#dot com media reviews

[stuckinapril]

I love Tumblr because nothing matters here truly. There are no influencers. Having followers doesn’t mean anything. It’s just a site where people post their sporadic thoughts and rb pretty pictures. Anyone who thinks any of this matters is woefully missing the point

[badnewswhatsleft]

might make this my whole personality

[cryobabyy]

I’m ngl, I’m having a hard time getting down with the whole “s3 had no character development” take. I think theres a lot of conflation between the actual term character development and positive development. Characters can also develop negatively. In the case of s3, Carmen gets worse, Sydney’s conflict avoidance gets worse, Richie’s identity as a father is changing, Marcus is reckoning with his mother’s death, etc. I don’t think there’s a lack of character development, I think it was more so an issue with pacing. If the pace is off, it can literally feel like nothing is happening.

This season we saw a lot of internal conflict — a lot of shots sequences cut together to represent what’s going on in their heads, subtext heavy writing etc. I think the show also has a problem with substituting a solid plot with subtext. It’s lowkey exhausting to follow along with. For Carmy and Sydney — the two most avoidant characters on the show — their shared screen time felt a bit aimless because you have to constantly consider this intricate ass subtext and apply it to all of their interactions, and if you don’t the scene feels empty. The constant parallels, double-meanings, call backs, etc — it was all just… exhausting. And that’s coming from someone whose special interest is meta analysis lol.

I think you can apply this logic to the plots of all the seasons as well. S1-2 had subtext, but were fairly straight forward plot progression wise. The casual viewer could understand and enjoy the story easily, and the viewer that likes to engage with media on a deeper level can delve into the details.

But in s3, like 80% of the conflict is occurring internally with the main plot of the season being trying to keep The Bear afloat and to keep operating costs of the restaurant within reason, which doesn’t feel super important because the only person telling us it’s important is Cicero — and he’s quite literally just telling us, we never see how The Bear is taking a financial toll on him, he just pops in every once and a while to remind us that they’re in big financial trouble while Carmy keeps wasting food, Tina shops for ingredients that are outside of their budget, Sydney barely brings it up at all, and everyone generally keeps operating as if they aren’t in deep financial shit.

The first watch experience for me was pretty rough, and I frequently asked myself “What am I supposed to be paying attention to? Where am I supposed to look? What is actually supposed to be important? Why does it simultaneously feel like so much is happening subtextually but the plot is progressing at a snails pace?”.

The second watch of some of the episodes was much smoother, but only because I took the time to try and deconstruct exactly what I saw via feverish and unhinged meta analysis on tumblr dot com. I think this is a big reason why this season had less than stellar reviews. The average person does not want to do homework to enjoy a show.

My final consensus is that I don’t feel like it was a bad season. I could tell what the writers were trying to do, but a lot of it just didn’t land. What was supposed to be tense, introspective, and slow-storytelling came across as aimless directionless and confusing.

Here’s to hoping season 4 will be an improvement lol

Less serious shit that pissed me off

- over relying on the Faks for comedic relief

- Pete constantly being the butt of the joke for???? Being pleasant and sweet?

- the way less miserable characters are treated like caricatures

- NO EPISODE ABOUT FRONT OF HOUSE???

- NO EBRA CHARACTER PIECE????

- Sweeps lore being reduced to a filler scene, smdh

- mid build up and no pay off

[foulbearobservation]

OKAY! I've been working on my website tonight and it's coming together nicely once I kinda got the hang of html so that's nice. so question for The Audience (you all who harass me on tumblr dot com) what's the things that you would like to see on my blog? obviously I'll still be talking about my fics and original writing but like,, what else would y'all like to see? media reviews? movie recs? links to books or articles I've read recently that I liked? idk I might do a little bit of everything

[thehorrortree]

Deadline: July 31st, 2024 Payment: $5 Theme: Something a little... W3IRD A Literary Journal with Some Art, Comics, and Analysis Thrown in for Good Measure As Quarter Press continues to grow, we’re adding another coin to our pocketful of change. We want to offer a space for shorter works to mingle with art and other bits of nonsense, so we bring you The Quarter(ly): It just makes cents. Issues are themed; however, we consider all interpretations. 2024’s Themes and Deadlines: W3IRD (July 31) ~ W3IRD - July 31 - At this point, the “Weird” themes have become some of my favorite issues, so let’s keep it weird with a third installment! What’ve you got to show us? Stories and / or Poems For Stories: We’re open to micro works all the way up to 10,000 words. Just keep two things in mind: We want to be engaged and the submission must be completed (no pitches, please!) For Poems: We’d love to see up to five poems from you, but you can always just send one, too. Art As long as it has some tie to the current issue’s theme, we’re open to see any art created in any medium at any time. Just know that it will need to “work in print” and—might—be presented in black and white. We WILL NOT Accept any AI-Generated art. For ART ONLY, you may choose to submit via email by sending jpgs, PDFs, or PNGs to chrisatquarterpress(at)gmail(dot)com Graphic Stories Show us your comic strips or complete short works; we’d love to see them all! Please try to keep submissions to 20 pages or less. Feel free to also send a collection of comic strips / one shot comics, as well. (Please note that our publication size / dimensions might change between issues. Our “Norm” is 6x9”). These must be COMPLETE works. For Graphic Work / Comics, you may choose to submit via email by sending jpgs, PDFs, or PNGs to chrisatquarterpress(at)gmail(dot)com Analysis / Interviews / Reviews As long as it is tied to the theme in some way, we’d love to see any and all media analysis (film, music, literature, etc.), interviews with notable creatives, or reviews of past—or present—media. We’re open to anything up to 10,000 words. (Feel free to pitch non-fiction ideas; however, please note that our “Interest in seeing a draft” does NOT guarantee publication.) The Boring, Necessary Bits What We Want / What We (Probably) Don't We Want: Works with fantastical elements: scary, happy, creepy, heartbreaking, bizarre, hilarious, whatever. While you can see our “Loves” lower on the page, we’re pretty open to anything that’s worth picking up. We (Probably) Won’t: Pick up works not tied to or containing fantastical elements. It’s kinda our thing. (However, some themes may lean more heavily on a specific genre or reality. Interpret accordingly.) Where to Tread Lightly: We’re pretty open-minded and okay with just about anything, but there better be a reason for it to be in the work. The darker, more explicit you go, the more we’ll really need to see its necessity to the work. We don’t want shock / horror / violence for its own sake. Definitely Will Not Publish: Any work that is hateful towards any race, creed, religion, gender, or identity. This aims to be an inclusive space. Other Good Things to Know Your work must be ORIGINAL. We will not accept any AI-Generated work. Excluding non-fiction submissions, it must be complete. For these shorter forms, we need to see the whole thing to make an informed decision. We accept simultaneous submissions, but ask that you let us know up front—and if / when it gets picked up by another venue as soon as possible. If your work is accepted, please wait one year before submitting again. (We want to include as many folks as possible!) Rights and Payment Rights: We request one-time, first publishing rights in print and digital PDF forms. All rights will be retained by the creator. We simply ask that when / if published elsewhere, acknowledgment is given to its appearance within The Quarter(ly).

If a “Best of” or Collected Anthology is published, publication rights will be renegotiated for that publication. Payment: We aim to be a paying venue, even if it’s just enough for a cup of coffee. Upon agreement of publication, we’ll pay contributors $5 and a PDF contributor copy. However, in some instances where we’d like to publish a single poem, short work, or piece of art, we may not have the budget for a payout. We may offer publication for a Digital Copy of the PDF only. (We totally understand if you’d rather not, though!) Please feel free to let us know up front if you do not want to be considered with this option. The Fastest Ways to Get Rejected Here’s a brief, incomplete list of ways to increase your rejection chances: Start your story with a narrator waking up and / or not knowing where they are. Sending multiple submissions more than 1k words each, at one time. Lots! Of! Exclamation! Points! (Let the context guide the excitement.) Only sending rhyming poetry. (While I don’t mind some, rhyming poems are not a personal preference and increase the chance of rejection with each new rhyme .) Submit Your Work Written Work Please be prepared to provide your bio, type of submission, and the ENTIRE work(s). For non-fiction, feel free to submit a brief pitch for an interview / article idea. Remember that an interest in the pitch does not guarantee publication. For prose submissions, be sure your document is double-spaced, in a legible font. Art Prepare to send us your bio and work(s) titles. You may include a link to your specific work / works for consideration or upload them as PDFs, jpegs, or pngs. Remember: Your work needs to “work in print” and may be published in black and white. All artwork will be considered for cover artwork. Please let us know if you would NOT like to appear on the cover. Graphic Work Please send us bios for everyone involved in the work’s creation, along with the title and length of your submission. Feel free to link your submission or include it as a complete PDF—whatever makes the most sense for the project. Remember: Final publication size may differ, but our norm is 6x9”. We’re cool with color, but work may be published in black and white. Things we love. As our publishing tastes cover a wide variety, here is a very incomplete list of authors, artists, and various media that we would die to work with / publish / have made. These are a HUGE indication of our aesthetics. Carmen Maria Machado, Erin Morgenstern, Susanna Clarke, Ben Templesmith, Neil Gaiman, Toni Morrison, David Almond, Take Shelter, Hanif Abdurraqib, The 39 Deaths of Adam Strand, Nova Ren Suma, Over the Garden Wall, Haruki Murakami, Donnie Darko, Daytripper, Jeff Lemire, Sean Murphey, Joe Hill, The Golem and the Djinn, Louise Erdrich, Luca, Samurai Jack, What We Do in the Shadows, Coen Brothers, Spirited Away, Hannah Tinti, Brad Neely, Adventure Time, The Hawkline Monster, Michael Deforge, Allie Brosh, Kate Beaton, Graham Annable, Richard Ayoade, Joy Williams… We love the blending of real life and the fantastic, the absurd, the magical, the heartbreaking, and the things that scare the shit out of us. And if you want a more direct line, you can pick up a copy of one of our publications here. Via: Quarter Press.

[mmkin]

Howdily doodily do! (Masterpost)

My writing archive (A03)

Hi, I am StrawberryCatBeans, and I write a variety of things/themes both original and fandom. Some light, some dark, some genfic, some naughty fic, etc etc.

If you enjoy my works, please leave a review, it is an author's lifeblood and lets me know what my readers like so I can produce more of that content for us all to enjoy.

I am a fan of various things, and enjoy discussing fandoms with other fans so you'll see me dabbling in various things, feel free to drop me a line, I don't bite (unless you're into that kind of thing, teehee)

Current fandoms include but are not limited to... Rise of the TMNT, One Piece (both anime and live action), Darkwing Duck (both versions)/Duck Tales (2017), Jackie Chan Adventures, Megaman, Marvel and DC (various) Dune (books and movies), a handful of K- and historical dramas, along with others. I also love to read and my tastes in books are as varied as my tastes in other media. There's a reason why I call myself an eclectic, haha :)

I add trigger/content warnings to what I make when necessary so please don't come bitching at me if you choose to ignore any warnings. Most of my smexy stuff is fairly vanilla but I do venture into some darker territory (variety is the spice of life, after all)

No racism, LGBT+pbobia, ableism, sexism, etc, allowed on this blog (or my other online spaces) I prefer to use the Internet for fun and writing and making friends, not spreading hate and ignorance.

I am friendly to teenagers because regardless of someone's age, they deserve to be treated with respect (and we are/were all teenagers once, right?) but be aware that some of what I produce is 18+/NSFW, any materials are labeled as such, minors please DNI. Please respect that.

Book review blog

I am a voracious reader, (favorite genres are scific and histfic but I will read just about anything) and welcome new friends either here on Tumblr or over at GR. I enjoy book chats!

Feel free to send me an ask here or email me at cultofstrawberry at gmail dot com.

Video game and misc blog I am also a published author under the name M.M. Kin and my books can be found on Amazon and Smashwords (also available at Barnes and Noble, Apple Books, and other book sites)

I also enjoy drawing, you can see various doodles I do here on my Tumblr. I am proud to report that no AI was involved in the creation of any of that art (or my writing, for that matter!)

It feels a little weird for me to be using this disclaimer but it's now March 2024 and I'm seeing some wild stuff in regards to AI and people trying to pass of that shit as their own and all that and I really feel like I need to make myself clear on that.

Since my Anne of Cleves drawing is such a hit, I think I'll pin it here too. :)

[radiantlyrey]

Doctor Who Review: S1/S14E05 - Dot and Bubble

Note: this review is a little all over the place. I tried to cover the important stuff. Please let me know if this comes off as self-centered or whatever. Please.

Something is wrong in the city of Finetime. People are going missing, but the disappearances aren't really noticed. Lindy Pepper-Bean hasn't noticed, and it's only when she's contacted by the Doctor and Ruby Sunday that she begins to peek outside her bubble and find out what's really going on. Slug-like creatures are eating the people of Finetime, and it's up to the Doctor and Ruby to get as many people out as they can before the entire populace is devoured.

SPOILERS (and also discussion of my white cluelessness) AFTER THE CUT

At first blush, “Dot and Bubble” seems to be slightly preachy in tone, exhorting the apparent evils of living in a social media bubble (in this case, a very literal one) and relying on technology to the point that one's self-reliance disappears. From what chatter I've seen online, these parts of the story are meant to be a sort of riff on the usual Black Mirror plot of "technology bad". (Having never watched Black Mirror, I'll have to take the internet's word on this.) It turns out that this is a feint, because the episode is actually about racism.

It's at this part of the review that I have to be frank and honest with you: I did not realize this episode was about racism until I saw people talking about it online afterwards.

I'm white, and I didn't notice that everyone in Finetime was white until someone else pointed it out. And it's funny, because I do usually notice and am pleased when a show or movie I watch is diverse. But as "Dot and Bubble" has revealed to me, I don't usually notice when a show or movie I watch is populated entirely by white people, which means I've got some internal biases I've got examine.

In fact, me not even realizing what this episode was really about until someone else pointed it out says a lot about me. It says that, just like the people of Finetime, I live in a bubble. And I do! I live in a largely white town, and my few friends are white, and I mostly live in this bubble of whiteness and don't question it or try to expand my horizons! I like to think of myself as progressive, and I try my best to not be actively racist--but racism isn't just an activity! It's also, for a lot of people like me, a passivity. I benefit from racism every day as a white person! And I've never really stopped to examine this and what it means for me, nor have I thought about what I've got to change about myself and my thinking in order to let go of these internal biases and prejudices. “Dot and Bubble” called me out very effectively, and it left me with the realization that I have to do better.

And that's what Russell T Davies is trying to say with this story. Lindy and the other people of Finetime live in bubbles that are both literal and figurative--the digital bubble that holds their social media, the actual bubble that protects their city from the "Wild Woods", and the bubble of whiteness that permeates their entire society. On a rewatch, the racism throughout this episode becomes obvious. Lindy reacts with disgust when she first sees the Doctor, and she thinks everything he says to her is condescending. She thinks the Doctor is a different person when he reappears later, saying that she "thought [he] just looked the same". While she's much more lenient with Ruby, Lindy is still aghast when she realizes Ruby and the Doctor are in the same room. This plays into her speech to the Doctor in the final scene, when what has thus far been subtext becomes, all at once, text.

Part of what makes this episode so effective, I think, is in the way that it doesn't overtly focus on the racism. It doesn't make it into A Thing at all. Instead, the script and the visuals lay it out for us without drawing overt attention to it. The racism is there, but the episode waits for the audience to discover it. Compared to how previous episodes of Doctor Who have dealt with (or outright ignored) racism, it's a refreshing strategy, not least because it asks the audience to be aware of how their biases make them perceive things.

Another thing I found interesting about this episode is the way it positions Lindy (portrayed by Callie Cooke in an excellent performance) as the de facto main character of the episode. It uses her position within the narrative to obfuscate the primary theme a little; I know I was more inclined to forgive her shortcomings because of that. At first, Lindy just seems overwhelmed about her situation and maybe in denial that anything is wrong, but as the episode continues, that mask starts to slip a little, and then a lot. We learn that Lindy and the people of Finetime are, in essence, the rich kids of their homeworld, which explains a lot of her general attitude of snobbishness (repeatedly calling Ruby "stupid" for example). But when her Dot loses power and she's on her own, we start to see a little of what she's actually like. She thinks meeting Ricky September makes this the greatest day of her life (even though, as Ricky points out, thousands of people are dying horribly all around them). As the Doctor and Ruby figure out the methodology of the slug creatures, Lindy's overall self-obsession becomes clear. She wails that the creatures are coming after her, rather than realizing that she's just the next person in a very long list of people.

But the final nail in the coffin comes at the episode's climax. Lindy's Dot has gone rogue and is trying to kill her. Ricky fights it off, but it knocks him in the head to slow him down and comes after Lindy. Without hesitation, Lindy tells the Dot that Ricky changed his last name, and that the Dots and their creatures should have killed him much earlier in their alphabetical rampage. While Ricky is summarily killed, Lindy escapes and walks away to freedom. She lies about what happened to Ricky, and that, apparently, is that.

Of course, I'd be remiss if I didn't talk about the final scene. The people who escaped from Finetime have decided to strike out for the wilderness. The Doctor offers to take them to safety in the TARDIS, but Lindy and the others reject him for no other reason than that he's Black, and that's unacceptable to them, and against the "standards of Finetime". Ncuti Gatwa has been a powerhouse thus far this series (excepting "73 Yards", which he was barely in because of prior filming obligations), and his performance in this scene is electric. The Doctor desperately tries to get the Finetime group to come with him, but they walk away, taking their boat down the river. He laughs in disbelief that turns in an instant to anger. He leaves in the TARDIS with tears on his face. He could be mourning the people of Finetime, but it seems more likely to me that he can't believe they care more about maintaining their prejudice and racism than their own survival.

This ending is what cements the greatness of "Dot and Bubble" as an episode. It doesn't end happily. There is no fanfare of success. The Doctor couldn't save the people of Finetime from their intolerance. It's a bit of a bummer, but it needs to be to drive home the primary theme. Racism is insidious, but it's also a choice, and people like me have to choose to be better if we're all going to survive.

[albertserra]

Cure is a seriously spooky film not because it produces some astonishingly scary or graphic visuals, but because it establishes a direct line to the mind of Detective Takabe, which is being manipulated by the serial killer. As a result, viewing Cure evolves into something of a light interactive experience that has quite an impact on the head and senses. But what was Kurosawa trying to accomplish with it? If you believe what Kurosawa has said about the roots of Cure, then the interactive experience that materializes through it is crystal-clear evidence that the crime reports you consume via your TV do some very bad things to your mind. They can alter your perception of reality and even your personality and identity. In the second half of Cure, this is precisely what Detective Takabe discovers after the serial killer plugs into his mind and begins unloading details about his deeds.

this blu-ray dot com review asserting Kiyoshi Kurosawa's Cure (1997) as essentially anti true crime media.... period!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[songofwizardry]

so for the past few years, i have made a list of 'things i really liked this year' in december, and it's never gone beyond ramblings in my notes app, but this year, finally, it is going on tumblr! mainly bc i enjoy talking about things and i can guarantee i will have forgotten about some of these things in a year and i like records.

so, here we go—a fairly chaotic list of media i enjoyed in 2023 (with links where possible!)

words (prose, poetry, etc):

the word for world is forest by Ursula K. Le Guin [prose]: i have been intending to read this for years, and i finally picked it up at the start of 2023, and it is incredible. it's fairly brutal, but it was... idk, i have not read anything else that captures the violence inherent in colonisation and the effects of the decolonial project this well. what a book

your emergency contact has experienced an emergency by Chen Chen [poetry collection]: this poetry collection was very good and pretty fucking heavy (cw for homophobia throughout) and extremely emotional and made me feel many, many seventeen-year-old-me feelings. honourable mentions to higher education (excerpt here) and doctor's note.

a master of djinn by P. Djèlí Clark [prose]: i did not read as much sff as i wanted to this year, but i did read this one, and it's great. i adore fatma. i want all her outfits. the alternate cairo is super cool. the angels. it's a really good read. there's a pretty good tor dot com review of it here, if you're interested.

darius the great is not okay and darius the great deserves better by Adib Khorram [prose]: i read a truly ridiculous amount of YA this spring/summer. some of it was incredible, some of it was less-so, but i thought at least one YA book should be on here. this was one of my favourites. both books are lovely, a really-well written look at both living with depression and the challenges and joys of being a mixed-race kid. also, Sohrab is a sweetie.

audio & music (yes music-y videos are in here don't question my organisation):

now and for always from the Watermill theatre's revival of the lord of the rings musical [music + video]: i have loved the soundtrack of this musical for years, and then the Watermill ran it over the summer and i had the incredible luck to go watch it, and it was phenomenal. this song makes me cry literally always, Nuwan Hugh Perera as Sam is amazing, and the whole musical but particularly this song with actor-musicians worked so well.

solidarity forever with Billy Bragg at the elmwood starbucks strike [music + video]: i started off this year on strike, and as such was both picking picket music and listening to a lot of Billy Bragg just for. general motivation yknow. anyway this video is posted by Aisling Ayers, who got up to sing with Billy Bragg, and it's really good. it makes me emotional every time.

artist: known from WBUR's Endless Thread [podcast]: this episode was how i got into Endless Thread, which is great fun on my commute, and – as a wrinkle in time fan – the history behind the artist of the cover was fascinating. it's a really interesting episode, and it made me emotional about old sff art.

you're gonna go far by Noah Kahan, from stick season (we'll all be here forever) [music]: this album is actually one of the very few new pieces of english language music i listened to all year (ok this and the new Hozier album) and honestly it's such a good album, incredible song after incredible song. this one is my favourite though. i have been writing more this year, and this one has been on repeat while i've been writing for the last few months.

video:

disney channel's theme: a history mystery by Defunctland [video essay]: look 1 i know we've all watched it by now and 2 yes it was posted in late 2022 but i didn't watch it till 2023 but this may be... my favourite video essay ever? it has everything. the anxiety of wondering if the mystery will be solved. the twist. the impeccable fucking editing. the emotions. the little aside about being a documetarian. it's so good.

the largest telescope that will ever be built* by Tom Scott [video]: we have one (1) more of Tom Scott's regular monday videos before he goes on leave/sabbatical/etc, and he has given us so many gems over the last several years, it's hard to even pick a favourite from this year. but this one is really fucking good. i'm biased though, there's telescopes in this one.

rehearsing a string quartet while speaking different languages by TwoSetViolin [video]: ("salmon, why is this not in the music section?" because there are no rules. this is my list). i fell down a TwoSetViolin rabbit hole at the start of the year, and you must understand i know nothing about music. can't play a single instrument. can't read sheet music. absolutely fuck all. but i am obsessed with this video. i can't recommend it enough. it's hilarious, it's an incredible show of skill, my multilingual heart enjoyed it immensely, and they clearly had a lot of fun with the subtitles and notes.

escape the greenroom - Gamechanger season 5 episode 9 [video, dropout exclusive]: if you are not watching Gamechanger yet i cannot emphasise how much you should because it is honestly fucking incredible, and every season has done more and more weird and fun things with the format, but season 5 really blew the previous ones outta the water. this episode was incredible. i won't spoil it, but here's the opening on YouTube shorts. if you have watched it, it's 100% worth a rewatch btw

plagiarism and you(tube) by hbomberguy [video essay]: you knew it was coming. it's the video of the year. this is the logical conclusion of roblox oof + who wrote caramelldansen + the author of homestuck contacted me just going to a like. whole other level. what a video. more twists than you could ever predict. iconic work. well worth the several hours.

to hurt is to heal - critical role campaign 3 episode 79 [actual play]: i've been so good. i have not put any cr on here so far. everything else on here you do not need to watch several hundred hours of media to understand. there had to be at least one though, because of who i am as a person. anyway this may be my... favourite cr episode ever? at least in my top 3. (no spoilers, promise.) it's got fey bullshit. it's got a fun twist thing i didn't see coming. it's got... asmr? it's got reveals stacked on reveals in a precarious jenga tower. great episode.

ok. there are several more things that could've ended up on this list (including more books and a lot of not-English music), but i will stop here. 2023 has been a wild, wild year with a lot of really incredible happenings and some fairly Intense Times, but hey, let's see what 2024 brings—probably more video essays and more podcasts and more critical role compilations, and (maybe?? if we're lucky???) alecto the ninth. happy new year, folks!

[occultdetective]

The 14th Annual Occult Detective Awards

These selections are based on media released in 2023. Obviously I couldn’t watch or read everything, so if you know of something in the coming year that you think should be a contender for the 15th Annual Awards, or you have a release you would like me to review, please reach out to me at bob (at) occultdetective (dot) com

[writingmochi]

ｌｏａｄｉｎｇ ｉｎｔｅｒｆａｃｅ．．．

you have reached year 1

lissie: hello from space and time! if you don't know who i am, i am the owner (aka flight director) and writer of the blog and this post is in celebration of the one-year anniversary of me creating stories and posting them here. i don't think i can't express the gratitude i have for everyone who has read my works, silently or with feedback, and all the people i have interacted with here. so this is a recap for me and maybe for new visitors that come to know what has happened on this blog.

p.s. yes, the anniversary of this blog is enhypen's jake's birthday because my first work was released for his birthday.

let's get to it!

all research done (read: works written and released)

a story of two broken hearts | enhypen's jake (9.5k [novellete])

time wave | txt's yeonjun (8 chapters; 72.8k [novel])

smirch episode 1: heeseung | enhypen's heeseung (25.7k [novella])

crossroads | enhypen's jay (39.3k [novella])

ashen | txt's beomgyu (18.7k [novella])

total: 12 works (8 chaptered series, 4 oneshots) and 166k words written

all the navigators connected (read: mutuals)

@kookthief

how are you doing, ellie? hope you have a very nice day whenever and wherever you read this message!

@orpheyeux (via @ujunxverse)

camille! it’s sad to see you go and enhablr losing a great writer but it has been an enjoyable time to discuss with you about your stories (though i haven’t read all of them :( ). hope you enjoy life cause it seems that you are and i hope you’ll succeed with all your endeavors, especially with your zine and college !!

@euphor1a

hi aleyna! how are you doing these days? hope you’ll have a fantastic day/night and you can reach out to me whenever you want 💕

@heartandfangs

P! idk if you’re online or not but if you do, how are you?? hope you’re doing a-okay :D though i miss your writing but pls take your time!

@jeongwins

lin i swear i still reread you review for crossroads asdfghjkl sad to know that life is hectic for you but i’m giving you my energy! i’ve also seen that’s you posted your wip and i’m sure i’m gonna read it! take your time and hope you have a great day!

@s-ngh8n (via @s-ngh8n-main)

lemon! losing passion is normal and i really don’t mind if you decide to stop altogether. hope you have a fine day seeing as you’re opening new chapters in life <3

@boba-beom

hey smiles! don’t worry uni is also as hectic for me (a month before finals asdfghjk). with that said, take your time and have a nice day :D

@dim-sun

hi zu!! so excited to see a new writer coming (no pressure though) + i’m also sad about treasure :( take your time and enjoy the process, i swear you won’t regret it! have a great day!

director's journal entries (read: all the rants i have thought out the past year. some are genuine, some are sarcastic):

is it normal to have such a parasocial relationship with a mutual because you're excited to talk to them but they don't seem to care for you? just me? okay

yall are very dirty istg! i even block some of yall who literally thirst for them irl cuz i felt so uncomfy. i'm currently hiding behind the fictional story blanket

bruh it would be so embarrassing to know that your idols lurk here (esp related to the previous entry)

as much as i love my followers, pls interact with me... i felt like i'm talking to a void if i post anything other than a fic

the discourse istg yall are petty

ignore them. don't be a boot licker. they'll ignore you anyways

as much as i love tropes, can we get more stories that innovate on those tropes??

the difference in the number of notes between a smut fic and non-smut fic asdfghjkl all of yall's hormones are shaking

hey! i'm happy to see that the ratio between written fic and smau are decreasing from time to time (love smau but as someone who doesn't use the main social medias other than youtube, i'm out of touch)

a gray asexual's note to a great smut fic at tumblr dot com: 1.smut fic whose smut isn't the main part of the fic (give me substance, give me a story, give me LORE!) 2.let it be realistic, let the reader be tired after being obliterated all night (they're hurting outside and inside genuinely) 3.we can see how horny you are for the idol based on how you write your fic. you can chill down and let the story flow~

i'm freaking jealous w/ writers who have high interaction. i wanna have one myself but for it to be genuine so i don't have to be a pretentious ass/attention seeker

as much as i understand the amount of writers who hates empty blogs (aka w/o pfp or name), if they interact w/ your fics then there is a human behind it (unless it's a p*rn bot than f u)… hmm but maybe it’s just be me thinking positively…

notable moments from the past year

blogs open!

joining @indigoseasons as a writer

reaching 100!

first series ever (time wave) complete!

what’s next?

lissie: well, of course i’m going to write the ones in my wips post and even though i have some that has been pulled out from the list, it doesn’t mean that i will not write them. it will move to the back of my wips instead.

i also have a plan to create a kpop ff recommendation and writer’s club blog. the climate of kpop ff writing and reading in general has been too serious (imo) so i want to create that blog with the emphasis of the fun of writing a story and reading a story. so, stay tune to that!

lissie: with all of that said, i cannot thank all of you enough for the support, the kind words, the criticism. cheers!

[anhed-nia]

BLOGTOBER 10/16/2022: GRIMCUTTY

N.B. This review is very spoilery.

***

I love internet scare movies. I watch them all. It makes no difference to me whether they're as sophisticated as Kiyoshi Kurasawa's PULSE, as ludicrous as FEAR DOT COM, or as repulsive and pretentious as David Schwimmer's TRUST; expressions of paranoia about the interweb are invariably interesting to me, and often funny. Part of the problem is just the basic unfilmability of the online experience—it almost always comes off as silly unless it's as worked up as THE MATRIX. But the luddite hysteria that underwrites so many of these movies always brings to mind the backwards farmers in GLEN OR GLENDA who gravely warn, "If God had wanted us to fly, he'd have given us wings!" Truthfully, I do believe there are problems with social media and being chronically online, but my level of caution is nowhere near that which is evoked by the absolutely hilarious 2013 Canadian TV show Darknet, which I found utterly fascinating in its fantastical fearmongering. As a fairly online person myself, maybe there is something comforting about the outrage expressed by many of these productions, that is so hyperbolic as to be totally unreal.

I didn't mention Tate Moore (left) in this review because I just wasn't being that thorough, but she's really excellent and I hope she makes more horror movies.

GRIMCUTTY is satisfying to me because ultimately, it isn't really about what happens online—and it specifically does not accuse young people of being brainwashed, overstimulated potential victimizers and victims. Writer-director John Ross's movie clearly references Slender Man-style phenomena in which a meme metamorphoses into a real life threat, but his film is ultimately about parenting, and specifically about the dangers posed by not trusting one's children. Sara Wolfkind plays Asha, a teenager who sparks her parents' ire when she drops out of the track team. Although Asha is just not as interested in sports as her parents think she should be, they blame her choice on internet addiction, and begin implementing increasingly strict rules about device use and screen time. Unfortunately, this conflict corresponds with the growing popularity of a dark online game in which a monstrous entity called Grimcutty coerces kids into self-harm and violence against their parents. Grimcutty is real, but the gag is that it is actually feeding on the paranoia of controlling adults, and faith in it is spread not through antisocial web forums, but by a psychotic mommy blogger who is poisoning the minds of very online parents.

Asha's parents are played by the extremely funny Usman Ally in a great horror turn, and my secret girlfriend Shannyn Sossamon. Amusingly, Sossamon is in a 2005 internet scare movie called DEVOUR, in which a gang of misfit teens get hooked on an online game where they receive threatening phone calls from their own future selves that command them to do bad things. It's hard to describe because it's hard to understand, but it is an early reflection of meme-y internet challenges like the Blue Whale game, which is said to have driven young participants to suicide. GRIMCUTTY seems to refer most directly to the Momo challenge, which grew out of a decontextualized image of a sculpture by Keisuke Aiso, resembling an extremely scary chicken lady. This game takes the format of Blue Whale in that players are given increasingly dangerous dares that culminate in suicide. Of course, it's hard to parse the hoaxes and hype from the real damage done in at least some cases by these challenges, but an even bigger matter of curiosity is, why would anyone agree to participate in one of these games? The adults in GRIMCUTTY blithely remark that kids will do literally anything that becomes trendy, and it is exactly this condescending attitude that contributes to the ensuing horror.

The point there is salient: GRIMCUTTY becomes real not because kids are assholes, but because parents are willing to believe the worst about their own children. Oddly, the movie currently has its own entry on knowyourmeme.com, which the site notes is still being researched and evaluated. One of the pieces of information collected there is a negative review from Mashable that laments the movie's inability to "discover even deeper horrors within the depths of online culture." I think this completely misses the point of the movie, and I suspect maybe a lot of viewers are missing the point in a similar way. This is not about teen lemming mentality, nor is it about the dark bowels of the internet into which we should go only by the grace of god. It's about the threat young people face of being dehumanized and disempowered by adults who can't let them participate in the authorship of their own narratives. I'm not lauding it as a new masterpiece, but having seen a lot of movies in this subgenre, I can say that GRIMCUTTY takes an approach I find very refreshing.

[meiozis]

hi peach!! <3

a fic i haven't read from you yet but i want to - i still need to read your hyuck fic!! the one in the diner i think? i remember i saw lily reblog it and i skimmed over the beginning a little and From what i read its actually chef's kiss AS EXPECTED but i still need to read it in full :( once i can find the time i will def sit down and give it the english lit read & review it deserves!!!

something i remember vividly from reading one of your fics - this spans across a lot of your fics but i looove your depiction of night! its always so immersive and quaint and nostalgic and Sad . AND YOU KNOW I LOVE MY SAD MEDIA!!!! which also leads me into my next point but

what i like most about your writing - your prose!!!!!!! another fic author that i'm constantly taking notes on . i mentioned this in my review of parallels & almosts but your imagery and your symbolism is sooooo ,,, it scratches that itch in my brain like your fics are so rich in meaning like WHAT are you doing writing fanfic on tumblr dot com please get published!!!! the type of writing that needs to be annotated . i feel like i'm too smoothbrained to do it Truly and give it justice but just know . just know ..... if you ever write a directors cut for your fics i will be one of the first to read it!

if i've ever shared/talked about your fic to someone else - Of course i have ..... number one advocator for fics and authors that need to be put on the hall of fame!

im really so..... cat firstly i need you to know that this has me tearing up like i will full on start bawling if i read this just once more (to be fair ive read it. a lot of times already just trying to take it in)

i already go back to your review of parallels & almosts every time i feel stuck with writing bc its probably my fav fic i have written and to have you take all that time and effort to read through it and analyze it in such detail it really meant so so so much to me, like you literally made me excited to write again and write more <333

nights are Everything to me and i love writing it so much, sometimes i really feel like a one trick pony but really its just what comes naturally and i write for fun so it will keep happening! but also WHAT do you mean too smoothbrained!!!!!! the way you keep an eye out for and keep track of the little details and take the time to really dig yourself into the story, i put my silly little words out there just for people to read and hopefully enjoy and to get a full blown review is something that i hold so so so dear to me!!!!! and the fact that you think silly old me should be getting published im going to curl up into a ball and cry you are literally so wonderful </333333333 if i develop a god complex im gonna blame it on you 🥺 you are literally doing god's work on tumbler dot com and i love u and i hope you are having a fantastic day cat!!!!!!

[emmadarcyextra]

Emma D'Arcy was a hidden gem for a while. A well-kept secret by the theater company where they worked. I am certain that the company enjoyed having Emma to themselves.Well, I know I would, haha). Anyway, we have Emma now and we're keeping them. Their first love is the theater; hence, they will always return to the stage.

Emma D'Arcy, I am begging you on behalf of your fans, please do come back to us after you are satiated. We enjoy seeing you on the big and small screens.

Now to the focus of this post! I have paraphrased and condensed the article from Collider dot com; the article is full of praises of Emma D'Arcy's powerful performance in HBO'S "House of the Dragon."

It is not only Collider, though; the rave reviews are in every article I read. I keep a collection. Emma D'Arcy's powerhouse performance is the new focus, and they are correct; Emma D'Arcy is electrifying and mesmerizing.

CREDIT: Ruth Crafer, an amazing Photographer 📸

Collider dot Com

HBOMAX/HBO, a division of Warner Bros Discovery

The Photo edits are done by me in Adobe Lightroom, Photoshop and several other media. No Repost, please. Thank you.

[thehorrortree]

Deadline: April 30th, 2024 Payment: $5 Theme: Wet A Literary Journal with Some Art, Comics, and Analysis Thrown in for Good Measure As Quarter Press continues to grow, we’re adding another coin to our pocketful of change. We want to offer a space for shorter works to mingle with art and other bits of nonsense, so we bring you The Quarter(ly): It just makes cents. Issues are themed; however, we consider all interpretations. 2024’s Themes and Deadlines: WET (April 30) hat’ve you got to show us? Stories and / or Poems For Stories: We’re open to micro works all the way up to 10,000 words. Just keep two things in mind: We want to be engaged and the submission must be completed (no pitches, please!) For Poems: We’d love to see up to five poems from you, but you can always just send one, too. Art As long as it has some tie to the current issue’s theme, we’re open to see any art created in any medium at any time. Just know that it will need to “work in print” and—might—be presented in black and white. We WILL NOT Accept any AI-Generated art. For ART ONLY, you may choose to submit via email by sending jpgs, PDFs, or PNGs to chrisatquarterpress(at)gmail(dot)com Graphic Stories Show us your comic strips or complete short works; we’d love to see them all! Please try to keep submissions to 20 pages or less. Feel free to also send a collection of comic strips / one shot comics, as well. (Please note that our publication size / dimensions might change between issues. Our “Norm” is 6x9”). These must be COMPLETE works. For Graphic Work / Comics, you may choose to submit via email by sending jpgs, PDFs, or PNGs to chrisatquarterpress(at)gmail(dot)com Analysis / Interviews / Reviews As long as it is tied to the theme in some way, we’d love to see any and all media analysis (film, music, literature, etc.), interviews with notable creatives, or reviews of past—or present—media. We’re open to anything up to 10,000 words. (Feel free to pitch non-fiction ideas; however, please note that our “Interest in seeing a draft” does NOT guarantee publication.) What We Want / What We (Probably) Don't We Want: Works with fantastical elements: scary, happy, creepy, heartbreaking, bizarre, hilarious, whatever. While you can see our “Loves” lower on the page, we’re pretty open to anything that’s worth picking up. We (Probably) Won’t: Pick up works not tied to or containing fantastical elements. It’s kinda our thing. (However, some themes may lean more heavily on a specific genre or reality. Interpret accordingly.) Where to Tread Lightly: We’re pretty open-minded and okay with just about anything, but there better be a reason for it to be in the work. The darker, more explicit you go, the more we’ll really need to see its necessity to the work. We don’t want shock / horror / violence for its own sake. Definitely Will Not Publish: Any work that is hateful towards any race, creed, religion, gender, or identity. This aims to be an inclusive space. Other Good Things to Know Your work must be ORIGINAL. We will not accept any AI-Generated work. Excluding non-fiction submissions, it must be complete. For these shorter forms, we need to see the whole thing to make an informed decision. We accept simultaneous submissions, but ask that you let us know up front—and if / when it gets picked up by another venue as soon as possible. If your work is accepted, please wait one year before submitting again. (We want to include as many folks as possible!) Current Themes and Deadlines Each Issue will be themed. However you interpret that theme is up to you. We do NOT need your reasoning behind it. ~ WET - April 30 - I’ve gotten some submissions that this theme just feels “right.” So… yeah… take this how you will and show me something “wet.” Rights and Payment Rights: We request one-time, first publishing rights in print and digital PDF forms. All rights will be retained by the creator. We simply

ask that when / if published elsewhere, acknowledgment is given to its appearance within The Quarter(ly). If a “Best of” or Collected Anthology is published, publication rights will be renegotiated for that publication. Payment: We aim to be a paying venue, even if it’s just enough for a cup of coffee. Upon agreement of publication, we’ll pay contributors $5 and a PDF contributor copy. However, in some instances where we’d like to publish a single poem, short work, or piece of art, we may not have the budget for a payout. We may offer publication for a Digital Copy of the PDF only. (We totally understand if you’d rather not, though!) Please feel free to let us know up front if you do not want to be considered with this option. Via: Quarter Press.

[thesurealworld]

The Damned Beautiful are Great in this Side of Paradise was probably written by #Zelda Fitzgerald

What more to expect coming your way….

It’s not the Fitz but you just might find what you need.

Plus I'm inclined to reserve all judgments, a habit that has opened up many curious natures to me and also made me the victim of not a few veteran bores. F. Scott ... or perhaps Zelda Scots character Nick art, inspiration, quotes, surveys, contests, and other fun inactive elements to go from dot com to whatever reality might Celebrities: oh how wr love to love, hate, over analyze and generally walk the line of obsession over their crazy inexplainable lifestyles of the Surface media Realm we all are happy to be captivated ballin on a budget.. how tos, DIY, hacks and some of the best tricks to stay fresh but also have money for fresh food. Oh and obvi walkthroughs, review, advice and venting from your personal printess How to navigate life in 2023 because it’s getting real and “all I ever wanted was a new Mercedes” but then I woke up in a new Bugatti, yes there will be I might just have some random inspiration, jumbo of thoughts or some of my short fiction.