#One of my summer project goals that I will complete before the school year starts again | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

strangerays · 8 months

Text

THIS JUNE: AUGUST WRAP-UP

hello!! this is my first update with the new story. if you're unfamiliar with my book project This June, it is a rewrite and fourth draft of a story I've posted about semi-frequently for the last 3 years called Nothing in Particular and Everything. recently, i aged up the characters and reworked the story with some more mature themes. the characters are in college, and so they face the challenges of growing up, being in relationships, setting boundaries, jealousy, and mental health.

this is the story of ray and judith and the summer that almost tore their friends apart. an arsonist put ray's life and mental health in jeopardy - judith thinks she can find them. with an old, dusty camera and a clear june sky, the girls set out to explore a destroyed landmark in their seaside town. summer in point blink never seemed more boring.

you can read more about the story and meet the characters here!

monthly updates

draft four word count: 15,093

on august first, i decided i still wanted to write this book! however, i'd been stuck for so long writing about high school kids that.. i didn't relate to them anymore. i'm in my second year of college and i needed somewhere to inject my experiences. i needed someone to relate to a little bit more than seventeen year old ray. so, i kept the exact same plot and characters but wrote about them as if a lot of time had passed! i even aged up their relationships and wrote them the way i always imagined they would pan out! luckily, I was able to keep chapter one pretty much exactly the same. even though the characters are now college students, i was still able to use the flashback from when they were seniors in high school. (you'll see that I inserted it in this update)

i finished writing chapters one and two!

i've known these characters for a long time, so i didn't think that they would be difficult to write (i was wrong!!) they are very hard to write. judith especially has been really hard to write because her experiences with her family are so like my own. i was in a hurry to finish writing the first draft of chapter one, so i will definitely have to edit the way i painted her character. anyway, judith has always been the hardest for me to portray, because her story just gets more and more complex with every draft.

lonan has a crazy new side quest!!! i love writing with lonan. he is my good time boy. while ray is struggling at home with depression, he is (sort of) living it up in the city with his boyfriend (situationship) and struggling to make art without feeling guilty about it. he's ok though.

i deleted two old characters and replaced them with madison and oliver. these two play pretty much the exact same role except their friendship with ray is a lot more challenging, while at the same supportive! i think this will be a great opportunity to write a more interesting resolution at the end of the book when it comes to tying up character relationships. they have a very positive force in the book :)

the romance!!!! this book is really sapphic, anyone could guess. i can't say much about it yet but i am so excited about the end of this book just. agh. mental health! friends! hugs! <3

overall, the book is probably going to be around the same length with longer chapters that function more like short stories.

september goals

complete chapter 3

start editing chapter 2

work on character exploration (particularly with judith, utilize creative writing class/poetry)

i've been waaay more confident in my writing capabilities, but not so much the plot. i often struggle to believe that my book is actually interesting, so I hope to improve my confidence.

Excerpts

I was a firm believer that the best art is created when the artist is lonely, angry, or depressed. The summer my best friend caught his train out of Point Blink, I was surprised to find that I became none of these things. In the weeks before he left for college, we buried a time capsule in his backyard and painted his bedroom walls a calm cerulean. We snuck out of our houses at nighttime to swim in the ocean and built a dark room. My lips always tasted of sunscreen. All my most colorful memories in Point Blink were unplanned in the beginning. Pine trees crested Point Blink like a wreath, nestled into the bluffs that lifted town up to the sun. Tide pools congested with cigarettes spotted the beach, made pink in the sunlight. Fiddler and horseshoe crabs scuttled across the warm sand. The air was hot with gossip loud as cicada screams. Brackish waves spat salt and sailboats into the air. A man called out, “Stay cool!” over the toll of a bell. Peanut oil dripped from hot dog buns. Somewhere, Fleetwood Mac played on a radio. Fleeting moments of a closing summer – and the tide receded. In the last week of August, I did everything possible to avoid post-vacation blues. I rode my bike along Sugarfell’s gravel roads with no destination, wore my darkest pair of sunglasses to people-watch, and fed salami to the minnows the darted around the cusps of tide pools. Usually, I sat still for so long that my elbows turned a deep shade of red and the blood in my toes buzzed. But I was tired of John Mulaney and headaches. Vacationers checked in and out. The convincing pull of waves at the sand and the familiar scrape of boats against the docks did not calm me down as they once had. Earlier that June, I graduated from high school. This was both thrilling and terrifying. In some ways, I had everything I wanted. In others, I was saying goodbye to everything I’d worked so hard for. I was one of the top photography students in my year. I’d finally learned how to drive. I got decent grades. I’d even had my first kiss. I should have been happy; but I wasn’t even proud. At least – it didn’t feel how it was supposed to feel. No matter what I did, no matter how many parties I went to or late nights I pulled, none of it prepared me for the day my best friend left Point Blink. My vision waxed and waned as he rambled about his classes, apartment, and new eccentric roommate. Something like jealousy – but not so ugly as that – had made a place for itself in the hollowest part of my chest.

chapter one, "PAST TENSE"

Slowly, I folded the jacket and set it between us. “Let’s run away.” As if I’d suggested we throw ourselves from a dry cliff, Lonan smiled a bemused smile. Freckles frowned across the bridge of his sharp nose. “Are you asking me to kidnap you?” “You’ll be gentle, you won’t murder me.” “What’ll we do for food?” I turned my hands out, grubby from sand and dirt. “I am an excellent thief.” “At the innocence of French fries.” He wasn’t convinced. “I hope you’re aware what a horrible plan this is – you've schemed it in the last twenty-five seconds.” “I am not scheming anything.” I eyed him through my knotty pumpkin locks, on the fritz in August heat. “We can change our names. I’ll sleep on the floor. Find a job. Even cook and clean.” Lonan covered his mouth and laughed softly. “This is not as convincing an argument as you think it sounds.” “Oh, come on! You need someone to open jars of peanut butter for you.” “Ray,” Lonan cautioned. He turned his full body towards me. Quite unfortunately, in that moment, reality became much clearer, and I realized how senseless I was being. “This is a daydream. You can’t move away – you have to stay here. You can’t put your entire life on hold for one person.” For a second, I opened and closed my mouth like a fish. “You sound like my dad,” I finally groaned, rubbing at my temples. Lonan winced. “We can’t live like degenerates.” Sometimes, in a very fond sort of way, Lonan really annoyed me. He said exactly what was on his mind when it mattered most. In our chaotic friend group, he was oftentimes the voice of reason. Oftentimes, this was a great thing. The previous summer, he had talked me down from piercing my nose. I was quite a baby when it came to literally any amount of pain, and he knew this well. “And,” he said, singing with boyish enthusiasm, “you’re going to work hard so you can become an even better photographer than me.” “No one is better than you.” “That’s absurd.” But he was smiling. “No matter what you think of me, you have to stay here. You have talent – don’t waste it on me.” His eyes focused on something distant. I followed his gaze, but found nothing. “Anyways, as soon as you leave, you’ll miss Point Blink and want to come back.” I didn’t miss a beat. “Maybe I like Point Blink more when you’re home.” Lonan rubbed his neck, his face all daylily. I tried to focus on the melodic thrill of the waves, but doubt lapped up the walls of my head in little tsunamis. Sometimes, I think that, if I didn’t put so much effort into my friendships, I might not be so angry all the time.

chapter one, "PAST TENSE"

“You taught me to love everything I love, and I love it all because of you.” I nudged his knee with mine. “You’re the reason photography means so much to me. Don’t you know that?” Lonan didn’t say anything in response to any of this, just pressed his lips together and bobbed his head. Static waves pervaded the silence that stretched between us. Neither of us were particularly skilled with eye contact. Photography was our thing. I’d never found the same relief in it without him. I’d been obsessed with it when I met him in our freshman year of high school. There were always drawings on his hands that he’d done in purple pen. He carried around a notebook filled with the most amazing drawings I’d ever seen. Stories he was writing. Projects he was working on. By the end of the day, the sides of his hands were gray with graphite. I wanted to be just like him; I didn’t want to find out what kind of person I would become when he was gone. “You never told me any of that,” he mumbled. His voice sounded like he had been standing in the rain for hours. The familiar discomfort that came along when people were aware of how much I depended on them made me bite my upper lip. I might as well have just given Lonan a day-pass to my existential crises and solopsitisms. “Well people don’t normally get this sentimental in real life,” I laughed. “Maybe I’ll change my mind,” he said. It was like he hadn’t even heard me. “This might not work. I mean, there aren’t many career options in fine arts, so…” “You shouldn’t doubt yourself so much,” I interrupted. “It’s a really competitive field—" “For fuck’s sake, Lonan,” I said. “Stop.” He blinked at me, and we just stared at each other. I exhaled and let my body slump into his. “Sorry,” I said. “You have to do this. You’ve worked way too hard to give up now or change your mind because you’re scared. You shouldn’t be scared because you’re an excellent person. We might not be on the exact same paths, but we can’t let that stop us.” This was the right thing to do. “You have good ideas,” I said. “Great ones. Besides, you have lots of exploring to do. Classes to take. New foods to try.” I deepened my voice. “Love to be found.” Flustered, Lonan squirmed away from me. “Maybe in a houseplant.” “Well,” I laughed, “love is all the same, isn’t it?” “Yeah…” We were quiet. “Maybe there’s another way,” Lonan’s quavering voice searched. “Maybe I’ll change my mind.” Dark sleep circled his eyes. With alarm, I realized that his eyes glistened with tears. To hide this, he drew his legs to his chest. I caught his shoulder, rested my chin on his head, and stared worriedly into the horizon, stormy blue like his eyes. His hair smelled like the little confections Katherine sold at Mothouse. Regret pummeled my chest as I whispered, “You won’t.” I knew Lonan would never give up, because he was a rebel and I was quiet. He was my focal point. Point Blink was a gauge built on magenta sea glass – and I had a third eye, primal in the growing. Lonan trembled. I buried my chin in his hair. He sat up and rubbed his eyes with his wrists. They shone green whenever his emotions were on high, a trait he’d inherited from his mom, who had heterochromia. “I’m sorry, Ray,” he said, tears plipping from his nose. I pulled him back in and hugged him tighter, until I felt his warm breath snuffling into my shirt. “For what?” I asked, but he either didn’t hear me, or had nothing left to say.

chapter one, "PAST TENSE"

My body felt like it was on fire but in a good way, sort of like how I imagined it might feel to sky dive or swim with sharks. Sunlight flushed my bare shoulders and turned my cheeks pink as nectarines. The sun sat enthroned in the sky, following me as I sped past Butternut Brooke on my bike, sand lifting from the sticky sidewalk. Clouds spilled across the sky the same way sugar spills across a table, and wind swept long, pumpkin-blonde roots over my shoulders. Turtles slipped under the glassy surface. Chirruping frogs soon faded to the chiming arrival of boats at the docks and the chaos of tourists. I was so close to seeing my best friends again that I barely noticed the girl with the blue hat crossing the road. I swerved past her as though she were a waterfowl, my camera swinging from my neck. She shouted something at me, but I was going too fast to hear it. This June was the first time my friends would all be together since graduating high school. An entire year had passed since we split and decided to go to three different colleges. I had spent the entire year completely alone, with only a few houseplants on our windowsill that Dad and I brought back to life as company. Lonan and Oliver had not even visited for Christmas. Summer had finally arrived. For the first time in eight months, I wasn’t thinking about writing essays. There was nothing to do; there was everything to do. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d been this excited about anything.

chapter two, "THIS JUNE"

For all the chill that frightened most people away, I adored autumn like a friend come to visit. Death hung in the air – just above our heads, barely tangible. Wine-red leaves quivered like tattered coats on maples. Admired in caramel apples and haystacks. Pumpkin patches and haunted mazes. It was the only time of year I found I could be truly comfortable, knowing that, whatever came after, I had control of all that had already happened. It was June - strong waves and wild parties. I had to be ready for anything.

chapter two, "THIS JUNE"

[Lonan] used to recoil at the thought of living with little more than a houseplant. When he met Vick, though, he returned to Point Blink smiling. Suddenly, he was filled with stories from the city as if he’d lived there for years. Before he became a tattoo artist, Vick was halfway through a psychology degree. It was unclear exactly how the two of them had met, but I suspected it had something to do with the fact that Vick needed money from the extra room he was renting to Lonan. He was taking a gap year. His new hobby was flirting with Lonan. The boys shared a two-bedroom apartment with a doggish tabby particularly fond of cupboards. Vick filled the kitchen – wide enough for one person to make a toaster waffle – with Lonan’s plants. He did their laundry and rented movies. He taught Lonan to throw spaghetti on the wall. He had a credit score and a flare for interior design, which were two things Lonan couldn’t stand talking about. He shopped at thrift stores like he shopped for groceries: the apartment was all ornate rugs and vintage mirrors, out-of-print books and even a tuned piano neither of them knew how to play. The walls were all amber and teal. When Vick was bored, he invited people over. He hadn’t drunk proper milk since the seventh grade, which was rubbing off on Lonan. Each night, they ate strawberry oat milk ice cream while Vick helped Lonan study for exams. Vick used words like “litigious” and “jargon”. His friends liked Lonan because it gave him something to take care of. I thought Vick was pretentious as shit, but I was trying not to judge people based on the things they owned anymore. Also, Lonan needed someone who would take him to aquariums and show him how to use the subway. Not long after Lonan moved in, the second bedroom became an art studio, and the cat slept between the boys each night. Sometimes, I wondered why Lonan would ever come home, to Point Blink. After all, he had a boyfriend and a regular coffee order. He was probably busy denying drugs at parties. My best friend felt so out of reach sometimes. Like I was a whale, floating leagues above my pod.

chapter two, "THIS JUNE"

Point Blink wasn’t built for so much love at once, but it received it anyway – shop doors stayed open, ice cream cones ran low, sunscreen was lathered on thick, the water was crowded, and taut voices in a hurry filled the humid air. People ran around the tall mermaid fountain in their bathing suits. Boat horns blared their call over the clamor of car traffic. The shops that made up the center of town breathed with life, expanding wider and wider as more tourists crowded the doorways. A lot of people I knew who lived in Point Blink – like Dad – were annoyed by the tourists we got every summer, but they didn’t bother me in the slightest. Really, they just reminded me of how loved my town was. How I was a part of something. Every summer felt the same – just as exciting and opportunistic as the last. Fluttery excitement started in my feet and spread to every inch of my body. Last summer, we’d celebrated my nineteenth birthday in the park. This year, I’d be twenty years old. Already, I tasted melting buttercream frosting and tart lemonade on the back of my tongue. I knew all good things ended, but it was June – I could stay perfect for a little while.

chapter two, "THIS JUNE"

Mothouse was all passion: carefully crafted wood and warm colors. Katherine and her sister – Lonan’s mom – opened the coffeehouse with their father when they were just teenagers. Summer came and went with its thunderstorms and left behind a quiet morning rush, smiles passed between hands made warm by cappuccinos and two old friends sharing a table all afternoon. It was the sort of place you wanted to spend hours in, chatting with friends or writing a book. Twinkling white lights adorned the pastry case. Behind the glass were fresh scones laced with sugar, chocolate chip cookies that gooed when bitten, crumbly, golden blueberry muffins, sliced key lime pie, cupcakes that were mostly buttercream frosting, tarts stuffed with berries, plump cheesecakes, and chunky walnut brownies. Lonan’s mural spanned the entire wall behind the pastry case. The behemoth had cost him all his senior year. I helped him every weekend – not that I was anywhere near as good as he was with paint. When he added his mark to his family’s business, he made sure it was something that would follow him: a study of the sea outside of Mothouse, fond silhouettes of people gathered by the foamy waves. The waves were made from indigo and lilac; the sand was blue. Rather than a sunset, the entire sky was overcast yellow, the way it always was after a long and heavy thunderstorm. Walking past the painting, I felt an all too familiar soft pang of longing. It was a permanent look into the way Lonan saw Point Blink, and of what he’d left behind.

chapter two, "THIS JUNE"

I missed Lonan so much that it hurt. When he returned to Point Blink, everything would go back to the same as it had been, when the four of us did everything together. I was so busy imagining this that I missed it when Oliver walked through the door. Instead, a loud laugh so unlike Madison jolted me upright. By the time my eyes found them, Oliver was already hugging her so tightly that I knew nothing could hurt her for the rest of the summer. He was way taller than she was, so her face was pressed snug against his chest. They hit each other with such a force that they seemed not to breathe for several moments. And they staggered that way as I watched, giddiness rampant as a rabbit kicking around in my own chest. Oliver looked different, but in a good way. Madison’s hair was as long as her elbows, but he had cut his black hair shorter. Instead of the unruly mess it had been throughout high school, his black hair lay straight, closely cropped to his head. He was wearing an oversized hoodie and a larger pair of clear glasses. If it were even possible, everything about him was louder, and more contained at the same time. Madison and Lonan were friends long before the rest of our friend group had come together. When they were just seven, Kath attended a yoga class with Madison’s mother, and they often met at Mothouse for coffee afterwards. Because daycare was expensive, Lonan and Madison became quick friends – which was always the way childhood friendships began, out of chance and unreasonable fondness. When high school started, I met Lonan through photography class. Eventually, I was invited to birthday parties and nights at the movie theater. As the three of us started to hang out more and more, it became apparent that we were inseparable. Our own fortress of impenetrable friendship. When Oliver came along later that year, Madison had turned her nose up at him as though he were a plate of escargot. He played keys in the band; Madison played drums. He was passionate and excited in a way that made you always want to be around him. Though, Madison saw this as a challenge. But as Lonan and I formed our own bond over photography, so did Madison with Oliver – over seemingly nothing at all. They just talked. A lot, about everything. Sometimes, until two in the morning. They were people who went together simply because they got along, and they made each other’s lives far easier than if they had been apart. They fit together more like broken pieces than a puzzle. Lonan and I knew far before they did that they’d end up together. I remember one particular day when we’d all gone out to eat gelato at the shop down the street from the post office. Lonan and I sat on one side of the bench; Madison and Oliver sat on the other. As he spooned creamy vanilla into his mouth, Lonan snuck knowing smiles to me. One month later, Madison and Oliver were a thing, and they had been ever since.

chapter two, "THIS JUNE"

I pedaled through the sand until the long-familiar whisper of the waves splashed over my tires. The shoreline was cool where sea spit sprayed in the air, turning my cheeks red and ruddy. People used to strip naked and slink into the water here, swim out to the far shore sparse with naked trees and blanketed in purple fog. In elementary school, we sailed there in a rowboat to turn over rocks for salamanders. Now the grass is covered with red Solo cups, the trees strung with underwear, the sand clogged with wigs of seaweed. Dad used to take me on adventures here; and I remember every single one of them. We packed pepperoni and salami in plastic, chilled cans of Pepsi inside a red cooler, and crammed blankets into the backseat of the car with me. He patted my childish, bruised knees, told me I looked like a pearl tucked away in there. The sea, violent and knowing as it romped into the cliff face, opened its great jaws wide as he stomped through the oil-like water, holding me above his waist. I kicked my legs, baby fat jiggling inside his calloused hands, murmuring songs in my little voice. I danced over the murky seaweed beds, pretended I was the Sugarplum Queen or a swan glistening with cool sweat. I created monsters to dive deep and lurk beneath me. I made myself a princess among them, untouchable. Sunlight marbled across the black sea and deepened my cheeks to rose. Unafraid of what lurked beyond verdant patches of lily flowers, I squished cold sand between my toes, rolled onto my back, floated until I was invisible from the shore, sunlight settling deep in my bones. This part of the beach was empty and quiet, far too gunky for anyone to swim; and this was exactly why I loved it. I was alone again. But it didn’t feel alone. This was the spot where Lonan and I met. It had been raining – the end of February always brought rain like the beach was stuck inside of a snow globe, blowing up mist that mussed my hair and tickled my arms. Clouds thick as sheets wrapped Point Blink in an indigo blanket. Overnight, the tides had surged, digging up scallops and sea glass. The beach was totally silent, except for a single boat bell tolling its loneliness. As I was walking on the beach with a plastic bucket, I noticed a pair of footprints appear beside mine, along with those of a dog. I combed my wet hair back with my fingers and narrowed my eyes. At the end of the beach where the sand gave way to Sugarfell flickered a figure, soft at the edges like he was hardly there at all. A boy watched his dog run in circles around him. He tipped his head back in laughter each time the dog barked. Over the waves, I couldn’t hear anything he said, but I immediately knew this was Lonan because of the camera hung over his chest and the flattened curls underneath his hood. We both wore rain jackets. Mine was yellow and his was blue. We were fourteen.

chapter two, "THIS JUNE"

“You know, I see you working all the time at school, and your stuff is really cool,” I said. Lonan looked up at me, rolling his shoulders a bit. If this was the only time I’d ever get to tell him, it had to be now. “Like,” I continued, “it seems like you put so much time into stuff, and I think that’s really special. I wish… I wish I could do that. Everything you do is really cool, and it’s just really fun to watch you do it. Sometimes I just wonder about what you keep in your sketchbooks and if you’re ever gonna show anyone what you’re working on, because, in my opinion, that sort of stuff deserves to be loved. You’re sort of the coolest person in our photography class, honestly.” Lonan was looking at me a bit like I’d just told him I planned on robbing the bank. “Sorry,” I added. “Is that weird to say?” He cleared his throat. “I don’t think so – I think it’s really sweet.” My face was red from the rain flurrying across the water, but I knew it was this too – finally talking to someone I looked up to so much. I shuffled my feet in the sand. “I’d love to know what you’re working on. If you wanted to show me.” Lonan took a deep breath. “I’ve never really shown anyone my art before.” “You should.”

chapter two, "THIS JUNE"

It scared me to think that my friends and I might someday drift apart. Maybe it had already begun to happen. If I was being honest, I put a lot more thought into this than I did actually being excited that my friends were all going to be in home again. I knew that, when Lonan’s train arrived, we’d spend loads of time together. My life was perfect – I had nothing to worry about. I just needed to get out of my head. Past a crumbling stone wall ran a thin river, ringed with little brown mushrooms. A mossy bridge curved like a heart over the mottled water. I paused there and ran my fingertips over the velvety wood, poking every jagged splinter. Leaning forward, I put my chin on my hands so I could see my reflection on the green surface. A crayfish scuttled along the mirky bottom, and I was reminded of the time Oliver had caught one with his bare hands. Lonan had almost fallen in the water that day, and Madison caught him by the back of his shirt. All of the pictures I’d taken that day were still hanging beside my bookshelf in my bedroom. Still tracing the outline of the crayfish with narrowed eyes, I lifted my camera from my chest and took a photo. I hadn’t eaten much yet, so my fingers were shaking. So badly I wished my friends were with me. I crossed the bridge. The dark wood ahead shed a glow of purple. Sometimes I wondered what my life might be like if my friends had never left. Sometimes it felt like I only liked myself when we were at a party or sharing a secret. Sometimes it seemed like when Madison and Oliver started dating, they turned into completely different people. Sometimes I thought Lonan was sad when we were together. Sometimes, I thought I should talk to him about that. I didn’t tell anyone that, sometimes, I wasn’t sure if I liked college at all. I didn’t tell anyone that I’d had trouble sleeping for the past year. I didn’t tell them that last week I’d lost my appetite almost completely. I couldn’t explain why my chest felt so full of water. I wanted to tell them. There was nobody else I would have rather talked to. But everyone – my friends, Dad, Kath – felt so far away. There is a cliff at the edge of Point Blink where kids twist into the air and throw dust to the vortexing waves; youth dash past eroded caves filled with bird nests that fly by like slots in a mausoleum. A lighthouse with a jammed bell leers over the expanse of heat lightning reflections. Metal gargles against stone in storm weather, warning us all of childish dares. I was a lighthouse: lived in by sailors, travelers, and strangers; pale stone tall and strong against a maelstrom of salt and rock. Moon shells speckled my base, crushed or buried. Clouds passed over the moon, and I opened my eye to cast sickly yellow light over the waves as they smoothed the footprints of my friends, and of Dad, and of me. Point Blink has stood for decades, but I will stand alone for many more, flickering against all the stars, waiting for those I love to return to harbor.

chapter two, "THIS JUNE"

Through the trees and over the static of the waves, something groaned. Like the low whine of a fox or the broken call of a sea bird. But I knew it wasn’t either of those things. It occurred to me then that just because I felt alone, didn’t mean I was alone. The air around me thickened with humidity, and something like fear. I leaned forward slightly. Only my chest rose and fell with purposeful breaths. The sound called out again. Only this time, it was louder. It sounded like something might have been moving around out there. Trying to escape. Claw. Cloy. Gooseflesh rose on my legs. I stiffened trying to stop it. If Lonan were with me, we would have explored. I would have convinced him to wander around with me for hours, and he would have. We would have gotten into trouble for getting home so late, but it would have been worth it. We’d bring home some buried, broken bottle or colorful piece of sea glass and we’d remember the day forever. Whereas Lonan calculated every decision carefully, I never wanted to sit still. I always wanted to do more. Without him, I felt as though I’d lost that part of myself. I wanted it back. In that moment, I decided I had spent enough of the last year waiting for everything to be perfect. This time in Sugarfell belonged to me. Gently, I reached into the barbed brush and pulled apart the branches, enough so I could see the glossy blue of the waves. A field fell over the bluffs like a waterfall and rolled into the ocean. The grass was tall and thick with colorful weeds. All of it was dead, like this mysterious part of the woods hadn’t felt a human’s touch in years. Bugs rose from the yellowed ground, flitting over flowers. The air here was dry yet clear, forcing me to take a deep breath, to smell the salt blowing in from the water. This view of the ocean was without sailboats or jet-skis. I couldn’t hear any tourists. Interrupting the canvas of the sky stood a tower, silhouetted in gold by the sun. The crows I’d seen in the forest were here too, hopping over the rusty ladder at my feet. I tipped my head back. The tower was taller even than most of the trees in Sugarfell. It seemed to sway in its height. It blocked out the sun and made me shiver in its shadow. Tendrils of ivy hung from the crisscross frame. At the top, there was a structure with a door. Planks from the stairs were missing in places, hanging in the overgrown vines. Dust trickled in the sunlight between their gaps. This must have been where the noise was coming from. Like the tower had been calling out to me. A pit opened in my stomach. I’d grown up in Point Blink, yet it was the first time I’d ever seen a tower like this one. I’d looked out of all the tourist binoculars from the tallest bluffs and I’d never seen this tower. The windows on the structure were like eyes, widening in surprise. How far from town had I wandered?

chapter two, "THIS JUNE"

“I really like it here,” Judith said. “You’re lucky to have grown up in a place as perfect as this.” “It’s not always summer,” I told her. “I don’t know,” she said. “Maybe I’d feel differently if I had someone to talk to." In the moment I looked up from my hands to realize that she was talking about me, there was a horrible groan from underneath us, entirely unhuman – the sound a dying machine makes when it is unable to hold itself up any longer. The stairway shrugged and softened. I held on tight to the railing, peeling wood splintering my skin as I slid down, down, down.

Slowly, then all at once, I became aware of a tinny smell. The unmistakable smell of burning metal. I didn’t have time to check and see if Judith was still behind me before she crashed into me. Lonan came to me all at once: we were dissolved into black. I tried running to the opposite side of the fire tower, but then there was no ground beneath me. We must not have been that far up, because it didn’t take long for the rest of the tower to collapse beneath us. There was something soft underneath me – my bag or Judith's arm. I could not see the sky – then light exploded from the veil we were trapped in. Judith's hand found mine. She was shouting. I couldn’t tell what she was saying. I dragged myself through the grass, now pasty with smoke, infiltrating my throat, my eyes, my head – everything. It softened the world, made it easier to forget, but no easier to breathe. I wasn’t sure for how long we struggled that way in the growing cloud of smoke. Judith screamed – a sound I never should have heard – and it brought hot tears to my eyes. Distantly, someone else screamed. It might have been me, but I wasn’t sure. Sirens wailed somewhere. We never heard many of them in Point Blink. I smelled of salt and smoke. What a fool I’d been to believe it possible I could carry on without my best friends; and what a fool Judith had been to think she could replace them.

i shared so so many excerpts! i won't always be able to do so because of spoilers and such. i also didn't share much of the book which includes judith since i wasn't happy with her character portrayal.. so sorry about that haha. i hope to show more of her in next month's update!!

thank you so much for reading! i'd like to keep this sort of format for all my updates. once per month is likely attainable during my semester!

now

i am v tired and im going to bed. have to write an APA paper tomorrow -_-

until october,

amber 💚

#this june #my writing

6 notes · View notes

encyclopika · 2 years

Note

Abdhdh hi! I really want to go into marine biology, but it seems like there’s so little information out there about which specific programs or degrees take you in which direction (for ex. many programs I see are more environmentally focused and I’m more interested in sharks and cephalopods etc) do you have any tips on what path(s) to take and college programs/degrees to look into?

Hello! I got a similar question from @fish-themed-shitposter on my other ask, and I figure addressing you both would be the best so I don't miss anything. They're questions was: "It's my dream job, but I've heard the field is pretty competitive. Any advice before I go into highschool? What secondary education should I be aiming for?"

If you're passionate about learning and willing to make the commitment to work hard, that's the first thing you need. I'm not sure which countries you both are from, so I can only speak from my experiences in the USA. And, unfortunately, there is no "one-size-fits-all" approach to doing this. If you have a particular subject you're into, ie: sharks, use that as a jumping point and source of willpower to persevere. Honestly, allowing that interest to expand is my advice. For example:

My original dream was to go out and study sharks, but that is *so hard* to do. Everyone wants to focus on the big, charismatic megafauna. Oh you like sharks, and dolphins, and seals, and turtles? Get in line. XD Slowly, I expanded my interests into all fish and marine invertebrates, which eventually lead me into fisheries. Through fisheries work, yeah, I don't get to see and tag and study exclusively sharks - unfortunately, my biggest project right now focuses on the Striped Bass. But! There is always potential to see and deal with sharks, and that is definitely good enough for me. Try to generalize your dream so you have more options and paths that you would be comfortable and happy to do. Be flexible. Maybe instead of cephalopods, you're into their coral reef habitats? Maybe you're passionate about conserving them in associated fisheries? I'd recommend doing some reading in Google Scholar when you have time. Type in your passion animal, and look at what's being done for them in the field. Maybe you'll see something that sparks your interest even more.

If you're going into high school, and you're very sure about your goals to join the marine bio field, then maybe one day during this summer when you've got nothing going on, start searching on Google for colleges/universities that have great biology majors and marine science classes. Go nuts. Look at the University of Hawaii - who gives a damn? Just get a feeling for it. Make a dream list of the ones you would love to apply to, and look at what courses they require you take to complete the degree you'd pick. Then, make sure you take similar classes in high school. For instance!

Any sort of biology coursework is going to include Math, Chemistry, Physics, and Statistics - all things I hated - but they absolutely have been relevant in my career. As were "intro to bio" courses that covered the meat and potatoes of bio - cell bio, ecology, and physiology. Take those introductions in high school so that, when you get into college, you're not starting on the first floor. Use high school like pre-college. College is insanely expensive and I hope they eliminate student debt for you guys, but in the meantime, you don't want to have to pay for the same class twice. Those foundational classes that will feel like a slog and make you question your career decisions, will take up at least the first two years of your undergraduate career, alongside the "classes that make you a well-rounded person hopefully", like history, english, and foreign language courses that may be required (and you can absolutely just take them at your local community college for cheap - check out how transferring credits works). Again, look at what the school wants you to do to get that degree. See if any of those classes overlap with another major or minor (I did this with my Environmental Studies minor - it's worth doing if the only difference is like, one class that might be fun, but irrelevant. I took a class about Primate Conservation, but it ended up giving me a lot of conservation perspective anyway, so they're worth it). And yeah, look for courses that are just plain fun and up your alley - you'll never know how that fits into your life. I took a class about King Arthur, and I LOVED it. The professor was a riot! Maybe it made me a better writer? Being a good writer helped me land my current job, because grant writing is important. Who tf knows?

Then look at the courses that are actually relevant to you - the marine bio, the fish ecology, the invertebrate zoology, whatever - they offer and what they entail and how that fits into your goals. If you're into cephalopods, you probably want to go somewhere that offers courses that focus on invertebrates in whatever capacity. Also keep in mind that you should also pick a type of bio you are into, as well. I was always into ecology (how ecosystems work is fascinating!) and that leads into conservation, which, put together with fish, equals a job in Fisheries Management and research on commercially important species, fishing gear, and the industry. Go down the rabbit hole and see what you come up with.

Look at the faculty of the bio and/or marine bio departments. Each one is not going to just be a teacher, they are also the head Principle Investigator (PI) - the head scientist, if you will - of their own lab, usually. See what they're researching right now. Look at what they have researched already - chances are, they have a passion animal or topic that they have zeroed in on, and if that matches yours, you should bang on their door and ask when you can volunteer to help around the lab when you're accepted at their university/college. Perhaps see if there is undergraduate research credits you can take on and get your feet wet doing real science on an "easy" project the PI has for an undergrad. And remember, just because the PI's interests match yours, doesn't mean other PIs won't be better suited for you. Some of them are actually assholes, and you shouldn't stay in a lab run by an asshole because you're desperate. In undergrad, any experience in a lab is a good thing, even if you're the poor bucket-cleaning shmuck. Someone's gotta clean those buckets! It's important! Oh, and read their scientific journal articles and get a feel for exactly what they do - it's flattering for them and shows your commitment when you've done that homework.

Internship opportunities and organizations that focus on your passions are places you want to apply to and get real job experience, whether that's over the summer, or you work it in between classes. Maybe you're into marine mammals? Volunteer with the local marine mammal and sea turtle rescue/rehab place. Maybe you love talking nonstop about the ocean and everything - look into educational jobs at aquariums, zoos, and other non-profits that do education or kids camps outdoors.

You do not absolutely need to have an even higher degree (master's, phD) in order to be in this field. There are plenty of places looking for technicians with a bachelor's to do grunt field work and there's nothing shameful about being the one doing it if you love it. A master's may open doors for you that include a little more research, you may be able to write grants, or be put in charge of the grunts in the field. A PhD may land you work with a university or big lab doing important research. Who knows? You go as far as you can. Life will get in the way. Do not sacrifice happiness in other spaces in your life because this is your dream. If you keep at it, it should come in whatever capacity. I refused to leave New York, so my job search was extremely limited but...I wanted to be with my now-husband. Life happens!

And my best advice of all? Don't give up. One bad grade isn't going to ruin everything. Pick yourself up and keep trying. When I earned my Master's, I had to get a job at Walgreen's to make money while I waited for opportunities to open up. It was degrading af. But you don't give up. You get on the internet everyday and apply to jobs, programs, state tests - throw as much shit at the wall and something is bound to stick (you'll learn that in your stats classes! XD).

Don't give up. But accept when and if your interests change. It could happen. You could wake up late for Physics again and say "ya know what? Fuck it. Time to switch to the Business major" and that's totally valid. Don't stick with something just because young you thought you loved it. This is really hard to do.

Anyway, if you make strides, I'd love to hear all about it. I am proud of you for even going for it. Feel free to message me anytime. ^__^/

#marine biology #I am sorry this is so long #but I said I didn't wanna leave anything out!#make your dreams a reality #change your goals when they don't suit you anymore #study hard

20 notes · View notes

lavenderandlaurel · 1 year

Text

lol I haven't posted in this tag since may but here we go. long rambling thoughts about 2022:

2022 was a big year for me, which is weird because it doesn't really feel that way. I started the year in a very different mental and emotional place than where I am now, and a lot of the goals I set and things I expected to change just haven't been as relevant as I anticipated. for better and for worse, I'm at the same job and in the same apartment I was a year ago. it seems likely that will be the case at the end of 2023, too.

but under the surface, a lot of things have changed. I started a major solo project at work (as opposed to juggling half a dozen smaller projects), and I got some accommodations that mean I'm a lot less worn out in all the other areas of my life. I completed my conversion to judaism. I started applying to phd programs, then changed my mind, decided to pursue independent research, and started a new creative nonfiction project that may or may not be a book someday. I've also taken on some new responsibilities, not all of them totally planned - team leader for an organization I started volunteering with last january, committee member for a professional organization I'm active in. I've been gradually getting better at being consistent and following through on some of the side projects I say yes to.

having more energy outside of work (relatively speaking) means I've been able to be more intentional with my hobbies, which I'm starting to have rather a lot of. I kept up bouldering from last year, more or less, and in the summer started looking for a kung fu gym to get back into martial arts, which I haven't done for years but have missed a lot. I am really loving the school and style (mantis) where I landed. at this point I am probably in the best shape I've been since sophomore year of high school, though it strikes me that I had to find solutions for my chronic fatigue before I could make regular exercise happen. I do think it contributes to me having more energy, but there's no way I could have been this active last year and still worked full time.

I didn't write as much fiction as I'd hoped this year - only about 50,000 words total, and I haven't posted at all. on the other hand, I'm still happily working on the same projects I was at the beginning of the year, which is truly unprecedented. the goal is definitely to finish at least one of them this year.

I did reach a lot of my language-learning goals, including finishing the chinese tree on duolingo, getting comfortable with the hebrew alphabet, and finding ways to keep up my spanish. on the other hand, I haven't been cooking or practicing piano much - possibly because I haven't been trying much in the way of new things and am getting a little bored.

I've read 64 books this year and will probably finish another two or three before the end of the year, exceeding my (low, for me) goal of 60. a lot of those books were lengthy nonfiction, which may be why the overall number isn't as high as it was a few years ago. I have also been watching a lot more TV, though. 2022 was really the year of the cdrama for me, but there were several other fantastic shows: the sandman, reservation dogs, a league of their own, killing eve. musically, the mountain goats have unsurprisingly stayed my #1 band, but I listened to a wider range of stuff compared to last year (shoutout to my habibi and ibibio sound machine kick of the last couple months). I also tried a couple of new video games, hades and control. I am not good at the third-person shooter format, but it keeps me from destroying things.

the one neglected area of my 2022 goals that I would really like to pick back up in the new year is improvements to my living space, like getting enough shelf space for my books and making sure the kitchen/dining areas stay functional.

#2022 tag

2 notes · View notes

kenthenugget · 1 year

Text

My Classroom Neighbor (Idk what to title this)

So the other day I was watching a video by a youtuber named Optimus, whom I watch from time to time. In the video, he was covering a story about this, frankly, spoiled college girl who bragged about missing deadlines for assignments and projects on twitter. And whom melted down when, to no ones surprise but her's, got booted from the class by her professor. While the story itself was another example of reaping what you sow, it did remind me a person who's story I'd like to share with you guys today. While this person didn't brag about missing assignments or freak out when the was dropped, I did have a front row seat to someone basically failing a class because he did little to nothing of the assignments. But I'm getting ahead of myself.

The student in question was in my graphic design course during the Fall 2021 Semester. I first saw him the week after classes had started, not showing up until now due to something that was happening in his personal life. After that he chose his spot and said spot just so happened to be right next to where I sat, which is how I got the "front row seat" so to speak. I guess I cant be referring to him as "the student" for this whole thing so I'll just be calling him Steven, a name which might make more sense later on.

On the surface, there was nothing particularly outstanding about Steven but what I did notice and would quickly take notice of was the fact that he didnt seem to pay attention at all to the lecture. While the person sitting to my left would have photoshop or illustrator open following along with the lecture, to my left would be Steven either on google maps, smacking his thighs or looking shit up on google images. The one thing he looked up the most were seagulls (get it? Steven as in Steven Seagal...Seagulls?). Although, there was this one time where he searched up Donald Trump and when I noticed him doing it, he literally moved his monitor so I couldn't see it. Not going to lie, it made me chuckle.

He also didn't seem to do any of classworks/homework too? How do I know this? Well during the moments in class where there wouldn't be a lecture going on, we would have 'Critique Sessions", where would show off our work in front of the class, completed or not. At no point during the semester did I see Steven's work presented on the board. That and he seemed to be occupied with google maps and birds to realize the professor was giving us a homework assignments. In hindsight, he was quite a weird one. He would come, drop of his stuff, disappear out of the classroom for about 10 minutes, come back in, do his usual stuff then leave.

At this point, you're probably wondering if Steven had some sort of learning disability, like adhd or autism. And looking back, I feeling he probably had either or both. Now before you start flaming me, I'd like to point out that I have autism and adhd as well, so don't think this is coming from someone who likes to hate on neurdivergent people like the trolls on kiwi farms or 4chan. I am well aware that stuff like adhd and a.d.d can severally effect someone's ability to focus, however, I dont think its a be all end all excuse. Because adhd cant effect someone's motivation or drive to get work done. I struggle with focusing on shit but I also dont want to miss a deadline, weather it be webcomics or school. So that drive to get things done on time and not half ass anything overrides any distractions that might come my way. For school, I've always had high grades and its sort wired an instinct into my brain to do well in classes. And I was particularly motivated during this semester. My first year of college was awful, mostly due to mental health struggles I had been dealing with throughout 2020 and the first half of 2021. Because of this, I didnt perform as well as I would have if I was in a better mental state. It was because of that realization that, following a summer of improvement, I made it a personal goal to do better in college to make up for my poor performance.

So in a weird way, I personally saw Steven as a twisted reflection to how I was in 2020/2021; unfocused and lagging behind the rest of the class. But instead of it being only visible to him in the privacy of his own bedroom during zoom classes, I had a front row seat to his antics. Although I cant be sure if was suffering with the same mental issues that I had at the time. As for the autism, he did seem to have an obsession with Seagulls, like I said, and the metric system. Not really sure how this ties in with all of this.

Anyways, this brings us to the end of the semester. Steven had no only done none of the homework assignments and but one of the in class assignments, he hadn't done the take home midterm either. I was wondering if he make a turn around for the final project, which would be due on the 18th a Monday, with the latest hand ins going until Wednesday the 20th. We were given two weeks to work on it, and then came Monday, the actual last in class session. And I was not surprised to find that he hadn't done it. I guess that's a bit misleading. He did start it but he wasn't even close to finishing it. I wasn't paying too much attention to his computer since my eyes were directly set on the presentations, but what I did see was a blank document with a type face on it. That's it! I was kinda shocked but not surprised since he didn't even do the take home midterm which the professor did give him shit for. After we presented all our projects (except for Steven), and after the professor gave us some departing words, we were dismissed for the day. It was at this point Steven turned to me and said quote for quote, "Wait is it over?"

"Yeah", I replied, "Everyone dropped theirs' (aka final projects) into the dropbox" (our way of handing in assingments)

At this, he muttered "oh shit" under his breath and I tried my best to contain my laughter as I packed my things and left, while overhearing him and the professor talk about something. Most likely trying to explain why he did 0.1% of the work for the class. I found this moment so funny that I wrote it in my journal shortly after and forever immortalized this moment. Needless to say, I don't think Steven passed the class, and I doubt he would have been able to make it up by Wednesday as well. If he couldn't focus to use the 2 weeks working on his final, then there was no way he could do all of that and more within a couple of days.

And that was the last I saw of Steven. I saw him walking down the sidewalk to the nearest bus stop while waiting for my dad to pick me up that same day but after that, I never saw him in any of the classes I signed up for after that. I know its not a guarantee that you'll see the same people in each class you sign up for because of how big college is, but I wonder if he became too unfocused to sign up for any new classes too. I'm not quite sure what the moral of this story is, if there is one anyway. I guess don't waste you're parents money because college is expensive XD

0 notes

buckets-and-trees · 1 year

Note

🤲what do YOU get out of writing?

link to ask more questions

Thanks for the ask, Navy!

In this season of my life one of the things I get out of writing is healing part of who I am. I was a creative child and when I was 13 one day in English class my teacher gave us an assignment to write a short story in the computer lab during that hour, and ... I discovered that I liked doing that and my teacher said it was very good. I'd been a voracious reader, but I'd never thought of writing my own stuff before that day.

In high school I played around with writing a little bit, but not too much. In college I did a LOT of fanfic and was on track to be an English teacher by day and budding novelist by night, but then I discovered a totally different career path about halfway through, and I kept writing for fun, but went all in on career stuff after graduating.

I threw myself completely into work for the first 8-9 years of my career, also took time getting a master's degree... Finishing both my degrees depleted my energy for writing for a while, but I was spending a lot of my brain power on work. And I love my job and career. But about a week before the pandemic lockdown, a pretty monumental thing happened at work that made me realize that I had to start living a life outside of work and only give work 40 hours of my life per week, because they didn't care about me to the levels that I had invested in them.

I started reading fanfic again in 2021. I started playing around just a touch, but then last year I decided that I needed to really invest time into my hobbies again just to enrich my own life on a regular basis, not an occasional basis.

I adore the craft of writing. I love building story in my head. I like scribbling away little notes on my phone when a random idea strikes. There's nothing quite like the stories that come up where the idea can consume me and it literally just pours out when I sit down to type. Some of my writing has helped me to work out things I'm thinking about in my personal life. Some of it is total wish fulfillment. Some of it is to challenge myself in new genres or new characters. I like the accomplished feeling of just finishing something. Even though I wrote a lot of stuff in the HP fandom during my college time (mostly one-shots), I never finished any of my WIPs back then (I had 4-5 of them), and so when I finished posting the 12 official parts of The Brooklyn Boys, I got a HUGE amount of satisfaction!

And now that I've jumped back into the community part of the fandom and fanfic writing again, it's also been so enriching to engage with people here - whether it's just the casual comments, baby acquaintance level, new friendships that are in starting stages, or people I feel like I'm genuinely building bonds with that I'll treasure for years... that part is pretty great, too.

My goal this year is to write and complete my first original fiction novel - just like my old HP fandom days, I started a few different original fic projects way back, but never finished. It's going to be my big summer project, and I've been scribbling away some notes on 2-3 big ideas. I think I know which one I want to go all in on first, but I want to have multiple irons in the fire just so I don't feel like I get stuck on anything.

THAT WAS A LOT OF TALKING. But anyway. Abrupt end of post now because we don't need a novel here.

#aspen asks #aspen on writing

0 notes

socialchangeandsociety · 2 years

Text

Lesson 15, Task 2: What has influenced me?

What has influenced me to do this day? I have a range of diverse influences on my life. From the tradition of my coffee and cigarette in the morning to the exhilarating ride on my longboard and zooming past unexplored or familiar places. I would say my style and influence of fashion would be Lululemon. Lululemon always has my back for providing me fashion and functionality to ride comfortably on my longboard. Or the 100-year old cooperative I live in. I know for sure I can always rely on Netflix to gorge on a variety of shows.

Netflix is a platform of technology that allows users to watch a variety and genre of film. Back when I was in my youth, I was limited to a selection of television on cable television. The wide selection and variety of shows, movies or documentaries are just the minuscule fraction of a variety of shows I can choose at my fingertips. Netflix never leaves me bored. Im currently watching the film, Stranger Things. Its about a group of youth who experience supernatural phenomena happening in the hidden parts of their hometown and solving sci-fi mystery. Netflix helps me have a reward for after completing my homework or if I had a long day. I always get excited to wine down after around 8:00 pm, have a snack and watch a show before bed. This nightly tradition allows me to use my laptop screen for what I usually use it for, instead of the usual homework and school studies! Netflix helps influence me to be a better student and come online with a fresh and recuperated outlook on my long term commitment to education. According to Statistics Canada, Almost half of Canadians (48%) streamed video content, such as Netflix, news, Crave, Concerts or fitness videos, more often since the start pandemic. I can testify to the fact that I was a part of that population! I definitely participated in watching yoga videos.

Speaking of yoga, I love yoga! It helps me stay in tip top shape and get a stretch in between my studies! It helps me keep on top of my physical and mental health. I always wear my Lululemon yoga pants that are environmentally friendly and durable! The tradition of popping into my yoga attire relaxes me and helps me come into my practise of yoga and help me flow. Not only has Lululemon helped me on the mat with its supportive attire. The versatility and comfort is a huge influence on my reasons for purchase and brand commitment. I would say my two favourite products that I use most often is the skort (skirt and built in shorts), and the black leggings. Not only are they great for running and long boarding, they’re practical and I can wear them everyday or on a serving shift. It has built in slim and hard to notice pockets for my wallet and phone. I value supporting brands that support others. Lululemon has a program called Be here Now and it strives to advocate and invest in systemic inequity around the world. They currently have a goal to impact 10 million people by 2025. They fund a majority of community based organizations that target certain demographics. For example, The Trevor Project is just one of the many programs Lululemon advocates and supports. Lululemon is a well known brand. The Trevor Project is the world’s largest suicide prevention program and crisis intervention organization for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and questioning (LGBTQ) young people. I feel confident in this brand and proud wearing it (Community & Global Wellbeing).

Im also proud of being able to ride a skateboard. I recall two summers ago binge-watching skateboarding videos on instagram. What sold it to me and influenced me was a famous dancing long-boarder, Hyo Joo, from Korea in a Yves Saint Laurent commercial riding effortlessly down a scenic highway and a handsome man notices her behind her in his rearview mirror and then he picks her up in his awesome car. She looked like she was having fun and effortlessly dancing on the longboard! It definitely influenced me to jump on and buy a board. Here is a link to the video, https://www.instagram.com/p/Bi9cbsxjn-F/?hl=en. I did meet many people while learning how to skate and falling and getting back up I made comrades who experienced the same difficulties when learning to skate. One thing that stuck with me in skating and can be applied to any circumstance, is that when you fall you get back up or you just keep pushing on! Skating influenced my fashion and my social circles. I would skate, dance and commute on my longboard and I got really into putting stickers on my skateboard. I started putting stickers from skate apparel and everything. The culture of skating was male dominated, however, girls are jumping the scene in Afghanistan! Oliver Percovich made a skate school in Afghanistan called Skateistan. Oliver Percovich founded Skateistan in 2008 after moving there in 2007 from Australia when his girlfriend took a job in Kabul. He was stoked to see the kids flock to the skateboard and at how eager they were to learn. This brought girls and boys together for the first time in history and created a space where girls could go outside and integrate education. It also provided jobs for women and children further sliding their education (Skateistan, 2017)! If I ever was in a low mood, I knew I could hop on my board go solo or call a friend. Nothing beats the feeling of free and limitless while carving and flowing down a hill in the breeze on your longboard. I think the biggest influence my longboard had on me is I was able to build a community and circle of friends, de-stress and explore on my own. It definitely helped me save money commuting everywhere and I upgraded to an electric board that doesn’t even need me to push! It sure beats the train or riding the bus. Being afghani and seeing my community jump off of 12 stairs is something I am really proud of and it influences me to keep on pushing!

Something I can’t do on the longboard is drink coffee! Or can I? Maybe! Not something I want to explore! I love having my jet black Americano at around 10:00 am in the morning. Sometimes i'll even have a pick me up cappuccino at lunch time. I often pair it with a cigarette and feel a buzz. I know! I know! It’s not a good habit! It’s just there’s something about a coffee and cigarette. Maybe I feel empowered, like a suffragette. I love that story, about how the group of women fought for their rights and lit a cigarette after their speech. 80 years of tobacco advertising directly to women have successfully evolved the role in American society. The cigarettes were positioned strategically by public relations specialists during the suffragette movement. The act of lighting the cigarettes and the movement was called “Torches of Freedom“ during the suffragette movement. It was a symbol of independence during womens liberation and individualism as women weren’t allowed to smoke back then( et al., 2004). The suffragette campaign ran for more than ten years, it was directed, written and played out by a fluid group of politically motivated women who were sometimes helped by men . They’re goal was to get women to be able to vote (Atkinson, 2018, pg 4-6) I had a suffragette movement where I was on the sunny steps of old city hall relaxing with a smoke in a no-smoking prohibited signed area. A female constable was coming into old city hall and told me how she wish she was in the sun having a smoke instead of being in a sweaty police constable uniform. I thought she was going to tell me no smoking here! We experienced a little bit of a deviant interaction I’d say! I told her it was awesome to see a woman in a uniform! Suffragettes definitely had an influence on my independence and autonomy and my health! It is not a social norm to be allowed to smoke on no smoking property! It's an offence that we both looked past for the sake of independence and individuality for women.

Last but not least, my home. My home is where the heart is. I love my little apartment in Cabbagetown. I have lived there for seven years. My building is a historic site and its protected by the city. It is a very old and historic looking building that goes by the name of The Ernescliffe Apartments. Ernescliffe Non-Profit housing co-op has been a leader in the non-profit housing movement since 1995. Its located on the corner of Sherbourne and Wellesley Street East. Ernescliffe offers affordable housing just outside the downtown core with access to community, hotspots, schools, libraries and transit (Ernescliffe non-profit Housing Co-operative Inc.. 2013). The building filed a permit in 1913. It used to be a single family house mansion and was built by John Herbert Mason, one of the founding members of The Canada Permanent Building and Savings Society. The people who lived in the building wanted to preserve its architecture. They even say there are ghost sightings in the building! Mrs.Bleecker who is one of the management of the co-op said it wasn’t uncommon to see a dark energy coming through the hallways. She says she doesn’t see so much of it happen since there has been so much good energy. In 1948, the buildings 1,500 pound boiler exploded and killed two engineers working on it. 14 years earlier a depressed barrister jumped to his death from a fifth floor window. Its been around 100 years and building tenants and managers have been well known about this dark energy appearing sometimes. I myself have experienced it! It was a very freaky feeling and startling to know its on the web and corroborates something similar I went through. This building has culture, history and the architectural style of the building has been maintained over 100 years (LeBlanc, 2015).

From creepy but classical old style buildings to zooming down Toronto’s streets on my longboard in my organization friendly fashionable and functional skort (skirt and short duo, with pockets). To my woman empowered coffee and cigarettes. All I need is my Netflix show at night to get tucked into bed to. This is a cultural snapshot of me and what influences me. Hopefully i'll become an empowered social worker one day!

References

Atkinson, D. (2018). Rise up women! ise Up Women!: The Remarkable Lives of the Suffragettes. Retrieved July 7, 2022, from https://books.google.ca/books?hl=en&lr=&id=8Ng3DwAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PT8&dq=suffragettes%2B&ots=gb523hssuU&sig=si7hy8u9RfRNl8EaK4dNmAosyzk#v=onepage&q=suffragettes&f=false

Bilodeau, H., Minnema, N., & Kehler, A. (2021, June 24). The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted the behaviours of Canadians, particularly regarding their online activities. using data from the 2020 canadian internet use survey, this article examines several internet-related activities Canadians have done more often during the pandemic. Internet use and COVID-19: How the pandemic increased the amount of time Canadians spend online. Retrieved July 7, 2022, from https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/45-28-0001/2021001/article/00027-eng.htm

Community & Global Wellbeing. lululemon. (n.d.). Retrieved July 7, 2022, from https://corporate.lululemon.com/our-impact/support-for-wellbeing/lululemon-centre-for-social-impact/community-and-global-wellbeing

Ernescliffe Non-Profit Housing Co-operative Inc. (2013). Ernescliffe non-profit Housing Co-operative Inc.. Ernescliffe. Retrieved July 7, 2022, from https://www.ernescliffe.ca/

IMDb.com. (2016). Stranger things. IMDb. Retrieved July 7, 2022, from https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4574334/mediaviewer/rm3336115457/?ref_=tt_ov_i

LeBlanc, D. (2015, September 3). Ernescliffe architecture with 100 years of history. The Globe and Mail. Retrieved July 7, 2022, from https://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/home-and-garden/architecture/ernescliffe-architecture-with-100-years-of-history/article26206619/

Marie, D. (2022, May 18). 13+ haunted places to visit in Toronto - part II. TorontoJourney416. Retrieved July 7, 2022, from https://www.torontojourney416.com/haunted-toronto-part-2/

Mubaraka , M. (n.d.). It's her turn: Women by women. Skateistan. Retrieved July 7, 2022, from https://skateistan.org/blog/its-her-turn-women-women

Pace rival mid-rise skirt *extra long: Women's skirts. lululemon. (2022). Retrieved July 7, 2022, from https://shop.lululemon.com/p/skirts-and-dresses-skirts/Pace-Rival-Skirt-Extra-Long/_/prod9410007?CID=Google_Women_Shopping%2BBrand_CA_ag%3DSkirts&color=0001&gclid=CjwKCAjwiJqWBhBdEiwAtESPaNBntvLwAg65K0O6TC7fUPLCStUjenLH-EJs59Y5Kke1Hbam3WqfsRoC2oEQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds&locale=en_CA&sl=CA&sz=0

Skateistan. (2017, October 26). Citizen profile: Oliver Percovich, founder and Executive director of Skateistan. Medium. Retrieved July 7, 2022, from https://medium.com/@Skateistan/citizen-profile-oliver-percovich-founder-and-executive-director-of-skateistan-3f8cfd116bb4

Susan Middlestadt, Kimberly Maxwell, Jesse Gelwicks, Junette McWilliams, & Sweeney, C. (2004, November 6). Public Health and the Environment. What tobacco companies know about women: How to effectively Counter Market Health to women. Retrieved July 7, 2022, from https://aphanew.confex.com/apha/132am/techprogram/paper_78560.htm

Yves St Laurent Commercial. (2018, May 19). Retrieved July 7, 2022, from https://www.instagram.com/p/Bi9cbsxjn-F/?hl=en

0 notes

nasa · 3 years

Text

NASA Spotlight: Earth Climate Scientist Dr. Yolanda Shea

Dr. Yolanda Shea is a climate scientist at NASA's Langley Research Center. She’s the project scientist for the CLARREO Pathfinder (CPF) mission, which is an instrument that will launch to the International Space Station to measure sunlight reflected from Earth. It will help us understand how much heat is being trapped by our planet’s atmosphere. Her mission is designed to help us get a clearer picture than we currently have of the Earth’s system and how it is changing

Yolanda took time from studying our home planet to answer questions about her life and career! Get to know this Earth scientist:

What inspired you to study climate science?

Starting in early middle school I became interested in the explanations behind the weather maps and satellite images shown on TV. I liked how the meteorologists talked about the temperature, moisture, and winds at different heights in the atmosphere, and then put that together to form the story of our weather forecasts. This made me want to learn more about Earth science, so I went to college to explore this interest more.

The summer after my junior year of college, I had an internship during which my first assignment was to work with a program that estimated ocean currents from satellite measurements. I was fascinated in the fact that scientists had discovered a way to map ocean currents from space!

Although I had learned about Earth remote sensing in my classes, this was my first taste of working with, and understanding the details of, how we could learn more about different aspects of the physical world from satellite measurements.

This led to my learning about other ways we can learn about Earth from space, and that includes rigorous climate monitoring, which is the area I work in now.

What does a day in your life look like?

Before I start my workday, I like to take a few minutes to eat breakfast, knit (I’m loving sock knitting right now!), and listen to a podcast or audio book. Each workday really looks different for me, but regardless, most days are a combination of quieter moments that I can use for individual work and more interactive times when I’m interfacing with colleagues and talking about project or science issues. Both types of work are fun in different ways, but I’m glad I have a mixture because all researchers need that combination of deep thinking to wrap our minds around complex problems and also time to tackle those problems with others and work on solving them together.

When do you feel most connected to Earth?

I’ve always loved sunsets. I find them peaceful and beautiful, and I love how each one is unique. They are also a beautiful reminder of the versatility of reflected light, which I study. Sitting for a moment to appreciate the beauty and calm I feel during a sunset helps me feel connected to Earth.

What will your mission – CLARREO Pathfinder – tell us about Earth?

CLARREO Pathfinder (CPF) includes an instrument that will take measurements from the International Space Station and will measure reflected sunlight from Earth. One of its goals is to demonstrate that it can take measurements with high enough accuracy so that, if we have such measurements over long periods of time, like several decades, we could detect changes in Earth’s climate system. The CPF instrument will do this with higher accuracy than previous satellite instruments we’ve designed, and these measurements can be used to improve the accuracy of other satellite instruments.

How, if at all, has your worldview changed as a result of your work in climate science?

The longer I work in climate science and learn from the data about how humans have impacted our planet, the more I appreciate the fragility of our one and only home, and the more I want to take care of it.

What advice would you give your younger self?

It’s ok to not have everything figured out at every step of your career journey. Work hard, do your best, and enjoy the journey as it unfolds. You’ll inevitably have some surprises along the way, and regardless of whether they are welcome or not, you’re guaranteed to learn something.

Do you have a favorite metaphor or analogy that you use to describe what you do, and its impact, to those outside of the scientific community?

I see jigsaw puzzles as a good illustration of how different members of a science community play a diverse set of roles to work through different problems. Each member is often working on their own image within the greater puzzle, and although it might take them years of work to see their part of the picture come together, each image in the greater puzzle is essential to completing the whole thing. During my career, I’ll work on a section of the puzzle, and I hope to connect my section to others nearby, but we may not finish the whole puzzle. That’s ok, however, because we’ll hand over the work that we’ve accomplished to the next generation of scientists, and they will keep working to bring the picture to light. This is how I try to think about my role in climate science – I hope to contribute to the field in some way; the best thing about what I have done and what I will do, is that someone else will be able to build on my work and keep helping humanity come to a better understanding of our Earth system.

What is a course that you think should be part of required school curriculum?

Time and project management skills – I think students tend to learn these skills more organically from their parents and teachers, but in my experience I stumbled along and learned these skills through trial and error. To successfully balance all the different projects that I support now, I have to be organized and disciplined, and I need to have clear plans mapped out, so I have some idea of what’s coming and where my attention needs to be focused.

Another course not specifically related to my field is personal financial management. I was interested in personal finance, and that helped me to seek out information (mainly through various blogs) about how to be responsible with my home finances. There is a lot of information out there, but making sure that students have a solid foundation and know what questions to ask early on will set them to for success (and hopefully fewer mistakes) later on.

What’s the most unexpected time or place that your expertise in climate science and/or algorithms came in handy?

I think an interesting part of being an atmospheric scientist and a known sky-watcher is that I get to notice beautiful moments in the sky. I remember being on a trip with friends and I looked up (as I usually do), and I was gifted with a gorgeous sundog and halo arc. It was such a beautiful moment, and because I noticed it, my friends got to enjoy it too.

Can you share a photo or image from a memorable NASA project you’ve worked on, and tell us a little bit about why the project stood out to you?

I absolutely loved being on the PBS Kids TV Show, SciGirls for their episode SkyGirls! This featured a NASA program called Students’ Clouds Observations On-Line (S’COOL). It was a citizen science program where students from around the globe could take observations of clouds from the ground that coincided with satellite overpasses, and the intention was to help scientists validate (or check) the accuracy of the code they use to detect clouds from satellite measurements. I grew up watching educational programming from PBS, so it was an honor to be a science mentor on a TV show that I knew would reach children across the nation who might be interested in different STEM fields. In this photo, the three young women I worked with on the show and I are talking about the different types of clouds.

To stay up to date on Yolanda's mission and everything going on in NASA Earth science, be sure to follow NASA Earth on Twitter and Facebook.

🌎 If you're looking for Earth Day plans, we have live events, Q&As, scavenger hunts and more going on through April 24. Get the details and register for our events HERE.

Make sure to follow us on Tumblr for your regular dose of space: http://nasa.tumblr.com.

#Earth #Earth Day #earth science #NASA #climate #weather #atmosphere #space #international space station #STEM #women in STEM #awesome women #climate change #home planet #earth love

21K notes · View notes

astriiformes · 2 years

Text

New Year’s Resolutions are always dubiously helpful for me, but it is a good time for reflection, so here is an organization of things that are not quite “resolutions,” but possible goals for me nonetheless:

Writing:

Last year I made a post expressing how excited I was that I had started working on fic again in earnest, and modestly expressed the hope that I could match it and write at least 25k of fic in 2021. Turns out that I instead managed to publish 84,582 words of fic, marking my most productive writing year.... ever.

What I am taking away from that: Fandom challenges & events are great motivators for me. The bulk of that published fic is from Whumptober and my Fandom Trumps Hate piece, and Whumptober in particular was a fantastic test of my skills & gave me some ideas for larger stories

What I would like to do in 2022: Keep that momentum! I love writing and posting fic so much and even though it’s hard it’s been great for me! That said, 2021 was also the year of not working on existing projects and instead posting new ones. Part of that was a new special interest developing in August, but in 2022 I want to return to my LotR longfic and BttF stories I’ve had percolating for ages, alongside new TOH stuff and finishing my FTH story/hopefully taking on a new one

(Additionally: I want to look more at non-fanfic writing projects. Thinking more seriously about original fiction or academic/freelance publishing seems like something worth doing if my writing ability is really returning so strongly, after struggling with it for so long)

Cosplay:

I only finished one cosplay in 2021, but Hunter’s Golden Guard outfit is far and away the most complicated one I’ve ever made and proof that I really have launched into a new sort of... echelon of ability

What I am taking away from that: I can in fact learn new skills without too much angst, and I do have some really solid problem-solving creating abilities (throwing together a mask to go with my Percy cosplay at 3am the night before wearing it again also proved this). It is absolutely worth tackling the projects I have been putting off because I think my abilities aren’t good enough. (Also, I really love the hobby and should invest in it)

What I would like to do in 2022: Finish at least one new cosplay from scratch. I also might like to fix up or remake parts of some others, but I want to tackle something completely new and finish it before the end of the year. Raine, most likely, but I also kind of want to look seriously at starting Fjord or Caduceus finally after worrying that they’d be “too hard” for me for a while now. Also, maybe look into doing a real photoshoot at some point because my costume(s) actually look good!

Music:

I struggled with this one this year and got very imposter syndrome-y about my abilities as a musician. Not so many successes. But I did write multiple original songs, which is a new one for me, and play one concert at the local con this summer, and at the very end of the year, before I injured my hand, was actually trying to regularly practice again!

What I am taking away from that: I know what I am insecure about and should tackle that as well as try to actually keep that practicing momentum. Also, I am a better lyricist/songwriter than I think probably

What I would like to do in 2022: Figure out regular practicing methods that work for me. Write at least a few more songs. There is a very decent chance that 2022 might end up being our album year -- work towards that. I think I need to share my music more to feel better about it, because I am my own worst critic so.... do that. On tumblr or on streams or even at more concerts if they’re possible. Also, if it’s possible, I really want to play in an ensemble by the end of the year. That probably means thinking about an audition, which terrifies me, but... I should try to bite that bullet. Maybe.

Of course there are other things I want to work on, but I think my school/mental health/interpersonal goals are a very different beast, to be handled differently. Mostly I wanted to look at three of the hobbies I invested in most this year in various ways & that made me happy (or sometimes did, at least), beacause oh boy were they one of the things that carried me through this last year, and I’d like for them to keep doing that. Creating is really important to me. I want to keep and get even better at creating.

27 notes · View notes

yinses · 3 years

Text

college au! headcanons

gojo satoru, geto suguru & nanami kento

rqst: college au for nanami, geto and gojo?

a/n: so i divided it into three categories to help keep my head straight. honestly almost straight kicked gojo out of college bc i couldn’t decide on a major for him. the jjk discord server is heaven sent for my sanity. ty everyone again 🌺

last time i should have to post these. hoping everything is fine now.

gojo satoru

MAJOR

—he starts off undecided for a long time. the fact that he’s on scholarship allows him to be more flexible with his classes given that he’s not responsible for costs. he grew up with expectations from his family but university is suppose to be his opportunity to spread his own wings and grow from his experiences.

—so he tries a bit of everything- sciences, music and social studies- anything to prompt a spark. (took a business class once and made a point to sit next to nanami everyday just to annoy him) by his second year he’s getting as frustrated as his counselor because if he doesn’t decide soon he’ll be a potential 5th year senior.

—he’s overthinking it but gojo wants to invest in what he believes will make the most significant impact to his ability. his counselor takes those crumbs and runs with it.

—he gets steered towards political science and actually excels at it (that advisor gets a raise). surprises most of the class with his analytical skills because they thought he was just a pretty boy- surprise he’s beautiful and smart.

—develops a vested interest in governmental policies. might run for president one day idk. brings donuts to his early am class. doesn’t share.

SOCIAL

—he’s not the jock per say, but as the star athlete of the basketball team, the school likes to take advantage of his image to draw in sponsors.

—his face is plastered all over the auditorium whether they’re in season or not. sometimes it’s not even to promote basketball, gojo is pretty and they’re not afraid to use it. which also makes him one of the most recognizable faces on campus.

—due to his student athlete contract, he’s not allowed to sign autographs freely in the event they’re attempted to be sold as quick cash. but yikes, he can barely walk to class without someone stopping him for a picture. to the best of his ability he tries to laugh it off, poster boy image and all, but it gets pretty fucking old and annoying quickly. especially when it makes him late for his next lesson and the instructor shows no sympathy.

—his height didn’t only help him get into basketball, but its also convenient when it comes to shouldering politely through the student masses. his golden rule is don’t make eye contact. the busier the crowds the easier it is for him to pretend like he could’t possibly have heard them.

—gojo doesnt scout fraternities, fraternities scout him. but he’s not interested in the slightest. as an athlete he already gets into any social circle he wants without the additional effort. that and he doesnt think he could tolerate an alpha male trying to exert his dominance without barking back.

—loves to show up to parties but always arrives late enough to the point where they don’t think he’s coming. it helps him slip in when he wants too. he’s a connoisseur of all alcohol varieties and a master of beer bong. he’s not necessarily the life of the party but his presence is kind of hard to miss.

RELATIONSHIPS

—he gets too much attention to date casually. most potential suitors are in it more for the benefits they receive than him anyway. he’s got enough on his plate with career indecisiveness and games to try to pursue anything serious before third year.

—he’s not completely celibate though. he tries to keep the same partners as long as he can. not only to keep himself clean and safe but because he often goes into an agreement to keep it casual. sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t. either way he gets coined as a ‘heartbreaker’ before the end of his freshman year. frankly the rumors obscure most of the truth and give him more freedom. people always expect that he’s with someone even when he’s not, which helps keep his invasive teammates off his back.

—gojo can easily graduate without securing something tangible but there is still a window for potential.

—you’re both his consistent classmate and occasional friends with benefits. its the former title that keeps bringing him back around. he cant exactly avoid you without subjecting himself to 8am classes. it helps that the sex is good too.

—he can text you an offer to study together for the next test and roll over after an hour and wreck you for the rest of the week. its hard to tell who gets addicted first but he does appreciate the way your skin looks when youre wearing his marks.

geto suguru

MAJOR

—he’s a STEM kid, particularly interested in bio-genetics to improve overall health. he believes that simply becoming a physician just keeps the issue at bay and his goal is to eradicate the problem at its source.

—since high school he’s been cataloging different programs across the country before deciding what he wanted and putting all his efforts into it. so it’s no surprise when he gets in.

—geto doesn’t need counselors but they’re required so he listens to them prattle on about using university as an opportunity to explore. this man came in with more college credits than most sophomores, he knows what he wants.

—always on-time to class and never misses an assignment. also that kid who goes above and beyond, even on the simple stuff. he rarely gets teased about it, not even behind his back. geto straight up scares some people even when he’s smiling.

—not afraid to correct teachers when they’re wrong. in fact he lives for it.

—he’s the one who graduated early and starts his master’s program before most of his age group declare their own majors.

SOCIAL

—he tends to frequent the same circles- handpicking his acquaintances out of class rosters, clubs and honor lists. he’s less in it for the friendship and more so to scout for potential research partners.

—met gojo in one of his science electives and literally carried him through the class. they somehow end up friends but only really hang out at each other’s places- bunch of chill movie nights and pizza.

—there is no interest in fraternities, but he does join university funded clubs that allow him to further his research. they give him unique access to labs, take him on trips to different conventions and have an alumni list a kilometer long for future collaborations.

—the man does not party but he will occasionally slip into quieter bars to ease some of his frustrations. he actually enjoys karaoke thursdays , not to sing for himself but the drunken antics of others bring him some amusement.

—smokes weed occasionally, but only his own product. it helps him relaxand fan out the stress. he never sells it but sometimes gojo nicks some of his stash. given that he gets drug tested often, geto doesn’t know how the athlete never gets caught.

RELATIONSHIPS

—not interested in seeking out relationships in the slightest. the man has a plan and he’s already married to it.

—he’s not completely immune to sexual advances though and occasionally splurges but none of the friends with benefits crap. he’ll hit it once and stay celibate for the rest of the year easily.

—you might be able to squeeze in as his fellow lab partner. remain invested in the work and not him and he’ll start noticing the little details of your company- the way you subtle perfume lingers on his lab coat hours after you’ve adorned for the day, how he knows you have to keep your hair up for safety precautions but he thinks about running his fingers through it daily and your mind, damn, he wonders what else you can come up with when he has you laid out on his sheets.

—if he’s interested, geto won’t hesitate to broach the topic. he’ll ask you out for coffee and when you try to bring up research he’ll be upfront about his attraction. ultimately if you start dating the two of you are an absolute unit- not that you weren’t before.

—you’re the one variable he didn’t plan for but he’s glad to have added you to the equation.

nanami kento

MAJOR

—he was made for the business world, brought by a CEO who raised him to inherit the company. administration major marketing minor.

—takes initiative in all his classes and is often coined as group leader for projects. mostly keeps to himself and only speaks up when prompted or disagrees with something.

—he takes the earliest sessions possible because it means less people more often than not. doesn’t really care if its in the front, middle or back but always sits near the edge.

—doesn’t really want to but it looks good on his resume so he joins the marketing team where they present mock business plans for competitions. they win a lot. nanami honestly doesn’t care. but again it looks good.

—it only took him a brief summer internship to learn that he found nothing satisfying about board meetings and macro management.

—he decides to invest in law school to handle the company from a legal standpoint instead.

SOCIAL

— sort of like geto, only wants to make friends on a need be basis.

—he would rather keep to himself but knows the benefits of socializing so he interacts with his frequent classmates when he can- through study groups or car pooling to seminars.

—he does join a fraternity, its the same one his father did (and uncles, cousins, whatnot. its a generational thing). its geared towards bettering future leaders. they focus building resumes, charity events and run the organization like a proper business. nanami gets elected president by his third year and runs two terms.

—the only parties he attends are networking events- full of wine and fancy horderves. wine is plentiful but he’s always nursing a scotch on top of his headache. if one more person squeezes their stocks into a conversation he’s going to personally take down the whole market

—zero interest in college party life. spends some of his downtime at the campus theater watching old time movies and classic plays.

—he’s the coffee shop hoe. he wakes up early sometimes just to sit by the window and read some casual literature. has his own thermo that gives him free refills to cart to class. do not talk to this man before he’s had his caffeine.

RELATIONSHIP

—he probably has a high school sweetheart that he’s still clinging too, whether on the same campus or long distance. it helps him because he can’t really see himself pursuing a relationship while focusing on school.

—he’s been with you long enough that you understand his ambitions and won’t feel bested by them. the two of you have a system- starting the day off with sweet ‘good morning’ texts before class and ending the day with long conversations as you digest the last 12 hours.

—nanami is independent but he is thankful to have you to rely on when classes start to overwhelm him. the two of try to escape briefly for the weekend when you can. often going to near by reservations just to get off campus

—other times the two of you will cuddle close on your dorm bed, his long fingers combing through your hair while he reads over some notes for class.

—sometimes you have to be the one to tell him to take a break and to enjoy life while he can. even if that means dragging him the events and concerts hosted on campus. he resists at first but you can see the tension ebbing away as the night comes to a close.

—the two of you start living together in your senior year just because you can. he insists on buying a house. not only because he can afford it because it can be rented out after graduation. always the business man.

#gojo satoru #gojo x reader #geto suguru #geto x reader #nanami x reader #geto suguru x reader #Jujutsu Kaisen #jujutsu kaisen x reader #gojo blessings #gojo satoru x reader #geto blessings #nanami blessings

683 notes · View notes

biromanticbooknook · 3 years

Text

My Most Ambitious Crossover

I got bored by posting only my second gen Amazon AU, so I’ll get back to that tomorrow, but enjoy this one-shot about Chloe and Marinette creating their own trip instead of their class trip in the meantime. Can’t have you all thinking I’m a one-trick pony, can I?

“-and that’s why we think you shouldn’t go on the trip this year.” Mlle. Bustier tried to look apologetic, but it was as much her idea as the students. Between Marinette refusing to set an example and Chloe associating with her, neither of them deserved to go.

“Oh, thank goodness. I was afraid I would have to get my daddy to donate 30% of the funds like he does every year.”

“I’m just glad I don’t have to take 60% of the trip funds out of my commission profits. That will give me a much bigger budget for fabric and accessories.” Everyone blanched at the statements of the 2 girls. They were saying that they paid for 90% of the trip every year, but that couldn’t be right. They worked so hard on fundraisers every year, they must be lying about how much they contribute.

Marinette just ignored them, turning to her seatmate. “Do you think that our other friends would want to go on a trip with us? Most classes take their trips during May, so we could leave at the beginning of June and take the entire summer.”

“Nice thinking, Maribug. With fewer people, prices go down and we can afford more bang for our buck.” They walk out of the classroom, discussing who to ask and when.

The class just made a big mistake.

-----

By the time the weekend rolled around, Marinette and Chloe had their group list finalized. The people going on their trip were themselves, Luka, Kagami, Aurore, Mireille, and Marc. They got together and started brainstorming fundraisers.

Marinette started. “There are the given examples; you know, car wash, bake sale, raffle. What else?”

“We could host a show.” Luka suggested.

“Like an exhibition?” Marinette asked. “We could have you perform, Kagami do a fencing demonstration, and I could do a small fashion show, using Chloe and Marc as models. Aurore and Mireille could be our MCs.”

“To capitalize on money-making, we could sell tickets, food and drink, and merch for Luka’s solo career as well as commission spots for our resident designer.”

“That’s good.” Marinette starts scribbling in the shared notebook.

“At Le Grande Paris, we could host parties. I know days when the grand ballroom is open. We could host an auction, sell lessons and creations and stuff. We could also host a masquerade ball that we sell tickets for. We could charge for food and drink. The pools are open for private reservation quite often, we could have parties there too.” Chloe takes the notebook and starts writing down her ideas, mapping out all the resources needed while muttering.

“We could also host a carnival or a gaming tournament in the ballroom.” Kagami looked thoughtful. “I’ve never actually been to one.”

Chloe added that to the list. “Should we do anything else?”

“We could start a go-fund-me. Artists and writers do it all the time to get their creations off the ground.” Marc murmured.

“That would be great. What’s our goal for this entire endeavor?”

“Our goal, Maribug, is €45,000. That should cover travel, boarding, tours, food, and souvenirs. Whatever we don’t spend gets redistributed to the group.” Chloe supplies.

“Then that should be it. Nice job, guys!”

“My, what a whirlwind of a planning session. I hope nothing rains on our parade. I wonder weather Mlle. Bustier’s class is doing this well.” Aurore beams at them.

“Mm-hmm.” Mireille agrees with Aurore.

“Probably not. Our classmates couldn’t pour water out of a boot with instructions on the heel. They’ll just listen to Lila that the boot will empty by itself through the toe because ‘I worked on patenting this boot’, then they’ll get mad at the boot for not doing it.” Chloe chuckles dryly.

“Be nice.” Marinette reprimands half-heartedly.

-----

Chloe immediately filed the paperwork with the school board so they could go on their trip with no safety or legal concerns. She recruited Mme. Mendeleiev and M. D'Argencourt to be their chaperones, who were more than happy to go on an all-expenses-paid trip to Los Angeles, Star City, Central City, Metropolis, Gotham, New York City, and Tokyo.

They had their first fundraiser at the end of September, a pool party at Le Grande Paris. Even Mlle. Bustier’s class attended, though they didn’t know who had set it up, only that Luka was performing. They hadn’t even started their planning yet. The group made €3,041.

The next was a car wash in the middle of October. It was cool enough for a car wash to be pleasant while being warm enough that everyone was still out and about. They earned €2,632. Bustier's class was getting ice cream and listening to Lila brag.

They then had an All Hallow’s Eve bake sale, complete with candy decoration reminiscent of the American holiday. They earned €1,800.

During November, they held a carnival, with a full fall theme. It was wildly popular with families from all over Paris, earning them €6,483. It was around this time that Mlle. Bustier’s class held a bake sale, and earned €1,594. They celebrated.

Throughout the holiday season, they took advantage of peoples’ spirit. They held a raffle throughout the 12 Days of Christmas, while also holding a bake sale the day before winter break. Overall, they earned €10,749.

Over winter break, Chloe bought plane tickets and reserved tours and hotels, so all that was left was to get money for the tours and food. They were over halfway to their goal.

During January, they rented a theater, and held their exhibition. They had a crowd of fencing enthusiasts, rock music lovers, and fashion followers. They made €5,830.

They held a date auction and a masquerade to celebrate Valentine’s Day. It was amazing, and they earned €7,284.

They had checked their go-fund-me, and had found that €10,000 was there, putting them €2,819 over their goal. They were ecstatic!

They still held the gaming tournament at the end of April, but let it be free for everyone to enjoy as their celebration of reaching their goal.

-----

Mlle. Butsier’s class had made €7,000 over their 3 fundraisers, and they were pretty proud of themselves. No doubt they would be going somewhere much better than whatever Maribrat and Chloe have planned. Once the girls walked into the classroom, the class started to brag.

“We’ve finished fundraising!”

Marinette smiled and decided to be nice to them. “Cool. Where are you going?”

“We are going to New York City.”

Chloe was not as kind. “Oh, so are we! It was so hard to raise the €45,000 needed for our trip, but we did it. It was so euphoric to meet our goal. How much did you guys raise?”

“We made €7,000.” The smiles slowly slipped off the faces of the class. “What do you mean the €45,000 needed?”

“Well, we needed to cover food, travel, boarding, and tours, and that was just for the 7 of us. I can’t imagine what the budget would’ve been like for an entire class.” Her smile got an edge, like a lioness who knew she had cornered her prey.

Her classmates blanched. “What was our budget, Alya?” Rose looked towards their new class representative, hoping that she had an answer.

“We never had one.”

“Well, at least you filed the paperwork right?”

“What paperwork?”

Marinette responded this time. “The paperwork needed to go on a trip. You were supposed to submit it to the school board for approval of safety and legality. It was on page 17 of the packet I gave you at the beginning of the year. Didn’t you read it, Alya?”

“I-I-no. Lila said that was just extra work that you had given me to throw me off my game. She said you didn’t actually need to do all of that.”

“I didn’t know that Lila had more experience being a class representative than me and Marinette, the only 2 people who have ever been class representative here.” Chloe’s voice became as sharp and sweet as her smile. “Well, have fun with your trip. Marinette and I have to do last-minute checks on our arrangements.”

The class looked at the people that had carried them the previous years, and realized how much they relied on the girls. Lila was cursing herself for pushing away the only people who actually did anything in this class.

-----

The class ended up going to Disneyland Paris, and tried their best to look as upbeat as possible on their social medias. Meanwhile, The group was having the time of their lives.

They stayed in LA for 2 weeks, visiting movie sets and meeting actors. They spent another week just going on everything at Disneyland and California Adventure.

They then spent a week in Star City, touring Queen Industries and having a meet and greet with Oliver Queen and his ward, Roy Harper, who seemed to enjoy Aurore’s outgoing personality. They even saw the vigilantes.

They spent another 2 weeks in Central City, touring STAR Labs and watching the rogues try to fight the Flash family. It was the most meta-filled city in the world, and They toured a forensics lab with Bart Allen. Chloe seemed grimly pleased with seeing the bodies. She might’ve been projecting certain people onto them, not that she would ever admit it.

2 weeks in Metropolis was really fun. They toured the Daily Planet with Clark Kent and Lois Lane. Mireille was amazed by what you could do to report without having to be in front of a screen. They made a scavenger hunt of how many Supers they could find, and they found 2 different superboys. Lex Corp also gave them a tour, although it was more professional than the tour of the Daily Planet.

They spent 1 week in Gotham. They toured Wayne Enterprises and stayed out of the Bats’ way. Luka got the phone number of Tim Drake. Marinette enjoyed the inspiration that the gothic architecture brought her. There wasn’t much of a nightlife scene, considering only fools stay out after dark in Gotham.

Their 1 week in New York City was hectic. The Avengers were all at the tower when they were touring with Pepper Potts by Chloe’s request. Chloe might’ve been unofficially adopted by Tony Stark when she stood up to them and made them ‘cease their bullshit’. The Black Widow also took a liking to the girl. They also ran into these weird teens muttering about monsters when they were waiting for the elevator at the Empire State Building.

2 weeks in Tokyo. Their last stop. They visited the prestigious Ouran Academy, the host club getting Marc to come out of their shell by constantly helping boost his self-esteem. Chloe enjoyed talking business and finances with Kyoya Ootori. Kagami led them all in a traditional tea ceremony, before they all stormed the streets to try the unfamiliar street food.

Marinette ended up being unofficially adopted by 3 heroes, 2 rogues, and 5 billionaires. She was happy getting to spend 7 weeks on the road with only her closest friends.

The class was incredibly jealous of the trip their classmates took. They hoped next year they could go on a trip like that as well, but they had missed their shot.

121 notes · View notes

finalfantasyix · 3 years

Photo

Meet The Team Working On A Final Fantasy 9 Remake You’ll Never Get To Play

Final Fantasy 9: Memoria Project is a fan homage like nothing we've ever seen before. “It is no secret that fan projects get shut down all the time,” Dan Eder tells us about Final Fantasy 9: Memoria Project, a fan-driven love letter to the classic JRPG. It isn’t aiming to be a playable remake of the epic adventure though - instead, it’s an aesthetic homage to its timeless world and characters.

It’s somewhat anomalous in the world of community creations, but Eder wants to use this distinct identity to craft something truly special, even if many obstacles stand in the way of making it a reality. But the team keeps moving forward: “Without a doubt, some of the most frequent comments we get from naysayers is ‘have fun with it while it lasts’ or ‘cease and desist incoming’”, Eder explains. “People are understandably skeptical of the longevity potential of yet another passion project. The key difference is that, unlike those projects, Memoria is essentially an elaborate piece of fan art, nothing more - it will have no actual gameplay, will never be released to the public, and is nothing more than a ‘what-if’ scenario. [It’s] no different from any other fan-made piece of artwork. We have never, and will never, make a single dollar out of this project, and are basically doing this for the personal gratification of the fans.”

The genesis of Memoria Project dates all the way back to Eder’s younger years, with dreams of a potential FF9 remake entering his imagination soon after the original game’s launch. That’s no great surprise - millions still regard Final Fantasy 9 as the series’ finest hour. “While it's true that the project really started to pick up steam a few months ago, it wouldn't be a stretch to say I've been planning it since high school,” Eder explains. “I remember scribbling ‘FF9 remake’ on my notepad during classes and writing imaginary new features and battle system mechanics, starting online petitions to remake FF9 for the PS2, sketching drawings depicting scenes from the ‘FF9 sequel’ and whatnot. I could confidently say that my life would probably have been completely different had my older brother not borrowed this game from his friend in the summer of 2000.

“As a non-native English speaker who had never played an RPG up until that point, my first playthrough was a challenging experience to say the least, and I can honestly say that I understood literally nothing of what was going on the first time I finished the game (how I even managed to beat it is a mystery in and of itself). It didn't really matter to me though, since I was absolutely enamored with the incredible cast of characters, jaw-dropping FMV sequences, mesmerizing music, thrilling gameplay, and just the overall atmosphere and charm it exuded at every step. My unconditional love for this game persisted throughout my entire childhood and adult life, and it is one of the central reasons why I chose to become a 3D character artist in the video game industry. In short, this project is my way of thanking this game for everything it has done for me over the past 21 years.”

Eder’s passion for this game can be found across several industry professionals who grew up with games like this and wanted to replicate them, or create something entirely unique to live up to their brilliance. This is very much how Memoria Project found its feet, beginning life as a trivial side activity before blossoming into something infinitely more ambitious. It still has a long way to go, but there’s little urgency to reach the finish line, so the team can take their time and just enjoy the nostalgic indulgence of it all.

“Memoria actually started unofficially as a side project when I reached out to Colin Valek [of] Sucker Punch Studios in early 2020 after I came across his fanart of an environment from FF7,” Eder says. “I had already modeled Princess Garnet, and thought it could be a fun idea to combine our talents to reimagine the opening area of Alexandria. Initially, it was progressing at a snail's pace - we were slowly chipping away at it for over a year without making a lot of progress. While Colin continued modeling the buildings, I created another character - Vivi.”

This glacial pace received a resurgence of sorts in January when the Alexandria scene was finally complete, with Eder and company finally being able to see how much potential the project had if it was opened up to a larger range of creators. “When I posted that WIP screenshot, the response from fellow FF fans was overwhelmingly positive, more than we could have imagined,” Eder remembers. “Very quickly, other people from the gaming industry started reaching out - environment artists, animators, riggers, concept artists. That's when I decided to turn this side project into a full-fledged modern reimagining of the original game, while always making sure to emphasize the fact that this is a non-playable proof-of-concept, since we never have any intention of doing anything to violate Square Enix's copyright. Four months after officially announcing the project, we've grown from a couple of FF fanboys to a huge team of over 20 industry veterans working collaboratively to honor this masterpiece, fueled by our love and adoration for the source material.”

Now, the project has over 20 developers from Sucker Punch, Ubisoft, Rare, Unbroken Studios, and more all diving into this labour of love in their spare time, with composers and voice actors also contributing their talents to help make this glimpse into the world of Final Fantasy 9 worth celebrating. But Eder is aware of being overly enthusiastic, knowing that fan projects like this often doom themselves by undertaking something that isn’t feasible with so few resources.

“One of the most common traps for these kinds of fan projects is being overly ambitious,” Eder says. “Since all of us are actively working in the video game industry, we understand the importance of milestones, short term goals, and taking things one step at a time. For now, we are focusing our efforts on the opening sequence of the game, which mainly revolves around Vivi and his exploration of Alexandria. Where we go from here is still being discussed, but one thing I can say for sure is that Vivi will not be the only main character we're planning to include.” I’m told that Memoria is aiming to look indistinguishable - at least from a graphics perspective - from something you’d see in a triple-A blockbuster, and it seems the team has the pedigree to back that claim up.

Visuals are the entire point after all, since turning this project into a playable piece of media would require far more resources to create. By narrowing its focus, Memoria is able to deliver something special while also hopefully avoiding the ire of Square Enix. “The fact that this is a non-playable project definitely makes it easier for us to tailor the experience in a way that would truly allow the audience to be fully immersed in the world without having to worry about technical limitations,” Eder tells me. “Creating actual functional gameplay is a completely different ball game, one that we never had any intention of even discussing given the copyright limitations. This gives us a lot of leeway with how we are going to portray the world of Gaia in terms of character interaction, camera movement, [and] scene transitions. We have a lot of cool plans for the near future - please look forward to it!”

As for the sad truth of fan projects like this often being wiped from existence by publishers throwing out cease and desist letters, Eder is confident that Memoria occupies a niche where this won’t happen. It’s not a commercial or even playable product - it’s a piece of fan art, albeit an endlessly elaborate one. If the tides were to change, Eder believes companies should welcome the enthusiasm for experiences like this.

“If I were to be completely honest, I think it could be a potentially brilliant decision by Square Enix to do something wildly unexpected and invest in a project like this,” Eder states. “There's a considerable amount of hype, talent, motivation, and pure, unadulterated passion behind it. It's not something I would expect, but I think it could be incredibly helpful in regaining some of the trust and reverence that this legendary company was known for during its golden years.”

(source)

#final fantasy ix #memoria project #final fantasy 9 #ffix: memoria project #article #news #interview #long post #very long post!

62 notes · View notes

coffeeandcalligraphy · 3 years

Text

A chatty writing update | novels, short fiction, etc!

Hi folks!

It’s been a while since I last wrote an update on this blog! I thought it’d be fun to go back to basics, and just talk about writing. This post chats about: new plans for Feeding Habits, my newest novel, my short story goals & growing collection, along with process reflections.

(image description: a photo of green leaves with the text “writing update” in a white font written on top. /end image description)

Post starts under the cut!

General taglist (please ask to be added or removed)

@if-one-of-us-falls, @qatarcookie, @chloeswords, @alicewestwater, @laughtracksonata, @shylawrites, @ev–writes, @jaydewritesfiction, @jennawritesstories @eowynandfaramir, @august-iswriting, @aetherwrites, @avakrahn, @maisulli

What have I been up to?

For starters, I finished my second year of my Writing undergrad last week and got two of my final grades back today (A+ baby)! For anyone who has taken online university, y’all already KNOW, but this year was so difficult. Would not recommend! Really proud of myself to have gotten through this absolute rollercoaster of a school term and am excited to get into some writing. That leads us to:

What have I been up to (writing edition)?

2021 started off so fast. By the time January hit, I was so consumed in my new semester that I did not have time to write Feeding Habits (my novel). In the first few days of the term, I managed to write between class, until I could no longer keep up! Essentially, I did not write any of that novel until exam season (last week), where I did manage to get in about 3k words in ~4 days.

Feeding Habits

I’m currently drafting what I believe will be the last chapter of this book (chapter 10: Swan Song). This chapter is so bizarre for a few reasons. It begins the book’s third part and also marks the shift back into Lonan’s head from Harrison’s. I originally thought this part would be much, much longer, with at least another five chapters to go, but quickly realized the book’s content was nearly completed. In my 4 day 3k palooza, I hit 50k in the book (the word count goal), and couldn’t see myself extending past 60k. Since then, I’ve made the loose decision to write this final chapter as a ~novella. Here are a few reasons why:

1. This chapter is structurally very strange.

I unashamedly shift from present to past to present to past past, and so much more every 12 words. I mapped out the timeline on a sheet of paper, and there were over 20 shifts in scenes (the chapter is only about 4400 words at the moment). The fictive past is incredibly important to this chapter, more important than the present, and I thought it would make more sense to not break randomly for a chapter so I could upkeep the consistent inconsistency of the chapter.

2. The chapter is very abstract

This stems from the structural changes, but there are paragraphs in this chapter of the fictive present that are loosely based in reality. They’re more poems than they are factual paragraphs, and keeping them all contained in one place (so a mega chapter/ novella) would reduce the most confusion!

3. There’s not much left to cover

Like I said above, Feeding Habits is on its last leg, lol! I know exactly where the book needs to end up, which is very, very soon from where I’m currently at on the timeline. Swan Song should cover what 2-4 chapters would cover in terms of arcs.

Feeding Habits and I have a really weird relationship, tbh! When I realized a few weeks ago that it’d been over a year since I started the book, I realized I just needed to finish it. Not that I want to rush (because I’ve taken longer than a year to write a book in the past), but that in order to move onto another project, I’d like to put this one behind first. This book has been the hardest thing I’ve ever written, and has reminded me there’s always a time to let go. This sort of scrounges up a conversation about letting this entire series go, which is certainly something I’ve been contemplating doing soon(ish). If this spinoff series gets a third book, that may or may not be the last Fostered book for a very long time (or ever)! There are many complex reasons to move on, but the main one is that I have other projects I’d like to focus on. This is not a definitive decision, but something I’ve certainly been thinking about!

Here are a few excerpts I wrote recently:

(TW: death, gore)

Dying feels like being a trout dangled out of water. Clinging to a hook. Mouth open. Scales iridescent in a final death cry. It’s like blood spurting up the knuckles, drowning out the flesh. It’s that moment on the long fall down when the clouds cup the body. Easy drifting. The sound a skull makes when it cracks is really just the afterthought.

(TW: death, gore)

Kill shot. Death blow. Coup de grace. Right in the heart. He feels it. The blood swelling, slicking his palms. He can do it. Reach into the cavity. Feel for the ribs. Part each bone. Then cup the humming heart. Stay there. Right. It’s never been easier.

Look at this PURE moment of Lonan holding a baby I CANNOT:

The grocery store was a fifteen-minute walk away. With Olivia clinging to his shoulder, Lonan was acutely aware that she could feel his heartbeat. Open valve. Close. Repeat. Hers pulsed right above his, a miniature drumming. The sky had bruised purple, misted with clouds. The evening air nipped his cheeks, so he made sure Olivia was securely fastened between him and his jacket. With wide eyes, she absorbed the drowsy suburbia, all its family cars pulling into driveways, all its couples heading back home after a sunset walk. When Lonan passed a young boy walking two golden retrievers, Olivia giggled, and didn’t stop, even after he’d spent fifty dollars on groceries and nearly the rest on a red Corolla marked with a MUST GO NOW sign outside a convenience store.

Let’s move on!

Mandy and Cora

I said I wouldn’t talk too much about this project, but I just love it so much?? I wanted to share my SUPER early thoughts on drafting a novel, especially one that is SO different from what I’ve been writing recently. I talked about this before in THIS post, but the summary about this project is that it’s a YA contemporary novel! Can’t believe I’m writing YA again, it’s been so long, but I also think it’s going so well. Everything I’ve learned as a literary fiction writer has been a fantastic primer for transferring back to the genre. Admittedly, I have not written much, but I’m having a lot of fun diving back into a lighter project. This is the summary:

Cora and Mandy are identical twins who’ve always done everything together. But when Mandy decides to go to university out of province after graduation and Cora doesn’t, Cora takes this as an opportunity to “test run” life apart from her sister for the first time by spending the summer at her aunt’s house across the country.

I have come up with a few ~things since I last talked about this project, mostly how I’d like to structure it. As of now, I’d like the book to be structured super loosely. I’m really pulling on a lot of inspo from “We Are Okay” by Nina LaCour (which is SO good), particularly how “nothing happens-y” that book is. This project (which I still need a title for!!) will be structured in short chapters that cover something Cora does on her own for the first time (without Mandy). For example, a few ideas are “Flight”, “Lunch”, and “Groceries”. “Flight” is the first “chapter” (they’re really kind of vignettes) where Cora flies to her aunt’s house. I still can’t determine if this book will take place in Canada. On one hand, I feel like there will be a wider audience if it takes place in the US (is that just an assumption??? maybe?? someone let me know!), but also: don’t really care too much about an audience at the moment! It could also take place in Canada (So Ontario and British Columbia). But if it does take place in the US, I think it may take place in NYC and San Francisco. The problem is: I really don’t like researching lol, and while I’ve been to NYC many times, I will definitely write it wrong! Does this really matter on a first draft?? absolutely not lol, but of course I am already overthinking!

But back to structure: I am looking forward to seeing what this looser structure will do. This is a story that is solely around one half of a set of twins learning to be her own person (and ultimately that she doesn’t have to completely forget her sister in order to do that), and as a twin who KNOWS this feeling, I think this structure of her doing things for the first time is SUPER relatable.

I was worried it might sound silly/worrying to others who are not twins that Cora hadn’t done things like “lunch” or “groceries” on her own, but I feel this so much as an identical twin myself! Not that she hasn’t done anything at all by herself, but as a twin, when you do something without your twin for the first few times, at least in my experience, you notice. If any twins are reading this--weigh in!

This story is the most personal thing I’ve ever written. It definitely is an OwnVoices book! Usually, I avoid details that are remotely similar to me because they make me uncomfortable haha, but with this book, it’s all me, lol! The characters are all Guyanese, which is SO fun because I’ve been planning what they eat (my fellow Caribbean peeps know: the FOOD!), which is so fun (yes they have pumpkin and shrimp, yes they have roti, yes they have pera, yes they have mithai). Every time I’ve gone to dabble at this book, or even think about it, I get incredibly emotional for this reason? I don’t exactly know why. I think this is a story I just so want to tell, with the culture I love SO much that I definitely struggled to love as a child. This is reclamation bitchessss!

Not going to lie tho: the prospect of writing ~a book~ is kind of freaky! I’m going to make the minimum word count for this book pretty short (50k) and see where it goes from there. I think I will focus on this project this summer! Originally I was going to write a literary novel this summer, but I think this one’s calling my name!

Here’s a pretty rough excerpt:

Try. I remind myself that’s what I’m doing after the flight attendant fills me a disposable cup of Coca Cola and all I can think of is Mandy and I shoving Mentos into a bottle of the stuff when we were twelve. Just me, wedged in the middle seat between an exchange student heading out for summer break and a middle-aged woman sipping a cocktail, thinking of Mandy and I bursting whole oranges in a blender when we were bored one Winter break as the plane dips through a wave of turbulence. Mandy and I dying our hair neon green with highlighters (didn’t work—our hair is too dark) as the plane lands on the tarmac. Mandy and I arguing so loud last month, we both lost our voices as I lug my carry-on out of the overhead compartment and shuffle off the plane and through the airport, searching for Aunt Vel.

Short Fiction

I’ve written so much short fiction this year! I have a goal to write a short story a month (they can range in length, as long as 1 is “complete”), so my short story brain has seriously been soaking it all up lately. Let’s chat my month to month breakdown so far:

January:

I wrote four stories in January! The first is a flash fiction piece called “Shark Swimming” that follows a young woman who attends a shark swimming class after breaking up with her girlfriend. I wrote this story for a “test” workshop for my fiction class, and it was based off the prompt “think about something you’re afraid to do and make the character do that thing”. I’m not particularly afraid of sharks, but had been wanting to use the title “Shark Swimming” for AGES (literally since 2018).

This story is one of my favourites. It’s only about 900 words, but I think there’s something profound in how mundanely specific it is. The entire story doesn’t even see the narrator swim with sharks once; it actually takes place fully in the sanctuary’s lobby. But I really love this narrator. This is the first story I’ve written in second person in a while, though I felt really connected to the unnamed narrator. She struggles with accepting that she truly is a “boring” person, and there’s something about the final image that really gets me!

I’ve been submitting this around, though it’s been rejected a handful of times. Hoping I can secure it at a magazine one day because I really love it!

The second story is “Joanne, I’ll Pray for You” which is actually a rewrite of one of my very first short stories (the first story I did not write for a class haha), “NYC in Your Apartment”. I LOVE this rewrite a lot, and also learned the original is not a very good short story! Revising this story taught me just how much I’ve learned in the 2 years I’ve been writing short fiction. Seeing the 2019 version versus the 2021 version side by side is fascinating because I essentially “gutted’ the 2019 version of its beginning and end until all that was left was the middle of the story (aka the actual story). AKA: this is the only story I’ve ever written with a hopeful ending and I cut out all the happy bits lol I am SO sorry (that arc is more for a novel or novella). That’s how this went from a 5k word story to an 1800 word story (my Submittable thanks me for this lol). A lot of details and scenes I included were more pertinent to a 3 act structure/novel, which of course short stories don’t often have because of their brevity. I love rambling about writing theory, and seeing that actually pay off is so fascinating!

(TW: trauma)

Like the original, this story follows Joanne, a woman in her early twenties, who spontaneously breaks up with her boyfriend. She claims the poltergeist haunting her drove her to this decision. The original draft focused a lot more on the traumatic events Joanne survives, but this draft really loosens them up. It focuses less so on the events themselves, and more on how Joanne’s life is affected. I found the details of these events were less important, and even sort of contradicted Joanne’s insistence she is being haunted. Instead, the poltergeist really takes more precedence in the new draft as a force Joanne doesn’t understand. That ambiguity, I think, is what the story truly needed.

I also centralized Joanne’s relationship with her boyfriend, Julian, here. Now don’t get me wrong, I really didn’t add anything to this draft. It was a matter of trimming the fat around it to leave the lean “meat” in the centre. But by removing that fat, I was able to emphasize what was most important here, and that was her relationship. Julian always played a really big role in the original draft, but I feel like his role as both a friend and partner to Joanne is much more emphasized since this draft literally is only two scenes now. Because there is less, there is more room for Joanne to reflect, which I’m happy about!

A final change I made was the setting and therefore the title. The original, which was “NYC in Your Apartment,” I couldn’t keep because I shifted the setting to Toronto (this is how I originally saw it, but in 2019 I just?? couldn’t?? write?? canlit??), and “Toronto in Your Apartment” sounded sort of gross LOL. The new title comes from a line in the story which I think is more relevant to the themes!

The next short story I wrote in January was “How to Spell Alpaca.” This one is super fun because I wrote it SO fast (in about 15 minutes or so). THIS is the writing update if you’re interested in learning more. I talked extensively about this one in that update, but some developments are that I dove into an edit a few weeks ago to really understand the core of the story. I’m still not quite there (this is just an intuitive feeling; I know not everything has “clicked), but I am really intrigued by the two mothers in the story, the narrator, and her newfound acquaintance, Violet. Both really struggle to understand their place as mothers (the narrator even declares she isn’t a mother anymore). The narrator, who is in her 50s, sees herself in Violet, who is much younger (~20s), and so she views Violet’s relationship with her daughter in a cautionary, yet mournful way, like she can see it will end up like her own relationship with her daughter, despite wanting the opposite. This is a really subtle story. I feel like if you blink, you’ll miss the message. But I think it’s compelling for that reason. It’s really a portrait of parenting and how to grapple with mistakes you may make that inevitably affect your children. Wow just unlocked the theme writing this lol.

The final story I wrote in January is “The Party,” which may be in my top 3 faves I’ve ever written. This story follows Aida, a recent divorcee in her ~40s. The day her divorce turns official, she moves into a new house and receives a party invitation addressed to the previous homeowner, yet RSVP’s anyway. At this party, she’s hoping to find some sense of noticeability, having struggled with being nondescript her whole life. Things seem quite normal at the party, until it gets bizarre.

I LOVE this story, y’all. Like “How to Spell Alpaca” it really delves into motherhood. Aida, our narrator, is incredibly hurt after her divorce. She now lives farther from her children she struggled to feel connected to in the first place, and doesn’t really know how to reignite her life. This party is a means to do that. This is the first story I’ve written that contains a “twist” which is strange because I really prefer stories that give us as much info as possible upfront, but yes, this one sort of twists.

February

I wrote one story in February, and that was “Protect the Young.” This title is SO changing when I think of a new one because it’s thematically incorrect, haha, but this story follows a woman in her late 40s whose daughter, Lindy, announces she is married the same day all their backyard chickens turn up dead. The discovery of dead chickens prompts our narrator to recall her ex-husband’s murder and the role her daughter may have played in his death.

I love this story so much! I think this would make a great closing for my short story collection. It just has that vibe! I wrote this for my second fiction workshop. I thought I had to hand in the story a week earlier than I had to, so I panicked and wrote this in one sitting! Little did I know, I did not need to do that lol but I’m very happy because this story is so fun. We get to learn more about Arnold (her ex), his relationship with Lindy, and how that translates to Lindy’s relationship with her new husband, Malcolm. I LOVE true crime (I listen to about 3-4 hours of case coverage daily), and this is my first “true crime” story. Because of that, I’m very sus of a few details that probably wouldn’t slide in actual investigatory work, so I’ll also be working on that in a revision. My professor also gave me a great suggestion that may alter the story’s structure a bit, though I look forward to toggling with it in the future.

March

In March, I was really on a Criminal Minds kick lol. I’ve been watching this show since I was seven (oops), and dove into a rewatch since it hit Disney+! This story, “Where to Run When the Lamb Roars,” is very clearly Rachel watching 5 episodes of CM a day. Oops! We follow 14-year-old Astrid as she and her older half brother kidnap a young girl to sacrifice for their yearly ritual.

I knew a few things going into this story, but the main thing was that I did NOT want to show any details of a potential murder (if one even occurs). I really wanted to keep all of those elements off the page because this story is not about those events, but about Astrid’s relationship with her brother. They are a murderous duo, with Astrid actually being the dominant partner. I wanted to explore that. I knew her brother, Fox, was more of a submissive partner in their team, even when he used to do this same thing with his father when he was much younger (chilling!), and so it was a task to explore how this young girl’s desire for violence works. The end actually comes right before the story starts, one could say, but I like it for this reason. It really made me contemplate the story by the time I finished it, and helped me examine what it really was about versus what it appeared to be about.

April

(TW: sexual content, non explicit)

I was so busy this month! Who knows if I’ll write a story last minute, but I did write one story this month called “Five Times Fast.” I wrote this during a “writing sprint” that was being hosted at a flash fiction workshop I recently took with one of my favourite writers ever, K-Ming Chang. I learned so much from this class, and am so happy I came out of it with a draft! This story is just over 300 words, so the shortest flash I’ve ever written, but I’m really happy with it. It was based off the prompt “describe the last time you or your character was naked.” In this case, the narrator has a “friends with benefits” relationship with Ricky who works at a laundromat. This story highlights a moment in this relationship (and also Ricky’s goofy personality lol). I really like it! Hopefully I’ll submit it to some magazines soon.

My short story collection

Very briefly I wanted to touch on my short story collection which I’ve titled “She is Also Dead.” I’ve been meaning to make a blog post on this, so look out for that in the coming months, but this collection is already at around 35k words (about 14 stories so far). The collection also surprisingly has a solid amount of flash fiction which is kind of fun! There’s definitely a range here, which is what I personally love in short story collections.

I feel very professional now that I have a ~collection chart. This is her:

(image description: A chart with the title “She is Also Dead.” It is broken into four columns: Story, Status, Word Count, and Published. Entry 1 - Story: Slaughter the Animal. Status: Revisions, Word Count, 3982, Published: N/A. Entry 2 - Story: Joanne, I’ll Pray for You, Status: Polished, Word Count: 1809, Published: N/A. Entry 3 - Story: Primary Organs, Status: Published, Word Count: 2342, Published: The Malahat Review. Entry 4 - Story: Faberge, Status, Polished, Word Count: 619, Published: N/A. Entry 5 - Story: The Wolf-Antelope Will Not Come for Us, Status, Polished, Word Count: 1556, Published: filling Station (forthcoming). Entry 6 - Story: How to Spell Alpaca, Status: revisions, Word Count: 1327, Published: N/A. Entry 7 - Story: Blink Twice for Final Judgement, Status: Polished, Word Count: 6572, Published: N/A. Entry 8 - Story: The Species is Dead, Status: Published, Word Count: 1208, Published: Minola Review. Entry 9 - Story: Shark Swimming, Status: Polished, Word Count: 907, Published: N/A. Entry 10 - Story: The Party, Status, Polished, Word Count 2339, Published: N/A. Entry 11 - Story: Fig, Status: Polished, Word Counter: 947, Published: N/A. Entry 12 - Story: Protect the Young, Status: Revisions, Word Count: 4128, Published: N/A. Entry 13 - Story: Where to Run When the Lamb Roars, Status: Revisions, Word Count: 2174, Published: N/A. Entry 14 - Story: Phantom Limbs, Status: Revisions, Word Count: 4844, Published: N/A.) /end image description.

This order is DEFINITELY not permanent (at this point whenever I write a story, I just fit it randomly into this chart lol), and some of the info is outdated (for example, Slaughter the Animal is now polished!!! thank god!!!). But just an idea of what I’m thinking of including.

This is the summary so far:

In SHE IS ALSO DEAD, characters are pushed to act on their gravest impulses. A small town turns murderous when their local invasive species, the Janices, begin dying. A child struggles to understand her mother’s suicide. A college dropout who insists she’s being haunted by a poltergeist unexpectedly breaks up with her boyfriend. A mother acknowledges her daughter’s murderous tendencies after her backyard chickens mysteriously die. A young girl caters the funeral of a girl rumored to be killed by a wolf-antelope. A newly-divorced mother RSVP’s to a bizarre party she was not invited to, and a murderous brother and sister upkeep their yearly tradition of abducting a young girl. These stories follow characters who navigate death, violent desires, womanhood, and loss, both self-imposed and otherwise.

This is also so subject to change as I may pull and add stories to the collection!

I think I’m going to leave this update here for now! I’ve written TONS of poetry too, but I honestly ~hate my poetry right now lol, so! Hope you enjoyed this chill rambly update. Hope writing has going well for you all! All the best!

--Rachel

#writing #writeblr #writerblr #amwriting #writingupdates

56 notes · View notes

darkpoisonouslove · 3 years

Text

Winx Club Rewrite Is a Go

I don’t know how I ended up here because I’ve always maintained that rewrites aren’t my thing (and I still kinda do) because it feels a lot like reading the same thing over and over again and to me it can be annoying. Yet, here I am with my very own Winx Club rewrite.

I started writing the first episode today but I have A LOT planned out already. Seasons 1 and 3 are pretty solid already even if there is still a lot of character work to be done and logistics to be figured out. I also have some structure for seasons 2 and 4 and I figured out the backstory of the Wizards of the Black Circle yesterday and that gave me an indescribable feeling which is pretty much what I took as a sign that it’s time to talk about this project.

To explain what I am doing - I am taking everything and changing it while keeping it the same. If that doesn’t make sense, then imagine that I am keeping the major plot points and most of the episodes (I have removed some because they are just irrelevant) have the same starting and ending point as they do on the show but there are big changes between those. Seasons 5, 6 and - you’ll find out in a sec - are going to have a lot more changes. I have removed transformations and switched around some of the transformations so that they are earned at a different point than in canon. I have picked a place to end this already and I have arcs for each season.

Now when it comes to the seasons, I have removed season 7 which will be done as a “movie” and will have additional plot still because there really is THAT little to season 7. Season 8 becomes season 7 in my rewrite and is the last and final season. It is the end of Winx’ journey and I think it is a satisfying end to a pretty long story. I am keeping the movies but:

1) There will probably be “movies” after seasons 1 and 2 as well just to make the structure make sense and because I feel like there is enough to be talked about between the seasons.

2) SotLK is majorly different from canon because there was no sense to that movie and only plot holes instead. I’ve saved what was salvageable from it and mostly put it in season 3 to free the whole movie for more interesting and logical stuff to happen. The end goal is the same, though - bringing Marion and Oritel (and Domino) back.

3) Magical Adventure is the least changed but there will be several changes here as well. The plan is to make the movie relevant on a wider level than just to Winx and the Specialists but I still don’t have that clear a vision of it. Just some things that I want to see but need piecing together.

3) The “movie” after season 5 will deal with the season 7 plot instead. I have switched them around. There will be Kalshara and Griffin and Faragonda and some major Bloom drama as well. I need to make these pieces connect, too, but this one feels almost coherent at the current time.

4) Politea is saved for the last movie that is after season 6. You’ll see why. Anyway, major Daphne and Bloom feelings are planned for that movie... and I don’t know what else yet. We’ll see.

I am currently working on all of the seasons and all of the movies at once so it is a bit of a mess. I write down and rewrite ideas. Everything is one big map in my head that isn’t completely translatable to someone else. Anyway, you can find everything I have posted about this in the “wc rewrite” tag. You can ask me questions if you have them and I’ll see how much I’ll share while trying to resist the urge to spoil everything because I have been at this for about 5 months now and I have so many ideas that I adore and want to talk about. Despite that I have no idea how quickly I can work on it. This is bound to take years which was the hardest part of this project for me to reconcile with but I really want to do it. So let’s see how that goes.

I want to say that I am planning on doing one episode a chapter but because I have decided to both develop the characters and be self-indulgent, that will make the chapters long. I don’t think that they are devoid of tension or action, however, because this thing is packed with so much stuff happening. Here’s a little sneak peak from the first episode:

“Bloom, honey, wake up,“ Vanessa’s mellow voice reached her through the colorful explosion into which her dream was retreating.

“Just five more minutes, mom,” Bloom mumbled as she wormed her head under the pillow to block out the interruption. She reached for the fairy princess in her dream with hair of liquid light and a touch like sinking through the reflective surface of a mirror that showed none of Bloom’s own features to her. She’d lose not just the way but her own self if she let go of the figure in front of her.

“You’ll be late for school, sleepy head.”

The woman evaporated in a heap of steam with a nasty hissing sound that rattled Bloom’s bones as she jumped into bed. Vanessa’s apologetic smile came into focus to draw a groan out of Bloom’s parched throat as she threw her head back.

“Not funny, mom,” Bloom grabbed her fallen pillow from the floor and plopped herself back down on her mattress, eyes wide open as the image of the fairy burned in her mind. “I wanted to see where she’d lead me!”

“Who?” Vanessa sat down on the edge of the bed.

“The fairy from my dream,” Bloom covered her eyes with her free hand to narrow her focus to the woman. “I’ve seen her before, I just...” she threw the pillow next to her on the mattress. “I can’t remember where.”

“Well, I’m not surprised. You’ve read every book on fairies that you could get your hands on. It’s only natural that they’ve started blurring together,” Vanessa chuckled.

“Yeah, but it’s not that.” Bloom shot up once again, her vision spinning for a moment from the sudden action. “She’s not a character. She’s something... someone else.” She twisted a strand of hair around her finger looking for the warmth enveloping her at the presence of the mystery fairy. It couldn’t be the first time she’d dreamed about her but she couldn’t recall more than that. “Grandma always said that dreams are important.” Another reason not to let go of the fleeting imagery in her head.

“I’m pretty sure she meant the other kind of dreams,” Vanessa’s amusement was more of a ghost itself now that Bloom had mentioned the newest loss in their family. It was her who had to stay open and talk to Bloom about Mike’s mother when he froze every time the topic was brought up until Bloom could no longer bear to cause him that. “Did you finish your art project last night? I sure hope it was inspiration that kept you up so late and not the lack of it.”

Bloom beamed despite the deflection. “I did!” She jumped out of bed as her mom made space for her to launch herself at her desk where her masterpiece was covered by stray sheets to keep her parents from peeking without her there to see the reactions. Finals had really inserted themselves in all areas of her life–including dreams–to throw a wrench in her works. Finishing a drawing she’d been sitting on for over a month had let her breathe fresh air again. “Here it is.” She pulled two sheets from the pile. “This is the sketch I did during spring break.” She’d spent a whole day wandering Gardenia looking for the building to put her vision into. “And here is the one I’ve reimagined.”

Vanessa gasped, hands flying to her mouth as her eyes gleamed with unformed tears. Not unlike her response to Bloom’s first steps in art back when she’d been three but, somehow, her reactions had developed to match Bloom’s growing skillset without giving undue credit.

Bloom’s heart swelled in her chest with pride boosted by the trust she had in her mom. Her work was almost complete now that it’d accomplished the desired effect with one parent. She’d been in awe herself by the alterations she’d made to Earth architecture to make it elaborate and alien enough for a fantasy... something. She still couldn’t decide what format she wanted to create her world in. Comics were a handy option but a vision of an elusive deal for a TV show still reared its head every time she reached for a pencil and a blank sheet of paper. And there was, of course, the popularity of video games accompanied by her lack of skills or contacts when it came to coding. There was always one more step to the door of her fairy utopia but she had to focus on the art for now.

“I hope that keeping this up will be easier after school is done stifling my inspiration,” Bloom chewed on her lip as she waited for her mom to collect herself enough to give the verdict of whether a summer job was about to take over that function now.

“Uninspired? You?” Vanessa shook her head in disbelief. “Honey, you have the imagination to create worlds and I am sure that one day you will,” Vanessa reached out cautiously towards the museum Bloom had created for her fantasy world. Her fingers barely brushed the paper to leave no traces of their presence and the bittersweet look on her face was too much for Bloom to stand. Her art was not meant to be an untouchable monument. It was supposed to be a temple, a home. Maybe her yearning had come through too well.

#winx club #wc rewrite #winx bloom #winx vanessa #my wips #my writing #my fanfiction

35 notes · View notes