#also this was inspired when I was rereading Maze Runner

[star--anon]

Minho's ears turn red when he's embarrassed or flustered. Or just when too many people look at him.

He likes to flaunt this boyish, carefree, cocky personality, but his ears never lie.

Everyone collectively agreed not to tell him. Minho could never understand why sometimes, during an argument or a Meeting, the Gladers would smirk and giggle.

It was the longest kept secret throughout the Glade, only getting out when Alby told him to "shut up and stop acting like you're so confident when your ears are redder than the roses Zart grows" during a Keeper Meeting

For a brief time, Minho actually grew his hair out just to cover his ears. But it kept getting in his eyes when he ran, so he eventually cut it and went back to his usual style.

Newt calls his ears his tail - same way a dog tail wags when it's excited, his ears go bright red when more than 3 people look at him

It went on like that until one day, during a meeting, Newt (Alby was busy chasing down a cow with Winston and Newt was his stand-in) told Minho to, "Shut up, you shuck puppy."

They got in a bit of a fistfight, and Minho landed a solid punch to Newt's shoulder, but by that point it was too late.

Puppy became the only thing Gladers would call Minho for about two weeks (until Minho punched someone square in the face for it). It's still the only thing you can say to Minho where he won't have anything smart or snarky to quip back with. His ears just go red and he looks away.

(Newt teaches it to Thomas once they get to Safe Haven)

[randomfandomimagine]

I was tagged by @sheimagineddragons, thank you, angel!

Name: Trish

Fandoms: So many, most of them are listed here. I think my biggest fandoms are The Witcher, Marvel, DC, Lord of the Rings and Final Fantasy.

Two-shots?: It’s been a while since I last wrote oneshots, but I’ve written a few two parters even if it was mostly because they were too long for just one part. One of them is The Ballad of Y/N (Jaskier, The Witcher) and the other is Don’t Hate You That Much (Steve Harrington, Stranger Things).

Most popular multi-chapter: I have few multichaptered series, and without counting the Maze Runner one (since I no longer write for that fandom), I think it’s Soul of a Warrior!

Actual worst part of writing: Finding the right words, or basically having writer’s block, when you want to write and have time and motivation but your brain just isn’t cooperating.

How you choose your titles: Sometimes it’s song lyrics or titles, other times it’s just a phrase from the text or just something that summarizes it or nicely ties everything together if I’m inspired enough.

Do you outline: Only for series or longer stuff like ficlets, for shorter stuff I usually just improvise.

Ideas I probably won’t get around to, but wouldn’t it be nice?: Again, a lot of stuff for series. I have many project in mind, listed in this post, as well as some others that are still too early in the thinking process to even address.

Callouts @ me: Trish, just stop thinking twice and second guessing yourself, your writing is good, it’s one of the things you’re actually good at. 

Spicy tangential opinion: Since I’m rereading Harry Potter, here are some thoughts that may or may not be controversial: Dumbledore isn’t as great as we initially thought, and Snape hasn’t been reedemed in my eyes.

Best writing traits: I’m a fluff master, and I also like how I write descriptions and dialogues sometimes.

Tagging: Anyone who feels like doing it!

[stay4stray]

Map for Broken Compass and the Stray Kids Timeline

Recently, Stray Kids have been displaying a lot of performances with literary and/or cinematic themes - often 2 in one (Dead Poet’s society, Game of Thrones).  In the Intro to Levanter video, Chan mentioned inspiration from a book and also a poem, and of course we have the Road Not Taken, referencing Frost’s poem (oh and of course Kung Fu Panda!).  I think these are hints for us, that their MVs have similar allusions - namely, they allude quite a bit to Maze Runner.  After realizing this I did some more research and found that someone else had reached this conclusion long before I did, so watch their video here!  This really makes me want to reread the whole Maze Runner series ‘cause it’s been a while but that’s irrelevant.  Obviously I’m slow catching onto this so I’m not really gonna argue for this as its argument is already established, lucky me!  But understanding this allusion does help with how I’ve come to understand the SKZ storyline through the Map for Broken Compass that was recently released.

The main connections to Maze Runner that I’m concerned with:

dystopia

man vs. society; themes of manipulation

the plot set up as a series of trials, hidden one illusion inside of another (maaaaAAtryoshka? 👀 I kid I think)

the very beginning of the Maze Runner movie has extremely strong parallels to the Hellevator MV)

Note: This isn’t to say that the SKZ storyline is the same as Maze Runner!  It very obviously isn’t, in my opinion.  The villains seem completely different and the overall conflict is likely different (in MR if I remember correctly the overall issue was that the world had suffered from solar flares so it ended up being an environmental conflict?).  I don’t know what the overall conflict of the SKZ storyline is just yet but from Miroh they seem to be setting up a rich vs. poor conflict... Though that might not be the overall issue, just like how MR has multiple layers.

But I’m getting ahead of myself.  Let’s go back to the Map.  At 3 am two nights ago, I made a super chaotic post about how I think it’s meant to be read, so check that out for details if need be but the main idea is that the motifs from different MVs and the way they reappear in different eras and places on the map is how we can find our chronology.

So in the map image above I’ve labeled various things.  The numbers are the motifs, in no real order, but vaguely in order of their visual placement on the map.  Some have letters, a and b, which are when motifs repeat on the map.  The circles draw attention to some things that I think are likely important but am personally still very confused about.  And then I’ve added some translated lyrics that I think are important to the storyline.

I don’t think Hellevator is the start of the timeline.  I think, like MR, it’s the start of the timeline the boys’ remember.  At that point, I think they’ve already entered their first “trial” or “illusion” - that being, they’ve been given a place to live “happily,” but they’re isolated from anyone except themselves.  The reason they haven’t left is because their way out is labeled Hellevator - in other words, they’re convinced to stay through a combination of contentedness and fear.  However, when they eventually leave, they end up in a field of flowers, which doesn’t exactly scream “Hell,” does it?

In my opinion, My Pace and I am YOU are directly connected and in that order - they almost have to be, based on the MVs, I think.  I believe My Pace is the start of the timeline as we know it - I think it is where the conflict between the boys and society starts, as the boys decide to do their own thing, go their own speed.  This is further confirmed when Jisung takes down the camera in I am YOU, which may be the significance fo the broken camera that I’ve circled in red on the map - even though it’s by the My Pace tunnel, it’s not actually broken until I am YOU!

Similarly, Miroh seems to lead to Side Effects/Yellow Wood based on the MVs.  What’s confusing is there’s a possibility that Side Effects actually happened more than once - that the part where the kids get on the bus did actually happen, but somehow they eventually ended up at the same crossroads and took the other path.  On the map, the elevator connects the two of them, which leads me to believe that Hellevator leads directly to I am NOT/District 9.  

Based on motifs, namely the shopping cart and the couch (both of which are in both IAY and the Hellevator MVs btw), Hellevator is up next.  Notably, the Hellevator motifs are placed near the District 9 bus, so we could reasonably say that I am NOT comes next, based on that as well as the elevator.  I mentioned before that their hideout in Hellevator is a place meant to make them complacent, which is supported by the fact that some of their things, the shopping cart and the couch, were taken from their initial I am YOU hideout.  It reminds me of when you move a pet from one place to another and keep their toys with them so that the new place still feels like home.

Based on the 1.5 moon motif, though, Yellow Wood is up next!  Either that, or Yellow Wood came before I am YOU, which I don’t think is the case.  My thought is, Side Effects represents choosing to blend with society or choosing to rebel, so perhaps at one point they chose to go with society, but they eventually realized they were unable to fit in and rebelled, ending up at Hellevator in the end either way.  That’s also why I think the I am NOT part of the map has the Side Effects drone - it’s another point at which they had to make that choice between society and freedom.

From Hellevator, as I’ve mentioned, we go to I am NOT, video-wise this means the I am NOT trailer and the District 9 MV.  From there, we have the bottle of flowers and the field of purple flowers from Hellevator replicated near Levanter... which we can’t say too much about until tomorrow!  But it should lead to Miroh based on the eagle motif and the walkie talkie motif there-- which, people have probably said this already, but the eagle itself likely represents SKZ while the lion represents society (think Young Wings for the eagle and for the lion, it’s attached to things like the City Jungle and the bus driven by the Miroh dude so that checks out imo for more than one reason).  My suspicion is that the use of so many previous motifs in Astronaut represents Hyunjin getting lost and having to remember the way back to where the rest of the group is... This could mean literally having lost his memory or it could be a more figurative form of losing his way.

Anyway, from Miroh we end up at Yellow Wood, based on the elevator on the map as well as the MVs, and this time it’s more literal than the previous encounters with YW - this time they chose a path and throw away the key, never looking back.  They won’t go back to Yellow Wood again because they’ve made their final decision to truly rebel, there’s no going back (which I think may be why Hyunjin was so stressed in SE).

We find ourselves once again at the Levanter part of the map, with the eagle representing running from Miroh’s City Jungle.  And that’s pretty much all I’ve got, at least until tomorrow!

I will say that I think it’s possible that SKZ infiltrates society a few times before fully rebelling, in order to free more people like themselves and build up their forces.  I think something similar happened in Maze Runner as well.  A part of me wonders if SKZ plays themselves, but also other like them in a sort of metaphorical way (if that makes sense?).

It’s also possible that someone else helped them escape from District 9 - the drone that broke in that Chan found, for example.  Where did it come from?  It could have been their past selves, who anticipated their being stuck with wiped memories!  It could also have been other “stray kids” who’ve already escaped.  Maybe it’s I.N’s “twin?”

Okay yeah I think I’m really going off the rails here so I’m gonna wrap up really quick with one final section here!

Things I don’t know what to do with:

keys - my suspicion is that they are part of yet another illusion set up by society (meaning, society wants them to think that the keys will help them escape but it’s all just another trick/trial), and that’s why SKZ has discarded some of them - for example, taking down Miroh will probably not grant full freedom, because freedom is outside of the map, so maybe they discarded the key to return there.

marbles - I’m guessing they have to do with memories somehow but thus far they have only showed up in Astronaut so it’s really hard to see patterns with these just yet.

elevators - I mentioned that they might show direct connections between MVs, but I’m very uncertain about this, actually.

“ghost” I.N who stayed behind in Astronaut - though I will note that he seemed to have a clone or a twin or something in District 9 so that could explain how one I.N went with SKZ and another stayed behind?

[editingmadness]

Ranking Y/A Series in Order of How Much I Love the Writing (Part 1)

(This ranking is just in my opinion and in terms of young writers gaining inspiration! I love all of these series and believe all of the authors are talented people. This is just to rank how much the writing stands out as so much more than just a dynamic story.)

10. Twilight - Yeah... this is the only series I on this list that I actually don’t like. There’s nothing inherently wrong with it, and I actually have no problem with the romance/angst aspect, the writing just doesn’t do it for me. The books are filled with cliches, repetition, questionable messages, and some honestly disturbing imagery. It’s a fun series if you’re into that sort of thing but I just can’t get on board. 

9. Divergent - I LOVE the divergent series. I know the trilogy gets a lot of shade for being so similar to the Hunger Games, but I honestly don’t see it. When you look at the grand scheme of Dystopian Literature, with books like The Giver, Fahrenheit 451, and The Maze Runner, it’s pretty easy to see that all books in that genre have a lot of similar elements, and play off each other as humanity’s views of the future grow and change. I don’t believe that The Hunger Games and Divergent both utilizing a faction system (something that is really a play on the divisions that already face society today), is a mark against either book. However, the writing in Divergent simply doesn’t stand out, and I think the grand reveal in Allegiant could have been handled way better. The characters are great, though sometimes underutilized, and I like the world-building up until book 3, when it sort of caves in on itself as the result of a convoluted plot twist. Overall, a great series, but far from remarkable writing-wise.

8. The Heroes of Olympus - I decided to separate HoO from PJO because I feel the writing is dramatically different in each, mainly due to the shift from first-person to third. And admittedly, I like the 3rd person less. I think it relents some of the humor that the original series contained and puts more emphasis on the setting and character interactions, which is fine, just personally I found it less entertaining. However, this is still a great series that I read and reread to this day, and the personalities of the characters remain as stellar as always and the highlight of the series.

7. A Wrinkle In Time - This series is truly something special. It contains a poetry that’s can be hard to find in Y/A novels, and everything from the word choice to the dialogue to the message are just flawless. I remember being so entranced by the series the first time I read it, and scenes appeared so vivid in my mind that I still think of them almost every day years later. Now, it reminds me of something written by Tom Robbins. The only reason the series is not higher on this list is that I found it to be, in certain parts, a bit convoluted (especially for a Y/A series), and I also was simply less entertained by it than almost every other mention on this list. Whether that was due to it’s lack of humor, satirical nature that I didn’t appreciate when I read it as a child, or the fact that it doesn’t have a major fandom to get invested in, I'm not sure. However, it’s still a great series that I highly recommend everyone to read. 

6. Percy Jackson - And now, we reach the OG. Percy Jackson remains my favorite (Y/A) series to this day and I could not be more excited for the release of the Disney+ TV show. The humor, the characters, the greek references, the easy-to-understand history lessons, the relatability of Percy as a main character... all just magnificent to read and hold up even more with each reread. I love Percy’s sarcastic inner dialogue, which is so familiar if you are reading the series for the first time as a quirky 10-12 year old with a big imagination, as most of us probably did. I ranked PJO in 6th not because there is anything wrong with the writing, but because compared to the series in the top 5, it’s simply less poetic and mesmerizing in prose. The books, while entertaining, do not contain the same understated genius as a couple others and I don’t find them particularly inspiring, in terms of making me want to write while reading. Still, I absolutely adore Percy Jackson and will forever applaud Rick Riordan for the masterpiece that he has given us.

Part 2 Coming Soon!

[succulent-poet]

I love your moodboards! Especially the maze runner and hunger games ones. Do you have any tips for making them?

aw, thank you so much! it really makes me so happy that this little hobby of mine can bring to joy people! ☺

as far as making moodboards goes, i have definitely got some tips to help make the process successful and fun! these are all things that i do when working on a board, but i think it's also important to explore different habits and adapt ideas so that they work best for you. just like no two moodboards are alike, no two people are going to make moodboards the exact same way! the way i see it, as long as you're having fun, then you're doing it right. 😁 so without further ado...

so you want to make a moodboard?

decide who or what your moodboard will be focused on. pretty obvious first step, but it's an important one! for me, i tend to pick a character or idea based on my mood in the moment i sit down to work on one. (or based on whatever form of media i recently interacted with -- i made a ton of lord of the rings moodboards while rereading the novel!) when i worked on the katniss moodboard, for example, i was in a sort of cozy mood -- the sun was out and the sky was warm, so i wanted to look at warm-tinted pictures. if that makes sense lol.

consider your subject from multiple angles. first, i try to get a baseline of my character/subject. so, for instance, when i want to do a moodboard for a character, i start with what I know generally. what are their motives? their values? what do they look like? what is their attitude? is there an object or image associated with them? what is their story? then, from there, i delve into specifics. thinking about the layers of a pyramid might help -- what's the character's base, what's their core, and what's their crowning details? i also like to focus on what personally interests me in a character/subject. after all, you've got to make the moodboard that you'll most enjoy!

start collecting images! i find the majority of the pictures i use on pinterest. and i cannot stress this enough: rabbit trail while looking for images!!! look for things that you definitely want to utilize. then branch off and see where the world wide web leads you! pinterest has a great feature where you can look at an image, and then you can scroll down and look at related images. i will literally sit there and just keep clicking through related images forever -- but i always wind up finding things i wouldn't have thought to look for! also, i will literally save every single picture that remotely sparks my interest, even if there's no room for it in the board i'm making. i would rather save a hundred pictures and delete all but nine than work from a smaller collection only to find that i'm not satisfied with what i'm working with. after all, you can delete them all when you're done! i find that hoarding images like a greedy little magpie helps me notice patterns i might not see at first. am i collecting images that all have the same color palette? do i have twelve different pictures of a broken window? later, when i take a break from searching for pictures, i can reflect on the direction i'm going and then build more from there. (also, keep track of what images you find yourself thinking about long after you've seen them. i have a pinerest board where i save striking images to use later/eventually. surround yourself with the things that inspire you.)

crop the images all into squares. it takes two minutes, and you can even change the feel of an image by cropping from an unusual angle. for example, for characters from movies, i often like to obscure part of a face -- the character is still recognizable but it makes the viewer focus on a micro expression and can totally change the feel of a board! (plus, it looks rad.) a lot of times, i'll crop the same image three different ways and then compare them all during the draft stage of making a board.

find a super cool (and preferably free!) photo editor. sometimes, if i want all of my images to have the same color tone, i'll use the filters that came on my phone's photo program. but the main app i use is snapseed. (totally free babyyy!) it's got a little of everything -- cool effects, a text tool, and my personal favorite, a double layer tool. i use the double layer tool literally all the time! for example, i used it in my mj/zendaya moodboard for the image of a girl and the feminist quote. it's such a fun way to play with layers and add depth! plus, it can help utilize space for a board -- two pictures for the price of one!

don't be afraid to make a dozen drafts of the same thing while you're figuring out what you like! just be sure to save them all so you can scroll through later and see what's working! it's the same as saving dozens of potential pictures -- you can see what patterns emerge. for instance, if i make five potential drafts of a board and notice that there's one image that's appeared in every single one, then i shift my focus and build a board around that picture because it clearly resonates with me.

don't be afraid to move things around when playing with the layout of a board! try that picture in one corner, then the other, then see what it looks like in the middle, then move it back. i try to build a layout that keeps the eye entertained. since i'm from america, i'm used to reading from left to right, and moving down on a page. so I try to make my boards "read" in the same way. ultimately with a moodboard, you're telling a condensed story. also, this is another place to pay attention to emerging patterns! have you got three quotes you want to use? good! how does one in each row look? should they move left to right, or would an inverse better suit the subject?

consider any possible symbolism! i studied poetry in college, so i've literally trained myself to always notice what ideas or themes are lurking in the layers of a picture. for my winter soldier board, i kept coming back to an image of steel doors with red stars on them, and when you think of the character, the doors being closed and reinforced begins to take on greater meaning, as the winter soldier is really bucky who is trapped behind his assassin-programing. plus, there's connotations with the metal of the doors and the metal of his arm, which emphasizes a man-made, industrial, and inorganic quality. (if you want to train yourself to notice symbolism, read widely! also, grab a highlighter or sticky notes and physically mark images that stand out in whatever you're reading. you can figure out what they mean later, but training your brain to notice them is the first step!)

speaking of images, pay attention to ones that engage the five senses: touch, taste, smell, sight, and hearing. you don't have to use them all to create a successful board, but playing with a few can make a beautiful variety in the pictures you use. since moodboards rely solely on pictures, using images that invoke or imply a sense other than sight can really make an impact. pictures of fabric, for example, suggest touch.

stop working if you're frustrated! like, if a moodboard is stressing you out, stop. take a break. go drink some tea. breathe. it's never worth trying to make a board if your mood turns sour! trust me, your finished piece will come out so much better if you're enjoying the process.

i hope this helps! also, if you wind up making moodboards after reading this goliath response, send them to me! i would love to see all of the beautiful things you create! 😘

[zorilleerrant]

2017

January

an amorphous thing A poem about misogyny, in all its forms. I never quite got the ending to do what I wanted, but overall I think it’s strong.

Fandom: Cho Chang bio I don’t know if you want to call this a ficlet or what? I think I’m going to expand it or something. Just a musing on why she’s called Cho Chang.

poem This is sort of a poem and sort of a joke because fuck the environment I guess; it was topical at the time I think.

musing on seasonal affective disorder An addition to something I really liked that someone else wrote, because I was having feelings about SAD. The initial story is wlw; my addition is nblw even though I was trying to match the tone and style of the original.

there is a demon A poem about femininity, bisexuality, and mental illness. Our narrator is, I think, a makeup youtuber? Or something like that. This was written in response to people saying just awful things about makeup hobbyists.

HP fic: Courage Hermione deals with racism. I always headcanoned Hermione as middle eastern, so I wanted to add something with that because I don’t see it a lot even when people intentionally make her nonwhite.

American Gods/Sookie Stackhouse fic: Small Town Mentality A little character study about Shadow interacting with Sookie. This was when I was rereading American Gods, and I was like. You know, these books have similar vibes and similar canons. Timeline wise it’s set about halfway through American Gods and a few years before the first Sookie book. (The title is about not-my-business isolationism, not racial violence.)

The Maze Runner book review Musing on the worldbuilding problems in the book and how writers can and should do better than that.

February

Shadowhunters fic: Parabatai A lot of people were invested in the part where Jace could tell that Alec boned. Just my take on the thing. There’s sex in this one. Probably my most popular fic to date.

March

untitled Beauty and the Beast fic From the perspective of LeFou waxing poetic about Gaston.

Shadowhunters fic: Love Will Tear Us Apart Magnus blames himself about Raphael drinking Izzy’s blood. So tbh I don’t actually remember this fic and I don’t think anyone liked it? I will have to read it over at some point and see what it is.

Shadowhunters fic: A Fish Without a Bicycle This is a companion piece to Parabatai; going along with the Parabatai bond being a sort of metaphor for an erotic relationship, it posits Izzy as aspec and explores that a little.

Shadowhunters fic: Answers Another companion piece. Just a lot about Alec exploring his sexuality and trying to figure stuff out.

Shadowhunters fic: Forever Home Magnus being A Dad, to cats and other magical creatures.

April

queer is not a slur Just a poem bitching at people about the ‘omg q slur’ nonsense.

untitled six word story look it’s only six words either read it or don’t. (it’s not very good.)

the two genders A poem about how stupid gender essentialism is, and how people apply it to literal newborn babies.

untitled poem ???

May

Static Shock fic: No Flams Prepz Hotstreak talks to a (presumably court mandated) therapist.

Static Shock fic: Worry Static’s dad worries about the kids in his life.

Static Shock fic: Everybody Makes Mistakes Character study on Virgil, pilot centric. (Contains guns.)

mall gothic Yes, that’s a pun. No, I don’t know what the point of this was either.

let me tell you something about not being confident in your writing A poem about writing and your feelings about what you’ve written. It’s supposed to be inspirational probably.

ROY G. BIV A poem about what does and does not exist. Implicitly about LGBT+ gatekeeping but there’s nothing direct in it. I like this one a lot.

June

flag a poem on why I didn’t like the Philly pride flag back when everyone was gushing about how pure and perfect it was.

pride a poem that I think was mostly bitching about people being like ‘don’t do xyz you’re ruining pride!’ or like gatekeeping or whatever. not sure if it stands up without context

Ocean Short story about a nonbinary mage questing after a fantasy sword. Written on the assumption this is a typical high fantasy universe so no there are no proper safety protocols or historical preservation procedures. Mildly comedic.

poetry isn’t real just a micropoem about poetry, the most common topic for poetry

I have a poem about gatekeeping. someone probably told me I wasn’t allowed to use the word queer (again) or like accused me of not understanding queer history? I don’t know it happens. this poem is probably triggering if you’ve got issues with violence generally or queerphobic violence in specific

queer is another poem about gatekeeping. prose poem. I don’t know man people keep going on about bullshit

Static Shock fanfic: Protest Static meets Magneto. The timeline on this is obviously confusing af, but like, imagine it’s during the corresponding irl point of any of the major ups of BLM protests, within Static’s timeline somewhere after he’s got the hang of heroing but before he’s really used to it, and in Magneto’s timeline, somewhere during the initial rise of the Brotherhood. This was just an idea that got stuck in my head and that’s about it.

Static Shock fanfic: Attraction Virgil/Richie. Just an excuse to write puns.

Static Shock fanfic: Marathon Static & Rubberband Man. Fluff

Static Shock fanfic: Frieda Character study. Also ruminating on bullying and sexual harassment. (It’s about the gun violence episode, if that gets to you.)

Static Shock fanfic: Educational Overnight Crossover with Batman. Mostly animated Batman continuity (although largely backfilled from Batman Beyond), but I don’t think it super matters to the text of the thing. Static pretends to be Batman and has to face off against the Riddler. Also featuring Richie in hot pants (as Robin).

July

okay. so. musing about writer’s block, self-esteem/mental illness, and the thought processes that go into writing. maybe a prose poem? I don’t know what you would call this particular form

growing up depression poetry

August

a few points bullet list formatted poem about writing and writing advice

Welcome to Fae Mart humorous story about retail in Faerie

September

Let’s Talk About Slurs it’s a poem about people who smugly claim they’d never say a slur

on good and evil a prose poem or something. about how bigotry is learned (and, sort of, unlearned) and why attitudes about it make no sense

Queer as Folk fanfic: Not Always in the Same Way Hunter being bi

November

just the same prose poem about intersectionality and bigotry and how people always conflate everything into neat little soundbites. there’s a bit about reylo at the end there, too, because I kept seeing shit about it at the time, so watch out if that’s a thing for you

December

tw villanelle yeah I only write villanelles what about it? anyway this one has a bunch of violent rhetoric and bad opinions; it’s from the perspective of antis. it’s not very good but the rhymes sound nice

[nikicluff]

Okay, so I know the title is totally misleading. I’ve known about audiobooks. But for some reason, I never thought about listening to them on my paper route. You would think that this would make sense. I drive four hours every morning delivering newspapers and that leaves plenty of time to listen to music or read. I mean, I listen to music all the time. I spend an inordinate amount of time working out playlists which frustrated my husband to no end. Let’s face it. Some days I want to listen to Daft Punk, Linkin Park, Bad Wolves, Sarah Brightman, Leah, etc. Some days I want to listen to soundtracks like The Legend of Zelda soundtracks or the Harry Potter soundtracks. I love music. I spent three years as drum major of my high school marching band and I’ve played the flute since 6th grade.

I even decided to learn a foreign language on CD. I tried to learn Celtic and Korean. Neither one of them stuck. I do hope to try learning them again someday, but I think I need something more immersive. Something with flash cards and stuff. I also want to learn Japanese and Vietnamese because the people who do my nails speak Vietnamese and introduced me to pho and I want to learn. So, if any of you have these skill and would love to teach me I’m in!

Why it never occurred to me to listen to audiobooks is beyond me.

With three kids, a paper route, and a second-day job at one point in time, I had very little time to read. If you would have asked me what my favorite place in the world was in fifth grade I would have said the library. If you were to ask my parents what I did with my free time in high school they would probably split their answers between reading and playing video games. And to be honest, that hasn’t changed much. I still play video games and I still read. Just not as much as I used to. Which makes me sort of sad. I’ve learned through counseling that I need a hobby so that when I fall into that pit of “I can’t control this”, I can focus my attention elsewhere. Because I’m a spender when I’m depressed or upset. And it has lead to a lot of debt issues.

Anyway, the problem is, I’m still buying books but I’m struggling to find time to read. I tried to make time before bed, but because I’m up at 2am to deliver papers I’m dead by 8:30pm. Which sucks because I have no life. Being a loner this isn’t always a bad thing because I don’t always have people to hang out with, but I still want to be able to spend time with my friends when they do want to go out. I tried reading during the day, but that seemed to be taken up with work, cleaning the house, taking care of kids, and working on my own writing. Which makes no sense because they say you can’t write if you don’t read. I mean, you can, but how do you learn what works and what doesn’t if you don’t read?

And then I went to a writer’s workshop in March. Which I’ll probably post the notes I took in my next post, but anyway. I realized there were so many books that I wanted to read, but hadn’t made the time for and I had the perfect app to do so. And I don’t mean Audible because let’s face it, I’m trying to get out of credit card debt right now and don’t really have the money for audiobooks right now. But I do have Overdrive. Overdrive. Such a beautiful app. I mean, my local library doesn’t have a ton of books. I live in a small town, but there are still enough that I can occupy myself for a while. And then there are the times when I have a little extra money and Amazon has books on sale for like $1.99 and you can add the audiobook for an additional $1.99 and I get two for the price of one and my kids get another book to read.

Who doesn’t love a good deal?

In the past few months, outside of going through the interview process for a 9-1-1 Dispatcher position and signing a contract for a book of mine to be published with Evernight Teen (which I got the mock-up cover of and it’s striking and I love it and I can’t wait to share it), I’ve been able to read a book every three days. Let me go through the list:

The Maze Runner by James Dashner

The Paper Magician by Charlie N Holmberg

The Scorch Trials by James Dashner

Turtles All the Way Down by John Green

Hollow City by Ransom Riggs

If I Stay by Gayle Forman (Which inspired my last finished manuscript, btw)

Insurgent by Veronica Roth

Ever by Shannon Hale

The Looking Glass Wars by Frank Beddor

The Death Cure by James Dashner

Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi (I’m really glad that I listened to this one on audiobook because I would have butchered the names to no end.)

Allegiant by Veronica Roth

The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey

The Fever Code by James Dashner (I really want a Newt book. He’s my favorite character.)

Austenland by Shannon Hale

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

The Glass Magician by Charlie N Holmberg

Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

The Master Magician by Charlie N Holmberg

Cinder and Ella by Kelly Oram

Just One Wish by Janette Rallison

The Hundredth Queen by Emily R King

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by JK Rowling

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by JK Rowling

What’s fun is I’ve had the chance to reread some books that I haven’t had a chance to read in years like the HP books. And I’ve done more reading in the last few months delivering newspapers from 2-6 am and delivering 1300 free papers on Wednesdays, than I’ve been able to do since my oldest was born in 2006. And I can’t wait to read more!

Got a favorite audiobook to recommend? Let me know! I love adding books to my list.

  In Which I Have Discovered Audiobooks Okay, so I know the title is totally misleading. I've known about audiobooks. But for some reason, I never thought about listening to them on my paper route.

[typeaadventures]

I was tagged by @lilymaidofgallifrey

1. Which book has been on your shelves the longest?

I mean, if we’re talking literal shelves, everything just got put on this one when I moved back home two years ago. But of all the books on there, the oldest is a ratty paper back of Stormy, Misty’s Foal which is quintessential girl-horse-book phase that I actually had to travel all the way to Mississippi to steal back from a friend who borrowed it for about eight years. 

2. What is your current read, your last read and the book you’ll read next?

I am currently reading both Frank Herbert’s Dune (which is crazy weird) and beta reading for a fellow writer. Last book I read was Neil Gaiman’s The Sleeper and The Spindle which I highly recommended to anyone who likes graphic novels/fairy tales because the art is GORGEOUS. On my list after I finish these two is probably Dianna Wynne Jones House of Many Ways (although I might have to reread Howl’s Moving Castle first for proprieties sake ;) )

Oh wait! but I’m supposed to read Tell the Wolves I’m Home by Carol Rifka Brunt next for @bymylights because she loved the book so much. 

3. Which book does everyone like and you hated?

I mean, Catcher in the Rye was the bane of my existence in high school but I think most people dislike that now. Actually, a lot of classics are that way for me. Hated Wuthering Heights and all things Ernest Hemingway. Also the big YA series (Hunger Games, Divergent, even Percy Jackson, but mostly cause I was older when it came out) don’t hold my interest in the way that most people adore them.

4. Which book do you keep telling yourself you’ll read, but you probably won’t?

I mean, I’ve been saying I was gonna read the Jungle Book for months now, but I’ve been putting it off for months now. I really hope I do get to it though. I’m hesitant though because I really didn’t like Man Who Would Be King.  

5. Which book are you saving for “retirement?”

I was not aware this was a thing. I will never run out of books to read, I think, so I’m not really worried. 

6. Last page: read it first or wait till the end?

Usually I’ll leave it til the end. Sometimes if I don’t really care about the book, I’ll skip. I used to be much more prescriptive about not skipping but I’m kinda over it now. 

7. Acknowledgements: waste of ink and paper or interesting aside?

I love acknowledgements. The first few are usually really interesting and personal before they go all Oscar speech and just start acknowledging everyone. But they give you little glimpses about the author, like dedications. 

8. Which book character would you switch places with?

Eowyn, Lord of the Rings. No hesitations. No regrets. Let me be Eowyn, please I beg you. 

9. Do you have a book that reminds you of something specific in your life (a person, a place, a time)?

Sooooooo many. I have a memory associated with where I read pretty much any book, but to keep the list short, probably Magician’s Nephew. It will always remind me of my mother, incandescent lights in a dingy trailer in my grandparents backyard. 

10. Name a book you acquired in some interesting way.

I have a copy of Terry Brooks Magic Kingdom For Sale which I got at Shakespeare and Company in Paris. My sister really loves Terry Brooks books, I kind of got it on a whim as my souvenir from Paris. I have a book of Breton fairy tales in German for the same reason. Basically I bought books everywhere during my year on exchange and those are my favourite bookes. 

11. Have you ever given away a book for a special reason to a special person?

I did a book exchange last year and gave my sister’s friend a copy of Robin Mckinley’s The Hero and the Crown and wrote her a whole letter on the inside cover telling her why I loved the book. Apparently said friend loved the letter and the book and that was really heart warming, because I found the protagonist of that story so inspiring and I was happy it only inspired another young woman. 

12. Which book has been with you to the most places?

Ooooooh, I don’t know. I don’t often take books with me more than once? Probably my copies of Lord of the Rings since if I’m not reading anything in particular I’ll bring them with me in case I get bored or need emotional support. But now that I have an eReader I tend to bring that instead. 

13. Any “required reading” you hated in high school that wasn’t so bad ten years later?

No. The books I hated in high school I still hate vehemently. 

14. What is the strangest item you’ve ever found in a book?

A dried rose. That was pretty cool, though. 

15. Used or brand new?

Both have their own benefits and aesthetics. I think hard cover (if I EVER buy hard cover) I prefer new, but mostly I like used books for two reasons. 1) They’re much, much cheaper and 2) I prefer the older illustrated covers. If it’s a book that has a movie or even just most modern books and their life-like people (I’m thinking a lot of the Throne of Glass series here). . . I don’t like that. I find it off putting. I want crudely drawn, water-colour or just flat matte colours with geometric designs. You don’t tend to see many of those these days. 

16. Stephen King: Literary genius or opiate of the masses?

Gotta admit, never actually read any Stephen King. Probably should. 

17. Have you ever seen a movie you liked better than the book?

See, often I’ll like movies better because I didn’t read the book, like the first Percy Jackson (not the second dumpster fire) or the first Maze Runner (again, not the second). 

OH! The Princess Bride, duh. The book is hilarious in it’s own right, but the book is a parody/satire of romance, whereas the movie is a true adventure romance. So I love them both for different reasons, but I grew up watching the movie and it just hits every note perfectly and I love it. 

18. Conversely, which book should NEVER have been introduced to celluloid?

Ugh, the Eragon movie was a nightmare. I didn’t like the sequels anyway, but the first book was really good and the movie just ruined everything except Brom. Poor Jeremy Irons didn’t stand a chance, though. 

19. Have you ever read a book that’s made you hungry, cookbooks being excluded from this question?

Oh my gosh, Sunshine by Robin McKinley and literally every Redwall book. I dunno how Brian Jacques makes animal food sound soooooo good but it’s basically food porn. 

20. Who is the person whose book advice you’ll always take?

Ooooooh, I don’t think I’ve found that person. I try to take all advice and genuinely look into books recommended to me, but I’m so busy I’m picky about what I actually dig into. 

I’m gonna tag some of my fellow betas, cause I’d love to know what you guys have been reading: @jltillary, @jennalasby, @imtheperkiness, @tcstu, @brynprocrastinates. Also gonna tag @thecaffeinebookwarrior, @raiswanson, @bymylights, @ravineofwillows, and @dwobbit-under-the-mountain if you guys feel like it :)

[dongiovannaswife]

4, 20, 6, and 9 for the ask meme?

4; name three authors that were influential to your work and tell why.

James Dashner, Steve Alten and Mathias Malzieu. The maze runner, The omega project and The boy with the cuckoo-clock heart are those books that I find myself rereading every now and then and they never fail to bring a bit of inspiration. I read them when I was going through the betrayal of a group of friends; they made me feel less lonely.

6; how did writing change you?

It changed my perception of life, it also helped with expressing my feelings.

9; do you set yourself deadlines?

No. I've noticed how much guilt and pain I give myself with that so I take it easy and don't pressure myself. Sometimes I have super good ideas but don't know how to write them or they just don't fit yet and that's when I have to stop and pretend that I don't know what's happening on that piece so when I read it again I can have a "what if?" Moment and that's how the best ideas come (again, see the "humans are weirdly amazed with war" and "the war between god and the devil" paragraphs from the demon!giorno piece) those are perfect examples!

20; favorite character to write.

Oh, dude. I don't know. I'd say Giorno because to me he's not easy or hard to write but it's always a challenge (?). I'd say then, Mista.

Thanks for asking! 💞

[kikikiwi27498]

My Top Ten Favorite Fics

I was inspired by this post by @ justkeeponthegrass to do this. Believe me, this was hard. I have read so many amazing fics by so many talented authors that it was hard to pick just ten. I’m doing this because I’m a writer, and I want to spread the love to other writers. These fics have been inspiring me since I first started writing when I was fourteen, and I wanted to share them. 

Into the West by electrum (Chronicles of Narnia, T) (multi-chapter on ff.net)  This is probably my favorite fic I have ever read (along with its companion They Also Serve). I actually go back and re-read this in full every once in awhile, just because it’s that good. Seriously, it’s practically canon in my mind. If you like tales of adventures and family and heroes saving the day, this is the fic for you. A year after LWW, a curse Jadis put on Edmund is awoken. Peter and Philip must venture to the Garden in the West to retrieve the only means of saving Edmund. A lot of it is based on The Magician’s Nephew, which gives it a base in canon while still being AU. I love elecktrum’s writing because they put the effort into making Cair Paravel realistic with original characters, places, and even Narnian months and traditions. All of elecktrum’s stories are connected, so they all take place in the same Narnian universe. If I could, I would put them all here--I have read all of elecktrum’s stories and I have never been disappointed. 

Counted Among the Traitors by WillowDryad  (Chronicles of Narnia, T) (multi-chapter on ff.net) This was one of the very first fanfics I read and fell in love with. Four months into the Golden Age, Peter’s trust in Edmund is shaken. It is up to Edmund  to uncover the truth before Peter is gone forever. This story is well-written and full of angst and family.

The Lion and the Fox by Rayven49 (Chronicles of Narnia, T) (multi-chapter on ff.net) LWW, as told by Peter and Edmund. This story details how Edmund changed from a bratty little boy to Just King. I love how it really shows how Edmund and Peter are very different, but their differences are what makes them work. The whole thing is based around a Machiavelli quote, which makes it all the more interesting. I love how this story explores Peter and Edmund’s relationship and how it grows and changes throughout LWW. 

Straight Camp by foraworldundeserving (Glee, high T) (multi-chapter on ff.net) Told from the POV of Nick and Jeff (the Warblers) as they are sent to Wildwood Springs Health Camp with Blaine. I love this story because it explores Nick and Jeff, who really didn’t get a lot of attention on the show. The OCs Scott and James are some of my favorite OCs ever, and the writing is just incredible.Sarah does an amazing job of fleshing-out Jeff and Nick and giving them the sweetest, most believable relationship. I will warn that this is an incredibly sad story, though it does have a happy ending.

We’ve Got Tonight  by katjandante (Glee, T) (multi-chapter on ff.net) I remember crying so much when I read this for the first time--and every time after that. Kurt, Blaine, New Directions, and the Hudmels come together to remember Finn and mourn his death. Now I know there are a lot of fics about Finn’s death out there, but this one was different (at least for me). It gave me closure in a way that many other fics didn’t, and it was so easy to connect with the characters’ struggles as they mourn Finn and process his death. 

Look Beyond What You See by hachoo (Harry Potter, K+) (multi-chapter on ff.net) Deathly Hallows from the point of view of Fred and George. There is more to George’s ear injury than meets the eye, and Fred and George have to learn how to cope with the side effects of George’s missing ear. There’s hurt/comfort, angst, family, and insight into both Fred and George’s thoughts about the war. I remember sobbing my way through the end of this--it somehow made Fred’s death that much sadder. 

He Will Have Powers the Dark Lord Knows Not by dirgewithoutmusic aka @ink-splotch (Harry Potter, one-shot on AO3)  I discovered this on Tumblr through someone else’s fic review and I have loved it ever since. Details what might have happened if Harry Potter, the Boy Who Lived, had been born a Squib. This is the single best Harry Potter fan fiction I have ever read. The characterization, the plot, everything is so well-done and just works perfectly. I loved it because Harry as a Squib isn’t something that people really think about, and it was really cool to read about how that might have changed the story and especially what other people think of the Boy Who Lived. This story explores the nature of magic--how it can be both inherent and earned through hard work and studying, and how you don’t have to have magic to be a hero. I also highly recommend all of dirgewithoutmusic’s work.  

The Winchester Three by insearchofcheez (Supernatural, T) (multi-chapter on ff.net) Follows the end of S1 (and beyond, as there are two more parts), but this time Sam and Dean are joined by their younger sister Laney. Laney is probably my favorite OC ever--I love her as a character and I love how she and the boys interact. This story has hurt/comfort, drama, angst, family, and everything in between. I love it because it sticks to canon, but many details are different because of Laney, who has special abilities of her own. It doesn’t quite read like an AU, though--it reads like it could be canon. I have reread this and the other two parts several times, and they never get boring. 

Trialculosis Sam by Alex L. Kerr (Supernatural, T) (multi-chapter on ff.net) The long, drawn-out, AU version of Sam taking on the Trials. Set after the second Trial, this story follows Sam and Dean (and later Kevin) as they struggle to come to terms with Sam’s impending death and try to alleviate the effects of the Trials. There is family, some angst, and a ton of hurt/comfort--it is everything you’d want from a brotherly bonding story. I don’t know if this will ever be finished, but it’s still worth reading. 

Frostbite by Sam.J.Eller (Supernatural, T) (multi-chapter on ff.net)  AU, details Sam’s struggle with nerve damage after getting frostbite at 14. Set in S1 with pre-series flashbacks, this story is full of brotherly bonding and action as Sam and Dean work a case. I love the flashbacks and brotherly bonding that’s all in character and canon-compliant. I love all of Sam.J.Eller’s work, so I recommend all of them. 

HONORABLE MENTION (because of course I can’t pick just ten...)

Time Switch by Cornish by Rhapsody (Supernatural, T) (multi-chapter on ff.net)

Now I Know My ABC’s by Disasteriffic Kaz (Supernatural, K+)  (multi-chapter on ff.net)

Frostbite by Sam.J.Eller aka @sammy-samulet​ (Supernatural, T) (multi-chapter on ff.net)

Measure My Life in Coffee Cups by KCS (Supernatural, T) (one-shot on ff.net) In His Glow by Fanpire101 (Supernatural, T) (multi-chapter on ff.net)

Tommy by colorsoftherainbow3006 (The Maze Runner, T) (multi-chapter on ff.net)

Silent Sorrow by WillowDryad (Chronicles of Narnia, high T) (multi-chapter on ff.net)

The Voyage of the Dawn Treader by electrum (Chronicles of Narnia, K+) (multi-chapter on ff.net)

What if Percy Did Become a God? by The Secret Life of a Fangirl (Percy Jackson and the Olympians, K+) (one-shot on ff.net, also on AO3)