#going through askbox

[crow-caller]

Hello! I hope you're doing well. I've enjoyed your book reviews on YouTube for the past six or so months (finished The Blessed/Precious Blood a couple hours ago), and they've gotten me a little curious. To my understanding, you do or at least did post book reviews on your blog, some or all of which you went on to turn into videos. As someone who wishes to try his hand at writing book reviews, I was wondering if you had any advice, insights, or sage wisdom into the craft based on your experience. I understand if you'd prefer not to answer, and my apologies if this is something you've already been asked.

Thank you very much for reading, and I hope life treats you well!

I've talked about it a bit before, but only briefly when drunk. It's very annoying on tumblr to search archives anyway. This was the breadth of my advice:

"When I first started, my strategy was a very solid one: divide and conquer. It can be hard to understand your thoughts on a book until you understand it in parts. I usually did it as : premise, plot, characters, writing, other details. Dividing into sections can help put words to feelings you may struggle with. Earlier reviews usually fell into this format, ish. Nowadays I usually put it mostly into a plot summary, discussing issues as they come up— I find this smoother. But really, making sections is incredibly helpful and can really assist in finding your “voice”."

I've been writing reviews for several years now. Like since 2016 actually, I did it first formally as an assignment for uni and was previously writing shorter reviews on goodreads because with my memory issues, I would find I totally forgot half the details of what I read a few months later. This was especially annoying for series!

Reading reviews is a first good step. You don't have to take notes- it's just helpful to read how other people review things, in general. You'll naturally notice stuff you wish they talked about more or where your opinions might differ- it's good to read reviews of stuff you have experience with and don't.

Like.... I honestly enjoy reading reviews of things I am likely to never interact with more than things I have! That way it's easy to notice "huh this review didn't mention XYZ at all" "from the 1st review it sounded like ABC, but others suggest DCE". At least for me, having no personal opinion on the media I'm reading review for helps me focus more on the reviewer's style and choices.

I'd definitely suggest reading say, a negative review of a movie you love and a positive review of a movie you hate. Or book, or whatever. See how the argument is made and where you think the reviewer is being an idiot. See where you wish they went into more detail or where they were caught up on something pointless. I think it can be way more helpful than just reading opinions you agree with! When you DO have the context of your own opinion, it's then easier to think about the arguments a review is making— are they justified in your own experience? What evidence do they use, and do you think they are missing something important?

But also do that. And try different formats and people- I used to read a LOT of AVclub reviews for tv shows and movies I never watched, and reading different styles of review helps.

Honestly, it might be good to even look at my early reviews versus recent and see how I've grown! Even though I normally don't really advocate my oldest stuff as it's just. not as good. But check out Relic and then The Commandment and you can REALLY see how my style and voice has changed.

It's not just studying though. The best method is really just getting started. When you read/watch/play/whatever something, review it. Start with a skeleton (Plot, characters, world) and get better at linking each subject fluidly. Finding an easy transition is hard but great practice for thinking about something as a whole. Reread your reviews, not just before posting but a few months after the fact! Revisiting your work often triggers thoughts of "hmm I wish I'd said this better, or focused on that more".

A lot of my own style is based purely on what I'd most value in a review and I'd suggest you center your work on a similar concept. I wanted long, very detailed reviews that spoiled all the ridiculous twists of books I was never going to read. Not enough people provided that, so I did it myself.

Anyway hope it helps!

[kenzan-brainrot-mp4]

My ass has Not been drawing because I'm trying to get through Infinite Wealth as fast as possible but oughh kazumaji, oh the way things change

The fact that these two scenes are 16 Years Apart is crazy.

The fact that it took 16 years, 5 games, and countless instances of Kiryu leaving for Majima to finally just outright tell him "don't leave", whereas before he would've just stayed quiet.

The fact that Majima stayed silent in Yakuza 3 when Kiryu was leaving to live a new, free life while leaving Majima to take care of his responsibilities, meanwhile in IW he speaks up when Kiryu leaves to go throw his remaining life away for the yakuza while leaving the 3jimas to their quiet (if admittedly miserable) new lives. ohhh they make me sick

[transyashiro]

Hi, genuine question, why transandrophobia is not real? I just thought it was a word to describe the transphobia specifically targeted to transmascs, but if that is not the case id like to be corrected. Also your art is so beautiful I love it!

hey anon. firstly, thank you, i'm glad you like my art. secondly, i am at the end of the day just a guy who draws sometimes. this is a question which was already answered many times by transfeminists on here, and ideally you'd want to get the perspectives of tma people rather than mine. and just in general, keep up with discussions of transmisogyny and listen to transfems, yeah?

all that said, since you are asking me personally... to put it as simply as i can: transandrophobia, or transmisandry, is not real because misandry is not real. that should be the end of the discussion, really. there is no need for a special word to describe transphobia targeted at transmascs, because transphobia and/or other forms of oppression (real ones, Not misandry) depending on any particular situation already cover everything. why is there a desire for a special word to begin with, anyway? girls got one, we want one too? c'mon

but also like, all that aside, regardless of how real or not real transandrophobia is, it is a dog whistle. if someone associates with the transandrophobia crowd, they are most likely a transmisogynist. that should be enough of a reason to steer away from those guys and not trust them. sure, some posts by them might seem compelling or validating at a glance, i've definitely seen younger trans guys who don't know any better start looking in that direction because they feel like they are finally being given a tool to discuss their experiences. i assume that's partially why your question is framed like that, too, because a simple "we just want a word to discuss our oppression" is a lot more convincing than "we hate trans women and want to make them out to be the true oppressors" or "we're just men rights activists but with a trans flag, which also means that we are incapable of oppressing trans women because of our inherent connection to womanhood. don't worry about what that logic implies about our views of trans women" or... you get the picture. it's transmisogyny through and through, you don't even need to dig much

again, i hope you'll look more into what trans women have to say on this, it would do more good than my short clumsy explanation, but hopefully it at least gives you some vague idea

[contamination-zone]

friendly reminder now that I am getting more asks since I've been answering more asks, this is a Fresh blog where I Don't Ship, keep that in mind if you send in a request!

[chuluoyi]

before i get another unpleasant ask/long-ass rant about why you hate this specific fictional character and force your unwarranted opinion on me like this again, let me just put it out here:

you all lads players have the right to choose which LI suit you best. pick your own poison

you are entitled to dislike caleb if you’re uncomfortable with his trope. but this doesn’t give you the right to police and force your hate on players who like him (and me) who do not share the same view as you. grow up and learn to respect other people’s opinions. or at the very least if you want to discuss our differing views, do it nicely

likewise, i won’t force my opinion on you either. i don’t care the least bit whether you like him or not. but this is my personal blog and i’ll say what i want to say. don’t like it? block me and move on. don’t try to convince me otherwise or argue with me bc i don’t care about your opinion at all

all of this is just a game. everyone in lads doesn’t exist. caleb’s toxicity you all talk about doesn’t exist in real life. what truly exists and is disgusting is your toxicity and immaturity. stop being miserable and spreading hate just bc you want to prove your point

hot take: if it’s sylus who’s acting like caleb, i bet you’ll eat it up still. it’s just a matter of your preference and your big sense of “entitlement” really—perhaps bc you spend money on the game. you think all people, including infold, have to cater to your wants only just bc you pay them… whereas infold is actually a business that’s thriving as is now in china, where their biggest market is. and you know what? cn fandom has none of this mad circus of caleb discourse at all, and what you and the entire global players spend on lads is nothing compared to what cn players do, so help yourself and this entire fandom by touching grass

[quartergremlin]

So I'm sure you've went over this before SOMEWHERE but I am very curious where and how Leo and Usagi met!! How was that interaction, was it a 'love at first sight' thing like a lot of people depict? I'M SO CURIOUS I'M INVESTED NOW

So. I never did. You can probably tell (because I sat on this ask for three months) that i just never decided! lol sorry

They met by chance hunting down the same clan of ninja in New york! Leo was initially suspicious of Yu and Yu wanted nothing to do with leo (or anyone, really). It was through a combination of leo's Super Casual And Also Relentless Ninja Recon and Yuchi's Aunts meddling that they got closer and became friends.

"Yuichi when they met"

and eventually crush on each other in potentially upsetting revelations.

"Joke" "Leo fighting cool I'm very tired" "(This is like the second worst thing that's happened to him)"

[rooksamoris]

the grass tickled his skin, weaving its way into his hair in the same way you weaved your soul into his life. he wondered if you had met before, before this life, in the realm of souls. his mother would tell him about such a place as she taught him how to properly cook for bait al-asim—back when he was so small he had to pull a stool over to stand by the tannour.

“ya mama, the realm of souls is where we all existed before allah brought us into the world. sometimes when you meet someone who just seems to fit perfectly with you, it means you have befriended them there,” she would say, gently guiding his little hands over the rolling pin to flatten the dough.

his little brows would furrow, “but why can’t i remember it?” he would ask, and it would make her laugh.

“jamil, that is something you can ask allah in jannah. now careful—don’t burn yourself over the tannour.”

he was sure if he had met you in the realm of souls, he would remember it. there was no way he could forget such a spirit. your eyes were on the stars in the sky and his could not leave the side of your face. jamil wanted to memorize the slope of your nose, the shape of your lips. each mole on your skin, habat ‘am, a kiss from your relatives from when you were a baby. he wanted to kiss you too.

“—in my world, the ancients gathered a lot from the stars…” you began to explain. oh, how he loved the sound of your voice.

you were so oblivious.

[boxofoxberry]

I love how you draw eyes so much they are stunning, absolutely beautiful, would stare at them for hours if I could.

If you're still taking reqs maybe something with Radar? :3

the guy ever!!!

[pia55tri]

Carcar prompt!!

Carlos follows Oscar back on Insta randomly and Oscar is very ??? about it hehe

thank you for sending in a prompt 🫶

Oscar gets so many notifications on his public socials that he’s muted them all. That isn’t to say that he isn’t immediately informed when anything happens, because he is.

This time, it’s a message from his social media manager, who doesn’t really manage his posts, but does keep an eye out on them for the team. It goes, Just a few comments from some drivers on your latest post. And Carlos followed you back.

And Oscar’s immediate instinct is to ask, Carlos who?

Is it Carlos Alcaraz? That would be cool, but unlikely.

Even just as unlikely is Carlos Sainz Jr. following him back. But that’s just what happens.

Oscar stares at his followers list for a long moment. He isn’t on bad terms with Carlos, per se. But they’re not on — on great terms either. They just.

They talk. A lot. Carlos talks a lot, in general, and Oscar is exactly the type to goad him, so when they end up in the same vicinity — which is often, nowadays, given that they’re both living in Monaco and bumping into each other at the gym, or the padel court, or even Lando’s favourite haunts around the city — they end up talking for longer than Oscar anticipates.

And they take the same private jets. Same planes, if they’re flying commercial. They have the same friends on the grid. They go to the same gym.

It just happens. Oscar never expected it to, but it does. And somehow all those coincidences and those conversations snowball into texting on the regular and sending each other ridiculous posts from the internet and sports news clips and short messages about their very separate days. And.

Anyway. Throughout it all, Carlos never followed Oscar back on instagram. It was funny, at first (and still is, really), because Carlos would leave comments on his posts like a terrible stalker. For the first few weeks of their sort-of-friendship, Oscar doesn’t think that Carlos even knew he hadn’t been following Oscar back. But it’s since been a little joke between them.

(And imagine that, an inside joke between Oscar and Carlos Sainz Jr. Oscar was a child and spectator at one of Carlos’s rookie races. Little Oscar would have laughed in disbelief. Rookie Oscar would have also laughed in disbelief, in, albeit, a mildly different manner.)

So, now. Oscar is up at an unreasonable time, lounging in his underwear, in the middle of his messy room, and staring at the carlossainz55 in his followers list.

What the fuck.

He needs a sympathetic ear.

🏎🏎

“Okay?” Logan is not at all sympathetic. “And, uh, how does that make you feel?”

“I’m. Normal about it.”

“If you were normal about it, you wouldn’t have called me about it at,” a rustle and a sigh, “three in the morning about it. Mate, I have a meeting in, like, four hours.”

“Logan, please.”

“Call Fred or something.”

“No!” Oscar immediately protests. “And no calling Lando either. They’ll just tell me to— to smooch him or something.”

Another pause. “Well, mate, I don’t know what to tell you, but I personally think that if you’re thinking about ‘smooching’ someone at three in the morning, then you should probably do that.”

Oscar groans. “Fuck you, too.”

“Cheers,” Logan says brightly, then hangs up on him.

Oscar groans again.

🏎🏎

He finally gives in to his little lizard hindbrain and pulls up his messages with Carlos.

So you’re finally signing up to seeing me on your timeline regularly?

He stares at his screen with some shock at his own audacity. What is he—

A buzz. And a reply from Carlos.

Much easier than me going to look for your account every time I want to see you, yes?

Oscar stares some more.

Carefully, he places his phone screen-down on his bed. Looks up at the ceiling.

He can feel his heart in his throat.

Well.

Well.

[silverskye13]

I want you to know that whenever Wels and Hels have an altercation in any of your fics my brain immediately goes

Hard same actually XD

[steelheart-redux]

whats electroline? or will that be explained later

give it like ten pages haha

[interrogatormentors]

At least she doesn't eat chalk, huh? Who's the troll you like working with the least?

(Post TDWU, Pre CHTYTY)

preference ha2 no effect on my abiiliity a2 an iinterrogatormentor and ii don't care what anyone eat2 proviided they have enough energy two do theiir job iidgaf.

that beiing 2aiid ii would rather 2tew iin the aiirlock than contiinue two wrangle our 2ecuriity offiicer. he ii2 the epiitome of nepotii2m dii2re2pectful and take2 reducatiion effort2 a2 eiither an opportuniity two nap or get off. GZ ii2 a dii2grace two hii2 ca2te and 2tatiion.

makara. ii don't know where GZ came from.

[inseparabiles]

to turn from the gods + to embrace the light

Relationships: Emperor Caracalla/Emperor Geta

Rating: Explicit Parts: 2/3 (series of oneshots) Words:��12 143

Warnings: (gestures vaguely at the pairing) they're twins

Tags: Smut. Straight up smut as far as the eye can see. Parts individually tagged by content on AO3.

Summary: Those who rule the world heed no laws but ones set by their gods.

In the wake of their father's reign of terror, Geta and Caracalla find those same gods proving themselves to be a very silent lot.

( in search of divinity )

[lunar-wandering]

i don't think i've gotten over reading those few chapters of that one version of the Bible we used for a university class cause it was so fucking jarring like;

the version of the Bible I grew up with: god is a gentle but occasionally strict father who genuinely cares for his children and creations. as punishment for eating the apple, Eve and all her descendants will now experience the pains of childbirth + periods.

the version of the Bible a lot of people have read, apparently: God is an Authoritative Figure to be Feared, and you must do anything to please him and avoid punishment. as punishment for eating the apple, Eve and all her descendants must now serve Men, forever. oh and also the childbirth and period thing.

like. wow. holy shit. a lot of Specific People's behaviour makes a Lot More Sense if that's the version they grew up with. I mean, "respect all figures of authority and do whatever you can to please them Or Else" sure is something that would fuck someone's brain up

[sometimesanequine]

Maybe you’ll be as cool as Gandalf the White (but like, a gender neutral version)

this is so funny to me because i was leafing through agrippa's three books of occult philosophy trying to find stuff for something i was researching when this was sent, im not beating the wizard allegations any time soon

[chuluoyi]

being mature is realizing that even when you have a lot of things to say bc you’re disappointed, you won’t because you have to take other people’s feelings into account :’)