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crowover · 3 months

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How I learned to write smarter, not harder

(aka, how to write when you're hella ADHD lol)

A reader commented on my current long fic asking how I write so well. I replied with an essay of my honestly pretty non-standard writing advice (that they probably didn't actually want lol) Now I'm gonna share it with you guys and hopefully there's a few of you out there who will benefit from my past mistakes and find some useful advice in here. XD Since I started doing this stuff, which are all pretty easy changes to absorb into your process if you want to try them, I now almost never get writer's block.

The text of the original reply is indented, and I've added some additional commentary to expand upon and clarify some of the concepts.

As for writing well, I usually attribute it to the fact that I spent roughly four years in my late teens/early 20s writing text roleplay with a friend for hours every single day. Aside from the constant practice that provided, having a live audience immediately reacting to everything I wrote made me think a lot about how to make as many sentences as possible have maximum impact so that I could get that kind of fun reaction. (Which is another reason why comments like yours are so valuable to fanfic writers! <3) The other factors that have improved my writing are thus: 1. Writing nonlinearly. I used to write a whole story in order, from the first sentence onward. If there was a part I was excited to write, I slogged through everything to get there, thinking that it would be my reward once I finished everything that led up to that. It never worked. XD It was miserable. By the time I got to the part I wanted to write, I had beaten the scene to death in my head imagining all the ways I could write it, and it a) no longer interested me and b) could not live up to my expectations because I couldn't remember all my ideas I'd had for writing it. The scene came out mediocre and so did everything leading up to it. Since then, I learned through working on VN writing (I co-own a game studio and we have some visual novels that I write for) that I don't have to write linearly. If I'm inspired to write a scene, I just write it immediately. It usually comes out pretty good even in a first draft! But then I also have it for if I get more ideas for that scene later, and I can just edit them in. The scenes come out MUCH stronger because of this. And you know what else I discovered? Those scenes I slogged through before weren't scenes I had no inspiration for, I just didn't have any inspiration for them in that moment! I can't tell you how many times there was a scene I had no interest in writing, and then a week later I'd get struck by the perfect inspiration for it! Those are scenes I would have done a very mediocre job on, and now they can be some of the most powerful scenes because I gave them time to marinate. Inspiration isn't always linear, so writing doesn't have to be either!

Some people are the type that joyfully write linearly. I have a friend like this--she picks up the characters and just continues playing out the next scene. Her story progresses through the entire day-by-day lives of the characters; it never timeskips more than a few hours. She started writing and posting just eight months ago, she's about an eighth of the way through her planned fic timeline, and the content she has so far posted to AO3 for it is already 450,000 words long. But most of us are normal humans. We're not, for the most part, wired to create linearly. We consume linearly, we experience linearly, so we assume we must also create linearly. But actually, a lot of us really suffer from trying to force ourselves to create this way, and we might not even realize it. If you're the kind of person who thinks you need to carrot-on-a-stick yourself into writing by saving the fun part for when you finally write everything that happens before it: Stop. You're probably not a linear writer. You're making yourself suffer for no reason and your writing is probably suffering for it. At least give nonlinear writing a try before you assume you can't write if you're not baiting or forcing yourself into it!! Remember: Writing is fun. You do this because it's fun, because it's your hobby. If you're miserable 80% of the time you're doing it, you're probably doing it wrong!

2. Rereading my own work. I used to hate reading my own work. I wouldn't even edit it usually. I would write it and slap it online and try not to look at it again. XD Writing nonlinearly forced me to start rereading because I needed to make sure scenes connected together naturally and it also made it easier to get into the headspace of the story to keep writing and fill in the blanks and get new inspiration. Doing this built the editing process into my writing process--I would read a scene to get back in the headspace, dislike what I had written, and just clean it up on the fly. I still never ever sit down to 'edit' my work. I just reread it to prep for writing and it ends up editing itself. Many many scenes in this fic I have read probably a dozen times or more! (And now, I can actually reread my own work for enjoyment!) Another thing I found from doing this that it became easy to see patterns and themes in my work and strengthen them. Foreshadowing became easy. Setting up for jokes or plot points became easy. I didn't have to plan out my story in advance or write an outline, because the scenes themselves because a sort of living outline on their own. (Yes, despite all the foreshadowing and recurring thematic elements and secret hidden meanings sprinkled throughout this story, it actually never had an outline or a plan for any of that. It's all a natural byproduct of writing nonlinearly and rereading.)

Unpopular writing opinion time: You don't need to make a detailed outline.

Some people thrive on having an outline and planning out every detail before they sit down to write. But I know for a lot of us, we don't know how to write an outline or how to use it once we've written it. The idea of making one is daunting, and the advice that it's the only way to write or beat writer's block is demoralizing. So let me explain how I approach "outlining" which isn't really outlining at all.

I write in a Notion table, where every scene is a separate table entry and the scene is written in the page inside that entry. I do this because it makes writing nonlinearly VASTLY more intuitive and straightforward than writing in a single document. (If you're familiar with Notion, this probably makes perfect sense to you. If you're not, imagine something a little like a more contained Google Sheets, but every row has a title cell that opens into a unique Google Doc when you click on it. And it's not as slow and clunky as the Google suite lol) When I sit down to begin a new fic idea, I make a quick entry in the table for every scene I already know I'll want or need, with the entries titled with a couple words or a sentence that describes what will be in that scene so I'll remember it later. Basically, it's the most absolute bare-bones skeleton of what I vaguely know will probably happen in the story.

Then I start writing, wherever I want in the list. As I write, ideas for new scenes and new connections and themes will emerge over time, and I'll just slot them in between the original entries wherever they naturally fit, rearranging as necessary, so that I won't forget about them later when I'm ready to write them. As an example, my current long fic started with a list of roughly 35 scenes that I knew I wanted or needed, for a fic that will probably be around 100k words (which I didn't know at the time haha). As of this writing, it has expanded to 129 scenes. And since I write them directly in the page entries for the table, the fic is actually its own outline, without any additional effort on my part. As I said in the comment reply--a living outline!

This also made it easier to let go of the notion that I had to write something exactly right the first time. (People always say you should do this, but how many of us do? It's harder than it sounds! I didn't want to commit to editing later! I didn't want to reread my work! XD) I know I'm going to edit it naturally anyway, so I can feel okay giving myself permission to just write it approximately right and I can fix it later. And what I found from that was that sometimes what I believed was kind of meh when I wrote it was actually totally fine when I read it later! Sometimes the internal critic is actually wrong. 3. Marinating in the headspace of the story. For the first two months I worked on [fic], I did not consume any media other than [fandom the fic is in]. I didn't watch, read, or play anything else. Not even mobile games. (And there wasn't really much fan content for [fandom] to consume either. Still isn't, really. XD) This basically forced me to treat writing my story as my only source of entertainment, and kept me from getting distracted or inspired to write other ideas and abandon this one.

As an aside, I don't think this is a necessary step for writing, but if you really want to be productive in a short burst, I do highly recommend going on a media consumption hiatus. Not forever, obviously! Consuming media is a valuable tool for new inspiration, and reading other's work (both good and bad, as long as you think critically to identify the differences!) is an invaluable resource for improving your writing.

When I write, I usually lay down, close my eyes, and play the scene I'm interested in writing in my head. I even take a ten-minute nap now and then during this process. (I find being in a state of partial drowsiness, but not outright sleepiness, makes writing easier and better. Sleep helps the brain process and make connections!) Then I roll over to the laptop next to me and type up whatever I felt like worked for the scene. This may mean I write half a sentence at a time between intervals of closed-eye-time XD

People always say if you're stuck, you need to outline.

What they actually mean by that (whether they realize it or not) is that if you're stuck, you need to brainstorm. You need to marinate. You don't need to plan what you're doing, you just need to give yourself time to think about it!

What's another framing for brainstorming for your fic? Fantasizing about it! Planning is work, but fantasizing isn't.

You're already fantasizing about it, right? That's why you're writing it. Just direct that effort toward the scenes you're trying to write next! Close your eyes, lay back, and fantasize what the characters do and how they react.

And then quickly note down your inspirations so you don't forget, haha.

And if a scene is so boring to you that even fantasizing about it sucks--it's probably a bad scene.

If it's boring to write, it's going to be boring to read. Ask yourself why you wanted that scene. Is it even necessary? Can you cut it? Can you replace it with a different scene that serves the same purpose but approaches the problem from a different angle? If you can't remove the troublesome scene, what can you change about it that would make it interesting or exciting for you to write?

And I can't write sitting up to save my damn life. It's like my brain just stops working if I have to sit in a chair and stare at a computer screen. I need to be able to lie down, even if I don't use it! Talking walks and swinging in a hammock are also fantastic places to get scene ideas worked out, because the rhythmic motion also helps our brain process. It's just a little harder to work on a laptop in those scenarios. XD

In conclusion: Writing nonlinearly is an amazing tool for kicking writer's block to the curb. There's almost always some scene you'll want to write. If there isn't, you need to re-read or marinate.

Or you need to use the bathroom, eat something, or sleep. XD Seriously, if you're that stuck, assess your current physical condition. You might just be unable to focus because you're uncomfortable and you haven't realized it yet.

Anyway! I hope that was helpful, or at least interesting! XD Sorry again for the text wall. (I think this is the longest comment reply I've ever written!)

And same to you guys on tumblr--I hope this was helpful or at least interesting. XD Reblogs appreciated if so! (Maybe it'll help someone else!)

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crowover · 3 months

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crowover · 5 months

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crowover · 5 months

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❥ | _jwlettering on ig

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crowover · 6 months

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"SURVIVING"

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crowover · 6 months

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graceful gallop

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crowover · 7 months

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"SURVIVING"

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crowover · 7 months

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Oohhh i wanna do this! Astarion is stuck in my head for the last 5 months and i'm happy to share that! xD

-Was Astarion a child by Elven standards when he was changed?: I would say yes - mentally. Well not childCHILD more a rebellious teenager, especially cause Cazador for sure treat him like a child or at least made sure to remind him that he doesn't grow or change. We know he also stays this rebellious teenager no matter how hard Cazador tries to beat it out of him. Also thats why fics with Astarion having kids or being married pre vampire are a bit weird to me. He's just too young for any of that, by Elven standards especially.

-How tall is Astarion?: He is the shortest of the BG3 boys in my HC, not by much but still. >:D So from tallest to shortest - Karlack, Wyll, Gale, Astarion, Shadowheart LaeZel

-What is Astarion's natural eye color?: I always liked gold the most. But i'm cool with any other HC really. Maybe not green thou (even if its my fav color haha) just feels too woodelf'y for me.

-Dom or Sub? Top or Bottom?: Dont care. If anything he leaned/forced to be anything what ppl asked of him. And his preferences after he learns about his sexuality? Just read a book instead. ASEstarion baby! But i do think he'll still do it with his partner sometimes for the nice feelings and somewhat enjoy it too.

-The Twins?: Sad scene. I think its good Larian added it to show that Astarion doesn't just suddenly heal just cause he is in a healthy relationship and it will take time.

-Halsin?: i'm NOT a fan of Halsin to be clear. He's mhe to me as a character, i really don't care about him or his story in game, was kinda bland i guess. I cant see him being in a relationship with Astarion either. There was post on tumblr saying Astarion would hate Halsing if he was romancing a good Tav and YES i agree with that! Asatrion would spiral and ask himself why Tav is with him when this perfect goodygood giant elf is right there and be too self-conscious to say no to the polyamory question he got. We see that in game as well but Larian needed one of the male character to be okay with it so they ran with our pale elf...

-Ascend Astarion or Spawn Astarion?: Both are awesome! Neil is amazing haha But I choose Spawn in all my runs! He just grows so much as a character and still is a lovable menace no matter what!

-Can Ascended Astarion become/stay good?: hmm well i do love fanfics when ppl try to redeem the True vampire. HONESTLY i kinda dont like that the Ascended Vampire is not that different from a true vampire in the end. Like he supposed to have his humanity and human needs back right? He just becomes evil and power hungry. (yeye i do get that nothing good can come from killing 7k ppl but still.) I do think that Ascended vamps should be something more and can be "good". Imagine if Cazador would Ascend and be like - Oh, wait, i fucked up, what are THESE FEELING?! haha

-Is Astarion good, evil, or morally grey?: Morally grey ALWAYS. Spawn Astarion is the epitome of Chaotic neutral. Not chaotic evil what some ppl try to place him "cAuSe hE's VaMpIrE" or "he does evil things" pff, DnD dropped the placing of characters/races in strict boxes some time ago anyway and of course he does mean things when it was the only thing he knew for almost 200 years. The most important part of chaotic neutral is his own freedom and needs and that is what Astarion's character/story is about. I think even ascended Astarion is more 50/50 Neutral and Evil, thats also why when romancing him he uses the word "fun" to describe his relationship. And i love that he stays morally grey after the epilogue with killing "bad" ppl for his needs (i doubt he'll do that if he didn't need blood to survive haha)

-Post-game Astarion HCs: Well i do love spawn Astarion and that he and his friends would try to find a way for him to walk in the sun! maybe after they free Karlack? I dont think he would care much for the 7k spawn for too long. Not being the plan ahead or details guys kinda is in the way for leading a colony of spawn i would say. haha After some time he'll seek out out his friends just to "bother" them. Like in the ending (gods i dislike it so much) before Astarion runs of from the sun, he was so happy to just celebrate and spend time with his buddies! And then is literally slapped in the face by the sun and all his companions do is just comment on - "welp no more sun for him hurdur" LIKE WHAT? guys he can literally die now and you dont even try to help or support him?! oof Larian i get it was a supposed to be "funny moment" but its really not... and they know it too! With how Astarion origin story ends so like why does it end like that for any other playercharacter? urgh ANYWAY i'm just rambling now

-Pre-Cazador/Magistrate Astarion HCs: Oh i'm sure Astarion was a asshole. Not too corrupted just yet but maybe was slowly heading that way. I think he was too young to have that of an important position just yet, so more like at the beginning of his magistrate career. Most likely he wasn't known and his murder wasn't a big deal either and Casador knew that. I do think Astarion moved to Baldur's Gate and had no family/friends there either, just focusing on work.

The Headcanon Game - Astarion

Hey everyone! I thought it'd be fun to make a new little game around Astarion, there's just so much that's debated back and forth in fandom that- instead of fighting about it- what if we just shared our personal headcanons about some of the most popular debates and why?

You can either reblog this and add yours there, or make your own (and hopefully tag me? I'd love to see it!) but I hope you guys find this to be as much fun as I do!

Slight NSFW ahead

The template:

Was Astarion a child by Elven standards when he was changed?:

How tall is Astarion?:

What is Astarion's natural eye color?:

Dom or Sub? Top or Bottom?:

The Twins?:

Halsin?:

Ascend Astarion or Spawn Astarion?:

Can Ascended Astarion become/stay good?:

Is Astarion good, evil, or morally grey?:

Post-game Astarion HCs:

Pre-Cazador/Magistrate Astarion HCs:

WITHOUT FURTHER ADO, my thoughts 😌

Was Astarion a child by Elven standards when he was changed?:

Yes and no! I don't think that Astarion was literally a child (obviously), but culturally I do absolutely believe he was regarded as a child/young adult. Elves live for nearly a millennia and there's no way that that comes without the interpretation that ages much greater than our own are exceedingly young to them.

An Elven man who hasn't even hit his first century of life? Even in the most human-saturated cultures, that is very young. And while other people/races may not have treated him as such, his parents certainly thought so.

How tall is Astarion?:

5'11", per the Githyanki description of him. Though I go a little feral over 5'9" Astarion too,,,

What is Astarion's natural eye color?:

I prefer Topaz! I like the thought of this ghostly haired, golden eyed pretty boy who turns desaturated and red when his life his stolen from him. I even like to think that maybe when he was alive he'd do the redhead thing where his skin would explode with faint freckles when he spent too much time in the sun, and the vampirism washed them away.

Dom or Sub? Top or Bottom?:

Dom/Top leaning switch, in my opinion. Astarion is reveling in having control for the first time in centuries, and I think for an extremely long time that's all he's willing to do as well. I'd go so far as to say that he likely has some very poor reactions the first time he tries to let go of the reigns.

However, once he grows to truly love, trust, adore Tav? Say when those fateful six months have passed? I could see him giving it a try. If Tav is gentle with him, patient with him, I think the amount of love and attention he's being given would have him cumming harder than he ever has before.

In the least to say, Tav has unleashed a very spoiled little nightmare onto their hands alone.

The Twins?:

I genuinely believe he wants to try, here. He's still riding the high of feeling free, and Astarion is an exceptionally impulsive, brash person. He doesn't like plans, he doesn't like waiting. He's free! Everything has to be better now, yes?

Except... it's not, and he responds poorly to it. I don't think he particularly wants to talk about it afterward, either. It's not a "too traumatized to talk" thing, it's a "too humiliated and frustrated to talk" thing. He needs to be given time, to have Tav wait for him to come around on his own terms. Trying to comfort him while his emotions on it are still a live wire will have him snapping at them. It comes off as pity to him.

Halsin?:

Controversial, but no.

I don't doubt Astarion wants to be okay with it. I think he'd love to be exactly as confident and cocksure as he acts, but I don't believe the span of the game to be long enough to erase centuries of sexual trauma and deep rooted feelings of self-loathing and inadequacy.

Halsin is one of the few he registers as an actual threat to the relationship, in my mind. In part because he's so eager to open the relationship. So trusting, so loving. And he's also just... a big hunk of all of that. So Astarion will force himself to accept it, because having part of Tav is better than having none of them.

Now... the more important question.

Could he ever be okay with it?

Yes! Just not so soon.

Give him time to breathe and grow, to accept who he is. To accept that Tav genuinely, actually loves him for the long term, and he'll damn well become a freak himself. It's just not within a span of days or weeks at most of being free. And I don't believe Astarion will ever actually fully okay with sharing Tav emotionally. Sex? Sure. Love? Not so much. He's a jealous boy.

Just saying... Six month reunion orgy.

Ascend Astarion or Spawn Astarion?:

Spawn! But both are EXTREMELY fun. I like the infinite possibilities of Ascended Astarion, both good and horribly bad. Want your deepest, darkest, dead dove angst unhealthy relationship? Yes! Want your dark romantic, sexy relationship? Yes! Want your Dracula Lisa? Yes!

However realistically, A!Star is a shitbag and I will take my little Spawn and his gaggle of seven thousand accidents. I love seeing how disgustingly infatuated he is with Tav by the end.

Can Ascended Astarion become/stay good?:

I think so! But that's just because of how open his story becomes. He's a shitbag the first six months but we really have absolutely no clue where he's going from there. NOW ARE THE ODDS BAD? Yes...

But that's what fanfiction and headcanons are for, no?

Is Astarion good, evil, or morally grey?:

Morally grey, methinks. I don't like how people gun so hard for one or the other, both pretending that they know him best. It's in my opinion that he's neither as foul or as good as people like to make him out to be. There's a reason so much of his story was retconned or wiped out before it ever even came to fruition.

He's complicated, mean, spiteful. But he also loves and cares, fusses, grows for Tav, and so incredibly fast. That's not an evil or good man. But one that could become whatever he chooses.

Post-game Astarion HCs:

I have a few routes for Astarion that I desperately enjoy. However I think it remains a constant that Astarion is not ready to immediately settle down after the end of the game. He's been trapped in the city, in Cazador's Manor for centuries. He wants to go, to see, he wants to stretch his legs and see what the world has become, what he's missed out on.

He wants to go spelunking in ancient ruins, he wants to mind artifacts, he wants to find a cure. He wants to wipe the blood from Tav's face and devour them in the aftermath of battle. In his mind, Astarion has all eternity to settle down now.

However, in a similar vein. For a Tav who can't adventure? Well, he has all eternity after they pass. There's no point wasting such precious time, when he can cherish every last minute he has with the person who helped him feel love again.

I think that either way, once he does settle down, Astarion becomes a tailor. A very popular one at that. Not for the typical reasons— though he is incredibly talented.

People flock to him for the simple fact that he never gives them exactly what they want. It's a surprise, every time.

Fitted perfect to their body, completely bespoke designs, and completely a mystery until it ends up in the customers hands. But one thing is universally guaranteed; the end result is spectacular.

His immediate fame comes from the noble youth of Baldur's Gate. Forced into dresses or suits that they don't want, uncomfortable and crawling in their skin. Too feminine, too masculine, doesn't fit, doesn't— Astarion can sniff their grief and discomfort from a mile off. And parents who wanted dresses get suits, parents who wanted suits get dresses, with a very simple: "No refunds."

Pre-Cazador/Magistrate Astarion HCs:

OKAY this is the one that I've stewed on the longest.

I don't think he was evil. Nice? No. But not evil.

The reason I say this is because, most people who think he's a crooked Magistrate turning dirty deals is because of Early Access. But EA all but outright states Astarion isn't just a crook, he's practically a slave driver for Cazador and knew him intimately. Several of these things (gladly) have been retconned or entirely removed from his storyline.

What we do have however, is that in his first decade of servitude, knowing full well he'll be beaten and tortured, he lets some boy go for being sweet to him for all of one night. That doesn't give the temperament of someone who is so self serving and so vile that he'd sell people for cash.

Instead, my personal interpretation is this:

High Elves are- as far as I can tell- exceedingly privileged, even in Baldur's Gate. And for Astarion to be a Magistrate so young? It gives me the image that his family was at the very least very wealthy, if not outright nobility themselves.

As a result, Astarion likely grew never knowing personal strife. He was privileged, spoiled, doted upon. Part of the prime demographic to be protected by the city guard and the Flaming Fists.

And as we know, Astarion is impulsive, rash, short sighted, lacking in empathy at the best of times. I think that due to his own upbringing and his singular perspective on how effectively the guard works for people like him. He couldn't see past his own nose, couldn't imagine a world where the guard is draconian instead of just, that they have favoritism and turn the other cheek to crime if its against people they don't like or for enough coin in their pockets.

I think he very genuinely believed in the judicial system, blindly so.

He wasn't a crook, he was a zealot.

The only way he could ever see a person breaking the law is because they truly wanted to, and therefore they're deserving of the harshest punishments of the law. To the letter. (Remember what he says during the tests?)

But that doesn't exactly make friends. Sure, he was doing his job exactly how it was meant to be done. But that means both the innocent being punished overly harshly, and the actual crooks not getting out by coin or bribery.

And that leads him straight to Cazador. This beautiful, confident, exceedingly naive and gullible magistrate that would be prime pickings. Who made himself an enemy by being too strict in his rulings. Easy to pay off someone already resentful of his choices. Wait for him to fall, and sweep in at his most desperate.

The ending result being that Astarion swings savagely in the opposite direction. Because his becomes a story of cosmic irony, such blind faith in the city only to be so horribly failed. Only to become one of the people that he would have punished savagely without any empathy for his plight.

Hence being gentle enough to save someone's life at the expense of his own, those fledgling ten years of his initial transformation. Not a nice man, not an evil one.

Or, TLDR:

That's all for now! I hope you enjoyed!

#fun #astarion #baldur's gate 3 #astarion ancunin #astarion headcanons

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crowover · 8 months

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i can’t talk shit about the pirates of the caribbean films as if elizabeth swann becoming pirate king didn’t hand my entire ass to me and make me the gay i am today

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crowover · 8 months

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5 simple exercises to awaken dormant muscles

{source}

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crowover · 8 months

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pro-AI in the sense of "they taught a bread scanning computer to recognize cancer cells" etc etc

against AI in the sense of "we stole artwork from hundreds to thousands of artists, didn't credit them and didn't financially compensate them"

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crowover · 8 months

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No No No! 🙀 Don’t take your hands. I feel so comfy. 💕🐊

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crowover · 8 months

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plant care masterpost ⋆˚✿˖°

Types of Plants: plants come in all shapes and sizes and each plant has specific needs! so here's some quick tips to keep in mind while picking out a little plant friend!

a general rule of thumb when choosing a plant is considering how the plant thrives in it's natural habitat and providing that with your care, whether it's in a sunny spot in your window or in your garden outside. Succulents and Cacti need more sun and dry conditions than tropical plants that enjoy more wet and humid conditions. keep this in mind while growing many different types at once!

if growing plants in a terrarium make sure there is plenty of light and air circulation to prevent moisture buildup and rot. do not seal the plants inside! you'll want to be able to remove them in case they get sick.

all plants have unique grow-times and dormant periods. for example plants native to the northern hemisphere go dormant (hibernate) while plants in the southern hemisphere are growing, and vice-versa. plants in their peak grow-time require more water and care than dormant ones.

some tropical plants have very specific needs; like staghorns, orchids and air plants so I recommend researching those thoughroughly before getting one.

I don't have a lot of experience with trees, fruits and vegetables so I'm skipping those for now.

Watering: the amount of water a plant needs depends mostly on what type of plant it is and which climate it's in. remember that growing plants need more water and dormant plants need less!

plants only drink when they're awake! roots are most active during the daytime so water your plants in the morning, afternoon or evening. watering at night will cause too much water to sit in the pot and will rot the roots.

tropical plants are picky needy guys and enjoy very damp, humid, rainforest-like conditions. humidifiers help keep moisture in the air as well as routine misting with a waterbottle, just make sure there's proper ventilation so the plants aren't too wet for too long.

arid plants like succulents and cacti are pros at storing water and need less watering than other plants. (I water mine every 2 weeks. 3 weeks in the winter.)

no plant likes having wet feet! make sure your pots and containers have drainage holes to allow airflow to the roots and so excess water can escape.

it's always better to under water than to overwater! it's easier to save a dried-up plant than a rotten one. so if your plant seems sick it's better to hold off on watering it for a while.

most plants die from getting too much water! overwatering leads to rot, infections, mold, and even attracts bugs! it's a bad time! so only water your plants when the soil is dry and make sure there's proper drainage.

an overwatered plant will look sickly. it might turn yellow or pale, drop it's leaves, or be squishy to the touch. some plants like succulents or cacti may have swollen, cracked stems from absorbing too much water.

an underwatered plant will look droopy and the leaves will feel dry, crispy or wrinkled. water the plant throughroughly until water drains out of the bottom of the container and give it some time to recover. if your plant is severely dehydrated you might want to completely soak it, spraying the entire plant and putting the pot in a basin or tray of water so it can absorb water as needed.

Soil: the type of soil depends on the type of plant, but all plants require nutrients in order to grow. it's important to use well-draining soil and provide airflow to the roots.

typically you want soil that's a mix of organic matter and grit (like pumice or lava rock.) the organic matter provides nutrients while grit helps keep the soil loose so it doesn't compact and rot the roots while watering. (I've been using Bonsai Jack's gritty mix for years and I swear by the stuff.)

keep in mind that thick, organic soil holds water longer than a loose, gritty mix and takes longer to dry out so you should water your plants less. likewise, gritty mix drains faster and may require more watering, especially in the summer.

seedlings require more nutrients and have less developed roots so highly organic soils or coco coir works best. (more organic matter = more prone to rot though so be careful!)

worms are friends. like seriously. earthworms in your pots are a good thing! not only does it mean your soil is rich in nutrients plants love, but worm tunnels help create air pockets in the soil so your plant's roots can breathe easier and helps prevents rot. they won't hurt your plant at all and only eat decomposing matter. if you don't want them in your house though they'll do wonders for your garden!

#aawww thank you!

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