#but thats the overarching experience/process

[freerangeranger]

How did you become a Ranger?

i covered my personal 'this is why you stay in school kids' origin story in a previous ask, so ill focus on the actual Ranger school and internships for this post.

there are a few different ways to become a ranger.

you are scouted by another ranger and they vouch for you to be accepted into either a ranger base or the school. its a matter of 'this person has a deep love for pokemon conservation and is skilled enough to basically be a ranger from the get go'. this is super uncommon now but it used to be basically the only way for rangers to be recruited back in ye ol' days, before stylers were used. most rangers wont even consider this anymore; a lot is riding on your rep if your scouted person turns out to be 'not great'. they just give you a reference now.

you apply and are accepted into the Almia ranger school. This the route that i took - and by far the most common one. you have to do a whole application process, similar to applying to post-secondary (with the stupid fees and everything). you are then separated into either an acceptance list or a waitlist. this is based on grades as well as a series of written questions and a shit ton of references.

I'm half convinced that i was considered eligible bc i had the Blackthorn gym and tin tower staff backing me (thanks guys!). that being said i did only get onto the waitlist - thank fuck some other kid decided that being a ranger was too much work.

once you actually get accepted you are able to choose what you actually want to major in at the school. this surprises a lot of people - the Almia ranger school doesn't just train rangers! it has a bunch of courses catering to rehabilitators, mechanics, researchers, field ops, area rangers, and operators, among others.

I chose to go with the area ranger courses - i wanted to return home to Johto at some point and the vast majority of jobs outside of Almia, Fiore and Oblivia are area rangers. field ops is stressful and mostly dealing with awful humans 24/7.

there are, of course, a lot of overlapping fields of study that we were all mandated to take. every student that graduated from the school knows how to use a styler in some way. even operators and researchers (although i doubt many of them remember a lot, the ones i knew skipped class to finish papers)

the entire thing lasts for around 3-4 years. it used to be way shorter - i think i heard people graduated within the same year - but with the spike in pokemon-related crises, rangers have to be better trained out of the gate.

there is also a whole thing with internships and field work; you can apply to spend time working alongside real rangers over the weekend while at the school. i think most of them are paid. ill be honest, most people that do internships get snatched up by the bases they worked for so if you are a student see if you can apply to a base that you are okay with working for.

uhhhh what else... oh! Once you graduate you can either send out resumes (in advance) to try and influence what ranger base you go to, or you get assigned a base by the school. In my case i was assigned to Unova - its nice there and most of my colleagues are p cool. but i do want to go home to Johto at some point.

[sharpth1ng]

Do you have any tips for writing? Or you just go with the flow and hope for the best

I do have tips yeah, but keep in mind this is just how it works for me, there are probably lots of different approaches that are equally good.

My writing is pretty character driven so that drives a lot of my process.

When I'm writing I want to have a sense of how a character experiences the world, so I ask myself questions like this:

-Are they more cerebral, in their head? Or are they more sensory -How much tolerance do they have for bad things and feelings? -How do they react when something good happens? -Do they celebrate their wins or react with anxiety because winning adds pressure? -Are they embarrassed by compliments or do they take them well? If they're embarrassed do they get flustered or gruff? -Do their outward reactions match the way they feel inside? -Do they lie well? If they do is there anything they can't lie about? -What do they need to feel secure? -What calms them down? -What are their coping mechanisms? Make sure there are some bad ones (I mean that, imo a good character needs real flaws) -Do they speak directly about their feelings or do they talk around things

There's a lot more questions like that that you can ask yourself, and know the answers to those things makes it a lot easier to figure out how they would react to whatever you want to throw at them in the plot. Sometimes a character is going to be resistant to something you want to do and it's worth it to take the time (both IRL and in the plot) to figure out what that character needs to get them to a place where they're ready to react the way you need for the plot point.

Dialogue and Language

Another big thing for me is dialogue, as well as the language you use in general for describing things from a character's perspective. I'm not exactly sure out to describe this exactly, but I'll give an example. Stu uses a lot more casual and shortened language than Billy ('cause, gonna, sayin', ect.), and he's a lot more willing to use goofy slang than Billy is (dope, rad, the bomb).

Both of them use some movie language but Billy uses more- referring to his life plans and experiences as "the plot", referring to his field of view as "the shot", stuff like that.

Billy on the other hand uses slightly more formal, occasionally more dramatic language. He's less likely to use shortened words if he's not actively having sex, and when he swears he's more likely to say fuck than shit. He also refers to a lot more using critical language. Things are stupid, dumb, asinine, ect.

for both of them though I generally try to stick to more common language. Theres lots of fun words in the thesaurus, but if they don't sound like something a 19/20 year old dude would say I'm not going to try to find something else.

Plot

There are different kind of arcs to consider when you're figuring out pacing. For me I try to make sure chapters have an arc- I try to introduce an issue in the start, the characters navigate that through the chapter, and the tension rises toward the end until it comes to a head somehow. In my writing thats often a sex scene or a fight (or both).

I also try to consider the overarching plot. where do I want my characters to end up by the end of the story and what needs to happen to get them there? I don't like introducing plot elements out of nowhere, so I often try to mention things at least in an offhand way before they become important to the plot.

Practically the way I approach this is to figure out plot milestones. as an example for Debaser we start with a choking encounter that results in both of them having a sexual experience. That leads to an exploration of more power/painplay under the guise that it's not sexual, until they get to the point of having to admit that it sexual.

At that point its a slippery slope, especially after Maureens murder, which is a bonding experience. It sort of continues on that way, but they're all steps that move Billy into a place where he's more willing to let himself do what he actually wants.

I'm sure there's more I could say but this is the most useful advice I can think of right now. Basically know your characters! Know more about them than you think you'll need to to write the story, because you'll be shocked how much of it you can use to fill in blanks in a way that feels genuine.

I hope that helps!

[flockofdoves]

as someone who was so so obsessed with the book good omens in middle school the show is so weird for me. like not in a bad or good way just like a neutral way of it having kinda different themes and aziraphale and crowley have a different dynamic and different perspectives on life and experiences and are more integrated into Plot instead of kinda existing outside of it as almost a constant symbol for the overarching plot arc.

and watching the first season without it being clear thered be a second made me a little sad that they werent as affectionate and familiar with each other as in the book. but as a starting point for a larger story where they are actually part of the plot it makes sense for them to have that conflict and have the plot be them working up to having a relationship like they do throughout the book.

so its cool to hear that crowley is in love with aziraphale for real explicitly in the show now.

but also its just so funny i like the process of adaptation but still im not usually in a place where im saying ‘thank god some of the things i most liked about the original ended up not being the case’ like dont get me wrong the idea of like a movie or something thats just the book but aziraphale and crowley are just slightly more undeniably in a relationship would be really really appealing to me. but i also can respect the choice to change their dynamic to explore what those sorts of conflicts would be like in order to have a more longform story. it was both a little weird bc i am of course watching in a way to nostalgically remind me of it but also its conceptually kinda cool to decide in an adaptation like 'ok people already know this story but how can it be reworked in a way that explores different themes i want to explore now and let people enjoy the freshness of that combined with the familiar'. but the first season on its own was in a weird in between place where i think a lot of people who only watched the show or watched the show first couldnt really feel out the distinctions and it was annoying to hear them conflating bc they both appeal in different ways to me and i dont want it to be flattened. so hearing the second season is just like totally off the rails from any resemblance to the book is honestly a really good thing to hear and i hope itll make that distinction clearer to people. but ig the question remains as to if the way in which it goes is actually good if judged on its own merits lol.. but regardless im gonna watch it soon

[meetthesoldier]

Classpects. Give em here!!!

EEP ok i have a whole list w everyy character i cld remember except the health inspector fuck the health inspector thats a joke. but hed probably just be a seer of life for the pun. my source on most of the ones for characters w less content is i made it the fuck up. ok here we go infodump time

jack: heir of heart (one of the most obvious picks in the world. look at him. there is no way hes anything other than a heart player.... all protagonists of stories about choice know is be heir of heart/breath/hope)

dave: knight of doom (IM VERY!!!!!!!! ENTHUSIASTIC!!!!!!!!!! ABOUT THIS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! he is definitely a knight. he is definitely doom. it just feels right!!!!! knights have a natural inclination towards serving others and he literally serves henry (and in evil routes, jack) through doom, death, etc. you cld argue with what we knew about henry and the way he treated dave that he also served him through self sacrifice- allowing himself to be treated like utter garbage for the sake of keeping henry in his life. knights ALSO have a habit of masking personal insecurities, which i feel is reflected in his need to make himself seem "useful" to others, because perhaps he feels he is worthless if he cant be helpful.)

dee: maid of time (this one took a while to nail down ! but i think it works. it is rather an ironic title, considering she had very little time in her life, but afterwards she has all the time in the world to do as she pleases, and what she pleases is creating from the death of others- giving them the ability to move on into the afterlife, and in the process granting them all the time in the world. additionally, her death sparks the entire rest of the games timelines to occur. kinda flimsy but i think its a cool idea)

peter: sylph of blood (i think most characters who had to practically act as their siblings parents since their actual parents werent around for whatever reason are gonna feel blood-ish to me. when he confronts jack in his office in 2 during a bad ending, the main point he brings up is how youve ruined several families, the bonds between parents and their children, so that also made me think of him as a blood player. i chose the sylph class for him also partially because of him being an oldest sibling... big "be the bigger person", mediator energies from him, which is something i think a sylph of blood would almost HAVE to be fluent in.)

steven: mage of void ("sweep it under the rug, its probably fine!" immediately makes him read as a void player. the mage part is just his energies..... hes a knower ! and his life sucks because of it, no matter how hard he tries to use his meager amounts of power to benefit himself)

henry: thief of hope (look at him. being in his presence saps all good energies... and he does it on purpose!!!!!! literally his entire boss fight is him trying (and usually succeeding) at stealing all hope from your allies for himself. considered making him a prince but something about it didnt really resonate...)

matt: bard of space (codpiece funny)

jimbo: witch of space (teleportation go brrrrrr)

ronaldo: thief of life (probably human meat pizza go brrrr)

oscar: seer of breath (breath is all about freedom, and oscar wants nothing more than to have the freedom to express himself, even if its... under strange circumstances... and i like to imagine hed be very keen on sharing the joy of that experience with others, which is why i have him as a seer, though heir of breath would also work without the headcanon work.)

harry: maid of doom (EXTREMELY iffy on this one... spent a long time considering heart titles considering the overarching theme of forgetting oneself but erm. i couldnt pick one so i just said fuck it and picked one for another aspect i cn see.)

jake: prince of blood (deadbeat dad classpect)

roger: page of rage (evil_end_confrontation.mp4)

rebecca: seer of heart (this is more grounded in her literal role in the story, mainly shedding light on and allowing further exploration of the self and identity of harry ... also shes just heart player energies through the roof)

joe: knight of rage (source: trust me bro. just has big knight energies... also makes it ironic he has a prince (see bottom) so nearby, since in typical media a knight would serve a prince, but here he acts as his executioner... hehe! my source for him being rage is also just energies. although obviously the buildup of ACTUAL rage at abels actions, and decision to destroy a bitch accounts for part of that.)

terrence/tango: sylph of hope (omg... silly time! so the hope connections are hopefully obvious... hella optimistic and positivity focused pre-phonification, and through a bit of headcanon work id believe that he was an exception morale booster, thus healing the hope in his associates..)

everett: maid of space (ok, this one is literally all headcanon work, so i guess this is another source: trust me moment... its in his vibes, man! his extreme formality and "stiffness" (harrys words not mine) give off space-y energies to me. well, ok, they also give off timey and doomy energies... but thats besides the point. my point is hed look really cute in the outfit guys please)

abel: prince of mind (could also see an argument for prince of heart, considering he played part in destroying the identities of his coworkers, but i also see those actions as a destruction of justice- rather than allowing them to pass, as they deserve, he preserves and prolongs their suffering, all while destroying the karma and consequence he is bound to face for his actions, until he cant anymore)

[reyeslonestar]

Question what are some things you wanna see in season 3 of lone star? Character development, plots, anything

I want to see Tonya Kong write every episode. that's all. thanks for asking!

-

sadfkja I joke, I do have other ideas, but that is definitely high on my wish list! i'm gonna go through by character and talk about what I'd like to see for them, so this is gonna get quite long whoops...

the main thing that I'd like to see overall, though, would be evidence of an overarching season plan or arc - it doesnt necessarily have to be a plot that stretches through all the episodes or anything major, but I'd love them to have plotted out the season before they start. from watching this season and then reading interviews after the finale, they dont appear to plan many things from the start and end up throwing in ideas as they go along. if they plan it from the start they can foresee how theyre going to affect character development more, and they can have a bit more balance in the types of episodes they have, so that the season is less insane and more naturally ebb-and-flow with a few light episodes to break up the drama.

okay, onto the characters! just going to do this in billing order for simplicity's sake. customary reminder that these are just my own opinions and thoughts, and this is more of a wish list than a realistic expectation.

if you want to search for a specific character, ctrl F for one of these terms including the dash at the start:

-Owen

-Tommy

-TK

-Grace

-Judd

-Marjan

-Paul

-Carlos

-Mateo

-Nancy

press “j” to skip the whole post.

-Owen

okay so I'd love to see them actually develop his character. Owen has been given a lot of backstory with lots to play with development-wise, but to me it feels like the show never goes anywhere with it. he's got a lot going on what with 9/11, feeling responsible for the fates of his fellow firefighters, the codependence of his relationships etc. I'd like to see him go to therapy and see him grow some self awareness and seek to manage himself better, rather than all his screentime devoted to him being a hero when other characters have the situation handled. it would really show him as a good leader if he drew on the skills that his team has and refer to them for advice/ideas. realistically he is the main character, so I'd like them to develop him like one.

also, I kind of love the chief role for him? I think it would suit him really well. but it would drag him away from the 126 and split up the dynamics too much so it would make for bad tv and I wouldnt actually want to see that. good for his character though.

-Tommy

I love Tommy :) just wanted to say that.

so obviously Tommy's got a lot of grief to handle next season, and I don't want them to shy away from that. I want it acknowledged and processed. (I'd also like a little bit of seeing the twins' grief too, because they're also suffering a massive loss). maybe something with Judd helping Tommy learn to manage her grief with his own experience of losing the original 126, encourage her to go to therapy, plus Tommy, Grace and Judd all feeling the loss of Charles together. after all, Grace and Judd were his friends and they will be grieving too.

I'd also kind of like to see Tommy have something outside being a working mother. obviously we're going to need to deal with that a lot especially now that Charles is gone, but I feel like she's been assigned the Character TraitTM of being the working mum and I'd like to see them give her a hobby or something. idk. and give her a night off with Grace or something. give her something just for her.

-TK

okay so I think theres a fair likelihood that theyre going to return to looking at TK's addiction next season which im not averse to. I think him struggling with his sobriety would be worthwhile to see for his character and to show that its not a straightforward path, plus it makes sense with all the insane stuff they've thrown at them in s2. however, Id like to see it in the context of his friends and family rallying around to help and support him and show him that he's got people to rely on, and that he's allowed to rely on them, plus the support of his AA meetings and therapy. I also need them to lay the groundwork for him struggling, so putting in signs of him deteriorating so the situation makes sense. this storyline doesn't need surprises to be interesting or good, and frankly it shouldn't have any.

as for him and Carlos, I definitely want to see them househunting! I'd like to see the combination of househunting/Carlos with Tommy's kids/Grace and Judd having their baby have an impact on their perspectives regarding their future and spark that conversation (like, looking at houses with more rooms and thinking about kids, future, marriage etc). I think that maybe one of them, probably TK, or maybe both of them those boys have way too many parent issues having anxieties about being a dad could be an interesting way to add tension without being too drastic, and then that can be resolved in a way that reassures them of their relationship and reaffirms their strength as a couple. the talk about the future would also lay the groundwork towards a proposal at the end of s3.

-Grace

grace :) my love :)

I could watch episode after episode of Grace kicking ass and saving people over the phone. I'd love to see an episode set there? like, some kind of story within the call centre with all the handlers having to resolve that between them, but also tie in the first responders, so we see the fire team, the paramedics and Carlos all working but we only see the bits that Grace and the other call handlers hear, if that makes sense? also an actual Grace/Carlos team up where they are coming in from the different angles with different amounts of evidence and figuring out the best way to solve something together. plus I'd like to see her maybe get some recognition for being awesome at her job, maybe another handler coming to her for advice on how to solve something.

of course we've got the baby Ryder on the way, and I want that to go comfortably and smoothly for her. she deserves that. lots of wholesome excitement for her and Judd from the whole extended firefam, baby shower, gifts, the full works. pamper grace please.

-Judd

judd4captain2k22. please.

yeah I know its not gonna happen, but I loved judd stepping in as captain this season and I'd love to see that continued with him taking more leadership, and Owen deferring to him for advice/council in a work environment rather than personal life. maybe set up a long term idea about judd being a captain someday.

he's gonna be a dad :') so what are his anxieties about that? why were they putting it off before? was it related to his PTSD? he's got lots of people relying on him now, how does that make him feel? what if his kid loses him? id like to see him still using therapy as a tool to help himself deal with everything. lots of meaty questions to dig into there :D

-Marjan

I'd quite like to see more of her balancing her daredevil nature with the impact of that and realising how much danger she puts herself in sometimes. or on the flip side, maybe the team is dealing with a really dangerous situation and they utilise her fearlessness to save people. her relationship with social media could also come back? but bring in the development they gave her this season, and her Firefox presence is more serious, less flippant?

I think that theres now a space for her to explore her sexuality/romantic experience now that she hasn't got her engagement with Salim as a kind of failsafe. maybe she wants to put herself out there and date, but thats really daunting as shes never really had to do that before? personally I think this could tie in really well with a self discovery/exploration regarding her sexual orientation, but I doubt they’d go there with her, so thats just my headcanon.

-Paul

I want them to draw on Paul’s observational skills and perceptiveness more, especially on calls and in emergencies. I remember someone (sorry I cant remember who) pointed out that he would have been a great character to centre the arsonist plot around in terms of noticing the clues etc, so id love a storyline that revolves around him dealing with an emergency like that. I also really want a Carlos and Paul friendship so maybe them collaborating on a call to solve something, that’d be cool.

can we give Paul a girlfriend please. if im not complely insane, there was a reference to someone in like,, 2x04?? someone who put mayo in his sandwich? idk I havent checked (edit: it was aioli in his banh mi! thank you @meneatyoghurt), but if there is someone can we show him having a fun and loving relationship please. I dont need there to be any drama. just them having fun on a date or something.

-Carlos

so I know that some people are keen to see him in his police role more but I really don't need much of that. on calls with the 126 I'd like to see him be the officer in charge more, but I don't need police-exclusive storylines. I've talked about it here if you want to know why.

the only area that I'd like to see would be in the direction of reform/addressing the flaws of the system, and I think they can do that on a personal level for him, because he and Mitchell need a chat. if they'd gone with her decision in 2x08, he, Mitchell and the bank robber would all be dead, and I think thats gotta have some impact. also the fact that he was suspended for trying to preserve life. theres a lot they could work with there and maybe have him thinking about how he can do good and how he can effectively protect and serve. not to mention, the opportunity that would provide in terms of addressing his relationship with his dad and how he maybe sought approval by pursuing a police career?

also I’d like him to learn that he doesnt need to accept blame/preemptively put blame on himself and that he doesnt need to apologise when someone else hurt him. kind of want to send him to therapy. kind of want to send all the characters to therapy. but yeah, him learning that he can accept apologies and understand that he doesnt have to make people feel better for hurting him. hes allowed to be hurt and feel pained about it. and that can tie into his relationships with Mitchell, with TK and with his parents.

I think I mentioned most of the tarlos stuff in TK’s section, but I wouldn't mind at least one instance for them where we see it all from his perspective instead of TK’s.

finally ive mentioned above how i’d like a team up with Paul on a scene and both of them figuring it out together. I'd also like them having a friendship outside work, just the two of them, bonding over books and being relatively sane people compared to the rest of their friends.

-Mateo

Mateo is so sweet. I loved 2x14 and the recognition he got, more of that please! also theres still so much I want to know - one of the more consistent things they set up for him in s2 was his faith, so I want to know more about that. what's his relationship with religion and God? he's pretty isolated from his family so how does he feel about that? is his religion something that helps him feel connected to them? maybe the church helped him find a community when he first came to the states, before he got settled with the 126, and he finds reassurance in faith that God is looking after his family while he cant be there? I think maybe there's scope for a conversation between Marjan and Mateo about that, about that distance and caring for their families through faith and prayer.

also, if he's still with the horrible firehouse, I'd like to see the other firefighters being won round by his resilience and stepping up to look out for him, and someone backing him up against the captain. Mateo is used as the butt of the joke most of the time, but I'd also like to see a bit more acknowledgement of things like losing his house and the bullying hes going to get more of from this firehouse.

-Nancy

I think that her speech to Tommy in 2x14 was really telling, and I'd love to see them expand on that a bit more. first on the loss and fear of losing her friends and coworkers, but then also on her hopes and aspirations - she said she wants to be a paramedic captain so lets see her working to take her exams and qualifications, and showing initiative on scenes etc.

id like to see more of her being integrated into the 126 group. she and marjan turned up to the hangout together, so lets develop that relationship more. I would love it to be romantic but I'd also love to see that as a friendship. but also her forming bonds with others in the group as well as more of her and TK being a chaos duo. I love that they stole the ambulance, more of that insanity please!

-

I think thats it? if youre still reading, youre insane and I appreciate you a lot! honestly im open to all sorts of things in s3, this isnt a prediction or anything, its just stuff I think would be interesting based on where the characters are now. 

[fablecore]

idk if youve read this, but youd probably like the Tales Of Earthsea series by Ursula K LeGuinn?? it's kind of like the oceanic-island-based world of One Piece and Oda's uncomplicated but thoughtful (or sometimes thoughtful, from Oda, i mean..) sentence/story structures meets Lord Of The Rings/Simarillian's content (though there isn't as much of a focus on vocabulary and root-words like his). Earthsea is deep and overarching in all its magic and world-building and story arcs in a similar way as Tolkien, but LeGuinn doesn't try to make her work academic (actually, she originally made Earthsea a children's book. a single children's book. she picked up and dropped the series on/off as she went "okay, im done with that. [a decade later] ...actually, i have another idea" so every book is pretty self-contained in Questions and Threads and whatnot, tho reading it in order is def the most ideal way to experience it since it mostly follows one specific character as he ages as well as the people he meets as he goes along). also, parts of it reminds me of Witch Hat Atelier too, especially in Earthsea's focus on "true names" to WHA's ink; there's something there, in the spellmaking mechanics (and therefore in the world-building) between these two properties that are childhood friends holding hands

it's also a cast that's almost entirely people of color. almost everyone mentioned is a dark-skinned person, which the exception of some faceless characters-- like in the viking-like raid that happens EARLY, EARLY in Book One: The Wizard Of Earthsea, the pillagers are described as pale-faced, i think

i looked in your GoodReads and i didnt see it in your fantasymyth section or your ghiblifeels section (since Earthsea did get very clumsily made into a Ghibli movie. STEVEM has a great video about the adapation process on YouTube, without being unkind to the movie, if youre interested. but yeah. very little of that movie is what LeGuinn wrote, and definitely NOT in the same way as Howl's Moving Castle's movie and book are very different). so i thought id mention it to you

just as a heads up tho, there is a weird instance in book one where LeGuinn says "magic is only for boys" and everyone in-text validates this, for the most part. but then you can see LeGuinn kind of go "waiT, GIRLS CAN DO ANYTHING TOO" and, instead of retconning, she goes and talks about sexism as female magic-users start to pioneer their careers in the book. but thats later, thats not in book one. but yeah, you can see where a lot of fantasy (esp Harry Potter) was just as inspired by her as they were by Tolkien (and she didnt have to write in a super technical-and-academic style to do it! ha!!)

but yeah!! it's a really good book series that i think you would have a lot of fun with, and would find it easier to read (without feeling like its talking down to you). i think the ending of book one will especially inspire you. its a beautiful series, full of beautiful world-buidling and delightfully kind twists sprinkled throughout here and there with some really Well Nailed endings (just remember more contemporary stuff was inspired by her; and that, while she was writing, what she was writing was considered novel and new. so anything that feels really played-out for contemporary readers is because people read her new ideas and started copying certain aspects until they became something of a dead horse). if you havent read it yet, i hope you enjoy it. and if you have read it, i hope you enjoy the reminder of it's existance ♡

:,O omg YES i have read a wizard of earthsea before!! but it was ages ago, i really should read it again! ah i haven't seen the ghibli film and have no plans to.. but the book was so good. the interesting thing is, le guin's themes still feel new, at least to me. like a lot of authors have copied what was very shallow about earthsea, but they totally failed to grasp what made the ending so iconic and ged so iconic. like i think when people approach earthsea, they pay the most attention to the action and adventure and le guin's philosophy goes completely over their heads. from what i remember the writing was just a little too dry for my tastes, i'm more drawn to books that are gratuitously indulgent with hedonism, but it's been a very long time since i read earthsea so i will try to reread it soon. thank you for reminding me! ♡

[fantasy-muffin-author]

Writing Advice: 10 Worst Experiences During the Writing Process😭

The experiences to prepare for, and to relate to during the writing process. Good luck fellow author! 

10. When you are trying to think of the perfect word thats right at the tip of your tongue. (Its worse when you loose the word all together)

This one is at number 10 because it is horrible, but you are still mentally active and not ready to cry yourself to sleep. Though it stinks!

Solution:

Think of a similar word, usually the second one on your mind and look for synonyms on google or other sources. The word you're looking for or a better one may come up. If not than either choose one of the options or look for synonyms of another similar word.

9. When you write something that may not be correct so you research the topic for an hour. (I’m not talking about the big stuff you should have looked into before you started writing, exp: cultures, I mean basically meaningless stuff)

This has happened to me twice (once about horses and once about how to grill a pig) It’s second on the list because it takes up more time than the first one and it’s annoying. But usually not demotivating.

Solution: 

Do not do it.

8. When you read an article or watch a video about writing and realize you have been doing it wrong the entire time. 

Do I have to explain?

Solution:

Take in the advice if you like it and continue on with your book using the advice but do not go back and change what you have already written. Leave that to your editor self.

7. When you are irresolute (look it up) because of a family/friend. colleague/ exd’s opinion. (I mean they talk down at you for being a writer, or something similar)

This is hard on our feelings box and/or heartbreaking. But this list is mostly my opinions and since I haven’t felt the crush of this fully, its higher. I am sorry for those who have been hurt.

Solution:

Don’t listen to them! In fact, let it fuel you. Show them who can do what! Or who can be successful! You can do anything!

6. When you feel overwhelmed. This may be because you can’t make yourself forget that you have so much to do before finishing the book. Maybe your busy.

The editing, marketing, and paying are what overwhelm me. The writing phase is not particularly easy, but it was less stressful for myself. It may not be the case for you. You may still have chapters to finish, a world to build, characters to create. It could be very stressful.

Solution:

Make it fun! Make it a game and your going through the levels. Once your done creating your world and characters, you can finally write! The thing you have been waiting for months! 

Remember, you are building your world. Enjoy every moment of it. Because one day, you will finish your book or series and you have to say goodbye to your baby and creation. Enjoy it while it lasts!

5. Losing motivation to write.

Are you surprised this is only half way down the list? I’m not. Even though this is horrible, it's not the worst thing. There are simple solutions.

Solution:

It may be different for everyone but here's a few ideas that are good for me.

1.Start writing. Yep. If you just write, that motivation will soon come back. (This works best if you are very familiar with your characters)

2. Look back through your notes and future plans. Get excited, again, for your book or series.

3.Watch videos and read articles about writing 😉, they can help you get through the problem or just be fun.

4. Remind yourself why you want to write and why writings fun. its different for everyone but reading is an example.

5. Sleep, be healthy, socialize, get sunlight and fresh air, exercise. These can clear your mind, get you in a good mood and helps your overall day.

4. When you realize your dialog sucks or unnatural. 

This may not be as bad as some of the others I already mentioned, but dialog can help or ruin a book. Dialog can spark ideas of character development, relationships, sub-plots, or even how to continue the overarching plot. But if you do it wrong, it can take forever to fix.

3. When you are stuck.    You want to write but you can’t think of anything. I like to call this Writer’s Traffic instead of Writer's block. 

This is one of the worst case of scenarios for me as a writer because I want to write but instead I am staring at a computer screen.

Solution:

Skip the scene. Skip the next few lines. Leave a note for yourself so you can come back to it at a better time. 

2. When you realize you don’t know your characters enough.

It's hard to admit, but when your character is inconsistent and its not part of their personality then you have a problem. You may even have to rewrite most of your book if you’re far in. If you don’t know your characters and your on chapter 4 then stop now and save yourself.

Solution: 

Do character questionnaires, explain anything important in their past. Anything traumatic they have experienced, their personality, how they would react in a certain situation. It’s really important to know their background (Note: You need to know, not your readers unless necessary) 

Link to a character questionnaires. https://www.writerswrite.co.za/prousts-questionnaire-35-questions-every-character-should-answer/    also they got some awesome writing advice!

1.DUN DUN DUN!THE LAST ONE! When your writing (or lack of) has an effect on you daily life and you feel absolutely miserable.

You would be surprised how often this happened to me, It’s almost like a heavy depressed feeling that makes it painful to basically do anything. 

Maybe it's outside writing that makes you feel this way but you just can’t write. Everything is dull and grim, your head hurts or you have no motivation to do anything.

You just can’t.

Solution:

Use your miserableness as a motivation. You want to get rid of it, right? Then you must do what helps. Here's a few tricks. 

1. Drink water. Perhaps your dehydrated.

2. Exercise. This one is really helpful on more than your emotions. Do this before considering taking a nap, because naps can make it worse.

3. Go to bed earlier. If your like me than your nocturnal but if you simply go to bed at 10 then you will feel much better in the morning. I suggest reading or doing something other than look at a screen before going to bed. Screens can make it troublesome to fall asleep.

4. Socializing. You may be awkward but at least you have a mother? A father? Grandparents? A best friend? Siblings? Random people online? Anyone who can distract you, and make you feel better. It doesn’t necessarily need to be a pleasant conversation, just one that won’t bring you down. Socializing can make you feel so much better.

5. Get a horrible beta reader. (this is a joke...kind of) A beta reader is a person who reads your book or a chapter and gives feedback. A good beta reader is honest and gives praise and criticism. This is what I meant for a bad beta reader. Someone who you trust who will probably be scared to hurt your feelings. Even though it might not be true, positive feedback will help. 

That is all I have! I hoped you enjoyed! Have a Fantastic day! I will be posting again soon!

[wearealllove]

Only through first separation can one experience union. You cannot meet/join with someone you love if you were never separated from them in the first place. The joy of union comes from experiencing the wrongness of separation and realizing how "wrong" and illusory it is to be separated. All of life is in this constant cycle of union and separation from God, the True Self, the only reality, and within this cycle comes illusions of time, birth and death and all that happens in between. The only way to see through the illusions, to lift up the veil, is to recognize yourself and every self as the One True Self manifesting in our world. You can meet/join God and remove your "self" from the cycles of life and death but even that is temporary as eventually you-- since the fake you would not longer exist and you would only be the real God you, this you will once again separate from yourself and manifest into the world of maya with the purpose of seeking reunion with your Self again. Because thats what happened before. Before you separated and entered maya, you were realized God, no separation or illusions, meditating in divine position and playing unstruck melody, that is literally what each and every life came out of-- the big bang so to speak. So you were that Creator, you separated yourself and created a fake persona, then used that manifestation to journey towards once again meeting your true Self and in the process you experienced your creation, this is the way the True Self experiences itself through infinitely smaller and bigger manifestations of what is truly infinite within itself. Because one can't say they have met God in its entirety, because God is all of infinite entirety, you could have only met a creation of God, a lesser part of the infinite, a manifestation of God because as long as the "you" is still present and experienced, you are not experiencing God. When the you, the ego persona is gone, that is when you join God-- but rather than this being a meeting of God, you can't "meet" God because God is not a person or ego or tangible thing as we perceive things, instead you become one with God, you realize your True Self when you realize that your ego self is fake, you realize there was never really a “Karishma” at all, there was only God there without beginning or end when you look at the big picture because the picture itself is God. You always embodied God, you always manifested God because that is what you truly are... when you forgot this or were separated by illusions, is when you did "bad" things causing you suffering or anything that caused further separation between you and your True Self. You can get stuck in this cycle of doing something because you are separated from God, so your separation caused this issue but, then that thing which you are doing (like an addiction, for example) causes further separation between you and God and this cycle keeps going till God glances light within you, showing you that all these things are illusions and that you are looking at a veil and you need to lift up the veil to see reality, to see the righteous parts of life. 

This is why you must accept that being separated and joining God (like happiness or sadness) is not truly in "your" control- you must let go to the Higher Power and accept that all that happens is righteous destiny, no matter how much "you" the person don't understand it. Because it is not "you" the person who does anything at all. The real you, the God you, is all and does all. There is no sense of pride then, there is no ego, because you, Karishma, have done nothing and are nothing. In this world you are a fake persona, a temporary vessel, a manifestation of the infinite glory of God. You are quite literally a servant to God, and everyone else that you meet or see is also the same exact thing-- all are vessels through which Divine light is manifested and experienced. We are all on the same overarching journey, all experiencing the same cycles, we are all truly God because there is nothing else but God. And then there is no judgement, because we all perceive these illusions and we are all separated from God. There are no levels of joining God to take spiritual pride in-- there is only separation and unity. You are either pretending to be a person, a genuine fake, or you are a realized God. We are all on this journey, you cannot take pride in anything because nothing is "you" and this is not to say that in comparison to God, I am nothing because God is so great, it's not about comparing levels of greatness. It's about understanding that all in the world, the entire infinite Universe is God and there is no start or finish to the greatness of God and all greatness is literally from and because of God. God is not just the creator of power and good-- God is literally all power and good. Anything or anyone that lives-- is a temporary manifestation of the infinite God. So it is not via comparison of good and greater, it is simply the understanding that we as people or animals or whatever are temporary manifestations of Divine Infinite Light, nothing could exist without God and God is the only unborn infinite Self, free from bounds completely. No time or space is relative to God because God is all that ever was, all that is and all that will ever be. The big bang happens in cycles of separation from singularity (expansion) and unity (contraction) to singularity. It has happened infinitely before and it will happen infinitely again. It is all a big game of hide and seek, a drama, a cosmic joke, a dance, a divinely directed performance.  

[the-cookie-of-doom]

alright, its actually thanks to you i started listening to the magnus archives in the first place. buuut i gotta ask, how many episodes can you listen to in one sitting ? i find myself zoning out if im halfway through the 2nd/3rd episode in a row. idk, maybe its cause its so ominous ? but its ominous in the mundane situations where you find yourself and idk if thats why. also, i gotta concentrate really hard to focus on the important details, too

I started listening in January, and I got through all 4 seasons in... about 5 days I think? It was a bit of a Blur™️, and I didn't sleep much, but I would say... I can listen to quite a few lol. Right now I'm relistening at a slower pace so I'll take a few days to get through one season. I like to listen to a few episodes when I'm doing dishes or knitting, or right before bed.

I would said don't try to catch everything the first time. Mostly because you won't, a lot of the time you won't realize what's important until you come back knowing what to look for (like the Anglerfish in episode one? Totally didn't retain that detail, but it comes back in the finale of season 3).

In the beginning I don't think you need to worry about internalizing everything; the plot doesn't really start coming together until season 3. Once you start to notice the connections being made, it's WAY easier to retain information! The first listen through is great just to experience it and get those visceral reaction, because you don't know what's coming. Then when you listen through again it's fun to see the things you ''missed", and how it all adds up again later.

If you're having trouble concentrating, you could always listen to one or two episodes, then take a break, kind of like the pomodoro method! Or if it's an auditory processing thing (I have a habit of zoning out in classes unless I can read the textbook, the cons of being visual-kinesthetic), you could pull up the transcripts and read along to the episode, maybe?

But yeah, I would recommend not stressing over concentrating on the details! There are SO many and they're everywhere, but when there are really pertinent ones, they will call back to them. As Jon begins to figure things out, he'll have the occasional "oh this is like xxx statement," so it's like a little reminder. And if you still can't remember, Jon basically tells you what statement/episode to refer back to.

I'm so glad you're getting into TMA! The podcast is really awesome, especially once all the threads come together and you start to see the overarching meta plot. A lot of care has been taken with the writing, and I hope you enjoy it!

[jdubx999]

Alright. This finna be fat. Processing & reflecting all ma shit..

Soooo I’ve been overwhelmed with thoughts, reflections, emotions in the middle of the dark grey clouds of stress & endless acid raindrops that are burning my eyes from really looking at the here & now. So if you can imagine, I’ve been multitasking & trying to sort out ma shit with all this other shit buzzing around…thus, i feel like I have no real time or energy to really think about this shit in a REAL clear & deep point of view (if that makes any sense to you)…basically my brain is like having 10,000 train tracks & getting off of one train, running to the next platform, riding it for a few minutes, running to the next platform, & so on…all while trying to live a conscious life in this world. 

- As of right now, I’m visualizing myself as a pie chart…I’d say, 50% of the pie chart is colored dark olive green & labeled “Stressed”, 20% of it is a maroon & is called “Mindfucked”, 20% is “Happy”, the other 10% is divided up as “Confused”, “Scared”, “Angry”, “Determined” etc. 

Well lemme just convey to the world my agenda, which is also just me trying to understand if I’m just being overdramatic (once again) or if this shit really is stressful (this also leads to my overarching question of: how do others perceive me because I only see myself through my own subjective lens, which I know that it is completely skewed with sky-scraper standards & ideals that I struggle to climb to reach). I know these expectations on myself is triggered to our twisted societies expectations & I am still struggling to detach from that illusion. Its also a large duty of mine to try & be the best friend/daughter/grand-daughter/sister/student/etc, which is stressful considering I can’t even keep myself from overthinking. I feel so selfish because I’m stressed & wrapped up in my emotions, spiritual journey, expectations on myself/others, & my future/grade. but all I really wanna do is freeze time with my non-existent time-remote & just pause life so I can just walk to the cliffs near the beach & just sit. Sit & listen to music, write, draw, think, remember, & just reflect on everything. Things ive learned in life experiences, embrace all emotions that come up, & just be sad & to just be happy with being sad; to just be happy with my memories & appreciate everything. I feel like I can’t live in the present because of all of my “forward-thinking”/future duties/obligations toward “Success”. I hella remember thinking that this society is not for me, & that I just wanna live in the now & learn, love, appreciate, laugh & play. But according to my mum, I don’t live in the clouds & this is real life. I’m a fortunate soul because my family has provided me the means to all these opportunities, & I realize that I’m also just really confused (who isnt at age 20).. Hmm confused.. or maybe that’s just what I am? I adjust to my environment but taking what I like from that environment & incorporating it to myself. A little lost at this point…but is this the process of adapting or just who I am.  Am I participating in the trying to understand the absurd, or is this shit real…not sure fuzzy answers. It’s crazy how I feel like I’m carrying so many things in my hands & im constantly shifting to keep them in tact, & to hold onto them forever. I know what I’m capable of and I know what I can do, it’s just a matter of getting there. I wanna live & enjoy everyone around me & I wanna show more love to myself, family, & close friends. I don’t wanna be caught up in this superficial life bullshit. Perhaps I’m just being overdramatic & really my situation is okay. I am constantly moving forward, stepping faster & faster, growing exponentially (not too extreme in a sense where I am a whole new person, but general shit like learning what i truly want/need/deserve & making difficult decisions to reach those desires. Moving forward is the only way I can go, & I cannot let my mind convince me to give out a fuck out of my bag of many precious fucks. But to be real, I think I need to hold on to these fucks & never give them out & only use them towards positive & healthy relationships. Change occurs, & that is A-okay (even though it may not feel like that all the time). Those who aren’t down or put me down I guess can kick rocks.This also just shows how much I value positivity & totally despise any type of negativity bad vibes/intentions in my life. Or is this just me shielding myself from any type of inevitable negative aspects/darkness that accompanies life.. hmm.. whatever. Regardless, nothing in life is permanent which is humbling because that means the bad/ painful moments will eventually pass. 

Things do end, but do they really though?… personally their impact is still with me & I remember them forever & how they made me feel (which is typically happiness). I need to remember to take the time to love those who are there for me unconditionally (shit even strangers)  & to appreciate their mere existence & contribution to my life.  Although the physical is gone, the spirit remains.

….. damn i feel better- thats enough for awhile.. goodnight! & much love.

[riichardwilson]

Pro Tip: How to develop a content calendar that’s relevant with creative leeway

Creating an annual blog editorial calendar can seem daunting, but it doesn’t have to be. Using this three-step process, you can quickly and effectively produce enough blog topics to fill the calendar with four ideas per month, resulting in 48 topics for the year. Not only is this something you can do in an afternoon, but it also ensures each topic is both relevant to overarching content strategy yet broad enough to give content writers some creative leeway.

1. Identify four key audiences

Challenge yourself to think of four existing customers that can serve as examples of the types of customers you’d like to land for your company moving forward. Pinpoint each customer’s unique challenges, emotions and values, as you’ll want the content to speak to those needs.

2. Identify three solutions

Think of three solutions your company offers to each of the four customers. Perhaps it’s three different services, different products or different value propositions. Match up each of your three solutions with each of your four audiences.

Solution A for Audience 1

Solution B for Audience 1

Solution C for Audience 1

Solution A for Audience 2

And so on until you have twelve broad topics to explore

3. Identify four content categories

Finally, come up with a list of four content categories that will allow you to approach each solution/customer pairing from a variety of perspectives.

Some ideas include:

Expert Q&As

Step-by-step Guides

Industry News

Listicles

Case Studies

Combine this list of categories with your 12 solution pairings to generate 48 unique topics. For example:

Expert Q&A that addresses Audience 1’s challenges from the perspective of what Solution A offers

Keep in mind that a blog is not an advertisement, so while your company and its services and differentiators are being mentioned or alluded to in every blog, it won’t be strictly promotional in nature. Instead, focus on providing value to your readers.

As for a publishing timeline, try to address each unique audience in one blog post per month. That way, each month, a blog will be published that is relevant to each target audience.

Pro Tip is a special feature for SEO Companys in our community to share a specific tactic others can use to elevate their performance. You can submit your own here.

Opinions expressed in this article are those of the guest author and not necessarily Search Engine Land. Staff authors are listed here.

About The Author

Ryan Brock is the founder and CEO of Metonymy Media, an agency of creative writers dedicated to helping businesses and organizations communicate effectively for growth and success. A full-time writer, editor, and entrepreneur for nine years, Brock’s professional focus is on creating fulfilling career opportunities for creative writers while empowering genuine brands to tell powerful stories that connect with audiences on every level to create powerful customer experiences. Brock has edited a number of books and publications, and is also the co-author of Nothing New: An Irreverent History of Storytelling and Social Media.

Website Design & SEO Delray Beach by DBL07.co

Delray Beach SEO

source http://www.scpie.org/pro-tip-how-to-develop-a-content-calendar-thats-relevant-with-creative-leeway/ source https://scpie.tumblr.com/post/613043801025626112

[laurelkrugerr]

Pro Tip: How to develop a content calendar that’s relevant with creative leeway

Creating an annual blog editorial calendar can seem daunting, but it doesn’t have to be. Using this three-step process, you can quickly and effectively produce enough blog topics to fill the calendar with four ideas per month, resulting in 48 topics for the year. Not only is this something you can do in an afternoon, but it also ensures each topic is both relevant to overarching content strategy yet broad enough to give content writers some creative leeway.

1. Identify four key audiences

Challenge yourself to think of four existing customers that can serve as examples of the types of customers you’d like to land for your company moving forward. Pinpoint each customer’s unique challenges, emotions and values, as you’ll want the content to speak to those needs.

2. Identify three solutions

Think of three solutions your company offers to each of the four customers. Perhaps it’s three different services, different products or different value propositions. Match up each of your three solutions with each of your four audiences.

Solution A for Audience 1

Solution B for Audience 1

Solution C for Audience 1

Solution A for Audience 2

And so on until you have twelve broad topics to explore

3. Identify four content categories

Finally, come up with a list of four content categories that will allow you to approach each solution/customer pairing from a variety of perspectives.

Some ideas include:

Expert Q&As

Step-by-step Guides

Industry News

Listicles

Case Studies

Combine this list of categories with your 12 solution pairings to generate 48 unique topics. For example:

Expert Q&A that addresses Audience 1’s challenges from the perspective of what Solution A offers

Keep in mind that a blog is not an advertisement, so while your company and its services and differentiators are being mentioned or alluded to in every blog, it won’t be strictly promotional in nature. Instead, focus on providing value to your readers.

As for a publishing timeline, try to address each unique audience in one blog post per month. That way, each month, a blog will be published that is relevant to each target audience.

Pro Tip is a special feature for SEO Companys in our community to share a specific tactic others can use to elevate their performance. You can submit your own here.

Opinions expressed in this article are those of the guest author and not necessarily Search Engine Land. Staff authors are listed here.

About The Author

Ryan Brock is the founder and CEO of Metonymy Media, an agency of creative writers dedicated to helping businesses and organizations communicate effectively for growth and success. A full-time writer, editor, and entrepreneur for nine years, Brock’s professional focus is on creating fulfilling career opportunities for creative writers while empowering genuine brands to tell powerful stories that connect with audiences on every level to create powerful customer experiences. Brock has edited a number of books and publications, and is also the co-author of Nothing New: An Irreverent History of Storytelling and Social Media.

Website Design & SEO Delray Beach by DBL07.co

Delray Beach SEO

source http://www.scpie.org/pro-tip-how-to-develop-a-content-calendar-thats-relevant-with-creative-leeway/ source https://scpie1.blogspot.com/2020/03/pro-tip-how-to-develop-content-calendar.html

[scpie]

Pro Tip: How to develop a content calendar that’s relevant with creative leeway

Creating an annual blog editorial calendar can seem daunting, but it doesn’t have to be. Using this three-step process, you can quickly and effectively produce enough blog topics to fill the calendar with four ideas per month, resulting in 48 topics for the year. Not only is this something you can do in an afternoon, but it also ensures each topic is both relevant to overarching content strategy yet broad enough to give content writers some creative leeway.

1. Identify four key audiences

Challenge yourself to think of four existing customers that can serve as examples of the types of customers you’d like to land for your company moving forward. Pinpoint each customer’s unique challenges, emotions and values, as you’ll want the content to speak to those needs.

2. Identify three solutions

Think of three solutions your company offers to each of the four customers. Perhaps it’s three different services, different products or different value propositions. Match up each of your three solutions with each of your four audiences.

Solution A for Audience 1

Solution B for Audience 1

Solution C for Audience 1

Solution A for Audience 2

And so on until you have twelve broad topics to explore

3. Identify four content categories

Finally, come up with a list of four content categories that will allow you to approach each solution/customer pairing from a variety of perspectives.

Some ideas include:

Expert Q&As

Step-by-step Guides

Industry News

Listicles

Case Studies

Combine this list of categories with your 12 solution pairings to generate 48 unique topics. For example:

Expert Q&A that addresses Audience 1’s challenges from the perspective of what Solution A offers

Keep in mind that a blog is not an advertisement, so while your company and its services and differentiators are being mentioned or alluded to in every blog, it won’t be strictly promotional in nature. Instead, focus on providing value to your readers.

As for a publishing timeline, try to address each unique audience in one blog post per month. That way, each month, a blog will be published that is relevant to each target audience.

Pro Tip is a special feature for SEO Companys in our community to share a specific tactic others can use to elevate their performance. You can submit your own here.

Opinions expressed in this article are those of the guest author and not necessarily Search Engine Land. Staff authors are listed here.

About The Author

Ryan Brock is the founder and CEO of Metonymy Media, an agency of creative writers dedicated to helping businesses and organizations communicate effectively for growth and success. A full-time writer, editor, and entrepreneur for nine years, Brock’s professional focus is on creating fulfilling career opportunities for creative writers while empowering genuine brands to tell powerful stories that connect with audiences on every level to create powerful customer experiences. Brock has edited a number of books and publications, and is also the co-author of Nothing New: An Irreverent History of Storytelling and Social Media.

Website Design & SEO Delray Beach by DBL07.co

Delray Beach SEO

source http://www.scpie.org/pro-tip-how-to-develop-a-content-calendar-thats-relevant-with-creative-leeway/

[00250]

Advice for writing multi chaptered fics?

!!!!!!!!!! this is gonna be long probably so

first of all im so happy you have come to me!! to ask this question!! i feel so honoured!! i will do my best to provide u w an at least sort of helpful answer

so

ill start w a disclaimer that ive only ever actually finished 2 mulit-chap fics so. Yea im gonna talk abt my experience w those first then general advice

that being said!!! the first multi-chap fic i ever wrote was totl, which ended up being about 46k. when i decided to start posting (COMPLETELY on a whim, jsyk) i had done about 3 chapters? and i decided to commit to a once a week posting schedule so. w 12 chaps and 46k total (totl, haha) i think i was writing just over 3800 words per week? which like, looking back. How The Fuck

totl spanned august-october of 2015, so when i was just starting grade 12! i was writing each chapter like. in the week before it was posted mostly so i had Deadlines which i think! really did help motivate me to write it because i REALLY wanted to stick to my schedule

also, i knew exactly what i was doing - before i started posting chapters i’d outlined the ENTIRE fic in a rly nice kind of spreadsheet thing w like. plot points, chapter stats (title, words, date to post), the quote for each chap, and bookkeeping details like timeline! i think that was the MOST helpful thing for me cause in general i need to Plan Out My Entire Life like i wouldn’t be alive w/o my planner!!!

also i have the best friends in the entire world so i had a really really good support system when i was writing totl - both irl and tumblr friends that would hype me up and were really invested in the fic so that meant a LOT to me and was just all the more motivation to finish it and make it really good!!

also i think since i’d had the idea for totl for almost 3 years before i actually wrote it (fun fact it was originally gonna b for a diff fandom but i changed it to tailor to tmr) i had a LOT of time to consider like. overarching themes and the artistic aspect of it? so like by the time i got around to outlining/writing really all i needed to figure out was specific plot stuff and tailoring it to tmr

so that was my approach for totl!! in addition to like the Main fic ive also done a number of shorter fics in the same universe cause it is so dear to me!! you can find that here if ur interested ;))

my other multi-chap fic i’ve written is called expedition and its a 48k space adventure fic!! this one isnt a modern au, but like, canon universe if wckd had decided to send the gladers to space to repopulate instead of like. Using Them As Test Subjects.

this one i wrote over a Long period of time, i think the original conception of the idea was march-ish of 2016, and then i actually got my shit together and started writing that summer, but didn’t finish it until september 2017! there’s a lot of factors as to why it took so long but it was mostly school (bc i started uni that year) and the fact that i didnt meticulously outline! i had a rly good idea of what i wanted for general mood and themes, but plot was only a few rly general points that didnt get really detailed until i was actually writing the fic

also because i hadnt outlined i didnt start publishing until it was Completely done bc i knew i wouldnt be able to keep up - and this is just a personal preference for like My Own writing but i generally don’t post things until they’re Done i just like. can’t have the chance of not finishing/disappointing ppl/etc but thats just me!

so w expedition i was going into it a lot more blind but i was curious to see how that affected my creative process? like. just letting myself Loose and seeing where the story went and i liked it!! i feel like for me. my writing style in terms of both artistic style and like. the technical stuff and how i prepare/etc for a fic REALLY depends on the fic itself!! like. i dont know how to explain it but. yea

okay! this is way too long lets have some general multi-chap fic writing advice:

outline if that works for you! some people think its to constraining on their creativity but i find it really helps me stay on track/motivated!

have some ppl to hype u up! my irl best friend who Did Not Care about tmr read all the books just so he could talk about it with me!! and he read totl every single week and discussed it w me and it was. so Blessed its hard but if u can find urself a hype friend

figure out why the hell u want to do this!! personal achievement? hell yea! just really need to tell this story?? awesome!! you know that that one person will abs love it?? perf!!

even if it’s bad/ends up not really fitting your story in the end, save it. you can always spin it into a one shot or maybe even its entire own thing. also, it’s just nice to look back on your own writing!!

in that vein - the one shot i just posted for totl was a scene between thomas and minho that didn’t make it into any of the other totl fics. it’s nice bc i can explore those moments, and also it was just like. a dialogue study btwn those two characters - i find those are Really helpful to explore a dynamic esp one u might not get to see a lot in whatever fic ur writing

let yourself be bad? like this sounds like weird advice but. don’t get caught up in having the first draft be perfect - when i’m writing a first draft of anything i dont edit AT ALL (if i think of something to change while writing ill usually use google doc’s comment feature) because i find it rly disrupts the creative flow!! let urself word vomit! dont worry abt making it good, u can do that later!!

know urself. if inspiration doesnt strike that often, make use of when it does. you can train yourself to be in the mood for writing - it’s fuckin hard, but if you get into the habit, it becomes a LOT easier to write more regularly. try to write at least 100 words a day

for multi-chap fics, keep track of ur shit!!! it helps to make a separate document w like. a little timeline of when things happen. even if they’re not all relevant in your story or are never mentioned, it will help you to keep things straight logistically

if ur commiting to a multi-chap and ur gonna update it every how many ever days, try to like. write a good chunk of it Before in case u fall behind!! but if u do end missing a deadline dont! beat urself up! 

have fun. writing is supposed to be painful but like. fun painful

ok i think that’s way longer than it should b so im gonna. stop. but this was FUN anon i hope at least some of this was helpful and if u ever wanna talk abt writing w me!! come hit me up yall!

[opticien2-0]

INTERVIEW Andreas Antrup of Zalando on the value of innovation

In the run up to this year’s InternetRetailing Summit in Berlin we’re speaking to senior retailers who are taking part. Today we hear from Andreas Antrup, vice president, data and advertising at Zalando [IRDX RZAL].

InternetRetailing: At the InternetRetailing Summit you’re going to be talking about the value of innovation. Tell us about innovation at Zalando through one or two examples.

Andreas Antrup, VP advertising at Zalando: Innovation has been part of Zalando from the start, when free shipping and returns meant a blanket guarantee that customers could check and send back any products that were not to their liking.

More recently, Zalando innovated in order to overcome a significant barrier towards adopting ecommerce – that of customers being out of pocket when they pay for things that they want to try. The solution there was payment by invoice, so that the customer just pays when they know what they want to keep. It’s another way of issuing a guarantee to the customer.

IR: How do you encourage innovation at Zalando?

AA: If you look at the company from the outside you’d see explicit measures that push innovation forwards. Our company goals include clear expectations of improving and increasing new customer experiences. This applies to a framework whose central pillars include the assortment that we sell, the convenience proposition around that, such as delivery and logistics, and the digital experience, which goes across the Zalando shop. Within these three areas, we’ve innovated where it’s necessary to keep up the pace. It’s important to reflect market demand.

But more importantly, innovation is part and parcel of our culture. If you come to Zalando and ask for the innovation department you won’t find one. Innovation is simply expected, everywhere and from everyone in the company.

IR: Do you have advice for other retailers on where it’s worth innovating?

AA: There’s always a lot of trends and new opportunities that one could pursue. While it’s true that one should plant many seeds if one wants to reap the harvest later on, one also shouldn’t plant too many. It’s easy to lose focus and to be stretched too far. Many trends blow over – remember the hype around Google Glass and around the Apple Watch. If you compare the hype of two years ago to the commercial reality today, those things were clearly overrated; for now at least.

That leads you to think then why don’t I just be a more astute and savvy follower. It’s important to lead in areas such as assortment that are your core focus, but when it comes to new customer experiences perhaps even to distribution channels, one need not necessarily be the innovator.

At the same time, there are some long-term trends that are fairly obvious. The overarching one is digitisation, followed by the convenience trend I mentioned in the beginning about Zalando, and then the main wave we are experiencing at the moment. Thats all about machine learning and artificial intelligence, and building consumer services and upgrading processes through data. On the horizon, the lines between commerce, content and services are starting to blur, especially in China and we can expect that to arrive here in a few years. Retailers can think today about how they leverage this data and machine-learning trend, and how they position themselves to leverage this new trend of content-commerce convergence in future.

IR: How do retailers best get traction with customers for new approaches and innovations?

AA: Everything must be in place and work before it really scales in the consumer sphere. Even value enhancements that seem obvious to the retailer aren’t necessarily obvious to the consumer – you need to iterate and persevere a bit before giving up. At the same time, to come back the idea of planting seed, you do have to cut back the things that just don’t work. One example from Zalando is that for a while we experimented with using local weather conditions as a shopping signal. If half the country was experiencing heavy rain we would say ‘hey look, here’s a nice coat’. But I can say that going in that direction was not in the end successful. Weather is not such a strong signal after all, and people buy things not only for today but for a longer period of time. But the initial idea was also not all misguided – we see a big impact from the weather on what people buy, and whether they shop at all.

In the end, the really important bit is to relentlessly focus on one’s customer. All these new innovations and market trends are part of delivering value to your customer. The most important thing is to stay atop of what your customer segment considers particularly relevant, or less relevant, and then exactly cater to that. All the other things are just a means to an end in this quest.

Andreas Antrup will be taking part in a leadership panel, Investing services beyond the obvious that no-one asked for to create a new normal, at the InternetRetailing Summit.

The InternetRetailing Summit is held in Berlin and runs from July 3 to July 5 2017. It brings together senior figures from leading retailers from across the European Economic Area (EEA) plus Switzerland for an immersive three-day event spent focusing on the way that multichannel retailers are innovating to improve the customer experience. It is held in partnership with our IREU Top500 research project, and aims to give Europe’s Top500 retailers the opportunity to spend three days learning from, sharing with and simply talking to other leaders in the ecommerce and multichannel industry. To find out more about the event click here.

The post INTERVIEW Andreas Antrup of Zalando on the value of innovation appeared first on InternetRetailing.

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INTERVIEW Andreas Antrup of Zalando on the value of innovation

In the run up to this year’s InternetRetailing Summit in Berlin we’re speaking to senior retailers who are taking part. Today we hear from Andreas Antrup, vice president, data and advertising at Zalando [IRDX RZAL].

InternetRetailing: At the InternetRetailing Summit you’re going to be talking about the value of innovation. Tell us about innovation at Zalando through one or two examples.

Andreas Antrup, VP advertising at Zalando: Innovation has been part of Zalando from the start, when free shipping and returns meant a blanket guarantee that customers could check and send back any products that were not to their liking.

More recently, Zalando innovated in order to overcome a significant barrier towards adopting ecommerce – that of customers being out of pocket when they pay for things that they want to try. The solution there was payment by invoice, so that the customer just pays when they know what they want to keep. It’s another way of issuing a guarantee to the customer.

IR: How do you encourage innovation at Zalando?

AA: If you look at the company from the outside you’d see explicit measures that push innovation forwards. Our company goals include clear expectations of improving and increasing new customer experiences. This applies to a framework whose central pillars include the assortment that we sell, the convenience proposition around that, such as delivery and logistics, and the digital experience, which goes across the Zalando shop. Within these three areas, we’ve innovated where it’s necessary to keep up the pace. It’s important to reflect market demand.

But more importantly, innovation is part and parcel of our culture. If you come to Zalando and ask for the innovation department you won’t find one. Innovation is simply expected, everywhere and from everyone in the company.

IR: Do you have advice for other retailers on where it’s worth innovating?

AA: There’s always a lot of trends and new opportunities that one could pursue. While it’s true that one should plant many seeds if one wants to reap the harvest later on, one also shouldn’t plant too many. It’s easy to lose focus and to be stretched too far. Many trends blow over – remember the hype around Google Glass and around the Apple Watch. If you compare the hype of two years ago to the commercial reality today, those things were clearly overrated; for now at least.

That leads you to think then why don’t I just be a more astute and savvy follower. It’s important to lead in areas such as assortment that are your core focus, but when it comes to new customer experiences perhaps even to distribution channels, one need not necessarily be the innovator.

At the same time, there are some long-term trends that are fairly obvious. The overarching one is digitisation, followed by the convenience trend I mentioned in the beginning about Zalando, and then the main wave we are experiencing at the moment. Thats all about machine learning and artificial intelligence, and building consumer services and upgrading processes through data. On the horizon, the lines between commerce, content and services are starting to blur, especially in China and we can expect that to arrive here in a few years. Retailers can think today about how they leverage this data and machine-learning trend, and how they position themselves to leverage this new trend of content-commerce convergence in future.

IR: How do retailers best get traction with customers for new approaches and innovations?

AA: Everything must be in place and work before it really scales in the consumer sphere. Even value enhancements that seem obvious to the retailer aren’t necessarily obvious to the consumer – you need to iterate and persevere a bit before giving up. At the same time, to come back the idea of planting seed, you do have to cut back the things that just don’t work. One example from Zalando is that for a while we experimented with using local weather conditions as a shopping signal. If half the country was experiencing heavy rain we would say ‘hey look, here’s a nice coat’. But I can say that going in that direction was not in the end successful. Weather is not such a strong signal after all, and people buy things not only for today but for a longer period of time. But the initial idea was also not all misguided – we see a big impact from the weather on what people buy, and whether they shop at all.

In the end, the really important bit is to relentlessly focus on one’s customer. All these new innovations and market trends are part of delivering value to your customer. The most important thing is to stay atop of what your customer segment considers particularly relevant, or less relevant, and then exactly cater to that. All the other things are just a means to an end in this quest.

Andreas Antrup will be taking part in a leadership panel, Investing services beyond the obvious that no-one asked for to create a new normal, at the InternetRetailing Summit.

The InternetRetailing Summit is held in Berlin and runs from July 3 to July 5 2017. It brings together senior figures from leading retailers from across the European Economic Area (EEA) plus Switzerland for an immersive three-day event spent focusing on the way that multichannel retailers are innovating to improve the customer experience. It is held in partnership with our IREU Top500 research project, and aims to give Europe’s Top500 retailers the opportunity to spend three days learning from, sharing with and simply talking to other leaders in the ecommerce and multichannel industry. To find out more about the event click here.

Mentioned in this piece…

Zalando

IRDX: RZAL

Zalando GmbH is a multinational e-commerce company that specialises in selling shoes, clothing and other fashion and lifestyle products online. (more…)

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