#was Very exciting to see your. basically essays in my inbox though this is the best way to experience this stuff imo asdkfjdk
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burningembers91 · 3 months ago
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Taking Another Break
Hi everyone,
So, I took a break from writing a few weeks ago as I was feeling really burnt out. I thought I was feeling better, but I'm really not. I've tried to keep writing because I feel really guilty about not putting out content for my followers. I also panic when I look at my inbox and see how many requests I've got because I really don't have the mental capacity to keep writing at the minute. Basically, I'm really struggling at the minute.
I know I don't owe anyone an explanation, but I'm so bad at vocalising my feelings, and writing them down really helps.
I'm absolutely fine, and I know that this will pass, but life is HEAVY at the minute.
I'm spending about 70 hours of my week either working or studying for my degree. I feel terrified that I'm going to be 31 in August and I've only just figured out what I want to do with my life (I want to be a historian specialising in the 19th Century). I've had two miscarriages in the last 2 years, and now two of the women in mine and my husband's friend group have become pregnant and I've been really struggling with my sadness and anger. I'm obviously happy for them but it's a stark reminder of what I don't have. I absolutely love my life, but the reality is is that baby loss is so difficult and it's something you never really get over.
I've also spent the last several years watching someone close to me go through a very volatile relationship. I have been incredibly supportive and tried to help, but it's reached a point where she has shut me out and family members out because she cannot see how bad things have gotten. I'm finding it really hard and spend a lot of time worrying.
I don't want to stop writing because it's my escape, but at the moment every time i sit down to write it's like my head is filled with cement. I have an 1,800 word essay due tomorrow and I've only written 350 words because my mind physically goes blank whenever I sit down to try and type it.
I also haven't written my Cho Hyun-Ju fic or Baek Kang-Hyuk fic that was scheduled for this week, and so those won't be releasing tomorrow or Friday. I had some really exciting stuff planned but at the moment, all I want to do is sit on the sofa in my pyjamas, cry, eat chocolate and hug my dog. I feel like the quality of my writing is slipping at the moment and I want to ensure that I do my fics justice and right now, I can't do that.
I'm not sure how long I'll be gone for, maybe a few weeks, but I will definitely be coming back. Since joining Tumblr in January I've found this lovely little community of people who are so friendly and nice. I've got a few people who regularly comment and send me TV and movie recs, and I absolutely love it. I'll still be on Tumblr because the Squid Game memes are currently keeping me sane. So, if you have any good recommendations for TV shows, movies, or you see something hilarious, please send them my way.
I feel like as an adult, making friends is so hard and I'm embarrassed to say that other than my husband and dog, I literally don't speak to anyone else. I'm trying to make a conscious effort to go out and make new friends, but making friends as an adult is HARD and i feel like no one talks about how lonely your 20's and 30's can feel. Tumblr has made me feel so surrounded by people even though i talk to you all through a screen.
Sorry for blabbing on so much, but your girl ain't living, laughing or loving right now haha.
I know everything will get better and I know I'll probably be desperate to write some fics again in about 3 days, but I'm going to take some time out, spend some time with my dog and husband and get my head back on straight.
Thank to you everyone who reads my work, and I shall see you all very soon.
Lots of love xxxx
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un-pearable · 3 years ago
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i moped i whined i dragged my feet i read at least six hundred thousand words of ninjago fanfiction in the span of like 4 days probably but i did it. i finished season 8. it was... ok honestly it wasnt that bad i knew i was being dramatic about it at the time but it wasnt that bad. part of that was because i already knew what i was getting into via getting spoiled by fic but im glad for it because otherwise i dont think i wouldve made it through. SO. some thoughts.
as you are already fully aware, i was not……. particularly enthused by the changes made in season eight. in fact you could even say i was particularly unenthused by the changes made in season eight. but disregarding my personal war against the authors re: lloyd & garmadon, one of the things i noticed was definitely the massive tonal shift that i honestly... think couldve been handled better. im not opposed to the idea of a tonal shift - 9/10 i am always okay with something getting more serious and genuine. but like, here... they kind of killed half the heart of the series for me. i feel like they tried to lean so hard into the ninja stuff that it kind of feels like somebody wanted a gritty reboot of ninjago without actually being gritty and without actually rebooting it, if that makes sense.
like half the scenes in the first few episodes take place exclusively at night, there's a huge ramp-up in them doing actual ninja things, and lloyd is now Mature and Serious and The Leader (<- things regarding lloyd that i am bitter about, number 385734356091573: the fact that they made half an attempt last season to kickstart a character arc for lloyd abt him growing into the position of leader and what that means for 1) him 2) his relationships and 3) his future and then they completely bypassed that entire thing via timeskip because the writers are lazy hacks and also lopped off half his personality along the way so now he feels like an entirely different character and also completely devoid of personality at the same time).
my qualms with lloyd aside. ninjago is, inherently, an incredibly goofy series. the premise is literally a bunch of lego dudes whose epic power is spinning like tops, and who are allegedly ninja despite the fact that they Really Suck At Being Ninja. i feel like for this season, somebody was like "okay guys we need to make ninjago not for BABIES anymore and also make new character designs so we can sell more lego sets so we're gonna make it MATURE and DARK and [something something]" and as a result it lost half its personality. most of it, even. they barely even did spinjitsu. do you know how disappointed i was by this? no. no you cannot even fathom how disappointed i was in the writers. and its. okay for lack of a better comparison bear with me here while i talk about one piece for two seconds
one piece is also, inherently, an incredibly goofy series. the premise is a kid eats a weird fruit and gets rubber hose powers and wants to become the king of the pirates. the stupidity is consistently present throughout the series and if you take out the dumb humor you've got a completely different series (both in regards to themes and also, again, the literal premise). but on the other hand, it also deals with some kind of brutal stuff (oppression, totalitarian governments, censorship, genocide, prejudice, slavery, more genocide, trauma, abuse, etc.) in a competent and mature way that doesn't feel cheap or fake-deep. both the stupidity and the seriousness are integral to its identity. these two things are not mutually exclusive.
though granted id like to say that the stupidity and the seriousness are all part of the very basis of the themes of one piece, but ninjago also just. doesnt really have themes. frankly. im not sure the writers have anything they want to actually say outside of "wow ! ninja cool !", but thats a complaint for a different time. but also still sort of relevant here because the reason these two seemingly opposed things work so well in one piece is because they're baked into the premise and main themes of the story, and... well. not so much with ninjago. it also probably doesnt help that ninjago was originally set to go for like two seasons max, but still.
EITHER WAY my digression on that aside, its very very possible to have both of these things co-exist in a series without one cheapening the other, but, unfortunately for me, the ninjago writers either a) cant do that or b) dont want to do that. and whoever was part of making the decision to marvel-ize ninjago: i hate them. personally. like i guess it worked out for everybody else given that the show is still going but im very annoyed about this. maybe it gets better in the later seasons but honestly im not counting on it. head in hands.
also speaking of marvel-izing ninjago i feel like this season they tried to work in some bad meta jokes and it was mostly rather embarrassing and i hope they do not do it again. its the typical "did he just-" "yes he did" / "i did not think that through" / "that didn't go as planned" / etc. schlock. i dont like that.
now, onto other things, aka namely: the harumi problem.
so harumi. her backstory is that at some point when she was younger (unclear because she has the baby lego model but it cant have been THAT long ago but she also acts and looks like a normal adult so as always the ninjago timeline eludes me, but thats irrelevant. mostly. well it depends on how you look at it but we'll get to that later) she thought the ninja were super duper epic and then when the great devourer showed up and wrecked the city her parents died because the ninja didnt stop it soon enough (or, more accurately, lord garmadon, but she doesnt blame him for some reason). anwyays so after that the royal emperor and empress decide to adopt her and she becomes the princess despite not asking for and not wanting this position or the responsibilities that come with it and being terribly traumatized and generally all around miserable. which sucks, for sure.
but for some baffling reason, she decides that the person whose fault this all is is... lloyd. like she says the ninja in general, but lloyd is the only one she ever seems to target. which is really strange, frankly, because lloyd's first appearance in public as the green ninja is either the great devourer, or like a few days before it, so why she'd single out him for this problem despite him clearly being new to the whole thing is beyond me. because its not like she blames him for opening up the tombs or something which is... well okay frankly half of this is misako's fault by virtue of being the deadbeat mom ever, but you already know my extensive opinions on misako's incredibly bad parenting.
either way, maybe she sees him later as the leader and retroactively decides to place all the blame on him as the ninja grow in fame and infamy, but the show never really tells us that - assuming that her bitterness towards the ninja grows as everybody praises them and calls them world saviors and so on and so forth is extrapolation, and usually in a more competently written series i'd be able to somewhat confidently assume that this is what the writers intended, but also this is ninjago and i have no such faith.
so harumi's whole thing is that she lost everything and blames it on lloyd, for some reason, instead of like. pythor or something. unfortunately this is kind of cheapened by two things. 1) she literally becomes princess of ninjago. like it'd be one thing if she was on the streets after that it'd be a little more understandable, and 2) she's... acting like she went through so much more than lloyd. unfortunately for harumi, she's trying to compete in the parental issues olympics with lloyd garmadon, winner of the "most parental issues in ninjago" award every year since 2011. so when she's waxing poetic about how much her life has sucked and how sad she is about her mommy and daddy or whatever, the audience is kind of just sitting there like... girl. lloyd has gone through so so so much infinite crap his life has sucked since pretty much day one he probably has enough mommy & daddy issues for the whole team, frankly.
pitting pretty much anybody against lloyd in a battle for trauma is not going to end well for your villain if youre trying to make them sympathetic. honestly. and like its not even that the concept of her backstory is bad, its just that her anger is completely misdirected and pointed in probably the worst possible direction as far as drumming up sympathy goes. because the ninjago writers remain ever incompetent. it also really doesnt help that shes like "omg people died because of you guys!!! you havent saved anybody youre just little kids pretending to play hero" despite the fact that ninjago absolutely 100000% wouldve died twenty times already if they had just sat back and done nothing. my dear friend goose had some very good thoughts so im just going to copy paste what she said here
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so. harumi. couldve been done better, had some interesting concepts, but the incompetency of the ninjago writers strikes yet again. also rip lloyd, getting horrifically traumatized yet again. cant wait for lloyd getting his heart ripped out and stomped on and having his trust completely 10000% betrayed and the world getting almost destroyed by somebody who he thought was an incredibly close ally to never get brought back up again after harumi gets kicked out of the picture
also im very very very so glad harumi was evil because i had some incredibly . choice words about how bland and uninteresting she was at the beginning of the season. so thank you harumi for becoming interesting, even if your writing is kind of mediocre and mostly rather confusing 🙏
other than that im very sad that theyre brutalizing garmadon like this but at least i came prepared for what i was going to see via spoilers from fic. im also very sat that they're brutalizing lloyd like this but i was also prepared for what i was going to see via spoilers from fic. ninjago writers give them a break challenge.
some other misc. thoughts / live reactions (you can really tell that the first three were from when i started the season like last week from the amount of bitterness leaking out from the text 😭😭😭)
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ah hell yes the return...
completely completely understand. breaking immersion with spoilers is sometimes. necessary. especially given how much of a shift the attitude is here... the desire to recreate the series is an understandable one but leaning so hard on the tropes that this show has had a loose relationship with at best, at the expense of the existing character dynamics.... ugh. the irony in them trying to age up the series with it's audience only backfiring and alienating the very kids who related to lloyd the most is great. the loss of spinjitzu is completely unforgivable though its integral to the ecosystem. keystone species but for a doofy fake martial arts show. we're loosing biodiversity here people. bad metaphors aside, YEAH. the seriousness works because the rest of the show is lighthearted, not in spite of it. your one piece comparison is perfect.
despite my "lloyd is a comic protag" post blowing up it completely didn't cross to mind to think about marvel there and you 100% have a point. s8 and on ninjago was DEFINITELY influenced by the boom in popularity of the mcu. considering this is when they brought on schut to help write and then he completely took over for s9 and on,, i don't know nearly enough about the guy and his work to make a judgement about that but it would be very interesting to look into
harumi..... harumi is very much the kind of theoretically interesting kids media villain where i can understand why their concept works for a lot of people and can be interesting to see, but is so overdone that i just. i can't care. i literally could not give a shit about harumi. no matter how well her arc is executed she's such a predictable brand of villain that fandom always looses their shit over and i get why but it just doesnt work for me. she also falls into the category of "villain who assumes they know everything about the hero and that they suffered more" which. can also be interesting when its about how the characters are perceived by the public, but when its treated seriously by the narrative? incredibly frustrating. i have pages and pages of talking about this back when i was reading archie for the first time so not to derail into sonic again but the appeal of scourge and sonic's dynamic to me is that while they both suffered, they responded COMPLETELY differently. the idea that scourge deserves to be heard out bc he experienced such a hard and tragic life is completely negated by the fact that sonic's life in the comics is a unending deluge of traumatic bullshit - and scourge knows this. scourge doesn't get why sonic didn't respond the way he did. that's like the ONLY way this kind of dynamic is interesting to me - the narrative validating that harumi was right actually and her life sucked more and thus her point is valid and makes sense and we don't need to look any further is. frustrating. "the villain points out the heroes aren't actually helping/good people" is the furtherest thing from an interesting plot to me, especially when its clearly such a cop out. your friend has an extremely good point, the need for the villain to be focused specifically on the ninja destroys any actual nuance her motivation had, if she was more generally focused on the systemic problems ninjago so adamantly refuses to face it would be an infinitely more interesting story. but also this is a kids show and that's far too bold for a series that just introduced a monarchy for shits and giggles.
okay aside from. all that. asdfjdk thank you for the olympics line. yeah. yeah. dear god this poor kid will continue to never get a break. the lack of capitalizing on the oni stuff... do these people not understand their fanbase. we are still drawing fanart of snake jay. we will go crazy over literally any non-human traits imaginable. curse you for reminding me of voltron in 2022 but asdkfjsdkdf. cole dad....
between the heartbeat, decoded letting the ninja download themselves into his brain, and just. everything about the most recent few zane oriented arcs. fascinated the implications for zane's physiology. do you think he could keep the others around in his head like he used to have pixal.
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sylvermidnight · 2 years ago
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(this is the same anon you last responded to)
that makes sense and i apologize for assuming what you have and haven't privately responded to based on your public posts. it's always annoying when people expect everything to be handled publicly for their own satisfaction, and i seem to have done exactly that.
i think a lot of the reaction you're getting on this is because it often feels like the reverse psa is necessary, i.e. the ongoing work of an artist should not be demonized based on scraps of characterization from a decade ago. for people who feel strongly about this, it's been a really positive couple of days in terms of the mechs fans supporting carmilla in poll brackets. in that context, i think people found it disheartening to see this progress met with what was read as pushback in the opposite direction.
ultimately, you're right: you don't have to like dr carmilla as a character. unfortunately there have been racist and transmisogynistic underpinnings to carmilla-hate in the past, and people may be lashing out not at you but at what you seem to represent. without this context, i think few people would disagree that it's fine to dislike her.
the attempts to correct her narrative probably do come across as being told "if you don't like carmilla then you just don't understand her well enough", and so i am sorry you're being swept up in an adjacent ongoing conversation.
this is longer than i meant it to be, sorry for leaving a whole-ass essay in your inbox. but i hope to extend some explanation and goodwill.
I agree with all of this! Long or not it basically sums up well how I felt and have continued to feel throughout this process. The post was…Probably not well timed or as fluently stated as I would like. More or less? I encourage the unification of the fandom. Letting people enjoy things how they will with neither side ruffling each other needlessly. No need to force any one narrative on a character that is altogether very fluid in nature at the moment. I am VERY excited to see what Maki comes out with next though admittedly I haven’t been following too closely for updates. And I’m glad they’re getting the support they deserve. I think we’re headed in a good direction if that makes sense? I feel when there’s more lore easy to access it’ll be easier to balance things out without simply saying other beloved characters are lying, and it’s possible this will improve my own opinion about the Doc which would be great. I love nuanced characters.
I don’t condone any sort of hate towards anyone especially for bigoted reasons. I understand why people are quick to jump to assume that and honestly had I been feeling better last night I would have just blocked and moved on like I ought to have. It’s a far touchier subject than I expected it to be but I’m not so spiteful as to not understand why. Was never trying to put a damper on the fun just a preventative for any fighting that could come of it as I had had some recent unpleasant experiences.
Go forth and crush the polls and have fun guys really. I do love to see it it makes me giggle even if I haven’t been the biggest fan up to this point.
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soulrph · 3 years ago
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I know this seems petty, but what do you do when someone is mutuals with you, does not talk ooc for whatever their reason may be, says memes are the best way to interact and you send in several, and just never get any interaction? it’s disheartening seeing everyone else get replies and everything I try is ignored. should I try to approach and see why or just unfollow?
hi my darling! i’m gonna try something new here, because honestly there’s only so many times i can try and apply my own experiences and limited understanding to these dilemmas. furthermore, it doesn’t seem to help anyone, does it? so i’m gonna offer some new perspective on this, and hopefully it’ll help you, and if anyone wants to offer further help or advice in the comments ( NOT via anon in my inbox!!! ) i heartily encourage that!
so it basically boils down to this: are you happy and comfortable with them on your dash?
because that’s all anything really is on this site. we can dress it up with etiquette and fancy notions and pretend we have to make it more complicated, but we don’t have to. this is a hobby. we’re complicated human beings and individuals. and if someone feels unhappy with their dash, it’s their right and responsibility to themselves to adjust that dash!
so rather than offer insight into the other person, i’ll suggest that you consider your dash for a moment, and figure out if it’s the way you want it to be. this person might have stuff going on, but let’s not examine that. i would suggest that if you’re going to unfollow them or soft block them, maybe don’t hang on to these feelings. later on, things might be different, they might be a different person, and if ye become mutuals again, the last thing you want is to have these residual feelings of exasperation and frustration!
do what makes you happy. but don’t let any of this linger or hang on to you. you don’t deserve to be upset or unhappy or uncomfortable, definitely not when you’re doing something you’re meant to enjoy! if you feel like it might be better to have a discussion, that’s entirely up to you! make sure it’s not accusatory, or aggressive; you’re just two friends trying to resolve a little issue. but if you would prefer to avoid that, that’s alright too! it can be very very very easy for people to hyperfocus, or get distracted, and it’s insanely rare that the issue is ever a personal one. please know this! you’re a wonderful person who clearly cares enough to pop into my inbox and ask for advice! 
anyway. that last paragraph was meant to be the conclusion. and the one before it. actually, it was meant to be the second one but i’m still in college essay mode--
TO CONCLUDE!!!! tumblr is a hobby. if you don’t enjoy the way your dash is, absolutely take action. don’t hang on to these feelings though. once you have this discussion or unfollow or softblock, let it all go. you are a good person who doesn’t deserve the emotional burdens that come with this hellsite. just know that it’s extremely UNFATHOMABLY rare that this situation is personal; sometimes people get excited or distracted or focused, it happens to us all, my fine self included. basically, people are confusing. hopelessly baffling. i don’t know why. i wish to god i did. anyway, i hope this helped! have a lovely week my angel!
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redditnosleep · 7 years ago
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Has Anyone Heard of The Left/Right Game?
by NeonTempo
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 (Final)
A few points before we start.
Firstly, I am not the protagonist of this story. I just went to university with her, and though she went on to become a professional writer, I most certainly did not. She'll be taking over from me further down but, until then, please forgive my slightly awkward delivery while I give you guys the necessary context.
Secondly, I don't know what you will make of the following events, and I'm sure many of you might consider it all some sort of hoax. I wasn't present for any of what transpired in Phoenix, Arizona but I can vouch for the person who wrote the following logs. She is not, and has never been, a fantasist.
Ok so I once knew a girl called Alice Sharma. She was an undergrad at Edinburgh Uni the same time I was. My educational poison was History, a degree which has greatly benefited my career as a bicycle repairman. Alice Sharma studied journalism, though perhaps "studied" isn't the word. It's not an exaggeration to say that she lived and breathed the subject. Editor-in-chief of the campus paper, recognisable voice of student radio. She was frustratingly tunnel visioned, and she was a journalist in her own right before anyone gave her a professional shot.
We met in student halls and became friends almost immediately. A meandering waster trying to stay off his parent's farm and an intrepid, ambitious reporter may not seem the most obvious pairing, but I learned not to question it. She was inspiring, and smart and she proofread all my essays. I’m not too sure what she saw in me.
We were eventually flatmates down in London where she chased her dream and I chased my tail. She got a few jobs here and there, but nothing befitting of her skills. After months of fruitless internships and rejections, Alice called a flat meeting, telling us that she was moving to America, accepting a position chasing stories for National Public Radio. The job had come out of the blue, the result of a hail mary application she thought had been dismissed out of hand. We threw her a bittersweet going away party and put the room up for rent.
That party was the last time I saw Alice Sharma. She dropped out of contact a few months after her departure. Complete radio silence. I assumed she was just busy so I carried on with my small but happy life, and waited for her to pop up on television with some important words below her name; Chief Correspondent, Senior Analyst… something like that.
The radio silence was broken last week, and, for reasons you’ll glean further down, I’m less happy about it than I would’ve thought.
Arriving home from work I found a lone email in my otherwise bare inbox. An email that would later be described as "suspicious" by my tech literate friends. Despite being born in the early 1990's I didn't own a computer until uni, and I've missed several important lessons in the world of cyberspace. Lessons like "Don't call it Cyberspace" of course and more importantly, "Don't open emails with no text, no subject and no sender's address."
I realise most of you would have deleted this anonymous, blank email immediately, my friends certainly would have, but beyond my basic ignorance about online safety, something further compelled me to open it. The only thing of substance in the entire message was a zipped folder, labeled:
Left.Right.AS
I don't have to explain what I was hoping those final initials stood for.
Opening the zipped folder I found myself staring at a stack of text files. Each one titled with a date, continuing sequentially from the very earliest file "07-02-2017". (To any Americans in the room this is the 7th of February).
I’ve since read the files a few times, and shown them to some friends. They don't know what to make of it either, but they certainly aren't as concerned as me. They think Alice is just in a creative writing phase and, if I didn't know her, I’d have to agree. But the thing is, I do know her. Alice Sharma only cares about the truth and if that's the case with these files, insane as it may sound, then it’s very possible my friend has documented her own disappearance.
The people who suggested this forum said you discuss strange occurrences etc. If you guys have come across anything to do with the below, or know any of the people involved, then please send any information my way.
Has anyone here heard of the Left/Right Game?
The Left/Right Game [DRAFT 1] 07/02/2017
They say great stories happen to those who can tell them. Robert J. Guthard is an exception to that rule. As I sit at his table, sip his coffee and listen to him recount the past 65 years it sounds like he's reading off a shopping list. Every event, his first job, his second wedding, his third divorce, none of them receive more than one or two sentences. Rob plows through the years, the curt, dispassionate curator of his own personal history. Yet the story itself is so fascinating, so rich with moments and so wildly meandering that it somehow stands on its own merits.
It's a great story, no matter how you tell it.
By the time Rob was 21, he'd gotten married, had a son, worked as a farmer, a mover, a boat engineer, and grown estranged from his spouse... Here's him talking about that.
ROB: Course my wife started to get dissatisfied, I was away a while.
AS: For work?
ROB:Vietnam.
AS: You were in Vietnam? How was that for you?
ROB: I ain't never been back since.
That was everything he had to say concerning his first divorce, and the entire Vietnam war.
Rob had four marriages after that, and even more professions. After the war he worked with a firm of private detectives, got shot at once by the mob, then he became a courier, which is how a poor boy from Alabama got to see the world.
ROB: I been to most of the continents with that job. I been to India. You from India?
AS: My mum and dad are from India yeah.
ROB: See I could tell.
He'd been arrested once in Singapore, after one of his packages had been found to be full of white powder. He spent three days locked up before someone got around to checking the substance. It was chalk.
A friend he made during his brief custody, Hiroji Sato, invited Rob to stay with him in Japan. Just getting over the breakup of his third marriage, Rob took the offer. He stayed in Japan for another 5 years.
ROB: The Japanese are good people. Good manners. But they got all these urban legends and ghost stories that Hiroji was crazy for, spent all his free time chasing them down. Like, you heard of Jorogumo?
AS: I don't think so"
ROB: Well she's this spider lady lives in the Joro Falls round Izu. Meant to be real pretty but real dangerous. Hiroji took us out there to get a picture of her.
AS: Did you ever meet Jorogumo?
ROB Nah she didn't show. None of them did. I didn't believe at all until we went to Aokigahara
Aokigahara, affectionately titled the Suicide Forest. The next stop on Rob's adventure. It's an area of woodland at the base of Mount Fuji, a notorious hotspot for young people looking to take their own lives. Hiroji, Rob's ghost obsessed jailmate turned best friend, took him to Aokigahara to chase "yurei" the ghosts of the forest.
AS: Did you find anything? In Aokigahara?
ROB: Well I ain't gonna ask you to believe me. But I was a PI. Professional cynic. Even I can't deny there was a spirit in those woods.
From that moment on, Rob's sentences start getting longer. A childlike excitement creeps into his voice. I get the distinct feeling we're moving beyond background, beyond Rob Guthard's old life, and towards his new one. The one he wants to talk about. The one that led him to contact the show.
ROB: It walked up to me through the trees. Looked like static you see on a TV screen but it had a human shape almost.
AS: Almost?
ROB: It was missing an arm. It reached out to me but I bolted outta that forest so fast. Hiroji never saw it, holds it against me to this day.
Hiroji had good reason to be annoyed. Rob says that Mr Sato had been going to the forest 2-3 times per year for three decades. To have a rookie come along and claim to have seen a yurei on his first trip? I'd be more than a little cranky.
But Rob didn't stay a rookie for long. In fact, it was in those woods that he discovered his current passion. The supernatural, or more accurately, the documentation and investigation of urban legends. Legends like Bloody Mary, the Jersey Devil, Sasquatch. Rob has looked into them all.
ROB: I figured if one was true then who knows how many others could be.
AS: How many have you proven so far?
ROB: Since Aokigahara? Ain't none of em had any proof to em. Except for one. That's why I called you guys up.
At this point, Rob can’t hope to repress his smile.
The Left/Right game appeared on a paranormal message board in June 2016. Only a few people frequently visited the forum and, of these regulars, only Rob took an interest in the post.
ROB: The whole thing had a level of detail you don't see in other stories.
AS: What details grabbed your interest?
ROB: Logs. High quality pictures. The guy documented everything, said he wasn't gonna play the game anymore. I think he wanted somebody to keep investigating.
AS: And you were that somebody.
ROB: That's right. I set about trying to verify his information right away.
AS: And how did it go?
ROB: Well... It didn't take long to realise the Left/Right Game is the real thing.
The rules of the Left/Right game are simple. Get in your car and take a drive. Take a left, then the next possible road on the right, then the next possible left. Repeat the process ad infinitum, until you wind up somewhere... new. The rules are easy to understand, but Rob says their not so easy to follow.
ROB: There ain't all that many roads where you can turn left and right and left and right and keep going. Most of the time you find yourself at a dead end or needing to turn in the wrong direction. Phoenix is built on a grid system so you can keep going left and right as long as you need to.
AS: Did you move to Phoenix for the Left/Right game?
ROB: That's right.
I try not to seem incredulous. Selling your house in another state, packing up and moving your whole life to Phoenix, Arizona just to play a game you saw on the internet? It seems like insanity. Rob smiles as he reads my expression. I can clearly read his expression too. "You'll see." It says. "Just wait."
I wouldn't have to wait long. Included within the 9 page submission Rob sent our show, was a long list of suggested items the chosen reporter should bring with them. Clothes for three days, a pocket knife, matches, bandages. There were also a set of qualifications the reporter should have. The ability to drive, basic vehicle maintenance and its human equivalent... first aid training. He didn't just want to talk about the Left/Right Game. He wanted to take one of us along.
Rob leaves a short while later to embark on a few errands, "Prepping the Run", as he calls it. He shows me to the guest room and we part ways, on good terms but very much aware of the other's poorly veiled opinions. He knew I saw him as a charming obsessive, chasing after a fairy tale. He saw me as a naive cynic, on the cusp of a new world. All I could think as I heard the front door close is that by tomorrow afternoon, one of us would be right.
More after this.
When I wake up the next morning, Rob is in my room, holding a tray which he'd knocked on the bottom of to rouse me. I don't manage to record the start of our conversation.
ROB: - I got bananas, strawberries, chocolate syrup. We got some more downstairs but I wanted you to wake up to something good. We won't be eatin' this stuff on the road."
Rob has made me waffles. He sets them down on the night stand and talks through the coming day as I eat. I'll admit it feels a little uncomfortable, waking up in a stranger's home to find said stranger already standing over me, but I quickly move past it. I tell myself that he’s an older man, accustomed to living alone in his own house, not usually having to think about boundaries. Anyway, he certainly knows his way around a waffle iron.
ROB: We hit the road at 9. I wanted to give you time to get ready before everyone shows up.
AS: There are other people coming?
ROB: We got a 5 car convoy on the road today. They'll be here in an hour.
This is the first I’ve heard of a convoy, and to be honest I’m surprised. The game is Rob's obsession, and I’m here at his request. The idea that anyone else would have an interest in today's drive is a little perplexing.
Half an hour later, sated, showered and dressed in the "functional clothing" Rob had so painstakingly outlined, I take my pack out to the porch. Rob’s already there, waiting for his associates to show up.
AS: I thought you'd be conducting a few more errands.
ROB: If you ain't prepared by the morning of, you ain't prepared.
AS: Hah ok I guess that's fair. Oh, Rob is the garage locked? The inside door won't budge and I wanted to mic up the car.
ROB: Yeah it's locked up I'll open it for ya.
AS: Thank you.
ROB: In fact it's about time I wheeled her out. Fair warning Ms Sharma, she's a thing of beauty.
To Rob Guthard, beauty took the form of a dark green Jeep Wrangler. Rob climbs in and lets it roll out of the garage, where it dominates every inch of driveway. The car is large; four doors with a roof enclosing the entire compartment. It’s also been modified extensively, yet another example of Rob's dedication to the game.
ROB: What're you thinking?
AS: I think you're two caterpillar treads short of driving a tank.
ROB: Hah yeah I fixed her up good. I put the winch in, heavy duty tires, the light rig on top is LED's. They'll make midnight look like noon but they don't use hardly any power.
AS: Aren't Jeeps open top usually?
ROB: Not all. This is the Unlimited. I like to have a covered car when I head on the road.
I climb in and stow my pack. Rob had removed the back seats to afford more storage space. The place is packed to the brim. Jerry cans of gasoline, barrels of water, rope, snacks and his own neatly packed set of clothes.
I wonder if the rest of our convoy would take the game so seriously.
ROB: We got Apollo coming up in 10 minutes. No one else has given me a time. I sent the schedule weeks ago, this always happens.
AS: His name's Apollo?
ROB: That's his call sign. Apollo Creed I think he said.
AS: Why are you using call signs?
ROB: Did I not tell you? Oh yeah we're gonna use call signs on the road, keep communication clear.
AS: What's your callsign?
ROB: Ferryman.
AS: ... What's my call sign?
ROB: I thought about it. I was thinking London, you're from London right?
AS: I'm from Bristol.
ROB: Bristol? That’s fine I guess.
It’s less than ten minutes before Apollo turns the corner. Rob jumps out of his chair and paces briskly over to the edge of his property, as his first guest pulls up and steps onto the sidewalk.
Apollo vaguely resembles his namesake, dark skinned, tall and noticeably well built, though it’s clear he couldn’t be less of a fighter. This Apollo Creed is all smiles and seems to have a penchant for laughing at his own jokes.
AS: How far have you come?
APOLLO: I've come out of Chicago. Took three days hard driving.
AS: And you know Rob from the forums?
APOLLO: Everybody knows Rob, Rob's the god! Ahaha
Rob walks over to Apollo's car, gesturing him over to talk shop. Rob’s clearly impressed with Apollo's choice of vehicle, a blue Range Rover packed to the ceiling with kit. I was more impressed with Rob himself. Somehow this 65 year old farmer's son had become respected in a vast online community. My dad is Rob’s age and he's just discovered copy and paste.
The rest don't take long to arrive. Two Minnesotan librarians, also around Rob's age, pull up in a grey Ford Focus. They’re brother and sister, and they've shared ghost hunting as a hobby their entire lives. I find it hard to suppress a smile when they meekly introduce themselves as Bonnie and Clyde.
CLYDE: We would have gotten here sooner we had to drop by to get some blankets. Pleasure to meet you ma'am.
AS: Pleasure to meet you too.
CLYDE: Would you be the journalist?
AS: That's right.
CLYDE: You used to write for the town paper didn't you?
He's talking to his sister there, she nods. Clyde is clearly the spokesperson for the pair, yet they both seem incredibly shy. Whether they admire the famous outlaws, or just the name, it's pretty clear they couldn't be more different from the real thing.
Next to show up are Lilith and Eve, English Lit students at New York University and proprietors of the YouTube channel Paranormicon. Unlike Bonnie and Clyde, Lilith and Eve have no issue holding a conversation. As soon as they learn who I am, and what I do for a living, they attempt to conscript me for an expedition to Roswell.
LILITH: We have a friend there, he's been seeing some-
EVE: -He's a seismologist
LILITH: Yeah and he's been recording readings over the years that show subterranean movement. Predictable movement.
EVE: We're going to see him in July, but we could work it around you if you're free.
AS: I'll have to check my schedule
EVE: OK cool let me give you my email...
They quickly hurry off to film an intro for their latest video, featuring a quick interview with Rob, who seems pretty welcoming of the attention.
The last two cars arrive within a few seconds of each other. A lithe, strong willed older lady who goes by Bluejay and a younger man going by the callsign “Ace”. Bluejay has arrived in a grey Ford Explorer. Ace, much to Rob's annoyance, has arrived in a Porsche.
ROB: Did you think that's gonna help on the road? I didn't write that-
ACE: It's my car. What am I meant to do,? It's my car.
ROB: You didn't read my itinerary, you got nothing packed in there.
ACE: I did read it sir OK? Calm down. I have a bag, I won't ask you for anything.
ROB: Well I know that's true.
Ace and Rob were off to a bad start. Ace takes a phone call, and despite my best efforts to get an interview with Bluejay, she doesn't seem interested in talking to a journalist.
With five cars, and seven travellers waiting for a green light, Rob hands out radios and charging packs, then launches into a quick safety briefing. Wear seatbelts. Stay in position. Communicate clearly and often. It’s at this moment I start to feel a little dismay. I like Rob, and clearly so does everyone else. He'd convinced all of them to drive across the country to join in with his game. I start to worry what will happen in the likely event that the whole thing isn’t real. Would Rob lose the respect of his peers? Would he accept failure when it comes? After seeing the effort he’s put into these runs, the next few hours have the potential to be wildly uncomfortable.
With a smile and a few encouraging words, Rob ends his briefing and beckons me over to the Wrangler. I clamber inside and make myself as comfortable as possible.
ROB: You ready for this Bristol?
AS: I'm ready.
ROB: Ok then let's hit the road.
The Wrangler pulls out of the driveway, and the convoy follows in order of arrival. Apollo, Bonnie & Clyde, Lilith & Eve, Bluejay and Ace keep a steady pace behind us as we come up to the first corner.
Rob slowly and deliberately turns left, checking on the others in his rear view mirror. He looks back to the road as Ace’s Porsche completes the first turn of the game. Shortly afterwards, Apollo checks in on the CB radio.
APOLLO: This is Apollo for Ferryman. How many to more go Rob? ahahaha
ROB: Hah as many as it takes.
I can tell Rob wanted the to reserve the radio for something other than Apollo's quips. But he seems to like Apollo enough to let it slide. I'm not sure Ace would have received the same treatment. We take the next right, then another left. Now safely assured that everyone's following correctly, Rob speaks my thoughts aloud.
ROB: You're wondering the same thing Apollo is.
AS: What do you mean?
ROB: You're wondering how many turns we're gonna take before we hit some wall or something. Before you find out this is all just a story.
AS: Does that disappoint you?
ROB: I'd be disappointed if you weren't thinking something like it. But now we're on the road I gotta say something and you gotta listen to it.
AS: OK...
ROB: We're coming up to a tunnel soon. Any time before we reach it you can get out, walk in any direction you like, and you won’t be in the game no more. Once we go through, you gotta retrace the route we took to get yourself back out that tunnel. That's when you’re home. And you gotta convince someone to take you back in a car coz I ain't ferrying you back 20 minutes in. You got till the tunnel to skip out on this, understand?
AS: I understand. Though I have to say I'm getting little nervous.
ROB: Ain't nothing wrong with a little nervous.
We've taken 23 turns by this point. Already I feel like we're traversing the city pretty effectively. Rob's heavily modified Wrangler solicits a few impressed glances from passersby, as well as several honks of respect from other Jeep drivers. Other than those few moments, everything seems completely indistinguishable from a regular morning drive. I even start to worry if there’ll be anything at all for this story. “Reporter Takes Drive With Interesting Man” isn’t exactly Pulitzer worthy.
Turn 33 leads us onto a short, unassuming street. A row of small businesses in a quiet Phoenician neighbourhood; liquor, second hand clothing, tools and, at the end of the street, a little shop selling antique mirrors. Ten or so people shuffle along the sidewalk, smiling, talking, planning their weekends. The only lone person is a young woman in a grey coat..
I briefly glimpse her at the end of the street, standing on our next corner, the back of her coat reflected in fifty old mirrors. Even from a distance I can see that she’s sullen, wide eyed and nervous. She shifts constantly on her feet, tugging at the button of her coat.
I look away to write some notes as we roll down the street. When I look up again, the woman is standing by my window, staring right at me. She’s smiling, a wide, unfaltering grin that seems almost offensive in its complete insincerity.
GREYWOMAN: Lambs at the gate. Hoping for something better than clover when all they find are things worse than slaughter.
AS: Rob what's happening?
ROB: Ignore her.
GREYWOMAN: He wanted to leave me so I cut him out. The lake was hungry it drank the wound clean.
AS: Miss, are you alright?
The smile vanishes, it snaps from her face and suddenly, the woman is furious.
GREYWOMAN: What do you think you're doing?! Have you gone mad?!
I reflexively press myself back in my chair as the woman, wild eyed and gaunt, slams her fists against my window, with every intent of breaking through.
GREYWOMAN: Would you dance down the lion’s tongue? It will shred you, you whore! It will shred you down to your sins! You fucking bastard!
Rob puts his foot down, and the Wrangler rolls defiantly away from the woman. As we turn the corner I watch her as she wretches, her every movement cradled in abject hysteria. She yells despairingly at the rest of the convoy, bursting into tears when the last car passes her by.
As she shrinks into the rear view mirror, I see her turn to a large mirror on the side of the shop, which the owner is in the process of polishing. I watch as she walks up to it, and with a convulsant scream, slams her head into the glass.
The mirror cracks around her forehead, the owner jumps back in shock, and as the woman pulls her head from the mirror's surface, the fractured spider’s web is dripping red. It all happens in a split second, and she quickly swerves from my view as we take the next left.
AS: Rob, what was that?
ROB: She's there sometimes.
AS: On that street?
ROB: On the 34th turn.
AS: Who is she?
ROB: I don't know. She's never acted out that much before though. Must be a special trip.
I find Rob's lack of concern a little unpleasant, and his implication that this woman's ravings were the symptom of an internet game leaves me more than a little perturbed. As I see it, there are a few explanations for what just happened, and none of them lead to a comforting conclusion.
If we had just encountered a bonafide crazy person, then one could argue that Rob is just seeing what he wants to see. Maybe he'd bought into the game’s story so much that every strange but explainable occurrence would be rationalised as the next step in his favourite paranormal narrative.
Alternatively, the woman could have been an actor, a more elaborate theory sure, but not unheard of. People have lied to the show before and Rob was receiving a tonne of publicity for this attempt from Lilith, Eve and I. I admit, Rob didn't seem like a liar, but good liars never do.
There is a third alternative however. An alternative which, if you put logic aside, explains the all troubling little details that I couldn't help but notice. Because as strange as the grey woman was, isn't it stranger that no one on the street would react? I couldn't recall a single glance in her direction by anybody on the sidewalk. Perhaps that theory falls apart when you consider the shock on the mirror seller's face but, when I think about it, he only reacted once the mirror shattered, and even then, I feel like his attention was on the mirror itself.
The radio crackles.
LILITH: Lillith to Bristol. Sara... Eve got that on camera! Do you have audio?
AS: I think it picked her up.
LILITH: My god that was so weird. Can you send us the file when we stop? Can you ask Ferryman when we're stopping?
AS: When's our stopping point?
ROB: For them, in about 30 minutes. For you? Well, you tell me.
Rob turns off a busy street just before a large intersection, onto a much quieter stretch of two lane road. Ahead of us the road slopes downward, leading into an underpass, which disappears into darkness.
We'd arrived at the tunnel.
AS: What is this supposed to pass under?
ROB: Ain't supposed to pass under anything, it's just there.
AS: And if we weren't playing the game?
ROB: Then it won't show. The question is, are you playing the game or not?
Rob turns to me. It’s the first time he’s taken his eyes off the road since we started. He pulls the car to a slow stop at the mouth of the tunnel.
ROB: You get out now you can go wherever you wanna go, but through there you'll need a car to get yourself home and, like I said, mine ain't turnin round for a long while. You understand?
It’s a dramatic statement, but unsettlingly, it doesn’t feel like he’s attempting to dramatise. It feels like I’m having something genuinely asked of me. Am I ready for what’s to come? Do I accept the risks involved? Do I consent to be taken down this road, and the next road, and the next? Am I prepared to see this game through, real or otherwise, to its end?
AS: What are you waiting for?
Rob smiles, and turns back to the road. He picks up the CB radio holds down the button on the side. The microphone crackles.
ROB: This is Ferryman to all cars. Anyone want to step out then pull to the side now. Otherwise, stay in formation and have some supplies at hand. We got a long ways to go.
Much like the game I’m so tentatively playing, my view of Robert J. Guthard seems to change direction frequently. I’d heard all about his life, but I’m sure that I know him. I like the guy, but I’m not certain that I trust him. And though I admire his dedication to the Left/Right Game, I’m not sure I’ll like where it might lead us. Yet as he takes us into the tunnel, his face vanishing and reappearing under the dim sodium lights, I can that tell he expects this trip to be a major step in his already impressive story, and this time, for better or for worse, I’m along for the ride.
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simkjrs · 8 years ago
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msa ch5 asks (and others)
Anonymous said: AAA FROM 'MEET ME IN THE WOODS'- i know that lyrics!!!!! nice!!
*finger guns* nice!!
Anonymous said: -also thank you for existing you beautiful beautiful person! 😘
i think i might have accidentally deleted (or answered separately?) the first half of this ask but nonetheless thank you
Anonymous said: OK first thing: the chapter was awesome! amazing job! Second thing: the entire chapter was basically deku 'mildly' freaking out while being thoroughly pissed the entire time
it really and truly was. izuku as that one macro that’s like “this string is held up through pure stress alone” 
Anonymous said: mr compress weeb confirmed
look at his custom made villain costume and tell me he isnt that kind of guy
Anonymous said: god. Msa!izuku is /fifteen fucking years old/ and he has to deal with /so much shit/. Can someone just put him to bed and let him nap for a year, maybe
yes! maybe not a year though.
Anonymous said: God bless the new chapter gutted me and the flipped me inside out showing my true form, that of a big fan. Thank you for the blessing that is MSA
this is such a gruesomely funny image. thank you
Anonymous said: hey just read msa for the around the 9th time. you ar e so good at writing, the way you write character interaction is incredible. you should be proud. this is literally the best thing ive ever read.
THATS SO MANY TIMES, IM ASTONISHED YOURE NOT SICK OF IT YET!!! i hate staring at my writing too long it starts feeling all faded out and boring!! im really happy to hear you like it so much!
Anonymous said: As soon as Izu/ku woke up on the table I started screeching simk. Not okay!!!
haha im so sorry!!!! but overhaul literally wouldve experimented on ai/zawa and he DID experiment on eri this is completely in character of him
Anonymous said: Overhaul/Skin Beast: hi yeah can I get a fucking uuuuuhhhhhhhh experiments/faces? Izuku: Experiment machine 🅱roke *flies away with eri*
completely accurate summary of the chapter
Anonymous said: every day I long to become the amount of salty msa izuku is
valid but every day i long for msa izuku to receive the love and support that he needs
Anonymous said: sweetie noooooooo
i have no idea what part of the chapter this is referring to but first of all, big mood, and second of all, valid 
Anonymous said: hello you hurting because so am i!
i am hurting. while i was writing the chapter i kept looking at the screen like “i’m doing this? i’m really going to do this?” but overhaul is like that and i cant deny him the one salient characterization point he has
Anonymous said: UNICORN DAUGHTER HAS BEEN RESCUED THANK ITS GREAT
[my longest yeehaw ever]
Anonymous said: Since I might not get any sleep tonight because of flight plans and I might forget tomorrow and the next day, Happy thanksgiving! I'm thankful for your awesome stories~
Anonymous said: Happy Thanksgiving! I remembered!
happy thanksgiving!! im thankful that you enjoy my stories <3
Anonymous said: good job! i love it. and i’m crying. where did all this blood come from?
We Are All crying blood at this chapter
Anonymous said: Just read the new chapter and all I want to do is keysmash into your inbox. The chapter! Was so good! Izuku being sassy and angry and traumatized but still trying! And Eri! I'm so glad she's with Izuku now. Deku-niisan! I don't have words! And Rappa? Rappa! Also, that poem you linked is really neat. Grow up grow strong and focus your fury. Kind of feel like this is the theme for these two trauma children. Great work!
someone in the comments described izuku as “thoughtlessly kind” and i was VERY emotional over that because it’s such an excellent descriptor of the kind of person izuku is... he’s still trying, because that’s just who he is 
deku-niisan to the rescue :^) 
i’m really glad you enjoyed the chapter! thank you!
@zintiay submitted: Normally I get really annoyed when a character refuses to use an ability that would let them fairly easily deal with those around them. In this case though, you have done a really good job displaying why he doesn’t want to use this option, as well as what it takes for him to be willing to use it, that I mostly feel sad for deku that he was forced to let Eri’s spirit possess him, instead of getting caught up in the hype of an awesome moment
Honestly though, that’s also my reaction to the chapter as a whole. It was full of interesting world building and was generally an awesome chapter, but it was also well written enough that I also feel Izuku’s emotions and mostly just feel melancholy now.(Seriously, when I look back on it, “I invite you in” opened the gateway to an awesome and well deserved ass kicking, but it’s mostly just heart breaking. Why can’t I just enjoy Izuku kicking ass? Why?)
ahaha yeah, i try to have good reasons for why characters do or don’t take certain actions, and this whole fusion thing is something he keeps REALLY close to his chest... i’m glad that carried across well! it is very sad though that he feels cornered into using this ability. 
thanks for reading!
Anonymous said: Just wanted to say thank you. I think this sounds weird, but you finishing up chapter 5 of msa actually helped motivate me and I managed to finish my essay for a class.
OH? i’m glad to hear that! congrats on finishing the essay!
Anonymous said: This chapter was so fucking perfect I'm crying diamonds. What in all heavens and hells are you, you godly creature? I am so bloody happy you exist in this world. In this time line. I love your stories so damn much!
thank you so much!! i’m really happy to hear this <3 
Anonymous said: I love how just Done with everything msa Izu/ku is with everything. The fact that the only person he treats like a Person and not another threat to his Cryptid Status is Er/i and he just brings her home. I just. I LOV UR WRITING OK
it’s because eri pings None of his danger senses and All of his “i have to do something about this” senses. izuku is constitutionally incapable of helping someone in need. 
and thank you!! i’m glad you like it!
Anonymous said: I hope you know that i was able to read about half a page before i fucking died laughing i lov msa de/ku so much
i try to serve my darkfic with a large side of comedy
Anonymous said: I have the vivid image of msa Deku running into Aizawa by accident and just slowly walking backwards before turning to the sky and yelling "I HAVE DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY! I! DO NOT! HAVE TIME FOR THIS SHIT AS WELL!!!" while Aizawa slowly comes to the conclusion that he must adopt and save this troubled child.
this is hilariously close to some future scenarios i have in mind
Anonymous said: seeing a new chapter of msa honestly made my heart skip a beat in excitement. i have SO MANY questions and thoughts about this universe, i think i could ask you questions for hours, it sparks my imagination and curiosity in the best way. but for now, i just wanted to sincerely thank you for choosing to share your story and thoughts and ideas with all of us! it's always a delight, and i don't take it for granted at all. thank you, and i'm wishing you all the best always!!
thank you so much for this message!! it always makes me happy to know that others are enjoying this story as much as i am <3 i hope the best for you as well!
Anonymous said: What I expected in MSA ch.5: PAINPAINPAINPAINPAIN What I got: PAINPAINPAIN also Izuku adopts Eri, and Rappa for some reason (or did he adopt them!?!? DUNDUNDUN)
i cant publish a chapter without doing something a little fun, right? 
also im laughing at the idea of izuku adopting rappa, a fully grown man, as opposed to the other way around. izuku would hate this concept if anyone ever said it to him.
Anonymous said: so is msa iz/uku's tragic backstory basically being a walking disaster for all of his life until the point where he would have, in canon, met all might, and the msa version of the all might/one for all is the Temple and the subsequent ShitStorm™?
nope! the temple is something else 
Anonymous said: 💖💖💖💖💖💓💖💓💓💕💕💓💕💕💕💝💝💞💝💟💟💟💟💟💟💞💝💝💝💝💝💟💟💘💘💘💘💘💘💘💘❤❤❤❤💙💚💚💚💛💙💚💜💚💛💚💜💙💜💚💟💞💗💞💟💟💜💚💛💚💘❤💘❤❤❤💞💟💝❤
<3 <3 <3 <3 <3
Anonymous said: i was stuck in a car for 3+ hours tonight but when i saw msa ch5 was up i was so excited, i spent the whole ride reading and re-reading it, it’s fantastic and you are too! <3
wow thats some dedication!! i hate reading in the car. thank you and im glad you liked it!!
Anonymous said: simk pls tell me we get roommate shananigans it would make my entire life. just a tired teen, a middle age man literally off the street, and their prepubescent daughter/little sister/niece/etc.
oh yes absolutely. this is a vital part of the au. don’t forget the cat
Anonymous said: hi hello i just want to say that your writing is amazing and gives me life and i get really really really excited every time you update. thanks for blessing us with such good fic <3
thank you so much!! i’m super glad to hear <3
Anonymous said: so izuku not only has eri but also the guy most likely to have been in kumite from bloodsport at his place. great job kiddo. (i mean that both genuinely and sarcastically)
izuku’s existence just naturally warps the reality he lives in into a circus show
Anonymous said: thanks to that one ask i can't stop laughing at the scenario of msa izu trying to get groceries and is seen by kiri / aizawa / tbh any hero. rappa and eri is with him and izu just stares at the heroes dead in the eye and leaves the place. he swears to never return there ever again
also hilariously close to some scenarios im contemplating
Anonymous said: DID MSA!DEKU EVER CATCH A BREAK ONCE IN HIS LIFE??? DID THAT EVER HAPPEN, SIMK. OVERHAUL IS UP THERE W ENDEAVOR I CANT BELIEVE U MANAGED TO MAKE ME HATE HIM THIS MUCH SNAKDNANFKW (btw? how much of a fucking RIOT would it be if the heroes did the exact same thing in canon, and when it came to the actual retrieving eri part theyd just find someone waving frantically "SHES ALREADY GONE, YOU IMBECILES. YOU FOOLS"
overhaul is easily hatable if you just extrapolate from his canon actions. cant wait for him to get fucking clowned
i think it would be really funny but kind of depressing if the heroes did that. izuku please help them
Anonymous said: u really dont fuck around, do u, simk?? this is really a chapter that i just read i really saw him getting experimented on by overhaul for real??? I REALLY SAW HIM DISMISS IT AS IF IT WAS ANY OTHER DENIAL WEDNESDAY???? DID THAT BOY EVER CATCH ONE (1) BREAK IN HIS ENTIRE LIFE?? also DAMN! HE Really Fucking Did That HUH HE BUSTED HER OUT OMG.. CANT WAIT FOR THE SIBLING RELATIONSHIP FEELINGS THING :') (also how much of a fucking RIOT wld it be if the heroes busted eri out but (1/2)
but when they ARE actually at the 8ps hq they just?? dont find her??????and everyone there is like "SHES ALREADY GONE YOU IMBECILES. YOU FOOLS." (2/2)
i really dont fuck around!! i hope!! i decide on a track and i stick to it!! as soon as i finished the first scene i knew that overhaul was going to Do That and i spent a few days agonizing over it and asking myself if i was really ready to go all the way with this. if i was really going to write it! i did write it. i am still occasionally in disbelief. 
yes. sibling relationship all the fuckin way 
Anonymous said: Is what happened at the temple the thing that made MSA Izuku give up on being a hero?
nah izuku giving up on being a hero is more just pessimism, cynicism, and paranoia trained into him by years and years of dealing with spirits and believing that he shouldn’t exist 
Anonymous said: this is all really silly but uhh,,, isn't izuku loosing credits? has his mother been informed of his absences? does he have anyone who can help him catch up with the missed material? is our boy going to graduate?
i dont really know how credits work in japanese schools, or how the absences thing works... he’ll be fine though, pinky promise
Anonymous said: Eri pulls back and looks up at them curiously. “Deku?” They peer down at her. She’s so small! She’s so near! “You look different. You…” She reaches up, and they bend down obligingly. Her hand touches something attached to the skull above the eyes -- my horn, the kirin whispers. “You have a horn like me,” she says, full of wonder, and touches it again. THIS ENTIRE FUCKING PART GOT MY HEART BEATING SO FAST. I LOVE THEM!!!! ILOVE HOW ERIS SPIRIT IS NOT A TOTAL ASSHOLE TOO!!!
trauma kid solidarity!!!! i am so excited for these two you have no idea
i, too, love it when a spirit shows a basic modicum of decency and is NOT Like That to izuku 
Anonymous said: "neptune" by sleeping at last gives me very kiri/msa!deku vibes
cool, i’ll check it out!
Anonymous said: Angry msa!izu/ku: acts like an alley cat, threatens to break a villain's dishes, talks a lot of bullshit, also kind of sad and depressed. Angry™ msa!izu/ku: frightens the hell out of everyone just by looking at them, makes everyone question their life choices, makes them feel small and insignificant and makes fun of said life choices, not exactly human.
yeah. i love msa izuku and  his anger is Valid 
Anonymous said: This chapter: Rappa: fight me MsaIzuku: no Rappa: fight me pls MsaIzuku: no Rappa: let me fight the people around you? MsaIzuku:....... Fine
this is a really great summary of that conversation
Anonymous said: Izuku's threat to throw all of M. Compress' dishes on the floor like that is the Worst thing you can do to someone made my entire day thank you
i’m really glad because this was the funniest threat i could think of besides “i’m going to break into your home and piss on your bed” 
Anonymous said: HE'S JUST A KID SIM
you know i had to do it to ‘em picture 
Anonymous said: Msa is just so so amazing!?!? I honestly love it so much. The way you write is so wonderful and it's practically doubled by the fact that the entire idea for the au is also wonderful. Izu is amazing and I love him. Thank you thank you thank you :')
aahhh im really happy you like it!! thank you for reading & supporting!!
Anonymous said: Rappa: "let me join you" ; msa!Izuku: "absolutely fucking not" ; Rappa: "I can be ur meat shield" ; msa!Izuku: *clenching and unclenching his fist, glaring up at the god he does not believe in as he leads Rappa and Eri to his home* "I fucking hate you"
izuku’s one weakness... trying to help others
Anonymous said: iirc, guardian spirits are bound to their respective charges by proximity but can still move around, but do they have to be close by when the quirk is used? Or will the quirk not be as effective?
nah, they don’t need to be nearby, one cool effect of being bound to a human is that the human has a store of the guardian spirit’s energy 
Anonymous said: Thoughts on the game OFF? Played it recently and it gave me Msa!spirit world vibes. The use of man made substances making up the natural world (e.g drinking plastic not water) just really stuck with me as something bizarre and very second intonation like. Although if you do explore the spirit world I guess you might have something maybe more mythological in mind? (Also the soundtrack is stunningly eerie).
never played OFF but i love its aesthetic so much 
Anonymous said: I'm gonna print msa out and it eat it. gochisousama
pfft itadakimasu 
Anonymous said: Hahahah holy shit that new chapter dialed things up to, like, 22 instead of 11 holy shit izuku oh no. (“Achievement Unlocked: 5+ Levels Of Trauma Added At Once!” msa!izuku: can I get a, uuuuhhhhhhh, refund?) skin creature is super creepy and perfect fit. Btw, side thought - however the heroes find out abt this whole mess, I bet they feel really guilty (shit, izuku puts foot in mouth and accidentally says smth. Kiri: horrified izuku: makes it worse by trying to leave topic) thx I Love it. V good!
once i committed i had to go all the way...
the ensuing conversations between izuku and the heroes are probably going to be kind of funny, and also a little sad. im looking forward to it. thank you for reading!
Anonymous said: Okay, I'm just catching up on the recent chapters of msa and this is what I've been getting so far Everyone: you have to understand- Msa izuku, restrained: no
correct. msa izuku refuses to accept your terms 
Anonymous said: Ahaha, geez, MSA chapter 5 was A M A Z I N G. Poor Izuku. Geez, the scene where he's tossed into his cell and just spends fifteen minutes crying and freaking out hurt so bad. And he remembered to (try and) call for help!!! Hopefully he tries again in the future, when it'll work (hopefully). I also got very excited by the Kirin!!! Like, holy smokes!!! Someone who actually doesn't want Izuku to suffer, and is willing to take steps to make that happen!! Yes good!! Plz timewalker protect this child
thanks carwash for being like the only friend izuku has
the relationship between izuku and the different spirits hanging around his house is probably going to be pretty fun. i know i’ve pulled a lot of bullshit in the past two chapters but i still have some new fuckery to introduce. i hope you are all excited for this
Anonymous said: would any other human be able to learn to speak in the second intonation in the msa au? Did msa deku learn the second intonation from someone, or is it just something he's always known?
1) good question! i haven’t decided yet. 2) he learned from someone else! who you will find out soon
Anonymous said: me: nobody has to get owned today. please, please put down the markers and step back msa izuku: Fuck oyu.
i totlaly forgot this was a thing but you know what? yeah. im laughing this is such a fitting quote
Anonymous said: you know by far one of the best aspects of msa izuku is just. He is a constant Power Move. and yet he would probs hate that. like this boy wants to be left alone and get some fuckin peace but in all his interactions whether he intends to or not he just fuckin busts a fuckin Move and its like holy shit holy fucking shit he did that.he did That. He doesnt want to do That he doesnt even realize its happening and thats why its a fuckin Power Move. Love this au i LOVE ur work and love ur storytelling
reminds me of @salvainterra‘s description of izuku: “izuku is both an unstoppable force and an immovable object and its through this paradoxical existence that hes reached the ultimate tier of not giving a fuck. good on him”
thats the secret behind it all!
Anonymous said: I love msa chapter five but I'm so worried about Izuku. He's a single teen parent of two now and he keeps missing school, how will he graduate and get in a position to follow his dreams of being alone and doing calligraphy if he misses so much of school that he doesn't get a diploma???
he will be ok! 
hey im really laughing at this because youre really including rappa as one of the people izuku adopted?? is this a thing now?? 
Anonymous said: (in msa) I am so glad you had Izuku save Eri omg. that poor child has been through enough (but also, omg the suffering you're putting Izuku through (it's great, keep going)). I'm super keen to see where you take this!!
i know im really putting izuku through the paces. while i was writing the first half of ch5 i kept telling myself that this was all for eri’s sake but MAN that was dark
thank you! im excited to pull some more bullshit. im glad you’ve been enjoying the story so far!
Anonymous said: Me reading the new msa chapter: ‘a family can be a Kirin, a girl who can disintegrate people, a supernatural teenager, a street brawler and perpetual sadness’ seriously tho it was really great and I loved it!!!
MFLNDLFKSDJF AND PERPETUAL SADNESS IM LOSING IT!!!
don’t forget the mysterious shadow spirit who may or may not be a cat 
i’m really glad you liked the chapter!!
Anonymous said: bc of allmights style i think of one for all's spirit just being a fucking american on the fourth of july with american flags everywhere and waving a minature flag threateningly and i cant stop thinking about it....
fortunately for us, that is incorrect 
Anonymous said: "Okay I've finally caught up on the backlog of work I've got, let's check in on my favourite blog and writer SIMKJRS and see what they're up to recently." *sees that you updated like a week ago* aaaaaaaaaaaAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
jflskdfj glad you’re excited for this!! i know i only update like once in a blue moon, 
Anonymous said: hey i just want to say that i love everything about msa; the writing, the story, the imagery, ALL OF IT thank you for making such a wonderful gift!
thank you!! im grateful for your support <3
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douchebagbrainwaves · 4 years ago
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I'VE BEEN PONDERING CAPS
It could be because you're living in the future. It's obvious why investors delay.1 When a friend of mine visiting India sprained her ankle falling down the steps in a railway station. I've learned a lot from things I've read on HN. An Operational Definition. Will your blackberry get a bigger screen? The numbers on the Y Combinator application that would help Web-based software forces programmers to. Don't wait before climbing that mountain or writing that book or visiting your mother.2
The conversations you overhear tell you what to do anymore. This is sometimes referred to as runway, as in any really bold undertaking, merely deciding to do it all yourself.3 4%? Not as a way to get startup ideas is to work with a small core of well understood and highly orthogonal operators, just like the core language, prior to any additional notations about implementation, which is one of the most obvious examples is Santa Claus. Venture funding works like gears. After ten weeks' work the three friends have an idea. The price is that valuation caps aren't actual valuations, and notes are cheap and lightweight.4 Otherwise you won't bother learning much more.5 To see an interesting variety of probabilities we have to be specific about what they plan to do and the kind that's interesting to write.6
What problems? It gives us an excuse for being lazy, the others would be more fun. But should you start a startup than just start it. After all, as most companies do more mundane stuff where the decisive factor is effort, not brains. Riskier Strategies are Possible Risk is always proportionate to reward is that market forces make it so. By similar comparisons you can make yourself nearly immune to tricks. Is an inbox the optimal tool for that? Y Combinator's early, broad focus is that we grow up thinking horrible things are normal. The big dogs don't have to be called Ajax.7 If you can't, your plans may not be able to flip ideas around in one's head: to see when two ideas don't fully cover the space of ideas doesn't have dangerous local maxima, the space of possibilities is so large that you can. And this turns out to be. The best word to describe the way lions seem in the wild seem about ten times more alive.8
They don't even get a shot at being really big. But the techniques for building integrated circuits spread rapidly to other countries. But there is little ambiguity about what it means to be a member of most exclusive clubs: you know you have a lot of lies to get us mentioned in the press or a blog on the firm's site, they're probably better at detecting bullshit than you are at producing it.9 The VC funds that don't adapt won't be violently displaced. Depends on what you want.10 A rounds. Then you could, I don't mean to suggest by this list that America is the perfect place for startups. Detox A sprinter in a race almost immediately enters a state called oxygen debt. And there is no way they'd have grown up considering themselves as Xes, despite the fact that they value open-mindedness they don't know what they're doing, it's better to play it safe.
Make Web sites for galleries—that's the ticket!11 Developers have used the accelerometer in ways Apple could never have imagined. Everyone makes up their own deal terms. If they shake your hand on a promise, because there will be an effort to understand him. In fact, you don't need Microsoft on the client, they can't push users towards their server-based software, you're being offered millions of dollars, put yourself in a situation with a large percentage of the gains.12 Html 15. Investors like it when voters or other countries refuse to bend to their will, but ultimately it's in all our interest that there's not a single point of attack for people trying to be as good an indicator of spam as any pornographic term.13 Instead of treating them as virtual words. If you're not omniscient, you just stop working on it till you've launched.
Really, it's Apple's fault.14 If you feel exhausted, it's not uncommon for investors and acquirers. Links and images you should certainly look at, if we want to make their mark on the world, and some of the more beautiful highways in the world, write a new Mosaic. Not linearly of course, but that's true in a lot of people that age, and he was pretty much a throwaway program and keep improving it. A lot of the same words as my real mail. Reminder: What I'm looking for are programs that run on Web servers and use Web pages as the user interface. Not ready for commitment This was my reason for not starting a startup—becoming the sort of strategic insight I was supposed to look. I learned something valuable from that. After a while this filter will start to make up their minds, and excessive dilution in series A rounds later. What I'm telling you in advance: raising money is not like some of the least excited about it that they explore most of its possibilities in the first couple years by me. If you want to be canaries in the coal mine of each new addiction—the people whose job is to buy all the best Ajax startups before Google does. Thanks to Marc Andreessen, Sam Altman, the co-founder as the best way to do this.
If they even say no. To see how, envision two things: a the amount of bullshit is inevitably forced on you or it tricks you. Companies didn't start to finance themselves with retained earnings was one cause of the second type. But it could be shipped to Europe. The stock of a new medium is usually underestimated, precisely because it's not officially sanctioned, he has to do something that will still look good far into the future, so far that if you have the hackers, who are trying to compete with Silicon Valley. But they work as if they got the answer to this question. Most startups that raise money do it more. And I've met a lot of servers and a lot of money to us. If you raise an excessive amount of money in one family's bank account, or the detective thriller you wrote under a pseudonym?15 Football players like to win by making great products.
Notes
I tried ranking users by both average and median comment score, and b made brand the dominant factor in deciding between success and failure, just as on a saturday, he wrote a prototype in Basic in a situation where the acquirer just wants the business, and B doesn't, that he had more fun in this, but the distribution of good ones, it will seem more powerful sororities at your school sucks, where many of the political pressure to protect one's children seems weaker, judging from things people have to decide between turning some investors away and selling more of the first abstract painters were trained to expect the second component is empty—an idea where the ratio of spam in my incoming mail fluctuated so much better to overestimate than underestimate the importance of making a good product. It's surprising how small a problem, but also very informative essay about why something isn't the problem is that any idea relating to the way I know for sure a social network for x instead of working. And starting an organic farm, though. Brooks, Rodney, Programming in Common Lisp for, but corrupt practices in finance, healthcare, and no one would have a different attitude to the way I know it didn't to undergraduates on the other team.
I'm thinking of Oresme c. If by cutting the founders' advantage if it were.
Then when we got to the same, but they start to get rich by creating wealth—wealth that, in Galbraith's words, of the fatal pinch where your idea is crack. The Old Way. Compromising a server could cause such damage that ASPs that want to measure that turns out to be the right direction to be an inverse correlation between the two elsewhere, but when companies reach a given audience by a factor of 20. Mueller, Friedrich M.
And if they want impressive growth numbers. In high school. There are also the 11% most susceptible to charisma. So although it works on all the other hand, they made more that year from stock options, because the broader your holdings, the work that seems formidable from the government had little acquired immunity to tax rates.
A from a company's culture. It's hard to mentally deal with them.
Stone, op. 03%. In the beginning. I wrote this on an IBM laptop.
But it is very common, but also like an undervalued stock in that. Did you just get kicked out for doing badly and is doomed anyway. And that is actually from the CIA.
Steve hadn't come back. For example, I was just having lunch. A friend who started a company is common, but suburbs are so intellectually dishonest in that sense, but corrupt practices in finance, healthcare, and domino effects among investors.
Founders rightly dislike the sort of wealth for society. But a couple predecessors. Some of the most accurate way to tell VCs early on.
Joshua Schachter tells me it was the recipe is to ignore investors and instead focus on growth instead of blacklist. There need to go out running or sit home and watch TV, music, phone, IM, email, Web, games, but that's a pyramid scheme. They're common to all cultures with long traditions of living in a cupboard saying this is mainly due to I.
Articles of this essay, I advised avoiding Javascript. This is an acceptable excuse, but Google proved them wrong. Nor do we draw the line?
Financing a startup.
One YC founder who read this essay wrote: After the war, tax rates. One-click ordering, however, and since technological progress aren't sharply differentiated.
Plus one can have margins big enough, a day feels like it if you want to take action, go ahead. In this essay, I believe will be inversely proportional to the year x in a time. Philadelphia.
A from a mediocre VC. This approach has not worked well, so if you're not sure.
Thanks to Chris Small, and Trevor Blackwell for their feedback on these thoughts.
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simplemlmsponsoring · 6 years ago
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New Post has been published on https://simplemlmsponsoring.com/attraction-marketing-formula/attraction-marketing/why-people-buy-an-email-marketing-primer/
Why People Buy: An Email Marketing Primer
Why do people buy?
This is the “million dollar question” every entrepreneur must be able to answer.
Of course there’s more than one reason. But I’m about to reveal one of the big ones that makes people buy.
Now, before I tell you what it is, let’s talk about a stone cold fact we sometimes forget, especially when we eagerly set up our marketing messages and crank out our campaigns:
People do NOT want to be sold!
As a rule, people don’t want anybody trying to sell them anything.
No one likes a pushy salesman pressuring them to part with their money.
The moment we hear a sales pitch, the defenses come right out. Because we feel like we have no control over the situation; like we’re being manipulated.
That’s why most folks despise dealing with salespeople.
Think about when you walk into a store and a salesperson comes up to you and says, “Hi, can I help you?”
For most the immediate response is, “I’m just looking!”
That’s an automatic knee-jerk reaction; they don’t have to think about it, even if they are interested in something.
On the flip side, we all like to buy.
We look at a product. Get excited about it and decide to buy it, and we feel like we’re in control of the situation.
So how can YOU get people excited about buying?
How do you give them control of the situation, and make them feel like they’re NOT being sold?
Here’s the secret…
People want to do business with those who are REAL, and not with someone who’s insincere or inauthentic.
Especially online, where there’s so much hype.
Nowadays people are turned off by anything that looks or smells fake.
Even if they want your product, service or business opportunity, many will be skeptical from the get-go.
Why?
Because they’ve been burned before and they don’t want to be burned again.
We’ve all been burned at some point, so we all have that inner skeptic within us.
That’s why building TRUST with your prospects must be one of your main goals.
Bottom line:
Your prospects must like and trust you
People will NEVER buy from you or join your business if they don’t like and trust you.
It’s that simple.
Which is why you need to create unshakable trust and build rapport with your prospects as quickly as humanly possible.
It’s not going to happen in an instant.
It’s not going to happen with a magic phrase, a good headline, or even with compelling copy.
Sure you can do certain things in your marketing message to build that trust, but it’s not going to happen immediately.
Trust takes time.
Think about the people in your life that you like and trust.
Your relationship took time to develop; it didn’t happen instantaneously.
I’ll give you an example.
Back when I was selling face to face in direct sales, it was a lot easier, because I would walk into the house and have a conversation.
You can create trust much faster when you meet them face to face.
You can ask them questions, read their body language and develop some common ground.
But when you do it online, it takes some time.
The best way to build trust with your prospects?
In my opinion, it’s with…
Email marketing.
Emails allow you to consistently communicate with your prospects. Build a relationship and start developing trust.
However, just because you’re sending emails, doesn’t mean people are going to read them.
And just because they read some doesn’t mean they’re going to take action, or that you’re going to build any kind of relationship with them.
My inbox is full of emails. Most of them are completely ignored. I’m sure your inbox is the same.
So here’s another key…
You have to write your emails in a way that gets people interested and excited about reading them.
This is a massive topic worth studying. And I’ll give you 4 critical guidelines to help you do that.
Starting with…
The first thing you want to understand about writing emails is that you are writing to ONE person.
Even though your email is going to a list of dozens, hundreds, thousands, or even tens-of-thousands of people, you’re still writing to one person, and they need to feel like that—
They need to feel like you’re talking to them personally.
And, think about this too: only one person is reading your email at a time, sitting at their desk or holding their phone, so don’t make things sound weird and too formal by addressing a crowd in this “one-on-one” conversation.
And speaking of conversations, that’s brings us to point number two…
Your email is basically a casual conversation you’re having with that one person.
To help you write an email in that tone, picture yourself sitting across a table or a living room from your prospect. And imagine you’re having a conversation with them.
This is very, very important.
If you write like you’re composing an essay your high school English teacher, nobody will be interested in reading that. Because it’ll sound forced and fake.
You’re not writing a novel, you’re not writing a book, and you’re definitely not writing an essay. You’re having a conversation.
If you read any of my emails, they break all the rules of writing, and have quite a few grammatical errors in them.
That’s on purpose; I do it because it makes it sound real.
It makes it sound like I’m a real human being, because that’s how people talk.
Write like you talk and always remember to…
The third point is this: you can’t just be pitching in your emails.
Look at you inbox. Almost every email in there does nothing but pitch and try to sell you something.
Now, there is nothing wrong with selling—we are in business—but if all you do in your email is sell, people will get turned off and quickly start tuning you out.
If you do it once or twice, or if you do it now and then, it’s okay.
But if you just “hard sell” in every email… would you look forward to opening an email every single day that only pitches something and adds zero value to your life?
Probably not.
If you know it’s always going to be another sale, or some other “hyped up” email about a system that makes money, would you keep reading or click unsubscribe?
If every email is a pitch, you will lose your readership very, very quickly.
Your emails cannot be just all sales and pitches.
I don’t know what the percentage is, but I would say at least 80%, maybe even 85% of the emails I write don’t sound like a sales presentation.
However, if you look at every single one of them, they always have a link that either leads to a product offer, or to a blog post, and within that blog post, there is an offer.
We’re in business and we are always selling something. But if you want to stand out and have people read your emails you have to approach it in a different way.
Which leads me to my fourth point…
I believe the best way to engage your audience is to wrap your message with “infotainment“—
Which is entertainment coupled with information.
Why?
Because we LOVE to be entertained!
This is why we watch movies and TV. We watch shows, follow sports and go to concerts. And spend big bucks on it.
We crave entertainment.
It’s a desire, a need we all have.
This is why people who say they are “busy” will get on Facebook.
They see a video or some picture and click on it. Next thing you know they’re surfing through it for 15 or 20 minutes, wasting their time, because the desire to be entertained is deeply hardwired.
So when you send out something that’s entertaining, you’re almost guaranteed readership.
If people are just clicking out of curiosity, that’s not the point; you want your emails to actually provoke their curiosity.
You want to put something out there that grabs their interest, that intrigues them.
Couple that entertainment and information, and you’ll have a great email.
Curiosity + Intrigue + Entertainment + Information = Great Email!
And the easiest way to do that is with stories.
Most of the emails I write contain some kind of story.
When I say stories, I’m not talking about writing a book or a script for a movie.
We’re not talking about long-winded stories.
If your stories are too long, work on chopping them down, because nobody is going to sit there and read painfully long emails unless they’re extremely engaged. Some people will be, but for the most part they won’t, so tell short stories.
Use your life as inspiration!
The reason stories work so well is because we’re hardwired to pay attention to stories.
Here’s an example of an email I wrote a few years ago; the subject line was…
“Eggs and Salmon All Over My Garage.”
It was a quick story about my dog getting into the refrigerator in the garage. And he got to the eggs and salmon.
I opened the door and saw cracked egg shells, and yolk dripping down from the top shelf of the refrigerator and some salmon laying around.
It was an entertaining story, but the point of it was that dog will do what he does.
It’s the dog’s nature that if they sees food, they’re going to go after it.
This ties into human nature, because just like a dog is going to be a dog, people are going to be people.
Thus…
If you want to sell to people, you’d better understand human nature
Then I transitioned into a marketing product which helps you do that.
Notice I didn’t start with selling the product. Instead I kicked off the email with an engaging and entertaining, and silly story about my dog getting into the refrigerator.
What can your stories be about?
You can talk about your family, kids, pets, neighbors, relatives; just everyday stuff.
Literally, the things that happens to you every day – find ways to write that into your emails.
It is a skill that’s going to take some time to develop.
You’re not just going to sit down in the beginning and immediately write a blockbuster email that’s going to engage everybody. Most people don’t. And I certainly didn’t a single good email at first.
But if you do it every single day, and if you practice, just like you practice anything else in life, you will get good at it, and you will start seeing results.
Now, here’s what I want you to do…
Take the challenge!
I want to challenge you to start writing for the next 30 days.
If you want to take up this challenge for the next 30 days, write an email every single day to your list.
I don’t care how big your list is, or how small your list is. Heck even if you don’t have a list, just write it and save it on your computer. You can use them later once you start building your list.
Write one every single day.
Take 30 minutes, or maybe it will take you an hour. Initially it will be longer, but it will get to a point where you can do it very quickly.
Write one every single day for the next 30 days, and watch as your skill of writing emails improves. And with it so will your results!
And, if you’d like a shortcut to quickly growing your list with eager readers, then I strongly recommend signing up for Elite Marketing Pro’s FREE 10-Day Online Recruiting Bootcamp.
In it, you’ll get the skills and strategies to attract people who are already interested in what you have to offer – so you won’t have to pressure, nag, or chase down anybody to “sell” them anything – EVER.
You’ll discover specific, proven actions to take that will help you attract a steady stream of leads online and grow your business fast – by getting people to reach out to you.
So if you’re ready to get started…
Click here to access our 10-Day Online Recruiting Bootcamp today!
  Sincerely, Vitaly Grinblat Chief Copywriter & Director of Monetization Elite Marketing Pro
FREE INTERNET RECRUITING COURSE Finally, An Easy Way To Recruit Into Your Network Marketing Business – Rejection FREE – Without Wasting Your Time & Money Chasing Dead Beat Prospects & Leads… Claim Your Free Internet Recruiting Bootcamp… CLICK HERE FOR INSTANT ACCESS
  The post Why People Buy: An Email Marketing Primer appeared first on Elite Marketing Pro.
Read more: elitemarketingpro.com
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shmow-zows · 8 years ago
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How to Write a Thank You Email After an Interview (+10 Examples)
  How would you feel if I butted in line when you were waiting to use the bathroom? 
  You would hate me. But why? 
  A little thing called etiquette - the things we do to be polite and make our behavior pleasant to others. 
  Sending a post-interview thank you note is a cornerstone of etiquette. 
  Even if you’re confident that you aced your interview, it’s good form to say thank you for the opportunity.
  But like all forms of polite conversation, it’s easy to make a faux pas if you don’t know the current trends. 
  So, how do you write a thank you email after an interview?
  This guide will answer all your post-interview thank you email questions so that you’re sure that your manners are fit for a king.
  You will find out:
  If you should send a post-interview thank you email or letter.
Who you should send a thank you email to and when.
How to write a thank you email and how to add impressive personal touches.  
  Bonus: Download FREE step-by-step checklist of things to do before an interview. “Things You Need To Do Before Your Big Interview.”
    1. Yes, You Always Need to Send a Thank You Email After an Interview 
  There is no question - you must ALWAYS send a thank you email after an interview. 
  As I mentioned above, it’s just a part of  “post-interview” etiquette. A common courtesy.
  But 57% of candidates don’t send thank you notes after an interview - even though hiring managers expect it.
  For example, 86% of hiring managers said the lack of a thank you note after an interview sends the message that the candidate lacks follow through, and 56% said that it shows the candidate isn’t serious about the position.  
  So, the bottom line is that you must always send a thank you email after an interview.
  Here's an example of what a post-interview thank you email should look like:
  Subject: Thank you for the opportunity, Lorelai
Dear Lorelai,
I wanted to thank you for taking the time to meet with me on Wednesday. I am very excited about the opportunity to work at the Dragonfly Inn!
I was thinking about what Michel said regarding customer feedback on your social media channels. In my last role as Guest Relations Manager, I found that personally responding to comments on social media resulted in an overall increase in repeat customers. I hope that helps.
I also wanted to say that you were right about the coffee at Luke's. I stopped by on my way home. Delicious!
Please feel free to contact me if you find you need any  more information. I look forward to our call next week as discussed. Thank you once again, Lorelai.
Best regards,
Ted Zero
  Like what you see? Keep reading and we'll show you how to make your own thank you email after an interview.  
  2. Who and When - The Logistics of Sending a Post-interview Thank You Email
  But who gets it? What if you interviewed with multiple people? 
  Right:  
  Send a thank you email after every interview to everyone that was in the room with you. 
  Wrong:
  Send a thank you email to the one person who gave you an email address.
  The exception to the rule would be the panel interview, especially if many of the participants joined via phone or Skype.
  In this situation, it’s okay to send one thank you email after an interview addressed to everyone.
  But what if you don’t have the email addresses for everyone?
  It’s okay to send one email to the person whose address you have with a postscript at the bottom requesting that they forward the email to the other people who were present. 
  Alternatively, you can request the email address of the other people in the postscript so that you can send them personalized emails as well.
  What if you don’t have ANY email addresses? 
  Right:
  Contact the person who organized your interview - the recruiter or HR specialist. Ask for the hiring manager's email address.
  Wrong:
  Have a thank you note written before your interview so you can leave it at reception on your way out the door.
  Why is it a bad idea to write a note beforehand?
   Because you have no chance to reflect on the conversations held during your interview or personalize the note, defeating one of the main purposes of the action.
  Still can't get an address? Call the front desk and inquire about the possibility of obtaining an email address.
  If a receptionist insists that giving out email addresses is not company policy, ask if you may prepare a letter to leave with them so that they may give it to the proper person.
  How soon should you send a thank you email after an interview? 
  Right:
  Within 24 hours after your interview. 
  Wrong:
  Two or three days.
  Now, normal post takes two or three days. And that's far too late. But what if you want to send a handwritten thank you letter after your interview?
  In that case, you should send a post-interview thank you email within 24 hours, alerting a hiring manager to the fact that you’ve dropped a handwritten note in the mail. 
  What if you interview on a Friday, and you can’t get an email out until after working hours?
  Even if you have to send an email after working hours, that’s okay.
  In that case, you can also wait until the following Monday if you know the hiring manager will not check their inbox until then. 
  Pro Tip: If you interview with multiple people, ask for business cards during the interview, so you don’t have to search for emails later. 
    3. Post-interview Thank You Email Or Letter - Which Do You Send?
  Most hiring managers (87%) agree that it is appropriate to receive a thank you email after an interview instead of a handwritten letter. 
  It’s up to you to decide whether or not a hiring manager would appreciate an email or a letter more. In some cases, a hiring manager may not find an email appropriate at all. 
  For example, if you are applying to a stiff, suit-and-tie law firm, ala Devil’s Advocate, you may want to send a handwritten thank you letter after your interview.  
  While some old school companies may see an email as a breach of etiquette, Yale Law School says that it is “preferable [to use email] given the time crunch,” but you should keep the professional business format and tone. 
  To sum up, in 99.99% of situations it is more than okay to send a thank you email after an interview. 
  Another 45% of recruiters will reject your resume if you don't attach a cover letter. Not sure how to write one? Read our guide: "How To Write A Cover Letter [Complete Guide With Examples]" 
      4. Tone, Style, Length - How to Write a Thank You Letter After an Interview
  The key to writing an effective thank you email after an interview is to make it personal. 
  Right:
  A personal message that address topics brought up in the interview.
  Wrong:
  Post-interview thank you email templates or fill-in-the-blank sample thank you letters.
  There are millions of sample thank you emails on the Internet. If you ask Google for templates, it will deliver. 
  I know. It’s extremely tempting to fill in a template. Filling in the blanks gets that email out faster and makes you feel confident that you sent something correct.
  Resist that temptation. Resist.  
  The whole point of sending a thank you email after an interview is:
  To reiterate your interest in the position. 
To keep your sparkling self at the forefront of a recruiter’s mind.
To reinforce your uniqueness as a candidate.
And yes, to express gratitude. 
  With that in mind, you’ll need some more pointers to get started. 
  Right:
  Write a short and sweet note. Implement a three paragraph rule.
  Wrong:
  Give a play-by-play recap of your interview, and go into detail about how awesome you are. 
  Here is a very basic outline of the type of information you should include:
  Hello - thank you - I enjoyed talking to you about that project that I know I have some solutions for - I hope the wedding planning continues to go well - I hope to hear from you in a week as you said - Sincerely - Bye. 
  In the first paragraph, express your gratitude for the opportunity. 
  Use the second paragraph to comment on the value you’d bring to the company by mentioning a project or solution that you discussed. 
  In the third paragraph, you can touch on something that you felt was left out during the interview. Or you can refer to a personal topic that you and the hiring manager bonded over, such as the wedding planning mentioned in the example. 
  Aim for around 200 words and remember that hiring managers are people too. 
  As far as tone is concerned, the degree of formality you use should reflect how formal the recruiter was at your interview.
  Again, it is up to you to decide how formal to be. There are no hard and fast rules. 
  You can use the hiring manager’s first name if you know it for the sake of personalization. 
  You can attach a formal letter, properly formatted, as a PDF file. Then write a shorter thank you email after an interview if you want to make sure that you’ve covered all of your bases. 
  Need more information on sending emails to hiring managers? Emailing your resume is often your first contact. Read our guide on how to establish contact in the first place: "How To Email Your Resume To Get More Job Offers (Examples)"
    5. What to Write - Sample Thank You Email for After an Interview
  I know, I just got done telling you that samples are bad. But this section gives you sample ideas for the content of your post-interview thank you email.
  Start out with using “the three W’s” to guide you. What are the three W’s?
  Well, to be honest, it’s the five W’s, and they are who, what, when, where, and why.
  It’s a technique used by writers, journalists, and genius kids writing essays for English teachers. 
  But you only need three - who, what, and when.
  Who - the hiring manager. 
  Right: 
  Write a thank you email after an interview that focuses on the hiring manager.
  Wrong:
  Write a thank you email after an interview that is a summary of your skills and greatness.
  They already read your resume. They know your skills. It’s time to shift gears and focus on the hiring manager now. 
  Tammy Kabell, CEO of Career Resume Consulting, says:
  "Thank you letters are there to increase your likability not to sell yourself. You want to raise your relevancy and remind the hiring manager why they liked you. And taking the time to do something rare, like writing a handwritten note, raises these factors."
  What - your value and a personal bonding topic. 
  If you are focusing on the hiring manager, there are two things that you should address in the body of your letter. 
  First, you should mention that you can bring value to them by helping them with a project or finding a solution for a problem that they have.
  Think back to your interview, was there anything that got said about how you would accomplish something for them? Refer to that and reiterate how you will help. 
  Next, think if there was any personal topic that you and the recruiter bonded over, such as a shared hobby or interest. Make a reference to that at this point in your post-interview thank you note. 
  Right:
  Solutions and personal bonding topics.
  Wrong: 
  Your skills, accomplishments, and desires.
  When - mention when you expect to hear back from them. 
  You will want to pave the way for a follow-up. After an interview, it is typical to follow up to see if they’ve made a decision or not. 
  And that’s the beauty of sending a thank you email after an interview. It does the job of a follow-up dressed in thank-you-note clothes. Plus you get the opportunity to announce when they can expect the actual follow-up call. 
  Write two lines. 
  The first line should encourage them to contact you if they need more information. 
  Sample: 
  Please let me know if I can provide you with any additional information.
  And one that lets them know when you will follow up with them. 
  Sample: 
  As discussed, I will give you a call in two weeks to follow up and check in with you. I look forward to hearing from you. 
  If you made plans for a follow-up during your interview, refer to the pre-arranged time. 
  What goes in the subject line? 
  A typical inbox reveals about 60 characters of an email’s subject line. That number gets reduced to 25-30 characters on mobile devices.
  It’s the same as when you want to email a resume to a hiring manager. 
  So, “thank you” (with a space) is already nine characters, giving you 51 left to use. 
  Here are five variations less than 60 characters: 
  Thank you, [hiring manager’s name]
Thank you for the interview, [hiring manager’s first name]
Thank you for the opportunity, [hiring manager’s first name]
Writing to say thank you for the interview
I wanted to thank you for the chance to interview with you 
  So what would a thank you email after an interview look like in the end?
  Subject: Just wanted to say thank you for the interview, Melanie
Dear Melanie,
I wanted to thank you for taking the time to meet with me on Friday. I am very excited about the opportunity to work for Aunt Pittypat’s Kittycat Emporium! 
I was thinking about the problem you’re having with selling premium cat toys. I remembered that when I began to organize open house days for customers at my last job, premium toy sales went up by 10%. All we did was allow customers to bring their cats in to try out new toys. I hope that helps!
I also wanted to say good luck with your petunias. I just tried the technique with the banana peels that you suggested to get rid of aphids, and I am looking forward to the results. I will have to let you know how it goes. 
Please feel free to contact me if you find you need any more information. I look forward to our call in two weeks as we discussed. Thank you once again, Melanie. 
Best regards,
Rene Picard
  Pro Tip: Note the informal tone of the email. Rene decided to write Melanie using a friendly tone because she felt that the interview had gone the same way. 
    6. No One Does It, But Adding Personal Touches Impresses Hiring Managers
  If you would like to add a few personal touches to your thank you email after an interview, here are some ideas:
  Add Links
  Add a link to your website, blog, or portfolio - even if they were already on your resume.
  That will remind the hiring manager that you’ve got a blog and give them easy access to it. 
  Add the link in the section about providing more information like this: 
  Please feel free to contact me if you need any more information, or visit my website at www.johnsmith.com 
  Use Nice Stationery 
  If you do decide to drop a handwritten note in the mail, go with professional, personalized stationery instead of a greeting card.
  If you’re going to go with a personal touch, go all the way.  
  Attach a Formal Letter as a PDF
  If you decide not to send a handwritten note by mail, you can still write a formal letter and attach it to your email as a PDF as discussed above.
  It shows that you’ve gone the extra mile. 
  Pro Tip: Don't forget to proofread your email. You can use apps like Grammarly or Language Tool to help you. 
     Key Takeaway
  The three commandments of sending a thank you email after an interview are as follows: 
  You must always send one. 
You must always send one to everyone. 
You must always send one within 24 hours.
  The rest is up to you. Just remember to add personal touches and to gauge the level of formality based on the atmosphere of your interview.
  No hiring manager in the world wouldn’t love to receive an authentic, personal thank you note after an interview.
  And it gives you a golden opportunity to stay in the good graces and the memory of a hiring manager long after that last handshake. 
  Still not sure whether to send an email or a traditional thank-you note? Not sure which interviewer to thank? Leave us a note in the comments, and we will get back to you. Thanks for reading!
  Bonus: Download FREE step-by-step checklist of things to do before an interview. “Things You Need To Do Before Your Big Interview.”
from RSSMix.com Mix ID 8265703 http://ift.tt/2zXG33M via IFTTT
0 notes
willafigg · 8 years ago
Text
How to Write a Thank You Email After an Interview (+10 Examples)
  How would you feel if I butted in line when you were waiting to use the bathroom? 
  You would hate me. But why? 
  A little thing called etiquette - the things we do to be polite and make our behavior pleasant to others. 
  Sending a post-interview thank you note is a cornerstone of etiquette. 
  Even if you’re confident that you aced your interview, it’s good form to say thank you for the opportunity.
  But like all forms of polite conversation, it’s easy to make a faux pas if you don’t know the current trends. 
  So, how do you write a thank you email after an interview?
  This guide will answer all your post-interview thank you email questions so that you’re sure that your manners are fit for a king.
  You will find out:
  If you should send a post-interview thank you email or letter.
Who you should send a thank you email to and when.
How to write a thank you email and how to add impressive personal touches.  
  Bonus: Download FREE step-by-step checklist of things to do before an interview. “Things You Need To Do Before Your Big Interview.”
    1. Yes, You Always Need to Send a Thank You Email After an Interview 
  There is no question - you must ALWAYS send a thank you email after an interview. 
  As I mentioned above, it’s just a part of  “post-interview” etiquette. A common courtesy.
  But 57% of candidates don’t send thank you notes after an interview - even though hiring managers expect it.
  For example, 86% of hiring managers said the lack of a thank you note after an interview sends the message that the candidate lacks follow through, and 56% said that it shows the candidate isn’t serious about the position.  
  So, the bottom line is that you must always send a thank you email after an interview.
  Here's an example of what a post-interview thank you email should look like:
  Subject: Thank you for the opportunity, Lorelai
Dear Lorelai,
I wanted to thank you for taking the time to meet with me on Wednesday. I am very excited about the opportunity to work at the Dragonfly Inn!
I was thinking about what Michel said regarding customer feedback on your social media channels. In my last role as Guest Relations Manager, I found that personally responding to comments on social media resulted in an overall increase in repeat customers. I hope that helps.
I also wanted to say that you were right about the coffee at Luke's. I stopped by on my way home. Delicious!
Please feel free to contact me if you find you need any  more information. I look forward to our call next week as discussed. Thank you once again, Lorelai.
Best regards,
Ted Zero
  Like what you see? Keep reading and we'll show you how to make your own thank you email after an interview.  
  2. Who and When - The Logistics of Sending a Post-interview Thank You Email
  But who gets it? What if you interviewed with multiple people? 
  Right:  
  Send a thank you email after every interview to everyone that was in the room with you. 
  Wrong:
  Send a thank you email to the one person who gave you an email address.
  The exception to the rule would be the panel interview, especially if many of the participants joined via phone or Skype.
  In this situation, it’s okay to send one thank you email after an interview addressed to everyone.
  But what if you don’t have the email addresses for everyone?
  It’s okay to send one email to the person whose address you have with a postscript at the bottom requesting that they forward the email to the other people who were present. 
  Alternatively, you can request the email address of the other people in the postscript so that you can send them personalized emails as well.
  What if you don’t have ANY email addresses? 
  Right:
  Contact the person who organized your interview - the recruiter or HR specialist. Ask for the hiring manager's email address.
  Wrong:
  Have a thank you note written before your interview so you can leave it at reception on your way out the door.
  Why is it a bad idea to write a note beforehand?
   Because you have no chance to reflect on the conversations held during your interview or personalize the note, defeating one of the main purposes of the action.
  Still can't get an address? Call the front desk and inquire about the possibility of obtaining an email address.
  If a receptionist insists that giving out email addresses is not company policy, ask if you may prepare a letter to leave with them so that they may give it to the proper person.
  How soon should you send a thank you email after an interview? 
  Right:
  Within 24 hours after your interview. 
  Wrong:
  Two or three days.
  Now, normal post takes two or three days. And that's far too late. But what if you want to send a handwritten thank you letter after your interview?
  In that case, you should send a post-interview thank you email within 24 hours, alerting a hiring manager to the fact that you’ve dropped a handwritten note in the mail. 
  What if you interview on a Friday, and you can’t get an email out until after working hours?
  Even if you have to send an email after working hours, that’s okay.
  In that case, you can also wait until the following Monday if you know the hiring manager will not check their inbox until then. 
  Pro Tip: If you interview with multiple people, ask for business cards during the interview, so you don’t have to search for emails later. 
    3. Post-interview Thank You Email Or Letter - Which Do You Send?
  Most hiring managers (87%) agree that it is appropriate to receive a thank you email after an interview instead of a handwritten letter. 
  It’s up to you to decide whether or not a hiring manager would appreciate an email or a letter more. In some cases, a hiring manager may not find an email appropriate at all. 
  For example, if you are applying to a stiff, suit-and-tie law firm, ala Devil’s Advocate, you may want to send a handwritten thank you letter after your interview.  
  While some old school companies may see an email as a breach of etiquette, Yale Law School says that it is “preferable [to use email] given the time crunch,” but you should keep the professional business format and tone. 
  To sum up, in 99.99% of situations it is more than okay to send a thank you email after an interview. 
  Another 45% of recruiters will reject your resume if you don't attach a cover letter. Not sure how to write one? Read our guide: "How To Write A Cover Letter [Complete Guide With Examples]" 
      4. Tone, Style, Length - How to Write a Thank You Letter After an Interview
  The key to writing an effective thank you email after an interview is to make it personal. 
  Right:
  A personal message that address topics brought up in the interview.
  Wrong:
  Post-interview thank you email templates or fill-in-the-blank sample thank you letters.
  There are millions of sample thank you emails on the Internet. If you ask Google for templates, it will deliver. 
  I know. It’s extremely tempting to fill in a template. Filling in the blanks gets that email out faster and makes you feel confident that you sent something correct.
  Resist that temptation. Resist.  
  The whole point of sending a thank you email after an interview is:
  To reiterate your interest in the position. 
To keep your sparkling self at the forefront of a recruiter’s mind.
To reinforce your uniqueness as a candidate.
And yes, to express gratitude. 
  With that in mind, you’ll need some more pointers to get started. 
  Right:
  Write a short and sweet note. Implement a three paragraph rule.
  Wrong:
  Give a play-by-play recap of your interview, and go into detail about how awesome you are. 
  Here is a very basic outline of the type of information you should include:
  Hello - thank you - I enjoyed talking to you about that project that I know I have some solutions for - I hope the wedding planning continues to go well - I hope to hear from you in a week as you said - Sincerely - Bye. 
  In the first paragraph, express your gratitude for the opportunity. 
  Use the second paragraph to comment on the value you’d bring to the company by mentioning a project or solution that you discussed. 
  In the third paragraph, you can touch on something that you felt was left out during the interview. Or you can refer to a personal topic that you and the hiring manager bonded over, such as the wedding planning mentioned in the example. 
  Aim for around 200 words and remember that hiring managers are people too. 
  As far as tone is concerned, the degree of formality you use should reflect how formal the recruiter was at your interview.
  Again, it is up to you to decide how formal to be. There are no hard and fast rules. 
  You can use the hiring manager’s first name if you know it for the sake of personalization. 
  You can attach a formal letter, properly formatted, as a PDF file. Then write a shorter thank you email after an interview if you want to make sure that you’ve covered all of your bases. 
  Need more information on sending emails to hiring managers? Emailing your resume is often your first contact. Read our guide on how to establish contact in the first place: "How To Email Your Resume To Get More Job Offers (Examples)"
    5. What to Write - Sample Thank You Email for After an Interview
  I know, I just got done telling you that samples are bad. But this section gives you sample ideas for the content of your post-interview thank you email.
  Start out with using “the three W’s” to guide you. What are the three W’s?
  Well, to be honest, it’s the five W’s, and they are who, what, when, where, and why.
  It’s a technique used by writers, journalists, and genius kids writing essays for English teachers. 
  But you only need three - who, what, and when.
  Who - the hiring manager. 
  Right: 
  Write a thank you email after an interview that focuses on the hiring manager.
  Wrong:
  Write a thank you email after an interview that is a summary of your skills and greatness.
  They already read your resume. They know your skills. It’s time to shift gears and focus on the hiring manager now. 
  Tammy Kabell, CEO of Career Resume Consulting, says:
  "Thank you letters are there to increase your likability not to sell yourself. You want to raise your relevancy and remind the hiring manager why they liked you. And taking the time to do something rare, like writing a handwritten note, raises these factors."
  What - your value and a personal bonding topic. 
  If you are focusing on the hiring manager, there are two things that you should address in the body of your letter. 
  First, you should mention that you can bring value to them by helping them with a project or finding a solution for a problem that they have.
  Think back to your interview, was there anything that got said about how you would accomplish something for them? Refer to that and reiterate how you will help. 
  Next, think if there was any personal topic that you and the recruiter bonded over, such as a shared hobby or interest. Make a reference to that at this point in your post-interview thank you note. 
  Right:
  Solutions and personal bonding topics.
  Wrong: 
  Your skills, accomplishments, and desires.
  When - mention when you expect to hear back from them. 
  You will want to pave the way for a follow-up. After an interview, it is typical to follow up to see if they’ve made a decision or not. 
  And that’s the beauty of sending a thank you email after an interview. It does the job of a follow-up dressed in thank-you-note clothes. Plus you get the opportunity to announce when they can expect the actual follow-up call. 
  Write two lines. 
  The first line should encourage them to contact you if they need more information. 
  Sample: 
  Please let me know if I can provide you with any additional information.
  And one that lets them know when you will follow up with them. 
  Sample: 
  As discussed, I will give you a call in two weeks to follow up and check in with you. I look forward to hearing from you. 
  If you made plans for a follow-up during your interview, refer to the pre-arranged time. 
  What goes in the subject line? 
  A typical inbox reveals about 60 characters of an email’s subject line. That number gets reduced to 25-30 characters on mobile devices.
  It’s the same as when you want to email a resume to a hiring manager. 
  So, “thank you” (with a space) is already nine characters, giving you 51 left to use. 
  Here are five variations less than 60 characters: 
  Thank you, [hiring manager’s name]
Thank you for the interview, [hiring manager’s first name]
Thank you for the opportunity, [hiring manager’s first name]
Writing to say thank you for the interview
I wanted to thank you for the chance to interview with you 
  So what would a thank you email after an interview look like in the end?
  Subject: Just wanted to say thank you for the interview, Melanie
Dear Melanie,
I wanted to thank you for taking the time to meet with me on Friday. I am very excited about the opportunity to work for Aunt Pittypat’s Kittycat Emporium! 
I was thinking about the problem you’re having with selling premium cat toys. I remembered that when I began to organize open house days for customers at my last job, premium toy sales went up by 10%. All we did was allow customers to bring their cats in to try out new toys. I hope that helps!
I also wanted to say good luck with your petunias. I just tried the technique with the banana peels that you suggested to get rid of aphids, and I am looking forward to the results. I will have to let you know how it goes. 
Please feel free to contact me if you find you need any more information. I look forward to our call in two weeks as we discussed. Thank you once again, Melanie. 
Best regards,
Rene Picard
  Pro Tip: Note the informal tone of the email. Rene decided to write Melanie using a friendly tone because she felt that the interview had gone the same way. 
    6. No One Does It, But Adding Personal Touches Impresses Hiring Managers
  If you would like to add a few personal touches to your thank you email after an interview, here are some ideas:
  Add Links
  Add a link to your website, blog, or portfolio - even if they were already on your resume.
  That will remind the hiring manager that you’ve got a blog and give them easy access to it. 
  Add the link in the section about providing more information like this: 
  Please feel free to contact me if you need any more information, or visit my website at www.johnsmith.com 
  Use Nice Stationery 
  If you do decide to drop a handwritten note in the mail, go with professional, personalized stationery instead of a greeting card.
  If you’re going to go with a personal touch, go all the way.  
  Attach a Formal Letter as a PDF
  If you decide not to send a handwritten note by mail, you can still write a formal letter and attach it to your email as a PDF as discussed above.
  It shows that you’ve gone the extra mile. 
  Pro Tip: Don't forget to proofread your email. You can use apps like Grammarly or Language Tool to help you. 
     Key Takeaway
  The three commandments of sending a thank you email after an interview are as follows: 
  You must always send one. 
You must always send one to everyone. 
You must always send one within 24 hours.
  The rest is up to you. Just remember to add personal touches and to gauge the level of formality based on the atmosphere of your interview.
  No hiring manager in the world wouldn’t love to receive an authentic, personal thank you note after an interview.
  And it gives you a golden opportunity to stay in the good graces and the memory of a hiring manager long after that last handshake. 
  Still not sure whether to send an email or a traditional thank-you note? Not sure which interviewer to thank? Leave us a note in the comments, and we will get back to you. Thanks for reading!
  Bonus: Download FREE step-by-step checklist of things to do before an interview. “Things You Need To Do Before Your Big Interview.”
from RSSMix.com Mix ID 8265703 http://ift.tt/2zXG33M via IFTTT
0 notes
shotbydalonewolf · 8 years ago
Text
How to Write a Thank You Email After an Interview (+10 Examples)
  How would you feel if I butted in line when you were waiting to use the bathroom? 
  You would hate me. But why? 
  A little thing called etiquette - the things we do to be polite and make our behavior pleasant to others. 
  Sending a post-interview thank you note is a cornerstone of etiquette. 
  Even if you’re confident that you aced your interview, it’s good form to say thank you for the opportunity.
  But like all forms of polite conversation, it’s easy to make a faux pas if you don’t know the current trends. 
  So, how do you write a thank you email after an interview?
  This guide will answer all your post-interview thank you email questions so that you’re sure that your manners are fit for a king.
  You will find out:
  If you should send a post-interview thank you email or letter.
Who you should send a thank you email to and when.
How to write a thank you email and how to add impressive personal touches.  
  Bonus: Download FREE step-by-step checklist of things to do before an interview. “Things You Need To Do Before Your Big Interview.”
    1. Yes, You Always Need to Send a Thank You Email After an Interview 
  There is no question - you must ALWAYS send a thank you email after an interview. 
  As I mentioned above, it’s just a part of  “post-interview” etiquette. A common courtesy.
  But 57% of candidates don’t send thank you notes after an interview - even though hiring managers expect it.
  For example, 86% of hiring managers said the lack of a thank you note after an interview sends the message that the candidate lacks follow through, and 56% said that it shows the candidate isn’t serious about the position.  
  So, the bottom line is that you must always send a thank you email after an interview.
  Here's an example of what a post-interview thank you email should look like:
  Subject: Thank you for the opportunity, Lorelai
Dear Lorelai,
I wanted to thank you for taking the time to meet with me on Wednesday. I am very excited about the opportunity to work at the Dragonfly Inn!
I was thinking about what Michel said regarding customer feedback on your social media channels. In my last role as Guest Relations Manager, I found that personally responding to comments on social media resulted in an overall increase in repeat customers. I hope that helps.
I also wanted to say that you were right about the coffee at Luke's. I stopped by on my way home. Delicious!
Please feel free to contact me if you find you need any  more information. I look forward to our call next week as discussed. Thank you once again, Lorelai.
Best regards,
Ted Zero
  Like what you see? Keep reading and we'll show you how to make your own thank you email after an interview.  
  2. Who and When - The Logistics of Sending a Post-interview Thank You Email
  But who gets it? What if you interviewed with multiple people? 
  Right:  
  Send a thank you email after every interview to everyone that was in the room with you. 
  Wrong:
  Send a thank you email to the one person who gave you an email address.
  The exception to the rule would be the panel interview, especially if many of the participants joined via phone or Skype.
  In this situation, it’s okay to send one thank you email after an interview addressed to everyone.
  But what if you don���t have the email addresses for everyone?
  It’s okay to send one email to the person whose address you have with a postscript at the bottom requesting that they forward the email to the other people who were present. 
  Alternatively, you can request the email address of the other people in the postscript so that you can send them personalized emails as well.
  What if you don’t have ANY email addresses? 
  Right:
  Contact the person who organized your interview - the recruiter or HR specialist. Ask for the hiring manager's email address.
  Wrong:
  Have a thank you note written before your interview so you can leave it at reception on your way out the door.
  Why is it a bad idea to write a note beforehand?
   Because you have no chance to reflect on the conversations held during your interview or personalize the note, defeating one of the main purposes of the action.
  Still can't get an address? Call the front desk and inquire about the possibility of obtaining an email address.
  If a receptionist insists that giving out email addresses is not company policy, ask if you may prepare a letter to leave with them so that they may give it to the proper person.
  How soon should you send a thank you email after an interview? 
  Right:
  Within 24 hours after your interview. 
  Wrong:
  Two or three days.
  Now, normal post takes two or three days. And that's far too late. But what if you want to send a handwritten thank you letter after your interview?
  In that case, you should send a post-interview thank you email within 24 hours, alerting a hiring manager to the fact that you’ve dropped a handwritten note in the mail. 
  What if you interview on a Friday, and you can’t get an email out until after working hours?
  Even if you have to send an email after working hours, that’s okay.
  In that case, you can also wait until the following Monday if you know the hiring manager will not check their inbox until then. 
  Pro Tip: If you interview with multiple people, ask for business cards during the interview, so you don’t have to search for emails later. 
    3. Post-interview Thank You Email Or Letter - Which Do You Send?
  Most hiring managers (87%) agree that it is appropriate to receive a thank you email after an interview instead of a handwritten letter. 
  It’s up to you to decide whether or not a hiring manager would appreciate an email or a letter more. In some cases, a hiring manager may not find an email appropriate at all. 
  For example, if you are applying to a stiff, suit-and-tie law firm, ala Devil’s Advocate, you may want to send a handwritten thank you letter after your interview.  
  While some old school companies may see an email as a breach of etiquette, Yale Law School says that it is “preferable [to use email] given the time crunch,” but you should keep the professional business format and tone. 
  To sum up, in 99.99% of situations it is more than okay to send a thank you email after an interview. 
  Another 45% of recruiters will reject your resume if you don't attach a cover letter. Not sure how to write one? Read our guide: "How To Write A Cover Letter [Complete Guide With Examples]" 
      4. Tone, Style, Length - How to Write a Thank You Letter After an Interview
  The key to writing an effective thank you email after an interview is to make it personal. 
  Right:
  A personal message that address topics brought up in the interview.
  Wrong:
  Post-interview thank you email templates or fill-in-the-blank sample thank you letters.
  There are millions of sample thank you emails on the Internet. If you ask Google for templates, it will deliver. 
  I know. It’s extremely tempting to fill in a template. Filling in the blanks gets that email out faster and makes you feel confident that you sent something correct.
  Resist that temptation. Resist.  
  The whole point of sending a thank you email after an interview is:
  To reiterate your interest in the position. 
To keep your sparkling self at the forefront of a recruiter’s mind.
To reinforce your uniqueness as a candidate.
And yes, to express gratitude. 
  With that in mind, you’ll need some more pointers to get started. 
  Right:
  Write a short and sweet note. Implement a three paragraph rule.
  Wrong:
  Give a play-by-play recap of your interview, and go into detail about how awesome you are. 
  Here is a very basic outline of the type of information you should include:
  Hello - thank you - I enjoyed talking to you about that project that I know I have some solutions for - I hope the wedding planning continues to go well - I hope to hear from you in a week as you said - Sincerely - Bye. 
  In the first paragraph, express your gratitude for the opportunity. 
  Use the second paragraph to comment on the value you’d bring to the company by mentioning a project or solution that you discussed. 
  In the third paragraph, you can touch on something that you felt was left out during the interview. Or you can refer to a personal topic that you and the hiring manager bonded over, such as the wedding planning mentioned in the example. 
  Aim for around 200 words and remember that hiring managers are people too. 
  As far as tone is concerned, the degree of formality you use should reflect how formal the recruiter was at your interview.
  Again, it is up to you to decide how formal to be. There are no hard and fast rules. 
  You can use the hiring manager’s first name if you know it for the sake of personalization. 
  You can attach a formal letter, properly formatted, as a PDF file. Then write a shorter thank you email after an interview if you want to make sure that you’ve covered all of your bases. 
  Need more information on sending emails to hiring managers? Emailing your resume is often your first contact. Read our guide on how to establish contact in the first place: "How To Email Your Resume To Get More Job Offers (Examples)"
    5. What to Write - Sample Thank You Email for After an Interview
  I know, I just got done telling you that samples are bad. But this section gives you sample ideas for the content of your post-interview thank you email.
  Start out with using “the three W’s” to guide you. What are the three W’s?
  Well, to be honest, it’s the five W’s, and they are who, what, when, where, and why.
  It’s a technique used by writers, journalists, and genius kids writing essays for English teachers. 
  But you only need three - who, what, and when.
  Who - the hiring manager. 
  Right: 
  Write a thank you email after an interview that focuses on the hiring manager.
  Wrong:
  Write a thank you email after an interview that is a summary of your skills and greatness.
  They already read your resume. They know your skills. It’s time to shift gears and focus on the hiring manager now. 
  Tammy Kabell, CEO of Career Resume Consulting, says:
  "Thank you letters are there to increase your likability not to sell yourself. You want to raise your relevancy and remind the hiring manager why they liked you. And taking the time to do something rare, like writing a handwritten note, raises these factors."
  What - your value and a personal bonding topic. 
  If you are focusing on the hiring manager, there are two things that you should address in the body of your letter. 
  First, you should mention that you can bring value to them by helping them with a project or finding a solution for a problem that they have.
  Think back to your interview, was there anything that got said about how you would accomplish something for them? Refer to that and reiterate how you will help. 
  Next, think if there was any personal topic that you and the recruiter bonded over, such as a shared hobby or interest. Make a reference to that at this point in your post-interview thank you note. 
  Right:
  Solutions and personal bonding topics.
  Wrong: 
  Your skills, accomplishments, and desires.
  When - mention when you expect to hear back from them. 
  You will want to pave the way for a follow-up. After an interview, it is typical to follow up to see if they’ve made a decision or not. 
  And that’s the beauty of sending a thank you email after an interview. It does the job of a follow-up dressed in thank-you-note clothes. Plus you get the opportunity to announce when they can expect the actual follow-up call. 
  Write two lines. 
  The first line should encourage them to contact you if they need more information. 
  Sample: 
  Please let me know if I can provide you with any additional information.
  And one that lets them know when you will follow up with them. 
  Sample: 
  As discussed, I will give you a call in two weeks to follow up and check in with you. I look forward to hearing from you. 
  If you made plans for a follow-up during your interview, refer to the pre-arranged time. 
  What goes in the subject line? 
  A typical inbox reveals about 60 characters of an email’s subject line. That number gets reduced to 25-30 characters on mobile devices.
  It’s the same as when you want to email a resume to a hiring manager. 
  So, “thank you” (with a space) is already nine characters, giving you 51 left to use. 
  Here are five variations less than 60 characters: 
  Thank you, [hiring manager’s name]
Thank you for the interview, [hiring manager’s first name]
Thank you for the opportunity, [hiring manager’s first name]
Writing to say thank you for the interview
I wanted to thank you for the chance to interview with you 
  So what would a thank you email after an interview look like in the end?
  Subject: Just wanted to say thank you for the interview, Melanie
Dear Melanie,
I wanted to thank you for taking the time to meet with me on Friday. I am very excited about the opportunity to work for Aunt Pittypat’s Kittycat Emporium! 
I was thinking about the problem you’re having with selling premium cat toys. I remembered that when I began to organize open house days for customers at my last job, premium toy sales went up by 10%. All we did was allow customers to bring their cats in to try out new toys. I hope that helps!
I also wanted to say good luck with your petunias. I just tried the technique with the banana peels that you suggested to get rid of aphids, and I am looking forward to the results. I will have to let you know how it goes. 
Please feel free to contact me if you find you need any more information. I look forward to our call in two weeks as we discussed. Thank you once again, Melanie. 
Best regards,
Rene Picard
  Pro Tip: Note the informal tone of the email. Rene decided to write Melanie using a friendly tone because she felt that the interview had gone the same way. 
    6. No One Does It, But Adding Personal Touches Impresses Hiring Managers
  If you would like to add a few personal touches to your thank you email after an interview, here are some ideas:
  Add Links
  Add a link to your website, blog, or portfolio - even if they were already on your resume.
  That will remind the hiring manager that you’ve got a blog and give them easy access to it. 
  Add the link in the section about providing more information like this: 
  Please feel free to contact me if you need any more information, or visit my website at www.johnsmith.com 
  Use Nice Stationery 
  If you do decide to drop a handwritten note in the mail, go with professional, personalized stationery instead of a greeting card.
  If you’re going to go with a personal touch, go all the way.  
  Attach a Formal Letter as a PDF
  If you decide not to send a handwritten note by mail, you can still write a formal letter and attach it to your email as a PDF as discussed above.
  It shows that you’ve gone the extra mile. 
  Pro Tip: Don't forget to proofread your email. You can use apps like Grammarly or Language Tool to help you. 
     Key Takeaway
  The three commandments of sending a thank you email after an interview are as follows: 
  You must always send one. 
You must always send one to everyone. 
You must always send one within 24 hours.
  The rest is up to you. Just remember to add personal touches and to gauge the level of formality based on the atmosphere of your interview.
  No hiring manager in the world wouldn’t love to receive an authentic, personal thank you note after an interview.
  And it gives you a golden opportunity to stay in the good graces and the memory of a hiring manager long after that last handshake. 
  Still not sure whether to send an email or a traditional thank-you note? Not sure which interviewer to thank? Leave us a note in the comments, and we will get back to you. Thanks for reading!
  Bonus: Download FREE step-by-step checklist of things to do before an interview. “Things You Need To Do Before Your Big Interview.”
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