#creative writing methodology

[universitypenguin]

Okay Alice! So what's your writing style? I just figured out mine. It's controlled panster I know the ending and some plot points of my story but plotting stress me out. I think you'll be a plotter or a planster🤔

You’re spot on! I’m a methodological pantser.

If I do too much outlining, the energy fades away. Knowing the full story just makes me feel like I’m done with it before I’ve written anything. I fall on the edge between plotter and pantser. For an act, I use a rough outline, just to make sure I’m keeping up a good pace and not getting distracted. But beyond knowing the pinch points between acts, my midpoint and the ending, I don’t bother very much.

Also, I never really plot the third act beyond knowing approximately where I’d like to end.

I’m sure of my type, because I definitely revise and edit at the same time I’m writing the first draft. On the continuums, if you assigned the middle as zero and the extreme application of the trait as 100%, I would say I’m 5% a plotter and 95% methodological.

When I do sit down and outline a story, I’ll get one or two results. One - I lose interest. Two - having created the plan, I can now throw away the plan and write from a more creative perspective. Option two works kind of like doing a first draft, but it’s more time efficient.

I’m also totally committed to story structure.

There are so many variations on them that I never get bored learning about structure. I would say I refine my ideas with plotting and then charge in without a firm plan in mind. The tent pole method, where you know the key turning point and you’re always mindful of where you are in the story’s progression is what I rely on. This is probably why most people think I’m a plotter, when I’m really not. For example, with the Princess and the Lawyer I know the midpoint for certain, and I have since the beginning. But I don’t have much more than a concept about how I’m going to do the ending. To accommodate that when I wrote Nguyen’s interrogation scene, I made a list of potential scenarios and lists of clues that would be interesting to write about. I might use them or I might come up with something better once I know more about the story.

For me, plotting is more of an exercise in finding out how not to write the story, if that makes sense. Once I’ve plotted enough that I can tell my ideas are getting better, I start writing and see what comes out. This is always a surprise. I have no idea what I’m going to make the characters say and do once I’m in the zone. After I see it on paper, I can work with my methodological skills and pare it down into something that works. The creative side of me has to come out during the actual process of writing and then the scientific mind evaluates her colleague’s work, and helps with organization and execution.

Another reason I know I’m a methodological pantser is because I always run out of steam. The first 15,000 words of a book usually take me less than a week. Then I slow down a little for the next 15,000 and struggle through the transition into Act 2. Then, I’m down for the count. Discipline and commitment are key to getting through the next three chapters but they can take me months. I’ll set little goals and focus on writing every single day, because you can only fail for so long. Eventually, something works out. What’s helped me lately is expecting that 2nd Act “pit of despair” and reminding myself that I can, in fact, get through it.

I also run out of steam in the middle of Act 3. The fact is, all that freedom comes with a price. Where I planned to end up is never where I actually end up. It was a lie all along. But it’s always just accurate enough to get me to the right spot, where I can figure out the ending. It’s as if I’d planned a road trip from Los Angeles to New York, and once I hit New York, I realize I have to go to Vermont. Then I can look back at my story and see that I was never driving towards New York at all.

However, when I hit the end of a story and I finally see the ending, I go crazy. When I was writing “Restitution” I wrote, edited, and posted the last four chapters inside of a 24 hour window after a full day at work. No joke. I was awake for a full 48 hours, locked into a genuine ADHD hyper focus, while I finished that story. The time stamps on the posts will prove it.

It’s a strange and chaotic writing type, but that’s what makes it fun. 😂

[antimony-medusa]

The thing with RPF

Okay, I don't tend to engage much with RPF. I have read it, but only when recommended by someone whose taste I trust (I think it's all supernatural aus that I've read, to-date), and my intention is not to write it. Not really my scene.

However, I really think this fandom could stand to stop treating RPF like it is the devil.

If you engage only with someone in the form of like an hour a week of video of them performing for an audience, particularly if that video is edited, like, when you start mentally rotating characters to create with, your brain isn't gonna draw a huge difference between the guy from the scripted thing you watched, and the person from, idk, mythbusters. Love to see my guy make a big explosion.

In both situations, you don't know them as people, you know them as like, personas, characters. You are essentially engaging with them as fictional characters, cause you only see the small segment of their lives that they put into the video, and whatever story they're telling with that. You don't know them as people, because how could you? So your brain going "hehe what if hunger games au" is just one of the ways brains work.

And idk, as long as you know you're doing that, I think that's fine.

It's fiction. You're writing/reading fiction. It's in the name. You know that it's not true, you're dealing with fictionalized versions of like, stage personas, or teaching methodologies, or historical records, and you can make your little fictions, and you show it to the eight people who are also really into *spins wheel* Ancient Egyptian RPF or *spins other wheel* Taskmaster UK TV RPF or *continues to spin the wheel* Polygon (web series) RPF. You all shake each other's hands and go "man I really like [person/character] and I think about them a lot" and someone else goes "I also think about [person/character] a lot and I think that if he was a warrior cat he would be a kittypet" and someone else goes "I think if [peson/character] would boil an egg the egg would explode cause he's really bad at boiling eggs" and you go "go on". You are all silly together, and you are all doing fiction, and you go on your merry way.

Like that is A Thing People Do On The Internet, and that stays in its its designated space, and that's fine. Might not be your jam but it's fine. That is not more weird than inventing an elaborate imaginary religion for a minecraft world, or working out the emotional nuance of an arranged marrige au between fictional detectives, or carefully making an elaborate interlocking series of stories where someone from a children's cartoon is horribly tortured, rescued, recovers, and gets their vengance. All of that looks weird from the outside, and is a fine and honourable thing to do in your little circles on the internet.

The part where this becomes a problem is when you take your fiction (lies we tell recreationally) out of the designated circle of people enjoying the fictions, and you shove it in the face of the person it's based on, and go "do you like this" or "is this okay" or "I found this and I think it's bad is it bad".

When you are doing the fiction you are engaging with the person as a character which is like, fine, and a truthful reflection of how much you actually know them (not at all, you don't know them), but in shoving it in their face you are going "I don't know you but I want you to react to this for my entertainment/justification, because I think this reflects on you, and apparently I think I deserve your time and attention, and also I think I already know how you're gonna react and I'm gonna use it for my callout posts", which is like, so much ruder than just making fictions about people you don't actually know.

Like writing a superhero au about the person you watch video game speedrun— based. Love the imagination. That is making something from nothing, a great creative act. I could not do that at all but I salute you.

Telling the speedrunner about it? No were you raised in a barn. You are not writing it for the person to approve of— they don"t know you— you are writing it for fun and the enjoyment of other speedrunner enjoyers. Keep it locked down.

As long as we're all aware that RPF is fiction, and we keep it in circles where we're circulating it as fiction— ao3 archive locks exist for a reason! this is not something you want to show up on a google search!— this is just a thing people do for entertainment. Don't bring it up to the person it's about, and you're fine.

And I've been thinking about this because like, I don't think what I'm writing is RPF, but BOY from the outside people seem to think it is! Including the creators! Which means that even while I'm doing my best to adhere to character beats from the story and not just streamer personas, and differentiate between the dude in england and the dude in 3rd life, also I should be aware that if the creator hits it, he's probably gonna think that I'm just writing this about him.

Things go SO MUCH BETTER if the creator only finds it if he goes "huh I wonder what people are writing about me" and deliberately goes to look for it, not if he's just going along thinking about disney movies and someone comes screaming into his field of view like "people are writing about you on the internet". And then he's gotta deal with the ways he's percieved, and whatever weird warrior cat situation people were putting him in, and the fact that people don't know him but think he can't boil an egg, and the 3rd life cannibalism aus, and and and— it's a mess. Please don't do that.

All of this to say A) RPF is fine actually that's just like one of the ways storytelling works— we're not writing RPF but it isn't the devil either. B) STOP TELLING PEOPLE ABOUT FANFICTION.

[femmefatalevibe]

Femme Fatale Playbook: How To Cultivate Self-Regard (In Every Area Of Life)

How to live with self-respect in every aspect of life. Here's your ultimate guide to living in your dark feminine energy.

Living with self-regard (or self-respect) means understanding that you cannot pour from an empty cup and the importance of making yourself your #1 priority. Feeling your best also has a domino effect. You become a better friend, boss, sibling, parent, child, lover, etc. when you feel comfortable with yourself and content in your own skin. Of course, some of these practices will apply to more than one area of life (ex. Sleep improves your physical and mental health and a good night’s rest can also be considered an act of self-care), but these principles/examples are divided up to streamline these tips. Enjoy xx 

Areas of Life: 

Career

Self-Care/Self-Development 

Finances

Physical Health 

Mental Health/Emotional Well-Being 

Sexual Health/Sexuality & Sensuality 

Relationships (All Types - Friends, Family, Work, Intimate) 

Career: 

Discover what you love: Find the subject matters, industries, and a way of adding value that lights you up inside. Take a job or get creative in your methodology to make this area of interest into your career.

Set clear goals: Do I want to work at a particular company? What position/title? Do I want to go out on my own – who are my dream clients, work volume, lifestyle, business structure, income? Write all these details down and strategize small, practical daily tasks/habits to reach your goal.

Build an indispensable skillset: Research, case-building, copywriting, strategic planning, computer programming, sales, data analytics, etc. Learn transferable skills to guarantee you'll always have something valuable to bring to the table in our ever-changing world/work culture. Start with one and accumulate more as you work towards self-mastery.

Know your worth: Negotiate – your salary, rates, workday structure, corporate benefits, PTO, etc. Never let someone have you begging for breadcrumbs or the bare minimum.

Speak up (when necessary): Communicate – clearly, directly, and assertively. Don't let someone walk all over you. Finish your sentences with certainty even if someone tries to interrupt you while you're speaking. Advocate for yourself, whether you're trying to secure a promotion, a new project, a proposed solution for a client, or taking a necessary break. Also, know when it's in your best interest to stay silent. Ensure your integrity remains intact. The truth of a matter speaks volumes.

Organize your day (Prioritize!): Set yourself up to win by outlining your priorities first before others' tasks and projects consume your mind and calendar. List your top 3 to-dos for the day that are non-negotiables for you and will inch you closer to your goals. I recommend the Productivity Planner for daily use.

Keep records: Have email records and call notes regarding every interaction and decision written down. This practice enables you to stand your ground when necessary and saves you a lot of trouble.

Set boundaries: Proudly affirm your 'no' to a project, any disrespectful comment, or too many nights of overtime work. Schedule and stick to your breaks and the time you clock out (within reason, of course). Never allow a company or endeavor to run you into the ground at the expense of your mental or physical health.

Make connections: Cultivating a network of mentors, colleagues, and peers in the same or adjacent fields is priceless. These connections can lead to new opportunities, provide a healthy and productive space to explore ideas, or generally vent and exchange advice. Strike up that conversation at lunch or an event. Follow up with a LinkedIn request or thoughtful email. You never know what this conversation might lead to and the opportunities it can bring.

Self-Care/Self-Development: 

Create daily/weekly rituals: Establish ones that add a little joy and streamline your day. These habits can range from a 10-minute yoga or meditation session every morning, to practicing morning pages or a daily shadow work prompt, reading 10 pages daily, getting your steps in, and planning your tasks, lunch, and outfit for the next day the night before to creating a weekly house-cleaning schedule or meal planning. Discover systems that allow you to put yourself first and set you up to win the day.

Find ways to feel beautiful: Create luscious skincare, shower, and hair/makeup/nail routines that make you feel like a queen. Invest in well-fitting, high-quality wardrobe staples. Make your favorite cup of coffee or tea daily. Keep your signature scent on hand. Exfoliate. Invest in matching pajama sets.

Indulge all of your senses: Light a candle. Put on a moody playlist to relax, focus, unwind, or turn you on – any melody that suits the occasion and gets you in the zone. Take a bubble bath or do a face mask. Relish in a warm beverage or a healthful, comforting meal. Use silk pillowcases, hair ties, and bed sheets. Pamper yourself with small everyday luxuries.

Expand your knowledge: Make it a priority to read a few articles and 10 pages of a book daily. Being educated on different topics and the world provides you with personal fulfillment and enables you to enter into a wider pool of conversations. This practice also strengthens your mind, sharpens focus, and helps your brain relax.

Explore your interests: Learn what subjects and activities light you up inside. Whether it's painting, dancing, tennis, spin classes, learning about ancient world history, politics, fashion, science, etc. Take time to study and practice in these areas of interest.

Embrace your creative side: Write, read, draw, create a mood board, explore Pinterest or Tumblr, style outfits, organize a section of your room, cook a new recipe, make a playlist – any fun activity that ignites creativity.

Plan dates for yourself: Take yourself out for coffee, lunch, a shopping date, or even a mini vacation. You deserve to enjoy experiences and derive pleasure from enjoying these life moments without worrying about anyone but yourself.

Remember to rest: Getting 7-8 hours of sleep nightly and taking breaks is essential for productivity and overall well-being. Never feel guilty for allowing your body and mind to recover. Neglecting rest only backfires if you're playing the long-term game.

Finances: 

Know your income/expense ratio: Ensure you know exactly how much money is coming in and going out every month. Create a personal balance sheet to audit your financial well-being.

Track everything: Keep a record of every stream of income and where every dollar is going – expenses, savings, estimated taxes, investments, charity, etc.

Have a set emergency fund: Between 3-12 months of expenses should be ready in a high-yield savings account at all times. If you have a family or are self-employed, aim for 6-12 months of necessary savings to stay sane. Saving this amount of money takes time. Be patient, and cut back on frivolous expenses if needed for the short term. It's an act of self-care.

Invest (especially in a Roth IRA or backdoor Roth IRA): Set one up through Vanguard or Fidelity ASAP if you have not already. Don't underestimate the importance of compound interest on your financial future and security.

Automatically pay yourself first: Automate a portion of your paycheck to savings and your investments, so you never see this money. Pay yourself first before spending (on anything but necessities).

Always max out your 401K employer-matching: Make sure you know what percentage your employer will match and always meet this investment requirement. Do yourself the favor. It's literally free money.

Only spend on your essentials & what you actually enjoy: Invest in pleasurable items and activities strategically. Only spend on additional experiences and products that add value to your life. Cut unfulfilling expenses.

Read about personal finance/speak with your brokerage firm: Take time to read about these topics and learn everything your parents didn't teach you or were not taught at school. Use licensed professionals (CPAs, brokerage firms, etc.) as a resource, too, for your personal goals.  

Use savings plug-ins/discount codes 

Physical Health: 

Cook/eat healthy meals: At least 80% of the time. Focus on eating whole foods and a (mainly) plant-based diet. I've been vegan for 10 years and it's done wonders for my body, skin, and mental clarity.

Drink plenty of water daily: Set a target of ounces = to your weight in pounds. Incorporate lemon, lime, orange wedges, or frozen berries if necessary to keep this habit interesting.

Find workouts you love: Whether that's low-impact like pilates, yoga, walking or dance classes, spin classes, weight-lifting, etc. The best exercise routine is the one you can gladly maintain.

Make daily movement a priority: At least 15-30 minutes daily. I aim for 10-12K steps at least 5 days a week.

Limit processed foods, alcohol, cigarettes 

Step outside: Get at least 10 minutes of sun daily, weather permitting. Always wear sunscreen.

Sleep Well: Aim for 7-8 hours (Create a sleep hygiene routine!)

Maintain proper hygiene: Shower daily, moisturize, wash your hair on your necessary schedule, brush your body from head to toe, etc.

Do pelvic floor exercises: It does wonders for your bladder and helps to satisfy your libidinal energy.

Go to your annual appointments: Primary doctor/Obgyn/Dentist/Dermatologist

Mental Health/Emotional Well-Being: 

Meditate: Some of my favorite ones are linked HERE (for anxiety), HERE, (focus/productivity), and HERE (feminine/sexual energy).

Journal: Do a daily shadow work prompt, gratitude journal exercise, or practice morning pages (stream of consciousness journaling for 3 pages every morning).

Read: 10 pages of a self-development/psychology book, at least 3-5 articles, or a chapter of a fiction or non-fiction book. Daily.

Take breaks: A 10-minute walk, a real lunch break, listening to music, making coffee. Something pleasurable to recenter your focus and energy.

Discover movement you love: Walking and dancing are your best friends.

Keep your space clean: Wipe off all surfaces and put things away daily. Keep your desk organized. Clean and put away the dishes before bed. Stick to a house cleaning schedule.

Make to-do/bullet-point lists: For every area of life – work, chores, groceries, other items you need, wishlists, activities, and hobbies you want to pursue

Schedule and plan out your week: House cleaning, laundry, work project management, email time blocking, appointments, beauty routines, workouts, etc.

Create non-negotiables: Sleep, daily walks, a healthy dinner, your skincare routine, a 15-minute shower – whatever must-do rituals you need to look and feel your best every day.

Connect with your inner circle: Make a deliberate effort to stay in touch and catch up with those who are loyal and have your best interest at heart. Make time to chat on the phone, send a text, or better yet –get coffee, lunch, drinks, or dinner weekly with at least one person who you know makes your life richer in some type of way.

Put restrictions on social media/screen time: Use your settings to limit your time on certain apps (Instagram, Twitter, Tik Tok, Facebook, etc.). I set mine for 2 hours a day. Stop checking email right before bed and first thing in the morning (at least try really hard not to –I'm so guilty of this one!).

Give freely: Be generous with those who you love, mentors, and mentees. Everyone appreciates when you put a little effort into giving someone a small thoughtful gift, doing a kind gesture, or lending an ear. It makes you feel good and can make someone's day, week, month, or year.

Set boundaries: Take time for yourself – to recharge, indulge in solo activities, have some fresh air, breathe, or sit in silence. Give freely with no expectations, but never overextend yourself. When seeking to know whether you're striking the right balance between giving and gatekeeping your energy ask yourself: Am I being kind, or do I feel like I'm losing a piece of myself when engaging with this person/attending this event? Be honest with yourself. Listen to and follow your initial gut reaction.

Go to therapy: If you can afford it, weekly (or bi-weekly, monthly) sessions are a game-changer for self-discovery, emotional regulation, and general happiness/life fulfillment.

Sexual Health/Sexuality & Sensuality:

Let go of shame: Internalize your right to pleasure. Claim ownership over this aspect of your life. It gives you confidence in and outside of the bedroom, so you move through the world with a magnetic aura and powerfully feminine energy.

Own your sexuality and preferences: Embrace who and what you're attracted to. This principle extends from your sexual orientation to your libido, turn-ons (fantasies, adult content, steamy memories, etc.), preferred positions, kinks, and devices. Sexuality and arousal are so personal. Allow yourself to be free of stigmas for the things you do in private. No one needs to know how you derive pleasure behind closed doors (unless it's a partner who's involved, of course).

Make time for self-pleasure and exploration (at least weekly): Understanding that you're in control of your own pleasure is empowering. Learning what you like is essential for sexual gratification – whether you're alone or sharing the experience with a partner.

Allow the mind-body connection to be your friend, not your enemy: Sex starts in the mind, so this point is important for climaxing. Get out of your head and into your body. Learning to enjoy your own body is a sign of self-respect.

Keep everything clean & hygienic: Only wash inside with water (no steaming!), clean any toys, and use protection. Safety and self-regard go hand-in-hand.

Find products & habits that make you feel beautiful: Invest in lingerie, sheets, perfume, body lotions, candles, wine, etc. that make you feel confident while in the mood.

Engage in playful & creative activities: Don't be shy about (safe and consensual) experimentation (I'll leave this to your imagination) and activities to build up tension, like a romantic dinner or a dancing session beforehand to make this area of your life more exciting and fulfilling.

Relationships: 

Communicate expectations: Clearly and often with any individual in your life. Listen and respond. Don't react. Validate emotions when necessary. If someone cannot do the same, understand that it's almost always a sign of projection. Remain calm and confident in yourself. Always command and show up to others with the highest level of respect.

Have empathy, but not at your own expense: Live with respect and consideration for others, but remember your life is for YOU. Beware of guilt-trippers. Don't take the bait.

Set boundaries: Uphold them unapologetically. Seek to understand others' needs and boundaries, so you can be considerate of their needs too. Empathy and kindness come from a place of self-respect. They are not the same people-pleasing.

Be generous (but don’t overextend yourself): See above in the mental health section.

Be true to yourself: Authenticity is essential to personal fulfillment. Live in your uniqueness. Remember: trying to be someone else doesn't work, she's already taken. You have so much value to offer this world. Let your queen energy shine through. Live your truth. Remain self-assured. Be unapologetically you.

[marypsue]

of course I recognize it, but I would love something for RB 2 Electric Boogaloo :>

[from this meme]

Ah yes. RB 2 Electric Boogaloo, also known as Something Borrowed, Something Blues, the sequel to Reincarnation Blues. I'll be honest, I've barely touched this one since late 2019-early 2020? My whole methodology of writing has changed since then, but somehow I'm still stuck on knowing what has to happen next, but not being quite sure how (or in what order). Maybe I need to try something creative with sticky notes.

I did start rereading this one from the beginning recently, though, to try to remind myself where I was and where I was going, and I have been working on it. Slowly.

Sample:

Where the shiny, modern glass-and-steel building that housed the Stanley Pines Memorial Library of the Supernatural had stood, now there was nothing but a flattened pile of rubble, still smoking slightly in places. Eldritch fire glimmered purple-green in between a few tumbled, broken concrete pillars. Bits of broken glass twinkled in the grass of the park that surrounded it and glittered over the asphalt of the road that passed by in front.

The motorcycle crunched over that glass and pulled to a halt, the woman in front putting a foot down to brace herself before pulling off her mirrored helmet and shaking out her iron-grey ponytail. An expression of melancholy crossed her face as she took in the wreckage, melancholy shading toward despair.

Archie could see why. He couldn’t imagine that anyone could have survived whatever calamity had destroyed the library – and, quite likely, caused that enormous percussive boom that had nearly knocked them off the road, earlier. Whoever they’d been coming to see, whatever information they’d hoped to find, whatever remedy to send the hordes of the undead back to their restless graves which they’d sought – all of it was now buried under the smoking ruin.

“Shit,” the motorcyclist said.

Archie found that, vulgar as her language was, he was forced to concur.

He’d only been staring mournfully at the ruin for a scant few seconds, though, before motion caught his eye. At first, he thought it was simply the smoke, or possibly one of those unnaturally-coloured flames, or maybe the rubble settling. But as he watched, a slender hand burst up through the wreckage.

Archie absolutely did not scream like a little girl. He had just barely escaped a gruesome demise at the hands of rotting zombies that punched up through the ground in a very similar fashion, anyway. If he had let out a short, masculine cry of distress, why – he could hardly be faulted, could he?

Whatever the reason, though, the motorcyclist turned.

For a split second, her expression froze, turning grim as she grabbed a piece of shattered rebar from the rubble at their feet. She raised it like a baseball bat as she took several careful steps toward the hand, which was now groping blindly at the broken concrete around it like, Archie thought a little hysterically, someone searching for a dropped contact lens. “Hey! Are you alive?”

For one tense, agonising moment, there was no reply.

And then, muffled, from somewhere under the heaps of concrete and steel, a voice piped up. “That’s kind of vitalist, don’t you think? What if I was a vampire?”

The motorcyclist sighed, a full-body release of tension, and swung the rebar down into the grass before clambering over the rubble to where the hand was still searching. There was an exasperated fondness in her voice as she started to pull the crumbling chunks aside. “Stars’ sake, Yaz, only you could think of something like that while trapped under a collapsed building.”

The exasperated fondness was echoed in the subterranean voice. “And only you would give me shit for it, Wanda. Hey, are you digging me out? You’d better be digging me out, or I’m going to haunt your skinny ass.”

“Yes, I’m digging you out,” the motorcyclist – Wanda? – grumbled, pulling aside a piece of girder as she looked back over her shoulder at Archie. “A little help, here?”

[9w1ft]

Do you believe Taylor fully lied when she said Folklore and Evermore were fictional? Or that some songs are meant to reflect characters from books she's read and not necessary her experience?

hmm, um, i think she very earnestly explained her creative process in the folklore prologue

and i think it’s a mix of things, like, i don’t think there is a shared set of rules by which all songs on the albums abide by. i don’t think all songs are the same ratio of fiction to nonfiction. it is my impression that folklore marked a letting go of the want or need to be incredibly consistent and deliberate with her work. for the first time in her adult life, taylor said you know what, i don’t feel like a formal rollout and i don’t feel like calling this confessional writing and i don’t feel like upholding my own personal standards with parallels or theming or only showing resolved feelings im just going to sit down and write what comes to me. and i don’t feel like keeping to my era pattern i think i’ll just give you more of this and i think i’ll pull some shenanigans here and there and i think im just going to take a breather for a moment during this social pause and just enjoy writing.

and in that sense, i think that this methodology or attitude might very well reflect the kind of stage of life she was in at the time. and in that sense i think the albums are both very grounded in a reality, in a meta sense, even if the subject matters tended to be very folklorian.

[unpickled-olive]

brain is healing

I've always been depressed, but before grad school, I had interests. I was teaching myself woodworking, building things, drawing plans, and restoring rusty hand planes. I had bought my first ever digital microphone and was recording (bad) music. I was practicing the violin on a semi-regular basis.

I also had hyperfixations. I always loved the experience of being obsessed with something for a few weeks at a time, even if I felt empty when the feeling passed. Spending three weeks learning about homesteading, or being a travel therapist, or rollerskating, or learning Arabic.

Grad school wasn't a decision I made out of passion but out of necessity. After getting my Bachelor's in Linguistics (not a hireable degree but an extremely interesting one), I went as far I could with entry-level jobs before going broke and having a mental breakdown. So I decided that if I couldn't find a job I was passionate about, I would get one that where I could 1. decently support myself, 2. do something meaningful for others, and 3. have the freedom to pursue passions outside of work. My dream job became one where I worked 3.5 days a week.

The conclusion was to build upon my background in linguistics and go into healthcare via speech-language pathology.

But when grad school started, I noticed how quickly all of my passion evaporated. Over night, there was suddenly no more planning, drawing, violin-making.

From week 2 to week 100 of school, I didn't have any thoughts about it. I was emotionally drained and too busy to think about enjoying life. I felt like I'd sold my soul for a stable job and when summer and, winter breaks didn't allow me to do anything but sleep, I figured I would be like that forever.

The one creative thing I did that entire time was write a short little sci-fi story. While trying to read a research paper in the student lounge, I suddenly had an idea and deleted the notes I was taking. For three hours, I did nothing but sit there and type. But due to how inundated in academia I was, it was both super morbid (a story about how Earth is the only planet where life degrades and dies due to ageing) and super academic (it took the form of a research paper written by horrified alien observers). I was so in that world that the only thing I could write had an abstract, an intro, a methodology, a results section, and a discussion.

I'm currently 4 months free of grad school (I say like I'm in recovery), and I've noticed that passion and interest are slowly dripping back into my life. I've spent the last few days reading about Proto-Indo-Europeans, just for fun. I read a BOOK. I'm contemplating building an English joiner's bench. I'm even motivated enough to post something personal on a blog no one will ever read.

These days, learning feels like it takes more effort than it did before. I have this feeling that there isn't room in my brain for any more things, so I shouldn't get too excited. It feels like that, and like the inertia of not having exercised in so long. But I notice this feeling lessening with each month.

This is all to say: grad school couldn't kill my soul forever—it could only kill it for two and a half years.

[studiesof-fandom]

hey! this is a method question more than anything, but i wondered whether you would have any advice re tackling how a researcher should approach ‘selecting’ sources (specifically fanfiction) in an instance where there are too many texts for a researcher to realistically read. i appreciate it depends on what you are looking for, but if you have any theories or research that discusses how to manage volume and gauge significance - and even just advice on how best to track and log notes on whats been read - I’d really appreciate it!! thanks so much

This is a very difficult question, because I didn’t quite understand if you’re asking me about how to select fic (as in the story) for you to analyze and study or to find theoretical texts about fanfiction that fits your research. I’ll answer both because I have enough knowledge to do that.

If it’s about selecting fics - you need to choose the ones that fit your research. Personal advice: stick to the ones you really like because you’re going to deal with them for a long period of time. For example, let’s say I have to write a research paper about omegaverse (pls keep in mind I study literature) and I want to explore the diversity that omegaverse can be presented by ficwriters. I’ll pick 5 different fics that I really like - it can be different from fandoms and feature different couples because you’re working with the theme omegaverse and not a ship itself, for example. Then, I’ll show how in which one of them the omegaverse works - the differences, the similarities, etc. The biggest mistake you can make, in my opinion, is to choose the fic first and then choose what you want to research. Sometimes our connection with a story is very deep, but it doesn’t mean that the fic has enough material for you to analyze depending on your topic of research. Seriously, choosing a fic is all about what you read and enjoy and if you can pick the things you can get to do your research. As I have no idea what you’re researching, I can’t help much, sorry! 

Ok, I just realized you didn’t specify if you were researching specific fics or like a whole genre/theme of fics. If it’s the first, then what I say applies, but if it’s the second, disregard that. I don’t have any experience researching a large amount of data aka quantitative research. I can suggest two books for you to read about it that I believe it’s trustworthy: Quantitative Methodologies using Multi-Methods and Analyzing Media Messages.

It seems to me, from what you’re asking, is that you’re lost dealing with doing research itself. My advice is to read about academic research. Those are books from trustworthy publishing houses that might help you:

Doing Academic Research (Routledge)

A Manual for Writers of Research Papers, Theses, and Dissertations (This one is really popular)

Evaluating Research in Academic Journals

Doing Academic Research (Cambridge)

I found this Research and Publications Planner: The Graduate Student's Guide to Publishing Academic Research - reading the reviews it seems to be a notebook that helps you organize your research and keep track of things. 

About the organization of your research: it’s very personal. The way I keep track of mine is like this. I have a folder for my research  in my Google Drive and I created a few separated folders within it. I’ll give you an example: how I deal with the references I use in my research and the theoretical foundation. First, I separated by topic, in my case is autoethnography (the methodology of my research), fanfiction (the academics texts I use to talk about fic that aligns with my perception) and creative writing (it’s a topic I might touch in my research but I’m not sure yet). Then, I pick the articles and books - for you to do this you’ll need to start with the forefathers and foremothers of the field. Any research on google will tell you who are the leading researchers in whatever field you’re working on. Usually when I’m reading the academic texts, I create a doc and copy and paste the bits I find relevant for me, taking notes of the page and chapter so I can put it in my references later. 

As it seems you’re studying fanfiction here are the authors you have to know for doing an incredible work for fanfiction: Henry Jenkins, Sara Gwenllian Jones, Kristina Busse, Karen Hellekson, Abigail Derecho, Francesca Coppa, Louisa Ellen Stein, Judith Fathallah, Anne Jamison and Ika Willis.

Recs about theoretical texts related to fic as a genre:

A Fan Studies Primer

In Fan Fiction and Fan Communities in the Age of the Internet you can find those two texts: Archontic Literature and Writing Bodies in Space

Fic: Why Fanfiction Is Taking Over the World 

Introduction of The Fanfiction Reader

Framing Fan Fiction 

The Fan Fiction Studies Reader

If you want to talk to me, send me an email to studiesof.fandom@gmail.com. I hope I helped a bit!

[embyrinitalics]

So I saw this post about Ellen Brock and her video The Four Types of Novel Writers. And as I've been in yet another Biggest Writing Rut Of My Life I went ahead and watched it.

She proposes that not all writing advice will work equally well for everyone, and knowing which type you are can help you better identify tips and strategies that will work for your writing process rather than hinder it. Which. I mean. Yes please? That sounds delightful. 😻

As she outlined the four types (divided into quarters between a Pantser/Plotter axis and a Methodological/Intuitive axis) I immediately recognized that I was not a plotter. It was actually a relief; I'd been carrying around this feeling that plotting was the "correct" way to write, and that being a pantser meant I didn't have the discipline to write properly. But she had a lovely rebuttal for that, which was: if plotting your story out sucks you dry of all inspiration to write it, then it is not the process for you. And as I'd experienced this multiple times, it was just like. ✨Fantastic.✨

I felt a lot of resonance with her "Intuitive Pantser" type, but she warned that a lot of people like the idea of being an intuitive pantser and may romanticize it as the ideal way to write, but that they're actually relatively rare. Most people can't really write like that. So I thought, Ah. I'm probably not the Intuitive Pantser I think I am.

Ellen has a playlist of videos with strategies for each of the four types, so I started with the Methodological Pantser since it seemed the logical place to go. A lot of it sounded familiar to me (the need to embrace the inherent chaos of the process, the haphazard jumping between writing/outlining/editing phases, etc), but I wasn't like. Profoundly Moved.

I decided to go ahead and watch the Intuitive Pantser one.

So anyway 15 minutes in I start just bawling. 😎

Because everything she's saying, down to the tips she's giving that work for this brain type, are the things I usually do or feel that I need to function creatively (or things that I haven't done but sound so excellent). And to have someone spell it out as "This is a proper way to write according to how your brain works" and also let me know that "You will probably feel confused and frustrated when you attempt to apply conventional writing advice to your process" made me feel like less of an imposter than I have felt in probably two years. And made me feel Not Afraid to pick up a story and start writing again.

So, thanks Ellen. You're a real one. 👊😎

[kess-in-the-perthchimzone]

I am loving so much about The Sign but the way episode 5 was structured is genuinely bothering me so I want to take a moment to talk it through —

I’m going to use the terminology ‘killer’ (the serial killer), ‘rapist’, and ‘victim’ (the person who was raped; not to be confused with the rapists who are also tortured at points).

In episode 4 we were shown repeatedly that the killer previously used victims to do his murders for him. Those two women and one man already went through an incredibly traumatic event, and then they were put through another terrifying ordeal when they were kidnapped and threatened. Even if it may have been vindicating for them on some level to see their rapists get punished, they are the people we should feel sympathy for as viewers. Their interviews were all gut wrenching to watch and I found the scenes where they were shown scared and revolted to be some of the hardest to watch all show. Regardless of how we feel morally about rapists being tortured, we should care about rape victims being used for torture — this is what makes the killer an especially malicious person.

But then that whole modus operandi disappears in episode 5. Other than getting Wit’s help, we are shown the killer acting entirely alone (and not only alone but made to look very appealing — muscled, sweaty, and tattooed). The killer is given a heartbreaking backstory. The rapist is made to be an obnoxious, vile person. I don’t think I was alone in kind of rolling my eyes at the many scenes where the IDF agents frantically tried to stop the killer. It was hard, as a woman watching, not to think “doesn’t he deserve it, though?” Leaving aside the fact that the show tried to have that conversation — tried to talk about real punishment being made via the legal system — the fact is Idol Factory to a certain extent made me (many of us?) intentionally feel that way. The sexy killer, the beautiful dead sister, the smug rapist — so many creative choices had me sympathizing with the killer and actively rooting against our protagonists.

And why this is frustrating to me personally, is it erased the actual victims. We should not sympathize with the killer, because the killer caused assault victims an equivalent amount of emotional harm as the rapists did.

If The Sign hadn’t switched the killer’s methodology — if the sister had been left alive or if Wit had been the one made to kill — then all of the urgency of the IDF would have made more sense. There would have been someone to rescue who wasn’t a rapist. And the focus would have remained on the people whose stories we should care about most.

I understand that Idol Factory tried to correct for this by showing the video, but I still find this a frustrating decision. And I will certainly keep watching because there are many other things to love and I’m hopeful the other cases will be different, but I had to write about this one, because it kept sitting with me.

[chemnections]

(09/26/23)

when you have been around for a long time you start to notice patterns in the greater world. in the art world there is a pattern of crisis’s of movements and methods that would “destroy or cheapen” art. in the punk/diy scene, there is a pattern of gate keeping and policing what punk is which can limit the growth of the genre and ironically outcast people who don’t conform. the pattern is a frenzy, then every time everything is okay. 

the members of ls dunes have experienced this as individuals throughout their careers. starting in diy scenes and transitioning into being band with a label entering mainstream spaces they have had to deal with flack in the moment for things that people in the present love. example, mcr got flack from their peers for i’m not okay because it was dubbed as a pop song. ‘selling out’ is the career. you have to charge industry rates for concerts. you have to sell merch. you will advertise yourself, in interviews and now on social media. and on the other hand, the creative side of things is you will experiment with new technology and methodologies. create new art. i doubt they see ai as much different. 

the argument for ai points out that it can increase accessibility and there is a point to be made about fair use of style and imagery. and we live in a time where reproduction can add value instead of subtract. 

and before someone comes for my jugular, my personal stance is i am against ai. i just like fair discussion and calling out bullshit behaviour.

with ai recreating human voices, i think an example can be put forward that say if anthony’s voice is recreated and his physical image can be created in a visual projected performance and labels technically no longer ‘need’ him - people would still want the original artist and the fact that he is a person will always put him in priority to ai. and in that sense new artists will always be sought after for the reason - to have something real and new. i believe they don’t think that ai can ever replace artists. it is a fair argument even if you don’t personally agree. like they said, you can have your opinion. 

ai is a bit like pandora’s box, it’s already been open and can’t be taken back. we need to look towards the future of how we approach this technology. for example, the writer’s guild is not demanding the erasure of ai, they are demanding regulation. we are in an uncertain time where we as a population are both experimenting with it while coming up with solutions to address how it can be abuse. ls dunes releasing this video won’t make or break anything. it’s in this interesting grey zone of ‘let’s give it a try to see and learn from it and if we don’t like it we don’t have to use it again’. looking back on it could be fascinating. 

but harassing the band will not regulate ai technology. it’s one thing to disagree and to comment about that disagreement and not engaged with the art, it’s another thing to harass, mock and threaten. if you really care about the regulation of ai you can support the writers guild, start local campaign groups and write to government representatives. what is really pissing me off about the response to the old wounds is it is not even arm chair activism, it’s armchair bullying presented as activism. 

i see people constantly complaining of the lack of online interaction (include mcr in this) - but then persecute for every mistake. no wonder why. quick to judge, quick to condemn, quick to attack. this is another reminder to the dunes that fans can never be trusted.  and so many false equivalencies and bad takes.

it is a slap in the face to say they don’t care about small creators when they have been sharing/promoting small artists on their instagram for weeks with linked accounts. the variety of artists they hire for album art/merch/music videos etc. supporting others in the scene. they aren’t as big of band as many fans seem to forget, they are not making their sole living off of dunes alone. it is a passion project. they have their other acts and other non music jobs to keep them afloat. 

this backlash ironically feels relevant to ls dune’s discography, and many interviews/meet and greet questions. 

i’m not all of my mistakes no matter what they say about it. 

i would be shocked if they back down and i’m happy to see they keep a united front, even when things get difficult. they mean what they say.

everyone in the industry frowns upon this behaviour, btw. mob mentalities are not good vehicles for justice, there is a reason we hold trials and why prohibiting the death penalty protects the innocent and members of opposition. 

[longing-for-the-past-times]

Spent the last 3 nights struggling to write a 5000 words paper on a Research Methodology in Computer Science. Were I not in a writer's block because of college and work, I could write 3 or more COD imagines in this time, each over 5000 words...

and I have to write two more essays like this till next week.

I can't wait for the Christmas holidays. I want to creatively write...

[vergess]

What's covered by "prose editing"? Do you mean editor's services for articles and original work, SPAG for school work, beta-reading fanfiction, workshopping shitposts, what kind of services are we talking here?

I've edited for each of those media (primary and secondary school; fandom; shitposting), as well as the following:

Technical manuals (Chicago and Microsoft styles)

Newspapers, including strict character limits (AP style)

Copy and editing for research journal submissions (style provided by journal)

Print and digital magazines (style provided by publisher)

University level creative writing composition for short stories and novellas

Novel editing for slush submissions and indie publishing

The specific skills I have on offer include:

Spelling, punctuation and grammar (English-US and English-UK)

Developmental and structural edits

Content editing only for styles or fandoms with which I am already familiar, or for which a style guide is provided.

Redlining and line edits, with fact checks only for non-technical writing

Proofing, including print and digital proofing

Now, for readers who stared at "SPAG" for a second like "wtf does that even mean," here's some extra clarification on what those services are.

SPAG (spelling, punctuation, and grammar) is the most basic type of editing. It can usually be done by a computer automatically, though MS Word's grammar checker is notoriously bad.

Developmental edits are focused on helping the author decide their audience, conform to or break genre expectations, and develop the broad order of story elements.

Structural edits are focused on achieving the goals from development as effectively as possible. In fiction, this is the point at which cuts tend to start, with smaller characters being merged into single, more prominent characters. In technical writing, this is the point at which you determine things like the order in which data will be presented, what needs to be in the introduction rather than methodologies, etc. For writing manuals and documentation, this is the point at which you determine the specific categories and organization you will be using.

Content edits are what most people think of when they think "editor." This is the point at which the finished draft has been organized to the author's satisfaction, and the editor proceeds to go through it looking for style and factual errors. A style error varies based on the medium: something correct for a software manual in MSWG would be wildly wrong for a school essay in MLA or for a fanfic about Supernatural.

I consider informal manuals like Britpickers' Guides to be sufficient for most things in fandom, so if you have anything like that, then I'm happy to do content edits for unfamiliar fandoms too. However, if I am not familiar with a fandoms' canon, I cannot fact check the piece for canon compliance.

Line edits are sometimes called "punch ups" or "redlining." It is not related to the art technique or financial racism law. Line edit is the more common name. This is the point at which an editor goes line by line or paragraph by paragraph through a completed piece to adjust phrasing for maximum impact. If you've never seen a redline for text, here's an example of a redline I did last year:

None still living know what once sat where Refinement now rises from the Bismuth sea. > None alive yet know what once sat where Refinement rises from the Bismuth Sea. Rumors and speculation abound, but the one accepted fact is that the city sprang from the singular will and vision of one woman: the Founder. > Rumors abound, but only one truth is known universally: the city sprang from the will and vision of their singular Founder. No other figure in Refinement commands the same admiration and reverence. > No other figure in Refinement’s history commands more admiration and reverence. Though her name, age, and even species are argued over to this day, some details of her origins and mastery of the stuff of the Bismuth Sea are yet agreed upon. > Her name, age, and even species are as lost as whatever came before the city. Two pale shadows of her legacy remain: the myth of her origin, and the legend of her mastery over the chaotic tides of the Bismuth Sea.

Proofing is the last possible stage in editing, and occurs immediately before printing (traditional media) or publication (digital media). It's your opportunity to double check the piece for minor typos you missed before.

For print media in particular, it's extremely important to proof thoroughly. Once the book is printed, it cannot be changed. And worse, the process of composing a draft into a printable format can introduce errors, with hanging words on blank pages, or words cut off entirely!

For digital media, this is a less mission critical stage, as you can always correct the piece after it is live. There are two major exceptions to this: news writing, and school work. In both these cases, because the damage done by incorrect proofing is high and the opportunity to issue a correction is low, you should always proof schoolwork and news, even if it is submitted/published digitally.

So!

That's all of the editorial services I can offer!

Honestly, seeing it laid out like this, I think $10/1k words is a steal.

[lemonsrosesandlavender]

🍓🧩🥤

^_^

🍓 - how did I get into fanfic writing?

My flatmate (and close friend) is an absolute AO3 demon and after we exhausted WWDITS season 2 during lockdown, I floated the idea of writing a continuation fic. She was like YES DO IT NOW, lol. Previously, I’d done some creative writing for a job, and even taken some short courses and written small exercise pieces - but I was really lacking an idea or purpose to writing, so although I enjoyed the process I never got very far. Writing for a series I loved gave me the direction I needed, and suddenly ideas and planning weren’t so hard after all. (Relatedly now I am planning and have written a bit of an original novel; I’ll finish it one day I hope. The ideas flow much more smoothly now I’ve practised, though given my current 6-month-and-counting Rolan obsession I’ve found it hard to be interested in writing anything other than BG3 fic!)

🧩- what will make you click away from a fanfic immediately?

SPaG is a big one, although saying that tends to be a ‘throwing stones in glass houses’ situation because let’s face it, we all make SPaG errors! But several of them in quick succession will make me click away. See also: misused words. Always better to use a less-fancy word you do know, than a more unusual one you’re unsure about (in my opinion anyway).

It depends on the author (I’m not saying it never works) but I tend to stay away from purple prose.

🥤- recommend a fic!

I’ve rec’d one of their fics recently but really all three of weatheredlaw’s blurg/omeluum fics (subjective phenomena, objective realities, and research methodologies) are AMAZING. The mushroom husbands make so happy, the smut is amazing, and the writing is so precise. I admire it greatly.

Thank you for the ask! <3

[seikilos-stele]

At one time, I was a prolific writer, now I’m a busy commentator who flings an idea now and then when people seek me out. The one thing that did not change in either role was that I could not work on more than two projects at the same time -possibly three-otherwise, they would begin to influence each other. Perhaps I have a limited attention span.

Today, I opened my in-box to no less then ten of your potential projects, and at least four WIP.

That was today. In actuality, I believe that you have about seven WIP that have been active in the last ten days. I want to know a few things about both the ability and the methodology for managing this many projects.

First, I want to note that while all the WIP & finished projects are of the same Fandom, essentially, that is all they have in common. We have potential TV episodes, AU, OC, Angst, Hope, Illness and so forth. No easy bridges for immediate crossovers.

So what is the trick?

Do you keep each fic logged into your head so that you can pick them up at any moment? Do keep the detailed outlines close at hand, so you can review before you begin?

I can imagine that working on one fic my possibly inspire ideas for another WIP, or do all others remain outside your scope when actively writing? Do you ever conflate multiple WIP (bleed characteristics from one fic to another)

Do the 5X a character did this or that always begin as a group concept, or have you ever looked at prompts a say, “Hey! These ideas all share a them” and decide to combine them.

Finally, one of my absolute favorite collections of yours was the NighThrawn fics. At some point you broke them up up. Were they created originally to be a related collection?

I hope I’m not distracting the creative machine, too much!

Ooh!! No worries, I'm not doing anything creative at the moment 😆 I'm annoying my brother by practicing Louis Armstrong songs over his silent films. (Ain't Misbehavin'....fits really well with Sangue Bleu...somehow).

Um, let's see. I'd say that some days a fic really gets you. The long one I just wrote on Sunday, the 18K oneshot about a political prisoner coming home from the war and making friends with an "enemy" kid -- that's the sort of idea that comes at the right time, when you're in just the right mood, and you can breeze through it in just a few hours. It's like the stars align and everything goes perfect.

But most of the time I just really want to write and I like to have a full stable of ideas to choose from. Like, it's easier if you can just pull up a list, scan through it, and pick one. You can write 1K, and then when you get sick of it, you can pick a different idea and keep going. Spit out another 1K, switch ideas, do another...

I don't keep them logged in my head, I 100% forget all about them as soon as I switch to a different fic 💀 The only reason I get anything done is because Google Docs always suggests your most recent documents to you when you open it up in the morning. As soon as it stops suggesting a doc I basically forget about it forever. I definitely need the outlines to refresh my memory, and I've sometimes had to stop working on fics because I wrote my outline down in two different spots and can't find it or remember where I was going. Very bad memory for that stuff.

Hmm, as for conflating multiple WIPs, or ideas bleeding over, definitely yeah. Sometimes a seed will be planted in WIP 1, develop a little in WIP 2, get more interesting in WIP 3, and then become fully realized in WIP 4. To go back to the political prisoner fic, you've seen how that works. It's like:

What if this character was a political prisoner, and he got rescued, and then later he moved back to his hometown and met--

Oh shit BUT WHAT IF that traumatic incident I mentioned in Chapter 2 actually also involved Character B!

OOH and then what if Character A and B were both rescued by C--

Wait a second back to Idea 1, what if B and his wife were there at the end, and they--

OOH WAIT I really want to write that idea with the kid, back in his hometown, let me just--

Hey hang on a second I could totally finish Idea 1

And why have I never addressed A's abandonment issues? I'll mention that right now, in Fic #1, but I really need to add it to Idea #4 and write that as its own oneshot...

And for now, 6/7 are written, so that's not a bad record. I hope to do the last one soon. It was the same with Thrawn fics, you'd be halfway through a oneshot with a set plot when you suddenly think of a cool touch that you'd love to explore more, so you finish that fic and immediately start another one, where you go really in-depth. Or you think, "I would love it if this horrible whumpy trauma happened, but I really can't justify it with this plot. I should construct a whole DIFFERENT plot so I can write this scene!"

Hmm. I don't think I've actually done a 5 Times fic that started out as separate ficlets. I wish I did that more. It would work better. Usually, I come up with the 5 Times title and then wrack my brains trying to contrive six entirely different scenarios that are still interesting to read.

For the NightThrawn fics -- well, I got really into Thrawn/Pellaeon, but I didn't feel totally at ease with their voices and personalities. So I had a word generator spit out 30 prompts for me, and I wrote one quick and easy Thrawn/Pellaeon fic per day for a whole month. A little while later I realized how few NightThrawn fics there were, and it really upset me because NightThrawn was THE pairing for me after reading Thrawn 2017. I was totally flabbergasted that people shipped him with Eli! So I applied the same treatment, I grabbed a list of 15 random words and started writing. 15, not 30, because I had to prioritize a collab with NadiaYar. (Well, I mean, I love writing with Nadia. Any collab with her takes priority over whatever random time-waster I'm fiddling with for fun XD)

I think I originally posted them as separate ficlets -- then changed my mind and re-uploaded them as a single multichapter collection. And changed my mind again, and re-uploaded them all as separate ficlets XD Back then, too, I was always juggling WIPs. I remember the 30-day Prawn ficlets were coming out at the same time as Signal Lost // Contact Regained, so every day I was writing about 1K for Prawn and then racing to SLCR to complete my daily chapter and maintain my posting schedule. That got really frantic toward the end. I had a good head start but I ended up taking a month or two off SLCR entirely before I regained interest and wrote the ending.

OK I think that's all XD Thanks for asking, I'm really glad to see the Asker's Studio is back. It was a really bright moment for the Thrawn fandom imo and you made a lot of fic writers happy with questions like this. Your brand of insightful commentary and questioning isn't common in fandom these days -- and I'm sure it was NEVER "common", but even less so now, as fandom becomes more mainstream. So thanks again, and I can't wait to see who else you asked, and read their answers.

[jordi-gali]

plus-one.be

Jenny Brosinski

; Abre una nueva pestaña

Jenny Brosinski 1984, Celle, Germany, lives and works in Berlin, Germany Jenny Brosinski's minimalistic abstract paintings reflect an artistic language reminiscent of automatic writing, which is built up from individual stories on big canvases. The Berlin-based artist follows a reductivist approach to painting by restricting the creative gestures on canvas. Her paintings directly engage the viewer with the concept of deconstruction by demonstrating deftly uncoordinated compositions that “deliberately reveal traces of use, whereby the nature of their materiality is brought to the foreground”, as the painter highlights herself. Minimal mark-making, apparent brushworks and spray-painted compositions make her artworks characterised by spontaneity in appearance, while maintaining their mindfully balanced components in an alluring visual expression. Brosinski puts a clear emphasis on the idea of deconstruction by highlighting a painting methodology expressed through a chromatic anguish that determines

[nishakrishnan1996]

Unveiling Lucrative Career Paths: Your Guide to Digital Marketing Careers

In today's rapidly evolving digital landscape, the field of marketing has undergone a significant transformation, offering a plethora of exciting career opportunities in digital marketing. With the proliferation of online platforms and the increasing reliance on digital channels for marketing efforts, professionals in this field are in high demand. Whether you're a seasoned marketer looking to transition into the digital realm or a recent graduate eager to explore new career paths, the world of digital marketing holds immense promise. Let's delve into the diverse array of career options available in digital marketing, providing insights into each role's responsibilities, skills required, and potential for growth.

SEO Specialist

SEO specialists focus on optimizing websites to improve their visibility in search engine results pages (SERPs). They conduct keyword research, optimize website content, and implement technical SEO strategies to enhance organic traffic and rankings. SEO specialists must stay updated on search engine algorithms and best practices to ensure websites remain competitive in the ever-changing digital landscape.

Social Media Manager

Social media managers are tasked with managing a brand's presence on social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn. They create engaging content, interact with followers, and analyze social media metrics to drive engagement and brand awareness. Social media managers must possess excellent communication skills, creativity, and a deep understanding of social media platforms and trends.

Content Marketing Manager

Content marketing managers oversee the creation and distribution of valuable, relevant content to attract and retain a target audience. They develop content strategies, manage content calendars, and collaborate with writers and designers to produce high-quality content. Content marketing managers must possess strong writing skills, creativity, and a strategic mindset to effectively engage audiences and drive business objectives.

PPC Specialist

PPC specialists manage pay-per-click advertising campaigns on platforms like Google Ads and Bing Ads. They create ad copy, set up targeting parameters, and monitor campaign performance to maximize ROI and drive conversions. PPC specialists must possess analytical skills, attention to detail, and a deep understanding of PPC platforms and advertising principles.

Email Marketing Specialist

Email marketing specialists design and execute email marketing campaigns to nurture leads and drive conversions. They segment email lists, create compelling email content, and analyze email performance metrics to optimize campaign effectiveness. Email marketing specialists must possess strong copywriting skills, attention to detail, and a deep understanding of email marketing best practices.

Digital Analytics Specialist

Digital analytics specialists analyze data from various digital marketing channels to provide insights and recommendations for optimizing marketing strategies. They utilize tools like Google Analytics and Adobe Analytics to track website traffic, user behavior, and campaign performance. Digital analytics specialists must possess strong analytical skills, attention to detail, and a deep understanding of digital analytics platforms and methodologies.

E-commerce Marketing Manager

E-commerce marketing managers focus on driving sales and revenue through digital channels for online retail businesses. They develop strategies for product promotion, optimize product listings, and implement tactics to increase conversion rates. E-commerce marketing managers must possess strong analytical skills, strategic thinking abilities, and a deep understanding of e-commerce platforms and consumer behavior.

Influencer Marketing Manager

Influencer marketing managers oversee influencer marketing campaigns, collaborating with influencers to promote products or services to their followers. They identify suitable influencers, negotiate partnerships, and measure campaign performance. Influencer marketing managers must possess strong relationship-building skills, negotiation abilities, and a deep understanding of influencer marketing trends.

Digital Marketing Consultant

Digital marketing consultants provide strategic guidance and expertise to businesses looking to improve their digital marketing efforts. They assess current strategies, identify areas for improvement, and develop customized solutions to help businesses achieve their marketing goals. Digital marketing consultants must possess strong communication skills, analytical abilities, and a deep understanding of digital marketing principles and best practices.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the field of digital marketing offers a multitude of exciting career opportunities for individuals with diverse skills and interests. Whether you're passionate about analytics, creativity, or strategy, there's a role in digital marketing to suit your talents. By honing your skills, staying updated on industry trends, and continuously learning and adapting, you can carve out a successful and rewarding career in the dynamic world of digital marketing. So, if you're ready to embark on an exciting journey in the digital realm, explore the various career paths in digital marketing and unleash your potential in this ever-evolving field.