#also in my humble opinion the best content creators out there that talk about writing craft + writing advice

[dallonwrites]

prev reblog i have GOT to infodump about writing more often. it is so fun to infodump about writing and writing craft

[supramingi]

First of all, I absolutely ADORE you. I’m grateful that you’ve been sharing your talent and passion with the world for several years.

I have a question for you, humbly asking for advice.

That you write a l o t of heavy stuff we already know, and then you’re always publishing them and talking about them openly. I like to write and read dark themes a lot, and I’m constantly considering posting it on Twitter and talking about it more openly, rather than hiding behind the Anonymous label on ao3 when it’s time to publish. The thing is I’m terrified of people hating on dark fanfiction and I hate how it pushed away a lot of writers from fandom spaces, so I keep it hidden.

How do you deal with this? Does people hate on your work too much to this day? I know that with HOC and others there was a lot of bad attention regarding the works, right? I guess I’m just a coward afraid of little trolls on the internet. Is it worth it? Should I prefer my peace? Am I overthinking?

Anyways, I always looked up to you. I hope you’re able to do what you love with peace of mind for the rest of your life. Wishing you the best, always. Thank you for your time.

Hi Anon, thank you for this lovely message! Regarding your questions about dark content, I'll try and be as open as possible with my response.

Truthfully, dark themes in fiction will always anger or upset someone. As an avid consumer of horror media, I've never personally understood the association between content and creator that fandom consumers like to create. It's a complicated issue that I won't go into too much because it's a waste of good time and energy.

To use HoC as an example - HoC did receive some negative feedback, not only in its comments but also from other creatives in the fandom. I was aware of a few writers saying not great things about my stories and me as a person thanks to friends who saw tweets from them.

At first, I won't lie - it felt shitty! I hated being perceived in a bad light for simply writing a story. Having my actual character called into question, being accused of being things that I'm not, etc.

However, as someone that has never really socially engaged in fandom, it really didn't bother me after a while. I know I'm not a bad person, my loved ones know I'm not a bad person, so why would I care about the opinion of someone on the other side of the world that literally only knows me through fiction and a pseud? My ability to just not pay attention to what other people are saying because I was busy with my own life and creating content is a blessing. But I understand that some people aren't able to shut it out that easily.

I don't get negative comments on my work these days (unless you consider the occasional criticism negative comments.) HoC itself didn't receive a lot of negative attention whilst it was still on my AO3 account, the positive far outweighed the negative.

My advice to you is - are you okay with handling small amounts of negativity? Say, one bad comment out of 50, 100 comments? That's pretty much how rare I would say the bad response to HoC felt like. (At the time it felt much bigger, but now looking back I can see it wasn't that big at all!)

If you are the kind of person that doesn't take negativity well, if you might spiral or really be affected by bad responses, I would either advise steering away from sharing. Or maybe sharing content that isn't as dark/extreme to begin to test the waters and see how you feel about it.

I don't know which fandom you would be writing for, so I don't know what the general response is like. But some fandoms have completely different levels of tolerance for content, so best to keep that in mind!

Hope this advice helps!

[the-writing-mobster]

So, you said that “You’re What I Want” will be following the political conflicts between Monsters and Humans (which I cannot WAIT to see), but I was wondering how you would show this? Of course, racism (speciesism???) is a heavy topic to cover, especially in writing, and is shown in different ways. Expecting that the humans won’t take the freedom of monsters so lightly, what type of Monster racism can the readers expect to see in YWIW?

(Also, love your writing and characters! Can’t wait to see more of your beautiful content!💖)

Thank you for the ask! And great question!

⟨⟨I want to make it clear that if this is the only interaction someone has with topics such as; Racism, Anti-Blackness, Xenophobia and anti-Semitism then I would encourage them to get more involved.

I'm happy to offer some form of insight, but I would also urge and encourage one to watch media made for and by POC and not just starting and stopping at fanfiction. I'll leave some good recs in the tags⟩⟩

When it comes to the monsters, the heaviest amount of discrimination they would face would be on the basis they are considered "demons." Their biggest prosecutors would be Evangelical Christian Fundamentalists. (Lol who ISN'T victimized by evangelicals?)

I pull a lot of inspiration off of right wing conspiracy theories about The New World Order and how Christian evangelicals would react specifically to "Demons" (not good)

Here's an example of the type of discrimination monsters would face;

Fetishization (shit like "I heard monsters have "ruts"/Big dicks/are really rough in bed/freaky/I want to fuck a monster girl..." shit like that. They would be treated like a Sexuality and not, ya know, sentient beings capable of thought and feeling... It would be awful 😥)

A LOT of "The end times are here" and "this is the democratic baby eater pedophile elites last step in their plan for world domination! Letting hell loose on us! Just lettin Satan walk amongst us, brothur!"

Literal dehumanization for not being... Humans... There would be a lot of legal problems trying to get paperwork done. Legitimizing monster identities, their money, integration.

Interspecies/racial relationships would be demonized (no pun intended) and fetishized.

NIMBYism

White Flight 2: Electric Boogaloo

Think Alex Jones and Marjorie Taylor Greene.... Yeah. YEAH, now you know what I'm talking about.

Keep in mind, New World Order conspiracy theories are inherently anti-Semitic and I'm not about to erase that. In fact, knowing the behavior of right wing political pundits, they would undoubtedly rope in other minorities such as Jewish people as a way to blame them for the demons on the surface.

Also, hmmm, do any of these sound familiar? If so, it's because White Supremacists have the same fears and reactions to everything.

⟨⟨Again, I want to reiterate that these kinds of discrimination already happen irl to MULTIPLE GROUPS but esp Black Americans and I would hope that a fanfiction isn't the thing opening peoples' eyes to this; but if that's the way some people learn, then I'd want to do it as well as possible, and I'll do my best to provide resources as well. This is not a light topic to be used for entertainment value, ya know?⟩⟩

Who would be the first to accept them in a real world situation?

The queer community would def be one of the first to accept them ESP the Black Queer Community, simply because it was that community [black queer individuals] which opened the doors for pretty much all civil rights PERIOD.

Don't get me wrong, there would be some backlash from human marginalized communities, as a way to distance themselves, but ultimately, the reintroduction of magic into society could be used as a great tool to protect vulnerable people and the communities would learn to hopefully accept, empathize and fight with the demons. It's the true anarchists understanding that MY LIBERATION is dependant on YOUR LIBERATION, and is the drive to work together.

This fic would explore magical solutions that are based in real world solutions (as in, all the solutions are stuff we, humans could do in real life, it's just being portrayed in a magical way with mythical creatures) For example, mutual aid, building community, housing the homeless, and so much more.

There is an emphasis on Intersectionality. After all, you can't spell community without unity.

That being said, that won't really be tackled until the second part, as the first part is dealing with Crime Syndicates.

These are all extremely heavy topics to tackle, but I do want to explore the real world consequences of the world Toby Fox created and in my humble opinion, left unfinished.

If I have any Black, Jewish, Latin and/or Asian American readers, I would love for you to reach out through PM and possibly beta for this fic, because when handling these topics it is imperative to have sensitivity readers.

ALSO if you're a POC content creator, feel free to hop on and promote your own fanfics, art and writing, I'd be more than happy to give you all a space and promote your art. As far as I'm concerned, this blog is safe space for this fandom.

[disastergaykillua]

Hi...during my search for HxH content I inevitably found myself reading fics, but I noticed there was a really weird trend in all of the Killugon ones that I dislike severely. I kinda want to hear your opinions on it. A lot of fics like to portray Gon as an aggressor to Killua, for some reason? And it seems like they write him as being really aggressive or mean-spirited? I’m honestly just genuinely baffled because it seems to be fairly common? How? Anyway, plz don’t answer if uncomfortable

Okay yeah, I think I know what you’re talking about, though I try my best to avoid these kinds of fics because I also hate them. And I’ve been pretty vocal about how I think most people characterize Gon poorly, and this is just another example of it.

In my honest and humble opinion, I think a lot of this trend stems from people projecting onto Killua. I know Killua is a character most people happen to project onto because he has family problems, a cool design, and it a bit closed off. Also we as viewers see his inner thoughts and feelings—which makes us get deeply attached to him. So when people see how Gon unintentionally hurt Killua during the chimera ant arc, they take that pretty hard. They see how much anguish Killua is in and get upset and want o take it out on his source of sadness, which in this sense is Gon. So essentially all this Gon is “a bad friend who doesn’t deserve killua” and is “inherently selfish” (as if not all humans are selfish lol) is just people seeing how Gon made killua cry indirectly and take it out on him because it hurt us as fans who love killua and don’t want to see him sob on screen. Because all works of art, and especially all works of written fiction have extensions of the creator in them. More specifically fanfiction, because fanfiction, at its core, is the writer (and reader) indulging their desires through their favorite characters.

Psychoanalyzing aside, I think another reason people write Gon as an aggressor is because they simply do not understand or completely misinterpret his character. Some main reasons for this are that 1) He views the world very dynamically, unlike most shounen protagonists who have one way of thinking, and thus understanding how he thinks is hard to grasp 2) we don’t get to see his inner thoughts and emotions as clearly as we do with killua. 3) people forget he begins his journey not even 12 years old yet. He is constantly changing and growing. Though his personality, his pure naive optimism he holds onto like a lifeline, and his unsettling determination are grounding us throughout his journey, he changes quite a great amount in the course of hunter x hunter. It’s very subtle too.

Also a lot of people compare Gon and his trauma to Killua and Killua’s own trauma which shouldn’t be happening. For starters, their trauma is different and both valid and we should not compare that. Also Killua was forced to grow up and was tortured into becoming a calculating and world renown assassin. Gon was able to have a good childhood and doesn’t see the world as black and white (or dark and light if you will) as Killua does. Gon reacts to things purely on how his emotions gauge him to, because he’s still a kid and Killua was taught to not do that. Killua was constantly taught to do things that would best benefit himself or his family reguardless of feelings. However, it’s also clear that Gon pushes his negative emotions away unlike Killua who allows himself to be upset. This is another thing people forget about Gon’s character is that he tries really hard to keep smiling.

Anyway sorry I rambled a bit Gon is my favorite character and I don’t like it when people make it so he treats his best friend poorly, because he doesn’t. People just give Killua a victim complex and not only is it out of character but it also just proves to me that the work is purely a reflection of how the writer is projecting their own hurt onto the character.

[fuckwritersblock]

I’ve seen a few posts asking for recommendations for romance interactive/visual novels and finally I decided it would be better to just post about it rather than replying. Note that I have been playing this genre for years but I also am picky. There are some games that I have played which I would not necessarily rec*.

Interactive Novels (Purely text based)

The Wayhaven Chronicles (Mobile, Steam)

Creme de la Creme (Mobile, Steam)

Tally Ho (Mobile, Steam)

**Fallen Hero: Rebirth (Mobile, Steam)

Visual Novels

Arcade Spirits (PS 4, Switch, Xbox One, Steam, itch.io)

Choices (Mobile)

Dream Daddy (PS 4, Switch, Steam, Humble, Mobile)

A Rose in Winter (Steam, Itch.io)

You should also watch out for “Best Friend Forever” (Switch/Steam/Itch.io) and download the demo. I also personally have not yet played “Butterfly Soup” but I hear great things about it.

If you want to know more about the games along with the pros and cons are for each game (in my opinion) check under the cut. but it is. Long.

Interactive Novels

The Wayhaven Chronicles - Fantasy/romance. You play as a detective who has been tasked to solve a murder in your small town of Wayhaven. You have been tasked with agents from a mysterious agency, Unit Bravo, to help you. But are they all that they seem? 

Pros:

Sexy vampires. (This is not a spoiler it’s literally in the description of the game.)

The writing is incredible. Mishka Jenkins knows the tropes and uses them expertly.

The romances are all very good in their own unique way.

All of the characters are well developed and interesting.

There are two books of this series out!

Cons:

ACAB. And you play a detective at a station where there’s literally a state where you either are “by the book” or “bend the rules” so like. Not great.

There are two books out of seven for the series so know you will be left wanting more.

You can play as non-binary and there are a couple of background non-binary characters in the story but there are no non-binary romances.

Creme de la Creme - Adventure/romance (if you’re into dark academia, this is for you). You play as a student sent to a finishing school and are expected to bring prestige back to the family name.

Pros:

This plot takes some turns y’all.

You can play as non-binary and there also can be non-binary romance options!

There is aro/ace representation!!

Hannah Powell-Smith is married to a woman so like nice.

Cons:

There is some commentary that sometimes works well and sometimes falls flat. Mainly the critique on power and the upper class works well until the endings where many still benefit from this without characters putting much more thought in it.

Tally Ho - Comedy/Romance. Inspired by Wooster and Jeeves. You play a servant living in London during 1930′s. You work for Rory Wintermint, and must accompany them to their Aunt Primrose’s estate. Hijinks ensue.

Pros:

Light and fun and adorable.

Romances 

There are some really funny moments in this.

Cons:

This was one of my first interactive novels and I have spent hours and hours on this game and there are still achievements that I have absolutely no idea how to achieve.

It’s a light and airy game so know that if romance is your thing, it doesn’t delve as deep into those relationships as other games on here.

You can play with they/them pronouns but there is no other non-binary characters.

Fallen Hero: Rebirth - Action/Superhero. You play a former hero that has started acting on your plan to become a supervllian. You must work against your original crew and that gets. Complicated.

(**Heads up, this is a very good game it’s not romance-focused. I also have not replayed it in some time. and other people could describe it better than I have. So if this short description sounds interesting, I recommend looking it up on tumblr + other areas.)

 Pros:

Immersive and thoughtful small details.

The romances are complex and certainly not easy, but that’s certainly a strength of the writing.

Malin Rydén self-describes as “unapologetically queer”

Cons:

Not so much of a con but something yall should know! This game handles heavy topics as your character descends into villainy. Your character experiences depression and a variety of Rough Stuff. Keep that in mind if you are also in a rough place mentally rn.

I’m gonna be real with ya fam and I think this could just be me. There were multiple parts of this game that I felt lost in. I could not fully understand what was going on. BUT I also feel like in many places that is the intention for the character to feel disorientated so take that what you will.

Visual Novels

Arcade Spirits - Dating Sim/Comedy. You play as a depressed person who was just fired. You are convinced you are suffering from a generational long curse. Your phone matches you with a job at the Funplex arcade with various characters. Will you ensure the arcade survives? Will you find love along the way?

Pros:

this is GOD-TIER visual novel content y’all!!

The system that they use for stats are unlike anything I’ve ever seen but it’s leagues ahead. You do not have to be constantly monitoring your stats as you would typically for other games.

Made with so much love for the content and attention to detail. 

Diverse cast that are all so fun and lovable in their own way.

You get to create your MC’s hair/skin/clothes color and then you’ll see them throughout the game?? WILD.

Cons:

BECAUSE this game was made with love and and attention to detail, if you have absolutely no interest in the world of video games you may feel detached.

The character creator is very limited. Which I do get to a certain extent with all of the different shots they draw the MC in. But I hope you want your character to be thin with a lot of angular facial features 

Choices - An app where there is a series of stories you can play “chapters” of using keys, which replenish every couple of hours.

Pros:

It’s a very focused on modern romance stories, but there are also such a variety of different genres of books! Fantasy (Blades of Light & Shadow), Historical fiction/romance (Desire & Decorum), Thriller/Horror (It Lives in the Woods). I have PLENTY of recs if you hmu.

There are...Many a good romances in these tho like I have blushed and sighed and daydreamed about these stories.

Cons:

You need patience for this game. It’s a free app and therefore has a system where you need to understand the key system and be patient to collect “diamonds” to purchase premium choices.

Many of the books are gender-locked where you can only play as a woman.

Choices has been criticized that they need better treatment/more screentime for their characters of Color. They have said they are committing to do better, but we will see.

Same has been said about their wlw romances.

Just as there are good stories, there are also stories that have something to be desire. I have varying issues with some books that have plot holes, unengaging writing, etc. These are good for you to play to earn more diamonds though.

Dream Daddy - Dating Sim/Comedy. (This game was the talk of the town when it came out in 2017 but in case you weren’t in the genre at the time!!) You are a single dad who is moving with your daughter Amanda to Maple Bay. You meet other single dads and date them while also trying to be a good father to your daughter.

Pros:

This writing is sharp as a tack. The comedy is on point and this game does a great job transitioning into serious moments.

There are awesome little mini-games that you’ll find in these!

The characters of each datable dad first seem like caricatures, but their backstories are complex and have depth.

The character creator is chef’s kiss v good. AND you can play as a trans dad like how neat.

Cons:

There have been plenty of conversation about cons for this game but frankly I don’t truly believe it has a con for what it is.

If you’re not a pun person this game will be. Difficult.

A Rose in Winter - Romance. You are playing as Rose, a girl who determined to prove herself as a knight. She has found herself at an inn and must choose between a series of Princes to help on their journey.

Pros:

Cute stories!

Except for the green prince which is heart-fluttering. (and if you play, I recommend playing last)

Adorable art.

Cons:

This reads more like an ACTUAL visual novel. Your choice (besides the initial choice you make on which prince you pursue) means little, if there is choice at all.

It’s definitely simpler than other games on this list but that’s not a bad thing as much as you should know!

*Please know that I did not include The Arc*n* on purpose! I used to really love that app but the way certain things were handled (both IRL and in the plot) I would not recommend it now.

[soyouareandrewdobson]

There must be something in the water...

This comic by Dobson, is in my opinion one that really serves as one of the biggest self owns in his history, once you know a few things about the quote and are familiar with the work of the person who said it AND Dobson’s output .

See, the quote “My books are like water; those of the great geniuses are wine. Everybody drinks water.“ is alluded to none other than one of America’s greatest writers in the 19th century. Samuel L. Clemens. Or as he is known to many people worldwide, Mark Twain.

Now let me admit, I have not really read much of Clemen’s work in my life, but I have read articles about him, saw quotes of him, read up on his life as well as his social opinions and thanks to popculture osmosis I am aware of the plot outlines of works like “The Prince and the Pauper” and “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer”. I say plot outlines, cause lets face it, those movie adaptations we all know and love obviously miss the point of Clemens social satire he either hid well in his work or was as subtle as a sledgehammer to the head about.

Clemens in a way was an anti-Dobson. He came from a privileged upbringing, but took on a rather “low class” job in his youth before becoming famous through his writing. Similar to Dobson he hated racism, was obviously against conservative Christianity and for his time a “woke” fellow. But unlike Dobson, I think he did not just do it for virtue signaling, he genuinely believed in the cause and if he felt he went too far, he also apologized. Like his takes on Christianity certainly became more mellow later on in life (at least as far as I know)

 Additionally, Clemens was funny. He was critical of society and literature (I highly recommend you to read Fenimore Cooper’s Literary Offences to get just how brilliantly this man could dissect the work of others. Here is a link to it https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Literature/FenimoreCoopersLiteraryOffences )

Both in a way he would use snark to mock them, but also get a valid point across.

And the water line up there? In a way it is both the greatest ego boost, but also self deprecation he could go for.

See, the line actually goes like this

„My books are like water; those of the great geniuses are wine. (Fortunately) everybody drinks water.“

 The boost comes from the fact that he is essentially saying “everybody reads my books”. Which lets face it, was true. Clemens was read by many people, both scholars and people from the general public. He was legitimately popular, to the point that even 110 years after he died he is still well known. Not only his works, but the person himself has become an iconic figure in our cultural conscious. Or to focus on what was really important: Clemens: I make money through my writing, bitch!

Okay, he wouldn’t have said it like that, but he would have at least acknowledged that making good money through his work was a nice benefit.

But in the same way, the line is a bit of self deprecation and slightly humble. See, he says his books are water. Something basic, something not everyone can afford. While the books of great masters are like wine. Something not everyone can afford, but which is in a way “sophisticated” and will live on too, even in higher regards.

I bet that at times Clemens could be full of himself, but we have to understand, this was a man who could take criticism and give it. A man who understood also something about literature and had certain insights others did not have at his time. A deadpan snarker who when he got a positive review allegedly told one of his first critics something along the line of “You made me as happy as the white slave owner chick who realizes her kid was going to be white after all”.

So what I believe is that he was humble enough to see that there were also people better/more sophisticated than him, which he even looked up too and whose work he compared with wine. People by whom he as a creator was like water in comparison. But thankfully (or rather, fortunately) everyone drinks waters aka “reads” the stuff he writes and therefore guarantees his career.

Which honestly, I consider also something of a truth some content creator should go for. Look, I am not saying that we should stop trying to go for something meaningful when we create art or tell stories, but in a way if Clemens was alive today, he would consider his water statement just further confirmed in the way a lot of popcultur works nowadays. Best example, Marvel movies. Marvel movies, as entertaining as they are, are basically just water (or soda), compared to genuine artistic movies or movies with deeper social issues in them. And yet, those movies make money and seem to connect with people at times better than something more “sophisticated”. Go figure.

 But, back to Dobson for a bit, okay?

See, for Clemens the water line made sense, because again, his works were popular and understandable for everyone, making them as accessible as water. But for Dobson? Oh boy… For starters, if we compare their achievements in life so far Clemens already wins. Cause by the time he was 39 (Dobson’s current age at the time this post is written) Clemens was successful under his pseudonym by writing multiple articles and short stories, including The Innocent Abroad, Roughin It and Tom Sawyer. He was also married and was involved in multiple businesses. Dobson meanwhile had attempted to create the following comic series Patti, Formera, Percy Phillips, Legens/Alex ze Pirate, Danny & Spots, Brentalfloss Comics and they all sunk faster than the Titanic. Okay, not the Brental Floss Comcis, those just ended because Brentalfloss thought it was time to end it, but still.

Four major stories he supposedly wanted to write abandoned because they did not earn him the reputation he wanted and one unpopular out of touch gaming comic strips where the punchline was that a rejected clone of Cubitus with the Marsupilami (go look them up) liked the Wii, while its owner/friend was a hardcore PS3 gamer who obviously always needed to be in the wrong because after all, only troglodytes play non nintento consoles.

All his major books got rejected by the public, because the writing was either not good or the artwork was at best mediocre at worst something people on manag forums could draw better when doing fanart.

And yet here we have Dobson, using another ones famous and funny line claiming “his books are like water. Everybody drinks water” indicating amongst other things “everyone reads my books and they are easily accessible”.

No, that is a freaking lie. No one read your books, most of them are not accessible to anyone because they are either out of print or you could not see them anywhere if you dig up as deep as possible online (see my paywall post earlier this week). And when people read your books common criticisms included how unoriginal and aimless your stories would feel (Formera), how derivative characters were from other fictional characters (Alex ze Pirate is e.g. just Lina from Slayers but with the bitchy temper of a Rumiko Takahashi character) and how unlikable most characters would just be (see everyone in Alex ze Pirate except the Ninja Girl and Sam).

 Or to put it in Clemen’s work when describing the sins of Cooper’s Deerslayer, your works tend to break among other things the following rules:

- … A tale shall accomplish something and arrive somewhere. But the Deerslayer tale accomplishes nothing and arrives in the air.

- They require that the episodes of a tale shall be necessary parts of the tale, and shall help to develop it. But as the Deerslayer tale is not a tale, and accomplishes nothing and arrives nowhere, the episodes have no rightful place in the work, since there was nothing for them to develop.

- They require that when the personages of a tale deal in conversation, the talk shall sound like human talk, and be talk such as human beings would be likely to talk in the given circumstances, and have a discoverable meaning, also a discoverable purpose, and a show of relevancy, and remain in the neighborhood of the subject in hand, and be interesting to the reader, and help out the tale, and stop when the people cannot think of anything more to say. But this requirement has been ignored from the beginning of the Deerslayer tale to the end of it.

- They require that crass stupidities shall not be played upon the reader as "the craft of the woodsman, the delicate art of the forest," by either the author or the people in the tale. But this rule is persistently violated in the Deerslayer tale.

- They require that the personages of a tale shall confine themselves to possibilities and let miracles alone; or, if they venture a miracle, the author must so plausibly set it forth as to make it look possible and reasonable. But these rules are not respected in the Deerslayer tale.

- They require that the author shall make the reader feel a deep interest in the personages of his tale and in their fate; and that he shall make the reader love the good people in the tale and hate the bad ones. But the reader of the Deerslayer tale dislikes the good people in it, is indifferent to the others, and wishes they would all get drowned together.

And now replace the Deerslayer tale with Alex ze Pirate/Formera and tell me those rules are not broken.

I am sorry, I get Dobson just wanted to be more sophisticated and give himself a slight ego boost and trick his readers into thinking he is deeper in his thinking than he really is. But if Dobson’s books are like water, said water is somewhere in the desert in an almost empty well that has also been poisoned. Either it gets detoxed and filtrated for consumption or you are better off drinking your own piss. Which is Clemens code for “write fanfiction”.

[thesydneyfeminists]

6 Kick-Ass Women on International Women’s Day

March 8th is International Women’s Day, and what better way to celebrate than to share a few of my favourite women in pop culture? Fictional and non-fictional, because the heart wants what it wants. This is not an exhaustive list by any means, because there are millions of kick-ass women out there doing their thing, but these are some of the first women who spring to mind for me.

Image Description: A photo of a white, wooden block calendar set on a light pink and white floral fabric background. A longer, rectangular block with the word “March” written in all capital letters in dark grey is on the bottom. A larger, square block with the number “8″ written in the same dark grey is on the top.

 Cristina Yang (Grey’s Anatomy)

I grew up in a time where there weren’t many prominent Asian characters in TV shows or movies. If they were there, they were relegated to background extras or secondary characters that are supposed to be a passing joke or a harmful stereotype. And truth be told, Cristina does sometimes fall into the overachieving Asian trope. But the way Sandra Oh played the character made her likeable and not an over-the-top, offensive stereotype that we’ve seen countless times before. Seeing Cristina on Grey’s was so new, so fresh - she was a character I could look at and go “oh hey, someone who’s written for me”. Not to mention, I hadn’t really seen too many Korean characters before, especially one played by a Korean-Canadian actress, which is a bonus. So, here was someone who looked a little like me, and was smart, sassy, and real. She was funny for the right reasons, not at the expense of herself, but because she was quick and witty (it also helped Sandra Oh’s comic timing is impeccable). Cristina also had some pretty excellent advice (regardless of some of the storylines, Cristina Yang is ride or die, and I won’t hear anything else) some of which are summed up nicely here: https://www.theodysseyonline.com/11-times-cristina-yang-gave-best-advice. Sandra Oh’s portrayal of her character came at a time when I desperately needed to see representation, and Cristina definitely left her mark on my life.

Image Description: A photo of Korean-American actress, Sandra Oh, with her hands in her pockets. She is in costume as her character on Grey’s Anatomy, Cristina Yang, with dark blue scrubs and a white lab coat. She is looking directly at the camera with a slight, closed-mouth smile.

Veronica Mars (Veronica Mars)

Honestly, I don’t know many people who have finished watching Veronica Mars without thinking Veronica is cool as hell. She’s this badass, teenage girl who went through some traumatic experiences but came away from them tough, strong and ready to fight back. Which, admittedly, viewed through a 2019 lens comes across a little clichéd and tired. But, back in 2004, I hadn’t yet learned about the trope that’s far too common when men try to write female characters. Lazy or not, I think what makes Veronica one of my favourite characters is that even though the whole situation is unrealistic (she’s a teenage private detective), the way she reacts to her circumstances is realistic. She makes mistakes. Oh boy, she makes a tonne of mistakes. But Veronica has a good heart and, if I had to sum her up, I’d say “she’s trying her best”, a saying I always strongly related to. And, listen, the girl has a taser and isn’t afraid to use it. I respect that.

Faith Lehane (Buffy the Vampire Slayer / Angel)

Anyone who knows me in real life can attest I will go down swinging when it comes to defending Faith. Right from the moment she stepped her biker boots into Buffy the Vampire Slayer, I was a fan. Faith was the slayer from the “wrong side of the tracks”, less fortunate in life than the show’s heroine. She was the “dark/evil slayer” and she was the best character that ever happened to that show. I think my pattern of favourite characters is becoming clearer … if you’re rough on the outside with a soft interior, that’s apparently my jam. Faith had a tough childhood and then made mistakes when she was 16, mistakes Buffy and her friends punished her for. She was so deeply unhappy with the path she’d taken but thought that was all she was good for. She even begs Angel to kill her because she’s “evil”. That scene is still my favourite scene in the whole BtVS universe, not going to lie, and Faith’s redemption arc is beautiful. At any given time, she proved she could’ve broken out of prison. But she stayed because she was trying to atone and be better than she was. Honestly, Faith is a blessing.

Anna Akana (YouTube)

I found Anna fairly late in the game - she had already been making videos for a few years when a friend linked me to her video Why Guys Like Asian Girls. I thought it was hilarious, relatable, and summed up everything I’ve ever thought about dating and my experiences as an Asian woman. From that one video, I was hooked. As I watched more and more, I learnt about her life. Her videos play out as comedy sketches where she plays different roles. Through them, she tackles every day advice and shares stories about her life. When Anna was a teenager, her younger sister committed suicide. Since then, Anna has been a strong advocate for suicide prevention. She’s talked about it in various videos, as well as in her books. She is upfront and honest about the aftermath of the suicide and her reactions. More than just a “YouTuber”/content creator, Anna is a wearer of many hats. She writes, produces, acts, directs (not only in her own YouTube videos, but in external projects too). And she’s written two books. One was a series of journal entries she wrote after her sister died, and the other was a memoir /guide to life that she wrote as a series of letters to her younger sister. There’s no doubt what happened in her family influences the way she views the world and has made Anna who she is today: an upfront and honest woman with a big heart and the gift to make people laugh.  

Jenna Marbles / Mourey (YouTube)

Apparently, all I do is watch TV or YouTube, because one of my other favourite women is Jenna Mourey (more commonly known by her YouTube alias Jenna Marbles). Although she is one of the “OGs” of YouTube and found her success after going viral, Jenna’s video style has changed over the years. What I’ve always loved about Jenna is she’s undeniably herself. Especially lately, she’s taken to making videos she jokingly refers to as “me time”, which include things like painting herself to look like her armchair, covering herself in green paint to blend into her green screen or gluing rhinestones all over her face, just to name a few! She credits her success to being genuine, to being herself, and to releasing content that makes her laugh. In my opinion, she succeeds. Jenna’s been one of my favourite YouTube creators since the beginning, and I was lucky enough to meet her a few years back. She’s every bit as humble, sweet and funny as she comes across in her videos.

Image Description: A photo of Jenna Marbles’ head and shoulders against an off-white background. Marbles is a white woman with brown hair pulled up in a ponytail. She is wearing a neon pink, snakeskin-patterned shirt and has silver rhinestones glued to the bottom of her face in the shape of a beard. She is looking just beneath the camera lens and her mouth is slightly ajar.

Tee Linden (Writer)

This one may be cheating a little, but I couldn’t in good conscience write a list of my favourite women and not include my best friend/platonic life partner and soul mate. Tee scrapes into the pop culture theme on a technicality by being a talented poet and writer, able to create whole universes within a few sentences. We’ve known each other for 25+ years now and have gone through the many ups and downs of life together. Tee makes me laugh in a way no one else does - the kind of laughter that physically hurts because there’s so much of it. The smartest, fiercest and most supportive woman I know, she makes everything she does look easy. In that way, and many others, we’re complete opposites. I feel as though I struggle through everything and that it shows. But our differences have always made our friendship stronger. When everyone else lets me down, I know I can rely on Tee to pick up a conversation we had five years ago and continue on as though no time has passed and nothing has changed at all.

Honestly, I could go on forever and list so many more women. But these are the ones that immediately came to mind when I tasked myself with coming up with women who inspire me. I have countless women in my life who I’m so incredibly blessed to know and even more that I’m yet to meet. So, this International Women’s Day, take a moment to acknowledge the women who shaped your life, who you admire and look up to. The ones who fought for us before we could, the ones who are still fighting and the ones who are paving the way for a better future. Support your sisters, not just your cis-ters, and remember women are magic. When we get together, we change the world.

By: Vee H

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this piece do not necessarily reflect the views of the Sydney Feminists. Our Blogger and Tumblr serve as platforms for a diverse array of women to put forth their ideas and explore topics. To learn more about the philosophy behind TSF’s Blogger/ Tumblr, please read our statement here: https://www.sydneyfeminists.org/a

[hockeyallthehockey]

Regarding fan creations

There's been a lot of conversation happening recently about fanfiction prompts, warning lists, and whether or not certain things "should be" requested or written. I've been a netizen since 1989, so naturally, I'm going to dump my two cents in. Please feel free to move right on to the next post if you don't want to read this.

Also, if you do read this and you want to discuss why I’m wrong, then I’m absolutely happy to discuss that - off anon.

Fanfic, fanart, fanvids, and the other wonderful creations of fandom have been around a lot longer than the internet as we know it. Yes, they really have. Before most people had the capacity to share their creations online, there were fan-published fanzines. Before we could create and edit videos on our computers, we created fanvids with two VCRs and a lot of tape swapping. And in all the time that fandom - the way we interpret fandom - has been around, there have been subjects that some people didn't want to see.

Me, I don't like to read about major character death, and I like my stories to have a happy ending.

Nobody - nobody - likes everything that's out there, even in their own fandom(s). And that's completely, absolutely, 100% okay. We have tags and warnings for a reason.

There are subjects that some people want to write about, draw about, vid about, talk about, that other people find abhorrent or triggering or just Not Their Thing. That's also completely, absolutely, 100% okay.

If there's something that you don't want to see, then you have the option to skip right over it. Don't look at it. There are warnings and tags for a reason. Utilize them, and protect yourself - and yes, for many, it is self-protection, I completely believe that - from subject matter that will bother you, for whatever reason.

Tags and warnings are an absolute necessity when a work is made available for consumption. Every major fanworks publishing platform out there has the ability to tag and warn, to put potentially upsetting content behind a link that the reader will have to click in order to move forward. These are the tools we have, with which content creators can allow others to avoid content they do not wish to see. It is the content creator and/or curator's responsibility to use those tools to the best of their ability.

It is also, undeniably, the content consumer's responsibility to heed the warnings and tags, to avoid clicking through to content they do not want to see.

It is unacceptable, in my not so humble opinion, to say that creators cannot or should not create content to which some - or even many - object.

An example - I don't care for Clint/Loki fic, because I personally feel that any relationship between them would be irrevocably tainted by Loki's actions leading up to the Battle of New York (see Marvel's Avengers for more details). I object to that content. Okay - so I don't read it. It's out there, and there are people who enjoy creating it and consuming it, and I avoid it because it's not my thing. Loki mentally enslaved Clint, and I find the idea of the two of them in a relationship to be squicky. So I avoid that content, because I find it objectionable. But I don't tell others they shouldn't create it or enjoy consuming it.

Another example - I find it extremely upsetting to read through a story and find that a major character dies during the course of that story. If I'm reading a Sid/Geno fic, and Sid or Geno dies before it's over, that messes with my head. I have my own reasons for feeling that way, I don't owe anybody a justification for that, and I acknowledge my own responsibility to avoid content tagged for Major Character Death. But I don't tell others that they shouldn't create it or enjoy consuming it.

Some have objected to fanfic about slavery and/or rape. Okay, you don't like fanfic about slavery and/or rape, and that is completely, absolutely valid. Don't read fanfic about slavery and/or rape. One would assume that you object because these two things - slavery and rape - are utterly abhorrent in real life. I agree, they are - in my opinion - abhorrent in real life. Do you also, therefore, think that nobody should ever write about murder? Nobody should ever write about torture? Nobody should ever write about bullying, or say, as Stephen King has done quite brilliantly, write about horrific things that do horrific things to people?

We're talking about fiction; not reality, fiction. We're not talking about actually wanting to see a world where sexual slavery exists, or where rape is okay. We're not talking about wanting to live anywhere near Stephen King's AU Bangor, Maine. In fiction, we can explore things outside reality, both as creators and consumers, without wanting those things to be, or become, reality.

In closing: I absolutely respect a content creator's right to create content around subjects about which they want to create, even subjects that others might find objectionable, and I believe it is the creator's/curator's right to appropriately tag, warn, and apply content hiding click-through links where necessary. I absolutely respect the content consumer's right to avoid content which they find objectionable, and I believe that the consumer has the responsibility to heed tags, warnings, and "keep reading" links to avoid such content.

TL; DR: Creators/curators, tag/warn appropriately, especially for content that is known to be potentially objectionable. Consumers, heed the tags and warnings. If you don't like it, don't look at it. You have the right and the ability to just move right along.

[deliriumsminion]

15 minute wait for my appointment to start

So I’m going to quickly write some stuff about what I think of Delirious, because there will never be enough speculation about him. I don’t think I will ever know him fully, since I don’t know of how he’s like outside of his videos and outside of Twitter and his friend’s streams. This is just my speculation based on what he’s said and done and what others have said about him. 

Delirious is the kind of guy you’d want as your best friend for the rest of your life. Sure, he’s kind of odd in some ways. He has a rather simple way of seeing things. He doesn’t know about a lot of things. Sometimes, you wonder if he even thinks properly like everybody else does. But for whatever he lacks in intellect, for whatever he lacks in abilities, he makes up for in heart. 

He's not a pure introvert nor a pure extrovert. He has no problems making friends if he tries, and he has no problems retaining friends. He isn't too awkward around new people he has to play with, and in fact, he takes them in just fine. The people around him cluster around him because of how genuine he is in handling his friendships. He listens when you need a listening ear, he advises and relates when you need someone to sympathize and care. Oddly enough, the man that yells "fuck you" and "this is bullshit" a whole lot in his videos is also the same man that can privately tell you he understands what you're going through and how he'd deal with it. 

At the same time, he's reserved. If there's anything that I've learnt this whole time from him not wanting to do a face reveal, it's that he wants his space. He likes his privacy, and he likes his own personal space. He wants to be a normal person that can go about his daily life without being recognized. He wants to live, love and laugh just as everybody else does. 

He doesn't talk publicly about things he doesn't know about, and he doesn't act like he's better than anybody. Jokingly, maybe, but privately, I think he's rather humble. If he gives you a gift, no matter the price, it's because he thinks you'll like it, and not because he thinks you'll pay him back or because it makes him a 'good person'. He's just happy to know you're happy. He doesn't feel obligated to give you a gift just because it's a special day. He's giving to you for that day because he knows it'll make your day special. 

It's not easy to get on his nasty side, at least, that's what I think. Even if he gets angry at you, truly angry, he'll let things slide; that is, unless you've really mistreated him or his friends gravely. He'll shut you out if you frustrate him enough with ignorance and annoyance and general nastiness, just as most other people would. He's incredibly human that way. 

Some may say he's insecure. Maybe he is. But who isn't? We all have some insecurities, and he's entitled to some insecurities of his own as well. He's human. He's a regular guy. And that's what he wants to stay as. But if there's anything that has made him less regular and more extraordinary, it's that he's that guy that will treasure your friendship genuinely. 

I don't know Delirious. I don't even think I will ever know him. I don't think my assessment of him will ever be complete or accurate. There is only that much we can know from a content creator's videos and tweets and whatever he has said on streams. Maybe if I knew him my opinion would change. But what I know is that Delirious is fairly popular as a person and amongst his friends for a reason. There's a reason why his friends keep coming back to him (other than to make videos together). There's a reason why people like Cartoonz stayed a close friend of his for nearly 20 years now and still find him a person worth keeping around. 

Perhaps this is the reason. We probably will never know.

[heathlandw8]

Happy 19th Anniversary Shinhwa!

Congratulations Shinhwa on 19 years of hard work, dedication, fantastic music, a role-model friendship & family boundedness, defying the odds and persistence!

I recently read a blog (link here !) on aura / color meanings and wanted to try this for Shinhwa members as a special anniversary post. These are my opinions, of course you could think otherwise.

Red

This color represents someone who is passionate and strong-willed. They're well known for being confident and tend to be at the center of attention. People with this prominent color in their aura are usually very physically active and like to be outspoken and heard. They can be either loved or hated by the masses, and tend to be very direct and successful.

Well excuse me, but every word/sentence of this description just screams Minwoo!! I don't think you can argue with me on this one. I don't even feel the need to explain, but okay, I will do it short and firmly: Minwoo is very passionate. Just listen to him talking about album producing, song-writing, how he came up with ideas for songs,.. He can't stop talking about it and he does it in such a passionate way that you won't feel bored, on the contrary, you are mesmerized by his talking and feel real excited about the song as if you yourself wrote it. He's mostly in the center of the Shinhwa dance formation and yes I think he does the most talking during Shinhwa concerts. :)

Orange

People with orange as the most prominent color in their aura are always very generous, playful, and social. They're usually very honest and lighthearted and make people feel at ease when they're around them. Despite the fact they may be quick to lose temper, they forgive easily and don't hold grudges. They're commonly very successful in what they decide to pursue and have a charm that pulls in lots of people.

Hello Jun Jin! No wonder he's Shinhwa's 1st fan boy, with that color as his aura color. These described qualities: playful, social, make people feel at ease, a charm that pulls in lots of people, make him the variety king. I do think he can be 'heated' and lose his temper when he feels someone or something he cares a lot about gets harmed, but as written I think he doesn't hold grudges. He might seem tough from the outside, but has a golden heart, yes lighthearted and honest like a child sometimes :).

Yellow

Individuals with yellow dominantly in their aura tend to be extremely analytical and like to plan things out ahead of time. They like to seem cool, put together, and don't tend to enjoy the art of surprise because it may ruffle their feathers a little too much. They're very intellectual and like to choose their friends carefully. They can read people and situations easily and tend to put work over personal relationships.

It makes me think a lot of Hyesung. We know he's smart (he was a good student in school). Yes he surely likes to seem cool, but it's easily to put him out of his comfort zone and shake his feathers, as they say here ;) He's always trying to plan things beforehand, but the members are always trolling him so his plans are ruined and he doesn't know how to act anymore (poor Hyesung). I do also think he carefully picks his friends. Although he's very friendly and easygoing, he's also shy and more on the silent side with strangers, hence it takes some work from your side to be his friend :).

Green

People with green auras are incredibly creative and have an eye for beauty. They're more than often pretty popular, respected and looked up upon by a lot of people. They're loyal to the people they love and are extremely down to earth. They can be very keen on perfectionism, which pushes them even further to the success and stability they desire. People with this color so prominent in their aura also tend to be very good at giving advice when needed.

Honestly you don't see Dongwan a lot dressed in green. Yet, when I read an eye for beauty, I read Dongwan, because of his photography. He likes traveling, hiking, biking and surfing, partly for his body workout, but also for the beauty of scenery. He likes posting fan art on his social pages, which is again the eye for beauty. Pretty popular, respected and looked up upon? Yes hello Kim Deng!! Extremely down to earth? Hello again oppayam, telling us SHCJ: “Shinhwa is not responsible for our lives”!  Oh and he's such a perfectionist, he's never content about his work and always mentions what could have been better (his solo albums, his musical performances, etc.). I do think he's a good advice giver, just keep in mind he'll tell ya straight how it is, without beating around the bush :).

Blue

The color blue usually shows up in the aura's of people with strong and bold personalities. These people are highly intelligent and use their abilities to share thoughts and ideas that can be game changers. They're commonly very charismatic and inspiring, and usually try to be as truthful and upfront as they can be because they value honestly above all else.

I wouldn't have thought about blue when I think of leader-nim, yet the description makes me think of him. Being strong(-willed) and bold, a game changer, charismatic and inspiring, upfront and honest make him an excellent leader! He's humble and reservedly in expressing his opinions, feelings, mind, but when it comes down to it he's sure to make the decision in everyone's best interest. We all know how much of an important role he has played numerous times in keeping Shinhwa together, and to fight for Shinhwa's name. Studying law and winning the law suit, he must be highly intelligent! And yes I do think he values honesty the most. He will never do a (solo) project without discussing it with Shinhwa members first!

Violet

Purple is a very balancing color, and the people with this color in their aura tend to be very visionary and motivated. They try to go against the grain when it comes to society as a whole and they're usually the kind of people that'll make you strike a smile every time you see them. They're passionate, mysterious, beautiful and are the happiest when they are able to be the voice of someone without one.

Lastly but not least we have our baby maknae Andy! Omg yes this is such a beautiful description four our heart-dancer Andy! He has made us and Shinhwa members smile so much, especially during the last comeback (we all still remember that vapp when oppayam was sick and Andy managed to make him laugh for first time!). No wonder he wore that purple outfit on his birthday and he looked so d*rn good in it :D. He is like a balance in Shinhwa, lifting the mood when members are feeling down, but also being serious and reprimanding the members when they are too playful. :) and he can well be mysterious, you never know when Zomdy decides to pop up!

pics are all found on Google Images, or taken by shcj, or media pics. Sometimes credit is still on pic, sometimes it is gone after putting them together (I apologize). Anyways credit to original creators!

[mustardyellowsunshine]

11 Questions

Thanks for the tag, @adorableears7​ and @grapefruitwannabe​! Answers under the cut. 

1. How did you get into fandom? What was your catalyst to finding the tumblr community?

I created my main blog, @eowynwise, back in October 2011 because all my friends were migrating to Tumblr and I didn’t want to be left out. After several years of being on the site, I thought to check the Inuyasha tag and I found a rather thriving little fandom! I was so happy to find this fandom—it was great to see so many other people still loved the series like I did—and I created this sideblog to share my fanfics and indulge in my Inuyasha love.  

2. What’s your favourite part about your favourite fandom? 

I LOVE how creative the Inuyasha fandom is! Like. There’s so much fan content all the time, and so many talented artists and writers and gif creators and just. There’s so much here! It’s inspiring, and being surrounded by other creators feeds into my own creativity. <3 Thanks to all of you guys, you rock my socks off. 

3. If you could spend the day with any fictional character, who would it be and why?

Holy schnike, this is such a hard question. I think I’d most want to spend a day with either Jo March from Little Women, or Anne Shirley from Anne of Green Gables. Both of those characters meant a lot to me as a kid and they still do. They taught me to dream big, work for what I wanted, and not to compromise who I am in the process. They’re two wonderful literary ladies.  

4. What fictional character has had the biggest impact on your life or has inspired you the most?

Oops, I might have just answered this in the previous question. But you know, another character who has had a profound impact on my life is John Ames from the novel Gilead. In many ways he helped me wrestle with and deepen some of my personal convictions, and I think about him often. (Gilead is one of my absolute favorite novels, by the way. Would recommend reading.)  

5. Talk about your favourite book (I KNOW IT’S HARD but if you had to pick one). 

.... I JUST ANSWERED THIS QUESTION TOO. D8 

But my forever-and-ever-favorite book? The Lord of the Rings. (Yes, I’m calling it one book because I’m a cheater and because Tolkien originally envisioned it that way.) I can’t even explain why it means so much to me, considering it’s basically just a fantasy adventure. But it does, and rereading it gives me a lot of comfort, and I’m convinced I will breathe my last breath still declaring my love for Samwise Gamgee. 

6.Do you have any accomplishments or anything in your life you feel the most proud of?

Graduating from college was huge for me, partly because I had to write an original 120-page manuscript as a graduation requirement for my major (creative writing). That manuscript was my baby—I’d never labored and agonized over anything like I did with that. I wasn’t totally satisfied with it by the time I graduated, but I was still really proud of it nonetheless.  

7. Tell us about a project you have going on! Or if you don’t have one, maybe something you’ve always wanted to write or draw?

Uhhhh, well, pretty much all my ongoing fics are my projects. They don’t really need explaining, so.... 

8. How do you feel about AU’s?

Love ‘em! AUs give writers a great opportunity to get creative and explore beloved characters in new and interesting ways. A well-written AU is a treasure. 

9. Do you have any favourite composers or soundtracks?

I love love LOVE The New World soundtrack. I think it’s so beautiful. I also love the soundtrack from The Tale of Princess Kaguya and the Departures soundtrack. Basically if it has pretty piano/cello/violin tracks, I will love it and cherish it forever. 

10. In your opinion, what is the best Disney movie to come out since Disney’s Golden Age?

I refuse to pick one. And in fact, ALL of my favorite Disney movies came after “the golden age.” The Little Mermaid, Aladdin, The Lion King, Mulan, Tarzan, Hercules, Treasure Planet, Tangled... all my favorites, most of which came from the “Disney Renaissance.”  

11. Fangirl about something, really go wild!

SAMWISE GAMGEE IS THE TRUE HERO OF THE LORD OF THE RINGS, OKAY? HE PUT HIS LIFE ON THE LINE NOT FROM A SENSE OF DUTY OR OBLIGATION BUT FROM SELFLESS LOVE FOR HIS BEST FRIEND. HE WAS UNDER NO OBLIGATION TO GO FORWARD, HE COULD HAVE TURNED BACK AT ANY TIME—HE WOULD’VE BEEN SMART TO TURN BACK—BUT HE STUCK WITH HIS FRIEND THROUGH IT ALL. HE RISKED LIFE AND LIMB FOR FRIENDSHIP AND THE HOPE OF DOING HIS SMALL PART, HIS HUMBLE CONTRIBUTION TO A BETTER FUTURE. AND THAT IS LOVE, MY DEARS. THAT IS SELFLESS LOVE. SAMWISE GAMGEE IS PURE AND TRUE AND MUST BE PROTECTED. 

[thotclaws]

A rant that I need to get off my chest. Please don’t take any of this seriously, this is just a ramble that I need to calm myself down..Soooo All of this is just my personal opinion. You may have yours, which is fine. Write down what else do you think about this situation?

So. I’ve been a fan of a small show that has grown into one of the best animated show’s ever...not Steven Universe. NO, Star Wars Rebels.

During it’s first run, it has been known throughout the community as the worst thing to ever happen and no one gave the show a chance for it to shine and it did. It’s now becoming very popular in the SW community. That and the show has gotten good ratings on Disney XD, but also seeing that there are shows that get lower raters due to Disney XD being more for teens but that’s not really the main focus. 

I’ve seen ships and fanfiction throughout the net. I’m glad this it’s gotten the love and attention it deserves but there was a time when it was hated and it still is. I don’t know why but I may have to explain. 

You see. Not everyone is STILL taking the purchase of Lucasfilm too lightly and has gone far as to say that the fandom will forever be tainted. BITCH that’s been happening since the prequels and I know that they’re not good movies, but I still like only a few things to come from it. There’s good things and bad things from everything. Nothing is perfect. So let the prequel lovers love it!

*Clears throat*

I like the show, is it perfect? no of course not. I have my problems with The Clone Wars but that doesn’t mean that its superior over Rebels, not exactly. Rebels and TCW are equally good. I remember watching TCW when it started to become popular and I started getting into the SW fandom during that time. By then I started wanting to watch anything Star Wars related. Even the prequels (even though their mediocre in my eyes but they could be better in script. The script was shit). In my eyes, I liked anything that came out of the fandom. I also remember TCW not being very good during it’s first season run, and now that it’s gone on to have 6 seasons, it’s not good for some odd reason. This is why I still won’t get the fandom and it’s spoiled fans. Once something new has been made with different characters and a different setting. Now here’s where the rant starts and how it just when down hill from there. 

By the time of my graduation in 2014, Disney announced that all of the Expanded Universe material is now considered non canon and rebranded as Legends. The fandom went into flames over this. I couldn’t believe that they would erase most of our beloved stories and characters. Now I understand why they needed to be wiped away. For one thing, there was a shit ton of contradictions and another is giving the freedom to write whatever the fuck they want with the characters, and most of the time, they end up either lame, stupid and or OP AF! Either way, I’m glad that it’s wiped away. Do I want some material or characters to be canon? Of course! I’m not saying every piece of good material should be canon. I’d much rather have it worked into the actual canon. 

I’ve seen many posts bashing Lucasfilm, sending out death threats and it was insane. Who the fuck has the audacity to be a terrible person that has no control over you? I mean seriously. Just chill. Disney is doing a good job of taking care of the canon. They have writers and on lookers in Lucasfilm to make sure that nothing contradicts each other and has the freedom to go all out on what they want. Not what the fandom wants, only time when someone has a petition to get something canon. So the fandom was really in rage. I didn’t understand the commotion cuz I haven’t read any Legends material up until recently. I never understood why so many people hated the fandom or still hate it to this day. All just because Disney wanted to go in a direction that fans weren’t anticipating. I’m glad it’s like that. If you please ALL fans, then there wouldn’t be any imagination left to write. Having an open mind is a good thing, and that what Disney wanted. They wanted to go in their own direction, they wanted to make Rebels and that got hate for no damn reason just because Disney wanted to make another 3D animated show that was like TCW when the only reason why it never got a proper conclusion was the purchase of Lucasfilm. TCW was airing on CN and CN isn’t owned by Disney. If they did decide to remake it and finish it, then I’ll be happy but being patient is the only answer to what the fans want. 

I hate it when a show gives the audience what THEY want, it’s ruining what I love about shows and writing. I love it when creators don’t give a fuck what the audience want. That’s why Game of Thrones has such a massive fanbase is because George R. R. Martin is someone who doesn’t specialize in pleasing everyone. If a show is running out of idea’s, it may be a good time to end it. I love it when creators know that if a fanbase is ruining or doing good (for the most part) job of being a balanced fandom. The only reason why I left the DW fandom was because it wasn’t for me anymore. It gave me what I wanted to see in an adventure in time and space and I still love the show, but the problem is that once you’ve done everything that you wanted. What do you do now? Do you continue and get more money? Or do you end it and say that’s it. That’s the main problem with what I have with this show. Is that once you have all of the idea’s told, that’s it really. 

For Star Wars it’s the same. Legends was good at making planets and giving us good characters and an few excellent stories that were recognized by George Lucas himself. Timothy Zahn is just one of my favorite authors that hasn’t lost touch with who they are. If you look up his interviews. You can tell that he’s just so humble, he just has a lot to say. That’s what I love about a person who’s still continuing their passion. So he’s has a fanbase of his own. That goes the same for the entirety of Legends ALL of it is fan fiction, and some pretty damn good ones if I do say so myself. 

Speaking of which. I think the point I’m trying to make here is that. Once a team is doing something that you don’t personally want. That’s totally ok, but some just had to be a bitch about it. Thrawn is canon, Are you happy that he is? Let me talk about Thrawn for a second. I’m going to be honest, I never knew who he was and what his back story was. I just known him in Legends and passed it off as just a character. Now Mara Jade. I knew who she was. For Thrawn, I didn’t know how his character worked and now that he’s canon. It made me want to look him up. I read about his character in Heir to the Empire and loved it. (I’m still waiting to get Dark Force Rising and it’s taking me a while). Now I’m obsessed with his character. It puts me in the shoes of someone who has grown up with these types of stories and seeing them being wiped away...it made me sad. I understood how the Legends community felt. 

*Wipes away a tear and clears throat again*

Let me talk about Rebels for just one second. I love this show. Does it have problems? yes. Not every show is perfect but for a show for me to love and watch is more different than what I do. I look and criticize what I’m watching. Is it a bit too kid friendly at times? Yes. What did you expect from a TV-Y show? Hehe. Anyways, the show has gotten hate the first time it was announced. When I read the comments on some of the SW’s YouTube videos on Rebels. It breaks my heart to see that they haven’t given it a chance, now when season 2 was announced. They started to see that it had some potential and watched it. I was super surprised that they wanted to watch it. Now that season 3 is here (AND IS ON HIATUS AND IT’S KILLING ME!! ><) Thrawn is announced to be the main antagonist. That’s when the flood gates of the Legends community spilled to the fandom and thanked Lucasfilm for giving us back our blueberry Grand Admiral. I’m happy that he’s canon. He’s the perfect character for our hero’s to go up against. He’s a great antagonist and I can’t wait for the novel to come out. I bet Timothy Zahn is so happy that he get’s to write Thrawn again! :D 

Now this is also where the hypocrisy lies. There have been fans complaining of the lack of “quality content” (which is bullshit) and that Legends is SOOOO much more better than the actual canon and that Rebels is stupid and Oh...Thrawn’s in Rebels? OH SOOOO NOW YOU WANT TO WATCH THE SHOW JUST BECAUSE THRAWN IS IN IT?! WTF? REALLY?! THAT IS A LOAD OF HORSE SHIT! Are people this egotistical or just assholes IDK? But that part pisses me off the most. Some fans clam that Disney is not going to do a good job of holding the mold of the canon and it’s going to get messed up like Legends were, and they don’t take a moment to think of what they just said. Disney is a BEAST of a company, so they’re going to make sure there aren’t anything left out of place. They just don’t have faith in the continuity of Star Wars and it makes me sad beyond belief. 

I thought the show would suck, but I watched it and I love it. I think Rebels has a lot of things that surpasses that of TCW and vice versa. I love Kallus’ character. I thought he was a good villain, now he’s developing as a character and it’s nice to see that the team and Filoni is making a good show and taking care of the characters. If it was a bad show, then they wouldn’t have these explanations that I’ve mentioned above. It would have poor ratings, bad character development, terrible CGI, and awful writing. It would be spread through out the community as a bad as it is, but it isn’t. There are fans flocking to see what happens next, and now that there’s the hiatus...K. You got me there hehehe. They’re just doing some touch up’s and that’s good right? Keep a show running smoothly is to make it better. So even though I don’t mind the hiatus...I’M JUST DYING TO SEE WHAT HAPPENS WITH SABINE! FILONI WAAAAHHHYYYYY!!!?! ;-; 

 fijodfiohhkdf h; ag rhiorg oih4weijeworji.kfrz.kjewg dbjgs dkfesdhkjaegrihk

That’s how I feel about now. I may be cynical, but I’M A CYNICAL FANGIRL! WOOO!! I’m like an old man sometime...heheheh. I’m like old man Rex.

I’m not forcing you to watch the show. I’m asking for those who haven’t gave the show a fucking chance. DO IT NOW before you pull some random bullshit out of your ass. I always have everything to support my opinions. This isn’t really a rant on just Rebels but just the fandoms views on Disney and how they’re being ‘effected’ even though none of them contributed to writing anything good from Legends. Sooo...

Like I said. I’m cynical ;) doesn’t mean I can still enjoy something. 

I think I’m done with this rant. Hope this was enlightening on my opinions on the fandom as a whole. If you want me to rant on anything else. Leave me a reply and I’ll see what I can do. I’m pretty good at rambling. 

[iesorno]

Adam is the writer of the small press comic The Secret Protectors (we reviewed issues 1&2 here and read our interview with them here)

Like many of us, Adam balances a job and writing, looking to grow creatively and get his story out into the world. What appealed to me about The Secret Protectors particularly is that it’s a raw work, finding its voice and style and watching Adam and Ben Nunn (the artist on the series) grow is as much a part of the story as the actual comic.

They’re currently Kickstarting a collected edition of the first 4 issues of the series (you can sign up for the first two issues for free here and you can see art from the series throughout the article!!) You can back it here.

http://kck.st/2CKH9pP

You can find The Secret Protectors here

facebook               instagram                twitter

Over to Adam

Secret Protectors

Can you tell us a bit about the first creator whose work you recognised?

Yeah of course, you know, I don’t think I realised it till I got a lot older, but the first creators who really left a lasting effect on me were Filmation (responsible for He-Man), Eastman & Laird who somehow thought up TMNT, along with Toei animation who created the Transformers cartoon. Perhaps even more important are husband and wife Eric & Julia Lewald, the two main creatives behind the X-Men animated series. That show, I can genuinely say, really taught me a lot and instilled in me morals I hold to this day. It was an absolutely great show! Crazy to credit that to a kids Saturday morning cartoon I know but I don’t think you can overestimate how important our younger years are in defining the adults we’ll grow in to.

  Which creators do you remember first copying?

I remember as a kid playing with my action figures and it was never enough to just have the good guys facing off against the bad guys for the sake of a cool battle. I can vividly remember trying to create the Secret Wars storyline with my figures. Instead of just Marvel characters though I’d have Turtles there as well, along with a bunch of other figures. I remember I couldn’t include Transformers or Thundercats though! They didn’t scale well! It would have been ludicrous to include them too! As for my adult years, I’ve tried to not outright copy anyone of course but at this point I’ve so many influences that play into my storytelling approach.

  Who was the creator that you first thought ‘I’m going to be as good as you!’?

Woah, tough one that! Creatively I’ve always wanted to try and have my own way. As a small press indie guy, I’m not sure its about trying to be better than someone else. I think it’s more about improving your craft, learning from your mistakes and growing as a person to improve your work!

  Which creator or creators do you currently find most inspiring?

There’s so many! If I had to narrow it down, I guess I’d have go with a top 5 format, so:

David Chase – The creator of, in my opinion, the best TV series ever – The Sopranos. It’s been labelled all kinds of superlatives, I’m not sure I can really add anything to the list. I’ve heard it described as an 86hr film, which is probably about right. It just never misses a beat and the storytelling is just so deep and rich. It’s the only series I’ve ever watched over from start to finish more than once. I’ll definitely been watching it a third time at some point in my life!

Spawn 300 by Todd McFarlane

David Simon – The man is responsible for a bunch of incredible TV series, such as The Wire, Show Me a Hero & The Deuce. I’m a pretty unemotional guy but Simon is phenomenal at drawing you in emotionally before then absolutely crushing you. Show Me a Hero in particular left me completely exhausted.

Christopher Nolan – He’s just never made a bad film, in fact, I’d argue literally all his work is top drawer stuff. Not only does he tell original, amazing stories, he does it in a way that is normally a way you’ve never been shown a story before.

Todd McFarlane – When Todd left Marvel and started up Image, he, along with the other founders of Image changed the industry forever. In Spawn, he has the longest running independent comic of all time and on a personal note, anytime I see an interview with him he just seems so humble and grounded. He worked his absolute arse off to get where he is and to improve himself. He’s gone from aspiring, struggling artist to a one-man empire! He makes comics, films and toys! The man must never sleep!

Chris Claremont – The man wrote X-Men for 25 years! The longevity and quality of his work is pretty much unparalleled. To quote the great late Stan Lee ‘Nuff said’.

There’s plenty more but this is a pretty good representation.

  Which creators do you most often think about?

I actually try not to really! I’d end up depressing myself by comparing myself to someone on top of the, figurative, mountain that I’d love to ascend! I kid, of course! That’s a tough one. I try to focus on being better personally. Just keeping my head down and doing ‘me’.

  Can you name the first three creative peers that come into your head and tell a little bit about why?

Sure, first up! Matt Stapleton – The mind behind What If? Stories. He’s such a great guy! He’s one of those people whose enthusiasm is just unrelenting! Some might find that jarring but it’s honestly infectious! In a good way! He’s so positive when taking on a challenge, like his recent Kickstarter for instance, he smashes it! If you’ve got a dream and want to make it happen, surround yourself with individuals like Matt. People who dream and believe!

Ben Nunn – 2000AD submission from sample script

Ben Nunn – The second half of The Secret Protectors duo. Ben’s great! We’ve been working together now on The Secret Protectors since 2017. We’ve both developed a lot since then but Ben’s improvement is remarkable. He’s never happy with his work and he’s constantly looking to do better. If I let him, he’d probably completely redo issue 1! Hahaha!

  Lastly. My wife! Kate Wheeler. Now, she’s not a typical creative. She is an actress but she’s not currently working. She had to get a real job to pay the bills unfortunately. But she is my muse. She’s the only reason I developed the belief needed to go out there and get my comic made in the first place! She is my number one confidant, partner, friend and consigliere! The Silvio to my Tony Soprano so to speak.

  Finally, can you tell us a bit about your recent work and yourself?

I’d love to shamelessly plug my Kickstarter which is Live right now! It’s for my comic book series The Secret Protectors! It’s Ben and mine’s take on the superhero genre. There’s sci-fi and fantasy aplenty but it’s more about the drama and tension between the characters themselves! It’s the story I feel I’m here to tell, essentially. There’s not a day that passes that I don’t think about it in some way, shape or form! It’s definitely my burden to carry! My curse!

(editor’s note — It’s here – remember!)

Merchandise available from their Kickstarter

I also recently wrote the short story ‘The Ville’ – download The ‘Ville – By Adam Wheeler. Completely different to anything comic related. To be honest, I just wanted to challenge myself to make something up new. Something that was a complete departure. Just to prove that I could, more than anything.

As for me, I’m Adam Wheeler a 35-year-old male. I’ve been creating & crafting stories since I can remember, not that anyone ever asked me too. I’m not so interesting. I’m just a working-class guy with aspirations. Cliché I know but it’s the best backstory I could come up with for myself.

  Thank you very much for taking the time to fill this out and let us into your mind.

all art copyright and trademark it’s respective owners.

content copyright iestyn pettigrew 2020

    Small (press) oaks – Adam Wheeler writer of The Secret Protectors talks influences and there a lot of 80's and 90's animation thrown about! Follow here @T_S_Protectors #comics #superheros #diversity #alternatereality Adam is the writer of the small press comic The Secret Protectors (we reviewed issues 1&2…

[sultanamalik]

Hey Blogbees,

So I am in two minds about writing this blog, as its my journey and I don’t need to explain to anyone…and maybe writing it may come across as ignorant and arrogant but in reality this is how I got to were I am today. And its my diary.

I remember in November a family member was critising a friend of mine for not wearing a hijab after Umrah. I knew then, this was culture talking as wearing your Hijab isn’t ONLY cause you went to Umrah. You choose to wear a Hijab (Scarf over your hair), what your intentions are and what you feel is right for you and your head space. Its more sinful going backwards then not going forwards at all. The sheik from our Umrah suggested to ease into it becoming a better muslim and don’t go full on. Ie wear a hijab, wear an abaya full time (No jeans or leggings anymore), learn all your surah’s by heart, learn tajweed, stop listening to music, stop associating with men. Stop you girly chat with the girls…start preaching and talking about Islam You will crash and you will be resentful, as its not natural progression. So do each step at a time…

So if you choose to wear the hijab and decide going forward I will only wear loose clothing and no longer leggings. BUT then go back to not wearing a hijab and leggings then its more disrespectful to our creator as, it is seen as you are mocking and taking your religion as joke. BUT if you decide your not ready to wear a hijab and you know what your intentions are then its less sinful as you’ve not given an ‘oath’.

In honestly my intentions was not to go to umrah and comeback to wear a hijab. It was to cleanse and repent. At the time I wasn’t ‘ready’ to cover my hair and change my dress sense. That’s how I use to view the Hijab.

I researched the Hijab and what it actually says in the Quran. I started to read my prayers 5x a day…and meant if I showed my hair between prayers (If I didn’t need the toilet) the wudu would go. So wearing the Hijab meant my Wudu would be kept. I read, unfortunately men can’t control their lust and desires, as woman we can try and create a barrier ie the Hijab. I loved big volume Kardashian hair, So I realised that I was sinning cause I was getting the wrong attention from the opposite sex. Cause I was showing off my beauty to the world, men didn’t lower their gaze (as they are told too in the Quran). I started to feel guilty cause of my appearance and cause of my outfit choice men were sinning….my opinion of women wearing the hijab is to conceal your beauty (to Keep for your partner). Wearing the Hijab means to me, is to draw away attention, by wearing a plain scarf to keep your hair hidden from your non mahram (Men you can’t marry ie father, father-in-law, son, nephew, maternal uncle). Not by wearing flamboyant scarfs and fancy designs which draws attention but to conceal/ humble yourself. Hijab means to me, is wearing clothing that looks modest. Ie not figure hugging body-con dresses or see-through skin revealing clothes. It means to me a way covering your beauty, making you more modest and makes you double think your actions. Ie swearing or my wudu would break lol.

Before I even wore the hijab I was practising, more than people around me that wore the hijab. Hijab doesn’t make you more ‘religious’ than someone that doesn’t wear a hijab. By wearing the Hijab doesn’t mean they are a better person than someone that doesn’t wear a hijab. Its all about your intentions and your relation with our creator. Your imaan and you might be a better/kinder person than someone that wears a hijab.

Alhumdulliah I started wearing my Hijab early March, as I felt I was ready. I also stopped threading my brows and to this day I have not touched (Which is incredible for me!!)

“Plucking of women’s eyebrows is not permissible. That’s because the Messenger of Allaah (sal Allaahu Alaiyhi wa sallam) cursed the one who does it. It is haraam and is not permitted.” The evidence: 1) Removing or plucking the eyebrows implies changing the creation of Allaah, as Allaah tells us that the Shaytaan said:

“…..and indeed I will order them to change the nature created by Allaah.” [al-Nisa:119]

I am still learning and changing…This is why when I first put on the hijab I never covered my full hair. I’d rather go forward than backwards (as explained above).

Even though I don’t owe anyone an explanation as only my creator can judge me or know my true intentions (Talking to trolls) Some people see my instagram and see I covered my full hair and get shocked when I have my fringe out. But infact my every day-to-day life I dont fully cover my hair. The images that I have fully covered is because of the PR packages I get OR because events I attend and cause of convenience (As wearing a under cap under the hijab my scarf doesn’t slip back as I’m at an event for a long day). I also always show throwback (Which include my hair) because, it is impossible to remove any traces of my old pictures on the internet. I have been blogging for over 7/8 years so all my old content, vlogs and collaborations are public and on platforms I do not own. Second reason is I love memories and have the best old photos. Like suggested in my previous post, I found my imaan because of my past. and cause of that I am proud of my past. so Yes I do show old images but again that’s between me and my lord.

I am not here to preach or judge but explaining my hijab story and why I choose to wear it. For convenience purposes ie Keeping my Wudu, to be a ‘hijab’ to create a barrier from the opposite sex so they may lower their gaze, to humble myself by being modest about beauty and to keep my beauty for my husband only. And to show the world I am a proud ‘practicing’ Muslim woman. This is my journey and alhumduliallah with the strength from Allah SWT I feel this comfort and peace I have never felt in my life.

Disclosure: These options and thoughts are mine. I do apologies if this may offend anyone as that is not my intentions. I am sorry if some of the text might not be accurate but this is my interpretation.

This video really made me think about what the Hijab is: What does the Quran really say about a Muslim woman’s hijab? | Samina Alis https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_J5bDhMP9lQ

InshaAllah speak soon!

Sultana ❤

My Hijab story Hey Blogbees, So I am in two minds about writing this blog, as its my journey and I don't need to explain to anyone...and maybe writing it may come across as ignorant and arrogant but in reality this is how I got to were I am today.

[imratan19]

The Key to ‘Perpetual’ Happiness

Stress is an integral part of life. Invitation to unwanted stress is a choice which most of us inadvertently make resulting in the loss of both mental peace and physical harmony.

Also, happiness is a choice and it is in our power to be happy in the adverse circumstances. But developing this power is quite a chore which can only be accomplished with regular practice.

No, you need not shift your base to the Himalayas and meditate your good self off in the freezing temperatures to get a taste of happiness. This practice may or may not lead you to experience happiness but you are most likely to contract pneumonia.

Humour aside, I too am a seeker of perpetual happiness and a humble practitioner of the art. I’ve affected a few changes in my lifestyle to dictate my behaviour. I’ve listed them below in a ten-pointer note for your convenience. You may customize it to suit your needs.

Seek your spiritual side: Well, this is not as difficult as it sounds. On the contrary, what you need to do is to simply understand the text of the religion you follow and try to emulate it in life. All religions guide an individual to remember her creator and seek wisdom and solace by chanting His name and singing His praises day in and day out. If you are an atheist, then spend a few minutes everyday in meditation focusing on an object of your choice. Seeking your spiritual side will make you feel stronger in the mind and more at peace with yourself. You’ll also learn during the course of your practice that Shakespeare’s quote that the world is a stage and we are but mere actors is actually true. Meaning that we are creatures of God’s will and our whole life is a stage-play under His direction. The understanding of this analogy will not only allow you to easily let-go, but also help you in accepting your current state of affairs by submitting to His will.

Don’t let the external variables rule you: Suppose you are working very hard for your promotion and during the appraisal you find your colleague, who has put lesser or no effort at all, ruling the roost. What do you do? Give a piece of your mind to your Boss or speak ill of your colleague to everyone? Go ahead if you like to embrace stress and make yourself miserable. So how do you cope with this situation? First, accept the fact that your promotion is not directly proportional to your hard work. It also depends on some external variables such as the opinion of your Boss about you or of your Boss’ Boss or your client’s etc. Unfortunately you cannot control the external variables but what you can control is the amount of sweat you put into the task at hand. Once the task is accomplished just bask in the sunshine (read glory) of achievement. Trust me this will alleviate your pain of missing out on the promotion. Well, if you are still sulking then change either your Boss or your job.

Seek pleasure in little accomplishments: Forget your day job; have you ever tried doing simple tasks such as removing cobweb from the walls of your home or cleaning you car or vacuuming the floor or walking thirty minutes daily or cooking for your family? Well accomplishing them won’t compliment your bank balance but would definitely boost your morale and induce happiness by introducing a sense of accomplishment in you. Try it!

Don’t procrastinate: Procrastination leads to panic when deadlines are nearer thereby inducing stress. A bit of downtime is acceptable between the end of one task and the beginning of another for rejuvenation. But when this downtime widens stress starts building up. Procrastination may be avoided by identifying its reason and then eliminating it.

Take up a hobby: Most of us are not lucky enough to translate a hobby into our day job. A hobby is a diversion from day to day life. Something which creates a personal sanctuary where you can shut the world out and in the process broaden your physical and mental outlook. Explore hobbies such as pottery, gardening, philately, reading, writing, music etc and settle for the one that interests you the most. Remember this: you’ll initially ‘suck’ at whatever you do. Don’t stop, just keep practicing your craft. Eventually you will develop skills to beat even a professional. Also if you hate your job, a hobby will give you a reason to look forward to another day in anticipation.

Exercise: It has been scientifically proven that exercise boosts ‘happy hormones’. It is not only good for your heart but also for your overall mental well-being. I consider brisk walking for at least 30 minutes a day (depending on your health) as the most elementary and potent form of exercise. It bears results in no time and will leave you rejuvenated.

Don’t let anyone trample your ego: All said and done, don’t let people hurt you without a reason. The more you avoid conflict, the more your mind keeps returning to it and making you feel guilty of inaction. Just talk! Talking is the best way to understand and eliminate the point of contention. If talking does not help, then seek superior intervention. Losing one’s temper in precarious situations only worsens the matter. In other words don’t avoid conflict, just resolve it amicably. Allow the nature to take its course.

Don’t be in a hurry: I see people drive past me at maniacal speeds all the time. I wonder at their ignorance of letting an opportunity to appreciate nature and spend a few moments with themselves slip by. Being in hurry is need based, not a necessity. Try making it to an appointment, say, fifteen minutes earlier. This way you’ll have all the time in the world to relax, order a drink and recapitulate salient points before the commencement of the meeting. Slow and steady definitely wins the race (without any casualty).

Watch your diet: High calorie diet may lead to acidity and obesity. Need I write more on the relationship between good diet and happiness?

Help others and nurture happiness: Well, the very foundation of this note is the first and this last point. Our spiritual health not only depends on pleasing God in person but also helping his creations in some way or the other. If you see a limping dog the across the street take him to a veterinarian, give an undernourished kitten a bowl of milk or plant a sapling once or twice a year.

These good deeds will go a long way in liberating your soul from the shackles of falsehood that bind us. You will experience the fullness of the mind thus experiencing perpetual happiness.

Each one of us has her or his own way of dealing with stress. The idea is to minimize its impact on the body and mind. If you embrace this ten-point note and practice it regularly, you shall be reaping its benefits in no time. Also remember that no one could ever run a marathon straight from the couch in a day.

[symbianosgames]

Video Game Deep Cuts: Hitman vs. Edith Finch - Go!

The following blog post, unless otherwise noted, was written by a member of Gamasutra’s community. The thoughts and opinions expressed are those of the writer and not Gamasutra or its parent company.

[Video Game Deep Cuts is a weekly newsletter from curator/video game industry veteran Simon Carless, rounding up the best longread & standout articles & videos about games, every weekend. This week's highlights include Hitman level design, What Remains of Edith Finch, and much, much more.

As I battle jetlag after my return from Asia to a sunny California spring, I've been thinking a lot this week about discoverability for games again. Shouldn't there be more niche game subscription services out there for those looking to support underappreciated/'different' titles? I love Humble Monthly, but some of the more mainstream subscribers seem to get grumpy about the quirkier indie titles in it at times - much like PS4 players litter indie YouTube trailer comments with fist-shaking.

And how about adding context to the games in a subscription with dev interview videos, 'Let's Play'-style playthoughs, or even analysis videos? Would any of you sign up for something like this? Curious...

- Simon, curator.]

-------------------

Passing Through Ghosts in Pac-Man (John Harris / Gamasutra Blogs) "This is an excerpt from my book Bug Voyage: A Tour of Classic Game Glitches, available in the current Rogue Souls Storybundle [SIMON'S NOTE: which I curated!]. The book also contains information on pseudorandom number generation, doing low-level math in binary and decimal, and how you can crash any Galaga machine without even putting money in."

Writing Indie Games Is Like Being a Musician. In the Bad Way. (Jeff Vogel / The Bottom Feeder) "Over the last couple years, I've gotten a fair amount of attention for my articles about the Indie Bubble and the Indie Glut.  (And even a GDC talk.) At last, I can complete the trilogy of articles. Now we can look around and see where we've ended up, a phase which I suspect will be permanent. [SIMON'S NOTE: Please read this.]"

Legendary Game Maker Peter Molyneux Talks Regrets and What's Next (Chris Suellentrop / Glixel) "That enthusiasm for the unknown is the hallmark of 57-year-old Molyneux's long career. He stopped by the Glixel offices in March to talk – barely – about his next game, Legacy, as well as to speak at length about everything from No Man's Sky and Pokémon Go to his aborted Kinect experiment, Milo."

toco toco ep.49, Yoko Taro, Game Creator (toco toco TV / YouTube) "In this episode, we spend the day in Osaka with Yoko Taro, director of the famous Drakengard and NieR series. Our first stop will be at PlatinumGames, the studio that was in charge of developing Yoko’s most recent title: NieR: Automata."

How Hitman’s Hokkaido level was made (Alex Wiltshire / RockPaperShotgun) "The latest Hitman['s]... levels are a jetset tour of places you believe could exist, but these aren’t just credible environments, they’re also machines for killing in. And the first season of Hitman closed with one of its best. Hokkaido is at once compact and expansive, melodramatic and credible, and I talked to IO about how it was designed."

Game Over, Uwe Boll (Darryn King / Vanity Fair) "The man known as the world’s worst director is now retired and running a Vancouver restaurant. But he’s still not done waiting for the world to give him his due. [SIMON'S NOTE: you really should read this one, if only for Boll's random Chris Kohler diss, haha.]"

Inside the Resilient ‘Team Fortress 2’ Community on the PlayStation 3 (Aron Garst / Motherboard) "To say that PS3 players got a raw deal is one hell of an understatement. But they've managed, and made friends along the way."

THOTH, And How I Talk About Games (Errant Signal / YouTube) "Just a little thing I made at the end of last month while fighting off some sickness. [SIMON'S NOTE: an interesting - if a bit self-doubt-y - meta-analysis from one of the better YouTube game analysis folks on how you should approach mechanics-led games in terms of commentary.]"

Valve has cut Dota 2 royalties, and workshop creators are crying foul (Arthur Gies / Polygon) "There’s unrest in Dota 2’s community this week, as several artists responsible for many of the free-to-play game’s popular cosmetic items allege that Steam owner and Dota 2 developer Valve Software has systematically reduced their earnings and may be permanently damaging the long-term viability of Dota 2’s business model."

Magic: The Gathering's Head Designer Has A Damn Hard Job (JR Goldberg / Kotaku) "“Magic is secretly, not really … it’s not one game,” head Magic: The Gathering designer Mark Rosewater told me. “It is actually a bunch of different games that all have a shared rule system. Every time I make a card set, I’m making the game for everybody, but for each person, it’s a different game to them.”"

Roam free: A history of open-world gaming (Richard Moss / Ars Technica) "Open-world video games bear the impossible promise—offering compelling, enjoyable open-endedness and freedom within the constraints of what is, by necessity of the medium, an extremely limited set of possible actions. These games provide a list of (predominantly violent) verbs that's minuscule in comparison to the options you would face in identical real-life situations. Yet, we can't get enough of them."

Tom Clancy's Inherent Silliness: Why Ghost Recon Wildlands Couldn't Escape Its Fate (Cameron Kunzelman / Paste) "Ghost Recon Wildlands is a silly game. One might be tempted to think that it’s an intentionally silly game bordering on satire. I mean, after all, it’s almost a parody of games in its genre: it’s a third-person shooter game where four operatives, a handler, and some almost-Communist rebels take on and fully dismantle the infrastructure of a country that’s been fully taken over by a drug cartel."

The Game Beat Weekly: The pressure to stay in line (Kyle Orland / TinyLetter) "These apologetic quotes both get at a truth that's rarely explicitly acknowledged in the world of game criticism: being out of step with the critical or fan consensus on a big-name game or franchise is often not an easy thing to do. At best, having a contrary opinion about a big game these days means being subject to a huge stream of nasty comments, tweets, and e-mails about your view."

The Last Game I Make Before I Die: The Crashlands Postmortem (Sam Coster / GDC / YouTube) "Crashlands was developed by a team of three brothers in response to one of them being diagnosed with late stage cancer. In this 2017 session, Butterscotch Shenanigans' Samuel Coster tells the parallel stories of one family's battle with cancer and the creation of a cross-platform crafting RPG, and find yourself inspired to continue your great work no matter what life throws at you."

The Growing Indie Game Development Scene of South Africa (Lena LeRay / IndieGames.com) "South Africa's video game development scene has been through a lot of ups and downs since it got started in the mid-90s. The indie scene in particular got its first big break in 2010, with the entry of Desktop Dungeons on the world stage."

Destiny's meta shifts are fascinating (Cole Tomashot / Zam) "A meta shift is usually the result of a content release, player discovery, or patch. What makes these meta shifts interesting, is that while they are occurring a push and pull relationship between developers and players reveals itself as both parties play a role in a game’s meta."

Meeting Andrzej Sapkowski, the writer who created The Witcher (Robert Purchese / Eurogamer) "Andrzej Sapkowski has something of a reputation. To start with, he's a big deal. He invented Geralt, witchers, Triss, Ciri, the whole thing - it all came out of his head. He has won awards and his work is revered, especially in Poland. More than once I've heard him described as the Polish Tolkien. But I've also heard he can be difficult - and I'm on my way to meet him."

The sound of SID: 35 years of chiptune’s influence on electronic music (James Newman / The Conversation) "Fortunately, Yannes did know something about music, as well as semiconductors and designing chips. And so in 1981 he began work on what would arguably become the most important milestone in videogame music and one whose influence still resonates to this day: the MOS Technology 6581, also known as the Sound Interface Device, but much better known as the SID. [SIMON'S NOTE: quite a few game soundtracks analyzed in this neat piece!]"

Balancing Cards in Clash Royale (Stefan Engblom / GDC / YouTube) "In this 2017 GDC session, Stefan Engblom, game designer on the Clash Royale team, talks about the philosophies and principles used for balancing cards and gameplay in Supercell's Clash Royale."

The Ten Most Important Early Computer and Video Games (Jaz Rignall / USGamer) "Today's gaming industry is a massive, multibillion dollar entertainment juggernaut. But what are its roots? I thought I'd take a trip back to the very dawn of gaming history and take a look at the devices, inventions, and innovations that gave rise to our favorite pastime."

Mike Tyson's Punch Out NES Nintendo 30th Anniversary (Gajillionaire / YouTube) "30 years ago on March 31, 1987, Little Mac defeated the Super Macho Man for the W.V.B.A. World Heavyweight Title. We look back with YouTube personalities from all over and remember back to that epic night. Then, sit back and watch the original “broadcast” of the classic Championship title fight!"

Three reasons streaming is replacing the Let’s Play industry (Michael Sawyer / Polygon) "YouTube personalities recording themselves playing games is big business, and it seems to be the dominant way for gaming influencers to make money on the platform. The art form is known as “Let’s Play,” although that term doesn’t have much in the way of a set definition. But why does it seem like so many personalities on YouTube are moving to livestreams?"

Jonathan Coulton - All This Time (Official Video) (Jonathan Coulton / YouTube) "From his new album Solid State, out April 28. The album has a companion graphic novel written by Matt Fraction and drawn by Albert Monteys. It's a science fiction story about the internet, the future, artificial intelligence, and how probably only love will save us. [SIMON'S NOTE: this song is wonderful, but the music video is what permits its inclusion in this roundup, heh.]"

Why Video Game Guns 'Feel Good' (Emmanuel Maiberg / Motherboard) "Six out of the top 10 bestselling video games in February heavily featured guns and shooting. The same was true in January and all of 2016. Like it or hate it, video games and guns have gone hand-in-hand for decades and there's no reason to assume that this will change in the near future. [SIMON'S NOTE: part of a series - also see Veteran Developers Remember the Weirdest Guns in Gaming, heh.]"

The sublime horror of the unknown: Ian Dallas and What Remains of Edith Finch (Kris Ligman / Zam) "Director Ian Dallas, as it turns out, was more than willing to discuss the artistic and literary influences behind What Remains of Edith Finch with me -- as well as chat about a few paths the game did not end up going down."

The Game Archaeologist: How DIKUMUD Shaped Modern MMOs (Justin Olivetti / Massively Overpowered) "Even though there are hundreds and thousands of MMOs spanning several decades, only a small handful were so incredibly influential that they changed the course of development for games from then on out. DikuMUD is one of these games, and it is responsible for more of what you experience in your current MMOs than you even know."

The art and joy of video game photography (Simon Parkin / Eurogamer) "Now, when facing up against a Hyrulian monstrosity, my first thought is not, 'Which sword should I use', but rather, 'To which spot should I lure the beast to make the best use of the light?' In 2017, in my game at least, more Links have died taking compendium shots than in encounters with sharks (and not only because the sharks in Hyrule are talkative, handsome and kind)."

Classic Game Postmortem: Maniac Mansion (Ron Gilbert / GDC / YouTube) "In this 2011 Classic Game Postmortem, Maniac Mansion developer Ron Gilbert revisits the classic adventure game and recounts tales from the game's development process. "

Strange Beasts, a sci-fi short about an augmented reality game (Jason Kottke / Magali Barbé / Kottke.org) "Magali Barbé wrote and directed this short sci-fi video about an imaginary augmented reality game called Strange Beasts. It starts off with a “hey, yeah, cool, augemented reality games are going to be fun to play” vibe but gradually veers down the same dystopian path as a lot of augmented reality fictions (like Keiichi Matsuda’s Hyper-Reality)."

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[REMINDER: you can sign up to receive this newsletter every weekend at http://ift.tt/2dUXrva we crosspost to Gamasutra later on Sunday, but get it first via newsletter! Story tips and comments can be emailed to vgdeepcuts@simoncarless.com. MINI-DISCLOSURE: Simon is one of the organizers of GDC and Gamasutra, so you may sometimes see links from those entities in his picks. Or not!]