#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 u— 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.

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!

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 might notice some stuff in how I've improved.

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.

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!

[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.

[dnpbeats]

Thank you for carrying on the legacy of Phouse floor plan truthing 🫡 I definitely think it was the green guest bedroom because it makes more sense to have his hair being done in the guest bathroom making it even cuter that Dan was in there chilling within proximity just because

I KNOW 🥺🥺🥺 like we know when phil got rid of his quiff that haircut happened in the green room, which like makes sense bc why would u want your hairdresser in your own personal bathroom when you have an extra one right there 💀😭 but that also means dan was hanging out in there just 'cause <33

[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 :’)

[pianokantzart]

Thing I wish was explored more in fic/fanart: Luigi feeling guilt over revealing Mario's name, even if under duress. Once the crisis is over and Luigi has time to think, he realizes how that slip-up could have gotten Mario killed. Him feeling like, had they swapped places, Mario never would have revealed Luigi's name.

This feeds into my headcanon that after he was rescued, Luigi didn't ever talk about his time in The Dark Lands, and certainly didn't talk about the interrogation. Not only is there a lot of fear connected to those memories, but a lot of guilt and shame, not just because of what his brother went through to save him, but the fact that he didn't put up a fight against The Shy Guys and... most of all... the fact that he gave in and cracked during Bowser's interrogation. Like you said, he feels like if they'd swapped places Mario wouldn't have been so "weak."

It is definitely something I'd like to see explored further.

[auriidae]

hey check out this weird bug I found (made with 1 sticky note and a dream)

!!!!!!! WEIRD BUG SPOTTED!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[remedyturtles]

right so I'm just gonna *slides onto the bench next to you*

FIREFIGHT MAN. I've been watching the emails about updates come into my inbox for about a month and I finally had the time this past week to really catch up with all the chapters i've missed and dUDE.

Something I haven't been able to shake since I first started reading this fic was the "I love you" "i'm sorry" scenes, and the thought that would always come to my mind was- if Donnie dies in the prison dimension because of his love for Leo, then Leo would die because of how sorry he is for the things that have happened (that he's "inflicted") on Donnie. and, initially, when they first got out of the prison dimension, I thought that train of thought was getting nixed because they were so obviously alive.

.....and theeeeenn the next several chapters came for my throat

RAH. i debated on making this ask, but after that last chapter, I feel like I had to for my own sanity, bECAUSE EVEN THOUGH THEY'VE LEFT THE PRISON DIMENSION, THEY HAVEN'T LEFT HELL, AND EVEN THOUGH THEIR BODIES ARE STILL ALIVE, THINGS HAVE BEEN KILLED INSIDE OF THEM

and the final kicker is that that statement STILL. HOLDS. TRUE. if leo were to die, it'd be because of the guilt and regret and hatred he feels for himself because of what he's done to donnie. and if that were true, then donnie would die because he literally cannot live without leo. it's still the same formula, it's just been horrifically warped. and yet, it's funny, because if leo had died in the prison dimension, the result very well might have been the same.

also, just want to mention a part of the latest chapter that is so well done and riding on a similar note. leo asks, "you'd really have them lose us both to prove a point?" and donnie responds with, "haven't I already shown I'm willing to do that?" which is so interesting, because it really wouldn't be about proving a point. if it came down to that, it would be because it is donnie's only option left. again- it is not about proving a point. to donnie, there would be nothing more to do without leo, so there would be nothing left to do.

and it is fascinating to me that donnie doesn't say that, or that his mind doesn't give it away, because that could mean one of two things (warning: audience speculation here) - donnie thinks he has to play this way because the only move he can make in leo's game where leo will listen is a counterclaim, and not an outright rebuttal. OR, donnie is so convinced that this is how it goes, this is how the conversation goes, only within the frames of leo's game, that he isn't even consciously aware of the fact that there is a different answer here, one that might be more true than the other statement. neither of those would be false things to say- but what Donnie said isn't the bottom of it. it's not the origin.

and that's even more disheartening, because that almost explains why nothing Donnie says makes a dent in leo's understanding. in this recurring argument, Donnie repeats the same thing, over and over again, that he DID go into the prison dimension with leo, so shouldn't that change how leo sees how much donnie needs him and cares about him and loves him? and it doesn't. it doesn't change a thing. leo doesn't hear donnie slamming his hands on the rocks, because he's heard it before. he's heard it over and over again. to leo, it's white noise. he's grown so used to Donnie screaming he can't even be aware of what he's saying anymore.

i'm not totally sure how to switch gears from that into anything else LOL, but I did want to say i'm sorry you've been feeling down lately. I saw your comment that you've been going through it, and I hope things start to look up again soon. :) If it's any kind of comfort to you, I'd love to tell you that your work has helped me get through some rough patches, and that it's inspired me to write and love writing again. You have quite an incredible understanding of how people work and work through things, and you have a brilliant author's voice. YOU'RE INCREDIBLE DUDE ✨✨✨

holy shit dude LMAO /pos

i am fascinated, chin in hands, reading this. very interesting thoughts mate. i won't confirm or deny anything of course LMAO

and since i'm here talking abt firefight, i should explain where we are in the story. when they left the PD i sat down and planned the recovery arc, which has four parts:

part one - initial rescue do not separate (done)

part two - fighting (just finished)

part three - healthy separation (just beginning)

part four - :)

just so y'all have an idea how much more we have to go lol

and thank you for the kind words. nothing is better than art inspiring art to me.

[beatcroc]

Mecha-Sonic, Dr. Robotnik has created other robots based on Sonic and thrown them away before he created you. Do you have any thoughts on this?

[four-pointed-leaf]

giving you your favorite (or one of your favorites!) snack because of all the lovely art you make

[Cheesy!]

[electrozeistyking]

_^Loads gun^_

for you my liege

[sculkshrieking]

[@samwasneverhere] the tiniest of birds

[moonshynecybin]

time solves everything

[wtl-archive]

Intermission | MADELEINE 2

[Table of Contents]

[Masterpost]

That's a wrap for this intermission. I'll be on hiatus for a while in preparation of the last part of this chapter, but that gives me free time for asks and bonus content! And maybe some crossover shenanigans with other AUs as well :P

[wc-confessions]

can we ban the posts talking about fat silverstream?? its giving me a headache with how much people are accepting of fatphobia and im getting annoyed seeing this its making me uncomfy

answering this one of the like, 10+ silverstream asks in our inbox to say that yes, I'm going to ban them for now because people are getting incredibly comfortable using it as an excuse to be both transphobic and fatphobic in the inbox.

as someone who is both trans and fat, I'm not gonna tolerate seeing stuff like that. it's not one or two asks, it's multiple that are just inappropriate and insensitive.

~ mod lichenbark

[pianokantzart]

Do you think Mr. L and Mr. M would be able to work together as a team or would Mr. L get mad at the other for being a big “crybaby”

I think everyone on Team Bleck gets annoyed with Mr. M for being a crybaby (except Dimentio. He finds it hilarious.)

Mr. L would find it annoying too, but he'd put up with it more than anyone else. In fact, the way I see it, he would end up hanging with Mr. M to the point that Mr. M becomes something of his sidekick, for as stressed and teary eyed as he may be, his overprotective nature and need for reassurance feeds Mr. L's ego. Next to Mr. M, Mr. L feels doubly like a paragon of strength and charisma.

That... and working with him feels... right somehow? They just seem to fight together so naturally for reasons neither of them can quite put their finger on...

[ifindus]

I think I promised I’d get my shit together once I got a job and I guess the time has come 😔 First on the agenda is sorting through my inbox, so I’ll be deleting some old asks and hopefully answering some easier aks in the next few weeks ✨ might be a bit hectic of a period before I move abroad next month, but we’ll see how much I get done