nobynaga

[nobynaga]

fyi “suffering for one’s art” refers to putting in hours of learning & practice & editing, not untreated mental illness

[nobynaga]

Tips for a newbie fanfiction writer?

[nobynaga]

Here’s to the fanfic writers who can only write sporadically.

Here’s the writers who can’t output enough to keep up with the most popular writers.

Here’s to the writers writing even though they get no feedback.

Here’s to the writers who somehow manage to scrape together a little inspiration and a lot of hard work to write that story they know nearly no one will read.

Here’s to the creators who keep going even when it’ feels like screaming into an empty void.

You’re inspiration, and I don’t know how you do it.

[nobynaga]

when i was a kid, all books containing queer content were banned, most likely across the entire school district. this was not an isolated incident at the time (mid-late 90s). as a kid who didn’t yet realize i was queer, i devoured any of these books i could find from outside sources.

one of the big ones “think of the children” people were upset about was a little book called annie on my mind. the girls were in love, no doubt, but there was no sexual content. they held hands and might have kissed (it’s been a long time since i read it), but absolutely nothing more than that.

and that was the greatest fear of adults. that kids might recognize themselves in girls who called themselves best friends but were also in love.

antis don’t remember how an attempt to “think of the children” led to just another generation who didn’t know anything about gay people other than the super flamboyant dudes you saw on queer eye for the straight guy and will & grace. that’s where we were my entire childhood. tom hanks was allowed to be smart and capable in philadelphia, but he also had aids, the “gay cancer.”

please don’t misunderstand me - i’m not equating queer content with underage or non-con content. but censorship bleeds, just like all forms of authoritarianism does. today we’re censoring content we find abhorrent, like underage stories including romance or sex. and then they ban content about disability and/or mental illness, because children should be protected from uncomfortable content. and then they ban content that discusses racism or other types of oppression. and then they ban content about queer characters of any stripe because, well, queer people are all perverts. fahrenheit 451, which teaches that censorship is wrong, is still banned in many places. they continue to ban books like judy blume’s forever… which depicts teenagers discovering their sexuality. 

(more under the cut, it got long)

Keep reading

[nobynaga]

"How many kudos does my Fic needs for it to be considered 'good enough'?"

None, because that number in the kudos/comments/hits does not measure your effort or passion you have for your own writing.

Numbers do not define you.

[nobynaga]

friendly reminder that if you’re not enjoying your fandom or if you’ve fallen out of love with your show, it’s okay to leave

fandom is about fun and enjoyment and if it’s become draining or stressful then you’re allowed to walk away and find something better - whether that’s a new fandom or something else entirely

[nobynaga]

Not to like “go here” but tbh the phenomenon of internet fandom is a VERY clear symptom of our crumbling society lmao. Not even being a dick either but like. Huge swaths of people don’t just lose themselves in fantasy worlds with an intensity easily comparable to cult participation unless they are also grossly unequipped to face the actual world they live in. There is such obvious emotional displacement involved in fandom delusions — of course the real reason they’re so prevalent is that they allow for a growing number of maladjusted and emotionally stunted human beings to permanently escape their increasingly isolated, unfulfilling reality. A vicious cycle

[nobynaga]

Does there exist an “notify when completed” button for AO3 fics? I strictly read completed works because my memory is bad enough that I forget everything about a fic between updates. There are some nice promising fics that I wish I could subscribe to get an email when they’re completed because checking all the time if anything on my reading list has been completed is annoying. If that makes sense, hahah. thanks in advance!

There’s no way to be notified only when a story is complete, but you can subscribe to a story and get email updates as each chapter is posted. That email will let you know whether the story is completed or not. The subject line will tell you which chapter number it is, and when you click in you’ll be notified of how many total chapters there are. If the numbers are the same, the work is complete. 

[nobynaga]

New writing rule: Checkov’s friend

If you introduce a named character with a relationship to a protagonist, their character arc must be resolved in a way that feels reasonable and satisfying

Which is to say: they can’t just dissappear when they’re no longer a convenient plot device

[nobynaga]

survive out of spite. survive as a witness. survive as a warning to the future. survive so these stories do not disappear

[nobynaga]

antis spewing swerf rhetoric? color me surprised

[nobynaga]

If you are someone who likes to watch a lot of cop shows, I want you to ask yourself a few questions.

Why do all TV cops, even the good ones, hate Internal Affairs? Isn’t the job of Internal Affairs to root out the “bad cops”? Isn’t their job to make sure police follow the rules? Why is that presented as inherently evil or antagonistic? 

Why do all TV cops, even the good ones, hate defense attorneys? Isn’t the defense attorney’s job to protect the rights of all citizens? Isn’t it their job to make sure police follow the law? Isn’t it their job to make sure everyone is treated fairly under the system? Why is that presented as inherently evil or antagonistic? 

Why do all TV cops, even the good ones, get upset when citizens invoke their constitutional rights? Don’t those rights exist to ensure all citizens are treated fairly? Don’t they exist to ensure innocent people are not wrongfully incriminated? Why are citizens who invoke their rights presented as dishonest, untrustworthy, or antagonistic? 

To be clear, I’ve watched Brooklyn 99 and enjoyed it. I was watching Elementary the other day. But even when I watch shows I like, I make a mental note every time a cop lies, breaks the law, subverts someone’s basic rights, or just generally acts like an asshole to the people the are meant to serve and protect. 

How often are they called out on their behavior? How often are they punished for it? How often is it reinforced as correct by the narrative?

When I tell people to be critical of the media they consume that is what I mean. Not simply calling it terrible and moving on, but actually engaging thoughtfully, asking questions, and forming conclusions about what that media is trying to say to you. Then decide whether you want to keep listening, or if it will be better for you in the long run to move on.

[nobynaga]

i really want to normalise the idea amongst lgbt youth that its okay to switch labels as you further understand your identity. you’re not a traitor or a fake if you realise you’re bi instead of a lesbian, or if you’re a trans woman instead of a gay man. it’s really difficult and scary to be lgbt and it’s doubly hard to deal with a shifting identity amongst all that so… be kind to yourself. you’re learning and figuring yourself out and nothing is set in stone. let yourself figure out what feels most comfortable to you. and for those who are secure in their lgbt identities, particularly adults, don’t make kids feel bad for switching between labels. we’ve all had identity crises in our lives, so provide support and understanding rather than unforgiving attitudes.

this post is not an excuse to jump on the “of course you can’t label yourself at a young age” bandwagon either. young people who stick with and feel comfortable in an identity from an early age are just as valid as you are.

[nobynaga]

Dear OC Community,

The time is now.  

Let’s stop the hate and show kindness to each other.  Now is the time to come together as a community. I think most of us want something like this, so why not try to do something about it. It’s possible to set aside differences and show others we care.  

Send a message to that user you’ve been too shy to message.  Leave a kind review.  Let that person you’ve been silently supporting know how much they mean to you.  Send them an ask.  Make a nice comment on their post. Like their posts.  Reblog their posts. There are things we can do.  Easy things.

But the time is now.

[nobynaga]

[nobynaga]

me: BOOO LOVE ISN’T REAL

also me, reading fanfic: oh god this is true love, they are soulmates, they are a match made in heaven, & this will never fail

[nobynaga]

These two images hit different to me.

The top is my homestate. Michigan. Armed protestors against the stay at home order shouting in the faces of police because they want their haircuts.

The bottom is yesterday. Minnesota. More exact, Minneapolis. Miles from where I live. Protestors sitting while police show up in riot gear as they rightfully protest and demand justice for the murder of George Floyd.

I’m not the least bit shocked. But seeing the stark contrast from two places I’ve called home is so disappointing and infuriating that the racist system we live in allows for this and there’s still people who will say the protestors in Minneapolis were wrong. Just... I’m so angry the “land of the free” fails so many people. America was never the land of the free.