healthy, or does he have to help you along? Any addictions that he can use against you?

Should he determine that you aren't honest with him, then he'll be furious. Ivan would then make it his mission to teach you the value of honesty, do matter how damaging his lessons may be. Best if you learn quickly, or he'll make you as paranoid and distrusting as himself. 

As for kidnapping - it would only happen if you are in danger. The thing is, Ivan would regard you as fragile. Additionally, he would be very aware that his view on danger is very skewed, so he'd seek to compensate for it. In reality, he would be overcompensating. This would all be for your own safety and nothing you say would be able to convince him otherwise. 

He would even be gentle during the whole process, preferably luring you away. Maybe you go on holiday with him and never return to your home. Maybe you stay a night at his place and wake up to find you can't leave. Should you be resistant and avoid him, he'll of course have to resort to other means - sleeping pills in your food or drink, or snatching you off the street in the middle of the night. 

You were so peaceful when you were asleep. Knock out drops being the cause of your slumber didn't change that - you even had a small smile as he lifted you up in your chair. As luck would have it, you had tipped forward when the substance had kicked in, and face-planted in your take away. 

Your face was full of sauce and there were even bits of food in your hair, but Ivan was still of the opinion that you looked downright angelic. Of course, it was love and passion speaking on his side that tended to give people a different outlook. 

Carefully, he gathered you in his arms and lifted you up. There was a small bunch of people gathered outside of your apartment, curious as to what all the commotion was about. As was ever the case when an ambulance arrived to pick somebody up. In total, it was the perfect alibi, because who would suspect a paramedic of being involved in a kidnapping?

[goquokka00]

WRITING 101 With Professor goquokka00 :)

-POINT OF VIEWS-

Welcome class! How've you been, have you been sleeping well and eating enough? I hope you've been doing amazing :)

Today's lesson is a bit longer than the paragraphs, but it's DEFINITELY an important one. Why? Because we're going to be talking about Point of Views. I'm really excited for this lesson, but there's also a lot to go over. And so, let's get started by going over the absolute basics.

What is a point of view? Well, in simple terms, it's simply a way to refer to the narrative perspective of a story. In other words, they're simply different ways that we can tell stories. And in total, we have four (yes, four, I will get to that in a second) that we can choose from:

1st person, 2nd person, 3rd person limited, and 3rd person omniscient.

So... what's the difference? When should you use each of the different point of views? Well, don't worry, because I have the answers. I hope. I think. And I'd say a great place to start would lie with the one almost everyone is familiar with: 1st person.

1st person is in the perspective of the character. A lot of times in school, we're told 1st person uses "I", "me", and "we", to tell whatever story you're telling. Here's an example:

I got down to the android's level, and wrapped his arm around my neck, before helping it stand. Thankfully my apartment wasn't that far away, so I wouldn't have to lug this heavy piece of metal around too long. I was also extremely grateful that my apartment had an elevator. My apartment is located at the top of the building, and it's pretty big. So, I'm happy that I had those two things running for me.  Eventually, after a few minutes of walking, I reached the apartment building, and opened the door, before continuing to walk through and head to the elevator. And once we got inside the Elevator, I pressed the button to the top floor, before gently setting the android down.

In this case, our character who we'll call...Sally...is telling the story from her perspective. We're hearing her side of the story, which means that we only know what Sally knows.

It's really important to keep in mind that when you're using 1st person, you ARE NOT telling the reader everything. Remember, you're telling the story through whatever character you've decided to use to show their perspective. You'll only know what the character knows. Take that example from above.

Sally doesn't know the android's name yet, which is why she's referring to it as "the android". And for this reason, we shouldn't know the name of the android yet, either. We do know that the android is heavy, because she explains that it's heavy. We're also aware that her apartment is at the top of the building it's in, that it's big, and that the complex has an elevator, because she gave us that information, too.

Now, if we were in the perspective of the android, we shouldn't know Sally's name, and we shouldn't know all of that information about her apartment. Why? Because that android's never been there. He doesn't know anything about it, so we shouldn't either.

Now, all of that information is great, yeah, but...when should you even use 1st person? Well, you could use it to story write if you wanted or use it to see through characters' eyes and see their perspective on whatever situation you've decided to throw them into.

Me, personally? I wouldn't really use 1st person for that, mainly because of the content that I write. And I'll explain that in a second. But I would definitely recommend using 1st person to write essays.

Showing your perspective on what you've learned with research essays, giving confident "I believe this, and here's why you should too" sentences in phrases in persuasive essays, even just using it in argumentative essays brings out a whole other level for writing.

You're showing what you've learned, giving your feedback, giving your personal opinion. And as long as you're confident, it'll get you one hell of a good score on that Coca Cola Vs. Pepsi argumentative essay that you spent HOURS working on and burnt out with and now every time you look at it you want to cry because you literally just realized how bad your writing used to be compared to now and you wonder how you even managed to graduate high school with it because you're such a failure and--

ahem...sorry, I...um...it got a bit personal there.

So, let's move onto our next point of view! YYYYAAAAAAAYYY! Wow i need to go to therapy

So: Our next point of view choice that we have is 2nd person. 2nd person is when you directly address the reader. AKA, it's the point of view that uses "You" and "Your". And it's also the point of view that schools tell you to NOT use because it's really bad and dumb and stupid. This is an example of it:

You had yet to find a husband, which was difficult enough as is. Everyone you've ever met had been snobby. And even when they weren't, they were more interested in your brother. You didn't even have any friends to help you in your search. The only person you had was your brother. It was pretty safe to say that your brother favored you a lot, mainly because the two of you had grown up together. You two understood each other and were so close. Many people always thought that you were jealous of him. But how could you possibly be jealous of the one person who gave you the most in your life?

So, as you can see, 2nd person is really good with stories that interact with the reader. Stories like one shots that have to do with the reader. It kind of follows the pattern of 1st person though, since you're telling the reader certain things. But there can also be flexibility from time to time.

But...where should you use it?

Like mentioned before, I highly recommend using it for fanfic writing WHEN THE FANFICTION IS AN "X READER". The reason I say this is because you're able to emulate the fact that the reader is more involved in the story. It involves the reader more, makes them feel included rather than using 1st person or 3rd person.

In other words, it helps the reader understand what's happening to THEM, not YOU.

Now, if your telling a story with an OC (Original Character for those who aren't in the loop), then I wouldn't recommend writing in 2nd person. It just...it doesn't work. PLEASE don't do that. I'm begging. If I see ANY of you using 2nd person for OC writes, I'll just...I'll...I'll be really sad and cry myself to sleep extra hard...

ANYWAYS! God I have to stop

Let's get into our 3rd person point of views. 3rd person limited and 3rd person omniscient. So to start off, let's go over the similarities.

No matter what 3rd person you're using, you'll always refer to everyone as their gender. "He/Him", "She/Her", "They/Them", etc. It's the same no matter what. Something like this:

He couldn't help but feel panic for the demon who had watched over him since he first became a part of the guild. Sure, she had been in the guild since day one, but when they had first met, she had been in a child's body, having been cursed for some reason that he still didn't understand, although she had explained it to him multiple times. Something about her using a spell that she wasn't the correct class for or something. But still, the two were extremely close. She was there when he had gone up the ranks as a Wizard, going from a rank D wizard to a rank A. He was there when she had gone from Soldier Class to General Class, which was a few months after he had joined the guild. Those two were inseparable, and while she scared him, she helped him out a lot, just like he did for her.

Got it? Good. Now for the differences.

3rd person limited is exactly what it says in the name. You're limited in what you can share. More accurately, it's like a love child between the 3rd person omniscient we know and love, and 1st person. You're focused on one specific character, but you're able to go a bit more in depth with explaining thing while not making the character sound like a whiny baby.

And that looks a little something like this:

It wasn't that he didn't want to be courted. Well, he didn't want to. He wanted to court instead, but all of these women seemed to want him. Pushing and shoving each other out of the way, swooning over every noise that left his mouth. They treated him like a celebrity, and while he technically was one, he didn't like that. It didn't help that Chan didn't have the heart to tell them to leave him be, either. He was a kind man, and never wanted anyone to be distraught over anything he's done. After all, his family was known for being kind. The Bahng family was a family who helped to create guns and weapons for the national military. And while most people always considered them to be intimidating (which they were), they were almost always so kind.

As you can see, the focus is limited to Chan here, focusing mostly on what kind of person he is, and what he wants or doesn't want. We're given a small amount of information about girls acting up and trying to court him and Chan's family, but again, it's only what Chan knows.

Honestly, 3rd person limited is amazing for that kind of stuff. If you were gonna try to write that paragraph in 1st person, it'd make Chan look like an egotistical asshole who's a family boi.

We...don't want that.

So, what about 3rd person omniscient? Well, it's what everyone knows 3rd person to be. It's the 3rd person where the narrator knows everything about everyone. No information is hidden, and the narrator can pretty much tell the reader whatever they want to.

And that looks like this:

He couldn't believe his eyes. Their entire bedroom had been completely transformed. A fireplace was resting against the wall, their bed now facing it with a faux fur blanket draped across the end. In between the bed and the fireplace laid a white faux fur rug spread out nicely. What he wasn't aware of is the fact that his wonderful girlfriend had spent all day setting it up with the help of his friends. She knew that he'd love it, as did his friends. It was a romance dream of his that had finally come true. And in her eyes, she was excited to hear what he thought of it. He had to love it. She just had a gut feeling for it.

So clearly, 3rd person omniscient works really well if you're trying to tell a story with a much bigger view. It's kind of hard to over do it with 3rd person omniscient, too. Which is even better! I think the best part, though, is the pure fact that when you write in 3rd person omniscient, it's really easy to switch between who you're talking about and when.

It's smooth as butter.

So, when would you use these 3rd persons? Well, as far as 3rd person limited goes, it'd go great with 2nd person in fanfics that are "x reader". If I'm being honest, that's probably one of the few times that I actually use 3rd person limited.

As far as 3rd person omniscient goes, it's really good for general story telling. If you're writing a book about a man who turned into a frog and is helping a moss ball go into a fish's mouth (I don't know man, I just write here), then use 3rd person omniscient.

And if you're going to be writing an essay, using 3rd person omniscient in present tense works wonders.

And I think that pretty much covers it! Now, let's do a quick recap.

1st person = "I", "me"

Use 1st person for essay writing!!!

2nd person = "You", "Your"

Use 2nd person for one-shots/fanfic with Reader input only!

DO NOT let me catch you using 2nd person for anything else. I got my eyes on you. 👁️👁️

3rd person = "She/Her", "He/Him", "They/Them", etc.

3rd person has two different formats!

3rd person limited = A mix between 1st person and 3rd person: Uses 3rd person format but limits information given to one character

3rd person omniscient = The 3rd person we all know: information is not limited and easily switches from one character to the other

Use 3rd person limited with 2nd person for one-shots/fanfic writes with Reader inputs!

Use 3rd person omniscient for essays or story writing!

And I think that pretty much covers it! As always, thank you so much for attending, and don't be scared to ask questions if you have any! Love you guys, and thank you so much for attending! Bye, have a lovely day!

||

NEXT TIME: Dialogue

[girlfriendsofthegalaxy]

tuesday again 7/23/24

i woke up at ass o'clock monday morning to find BOTH of my cats sleeping on the bed with me :') temporary peace and love on planet niceys

also read a book where my takeaway was that there are SO many opportunities in the world for evil engineering but not nearly enough for evil puzzle games

listening

my sister sent me ONE instagram reel/screencap of a tiktok and ive been muttering "emergency! emergency! paging DOCTOR BEAT!" under my breath for the past three days. alarmingly catchy remix of this gloria estefan song. this specific video below is pretty close but there are approximately eight zillion versions

-

reading

Dark Wire by Joseph Cox (photo from here, description from the publisher's site).

The inside story of the largest law-enforcement sting operation ever, in which the FBI made its own tech start-up to wiretap the world, shows how cunning both the authorities and drug traffickers have become, with privacy implications for everyone. In 2018, a powerful app for secure communications called Anom took root among organized criminals. They believed Anom allowed them to conduct business in the shadows. Except for one thing: it was secretly run by the FBI.    Backdoor access to Anom and a series of related investigations granted American, Australian, and European authorities a front-row seat to the underworld. Tens of thousands of criminals worldwide appeared in full view of the same agents they were trying to evade. International smugglers. Money launderers. Hitmen. A sprawling global economy as efficient and interconnected as the legal one. Officers watched drug shipments and murder plots unfold, making arrests without blowing their cover. But, as the FBI started to lose control of Anom, did the agency go too far?   A painstakingly investigated exposé, Dark Wire reveals the true scale and stakes of this unprecedented operation through the agents and crooks who were there. This fly-on-the-wall thriller is a caper for our modern world, where no one can be sure who is listening in. 

i really liked this one! cox did a really good job of slowly unfurling the extremely technical details as they became relevant, instead of one horrible infodump near the beginning, and has a real gift for humanizing little anecdotes that illustrate the concept. he's also dryly funny in a very british way, eg the transition between one paragraph describing a very talented olive oil salesman and his lifestyle to how that olive oil processing covered up drug labs with the sentence "But Catanzariti didn't stay with olives; he pivoted instead to methamphetamine." i loooooove reading about how the drug trade gets around customs. i love edge cases and figuring out why things fail. i truly think some of the finest materials engineers of our time are out there trying to figure out how to get cocaine into australia.

this is deeply reported in a way that's very different from a lot of popsci and pop-history books that annoy me: this is NOT a book where it feels like the author is simply padding out a wikipedia page, supplemented with articles he's already written. he's been on this beat since 2016 and it shows: he has quotes from hundreds of people on many sides of the drug war. something i also appreciate is that cox is not automatically, rabidly pro-cop; he does not gloss over the very real tortures and kidnappings and all the other nasty realities of the global drug trade, and frequently shows how much overreach and entrapment took place during this whole endeavor. i particularly liked a chapter where he flipped back and forth from various law enforcement officials assuring him they of course complied with all relevant privacy laws and blacklisted anyone using it for simple secure communications, and lawyers telling cox "no the cops very much did spy on my privileged communication with my clients and i know this because these texts came up in court". also gratifying to read about some cases overturned or thrown out, in the odd case a judge decided it looked too much like entrapment.

i feel like i devoured this book SO fast but it's a solid 352 pages in hardcover. i also had to wait a good two months on the libby holds lists so there is strong interest in this book! good for cox!

how did i find this book: it's austin underscore walker's fault. they used to be coworkers at vice and cox and three others broke off last year to found 404 Media, which has had an absolutely crazy amount of real-world impact for the size (again! four people!) and how long they've been around. rip vice. wish u did better by your people.

-

watching

watched Hercules (1997, dir. Clements & Musker) with my bestie's five year old. i did not grow up with disney movies and don't really have a nostalgic affinity for them but this shit holds up! i like how meg has the silhouette of a greek vase

-

playing

powerwash simulator has a new free DLC out! we get to go to the aquarium and wash some exhibits and wash the research submarine!!! VERY soothing. took me a good solid two hour podcast episode to clean the exhibits.

the temporary summer event in genshin impact is very darling this year-- there are big indie game vibes and unlocking every chest is a little more complicated or has a little bit more story attached than usual. very excited to see if this continues with the next big update that introduces a whole new land.

i also like that they've picked An Art Style to work with-- everything is very toy-like or origami. not that genshin doesn't have a distinct art style, but playing around with something less realistic is fun!

-

making

look im going to have to add a cross stitch update to the morning reblog. the lighting in here is simply Not Good Enough

[barbex]

Latest Fanfics - Opening Lines

Rules: Post the first line paragraph of the last ten fics (or fic chapters, your choice) you’ve posted!

Thank you for the tag, @teine-mallaichte and @bronzieinthedas!

I changed it to paragraph because I have such short sentences sometimes.

I'm tagging:  @potatowitch, @contreparry, @realace, @chaosride, @mordinette, @only-slightly-terrified, @sulky-valkyrie, @anderstrevelyan, @storybookhawke, @vonuberwald

Here it goes, the ten latest fics or chapters and their first paragraphs, covering July 2024 - June 2025:

See Your Name | Dragon Age | Fenris x Anders | Words: 23,327 (WIP) "Healer Anders, please, wake up," Lirene says as she shakes him. "We need your help." He slept through the whole day. Obviously Lirene took care of the clinic, applying and changing bandages, handing out tea, and assisting Firlea and Merrill as they applied what they learned about healing. If Lirene wakes him now, it must be important.

DA Ficlet 86 - you don't get to die | Dragon Age | Fenris x Anders | Words: 1,725 (complete) When it comes to battles at the Wounded Coast, this one was one of the simpler ones. No Tal-Vashoth, no bloodmages, just your run of the mill bandits. There is a dwarf with a nasty crossbow, nearly as nasty as Bianca, but Anders trusts that Varric will take care of him. The battle is like a well practiced dance, one he knows by heart.

cats and chaos | Dragon Age | Fenris x Anders | Words: 28,508 (complete) The ambulance takes Gracie Kerwinkle away, to the hospice her daughter got for her. Anders and Fenris watch after the car. Snow falls gently around them, making everything look white for a few, precious moments, before it turns into grey sludge.

DA Ficlet 85 - indigo sky | Dragon Age | Fenris x Anders | Words: 1,216 (complete) Sleeping in is a luxury Fenris loves to indulge in. Unless he is called for the early watch, even on the outings with Hawke, he likes to sleep in until someone wakes him with a cup of tea. He never could do that as a slave.

DA Ficlet 84 - sleeping  | Dragon Age | Fenris x Anders | Words: 1,437 (complete) Fenris can't sleep. It's ridiculous, he is exhausted, he should be dead asleep after that three day trip at the Wounded Coast. Three days in blistering heat, sharing the tent with the mage. Three nights of laying next to him on thin mats, naked, because it was just too hot to cover themselves. Three nights he slept, instantly. And now, back in his home, he can't sleep.

DA Ficlet 83 - to help  | Dragon Age | Fenris x Anders | Words: 1,365 (complete) "Have you seen him?" Merrill whispers to Hawke, but Anders hears her anyway. He also notices how Hawke glances at him, before she whispers something in Merrill's ear.

DA Ficlet 82 - seeing  | Dragon Age | Isabela x Merrill x Hawke | Words: 548 (complete) Isabela noticed it at first. Not Anders, not Hawke. Isabela.

Not Yours  | Dragon Age | Fenris x Anders | Words: 48,582 (WIP) The boy is gone before Anders can ask who sent him to hand him the note. It's just a scrap of paper, a hastily written message he probably shouldn't read out here in Lowtown's market.

Twilight and Soup  | Dragon Age | Fenris x Anders | Words: 32,835 (WIP) Anders looks to the top of the wall, where the sunlight draws a harsh, bright line. The courtyard with the market is in shadow already but up there, the sun still shines. His kids run around him, he made sure to stay at the far side of the Gallows courtyard, so that they don't disturb anybody. He has 16 kids in his class, his responsibility. Some of them run around, chasing each other, others sit quietly on the stones still warm from the sun, reading books or drawing.

DA Ficlet 81 - control and possession  | Dragon Age | Fenris x Anders | Words: 586 (complete) "Are you here to gloat?" Anders kneels between the meager piles of his belongings, deciding what he can take with him and what he should just leave behind.

-----

It is, not surprisingly, a fenders fest, Fenris x Anders, with a glimpse of Merrill, Hawke, and Isabela. I'm not sure what the first paragraphs tell me about my writing style, but I'm trying to follow the advice of starting in medias res. 

[v-bits-fits]

Hello out there, future me or otherwise

Kinda feeling a little discouraged. I came home from work last night and saw I had two new comments on my work. I was super excited, but then I went to go read them. Both accused my work of being AI generated, one extremely rudely. I deleted the rude comment and gave a fair reply to the other one. But it really stung. I don't get a lot of traffic on my work. Baseline, I'm fine with it. I keep saying it, but I'm doing this just to be creative. But at the same time, who doesn't want to get recognized for their work? So for the only recognition I've gotten in months to be AI accusations just kinda bums me out. It goes a little deeper, because it scares me that this may be the state of writing right now. Is every piece of writing AI generated until proven otherwise? The idea of me having to analyze every word, sentence and paragraph, not to ensure that it's well written, but to ensure that it doesn't sound too polished. Too artificial. If I use too many descriptors, does that sound like AI? Would it be better if I use a simpler word here, cuz the word I used sounds too AI? Should I start running my work though an AI detector, then fiercely gut and edit it until I get it below 10%? Well, I'm not doing that. At the end of the day, I don't have anything to prove to anyone. But it's still gonna be in the back of my mind, you know? And I hate that. Anyways, I'M quite pleased with how my story is turning out. I can really feel my writing improving (I haven't really done a lot of creative writing since highschool), and I can see the story turning into something better than I could have imagined. I'm gonna keep writing and posting. And maybe I'll turn off anonymous comments on AO3 lmao. Anyways, I'm going to get started on Chapter 11 this weekend. It might be a minute. I want to try something new, and I think it's going to be really exciting. I think the end of Chapter 10 is a very neat and tidy end of the first act, so I want to introduce the second part of the story in an interesting way. I hope it pays off! Anyways, I'll drop my usual blurb promoting my story below.

If you have no clue what I am talking about, I am writing a multi-chapter long Fallout 4 fanfiction. It's titled Fallout: Genesis, and I have 10 chapters out already! If that sounds interesting to you, check out the link below!

Click here to read Fallout: Genesis on AO3

I have also posted Fallout: Genesis on Wattpad and Quotev! You can find the links to those pinned to the top of my tumblr! There you can also find excerpts and summaries, which you can read and determine if you want to commit to reading the whole thing. I have an excerpt from chapter 10 posted already!

Once again, thank y'all to anyone reading! I'll update soon!

[wanderingaldecaldo]

2025 Writing Resolutions

I'm not usually one for resolutions but I've been kicking around the idea of having some writing goals after the post I shared last week, and came up with a few that are feasible:

Finish the first draft for one (or both!) of the stories I started last year in new-to-me fandoms

Edit and post the Presidential PWP

Finish the DA:I Blackwall fic that's been 95% complete for years

Daily 15min sprint

Some personal musings about writing (and reading) and WIPs under the cut.

Last fall I lost my Cyberpunk hyperfixation but, after three years of nonstop Val and Mitch (and Rosalind) through VP and modding, it's been a boon to my writing, and once more I'm reminded why I love hate one of my oldest hobbies. I really wish I could reassure my younger self that actually, no, I'll never run out of things to write.

Over my tumblr break, I rewatched the whole Daniel Craig Bond series, all because I really wanted to watch Skyfall, my fave of the entire franchise. Something new happened this time around as I watched the films — Judi Dench and Daniel Craig's chemistry gripped me by the throat and wouldn't let go.

I'm not generally one to visit AO3 (or ff.net back in the day) after consuming a piece of media; I could list out the ones that have on two hands, and still have several fingers left over, even with including the new ones mentioned here.

This time, I was lucky to have found a ship with a backlog of fics to work through. For weeks I read fics, and rewatched their scenes ad nauseam, ever thankful I'd bought the 4-disc set and wasn't reliant having the correct streaming service. Eventually inspiration struck and I started what I thought would be a oneshot. But where there's a WIP there's always more ideas lurking around the corner, and suddenly the oneshot developed into two chapters, with the second spinning quickly into a third.

Over the course of a two-week head cold that knocked out all writing aspirations, I binged all of Ted Lasso and became enamored with the characters and themes, but especially the relationship between Ted and Rebecca. As I watched, I didn't know the status of the show; in fact I had assumed season 4 was in the works. :sad trombone: No slow burn for me. After I finished it, I wanted to rewatch it immediately but decided not to; I wanted to sit with it first, to let it digest. I really didn't think I'd reach the AO3 stage — usually it's like the proverbial bolt of lightning that strikes quickly — but this time, appropriately, it was the friends-to-lovers trope that I adore.

Again, I was lucky to find a veritable treasure trove of fics. I wasn't the only one who wanted more of those two, and again, I found myself inspired with an idea that was two lines of dialog and half a scene held together with spit and twine, and since then it's spaghettied into ���yes, you guessed it — three chapters.

Neither of them are anywhere close to being shitty first drafts; they're hand-scratched pages written over consecutive nights where I wrote seven sentences, or maybe seven words or even paragraphs, before nodding off over the notebook. The 00M fic has 2k words transcribed, and that's just the first half of the first chapter, while the rest is mostly vibes and smut, and now there's a fourth chapter, because of course there is. The tedbecca has less than a quarter of that, but it's at least all transcribed now.

Enter Cyberpunk 2.2 and remaking Val and falling in love with this stupid kleptopunk streetrat all over again. Glory shared a "what AO3 tag are you" quiz and I got "only one bed" and said it was ironic since I'd never written one, and she jokingly (???) challenged me to change that. Welp, friends, my brain couldn't stop poking at that and now I have an idea for a new fic featuring fan fave "only one bed" trope, and also a fix-it, another first. Usually I am content to leave canon as is and play within the margins and behind-the-scenes of what we're given, though maybe I will add my own touch to scenes; but I always felt that Driss's death was cheap and easy to avoid. Maybe if we'd been given an actual RPG with real choices, it could have been, but that's a topic for a different rant.

And with the reignited love for Cyberpunk, plus the desire to mark things off my to-do list, I opened the Presidential PWP tonight when I was going through my folders, and my god, it happened — I'd forgotten it! I read a few paragraphs and decided I need to save the reread for another night when I can read it uninterrupted and take fresh notes on it. Probably should recruit a beta, too.

Another very long standing to-do is the Blackwall fic. I started it in maybe 2015, and worked on it off-and-on for a couple of years alongside a ME Shakarian/Shaeed love triangle (don't at me), trading off between them as the hyperfixations switched back and forth. The Blackwall fic is a true oneshot and has been waiting on an ending for for 6+ years now. It's literally 95% done, and I fucking adore it so much, and just need to Write It, and get that draft out the door (and maybe to a beta? idk, we'll see).

So that gets to the last resolution — this is the one that I know I'll fail in that I won't do it daily; I will miss days. But it's an aspirational goal, and I know firsthand how beneficial writing daily is, even if I only get a few words out of it. It still gets the ol' compost bin in my brain going in the background, churning all those ideas and thoughts into more WIPs.

I've also been thinking about the why. Writing is one of my oldest hobbies, following reading and video games. Returning to the Cyberpunk setting runs the risk of me picking up VP and modding again, newer hobbies that offer faster and more immediate feedback from other fans; hobbies that I know will cut into both my desire to write and my free time. By writing out my... writing resolutions, it will be easier to remember my priorities for the year.

Rat asked about our writing accomplishments in 2024. I answered that I wrote four new characters in two new-to-me fandoms, and that I let myself move from projects as did my interest without guilt. Now, it feels freeing to have four fandoms and a dozen stories to choose between when I want to write, but I will say the color-coded notebooks are getting hard to keep track of.

[sayitaliano]

Hello, I’ve been trying to learn Italian for a few years now (it’s been an on and off thing, depending on how frustrated I get lol), I feel like my discipline is not the best, and the fact that I can’t find a native to practice and ask for help is also pretty discouraging. Could you please give me a few tips as to what I can do to learn more in my current situation? Thank you 💕

Ciao!

For as frustrating as it may get (and I know what you mean here as a languages student myself), my main suggestion is to try and keep up a constant pace that allows you to study at least 15 minutes everyday (or a bit more 3-4 times a week, all according on your schedule ofc). I noticed an improvement once I started being more consistent in my practice (even writing just a sentence per day is better than doing a whole paragraph each month -eg. I've been writing a diary everyday, not just about random stuff but inserting different things like descriptions, answering questions, grammar stuff/sentences practice...). And ofc, the moment I decided I wanted to be more consistent, I had to start from basics again (and I'm suggesting you the same).

Set easy goals, plan reviews of what you have studied (even the week before), write in and listen to your target language (and also talk to yourself in it, like eg. describe what's around you or try to tell yourself what you should do; immerse yourself in the culture as much as you can -youtube is so of help with its many vlogs and shows and music...): I understand you want to run fast towards fluency but it's not said you need to reach it in a certain amount of time. Allow yourself to have days in which you see no progress or even think you're taking step backward. It's okay, it's all part of the process (we also have bad days in general, so be kind with yourself). We need for stuff we learn to settle a bit here and there, and therefore not making moves even for a week or two (or more) is normal. Go slow: moving fast is enemy when we want to learn and really assimilate what we learn.

Even if it's annoying to study, grammar is fundamental. And Italian grammar is not easy to learn so again it may take time according on what you are studying (nouns' genders, irregular verbs, articles, pronouns, adjectives.... try to start as easy as you can). If you rather, I'd suggest you buying a book for foreigners (I'm leaving you the resources masterpost, maybe you can find studying books but also other resources for your self studies)

I have collected LOADS of studying tips in the years on this masterpost (lemme add this since i cannot edit that post now) and... actually I know of a native who's trying to practice English (this said you can write a post about needing a "Penpal" and tag me, I'll happily reblog it here: many Italians follow me or you can use some other app). Don't give up on a native's help: being corrected when we make mistakes is so very important. It helps us remember the mistake we made and not do it anymore (or be more aware of it). Or find studying pals! I'm sure other Italian students would like to share and help you. Having others studying with us, may also help when it comes to consistency: we have no excuse but to practice at least every week and then we can practice together too. There's nothing bad in asking for help: if you don't know something, you cannot just try to solve it yourself, as you may not find the solution (or find a incorrect one): that way studying a language can really become frustrating to say the least as you may feel like you're in a hole and you cannot get out of it. Don't make it more difficult for yourself, make it easier. It's plenty of people who'd like to help you out and find themselves in your same position. You're not a bother, js.

All the best!! And ofc here I am if you need help :)

[annawayne]

How does one motivate themselves to write? I've been trying to at least get a word or so in, before completely demotivating and sitting at my screen thinking what to do and wasting that time. Any recommendations of what to do if you've ever had such problems? And of course, have a lovely day!

Hello, anon!

Sorry, it took me a few days to answer, since it was quite hectic for me, but I was also thinking about this situation of yours and how to approach it the best way possible.

First of all, thank you a lot for asking me about it, and that you saw me as someone who, perhaps, could give some advice T^T

And also, for your question, of course, I had such issues or such days, or even months. I guess, all of us who write, from time to time meet this state of not being able to write a single sentence, only staring in our monitors without any single idea what to write. In fact, if I'm being honest, I always have a struggle when I start working on the new chapter. When it's in the process, it's already flowing, so even when the scenes/timeline change, it's all the part of the bigger process, but the beginning of this chapter? It's a huge struggle for me for sure.

Of course, every person is different and this topic is always about personal, however, I gave it a thought and tried to compose the more general points that, I suppose, could be quite a good start of finding the methods which work particularly for you.

I noticed that you mentioned "thinking what to do and wasting the time". You know, I would say something that sounds a bit absurd, but - don't think what to do. We all writers often face the fear of being disappointed in ourselves, especially after getting so excited and inspired by other excellent stories, but when it comes for us to create, all we stare is the blank paper, so terrifying in its emptiness and whiteness. This sterility is pristine and so perfect, so when your thoughts, just like the vibrant hive, also agitated by the waves of sudden inspiration from another story, meet the completely clear paper, it immediately "cools down" the whole motivation, so sudden in its burst, whispering right away all the nitpicking words of "you'll never write something like that". And this is exactly what we need to choke right there - don't let this fear to hold your creativity behind the dam, let it flow! The wild waters don't see the limit, they never think about borders - they just flow in their glory. So let your creativity splash - you don't have to think what to write for now, just start writing everything in your mind, and for now, it'll be the first step into more deliberate writing. We never demand from a child to be a professional runner in their first years of life, don't we? The child learns how to interact with this world - firstly, with crawling, then, with first steps that become more solid pace, then, run, climb, until it becomes something we don't even pay attention to. With writing all the same - when we have this state, everything, just like the world for the child, is immersive, but we don't say to them, "Get up and run!". No, we teach them, support them, hold their hands and we're kind to them. So here, we also need to support ourselves - it's NOT you being a "bad writer", it's just the fear not to "meet" the standards we set ourselves in our head, compared with something we admire; we need to hug ourselves and to be kinder to ourselves. Writing anything is hard. Writing something good is even harder, but the most important is not to forget that your creativity is yours, and every story once was a blank paper before someone took the courage to tell it and to share with others. Behind what we see as a result, there's always a lot of process - from the exciting highs to the painful falls, from genius ideas to being stuck in one paragraph for weeks, from the faucet of ideas to the complete sense of being lost. It's a difficult process, and yet, it's all part of it, so my advice could be summed up into one short idea: don't demand from yourself to fly on the waxed wings. Don't rush it, and take your time to construct the wings, and then, take a step into the skies - otherwise, too close to the sun, would melt the wings and the fall would be painful, like for Icarus.

Please remember that your stories don't have to "correspond" to any story you've read, even if it inspired you - let it cool down a bit. In this excited state, it's easy to start to do something while all your senses burst with emotions, but when the time passes and everything cools down, there's this gap between "high" and "low" phase, that literally just leads you to the abyss of the writing block.

Give yourself time, just write without thinking about anything, and give yourself a break, rather than pushing yourself.

I hope that this answer was more or less helpful T_T

I really didn't want to approach this like "step by step tutorial" because 1) who am I to teach anyone; 2) in my opinion, such topics are better for the "human" conversation rather than a list of advice which sounds more utilitarian

I wish you all the best, anon, and to be able to write the story YOU see and have in mind! Don't give up, and also, be kinder to yourself. Have a good one, and thank you for asking T^T

[monstrousproductions]

Hello, friends. Miro here. I have a Travelling Light question I’ve been wondering about. You’re welcome to use it as an archive entry but I’m not sure it will work for that.

Can Aman and Wolph fly the Tola by themselves? Could Aman fly it by herself if nothing breaks? Or do any of the scholars have responsibilities for some ship operations? Are any of them able to pitch in if things go wrong?

Apologies if this has been addressed earlier and I’m just not remembering. I promise poor memory is not due to lack of enthusiasm for your wonderful show.

Thanks in advance for any answers you give either here or in the show! Also, I am VERY eager for the continuation of this week’s cliff hanger!

That's a really good question! And fear not - my ADHD effects my memory pretty seriously, so I absolutely know that forgetting something is not the same as not caring about it!

As it happens, I haven't ever addressed this "on screen" as it were. But in the recent episode with the rescue mission/exploration of an abandoned ship, I actually deleted a few paragraphs while editing the script that were sort of related to this.

I had a whole (unnecessary!) bit about the crew arguing about who got to go to the spooky abandoned ship - though Tsabec and Hesje were very clear they had no interest in taking part 😅

Both Aman and Wolph are the most experienced in space travel in general, but eventually Aman won her place by arguing that, while Wolph could fly the ship to safety if something happened to her, she wouldn't be able to do Wolph's engineering work if their places were reversed and something happened to the ship's engine.

I imagine that the actual flying is generally dealt with at Aman's end, but that Wolph is very much On Shift when they're in flight, especially if they're flying in atmosphere or are taking off or landing. I think Aman could probably manage alone, and that Wolph can fly in the same way country kids can drive - he's grown up on space ships and knows his way around the controls, but nobody's giving him a license any time soon.

As for the scholars, I think they're a separate operation. In Episode 19, when Duytren and the Traveller are going to the medical centre, she tells them that the university hired Aman and Wolph to work on the Tola. I think of it as Hesje being in charge of the scholars and their goals for the journey, and liaising with Aman who is in charge of how the actual boat actually gets from A to B.

I don't think the scholars have anything to do with the day to day running of the ship - in my experience, academics aren't usually much use in that sort of practical situation!

I just realised I started almost every sentence in this post with "I think" or "I imagine" - I'm a very firm believer in the idea that, if it isn't in the script, it's all up for debate! By all means, reject any of this you don't like in favour of your own headcanons!

[eva-knits12]

Everyone needs a break.

Please stop asking the mods @captregina, @rogersstorm2005, @acircleofstars, and @mid-westmonster the same questions about this fake wedding. They're exhausted on so many levels because of it.

They have told you time and time again that this is PR, and this will be over in it's own time. They have said this from Day One, and their stance is not going to change, no matter how much you try to convince them otherwise.

I personally have had to unfollow and block some Team Real blogs in here, and I know very little about PR. Even I know that something isn't right here.

Why would have a wedding article, a wedding exclusive that is being covered by 500 gossip sites, every magazine known to man, and keep changing the dates, locations, times, adding a guest list, then have a second wedding in Portugal in a short amount time? You can't have a second wedding in a short amount of time in another country without immigration taking notice and being pissed off about it, as it's been explained to you so many times now. I'm no immigration expert, but I'm starting to feel like one. The paperwork would have to be filed well in advance for that, and you would be going through everything with a caseworker, as it's been explained.

You also wouldn't have an article about the wedding and a separate article about the nazi porn troll being the one for Chris. No, you would put that into the article about the wedding in the form of a short paragraph. You would also sell the rights to your wedding to only one magazine, and that would be it. You don't have 500 articles that are being copied and pasted, added too, and twisting words to fit a narrative based on what DM says and based on what a few colorful tumblr blogs say. No.

The tents were for a kids birthday party. If there was a wedding, everyone in Concord, Cape Cod, Carlisle and Boston would have seen something even remotely close to it, but they never seen anything. I lived in a small town for four years, and people will talk.

The nazi porn troll was busy doing her own thing in Portugal.

His family and the Marvel cast would be there. Instead, his family was running errands and spending some time together, Chris was spending time doing his own thing and setting up for his niece's birthday party. Emily Blunt and John Krasinski were at the U.S. Open with their daughters. The Seb was in NYC at a baby shower, Mackie was doing his own thing, Chris Hemsworth was promoting his line of fitness products, ScarJo was promoting her makeup line, Jeremey was promoting his vodka brand at a bar that Chris's friends own. Not everything in Boston revolves around Chris. Not everyone revolves around Chris. Not everything in Hollywood revolves around Chris.

You also wouldn't have his team remove the sentence claiming that the nazi porn troll is his wife from Wiki, or anything related to her, once on Monday. That was their way of saying that this situation is BS. Once this whole thing stops snowballing, they will go and lock everything and remove everything.

I don't know how else they could have explained that this wedding never happened, it's fake. There are so many things that make everything inconsistent here. The math ain't mathing.

Thank you for coming to my TED talk.

[the-labyrinth-of-me]

I don't know if this has been discussed bc I'm kinda late to the party, but as I'm on my second playthrough now, this time with original English language, I just kinda got my theory confirmed when I played the Poet's Cinema section with Alan, and he meets the man in the suit who's tied to the chair, unmistakably Sam Lake (which I didn't realize on my first run as I didn't know how his voice sounds like back then).

Long story short: in order to get out of the dark place, Alan has to kill Sam Lake.

More under the cut - -

Alex Casey dies multiple times, in Alan's books, in Alan's drafts of Initiation, you name it. Aleksi Kesä dies in Yötön Yö, who's originally played by Max Payne/Alex Casey and in the end, again, Sam Lake. And the Alan Wake/Veikko Alen character "returns", which means that, in the end, Alan has to kill Sam Lake. Alan has to realize he's a fictional character, to break the loops and ascend upwards on the spiral. And that Sam made up that whole nightmare world. The dream logic - it's in Sam's mind. Everything. Alan dies at the end of each draft as a symbol of all drafts Sam canceled. All the years of writing Alan Wake 2, it's the creative process. To the writers out there - how many times have you deleted a word, a sentence, a paragraph, maybe a whole script? A whole document? Because you thought what you wrote wasn't good enough? Alan is the fictional manifestation of the creative process. But he can become real and escape that world. He just needs the Clicker. He ends up escaping the Dark Place, and finds himself in the Remedy Entertainment studios. He meets Sam. Maybe somehow even Ilkka. He has learned that Sam/Casey always dies and that he's the killer. He murders Sam, the Cult leader, the Grandmaster, Scratch, who has written Return, who's worshipped by the Cult of the Word, whose books they treat as their Bible, whose fictional murders they followed. (Edit: The creation killing its master, not the other way around. Which would be surreal in itself. But it's also kind of justified. Because, due to the great immersion, Alan kind of feels real. All the realistic sounds they recorded specifically for this game, the almost photorealism of his looks, a carbon copy of his physical actor Ilkka Villi, and you can even hear Alan breathe, pant, gasp. He's a well-rounded character, complex, flawed, human, he's married, he longs to be together with Alice again. He made many mistakes during his life, during Alan Wake 2, but he's not mean-spirited, he's a good guy underneath who happens to get in his own way and make things complicated for himself. But all of the above and the fact that he suffered for so long - he deserves to be free from the Dark Place, doesn't he? He's almost real, why not make him real?)

Alan meets Sam, who already knows about this since he wrote Alan Wake 3, of course (or didn't he? Did Alan manage to change the story and surprise Sam?) It gets very meta from here. Alan kills Sam, flicks the light switch and he's free. But it's still part of the story. Sam, of course, is still alive. And Alan dies when Sam decides to not continue Alan's story. Everyone dies then. Zane, Alice, Tim, Saga, the Old Gods of Asgard, each and every character. Doesn't Tim even say he has the feeling he's lost in a dream or abducted by aliens or something?

Maybe it's the weirdest shit you've read but for me it clicks into place. This whole dream logic thing and loops the main character goes through until the story is just right, until the author writes the final draft and the hero achieves his goal. The countless times the main character has to start over because the writer makes him do it. And it's not Alan who sits in the Writer's Room, in the end.

Yeah I might delete this later but I had to sort my thoughts. Had the "Alan kills Sam" theory for a while but needed that final cherry on top to settle it, and that scene with Sam, the deer mask on his face, being acknowledged as the Leader, that settled it for me. (note to self: always play remedy games in English original dub)

If you've reached the end, thanks for reading!

[guilty-gear-hot-take-hellhole]

tw: extension of the zato hateability discussion, using too many words to say something that could have been summarized in a single paragraph probably, extremely worrying implications that i've purposely left unsaid

invite to discussion. sort of

alright i'm still stumped on sources atm so I'm gonna real quick take the premise of 'millia was literally a baby when she joined' and run with it. i don't know much about babies aside from the fact that i have seen babies before so i know they're real

starting off point, two conflicting google sources claim that 1) an infant is at most 1 year old, or 2) and infant is at most 3 years old so i'm going with that second one

2173 is the year Venom and Millia are taken in by the guild to be assassins. kids health dot org says "By age 3, a toddler's vocabulary usually is more than 200 words. Kids can string together 2- or 3-word sentences. They can talk with you in a conversation that has at least 2 back-and-forth exchanges." so I'm going to assume that Venom is older than Millia in this because his whole thing is about holding a moral stance on death and murder and idk how to google the age range for that,,

(unrelated, but I'm left with the distinct mental image of Zato handing a baby a knife. so there's that)

2175 is the year Millia activates Angra. She would be 5 years old. according to cdc dot gov, cognitive milestones include: 'should be able to count to ten', 'write some letters in [her] name', and 'pay attention for 5 to 10 minutes'.

2177 Dizzy is born. Doesn't matter to Millia, but it gives me a weird idea for a theory

2178 "A high-risk mission goes bad after Millia Rage's defection, and Zato is captured by the authorities." (wiki timeline direct quote) This mission takes place after the events of the Night of Knives drama CD. Millia would be 8 years old. (cdc milestone is unfortunately listed as 'having independance from family'. she was a little early on that one)

2180 Missing Link tournament. 10 years old. Millia, not May. Maybe May. Also, if May is 22 in xrd like the english voiceline suggests, then she'd be 15 here.

2187 is the 'present day' of guilty gear, containing the events of Xrd to Strive. Millia would be 17 years old. Maybe 18 depending on her hypothetical birthday but we're really cutting it close. At least we can confirm she is old enough to hold a government job(?)

In conclusion: I don't know if i buy it, personally. Also I wanna keep imagining Millia as a 30-something for the sake of my sanity. But! I do have this cool new theory about Millia secretly being a lab-made gear like Testament, if we ignore the part of her story where she allows a gear-hating parasite to attach itself to her head

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