#I can see a lot of this show's influence on Becky Chambers' too

[roosterzebra]

The way Farscape handles command structures and militarism is SO fascinating. Just finished season 1, normally when a show like this from this era invokes anarchy it's in a negative light - a refusal to adhere to a normative hierarchical system that is the only semblance of existence a show can conceptualize of.

Farscape, the crew of Moya, are essentially a leaderless commune on a space ship. No one has unilateral power for action, no uniforms beyond a charade for others. They decide by voting, but even then they cannot force someone else to act against their will. The one instance this happened, attacking Pilot, was vilified by the others who could not stop the act of force - and it wasn't forgiven by the others by the episodes end or even in the future. They're anarchic, for better and for worse.

But also they're a found family! All of them have some level of sexual/romantic tension with each other! Pilot/Moya are the foundation of the polycule (in a literal and metaphorical sense) and function as the queer elders who give advice and guidance.

The choice for the Peacekeeper cop species to look identical to humans!! But also the way the show balances individual redemption is fascinating.

[lyricfulloflight]

R, V, Y, Z please!!

R: Which writers (fanfic or otherwise) do you consider the biggest influence on you and your writing?

You know, I’m not really sure.  I don’t try to sound like other people or write like other people.  I am inspired by writers that I think write characters who mean something characters that feel real.  Who can write about relationships and people and what it means to be human.  Becky Chambers comes to mind as a great example of that kind of writing.

I also read a lot of romance and have for years.  Authors who write romance well, write good characters.  They write people you would fall in love with, or be best friends with, and you root for them to fall in love and find the right person.  So I’d love to write like Jane Austen, or Julia Quinn, or Lisa Kleypas, or Christina Lauren, or any of the many talented romance writers I enjoy.

Within fandom, I’m long-fic fan, so I admire authors who can take my favourite characters and just throw them into a completely different world and run with it. Some of my favourite cherik authors are: Yahtzee, @ikeracity, @kianspo, @pinkoptics.  If I can write something people enjoy have as much as I’ve enjoyed the fics by these authors, I think I’m doing something right.

V: Are there certain comments you’ve received on your stories that have stuck with you?

Yes!  And when I’m having a down day (which I have a lot of right now) I go back and read comments to give myself a boost.

I had a lovely comment on ‘Airwaves’, one of my cherik fics, where the commenter said they “wished they could listen to Charles’ radio show”.  It wasn’t a long comment, but to think I had written something that touched someone so much they wanted to be able to live it, they wanted that radio show to be a real thing, was so incredible.

Y: What are your thoughts on your personal satisfaction with something you’ve written vs. the popularity of your stories?  Do you tend to be most satisfied with your most popular stories?  

I think this is a tough question.  And its something I personally struggle with.  I can be someone who puts too much emphasis on feedback - not necessarily popularity, but comments specifically. When I don’t get comments, I get a bit depressed and I doubt myself.  I’m working on trying to stop being that way, because I know there are many reasons people do not leave comments.

But, the more i write, the more I realize I can be satisfied with writing for many different reasons.  For example, I finally finished a long fic.  I had never done that before and I think I would be satisfied with that fic whether it was popular or not (although it is by far my most read fic).

But I’m also really happy with my cute, short little one shots.  They are sweet and fluffy and exactly what I wanted them to be.  They are not popular.  But when I re-read them, I can see I wrote what I wanted to write and that’s satisfying.

Z: Is there a story you’ve written that doesn’t seem to get much love?

The Fall doesn’t get a lot of love.  And I get that.  It’s not a ‘ship’ fic.  It’s a story about Charles and Raven as siblings, so I think a lot of people pass it by.  It doesn’t bother me though.  It was a prompted fic and the person who prompted me was happy with it and I was satisfied with what I wrote. 

[callunavulgari]

Scrapbook 2019 | Pt. II

Reminder:

Normal font - Indifferent/Neutral Italicized font - Enjoyed bold font - Loved with an asterisk* - All time favorite (bracketed titles) - Re-watches/Re-reads strikethough - Disliked

Goals are: read one hundred books this year (on track, currently at 76), finish five video games (FIN), write something novel-length (not so much) and write something original (technically done? don’t know if I want to count a snippet that didn’t even hit 1k). These last two goals CAN be combined (I might try NaNo this year, so we will see).

Part I: January-July. 

MOVIES

August

American Graffiti

Toy Story 4

Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark

Aquaman

(Spirited Away)

The Grinch

Invader Zim: Enter the Florpus

John Wick

Alita: Battle Angel

(Jaws)

Jaws 2

The Dark Tower

September

(Avengers Endgame)

IT: Chapter 2

(Kull: The Conquerer)

(Lord of the Rings: Return of the King)

October

Lego Movie 2

Us

Roman Holiday

(Monster’s Inc)

(13 Ghosts)

Addams Family

November

The King

BOOKS

August

Red, White, and Royal Blue | Casey Mcquiston [Fin]

Nevernight | Jay Kristoff [Fin]

David Mogo, Godhunter | Suyi Davies Okungbowa [Fin]

League of Dragons | Naomi Novak [Fin]

The Magpie Lord | KJ Charles [Fin]

Witches of Lychford | Paul Cornell [Fin]

The Gunslinger | Stephen King

The Affair of the Mysterious Letter | Alexis Hall [Fin]

Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine | Gail Honeyman [Fin]

The Way of Kings | Brandon Sanderson

September

The Way of Kings | Brandon Sanderson [Fin]

The Gunslinger | Stephen King [Fin]

Educated | Tara Westover [Fin]

Middlegame | Seanan Mcguire [Fin]

Eye of the World | Robert Jordan

Harrow County Vol. 1 | Cullen Bunn [Fin]

Harrow County Vol. 2 | Cullen Bunn [Fin]

Harrow County Vol. 3 | Cullen Bunn [Fin]

Harrow County Vol. 4 | Cullen Bunn [Fin]

Harrow County Vol. 5 | Cullen Bunn [Fin]

Exhalation | Ted Chiang [Fin]

The Ten Thousand Doors of January | Alix Harrow** [Fin]

Through the Woods | Emily Carroll [Fin]

To Be Taught, If Fortunate | Becky Chambers** [Fin]

The Eye of the World | Robert Jordan [Fin]

Chilling Effect | Valerie Valdes [Fin]

October

We Are Where the Nightmares Go | C. Robert Cargill [Fin]

Horrorstor | Grady Hendrix [Fin]

Feedback | Mira Grant [Fin]

Ninth House | Leigh Bardugo [Fin] 

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo | Taylor Jenkins Reid [Fin]

Monster of Elendhaven | Jennifer Giesbrecht [Fin]

Mirrormask | Neil Gaiman [Fin]

The Darkest Part of the Forest | Holly Black [Fin]

We Set the Dark on Fire | Tehlor Kay Mejia [Fin]

November

The Gilded Wolves | Roshani Chokshi [Fin]

Words of Radiance | Brandon Sanderson 

PODCASTS

August

The Magnus Archive Eps 11-63

Alice Isn’t Dead Ep 5

September

The Magnus Archive Eps 64-94

The Adventure Zone | Episode 5

October

The Magnus Archive Eps 95-159**

Welcome to Night Vale

Alice Isn’t Dead Eps 6-10 + bonus episodes

TANIS Ep 1

The Penumbra Podcast

Zero Hours**

November

The Penumbra Podcast

The Magnus Archive Eps 160

TV SHOWS

August

Buzzfeed Unsolved: Supernatural

Another Life

She-Ra s3

Steven Universe s5

Glow s1

(Gravity Falls s2)

September

Carnival Row

Sherlock s4

Fruit’s Basket

October

Buzzfeed Unsolved: Supernatural s6

Leverage s1

Fruit’s Basket

November

Buzzfeed Unsolved: Supernatural s6

VIDEO GAMES

August

Witcher 3 DLC: Blood and Wine (40 hrs)

September

Control (20 hrs)

Monster Hunter World

Monster Hunter World: Icebourne

Link’s Awakening (23 hrs)

October

Monster Hunter World: Icebourne

Link’s Awakening (30 hrs) [Fin]

Assassin’s Creed: Origins (10 hours)

November

Assassin’s Creed: Origins (10 hours)

DELIGHTFUL FIC

August

In These Frozen and Silent Nights by beethechange | Buzzfeed Unsolved | Ryan/Shane | “You know me,” Shane says, “I love a good cabin. I’m a cabinhead.”“I’ll show you cabin head,” Ryan rebuts without thinking, and then he turns his face into the pillow to stifle a nervous snicker. “Oh shit, wait, that’s—”

Warm My Bones by blacktofade | Buzzfeed Unsolved | Ryan/Shane | 12k | Shane isn't meant to go into heat, but he does.

and only then we'll know if it was worth to become a ghost by Spooks | Buzzfeed Unsolved | Ryan/Shane | 8k | It has never been easy, convincing Shane of the existence of the supernatural. It doesn't become incredibly much easier once Ryan becomes a ghost himself.

#blessed by thehoyden | Buzzfeed Unsolved | Ryan/Shane | 9k | Of course Shane would rather not work; he’d like it to be like the good old days, and who wouldn’t? But a demon’s gotta eat, and he can’t even get a discount on his rent because it turns out it’s a lot harder to influence faceless companies with ominous dreams. Ergo: gainful employment at Buzzfeed.

i think i'm still turning out by the_tenerife_sea | Buzzfeed Unsolved | Ryan/Shane | 6k |  Shane is starting to think Ryan is using him for his baby, considering how much he’s already talked her up to all of their coworkers and friends.

never tell me the odds by Wildehack (tyleet) | Wolf 359 | Doug/Hera | 9k | “I tried Star Wars," he says, adjusting the phone under his neck, "and it was way underwhelming.”

Alien Reacharound by Edgelord (lostlikeme) | Invader Zim | Zadr | 3k | “You’re telling me the only way I can get back into my body is some kind of…” Dib gesticulates while he searches for the right words. “Alien reacharound?”

Find Me Somebody by raiining | Good Omens | Adam/Warlock | 11k | “You left me,” he said. “You both left me, for him. And I can’t even blame you, because I’d have left me for him too.”

flirting with fire by brawlite | Stranger Things | Harringrove | 6k | WIP | Steve's a cop, Billy's a firefighter. It's not a grudge, it's just a regular old small town rivalry.

and you're trying not to tell him by lymricks | Stranger Things | Harringrove | 4k | Whatever. They don’t talk, is the point, and Billy doesn’t need to finish all these big, deep, tragic sentences in his head. He needs to know if Harrington can’t swim.For lifeguard reasons. It’s his job, all right?

See Your Colors by lj_todd | The Dark Tower | Roland/Walter | 2k | The first time Roland laid eyes on Walter was the first time he saw color.

Straight Martinis by dreamfleet, mezmerize | Kingdom Hearts | Axel/Roxas | 5k | The obvious choice. (Or, cocktail parties are boring and hot waiters are fantastic distractions.)

September

gold, when you find me by mmtion | The Flash | Iris/Barry | 53k | It's not that Iris hates The Flash, per say - more that she hates writing about The Streak in a weekly, pun-heavy comic based on The Flash.

From friends to this by Ever-so-reylo (Ever_So_Reylo) | Star Wars | Reylo | 3.6k | Ben has never been good with words; Rey, it seems, doesn’t mind learning his language.

wear it well by sarcasticfishes | Buzzfeed Unsolved | Ryan/Sara, Shane/Sara | 5k | “Are Ryan and I dating? Or— something?”Shane looks up from his paperback, an eyebrow raised. “Babe I think you’re asking the wrong person.”

never gets old by brawls (brawlite), ToAStranger | Stranger Things | Harringrove | 31k | WIP | Falling in love with a cam boy named KingSteve isn't the smartest thing Billy Hargrove has ever done, nor is it the most healthy -- but the good choice is rarely ever the fun choice, and Billy is all about living life fast and loose.

Gift Trapped by andavs | Teen Wolf | Sterek | 19k | There was a massive box, wrapped up prettily with red paper and a green bow, totally eclipsing the small Christmas tree Laura set up on his coffee table. The thudding heartbeat was coming from inside.

To the Sun by blacktofade | Buzzfeed Unsolved | Ryan/Shane/Sara | 17k | Life is weird. Ten years after Unsolved ends, Shane’s married with a kid and Ryan accidentally bumps into him at a gas station in Illinois.

Tag Team by blacktofade | Buzzfeed Unsolved | Ryan/Shane/Sara | 14k | Ryan participates in a charity date auction, much to his chagrin. Sara and Shane try to help.

October

only then i am human, only then i am clean by Macremae | EOS 10 | Ryan/Akmazian | 4k | There had never seemed to be a reason why everyone on station wanted to bang the living daylights out of Ryan. It was just... a thing. Space is black, stars are bright, and Ryan Dalias is attractive to literally everyone. The universe continues as normal.Except now it's laughing it's ass off, because turns out there was a reason after all.

(Almost Cool by blacktofade | Buzzfeed Unsolved | Ryan/Shane | 30k | While filming the Yuma Territorial Prison episode, Shane gets bitten by what he thinks is a bat. Spoiler alert: it's not.)

low lays the devil by Spooks (agonizer) | Buzzfeed Unsolved | Ryan/Shane | 19k | Keeping Ryan Bergara alive and safe is a full-time job, and Shane Madej has his work cut out for him.

Scratch by L1av | DBH | Hankcon | 71k | There's a virus killing androids. Hank and Connor are tasked with finding out what it is and why it's being made. When the virus is unwillingly uploaded into Connor's system, he learns there may be a desperate reason why androids want it. He can feel pain. And he likes it.

Ask a Compelling Question by TeamHPForever | The Magnus Archives | Martin/Jon Sims | 2k | “What are you thinking about?” Jon asks, his voice edged into a snap.Martin’s mouth opens and, entirely without his permission, words spill out. “I was thinking about what it would be like to kiss you.”

a clean break by Wildehack (tyleet) | The Magnus Archives | Georgie/Melanie | 1k | Georgie’s phone rings at work, and she almost doesn’t answer it.

ways to save the world by Wildehack (tyleet) | The Magnus Archives | Martin/Jonathan | 19k | “I left you,” Martin says softly.

Where Airy Voices Lead by Harvey_King (Delphi) | The Magnus Archives | Martin/Jon | 4k |  Five unsubstantiated encounters between Martin Blackwood and Jonathan Sims, and one that was captured on audio cassette.

the shape of your comfort, molded with care by ivelostmyspectacles | The Magnus Archives | Martin/Jon | 6k | “You didn’t like the sex, did you?”

Out Of His System by platoapproved | Raven Cycle | Noah/Ronan, Kavinsky/Ronan | 2k | Noah gives Ronan a quick and nasty handjob while dirty talking to him about Kavinsky, because that's what friends are for.

i'd bury diamonds just for you by desastrista | The Bright Sessions | Sam/Damien/Mark | 9k | Mark is photographing a band on tour, Sam is working at the AM, and Damien is still struggling to adjust to life without his abilities

strange bedfellows by spookykingdomstarlight | Star Wars | Finn/Kylo Ren | 4k | “Alas, the storm is come again! My best way is to creep under his gaberdine. There is no other shelter hereabouts. Misery acquaints a man with strange bedfellows. I will here shroud till the dregs of the storm be past.” - The Tempest, Act II, Scene II

The Denial Twist by beethechange | Buzzfeed Unsolved | Ryan/Shane | 35k | Or, the one where Shane and Ryan have some really weird dreams and perhaps, eventually, some sex.

November

The Sun Dog by ambiguously | Star Wars | Finn/Ren/Rey | 5k | Finn and Rey, with their semi-prisoner Kylo Ren, attempt to meet up with the Resistance on a planet that has been taken over by monsters.

DELIGHTFUL FANVIDS

August

billy hargrove | fairly local.

(Marvel) MCU || In The End

battle royale [iw + endgame]

Multifandom || Can i keep you?

roman godfrey | bad guy.

Mr. Sandman | Multifandom

September

Iron Man & Captain America || Legends Are Made

Quentin & Eliot || There's a door somewhere

glitter & gold [bungou stray dogs amv]

(Marvel) Thor | Worthy

MARVEL || What if the Storm Ends? (collab w/ djcprod)

Marvel || I'm Only Human

DISNEY'S Motivational Video

(SW) Darth Vader | The Good In You

(Marvel) Peter Parker | Legacy

MultiFandom || Way Down We Go [200K]

Marvel || Destruction

October

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt [Geralt Of Rivia] Tribute

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Tribute ''Swallow Song" [HD]

►buzzfeed unsolved; GhostBusters™

👻 Buzzfeed Unsolved in Nutshell [IG edits]

👻buzzfeed unsolved; calling all the monsters

Dishonored GMV (Outsider tribute) - Dark Matter

Dishonored GMV Honor for all

Preacher ][ Play Dirty

【Assassin's Creed ｜Odyssey】Wires

👻 The Buzzfeed Unsolved Crack

👻 2 Unsolved 2 Crack

Pennywise | Toxic

2023 - Trailer (1917 Style)

Crowley Good Omens Cosplay Tik Tok Compilation

Joker

(Death Note) Yagami Light | The God of the New World

REYLO || WICKED GAME

Multi-Horror || Where is my mind?

November

MARVEL/DC - Runnin

THE WITCHER | MAIN TRAILER | NETFLIX

DELIGHTFUL MUSIC

August

It’s All Coming Back to Me Now - Celine Dion

Walk Through the Fire - Ruelle

Remember When - Bad Wolves

The High Road - Broken Bells

Hey Look Ma, I Made It - Panic! At the Disco

Season of the Witch - Lana del Rey

The Void - Muse

Dancing On My Own - Robyn

Lanterns Lit - Son Lux

Fire With Fire - AlicebanD

Hungover in the City of Dust - Autoheart

Everything I Need - Skylar Grey

Liquid Smooth - Mitski

Think - Kaleida

Swan Song - Dua Lipa

September

Eleventh Dimension - Julian Casablancas

Talk | Khalid

Interstellar soundtrack

Bird Song | Juniper Vale

For the Dancing and the Dreaming | Erutan

Paradise Valley | Honey and the Sting

My Hallelujah | Autoheart

Witchcraft | Vian Izak, Juniper Vale

Furthest Star | Dirt Poor Robins

October

Lots of ghost ambient music

The Ocean | Linnea Olsson

Play Dirty | Kevin McAllister

NFWMB | Hozier

Me and the Devil | Soap&Skin

Rhiannon | Fleetwood Mac

In the Woods Somewhere | Hozier

Wet Black Leaves (playlist)

The Cruel Prince

Pas De Deux - Michael Abels

Beach Walk - Michael Abels

I Got 5 On It (Tethered Mix) - Michael Abels

POSTED FIC

August

no more dreaming like a ghost | KH | Axel/Roxas | 813 words | He is in the kitchen, the stove top still warm under his thighs, and everything smells of cherries. The pie is cooling on the windowsill, the sun slanting in warm and buttery, and it is like a dream. A memory. A wish.

Cheers | DBH | Hankcon | 6,368 words | “Are you coming in or not?”Connor blinks, jerks his eyes up and away from those hands and-The bartender has blue eyes. They match the spinning LED at his temple perfectly.

September

N/A

October

bury a friend (try to wake up) | Stranger Things | Harringrove | 1,587 words | Steve digs up Billy’s body on a Tuesday.

won't be too soon 'til I say... goodnight moon | KH | Riku/Sora | 4,549 words |  The house was built in the fall of 1882.

you'll never know what hit you | Buzzfeed Unsolved | Ryan/Shane | 5,379 words | "C’mon, ghost,” Shane urges. “Make all my dreams come true. Fuck me up, fam.”

make this chaos count | EOS 10 | Ryan/Akmazian | 724 words | “You really should stop looking for me,” Akmazian tells him, fingers creeping across Ryan’s ribcage, mapping the architecture of his ribs.

eat you up whole | The Witcher | Geralt/Regis | 2,527 words | “How many mouthfuls do you think I could take from you before it had some effect?” Regis whispers, lips against his throat. Geralt can feel the pinprick of fangs. “Four? Six? Ten? More, even?”

forget the horror here | DBH | Hankcon | 4,390 words | “Hello,” the android says, it’s chest heaving, the gleam of its heart brighter, bluer than before.

summoning demons (and other bad first date ideas) | Buzzfeed Unsolved | Ryan/Shane | 3,868 words | “If I let you out of that circle,” Ryan says, slowly. “Are you going to eat me?”

Itch | The Magnus Archives | Martin Blackwood/Jonathan Sims | 1,440 words | The boneturner takes from him two ribs - one for him and one for Jon. 

the salt water sting | Dishonored | Corvo/Outsider | 2,163 words |  The ship wrecks several hundred miles off of the coast of Karnaca.

a skeleton of something more | SGA | Rodney/John | 3,072 words | “John?” he murmurs, still coasting on the pain. His head feels like it’s stuffed with cotton, if cotton were also made of glass.

in the woods somewhere | Teen Wolf | Derek/Stiles | 4,570 words | Stiles buys a house in Virginia.

Wake Up | The Magnus Archives | Martin/Jon | 550 words | “If you wake up,” Martin tells him, experimentally. “I won’t go through with it. You can tell me what a stupid idea it was, and we can laugh about it, and everything will be normal.”

Pas de Deux | KH | Axel/Roxas | 506 words | Roxas doesn’t remember what the sky looks like anymore.

try to wake up | Stranger Things | Harringrove | 1,226 words | They do not, in fact, bone down and praise Satan.

too late to come on home | LoZ | Gen | 1,391 words | “You look familiar,” the boy says in his strange, haunting voice. “Are you lost?”

patron saint of the lost causes | Harry Potter | Draco/Harry | 4,203 words | “Can’t you just, y’know,” he waves a hand and makes an obscene gesture, his cheeks flaring red. “Shag it out?”

wouldn't you like to see something strange? | Teen Wolf | Sterek | 1,571 words | “I’d say you make my heart pound, but well…” Stiles nods meaningfully to his chest, where if you look hard enough between the slots of his ribs, you can see the lump of muscle that once was his heart, pointedly not beating. “You know.”

the night is softly, sweetly calling | Teen Wolf | Sterek | 2,938 words | Here’s the thing that Stiles never tells the Hales: his mother was strange too.

Haunt | Buzzfeed Unsolved | Ryan/Shane | 1,486 words |  Ryan couldn’t remember a time when the world didn’t believe in ghosts.

bite my tongue, bide my time | PJO | Nico/Percy(/Annabeth) | 1,376 words | “What’s wrong with you?” Nico asks, cowering when Percy places a gentle kiss on his collarbone.

Bird Song | Raven Cycle | Ronan/Adam, Gen | 1,445 words | On a dreary Sunday in early January, Ronan dreams himself a pair of wings.

kiss me hard until you're done | Star Wars | Reylo | 3,082 words | He looks up at her from under heavy lids, dark hair sweeping forward to frame his face. “May I have this dance?”

beauty in the dissonance | Marvel | Tony/Loki | 1,411 words |  When Tony dies, it isn’t for forever.

like real people do | Stranger Things | Harringrove | 2,808 words |  “I’ve got the sight, man,” he says with a small shrug. “And look, I feel for you. You’re dead and I’m not, and that sucks, but unless you’re planning on doing something about it, I’d really appreciate it if you could stop feeling me up and let me get back to sleep.”

i'd rather drown in your ocean | Naruto | Itachi/Shisui | 1,630 words |  The Uchihas are an odd sort. Everyone says so.

catch your breath | The Bright Sessions | Mark/Damien/Sam | 2,588 words | Mark had never assumed in a million years that he would ever see Damien again. He hadn’t factored in zombies.

Nightmare | The Magnus Archives | Martin/Jonathan | 1,424 words | “All right,” he says, taking Jon’s still outstretched hand. “Let’s give the dream what it wants.”

dreaming of the crash | Gravity Falls | Mabel & Dipper | 484 words | When the end of the world comes, they’re under the bed.

don't we love it now? | Kingdom Hearts | Sora/Riku/Kairi | 1,784 words |  When Kairi is eleven years old, she gets lost in the woods.

all this, and love too, will ruin us | Star Wars | Reylo | 1,102 words |  Rey is awake to watch the sunrise

November

WIPS | UNPUBLISHED | ORIGINAL

August

N/A

September

N/A

October

Not October 8 | Wolf 359 | Hera & Jacobi | 652 words |  When they land on Earth, Hera spends a week in a box.

FANMIXES/GRAPHICS

August

N/A

September

[kissandra-pentagasp]

i was tagged by @tauntaun-rider so, well, here we go, i guess

RULES answer 30 questions and tag 10 people [which, sorry, but i’m not gonna do bc i don’t wanna put anyone on the spot, however if any of you want to do this then please feel free =)]

Nicknames - Lily, or some people call me Bek

Gender/pronouns - ?????ehn??

Star sign - Libra

Height - 5′5″ish

Time - 3:14 PM

Birthday - October 7th

Favourite bands - Fall Out Boy, Paramore, Panic! at the Disco, Of Monsters and Men, July Talk

Favourite solo artists - Florence + the Machine, Hozier, Halsey, ZZ Ward. i listen to so many different people and bands tho, just go through my Music tag

Songs stuck in your head - i’m watching Bill Nye Saves the World rn, so nothing, but earlier it was Hold Me Tight Or Don’t by Fall Out Boy

Last movie you watched - The Shape of Water! my sister and i just went to see it the other night bc it came to one of the theatres near us

Last show - Bill Nye Saves the World, currently

Why you created your blog - my sister had an account and i was curious so i made one too, and, like, six+ years later, here we are!

What you post - Video games, various media, some politics, a lot of animals, idk i have a lot of interests and they all just get shoved here

Last thing you googled - i’m not sure, honestly

Other blogs - @sidebeau is really the only one, which is a inspo blog filled with artwork or photos that remind me of some of my characters

Ao3 - Wandering_Moon, i don’t post much there tho? i never get comments, so

Do you get asks? - A few, not often tho

How did you get the idea for your URL? - it’s just Cassandra Pentaghast, but punny, i guess?

I follow - 212 people, some of those have probs deleted tho, i really need to go through it and check

Followers? - 519

Average hours of sleep - honestly, it varies so much. i LIKE to get about 9-10 hours, but some days i get 12+ and others i only get 3 or 4

Lucky number - 3 or 7

Instruments - i can still play hot cross buns on the recorder, if that counts lol, and i’m p sure i still know at least the C-scale on the piano/keyboard

What are you wearing? - sweatpants, a star wars tank, and a plaid shirt. plus, you know, socks and underwear

Dream job - Actress

Dream trip - I’d absolutely love to go to Austria to see where my Grandpa lived and, just the country in general

Favourite food - Lasagna, i think

Significant other - i’m not seeing anyone, no. i’m too sick, and i live with my parents, neither of which is conducive to dating

Last book i read - so i haven’t been able to read for a while, but i did get a book for Christmas that i’m going to try to get through, so i’m gonna cheat a bit for this one and list that, which is The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers

Top 3 fictional universes - oh gosh. so Harry Potter has to be here, just because of the influence it had on teenage-me but i don’t know what to include for the other two? both Star Wars and Star Trek are up there, Tortall might be fun, much as i was never into LotR if i could be a Hobbit i abso-fucking-lutely would, uhm... Dragon Age sounds cool, for the most part, same with Mass Effect. there’s just too fucking many to choose from!

[pixelatedlenses]

2017 in Review

All questions originally made from here. I copied and didn’t change them, but wanted to answer them in my own post. 

2017 is about... two hours and fifty-five minutes from being done, and while I’m tired, I do want to stay up until the new year comes so I can drink some Hello Kitty kid’s champagne with my mom then pass out on the sofa bed.

So here’s a detailed review of my 2017. Below the cut since it’s quite a bit wordy.

1. What did you do in 2017 that you’d never done before?

This year, I tried Koto! My teacher for shamisen plays both instruments -koto and shami- so I decided to give it a try. No regrets: I absolutely love it and will be playing my first concert on 1/27. It’s really exciting and has inspired me to try my hand at a few other instruments.

2. Did you keep your new year’s resolutions, and will you make more for next year?

No and yes: I didn’t make resolutions, but I have made goals for next year that I truly plan to keep. All of them are completely for me: I’m really making 2018 about my care.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?

No. I think not at least. A close friend got married though.

Wait, no! One of the ALTs got married and had a son: she lives in Tokyo now.

4, Did anyone close to you die?

Yes, a family friend at my church back home. It was quite sad, but I feel that she’s at peace right now. I, thankfully, think few others passed.

5. What countries did you visit?

Can I count Japan because… Japan. I am planning on going to South Korea in 2018 though!

6. What would you like to have in 2018 that you lacked in 2017?

Time and patience with myself. We’re working on both starting tomorrow. I would also like the ability to budget my time for me better.

7. What dates from 2017 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?

July 25, 2017. It was the day that after an active four years of being in love with my best friend, she inadvertently gave me the courage to confess to her, only to find the feelings are mutual. It’s 9:39 p.m. on the last day of the year and I still can’t believe this happened.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?

Recontracting with my school, earning my TEFL, and going to therapy again. Also, really mastering riding my bike with two baskets: that’s a huge achievement in my book.

9. What was your biggest failure?

Not getting help before I needed it and letting others influence me too much.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?

In August, I got food poisoning, in September, I caught a cold, and in October, I got strep throat. It was a....rough time for my body these last four months.

11. What was the best thing you bought?

Honestly, my slow cooker, bamboo tableware, and my chromebook, all last quarter purchases!

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?

My homestay students. They showed up for a week straight to afternoon lessons with me and ended up having the experience of a lifetime in Australia. I’m just so, so proud of them.

Shoutout to my supervisor too: she’s really come through for me even though we just met.

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?

Quite a few ALTs who are actin’ like we’re not twenty-something year old adults in charge of children and the man who spit on me.

14. Where did most of your money go?

New computer/chromebook, Yuri!! On ICE, books, and clothing.

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?

The re-release of the W.I.T.C.H. comics. I’m still hyped, enough that I keep listening to the playlist on repeat everyday.

16. What song will always remind you of 2017?

Echo feat. Gumi by Crusher-P

17. Compared to this time last year, are you: (a) happier or sadder? (b) thinner or fatter? (c ) richer or poorer?

Happier, thinner, and so-so on the cash.

18. What do you wish you’d done more of?

Loving myself.

19. What do you wish you’d done less of?

Being hard on myself and trying to change. I was incredibly critical of myself this year, and that… was not always good.

20. How did you spend Christmas?

With my mother in Japan and with my friend James in Tokyo. There was lots of FMA with the latter.

21. Did you fall in love in 2017?

All over again. I expect that in 2018, I’ll say the same about my precious partner. Once again, I’ll confess that I’m still in shock that someone is as into me as I am them, and also thinks I’m sexy. I feel immensely attractive.

22. What was your favorite TV program?

Shinya Shokudo, Super Sonico, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, and Blazing Transfer Students.

23. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?

No, and that’s a blessing I think.

24. What was the best book you read?

I really loved Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers and also Fran Wilde’s Updraft.

25. What was your greatest musical discovery?

REOL and Crusher-P. Shame that REOL is breaking up, but honestly, I love all three members so much.

26. What did you want and get?

I wanted to finally own lolita clothing, and I got my first outfit from indie label Lady Sloth. It’s a chocolate themed coordination, and let’s be honest: I look splendid.

27. What did you want and not get?

I really wanted to take the JLPT and I just didn’t have the chance. NExt year though.

28. What was your favorite film of this year?

It came late but I really did like the new FMA live action. Also, I really loved Koe no Katachi a lot.

29. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?

I turned 25 this year and spent it with a 102 degree fever in bed. Next year, y’all.

I did, however, receive lots of drawing goods which means people listened to what I wanted. Rather pleased with that.

30. What one thing made your year immeasurably more satisfying?

Discovering the joys of taking myself on a date. I am really good company

31. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2017?

Soft Librarian Chic

32. What kept you sane?

Hope and knowing that everything comes to an end in time.

33. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?

None really.

34. Who did you miss?

In no particular order: my mother, my friend-turned-partner, my dog, my father, and my sisters, who are really two of my best friends from childhood.

35. Who was the best new person you met?

Probably my supervisor and principal.

36. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2017.

I’ll give you a few, actually:

You can tell how much a person values by how they start a text conversation.

Nothing can prepare you for crying on a bus ride home.

Listen to a river: it’ll help you understand what to do next.

Sometimes, people who you give to will never care to give back. Stop giving to them once you realize that’s all our ever going to get. 

It’s not selfish to expect kindness in return for giving kindness.

37. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.

So since I got big back into Italian comic series -and American animation series-  W.I.T.C.H., I want to share lyrics for what I found at the end of this year. It’s Taranee Cook’s imagine song, and really helped me when I was hurting a lot. Taranee is a character that really inspired me growing up and continues to now: though timid, bookish, and often the first to be considered weak, Taranee’s ability to overcome inspires me.

Let’s end the year with her image song “Fire”.

I often wonder what’s my purpose. I always would search deep inside. I found myself lost in the dark until the day that I let my light shine.

Each day I know I’m getting strong. The path is much clearer to me. Now I can with the world the gift that I have, for everyone, around me to see.

There’s a fire that burns deep inside. There’s a light that I use as my guide. I can put all my troubles behind me when I warm every heart with the fire that lies inside me.

[thehollowworldofficial]

Elise’s Pitch Wars Welcome!

Hello! My name is Elise Longden, and I’m writing this little introduction because I have written a manuscript and I’m planning to submit it to Pitch Wars, the mentoring programme!

Whilst this little blog is where I record my thoughts about my writing, I’ve never really introduced myself - mostly because I believed I would never let anyone see it. However, the Pitch Wars form has room for a website, and I would rather link this blog as opposed to my Twitter (which is inactive) or my Instagram (which is just full of cosplay and dog photos). 

To clarify, I have written a book called “The Hollow World”. 

Okay so, here’s some stuff about me:

Submission related stuff that potential mentors may be interested in:

In 2017 I won the UK National Flash Fiction Competition run by the University of Chester and was published in an anthology that had also once featured Margaret Atwood (SQUEE!). My piece entitled “Flotsam” can be found here:

 http://www.chester.ac.uk/sites/files/chester/Longden%20Elise%20-%20Flotsam%20FINAL.pdf

I got an A* A-Level grade (It’s not to big myself up...just in case anyone not British doesn’t know what that means!!!!) in Creative Writing, and my coursework, which was 70% of my grade, was the first 30,000 words of my Pitch Wars manuscript.

The idea for “The Hollow World” came to me in a Film Studies class at college. After trying /(and failing) to come up for an idea to base a project around, my teacher gave me an exercise to generate some ideas. She took a few traits typical of Hollywood films, and told me to flip them on their head. Thus, “The Hollow World”, or at least a basis for it, was born, and three (ish) years later, I still can’t get it out of my head. 

Basically the idea of Ashe came from my bizarre urge to see a tiny little girl violently killing things in a film. I thought I was being super original, but the film Logan beat me to it. I can’t even be mad, because Dafne Keen is so incredible?!

The reason why I’m submitting to Pitch Wars, is because I need help. That’s the bottom line. I have edited my manucript the best I can, but I need someone who can take what I’ve written and look at it from a fresh, and new perspective. I am new to the idea of getting my manucript published (though I have always dreamed I would), and navigating the crazy world of publishing and agents and general make-your-writing-an-actual-book stuff....is scary. And I really, really, need your help. I need someone who is honest who can tell me what needs to be done. I’ve done the best I can, and now I need someone who is better than me.

I draw, so here’s some pictures of the characters from the “The Hollow World”, that may hopefully pique your interest:

ASHE 

MAGPIE

NADIA

CASSIDY

SOME FACES

SOME MORE FACES

Whilst these were drawn about a year ago and aren’t my best work, I’m hoping they entice potential mentors, just a ‘lil bit more! :)

Some general stuff about me:

I am a pretty happy and positive person, who loves to work hard. If I have a task or idea inside my head, I will hyperfixate on it until it’s done. For example...this manuscript was unfinished (by about 20,000 words) on the 1st of August. It was my first draft that I hadn’t read through, it was unformatted, it was riddled with errors and inconsistancies, but after meeting the lovely Tomi Adeyemi and talking to her about Pitch Wars, I decided to enter. So I took my jumbled mess, I put my butt into gear, and I spent day after day writing, writing, writing, until I felt happy enought to submit it. I also had to learn what I query letter was, because I am a publishing term noob. My point is, I am willing to push myself, and go all out at 110% percent, if that somehow helps me achieve what I want to achieve.

I am 19 and I live in the UK (specifically near Liverpool). 

I cosplay as well! I’ve been Rey, Leia, and a generic Jedi from Star Wars, Margaery Tyrell and Daenerys Targaryen from Game of Thrones, Pirate King Elizabeth Swann from Pirates of the Caribbean, and I spend 70% of my time in my 13th Doctor costume.

I love Hamilton, and can rap all of it. I love musicals in general tbh.

I have an unhealthy obsession with Moriarty from Sherlock Holmes.

Have I mentioned that the 13th Doctor is the best thing ever to happen to me?

I have a dinosaur hat that I wear whenever I’m sad, because it’s pretty impossible to be sad with a giant T-Rex on your head. And by “hat” I mean this thing:

Pretty majestic, right?

ANYWAY

I’m ace/aro, which is why my book features no romance.

I love my dog Rocky more than anything. He looks like this: 

As well as a mentor who can teach me writer-y things, I’m also looking for a friend, so here’s some stuff I like:

TV Shows: 

Merlin (the love of my life, tbh, and it broke my heart), DOCTOR WHO (especially the 13th Doctor, even though she hasn’t aired yet), Hannibal, Orphan Black, Sense 8, iZombie, TOP GEAR (Yes, the car show. I’m obsessed), Game of Thrones, Parks and Recreation, Avatar: The Last Airbender, Jessica Jones/any Netflix Marvel show, the 100 (early seasons because Lexa), RuPauls Drag Race, Queer Eye, Brooklyn 99, Stranger Things, Sherlock, Agent Carter...I’ve watched a lot okay?

Movies: 

My ultimate favourite movie of all time is What We Do in the Shadows. Even if you’re not going to choose me as a mentee, then please what this dumb film. I love it. I LOVE IT. It’s dark comedy genius, and a real gem. 

Other favourite films are: Wonder Woman, Ghostbusters (2017 version), Ocean’s 8 (will Cate Blanchett adopt me as her ace/aro child?), Marvel Films (particulary Thor: Ragnarok), Star Wars Films, Kingsman Films, John Wick Films, Pirates of the Carribbean Films, Harry Potter Films,Mad Max: Fury Road, Peter Pan Goes Wrong (if you pick me I’ll force you to watch it at some point, sorry), Disney Films (Mulan, Up!, and Hercules are my faves).

Books: 

Some that don’t need an explanation: Harry Potter, A Song of Ice and Fire, His Dark Materials, Lord of the Rings. Anything by Neil Gaiman, Margaret Atwood, or Stephen King.

My favourite series, and arguably my “Harry Potter” is the Skulduggery Pleasant series by Derek Landy. I’ve met Derek multiple times, and his books are just hilarious, soul-destorying, and MAGIC. I love them.

A Closed and Common Orbit by Becky Chambers - Seriously, this Sci-Fi book is one of the most striking books I’ve ever read, mostly because it surprised me with it’s tender story, honest representations of real people, and general WOW-ness. I love it, and its flashbacks heavily influenced my own manuscript. You know when you love a book so much that you wish you could eat it? This is that book for me.

Moriarty by Antony Horowitz. My favourite villain of all time in a book that blew my mind? Yes please.

The Girl in 6E by A.R.Torre. I picked up this book for a quid in the supermarket, and it utterly suprised me. It’s about a sex-worker murder-obsessed cam girl who is asked to act out something on camera that’s a little too disturbing, so she tracks down the man who asked her in order to save a little girl from a vile act. Think Maestra meets The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo. It’s not the most sophisticated reading with all of the bizarre sexual stuff, but the wit and exasperation of the main character makes up for it. I love anything that surprises me, and this book was something I'd never seen before.

Anything (memoir or fiction) by Carrie Fisher. As a Star Wars nerd I knew I would love her work, but when I read them I was blown away by how poignant, poetic, and wonderous Carrie Fisher’s writing is. She seems to find the perfect balance between humour and emotion, and reading them was a genuine joy. Each funny sentence makes me laugh out loud, but each serious sentence is heavy, poised, and so amazingly crafted and emotional. 

Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi. I was lucky enough to meet Tomi on her UK tour, and I gave her my very long letter and a portfolio of art. I love the book, and I love even more what it stands for, and there’s not much else I can really say.

Other books I loved in no order: The Power by Naomi Alderman, The Cursed Prince by Holly Black, The Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins, the Chaos Walking series by Patrick Ness, the Percy Jackson series by Rick Riordan, Throne of Glass by Sarah J Maas, The Time Traveller’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger, the Gone series by Michael Grant, The Book Thief by Markus Zusak, The Martian and Artemis by Andy Weir, Lost Stars by Claudia Gray, Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn, Room by Emma Donoghue, Wicked by Gregory Maguire....and a helluva lot more....

And just so you know, here’s what I look like:

(I’m the human dressed as the 13th Doctor)

Hopefully this gives you an idea about me and my personality! I’m sorry this is so long, I just wanted to make sure I came across in an okay way! If any potential mentors are reading this, thank you for taking the time to! 

If you want to read the notes/journal entries I kept on this blog when I was writing and editing my manucript, just search the tag #update! 

My Twitter is: https://twitter.com/EliseLongden 

My Instagram is:  instagram.com/elise.longden/ (here you will find a lot of cosplay and dog pictures, and I’m not sorry)

If you have any questions or anything else you want to know, please feel free to shoot me an ask! Or just say hi!