#honestly might rewatch life as we know it just to stop myself from drafting something

[haas-been]

not me being completely stuck on this life as we know it rewrite idea where daniel comes into shared possession of a child (thanks to the unfortunate demise of his friends, rip) with someone his absolute polar opposite and then having to struggle with being a parent not the cool fun uncle while also falling in love.

[purplesurveys]

785

When was the last time you changed your opinion on somebody? A few days ago I found out that someone I probably know (but is anonymous) filed a complaint towards another person that I also know for acting indecently towards the complainant. I always knew that person had a...vibe, but I just didn’t know it was going to be the worst vibe possible. I never want to see them ever again because I might actually kick them. When did you last change your opinion on a situation? I haven’t changed my opinions in a while... literally what I can only remember is listening to a few Billie Eilish songs and accepting that she has some okay music lmaoooo, and this was a few months ago. Why did you last visit the doctor? My left eye was acting up so I wanted to have it checked before the lockdown that we all knew was going to happen. What was the last thing that made you feel proud and why? Finishing my thesis. Because duh, I actually did it? Do you like salt? Sure, it makes a lot of food more delicious.

Do you feel uncomfortable when people you hardly know confide in you? Honestly yes. I pride myself on being a good listener, but it doesn’t mean I’m comfortable with listening to everyone. I prefer keeping that opportunity to my close friends. I suppose it’s flattering when people I’m not close to see me as trustworthy, but if I had it my way I wish they went to another person instead. Have you ever regretted what you said in drunken conversation once sober? Sometimes. Is there anything coming up which you're dreading? I’m a little afraid of the period following graduation because it’ll be the first time in 18 years that I’m not in school, and it’ll be such a crazy transition. Let’s hope it doesn’t eat me alive. Anything you're looking forward to? Also the period after graduation, because yay adult life and independence and no more exams and stuff. Idk, lots of mixed feelings about it obviously. Do you ever do tedious tasks just to keep your mind occupied? Yes. It actually really helps and I like having things to do when there’s conflict or tension going on in my personal life. Have you ever lived with somebody with truly repulsive habits? Nah, I don’t think that about my family. Repulsive traits sure, but not habits. Do you tend to say things because they're appropriate not because you mean them?  Sometimes, and it’s usually to be polite and/or nice. It costs nothing to tell someone you like someone’s dress or makeup or shirt, and you can even help make their day. What was the last thing to perplex you? Probably some stupid, nonsensical thing Duterte said in one of his addresses. What was the last thing to fascinate you? I rewatched Beyoncé’s Homecoming on Netflix and everything about it fascinated me, as always. I will neverrrr get tired of watching her concerts; she always puts so much love and effort and soul into each show. What was the last thing to annoy you? I don’t feel like getting into it. When did you last work your socks off fruitlessly? A few months ago, in the earlier stages of making our thesis. Andrew and I would often bust our asses into the night, tweaking and researching and editing, and submit our work feeling proud of it only for it to be thrown back at us with a million comments and corrections in bloody red ink. I feel like we got a record number of sermons and unaccepted drafts compared to other students, so it just made me detached from my thesis altogether and in the end I mostly finished it for the sake of finishing it. I’m proud of finishing it of course, but I’m no longer passionate about it like I used to be, and I doubt I’ll ever bring it up in future conversations unless someone asks. When did your hard work last pay off? Today, in the final stages of our thesis. I really wish I loved it more, though. What is a word you hate? Grind makes me uncomfortable lol Do you have a favourite childrens book? Sure. If yes, what is it? Corduroy. I would go to the school library to read it almost everyday; I never got tired of it. I also really liked Tikki Tikki Tembo because his whole name was so fun to pronounce haha. When did you last feel a need to be alone? Last week when it rained and it was cold for the first time in months. The weather made me feel ~some type of way~ and I stayed in my room all day. I wasn’t sad, I really just wanted to savor the weather by myself. When did you last "need" to be around people? Right now. I’ve increasingly been feeling this way by the day.

Have you ever been in a job where you didn't fit in with your co-workers? Not a job, but this was me during my experience applying for a local chapter of an international youth org called AIESEC. I really thought I could fake my way in and I was adamant at first because I like what the org does and besides, AIESEC looks really good on a resumé; but it’s one of the rare times that even faking it didn’t cut it for me. I was miserable and no one talked to me every time I hung out in their lounge, and their org culture was so different from what I’m used to with my home org. I didn’t last long and I ghosted the application process after a month. What do you do to "expand" your mind? For me that’s always best achieved by trying out new things, so I make it a point to have brand-new experiences every time I can. When did you last REALLY want to go out but couldn't for whatever reason? LOL. March to present. Do you need a wee right now? I do not. Is there a certain noise/sound which scares you? Yeah, loud ‘DUN’ sounds that come with jumpscares, the Windows XP shutdown sound is also weirdly scary to me, and people yelling when they’re drunk. The last one particularly reminds me of fights at home. When did you last eat sweeties? Idk what you mean by sweeties, but the last time I had anything sweet was this afternoon when my dad made churros with a chocolate dip. Do you have a favourite micro-organism? No lol What was the last thing to upset you? The recent news about a wrestler, Shad Gaspard, who was reported missing after he got swept out to sea while at the beach with his family. He told rescuers to save his kid first, but they were never able to find him after. They tried to look for him for several hours but eventually, they called the search off and now he’s presumed to have died. It’s very sad and heavy and a lot to take in. He was one of my favorites growing up because he was in a hilarioussssss tag team with another guy, JTG, and both of them were always so entertaining. It sucks, and 2020 continues to suck. What was the last thing to make you happy? Like I said, I watched Homecoming earlier. Beyoncé always puts me in a better mood, so there’s that. Have you ever eaten chocolate for breakfast? Just hot chocolate. I’ve never eaten like a chocolate bar or anything similar. Do you like balloons? They’re admittedly fun, but I know they can also be harmful to the environment so I don’t buy or use them if it’s even remotely unnecessary to. Out of the people you know, whose birthday is next? Laurice. Does that person have any plans to celebrate their birthday? I’m sure their family has something planned out inside their house, but obviously they can’t celebrate by going out for now. Do you enjoy swimming? Yes. When will you next go to the beach? I have no clue. When at the beach do you like to swim in the sea? Ugh man. Awful timing for these questions... yeah I guess. But I don’t want to think about that now. If you have pet fish do you bother to name them? When I was a kid I did name each of my goldfish. Do you like adventure games like Monkey Island and Diskworld? No. Did you ever read the Terry Pratchet "Disk World" books? I did not. If yes to the question above, what are they like? Have you had to change a nappy lately? Nope, no babies around here. Would you like a holiday about now? Not really. It’s not like I can celebrate it or go for a vacation. What's stopping you from going on holiday right now?  So tired of saying it every time. If you know you know. Do you keep your eggs in the fridge? Yes, we do. Have you ever owned chickens? Nope. Super common to just see chickens running about the highway once you reach the province though hahaha. Do you like classical music? Some. I sometimes like listening to classical playlists when I study, but not always. When did you last listen to music? An hour ago. Have you ever seen "Canibal the Musical"? I haven’t. Are your breasts sore? Nopes.

[mawritesbnha]

How do writers write?? I can never seem to keep going. Either the work ends up reading like a pre teen wrote it or it doesn’t make sense.

I’m pretty sure there are some pro techniques and tips to be a good and consistent writer… But I can’t give them to you cause I am a veeeery messy one. Honestly I just love words and wanna have a good time. Sometimes I’ll have a thorough plan of how I want the story to go…but even then once I start writing my brain just does its thing and if I try and force it back to the original layout… well writer’s block happen. Ahh muses, such fickle creatures

So anyway that’s my relationship with writing, I can only help you by telling you what I try to be mindful of (I’m not saying I never fail at that cause boy do I…).

And I’ll do that under the cut cause I got carried away.

Now, when you say it doesn’t make sense, do you mean:

Out of character behaviours? If the characters aren’t yours then do you have a good understanding of them? It might help to reread/rewatch their scenes or look up some trivia about them. If the characters are yours are they fully fleshed out? Have you worked enough on them? Part of the work is writing about them so don’t worry if you haven’t nailed down their personality yet, they’ll grow into their own person the more you think and write about them. Either way be very careful to not use the characters as sole plot devices, you have to consider them actual people or else you might be tempted to change their personality or give them motivations that would normally not be theirs in order to serve your vision. Consistent writing is important, nothing matters or makes sense if the rules change with the wind. Writers are not puppet masters, you can only choose to put a certain character in a certain situation, once that’s done you should step back and let the character react and handle the situation in their own specific way. You can give little pushes in certain directions, but not drag them along a path their story and personality would normally not allow them to walk. If the characters do act differently than they usually do then it must be motivated by something. Character growth/development is an important thing and can be pretty lowkey, but you still got to drop some hints here and there that they are changing or else it’ll feel like it was just written for shock value. The opposite, characters reverting back to their former selves, can also happen (as it does in real life, we all have our relapses) but like any issue it needs to be at least acknowledged if not addressed.

It’s hard to understand what’s going on or what’s at stake? Try to keep things simple at first. Write smaller pieces. Don’t go crazy with the drama or the plot twists if you don’t feel comfortable with it. You have to know where you’re going with your story, but it doesn’t mean you have to go far. You can write about many things, it doesn’t need to be a big adventure, you can also describe a quiet and simple moment… If you want to write a big adventure though… Well that’s not exactly my strong suit but again I think you need to know where you’re going. Not every detail obviously, but a general understanding. If you’re confused about the plot or what’s at stake then your writing is going to be messy and confusing too. If you can’t pick a direction for your story why not write two? Also drafts are your friends. Write the structure, get rid of anything superfluous and focus on the core at first. Then add some depth and layers. Revise your work (looking at myself again), if it feels too bushy and complicated then cut down some unnecessary branches. Let it breath.

You know I used to write so freaking much when I was a pre teen, and I was pretty happy and proud of my work. After a while though, I realised that most of it was incredibly self indulgent and really just… cringey. The realisation hit hard and I was unable to write for a long time after that. I still struggle now, thinking stuff like “ugh self insert much?” “omg who cares?” “your wording is terrible but your pacing is worse” “that dialogue feels forced and unnatural” “stop pretending to be a writer you don’t know shit about writing” etc etc…

And you know what, that’s true I’m not a professional writer, but like I said I just want to have fun with something that brings me joy. I don’t know if cringe culture is a thing or not, but one thing is certain: we should be gentler with ourselves. I’m not saying we should never acknowledge the flaws in what we do, cause being critical is how you grow, but recognising that something can be improved doesn’t mean it’s all bad. We should learn to acknowledge the positive aspects, not just the negative ones.

What I’m saying is don’t put too much pressure on yourself, don’t look down on your efforts, nothing should ruin writing for you.

If it feels like a pre teen wrote it because:

The writing style seems simplistic? That’s not necessarely a bad thing. True, a bunch of short and straight to the point sentences can be a little boring, but overly complicated and fancy sentences that never seem to end or go anywhere can be confusing and tedious to read. Also it might feel like you’re either pretentious or trying to prove something to yourself (I’m looking at myself as I type this). What you want to be careful about though are repetitions. They break the flow and can take you out of the story. Expanding your vocabulary is always a good thing too but it’s important to not sacrifice consistancy for fanciness. What I’m saying is that your writing style can change from one work to another but not within the same work so be mindful to not switch from one level of language to another.

It’s self indulgent? Who cares? No really it’s okay if you want to indulge yourself, your writing your rules. Now if you don’t want it to be then analyse your work and see where you might be bending things to suit you. Are the characters acting like themselves? Is someone given more importance than necessary? Are the plot devices too cheap? etc…

Uh I feel like I rambled a lot and still forgot some important stuff (I really am an old lady)… So if any of you has some questions or things they’d like to discuss with this mess of a writer my inbox is always open!

TLTR: writing is the only way to get better at it