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indiaalphawhiskey · 3 years

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I respectfully disagree with your last post (as an author). I’ve been in this fandom for 6 years and noticed it’s a little bit toxic when it comes to certain issues that should be normal and obvious to anyone.

I don’t get the “I choose the people I want to take criticism from” part. Ok, so why posting your work on a public page for independent writers where every subscriber will be able to read it and comment on it? Just send it to the people whose opinion matters to you and have a discussion about your work with them. If you post your work on a public page made specifically for independent writers, you are automatically posting it for everyone on that site. And every person has opinions on things and feels invited to express it if that particular thing is public and comments are open (I’m talking about respectful opinions, not slurs and offending someone).

If it was only for you and the people you actually want to get feedback from then wouldn’t it be easier to create an “élite” group where you read your work and then discuss it together? Because your post sends a very negative and exclusionary message to people that are reading your work for the first time or without knowing you as an author. It really seems like you are saying “dear readers, your opinion doesn’t matter to me so unless it’s positive I don’t want to hear it because this fanfic was written for me and this list of people.” Then don’t post it. But why making people feel excluded or bad because they did something normal just because they didn’t know it wasn’t written “for them” as you said in your post. And constructive criticism is just an opinion too as long as it doesn’t contain vulgarities, you don’t have to listen to it. Other’s opinion shouldn’t change the way you feel about your work but you also shouldn’t make them feel uncomfortable and bad for expressing it in a respectful way on a public page.

I know that authors on AO3 aren’t paid and that’s just for fun, but that’s what every page like AO3 is about: putting your work out there for other people to read with the possibility to express their personal opinion in a respectful way (I mean, you CAN disable the comments). Why making it public and then complaining and making other people feel bad for expressing their opinion on it? It’s not a diary or a personal Instagram profile.

So, first off, thank you for saying you respectfully disagree with me. I appreciate that you’re trying to be polite.

There are many different ways I can answer this ask, because there’s a lot to discuss here, however, I’m exhausted by this conversation and have tackled it many times before, so I’ll link things when I see fit and get straight to the point.

My question for you is this: What is the purpose of you posting negative (even though well-worded, polite, and tactful) unsolicited comments on a person’s fanfic? Why do you do it?

That’s not a rhetorical question, I really want you to think about the answer, because, for something to be called “constructive criticism” (which is specifically what we’re discussing here, versus the opposite “destructive” criticism) there has to be a point beyond just the fact that “it’s a public forum” and therefore, you feel entitled to express your opinion, whatever it may be. (That reasoning, btw, is called entitlement. No one said you weren’t allowed to have an opinion, but if you’re saying it to the author with no constructive, bettering purpose behind it, then at worst, your intent is to hurt them, which is just mean, no matter how politely you word it, and at best, you’re saying your opinions and preference take precedent over the author’s own.)

There are three reasons that I assume one can have when posting constructive criticism on work/art:

1. You want to help make them be a better writer, both now and in the future.

I, and other fellow authors, explain why this doesn’t work here and here, and there are more posts about it like this one, if you need to hear it from voices that are not from the Larry fandom (which I assume you do, since you said this is a little bit toxic here particularly.)

I encourage you to read all those posts, to get a better explanation in context, but the gist of them is this: for something to be truly constructive (synonym: helpful), the source, the timing, and the tact is key. Let me demonstrate: There is a difference between telling a friend while shopping, “I wouldn’t buy that dress, it’s not the most flattering on you,” and saying, while you’re out at a club, “Oh, that dress isn’t the most flattering on you, I wouldn’t wear it again.” -- Both are honest, worded politely, and both will achieve the same outcome: she will not wear the dress again -- but only one of them will cause undue stress, embarrassment, and self-consciousness (under the guise of being helpful), and that is all due to tact and timing. At the store, she can change into something else, and won’t assume you think she looks awful the entire day while you’re out. At the club, the damage is done, there is nothing she can do to change it, and you’ve just ruined her night.

The same goes for writing. I have seen people gracefully and willingly rewrite their entire first drafts based on astute and even harsh comments on their work, by their betas. I have never seen someone take down a fic and edit it based on a piece of constructive criticism given by a stranger on AO3. What I have seen based on that scenario, is people taking that criticism to heart and reflecting on whether or not they ever want to write again, because when they made themselves vulnerable, some people looked at it as an opportunity to ask for what would cater best to their own tastes, instead of appreciating the work as a true product of the author’s personal feelings and experiences. That results in less writers for the fandom, less content, and a whole lot of undue discouragement which is not something we want (nor is it actually constructive).

2. You want to engage the author in a deeper discussion of their work.

This is in direct answer to this part of your ask:

It really seems like you are saying “dear readers, your opinion doesn’t matter to me so unless it’s positive I don’t want to hear it because this fanfic was written for me and this list of people.”

You feel passionate (both positively and negatively) about my work? That’s lovely. I say, start a discussion with me. Ask me questions. Learn why I made those decisions. A discussion starts with an invitation to have a conversation (two ways, you say something, I say something, rinse repeat). It doesn’t start with “I didn’t like” or “This could have been better if”, and it certainly doesn’t start in a public forum, like the comments on AO3, where the writer runs the risk of looking like a defensive asshole.

But India, you say, what if I don’t have the means to have a private conversation/the writer doesn’t have tumblr/they’ve long since been inactive in the fandom? The answers are, respectively: leave a polite comment asking if they’re willing to discuss, if they are willing to discuss, leave a polite comment asking how to contact them, and if they’re no longer active, find other friends with which to discuss your feelings in private.

But India, that seems like so much work. It is, flat out. But if you really felt that strongly about something I wrote, you would make that effort to understand it. Otherwise, why not just walk away?

3. You don’t know better.

I found this part of your ask extremely interesting:

“But why making people feel excluded or bad because they did something normal just because they didn’t know it wasn’t written “for them” as you said in your post.”

The reason I found it interesting is because it means that there are people who assume that all work that is public was made for them, to suit their tastes, which is, frankly, a bizarre way to consume art. I do not go into The Louvre, look at the Mona Lisa and say “I don’t see the hype, it’s not something I would hang in my living room.” I look at it and think “What does this piece say about Da Vinci and his life? What has this brought to the world? How has this helped people/art/culture?”

(No, I am in no way comparing my talents to Da Vinci, I am not delusional. But, I don’t think my work deserves any less thought than that of a professional artist, simply because I’m an amateur and it’s on the internet and not in a gallery, and you have the superpower of anonymity.) You asked me what the point was in posting my work publicly if I didn’t want to hear every single person’s personal (negative) take on it, and the answer is this: I post what I write publicly, because I hope it helps someone. I hope my thoughts, feelings, experiences, loneliness validate someone, entertain them, help them through a tough time, bring them comfort. I post because I want to invite people to lose themselves alongside me, heal alongside me, dream alongside me.

(Notice how I said “someone” and not “everyone”. How I said “someone” and not “an élite group that discusses my work”, because yes, I do hope that my work positively impacts someone outside of my betas, my friend group. Does that mean someone can leave negative comments on my work? Yes. But should they? That’s a different question.)

I know my work won’t be a positive experience for every single person, but my goal was never to be relevant to every single person. So, my question is, if I’m not relevant to you personally -- if my work doesn’t touch you personally, heal you personally, entertain you personally, why not just walk away and find something that does? Who does your negative opinion really help? How is it constructive? What is its purpose? Why do you do it?

I will apologize for this, though: I spoke on behalf of all writers, and maybe I shouldn’t have. Maybe I should have been clear that though many writers feel this way, not all do. There are some, such as, I assume, yourself, who do view negative comments on AO3 as constructive, whether or not they are solicited, and I’m sorry to have spoken on behalf of you. However, I do still stand by this, though: it is much better to be kind than be right, and that definitely goes for comments on fic.

#concrit #writing thoughts #constructive criticism #iaw ask #iaw anonymous #iaw opinion #long post

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suqarshaxx · 4 years

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a shaxx mini story cause i’m love h*rny

red text = shaxx talking :>

— exhaustion

“i understand zavala, and i’ll follow your orders but i seriously think we need to think of taking a stealthier approach. send me and two other highly skilled stealth guardians and we’ll get it done.” zavala looked at you like you were stupid. “i’m not sending only three guardians in with no true insight of the ship layout. i’ll bring up your idea with the vanguard but that could take more weeks. we have no idea what we’re up against and i want to know before i go sending three of my most skilled guardians into a blind zone.” *sigh* you’re too tired for this. “you have a point sir. i’ll let you get back to your work.” you left zavala’s office with your head up...until you heard the office doors close. “finally” you sigh, letting your head fall. see, life has gotten a lot more frustrating and exhausting. since cayde died you’ve been incredibly lonely. it was hard accepting he was really gone.

you picked up other activities to get away from it. crucible was the one to take up most of your time, and, it was a positive. you were becoming closer to shaxx and it had probably been the first week in awhile you hadn’t felt completely lonely. he was great at distracting you from what happened. as you were making your way up the stairs you stopped by banshee’s setup to talk for a bit. unluckily, a lot of guardians were also there so that meant no banshee time. but, its not the end of the world. you kept walking and gave master rahool a polite greeting as you past by. you start making your way towards shaxx when you see he was talking to another guardian. by the looks of shaxx’s body language, he seemed to be trying to explain something to the young one. you respect shaxx and his students so you just stood off to the side waiting.

he notices you and quickly dismisses the other guardian. you start walking over towards him while shaking your head and smiling. “shaxx you didn’t have to send that guardian off i was fine wai-“ shaxx cut you off swiftly. “guardian? what are you doing here?” his voice sounding concerned. “what are you talking about?” i wanted to see you, and what bounties you’re offering.” your look went from happy to puzzled very quickly. “y/n...” shaxx lightly grabs your arm to pull you off to the side. “how long has it been?” this is starting to get odd. “shaxx what are you talking about?” what’s his deal? “have you seen your eyes y/n? they’re hollow black. you can tell you haven’t been sleeping. so, how long has it been since you actually slept?” you sigh. someone had to say something. someone always, has to say something. “shaxx, im alright. ikora asked me to help out with some extra paperwork a few days ago and it was a lot so i just stayed up for a couple of days and haven’t had the option to rest yet. it’s only my third day and trust me i plan on sleeping tonight.” you said with a faint smile. “you haven’t spoken to her in weeks. you even told me that.” now it’s awkward. shaxx crossed his arms, “you can’t lie to me about this. now please, let me take you home so you can rest.” his voice was so sad and soft. “the last thing i’d need is for you to get hurt in crucible fights because you cant stand up right.” he lightly said under his breath. as much as you hated it, he was right. what good are you to anyone if you can barely function? “okay, i promise i’ll rest but don’t feel the need to walk me home. i know i’m a bit wobbly but if you have work to do, i’m not gonna keep you from it. i can still walk myself home.” “not a chance, i wanna make sure you actually fall asleep.” you could tell he really cared about you. “just give me a few moments to gather my things.”

the walk was very silent but wasn’t ever awkward. the exhaustion was always with you but knowing you grew closer and closer to a bed made that tired feeling way worse. as you and shaxx were walking you held hands. sorta-ish? you held onto two of his fingers. the index and middle one. shaxx didn’t seem to mind it and neither did you so no one said anything about it.

as the two of you approached your home you started getting tense. sure everyone could tell you weren’t sleeping but no one knew you weren’t even staying in your own home. those damn memories of cayde flood your head every time you’re inside. truthfully, it was scary. never knowing if it’s going to be a happy memory or him taking his final breaths terrifies you. obviously to the point where you can’t even sleep in your own home. shaxx could tell you were tense considering once you got closer and closer, you didn’t realize but you were tightly gripping his fingers now. “guardian? are you alright?” you couldn’t shift your gaze from the home but still replied. “yes i’m alright, thank you for bringing me home.” a minute of silence passed before you broke it and looked over at shaxx. “if you’d like you can come in, grab a drink rest for a few minutes and then get back to the crucible.” “ah i finally get to see how one of my best players lives?” you know he said that with a smirk across his face. you couldn’t help but chuckle a bit.

you two entered your house and you offered to make some tea, which shaxx politely declined. he wanted the tea but you could tell he wanted you to rest more. “is there anything i can do to make you more comfortable? you’ve seemed very tense since we’ve got here.” should you tell him? should you not tell him? you’ve always kept to yourself but it’s like be makes it impossible for you not to share. he feels like the only one you don’t have to lie to. “shaxx, i have to be honest. the last time i slept was here, and the last time i’ve been here was almost a month ago.” you couldn’t directly look him in the eyes but could feel him looking down at you. “why didn’t you say anything sooner?” pride i guess... “i’m not sure, i thought maybe i could handle myself but i just ended up running away from it.” a singular sigh left shaxx’s mouth. “alright then, come on.” you were confused. “what do you mean? come where?” “your mattress y/n. you obviously are having trouble sleeping because of your nightmares, and i’m sure not having someone here either to comfort you isn’t helpful. so i’ll stay with you for the rest of the day that way if you do have a nightmare, you have someone to help you.” wow.. “shaxx, that’s incredibly nice and i truly appreciate it but i couldn’t ask you to do that. you still have the crucible to run and bounties to sell and guardians to teach and-“ shaxx cut you off before you continued to ramble on. “it’s alright, ive already worked things out to take the rest of the day off. the crucible can wait guardian, you can’t.” “are you sure?” “i’m positive, now! you must go rest!” he said in his “crucible” voice. you couldn’t help but giggle. as different as it was, shaxx did make you feel less lonely. maybe it’s time to accept that while cayde might be gone physically, it doesn’t mean you have to stop cherishing him through memories. maybe it’s a new path forward. “thank you shaxx, i greatly appreciate it.” you gave him a hug and asked if he needed anything else before going to bed. he simply shook his head and made a resting gesture. you smiled and went to your bedroom. you couldn’t deny that you felt very nervous but you just trusted your gut that if anything happened shaxx would be there, and hopefully, he’d still be there when you awoke.

—————————

ok hi so uhh a/n i did NOT expect to write this long and much so yeah! i hope you enjoy and this is my first time *publicly* writing and posting a fic so i hope you enjoy :>

#destiny #destiny 2 #lord shaxx #shaxx x reader #destiny shaxx #lord shaxx x reader #im a babey to writing pls dont judge :(

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a-method-in-it · 3 years

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Trans(masculine) former Potterhead here! I still own the books, were a gift, a hardcover set from my mom from years ago. I even made a parody of Im a Lumberjack and I'm OK from Monty Python as I'm a Hufflepuff and I'm OK and helped found a Dumbledore's Army club at my High School I loved HP so much, I was obsessed, but now I have so many mixed emotions about the franchise I don't really know what to do.

I cannot speak for trans women, but as a queer trans person, if I see someone reading the books or watching the movies or wearing merch its like. Ok. I know I might get along with this person, they like the same stuff I (used to) like....BUT do they know how the werewolf thing is about AIDS, implying gay people are out of control monsters, and how the only villain with werewolfism specifically targets minors, implying pedophilia is a trait inherent in gay people? Do they know that when a trans woman reads the books they worry they wont be "woman enough" to keep the stairs in the girls dorm from turning into a slide, because they know that the author specifically thinks they don't deserve to sleep in the girl's dorm because of their gentials? Do they understand that JK Rowling's opinions are there, insidiously rooting into young minds? Are they reading this critically? Or do they support what JK is saying? Do they know all of these things and not care about it, dismiss it out of hand?

Does this person want me dead?

It boils down to a Feeling of Unease. Is this person safe for me to be around? There is a Very Real Danger that the person in the Ravenclaw Shirt and Golden Snitch Earrings is going to call the police on a trans woman going to the bathroom, or beat her, or even kill her, because the author of their favorite series has convinced them trans women are men in dresses and that men in women's bathrooms are dangerous. That person could also be a nice genuine nerd, queer themselves, even potentially a friend, but now I am Suspicious of that person. I am suspicious of anyone who openly enjoys it (unless they are children, kids don't know better, or if they have a tattoo, idk how old that tat is). They want to read it at home and want a discussion on new themes and how to make it better/less gross? Fine by me.

But if someone is publicaly supportting her, staying extremely active in the fandom defending the books or movies or JK herself, having and wearing merch which could direct new people (probably kids! Who will get Obsessed! And don't know better!) into buying things from her and giving her money? After all that she's done? After she literally helped create legislation against being trans?? Not cool.

The series is just simply tainted for a lot of trans folk like me. I still hold it dear foe what it did for me as a child, and I know if I read the series again I would still love it, but I would also HATE myself for enjoying it, knowing that the person who wrote this, the bit of her soul which she has given me, wants me dead. Wants my friends dead.

So I'm not really saying if you support HP publicaly people will see you as a TERF but I am also absolutely saying that people will see you as a TERF if you publicaly support the HP franchise. Death of the author is well and good when the author is dead and/or their estate doesn't get any money for new books or merch purchased, but she is alive and actively trying to kill trans folks, so literally anything that could be seen as support of her, or get others to support her even accidentally, can make trans folk uncomfortable and feel unsafe.

Hope this helped? I know I'm not the original asker, this is just my two cents.

Hi there! Thank you for posting this lengthy and very thoughtful response (and I hope you don’t mind my answering publicly -- if so, let me know and I’ll delete). There is one (admittedly very long) thing I’d like to say in response, but if you’re not looking for that, just know that I really value hearing your perspective and you can feel free to skip all of this and carry on your way.

---

You say that you would probably enjoy the books if you reread them, but would hate yourself for doing so -- and I just want to say that what you like does not make you a bad person or act as any valid basis for deserving hate, from yourself or anyone else.

Like, for instance, I’m a person who cannot stand horror movies and I am genuinely confused that anyone would enjoy watching terrible things happen to people for 90+ minutes. But I would never say that people who like horror movies are bad people just because they do enjoy that. The same goes for violent video games -- I don’t like them, but I don’t think the people who do are bad.

Because what media you personally enjoy has really no bearing on whether you are a good person. Being a good person is about how you treat others, whether you are kind, whether you are patient, whether you are understanding, whether you help people when you can and show up for the people in your life when they need you. It has nothing to do with whether you like a particular book or movie or videogame.

So if you do want to reread those books because you think they would bring you joy, I hope that you do.

Long before she became a TERF -- (and for the record, I don’t think that she was actively and consciously transphobic at the time when she was writing the books, for the simple reason that most of the people who are TERFs today weren’t at that point) -- I had already gotten used to tuning out Rowling and her fondness for Word of God pronouncements.

Like, Dumbledore being gay actually fit into the canon very well, but others? They just felt tired and not thought-out and her whole short history of American magic was incredibly lazy. The werewolfism=AIDS thing was offensive in very real ways--and also it should be noted just does not make sense as a metaphor. Not just because AIDS will kill you and being a werewolf will not and there’s no way to bridge that fundamental disconnect -- but also because the way people talk about being a werewolf in the damn books doesn’t resemble at all the way people talk about AIDS patients in real life. Which makes me think she didn’t actually mean for it to be a metaphor when she wrote it and then years later threw it out there because it sounded good to her in the moment because she hadn’t thought it through.

By the time we got to wizards shitting on the floor because she very clearly forgot that she had already had chamber pots referenced in the text, I was long-since tapped out.

Which is all just to say that it is beyond fair for you to use being a fan of Harry Potter as a data point in gauging your safety as a trans person -- but if we’re talking just about you enjoying the books?

Well, in that case, fuck Rowling and her weird post-canon comments that half the time don’t even make sense. If she wanted trans girls to not be allowed up the stairs to the girls’ dormitory, she should have put it in the damn text. As far as I’m concerned, trans girls and trans boys are allowed up whichever staircase matches their sense of themselves (and, I like to think, nonbinary kids get the run of the whole tower).

In fact, as far as I’m concerned, she lost the right to have me care what she says about the Harry Potter universe when all of her comments started being unbearably lazy, asinine, and/or nonsensical. If she’d been half this uninspired and careless when writing the actual books, I would have stopped reading them.

This has been a very long reply on that single point, but I want to end by saying that the point is, even if I accepted the premise that liking the Harry Potter books is in and of itself wrong -- and I hope I’ve made something of a case that it’s not -- it still shouldn’t be something you hate yourself over. Short of actually murdering people, I’m not sure there’s anything that’s grounds to outright hate yourself, honestly, but liking a book is definitely not on the list.

Either way, you seem like a lovely person, one who is very thoughtful and has been very patient and generous with your time in writing all of that out. I hope that you find ways to also be a little more patient and generous with yourself -- about Harry Potter or any other topic -- because you deserve that and you do not deserve to be hated by anyone, least of all yourself. And I also hope you have a good rest of your night.

#method speaks #jk rowling discourse #but this my friends #i think #is the end of it for me for a while #she sucks #on multiple levels #the transphobia being the worst #and then just going right on down the list #it confuses me #that the woman who wrote Prisoner of Azkaban #became this #but life is strange #and here we are #theflowerpunknerd

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onelungmcclung · 3 years

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Hello <3 Could you share what behind the scenes goodies are making you interested in Welsh/Roe? Also, could you share some more about the W*bgott dislike? Specifically how W*b comes off as anti-Semitic? I genuinely want to be educated and appreciate it in advance!

hey!

re welsh/roe: haha, sure thing.

re My Soapbox: that’s a more serious question, but you asked very courteously and I’ll do my best to answer. I hope it will taken in good faith by everyone who reads it. I haven’t discussed it publicly before, and I’m unlikely to do so again.

[nb. I’m going to request no rebl/gs on this, just because it’s a two-part answer dealing with two entirely unrelated subjects.]

i. welsh/roe: it came to me in a vision (it did not)

It’s Not That Deep: sometimes I like to pick two characters and speculate what their dynamic would be like in canon and how it might play out as a ship. (sometimes my experimental oneshots backfire on me horribly and I lose sleep over what is suddenly The Love Story of the Ages. I still think the basic approach is... fun? no I have not “learned better”.) so, that’s a mindset in play.

I think perhaps it was this that made me realise that they don’t have much onscreen interaction and thus wonder what their dynamic would be like. I guess baberoe being such a popular ship (and I do like it!) means that most of the roe fic is written through the lens of that dynamic (much angst, much fluff), and I just like to try out other angles. rarepairs are a great way to investigate characters’ less-explored facets. roe is often written as angst-ridden; welsh is probably one of the least angsty characters in the show; he’s a tiny fearless powder keg of energy & humour. what would they bring out in each other? this is for research purposes. (they certainly share a tendency to charge headfirst into danger without hesitating.)

roe does shout at welsh (“an officer & a grownup”, etc). I think welsh respects it, tbh. and I think that’s pretty much their only interaction apart from when welsh is injured.

which brings me onto rick warden’s quote about shane covering him while harry’s injured - he’s discussing it more in the context of acting choices, but the character implications are what I care about. roe is trying to protect welsh while he can’t protect himself; welsh feels protected by him. which is something welsh very rarely seems to need.

of course this is just what roe does. but for both of them, it’s a crucial moment. and for me, I’m always interested in small, potentially revealing interactions between characters who don’t have much screentime together.

ii. so you hate w*bgott

oof. ok.

a disclaimer: it’s only recently I analysed why I’m Not Into this ship. when I first discovered its popularity, my initial thought was “why?” but I didn’t dwell on it. (ship hate means it’s time to go outside.) coming back to the fandom made me think about it a little more closely.

admittedly, I find webster self-absorbed, entitled and privileged in almost every scene he’s in, so that doesn’t help. but I’m capable of taking an interest in his friendships (1st platoon, for example); I just do not think he and liebgott are friends, at any point in the narrative, and I would ship liebgott with literally anyone else in the company before w*bgott would ever occur to me. frankly I think it’s as plausible as martin/webster or guarnere/liebgott, and it never did occur to me. (that is, of course, just me, but this is my Opinion Hour and everyone has to live with it.)

firstly, I dislike the scene in wwf when he pulls a gun on the german shopkeeper. to some viewers, I think this reads as righteous anger. to me, it reads as self-involvement. what he should be doing is helping the prisoners, not threatening random shopkeepers. (lesniewski gets that. web doesn’t.) no doubt the shopkeeper is complicit in local antisemitism and his business has likely benefited, but he’s not important. the wellbeing of the jewish prisoners is the priority.

(his anger towards the german troops also comes across as self-indulgent and rather... unearned. the rest of the company has gone through a much more brutal war than he has. I’ve tried, for the sake of argument, to read his anger as altruistic, but that is not how it comes across to me.)

liebgott prioritises the prisoners completely. when he realises the nature of the camp, he reins in his feelings - of horror, grief, anger - in order to focus on the man he’s talking to. he knows this man has seen horror, cruelty and death beyond anything he himself has ever seen or imagined. this is the first time in a long time he has been around other jewish people, and it is nightmarish, and all he cares about is helping them. these people could be his friends, his family, his neighbours, himself: they are his people. at first, he refuses a direct order to tell the prisoners they have to remain here. when he relays it to the prisoners, he tries hard to be calm, not to distress them further. when he cries, it’s only for a few moments, because they are still what is most important: not his own grief for them.

I emphasise this as the emotional context of the mountaintop scene in “points”. liebgott feels unable to show his grief in front of the other soldiers, because they don’t share it, but he can show anger. the commandant mission offers the possibility of some catharsis, of a glimpse of revenge. (what he needs, I think, is to be among other jewish people, to grieve with them, to know that his feelings are understood, shared, recognised, accepted; but he wants to avenge his people.)

webster has lashed out at germans twice: the shopkeeper, the troops. he views that anger as justified. and yet in this instance - an order to interrogate and kill a nazi commandant - he balks. he argues the man might be innocent. the commandant is more culpable than anyone else they’ve encountered, but webster treats liebgott’s anger, which is far far more personal than webster’s, as disproportionate and irrational. he has no understanding of liebgott’s grief and rage; he makes no attempt to understand. he’s uncomfortable with it; he dismisses it. it’s deeply privileged and condescending.

part of me thinks this is just bad writing: it’s a contrived moral debate; webster wasn’t on the mission irl and his presence seems unnecessary; if he’s so opposed to the mission, he should have voiced that to speirs, not liebgott. but bad writing or not, this is the show and characterisation we’re all working from as fans.

(I think this ship is somewhat responsible for fans mischaracterising lieb as “angry”, for... reacting to antisemitism?. but because I don’t read anything for this ship, I have limited engagement with that.)

just for the record, while I’m pouring out my heart, I don’t see any evidence of a friendship, even a volatile one, in tlp. web didn’t know the men in 2nd platoon particularly well before, and still less post-bastogne. I think he plays politics with jones to try to get off the patrol, and then plays politics with 2nd platoon in order to be more accepted by the group. (the fact neither plan works is... quite entertaining, really.)

I know people point to their conversation about plans for the future as evidence of a friendship, but to me that interaction seems fairly one-sided. liebgott is looking forward to getting home; he wants to talk about it. web isn’t particularly interested in the conversation. that and their scenes together in “points” seem scripted to emphasise how little they have in common. and, of course, that their backgrounds have little in common isn’t necessarily a barrier to friendship, but webster dismissing liebgott’s anger over the camps is. there’s no way to write them being friends that doesn’t involve a heartfelt apology and a lot of slow relationship development.

I don’t lose sleep over what other people write/ship; that’s their prerogative. I don’t have to read it (in this case, I haven’t and won’t). I’m not telling anyone they can’t write this - or any other - ship. I’m simply uncomfortable with its popularity.

liebgott has some great onscreen friendships (mostly implied, as is the way of the show): tab, popeye, grant, ramirez, babe, mcclung, alley; maybe dukeman, jackson, tipper, luz, martin, malarkey, roe... I could even make an argument for liebgott & lesniewski. personally, I would much rather see more attention given to any/all of those.

#replies #'charactering'#earnest semi soapbox moments

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calzona-ga · 4 years

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Showrunner Krista Vernoff talks with The Hollywood Reporter about wrapping Alex's storyline, being the first show to shut down production and the episode that serves as its season ender.

[This story contains spoilers from episode 1621, "Put on a Happy Face."]

ABC's Grey's Anatomy concluded its 16th season Thursday with an episode that wasn't designed to be a finale but, as showrunner Krista Vernoff admits, was lucky to have doubled as one.

The Shondaland medical drama had four episodes left to produce before Vernoff made the call to shut down — the first series to do so amid the coronavirus crisis — in a move she says was designed with the crew's health in mind. The series was also the first to publicly confirm that those four episodes would never be produced as Vernoff and her team will use their extended hiatus as a way to incorporate those events into the drama's previously announced 17th season.

As for the episode, here's what happened: Richard (Jim Pickens) is cured, but rejects his estranged wife, Catherine (Debbie Allen). Owen (Kevin McKidd) and Teddy (Kim Raver) are … on pause. Amelia (Caterina Scorsone) and Link (Chris Carmack) have their son. DeLuca (Giacomo Gianniotti) saves the day with Richard but has a breakdown. Meredith (Ellen Pompeo) now finds herself in a love triangle (again).

Below, Vernoff talks with The Hollywood Reporter about making the call to shut down, how she's approaching season 17 and, yes, how she and the Grey's writers wrote out Justin Chambers' Alex.

First, how are you doing with the state of the TV industry right now? I'm worried about everybody in the world, including our industry. I'm really lucky to have continued work. I have a writers room for [ABC pilot] Rebel and I'm doing post on Station 19. I have some semblance of normalcy and I'm hopeful that there will be some return to normalcy in the not too distant future.

Grey's was the first show to shut down production. What went into that decision and was what has ensued since what you were expecting at the time? What went into that decision for me and why I pushed for that shutdown is we have been on the air for so long that so many of our crew members were in that high-risk category. Many of them are over 60 or even 70. There was a day when someone was saying, "Maybe you should go to set and give a pep talk," and I had a feeling of like, "No, I don't want to go to set." I called the network and said if I don't want to go to that set space, you can't keep asking the crew — who are all high-risk — to go. Like anyone else, did I expect the whole world to shut down? No. This is all so unprecedented in our world. I didn't expect this. I just knew in that moment that what I was reading that was happening in Italy meant we were in danger here and I wanted to protect our crew.

You lost four episodes from this season. What was the cast's response to that? What are you considering doing with the remaining four unproduced episodes? Rolling them to next season? Or waiting to see what happens with the world before you plot out what comes next? We're waiting to see what happens with the world. I will start a season 17 writers room in May, and, at that point, I imagine our conversation will be about starting our story from where we left off in season 16. But I don't think we can take unproduced scripts that we didn't shoot and shoot them. We're going to have had a break and have new ideas. We've been texting each other ideas already. Some of those things that we had decided, we're changing because we'll have had a break and have come up with better ideas. And some of it is going to have to change because you're taking what was going to be a regular episode and have to turn it into a season premiere and that will require some reimagining.

As a medical drama, and one with a global audience — you air in something like 250 markets across the globe — have you talked about if you're going to incorporate coronavirus into your storyline? I haven't talked to anyone about anything yet because we're not in the room right now. We're on what would have been our hiatus. But once the writers room gathers in early May, we'll begin to have those conversations. I've been thinking, are we incorporating coronavirus into the storytelling and also does that dictate what kind of stories we can tell? Are we, for example, limiting the number of people in a room? If we're doing a story where 60 people were sitting in a theater, are we no longer doing that story? Those are the things I'm thinking about because I don't think this is going to be totally over when we come back to shoot in July. I don't know.

Have you thought about what it would take for you guys to feel safe enough — given the crew you have — to go back into production? The Writers Guild is thinking about all of those things. There are conversations about, will testing be more widely available by that point? Are you testing people when they go to work? Are you taking temperatures of people before they go to work? I'm addicted to silver linings and an idealist and fantasy thinker because I am a writer, so I keep thinking maybe some miraculous vaccine or cure or somebody will figure out a medicine we use for this can be effective. I'm trying not to think about it too much because no one knows anything and next week everything could change.

This episode was fortunate to work as a season finale. Can you say anything about what would have happened in those four episodes? Or are those ideas that you're holding on to for now? I'm going to holdon to them for now because I imagine we'll play out a fair amount of them in season 17. It's not lucky that there's a pandemic and we had to stop our storytelling four episodes short, but it's lucky that where we had to stop wound up as a pretty perfect season finale.

One thing watching this episode that I'm very eager to know: What do Amelia and Link name their son? Grey's does have a way of honoring the past when it comes to baby names … The name the baby storyline was in episode 22 [which won't be produced]. I suspect it will play in the [season 17] premiere.

Any clues if the name has any special significance? Derek, maybe… I will tell you that the name is not Derek (laughing). I'll give you that the line in 1622 about Derek was that Link pitched it and Amelia said, "I don't want to cry every time I look at my baby, so no." But the name is meaningful, yes.

Owen tells his mother that he's postponing the wedding but doesn't tell Teddy. He obviously has that pretty awful voicemail in which he hears Teddy sleep with Tom. Why doesn't he break things off? The cruelest thing that Owen could do in that moment is to call his mother and not Teddy. That didn't come from anything magnanimous. Letting Teddy suffer in that silence and fear … if everything is OK, you call your partner and say we can't do it. I honestly think Owen is in too much pain to talk to Teddy at this point. It's a major storyline for us to play in season 17: are they over? Is there a way for him to come back from this? Owen has cheated himself and been forgiven, so he would be a hypocrite to not allow for possibility that there could be some forgiveness here. Yet what he heard was really damning and man. That OR scene was my favorite scene of the season. It was really beautiful.

DeLuca, who should be celebrating a big professional victory, realizes he has a problem after diagnosing Richard. What are you looking forward to exploring with his storyline? Everyone interprets that last scene differently. What I believe happens to DeLuca in that last scene is that he's been manic for so long that his brain chemicals have shifted and he's gone into a depression and that's what you're seeing. It's not that he's making any kind of realization; it's that he can't get up off the floor and he doesn't know why. We're telling a story of a mental health crisis with DeLuca and I think he does have the disease his father has. What's kind of beautiful about where we ended the season is that you see that a person who is struggling with mental health crisis can still be an incredibly productive member of society. He diagnoses Richard and saves the day — and he goes into a hole. Where we go from here … you'll see in season 17.

There's a great scene during Richard's surgery when DeLuca looks up at Meredith and gives her this nod, which feels like he's thinking that maybe now he is on her level professionally — and maybe now she can see him in that way. Meredith, meanwhile, tells Cormac Hayes (Richard Flood) that she wants him to ask her out again. This episode also had a lot of foreshadowing that Hayes and Meredith seem destined to be together. What's the larger idea or theme you're looking to explore with this … triangle of sorts? It kind of is a triangle at this point. There are so many pieces to making television: there's the conversation in the writers room, then the script on the page. It's like what you think it will be vs. what's on the page. And then there's what the actors do with it. That story has emerged in a way where I never expected it to be a triangle but feels like it very much is one right now. That's because DeLuca has been so heroic and so dynamic in his mental health storyline that, in a strange way, I expected that storyline would illuminate him as a love interest for Meredith and it ironically feels like it's done the opposite. It's been amazing to watch Giacomo resonate with that storyline. The story ended up better than what I expected it was going to be because now I don't know who I'm rooting for Meredith to be with. There's a part of me that feels like DeLuca, if he gets the right kind of treatment, could be becoming a human being with life experience that helps him rise to Meredith's level and yet there's this man, who is co-signed by Cristina and we've seen the pain he's survived and how, in so many ways, his life experience mirrors Meredith's. Where this goes now is really anybody's guess. I'm excited to see how it unfolds.

I'd be remiss if I didn't ask about something else that happened earlier this season: Justin Chambers exited this season. While Alex had a big send-off, it felt like Chambers left quietly and suddenly. What can you say about happened and the way that all transpired? I decline comment.

From a planning standpoint, how much notice did you have that Chambers wasn't returning? Chambers' last episode aired in November… I don't want to talk about it.

Can you talk a bit about how the Grey's team came up with how you concluded Alex's storyline, reuniting him with Izzie (Katherine Heigl)? I love that episode. I thought it was beautiful, romantic, heartbreaking, painful and the perfect combination of the way so many stories happen in Shondaland, where you're simultaneously crying for joy and crying for grief. It was perfectly imperfect and it was perfectly messy. It allowed for Alex to have grown as a human in a variety of ways and to still be imperfect and to disappoint a woman he has loved greatly. It allows for Jo to have been a person who really healed him and in so many ways that he's now able to go be this wonderful dad to these kids. And it allowed for the characters who are still at Grey Sloan to not have to go through another massive chapter of grief. I thought it was beautiful and I'm really proud of it. It was an amazing thing to get to watch 16 seasons worth of material. To get to go backwards on a character's timeline, 16 seasons, and to have it actually be stuff we shot on the show? That's rare in TV. Usually if you're flashing back, you're using VFX to de-age a character.

Wrapping things up, I always ask you the same two questions at the end of every season. Will there be any cast departures ahead of season 17? There are no notable cast member departures happening between seasons.

And are there any conversations about season 17 being the last one for Grey's? And in terms of 17 being the end, I never believe it's the end until they tell me it's the end for real.

#grey's anatomy #krista vernoff #THR #news #scoop

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ineverhadmyinternetphase · 6 years

Text

In My Way - Chapter 23

AO3 link, First Chapter

Genre: Chaptered. Actor!Dan AU, fluff, bit of angst, slow burn, getting together (eventually)

Summary: Fiction. Daniel Howell is 21 and Britain’s newest star. He’s just been cast in the much-anticipated film adaption of Last Man Standing, the popular teen fantasy novel with a huge fanbase hanging off his every tweet. In other words, Dan has made it big.

Phil Lester couldn’t care less. He’s a stressed out PHD student working part time at a bookshop while he struggles to get into post-production. He’s 26 and still lives in a tiny flat on the fifth floor of a building with a lift more broken than it is in use. He loves books, but he thinks big film adaptions screw with the plot too much.

Needless to say, Phil is less than impressed when Last Man Standing is getting filmed in his hometown. And he certainly doesn’t want anything to do with obnoxious, arrogant, so irritatingly perfect leading actor Daniel Howell.

Warnings: Swearing, Ace!Phil, Bi!Dan, slight a- and bi-phobia, discussions of sexuality

Word Count: 5000-6000 per chapter (ish)

A/N: I just wanted to say, before we get going with the chapter, thank you so much for 3000 kudos! That is crazy!! I never expected an ace fic to get this much love. Thank you to everyone who has read so far (and sorry for making you wait so long for this update) but I come bearing good news! I have now finished this fic!

The last chapter will go up on Wednesday, and the epilogue on Friday, and then this fic will be done ^_^ thank you for your patience with me!

Massive thanks to @agingphangirl for helping me out with this chapter, and of course to my lovely beta Meg @mecaka who's going to look this over for me ^_^

---

The week leading up to the premiere was nothing short of hell for Phil.

He started the week by having to head back up to Manchester, leaving Dan behind in London again, and Phil was really, really starting to hate having to say goodbye. Train stations were becoming an all too familiar surrounding, standing there in public staring at Dan longingly, unable to reach out and take him into his arms, having to make do with whispered goodbyes and promises to be back soon.

It was the last time, though, Phil reminded himself. The last time he’d have to make sure not to be publicly affectionate with Dan.

That was such a strange thought. Phil was still blown away sometimes that he even wanted this – for the first time in his life, he wanted to be with someone. The prospect of an actual relationship still terrified him when it reared up in its pure form, but then he just had to remember that it was only Dan, and everything felt ok again.

He would always want to be with Dan, he suspected. Everything was just easier to cope with when Dan was in the same room as him.

When Phil got back to Manchester, it was to an untidy flat that he’d left in a stress-muddled mess, notes for his PhD thrown about everywhere, and no food in his cupboards. Phil cursed his past self who hadn’t bothered to have any foresight past going back down to London and seeing Dan again, which had, of course, been his priority at the time.

It was a good priority, but now Phil was left in a mess again.

There wasn’t even any real point trying to tidy up – his viva was in four days’ time, that didn’t give him long to look over the rest of his notes and frantically try and prepare. This was the last time he’d ever need to work on something for his PhD, or education in general if he was able to get some work. In London, perhaps, if his tentative plans for the future somehow magically played out.

Phil bit his lip, recalling the rather strange conversation he’d had with Dan in relation to his possible idea of moving to London. It hadn’t gone anywhere near as well as Phil had hoped. Dan had been about to tell him something, Phil was sure, right before Tyler walked in, but – well, Phil had no idea what that might have been.

Some reason he had for not wanting Phil to move to London?

No, Phil tried to quench that doubt the minute it arose. Dan had made it clear enough he wanted Phil around him, and had told Phil more than once to quiet his insecurities surrounding that. Plus, Dan was actually planning to publicly announce Phil as his partner at the premiere in a week’s time – it was difficult to imagine anything more permanent.

Phil smiled at that image, pausing just before ordering takeaway for the night. He was caught somewhere between excited and terrified at thoughts of the premiere. On the one hand, he struggled through any kind of public event at the best of times, and this would be something quite different – a lot more spectacular than he was used to. Phil was really not the kind of person to attend premieres. He’d never in his life imagined he’d get there – although he’d always had an interest in the film industry, it was definitely from behind the scenes.

The idea of going to such a glitzy event on the arm of Daniel Howell himself sounded like it had to be happening to someone else.

But on the other hand, Phil knew Dan now – he knew what a lazy sod he could be, how Dan didn’t much like public affairs any more than Phil did, how they’d be leaning on each other to get through it. Plus, he would quite like to meet back up with Xander and Louise and the other people from the film set, the place he’d first met Dan, back when half of Manchester was clogged with the road closure.

Phil remembered how annoyed he’d been initially upon hearing the news of the set in his city, and grinned. That had changed rather drastically. And now, here he was, almost to the end of his PhD with the tantalising possibility of a shining future with Dan stretching out before him.

---

Two days before his viva, Phil met up with PJ for lunch. He hadn’t seen PJ in far too long, and he needed a distraction to quiet some of his greater nerves that were building more and more the closer it got to his final assessment. Plus, he really wanted to tell PJ about his and Dan’s plans for the premiere before they happened. The last thing Phil wanted was for PJ to read about him in a paper before Phil got the chance to talk to him.

PJ, it turned out, was busy himself packing up ready for moving to London. In all the excitement of his own life, Phil had almost forgotten about PJ getting his job down with the film company that Xander worked for, and so of course he was relocating.

Phil hoped to be joining him, if all went well. But he wasn’t sure how much to say for now. Everything felt so tentative still.

On the other hand, PJ was his best friend; they’d been close since their first term of uni. If there was anyone Phil could trust to confide in completely, it was PJ.

“So how’s packing going?” Phil asked, sipping at his coffee.

PJ swallowed his bite of sandwich and ran one hand through his curly hair. “Don’t even ask, seriously. I forgot how much stuff I have. And do you have any idea how expensive it is to hire removal vans to London?”

“I can imagine,” Phil agreed with a pained smile. “But you’ve got a place down there?”

“Yeah, not a great one but it’ll do.” PJ sent Phil a sly smirk. “Nothing like the place you’ve been crashing with Mr Daniel Howell, I suspect.”

Phil, much to his horror, felt warmth spreading up the back of his neck. “Hey. It wasn’t that flashy.”

That was a lie. Dan’s flat was pretty fancy, with his wage packet and Tyler’s combined they managed a pretty nice spacious place in the centre of London.

“Yes, well, mine’s barely bigger than a room and I’m lucky to have it,” PJ grumbled. “I hope you’ll come to visit me as well as that actor of yours, though, Phil.”

“Definitely,” Phil promised. “It’ll be weird without you here. Who am I going to drag out for lunch when I’m panicking next time?”

PJ fixed him with a soft, knowing look.

Phil shrank a little under that gaze.

“It isn’t just me in your life now, though, is it?” PJ asked smugly. “I called it, you know. When I saw how you were looking at him.”

Phil could feel the tips of his ears going red, heat still creeping up the back of his neck. “Was I that obvious?”

“Slightly.” PJ grinned at him. “I thought I must be seeing things at first though. Never seen you like that before.”

Phil half-smiled back. PJ knew him better than most – he was right, Phil hadn’t really acted like this before. Dan just… kind of came along and took over his world. Phil hadn’t been expecting that. If he looked objectively at the past few months of his life, he hardly even recognised himself.

But he felt good. Like he was moving forward. And he wanted to keep Dan around.

“About that, actually,” Phil began, his words getting thicker. “I, um. Maybe you won’t be the only one moving to London soon.”

PJ looked up, surprised, half-way through taking a bite of his sandwich.

“I’m thinking about it,” Phil admitted. “Maybe. Things with Dan, they’re – well, like you said, I haven’t really ever done this before. But they’re pretty great, if I’m honest.”

PJ grinned around his mouthful. “So you’re coming down too?”

“It’s something I’m thinking about,” Phil answered, nodding. “Quite seriously thinking about.”

PJ’s grin widened. He put down his sandwich and clapped Phil’s shoulder, harder perhaps than necessary. Phil’s shoulder ached. “That’s amazing! We’ll be a proper team, I’m glad, I need your help down South.”

“So you think it’s a good idea?” Phil asked a little shyly. “Me moving down too, I mean?”

PJ levelled him with a serious look. “I think that the fact you’re considering it is sign enough.”

Phil tilted his head. “What do you mean?”

“I mean, I know you, Phil.” PJ was still looking at him seriously. “You don’t like change, you don’t like moving. You stayed close to home for a reason. So the fact you’re thinking about up and moving across the country – well, Dan must be pretty special.”

Phil bit his lip. The way PJ phrased that had nerves spiking back through him again, as if hearing so starkly just how drastic his plans were made him reconsider exactly what he was doing.

PJ caught the look and sent him a questioning stare. “Are you worried about it?”

“Well, a little,” Phil admitted. “It’s a big move. It’s kind of scary.”

PJ nodded, but he was smiling again. “Which is why the fact you’re even considering it tells me it’s a good idea. You’re ready for something new, mate. Have you thought about what you’ll do?”

Phil nodded slowly, remembering the research he’d done into editing companies, the bookmarks sitting unopened on his laptop, the emails sent and not yet answered. He had options. He had a favourite company all ready to call up, the one he’d told Dan about what felt like ages ago now. It wouldn’t take much to send off an application. He was qualified, he knew – or he would be, once his viva was out of the way.

The knowledge that his viva was only two days away sent nerves clenching in Phil’s stomach all over again.

But PJ seemed happy for him – and that was important. One more step in the direction Phil thought he wanted his life to take now. Not much longer and he could potentially have everything he’d once dreamed of.

If everything went well. If Dan really did want him to move down to London. If he wasn’t hiding anything.

But he couldn’t be. Phil would know.

---

“So I told Tyler the hot water isn’t running right because my shower was freezing this morning, and he completely blew up at me!” Dan’s tone was a familiar whine down the phone, keeping Phil company as he sorted through some of his extensive notes. Preparing for his viva had been driving him insane, so seeing the incoming call from Dan cheered him up no end.

He wondered if his heart would ever stop flipping over when he saw Dan’s name pop up on his phone screen.

“So what did he do to you?” Phil asked, amusement hiding behind his tone.

Dan huffed. “He didn’t do anything. He just told me that I should probably call the landlord if I had a problem.”

“I mean,” Phil said as blandly as he could, “You probably should.”

“Yes, but what if I don’t want to?”

“Not really a good enough excuse, is it,” Phil chuckled.

“You’re laughing at me.”

“Maybe a little.”

“Rude.” Dan huffed. “How was your lunch with PJ?”

“Nice. Good, actually.” Phil straightened up, leaning back against his bookshelf. “I wanted to talk to you about that.”

“Oh?” Dan sounded interested.

“Yeah. PJ’s getting ready to move, you know.” Phil fiddled with a pen lying on his desk. “Got a place in London.”

“It’s so good Xander liked him enough to hire him,” Dan agreed.

“Yeah.” Phil glanced at his desk, where his laptop still sat open on the email he’d drafted, a reply to the company he’d already expressed an interest with. His CV was attached. His portfolio was ready. All he had to do was click send.

But first—

“So PJ liked the idea of me possibly moving down there too.” Phil got the words out quickly, like nails through his teeth, a pool of nerves still tugging at his stomach.

There was a brief moment of silence.

“So it’s actually possible?” Dan started talking quickly, his words running together like they always did when he got excited. “You’re seriously thinking about it? And it wouldn’t be too far, your family – I always said I’m not going to take you away from them if you don’t want to, and your home’s up there, and—”

“Dan,” Phil interrupted firmly. “Do you want me to be in London?”

The answer was immediate. “Yes. Please.”

The words, simple as they were, were enough to calm the unsettling flutter swirling around in Phil’s stomach. He took in a breath, leaned over, and hit send on his computer. “Then I’m looking into making that happen.”

Dan drew in a sharp, excited breath. “Really? Like, actually, in real life, really?”

“Yes.” Phil bit back a grin. This was more the response he’d expected, more of what he wanted. Dan being excited, unafraid to show it (to Phil, at least) and full of eager ideas.

“Fuck, yes, you could stay with me and Tyler. If he ever stops grouching about the hot water. Or, actually, better idea, he can grouch so much he leaves and then you can just move in with me.”

“I don’t want to start this by kicking out your best friend,” Phil laughed, but he couldn’t deny the sharp little buzz starting to sing under his skin. The casual way Dan had said move in with me. Like it wasn’t even a question. Like of course they’d end up together.

“But the rest of it?” Dan wheedled. “How soon are we talking? Are you just going to stay here after the premiere?”

“I don’t think it quite works like that,” Phil answered with a grin still fighting its way onto his face. “I mean, I still have to pack up my stuff and somehow get everything down to London. Never mind I’d quite like to wait until I have confirmation of somewhere to work, I only just applied.”

There was a hesitant silence.

“You applied somewhere?” Dan’s voice was still excited, but more cautious. Phil supposed he was nervous on Phil’s behalf. “Where?”

“The place I told you about before.” Phil leaned over, read off the name of the person he’d contacted. “I literally just sent them my info. Keep your fingers crossed for me.”

“I will.” Dan’s voice had gone a little funny, maybe the reception was bad. “You’ll walk into it. With your reputation, how hard you’ve worked.”

“I don’t have a reputation yet.” Phil gave a cynical laugh. “But I have lots of official-sounding letters after my name, so maybe that will help?”

“I’m sure it will.” Dan still sounded subdued. “Tyler just got back, I’ll call you back later?”

“Sure.” Phil glanced back over to his abandoned viva notes, knew he really needed to go through them properly again. “Good luck with the hot water.”

“Thanks, I’ll need it,” Dan answered dryly, and then hung up.

---

In London, Dan stared at his phone for a couple more seconds before running in a panic into the kitchen, where he could hear Tyler unpacking some shopping.

Tyler took one look at his face and glared. “No, Howell, I am not calling the landlord about anything ever again, not after you swore it would be your turn next time!”

“I’ll do it in a sec,” Dan waved him away, pointing dramatically at the phone in his hand. “We have a situation.”

Tyler looked from the phone, to Dan, and back to the phone again. “You can’t have broken that too, surely.”

“No, no.” Dan flapped his free hand. “Phil.”

“The man you’re hopelessly in love with, yes,” Tyler agreed slowly, raising a brow. “What about him?”

“He’s coming to London.”

“Now?” Tyler looked surprised. “I mean, not that I’m complaining – I could do with more time to get his shirt fitting properly…”

“No, no, not now,” Dan spat, ignoring the tug in his chest that wished that were true. “Like, forever. In the future.”

Tyler looked at him blankly. “…I’m not getting the panic here.”

“He emailed them!” Dan’s voice was getting shrieky. He made Tyler flinch. “The company! The one you made me tell about him!”

Tyler blinked, still staring. But then his eyes widened in understanding.

“Exactly!” Dan’s tone was still much more high-pitched than it should be. His breathing was quick, panic clouding his thoughts, and none of his years of actor training could teach him how to calm down.

Tyler raised a hand, palm out. “Hey, woah, woah. I didn’t make you do anything, Howell.”

“You were there!” Dan ran a distressed hand through his hair. “You could have stopped me! Fuck, I knew it was an awful idea, I knew—”

“Wait,” Tyler said, eyes wide as he stared up at Dan. “Wait a minute, calm down. You said he emailed them, right? So does he know?”

Dan let out a panicked breath, fingers clenching in the hem of his baggy shirt. “I don’t know. He didn’t say.”

“Maybe he knows and just doesn’t care, then?” Tyler squeaked hopefully.

Dan let out a sardonic laugh. They both knew Phil well enough to know that couldn’t be true – they both knew that Phil wouldn’t just accept Dan putting in a good word for him without complaint. Phil was too fucking pure, had too much integrity. He wanted to get in of his own volition, manage his own progress, be completely assured that everything he did was from his own hard work. And he was good, he’d be able to go far.

But Dan had scuppered all of that for now, hadn’t he?

“Shit, I fucked up,” Dan half-whispered, his hand back in his hair and tugging, hard. “Shit. I shouldn’t have – I never should have done it.”

“You were acting in his best interests,” Tyler tried to placate him.

Dan levelled a glare his way. “We were.”

“Yes, yes, ok,” Tyler admitted, paling considerably. “Fuck, don’t tell him I had anything to do with this.”

Dan arched a brow. “Are you scared of him?”

“He’s way bigger than me!” Tyler bit his lip. “I don’t want to get punched.”

“Phil wouldn’t punch a beetle,” Dan disagreed, with wry experience. When Dan had found a bug in the bathroom once and promptly started screeching, Phil simply befriended it as he scooped it up and showed it to the door. “Besides, he’s going to be too concerned with yelling at me to do anything about you. And then never speaking to me again. Fuck.”

“It won’t be that bad,” Tyler reassured, even though he didn’t look particularly sure about it himself.

Dan looked back at him, not answering. The silence was heavy, and Tyler didn’t look convinced either, but Dan chose to believe his words, at least for now.

“It won’t be that bad,” Dan murmured, turning back to his room, and hoped with every bone in his body that it would be true.

---

The day of Phil’s viva, Phil was a shaking, trembling mess. But he got through it. Somehow, with a quick call to his mum beforehand where she told him to pull himself together, and a whole barrage of encouraging texts from Dan that blew up his phone to the point where Phil actually had to turn it off before he went in, Phil made it.

They tore his argument to shreds, of course, but (as much to Phil’s surprise as anyone else) his theory actually stood up to their inquisition. They liked it, he thought. At least, he left the room with a smile on his face, feeling more confident than he had in quite a long time.

And that was it. His education complete. All that was left was for him to receive his marks and then he’d be graduating.

Phil felt a strange, gaping sort of emptiness at that thought. The relief would come later, simmering deep in his bones, but it hadn’t quite sunk in yet. He was free. Endless time on his hands, freedom to do as he pleased.

The only thing still holding him to Manchester was his work at Lilith’s bookshop, and he hadn’t had the heart to tell her he’d be moving yet.

Never mind the fact that he didn’t actually know for sure if he was moving. No word back from the editing company he’d emailed yet.

Phil didn’t have a huge amount of time to mope, though, not when the premiere he was attending with Dan was happening this weekend. It left him with far too little time to pack, to clean up the mess that was his apartment after weeks of living among scattered notes and countless books, all preparing for his viva. Which was now done. He was free.

He could feel it starting to sink in as he set about clearing up his things, carefully tidying away all his notes back into his filing system (Dan used to make fun of his folders, calling him an old man. The memory brought with it a wave of fondness and the urge to send Dan a bunch of texts, which Phil followed through on even though he knew Dan was currently in a meeting with his agent). It felt strange, in part, to be packing up the last four years of his life into folders, but Phil didn’t feel as empty as he thought he would.

He may just have been too busy freaking out about the premiere, of course.

He passed the rest of the week in a blur of packing and panicked calls to Dan, during which Dan attempted to soothe him, and one very bizarre occasion where Tyler called him, saying he’d stolen Phil’s number from Dan, to have a very serious discussion about the pairs of shoes Phil owned. Turned out there was a lot to think about when wearing an outfit to a premiere.

The weekend rolled around too soon, and Phil felt horrendously unprepared, but he still got on the train and spent the entire journey on tenterhooks, eager to see Dan again.

Dan, of course, met him at the station, and greeted him with a quick but fervent hug before pulling back nervously.

“Hey,” Phil reminded him gently, leaning into his side. “Last time we’ll ever have to hide it, remember?”

“Yeah,” Dan agreed, and sent him the sunniest, widest smile Phil had seen in a while. Phil’s stomach tugged. “True. That bit, I’m excited for.”

“Only that bit?” Phil teased mildly, letting Dan take a bag from him as they walked side-by-side out of the station. “Not the part where you’ll get to show off in front of a crowd of screaming fans?”

Dan shuddered. “Don’t remind me.”

“You’re the one dragging me to this thing, I hold every right to remind you.”

“Ok, first of all, you agreed to join me in this hell,” Dan reminded him, elbowing Phil’s side. “And secondly, you’re the only thing that’s going to make this bearable, so please kindly shut the fuck up.”

Phil, despite himself, snorted. “So polite.”

“As much as you deserve.” Dan elbowed him again, then took hold of his arm to lead him out of the station and to a waiting car.

Phil stopped, looked at it (it had blacked out windows) and then sent Dan a questioning look.

“Sorry.” Dan grimaced a little. “With the premiere coming up and all, interest has spiked a bit. It’s safer to travel this way.”

“Oh.” The cluster of nerves gathered in Phil’s stomach set alight again. He took in a breath. “OK. That’s fine. Yeah.”

“You sound anything but fine,” Dan chuckled, and then took his hand and led him gently forwards.

They put Phil’s bags in the boot and then climbed in the back, and the driver politely nodded to Dan before setting off. “Back to your flat?”

“Yes please, James,” Dan answered, and Phil held back a laugh at the uncomfortable look on Dan’s face. He knew enough of Dan now to believe that Dan disliked having a driver almost as much as Phil felt uncomfortable sitting on the fancy white leather seats.

The drive did give them an excuse to sit close and hold hands, though, which Phil wasn’t exactly complaining about.

When they got back, Tyler was in waiting for them and had cooked an extravagant meal. Phil was still a little scared of him, so clung close to Dan’s side from the moment they stepped in lest Tyler jump him with more questions about colours and styles and the way he wore his hair.

He couldn’t help but compliment Tyler on his cooking, though, after a few bites of the steak.

“It’s my dream to be a house husband one day,” Tyler sighed thoughtfully in response. “This is just practice for when I cook for my family every night.”

“You hardly ever cook for me,” Dan griped, leaning over Phil to get some water.

Tyler smiled at him sweetly. “That’s because, Howell, you’re an ungrateful lazy disaster of a human. You’re just lucky I like your boyfriend.”

Phil choked on his glass, but Dan just snickered.

“And you two had better keep it down tonight,” Tyler added seriously, sending both of them a sharp, knowing glance that instantly made Phil uncomfortable. “I know you must have missed each other, but no funny business, at least not loudly. I need my beauty sleep.”

“Oh, we won’t talk loudly past ten,” Phil assured him.

Tyler snorted. “Adorable. That’s not what I meant, Phil.”

Phil blinked for a moment, confused, and then his eyes went wide.

Dan was sitting beside him and reached over instantly, a reassuring hand on Phil’s knee and a calm voice as he said, “Shut the fuck up, Tyler.”

“I mean, I won’t blame you,” Tyler added, still tucking into his side salad. “A week’s a long time, you’ve missed each other, I get it, but I don’t need to hear any unnecessary noises, alright? No mental images that will scar me for life.”

Phil was politely choking through Tyler’s words. He cowered down in his seat so low he wanted to disappear, could feel the hot redness spreading across the back of his neck and to the tips of his ears.

He knew what Tyler was talking about. Or, at least, he thought he knew.

“Um,” Phil managed to squeak, and Dan sent him a sharp look.

Phil looked back. “Should we tell him?”

Dan couldn’t keep the surprise from his face, even as he schooled his expression into a calm, blank one. “That’s up to you, Phil. It has to be your decision.”

Phil bit his lip.

Tyler looked between them, confused. “You know, I’m getting used to you two speaking in your own language, but if this is about me…”

“Sorry,” Phil said quickly, flicking Tyler a glance. He still felt like his face was on fire. “Um. There’s something – I should maybe tell you.”

Tyler quirked a brow at him.

Dan squeezed Phil’s knee, leaning into his side. “You sure? You don’t have to if you don’t want to.”

“No, I – I want to.” Phil sat up a little, squaring his shoulders. “It’s not even that big a deal, it’s just – Tyler, you don’t, like, ever have to worry about those, um… noises. Like you were talking about.”

Tyler’s brow rose even higher.

“I’m asexual,” Phil blurted out, the word releasing something wound up tight in his chest. He swallowed past the nervous lump in his throat. “Um, so. That’s. Like, that’s – not a thing that’s ever going to happen?”

It came out more like a question. Why did it have to come out like a question?

Tyler was staring at him with his mouth open.

Dan, of course, came to the rescue. He leaned into Phil’s side but kept his gaze flickering back to Tyler, even as Dan nonchalantly continued eating his steak. He spoke between bites. “So yeah, you get your peace and quiet. Doesn’t mean you get to just walk into my room whenever you want, though, that rule still applies.”

Tyler blinked, finally. He was still staring at Phil. “You’re what, exactly?”

Phil floundered under that gaze. “Umm. Asexual. And sex-repulsed, for that matter, but like – mostly just asexual.”

Phil had done his research. He was more comfortable with his label now, and where he sat on it, but that didn’t really make saying it out loud any easier.

Tyler was still gawping at him.

“Close your mouth,” Dan told him, reaching for more salad.

Tyler promptly snapped his mouth shut, only to open it again a second later. “Asexual?”

The back of Phil’s neck was on fire. “Um. Yes.”

“Huh.” Tyler sat back, eyes still fixed on him. “Funny. I’ve never met one in real life before, I always just kind of assumed it was made up.”

Phil, despite himself, flinched. He didn’t know Tyler that well, true, but he hadn’t expected such avid confusion in his tone.

He should have expected it, though. He wasn’t normal. He knew this. Tyler’s reaction was just further proving it.

Dan, however, was looking at Tyler through a sharp-eyed glare. “Well, it isn’t. And now you have. So.”

Phil shrank in his seat.

Tyler closed his mouth again, looking between them still, from Phil’s determined slouch staring down at the table to Dan’s sharp glare that didn’t leave Tyler’s face.

Wisely, Tyler decided to change the subject.

“Ok, well…” he trailed off, still looking at Phil with something like confusion in his eyes. “Ok. That’s fine, I guess. Um. Both your outfits are laid out for tomorrow, put them on early so I can get started on your hair and make-up, alright?”

At that, Phil’s gaze snapped back up to Tyler, eyes widening. “What was that, sorry?”

Dan elbowed his side lazily. “Don’t worry too much. Tyler’s insistent, but he’s good.”

“Exactly, and I can’t let you go walking down that red carpet without looking stunningly attractive. Everyone’s going to want to have you.” Tyler paused a second. “Or, well – um. However you want to look. Either way, you’ll be hanging off Dan’s arm all night, I’m going to make you look like the perfect couple you absolutely are.”

Nerves curled up like ashes rekindling in Phil’s stomach at that mental image. Him and Dan before all those cameras, all those people watching him, judging him, and he had no doubt that not all of them would look upon him and Dan favourably.

He didn’t voice these thoughts until much later, after dinner was cleared and Tyler settled on the sofa while Dan and Phil retreated back to Dan’s room, the door shut, them sprawled out across the bed.

“It’s a big thing you’re doing, after all,” Phil confessed quietly into Dan’s neck, Dan’s fingers soothingly stroking over his back. “No one is going to look at us the same. What if people react badly? Twitter’s already crazy enough, but this is like, the actual newspapers and stuff. What if—”

“I’m going to stop you right there,” Dan interrupted smoothly, his fingers pressing into Phil’s spine, “Before you freak me out more than I already am.”

Phil looked up, brow wrinkling apologetically. “Sorry. I don’t mean to do that, I’m just…” he sighed, rolling further into Dan’s body, concentrating on his warmth.

“Scared?” Dan finished for him, voice so soft it was barely a murmur. “Because that makes two of us.”

Phil winced. He reached out, arms wrapping around Dan, and rolled them until they were both on their sides, facing each other. He used one finger to gently trace down Dan’s cheek, pressing once where his dimple usually sat, and then cupped his face with his palm. “It’ll be alright. We’ll do it together, and afterwards, it’ll still just be us. That’s what you told me, remember? We’ll just be us.”

Dan’s brown eyes looked back at him, full of insecurity, but his grip tightened around Phil’s fingers. “You promise?”

“I promise,” Phil answered easily, and pressed a small kiss to the corner of Dan’s mouth. “We’ll still be us, whatever happens tomorrow.”

Dan curled into him like a pretzel piece, long and gangly and he was definitely kneeing Phil in the stomach, but Phil dealt with it for the feeling of being able to wrap his arms tight around Dan and hold him close.

Phil clung to his own words as he closed his eyes. Dan would still be his come morning, come whatever happened after the premiere. Whatever people would think of him, some nobody hanging off The Daniel Howell’s arm. Dan would still be his, whatever people assumed. That would be enough to get him through tomorrow.

---

Despite all his reassurances to himself, Phil woke the next morning with a tight ball of nerves coiled in his stomach.

He went through the motions of getting dressed with his throat closing up and nausea roiling beneath his skin, tingling. One glance at Dan told him Dan was in a similar state, except Dan was better at hiding it – his face smoothed out impassively, hard-to-read. It wasn’t for nothing that Dan was such a successful actor at such a young age.

Dan helped Phil into his dark gold jacket and then wrapped his arms around him, just hugging him for a moment. “It’ll be fine. We’ve got this.”

Dan’s voice was steady, which was a reassurance, but Phil was still jangling with nerves as he turned in Dan’s embrace to face him. “Have we? Honestly? Because I don’t feel like I have a clue.”

“Oh, same,” Dan said, and laughed. “I have no idea what the fuck I’m doing, but – but this will be so worth it, Phil.”

Phil bit his lip, took in a breath. “No more hiding.”

“No more hiding.” Dan leaned into him, his head resting on Phil’s shoulder. “I just want to hold your hand on the street, why is this so hard?”

Phil gave a low chuckle. He wrapped his arms around Dan’s waist and pulled him closer, pressing his face into Dan’s viciously straightened hair. “After today, it will be. Then you can hold my hand all you like.”

“I’m never going to let you go,” Dan answered determinedly. He still looked pale when he drew back, though, and Phil didn’t miss the taught thinness of his lips. Dan might be doing a good job of hiding it, but Phil could still see the nerves.

He leaned in and kissed Dan softly, eyes falling closed for just a moment. Dan melted against him in just the way Phil was growing used to, the way he missed most when he was alone in Manchester wrapped up in his bedsheets, and kissed back with a soft sort of desperation.

It was a long moment before Phil drew away, and then they turned to face the day together.

The hours passed all-too-fleetingly for Phil’s taste. He spent most of the day sat in a chair in the kitchen surrounded by products he had never heard of before (Tyler improvised the kitchen table into a make-up desk, complete with several mirrors that Phil tried to avoid looking into). Dan was by his side, grumbling at Tyler good-naturedly and every now and then prodding Phil with his foot when he wanted to get more attention, which Phil was happy to give even with the nerves that seemed to jump tighter and tighter with each passing minute.

All too soon, he was standing with Dan by the door with a car waiting downstairs, Tyler flitting about putting final touches to their looks.

Dan took both Phil’s hands in his in the last moment, turning Phil to face him. He looked beautiful like this, Phil admitted – Tyler had done a perfect, subtle job, and Dan was practically sparkling.

His eyes, though. His eyes were what drew Phil the most, dark and serious but lit with something that might just be excitement.

“You sure?” Dan asked, fingers tightening around Phil’s. “Now’s the time to back out.”

Phil swallowed. He stood up a little straighter, feeling awkward in his suit and with his face caked for the first time, but – but here he was at Dan’s side. Dan’s date to a film premiere.

Phil certainly hadn’t imagined this outcome the first time he came across Dan in rainy Manchester, however many moons ago that was. It almost felt like a different life.

He looked Dan right in the eyes and said, “I’m ready.”

Tyler cooed, breaking the moment, and Phil almost glared at him, almost.

Dan, however, just rolled his eyes and pulled Phil in for a careful hug. Phil leaned into him, breathing in his familiar smell, settling his nerves for the final time.

Dan opened the door, and they stepped out together.

The car was waiting downstairs, sleek and black just like the one that had picked them up from the train station. Phil was glad of the tinted windows the closer they got to the centre of town. The crowds outside the car were insane. Phil had been prepared, of course he had, he knew that going to something like this involved lots of people – he’d seen it on tv – but nothing had quite prepared him for the reality of it.

The reality of the cameras he could already see flashing outside the window, the rows and rows of people, and they weren’t even at the red carpet yet.

Dan, ever the attentive boyfriend that he was, slid his thumb across Phil’s fingers where their hands were joined in the back and leaned his head against Phil’s shoulder. “It’ll be quiet once we get into the actual cinema. It’s just the walking in that’s the nightmare.”

“The red carpet, you mean.” Phil’s voice came out sounding far more strangled than he’d expected.

“Yeah. That.” Dan managed a chuckle, somehow. Phil wished he knew where Dan found his calm from. “I’ll do all the talking, though, promise.”

“So I’m just here to smile and look pretty?” Phil did his best to sound affronted. “Is that all you want me for, Howell?”

“Yeah, totally, you’re just here to make me look good.”

“You don’t need any help with that.”

“Shut up.” Dan nudged him with his shoulder. “I’ll be talking about you, anyway. The whole time. Finally get to not shut up about you.”

Phil couldn’t hold back a smile at that. He leaned into Dan, letting out a soft sigh. “Am I really worth all this, Dan?”

Dan wrapped a long arm around Phil’s shoulder and brought him close into his chest. “You’re worth all of this and way more, Phil, and you know it. I’d turn my whole life upside down for you. Well,” Dan let out a soft chuckle, shaking his head, “You kind of did that yourself, actually.”

Phil sent him a curious look, nestling happily under Dan’s arm. “What do you mean?”

“I mean, like,” Dan flicked his hair out of his eyes and leaned into him. “I never imagined doing this. Always figured I’d keep as much to myself as possible, stay firmly at a distance, that sort of thing. But then you showed up and made me want to change it – like, you made me want to publicly bicker with you on Twitter and post photos of us everywhere and I really wasn’t expecting that. Never mind all of this,” Dan waved a hand irritably at the cameras flashing outside as the car edged closer and closer, “You made me feel something I never expected to. Pride. Pride in you, and, because you seem to like me, pride in myself, too. That’s what I feel the most right now, even if I’m quietly dying inside. I’m proud of us.”

Phil bit his lip, hard. He swallowed.

Then he leaned in and kissed Dan swiftly, on the lips, even when Tyler had warned them against doing that for fear of smudging their make-up.

When he drew back, Dan looked the best kind of startled.

“I love you,” Phil said, hurriedly. “The most. You know that, right?”

Dan let out a quiet laugh, but he squeezed Phil’s hand tight. “Yeah. Me too, Phil, fuck – you have no idea.”

“I have some idea,” Phil disagreed quietly, and squared his shoulders as the car rolled to a final halt. “You ready for this?”

“As I’ll ever be.” Dan drew away from him, turning to face him. “Did you smudge me?”

“No,” Phil answered (well, he couldn’t see anything out of place, even if he wasn’t an expert).

“Then let’s go.” Dan squeezed his hand one more time, turned, and pushed the door open, helping Phil out after him.

The sound of the screaming crowd was instantly overwhelming, closely followed by the brightest flashes of light Phil had ever seen. He squinted instantly, shielding his eyes, legs trembling with the fear that crept incessantly through his veins.

For an instant, he was frozen.

Then Dan was there, gently taking his hand, and Phil failed at resisting the urge to lean into him.

“We’ve got this,” Dan murmured to him, squeezing his fingers, and Phil swallowed and found his feet.

He nodded once, looking into Dan’s serious gaze, and summoned up a smile which Dan briefly returned.

Together, they stepped into the lights, hand-in-hand.

#phanfiction #phan fluff #phanfic #actor!Dan #student!Phil #iwritephanthings #inmyway #I have no self-restraint and I am posting now

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shawnjacksonsbs · 5 years

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The mind, my mind, should be no home for apprehension 7-28-19

"I've been giving a good deal of thought to this entity in my head, about its nature. Also, its composition." - Vision from the Avengers Me too. Me too. Maybe even an unhealthy amount of thought. Although I find life easier and more manageable because I write about so much of it, and I suppose I tend to over-analyze issues, feelings, and/or thought patterns way more than the "normals". That's ok though. That's just the way my story goes. So its Saturday night around 9:30 pm and I have been home for about an hour and a half, maybe two. Its been an incredibly long work week, enough so I didn't get much Door Dashing in. I don't really know where to start, or exactly how to say this next part, but I need to and I am extremely limited, especially in the approach, which further complicates the how, so. . . Something very bad happened to one of my older kids last night or early today, whatever. He was attacked. That is absolutely all I get to say about that. Because this truth is shared, and for his wellbeing, and his emotional status, as it were, it's not open to the public right now, nor will that ever be my call. He is safe at home with us right now, and hopefully, this prevents further "misdoings" on his part later, but for now, he is well. All my notes, and quotes, from this week, all in unedited form, will be posted below. It would have been a pretty good entry if I would have filtered it through, but more pressing things have obviously transpired that are far more important. I was seriously tore up over it, and the helplessness of it all. All the emotions from sadness, anger/rage, and guilt has washed over me and off the other side. Limiting myself on how and what I say to him so that he hears "I love you", and not "I told you so" shit is pretty important. I want more than anything to go out and be as unkind as humanly possible to some, deserving . . . .Predators disgust me. They are truly cowards, preying on the weak as they do. Standing up to bullies, big or small, and constantly siding with the weak and/or innocent will always take a front seat to being kind to everyone, always. As my mission for kindness and civility are still very important to me, and, I hope, to the rest of the world, people who take away feelings of safety, security, and contentment from those who aren't as strong, or as fortunate or any other number of things that make evil people think they are better, will be a fight that everyone knows which side I'm on forever, and I'll stand on the front lines. Stand right next to any of them, against any of those pussy, ass, cowards, who couldn't publicly stand their ground if they wanted to. Let it ever happen in front of me and we'll see just how quickly I can find the justification and/or rationalization to bring so much physical unkindness with me they'll only wish they were dead. I think I am getting a little sidetracked. Look, he is, as ok as he can be I suppose. I am too. One thing at a time. It does put a twist on priorities, and on perspectives for me again, as I realize how much worse things could be. Even with one of the other kids in jail, where he's been for a few weeks now, this just proves how bad things can happen in an instant. Make good choices people. If not for your own well being, then do it for your loved ones' peace of mind. I am going to leave that at that. Might be more later, or in future entries, and there might not be either. At this point, it's hard to tell. I will not be playing Q and A with anyone wanting specifics in the comments either, so please don't ask. It's not my place, and if and when he's ready he can, or allow me to, etc. If you are close enough to our family, then I'm sure you can find out who, and direct any concern you have in his direction. For now, his comfort is far more important than your curiosity. As promised, my "selfless vs selfish" unedited, and not quite finished entry, will be pasted right below here. -{ "Often when you think you're at the end of something, you're at the beginning of something else." - Fred Rogers Selfish or selfless? I'd say pick a side. But that's really pretty impossible. Selfishness, which I've been talking about a little more lately, is very much a part of the human condition. At its very core, it's a human trait or characteristic. Its one that has to be trained out of us, to whatever degree we feel necessary or comfortable which defines us I suppose. From a very early age, our parents generally have to make us share with others. It's from this point in life that selflessness training begins. In my opinion, it shouldn't stop as adults, but rather we should become our own trainers, with the lessons being, not so difficult as they were as children. We have to allow that though. If every time something, anything really, happens in our lives. . . if our first instinct is "Me", how does it affect me, how does it make feel, etc, well then, my point is I still have some "self" to work on. I also understand, to a degree, that keeping your selfishness confined around the people in your immediate and small circle can feel like being selfless, but I assure you that's only a starting point, if you're looking for deeper purpose, or redefined meaning. Selflessness in itself is the reward you didn't know you were looking for. The benefits of selfishness are inconsequential compared to the lasting rewards of selflessness. And I get that being selfish when it comes to your circle or a group of people can sometimes be necessary, even vital, but selfishness is intertwined with helping others or looking out for others, so it doesn't really qualify as self anyway. Now does it? it is "self" serves you, "selves" serves others as well as you. Absolutely not the same thing. None of this means that others weren't or aren't showing their selfishness, but I need to realize that it's more about the universe pointing out to me that I'm not or wasn't being as selfless as I thought I was I guess. I wish I was already at a point where balancing ego was second nature. Although my writing does seem to help with that more than if I didn't. I guess at the same time though, being grateful for the journey and all of its parts and struggles, I know, is essential for the human condition, my human condition, to evolve. It's more like find a balance that tilts heavily towards selfless and readjusts constantly, edging closer and closer to full selflessness. The only thing we really have any control over, anyway, is moving forward. By knowing that I have at least one reader every week, it helps me to write more openly, and way more completely than if I was just to keep a private journal. It doesn't even matter how many read, or how often, or if they are regular readers, which I imagine most are, it still helps my resolve. Plus, like the last few entries to this one have proved, I get to relearn things, and learn new lessons at the same time because I can instantly recall what I just wrote as I contemplate what to write the next week through the course of the week and which direction to take it, sometimes in comparison because I'm almost always, currently living it. And you don't really even have a responsibility to me as said readers, not as individuals anyways. As a collective, no matter how small, you help me to stay open and honest just by existing and occasionally reading. It shouldn't have to be you guys who continually save me, but nonetheless, it is by reading that you do. So thank you for that. (Place right before remember to share the love and the laughter with the world) "I'm in the lion's cave, I've done it all before I feel alive again, But maybe not for long Another day will come, Full of light and desire Is your life okay?, Is it who you are? Are you right on track, Or has it gone too far?" - Last Day Under the Sun by Volbeat Thank you, because you are the ones who indirectly hold me accountable for all the good and positive things that I say I have in my life. By doing so, I stay continually in gratitude and it makes it harder to lose sight of that with you guys on the other side of these entries. For the end; Why I write regardless of what anyone may say, think, or feel about my truths; "People have said, 'Don't cry' to other people for years and years, and all it has ever meant is, 'I'm too uncomfortable when you show your feelings." - Fred Rogers

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fictionfreakazoid · 5 years

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VLD Fixit: Veracxa Preview

So obviously the way that the show half-a**ed everything except the animation was hurtful to everyone who had high hopes for it being actually progressive. Callout post after callout post, I just kept realizing how there were problematic things and missed potential the whole show that I kept giving the benefit of the doubt to but ultimately none of them were ever resolved. So I decided to write a fix-it fic to fix all the things they executed problematically and add things to fill in the lost potential instead of just moping around thinking about what it could’ve been. All those things people wrote amazing fics for during break hiatuses, all the lgbt+ and poc potential, weak plot points, development of interesting side characters, I want to address all of them in my fix-it. I started like a week or so after the show ended but I procrastinated on writing some stuff out and posting previews of it to get feedback because a) I was lazy and b)after being lazy *school* happened. But I’m finally posting one of the parts: an alternate version of the veracxa meeting!

In my fic, I’m giving the generals redemption arcs where they were the ones who saved Keith from his almost suicide and were the ones that gave the team all the intel/were allies with them instead of Lotor. I have that arc written out, but for now I’m just gonna briefly talk about it’s context for this particular part. After Narti dies, the other generals again disable Lotor but this time instead of trying to turn him in to the Galra, they turn him in to team Voltron because they know the Galra might not respect the bargain and put them in jail because they are prejudiced against half-breeds. And eventually after giving team voltron consistent intel like Lotor did, they were eventually deemed trustworthy and were recruited by the blade of marmora. Eventually, the overall coalition (including bom and team voltron) get intel that Earth could be due for an attack soon, so the coalition (who have developed technology/taken adequate technology from the galra to do quick transportation across galactic distances) send a small team to Earth to help them with defenses, battle strategies, developing weaponry/ships to fight against the Galra and the like. Acxa and the other generals are on that team and thus *veracxa* happens! Also, after they join team voltron, zethrid and ezor start publicly dating (they were hiding it from Lotor cuz they thought he’d force them to break up because *the workspace*). A lot of this part is just context explaining, so I’m going to put three asterisks (***) right before the part where the veracxa meeting if you just want to read that part. Also, when I was writing this, I realized that both Veronica and Adam are waiting for their loved ones who left into space and are close in age so I thought maybe they could be friends and that’s all in the context explaining if you’re interested! I also thought how they didn’t really show how much concern team voltron’s family had when they were gone was problematic, their kids literally left to space and absolutely no one had a clue where they were or when they would be back, so I wrote in some stuff about how Veronica and anyone else who worked at the garrison kept giving the families updates on their progress in analyzing what little information they had.

This is a work in progress and I’m really passionate about it, so I’m open up to constructive criticism and feedback, let me know what you think! I’m going to have a list of things I would like ideas for regarding other parts of the fic, feel free to comment on them or dm any ideas you have related to them! Also if you have any writing feedback/tips, feel free to tell me as well!

Veronica was walking with Adam to see the arrival of the new group of aliens that were coming to help Earth out from a potential Galra attack that they predicted from their intel from the Galra. The group included some top scientists to help make technology to get them ready for the attack, some ships and fighters capable of making a stand against the Galra and some battle strategists and trainers who knew how the Galra fights and knew how to counter it. There were already a few scientists here who had come to make ships capable of fighting the Galra; they had arrived a little after Sam Holt had come back to help him and the Garrison out. Sam Holt had distributed the knowledge from the castle of lions to the coalition over a line that was carefully secured from the Galra by the Blade of Marmora. When Sam Holt arrived, he had given videos from Lance, Hunk and Shiro to their respective families and had immediately begun to prepare for potential Galra attack. Veronica had been so relieved to hear that Lance and Hunk had been ok, she had been worried sick for her little brother and his best friend who had become so close to him and important to the family.

She had loved him being with her in the Garrison and they had had a lot of fun, when he had disappeared with barely a trace, she and her family had gone crazy with worry over them. She had worked with Colleen Holt, whose daughter had been with Lance and Hunk when they had disappeared, to use the Garrison resources to find out what happened. After they had disappeared, the Garrison had found Katie's equipment that she had been using to listen to the galactic network. With Colleen's help with finding people and resources in the Garrison with the skills necessary to figure things out, Veronica worked to figure out what had happened to them. The Garrison had made a small division to investigate the Kerberos mission, not feeling that it was a high priority but still acknowledging its importance. They had some audio and video footage from both the Kerberos mission and when Lance and his friends had disappeared. They had also found a small shack that a kid named Keith had lived in when he had been kicked out of the garrison. The footage told them there was some kind of robotic blue lion that Lance and his friends had used to disappear and that there was some alien called the Galra. They had been able to find some personal notes supposedly from Keith's father from the shack that also gave some insight. They were able to find out that the blue lion robot ship thing was also magical and part of a weapon called Voltron and were able to confirm that the Galra were an alien threat. They were able to learn that the Galra were a violent empire seeking to control the whole universe and had been terrorizing the world for thousands of years. They further confirmed the Galra threat and voltron as a weapon using Pidge's equipment to listen to the galactic network. They worked on top of Pidge's equipment to listen to the chatter and documented and analyzed what they heard, but it was difficult to make too much progress. Pidge's equipment wasn't enough to actually send a message, and though they were working on making technology that was capable of sending a message out, it was not only difficult because of the unknown but definitely large distance between Earth and any intelligent alien life, it was also risky knowing what they had learned about the threat of the Galra. Though they recorded and analyzed what they could, they could only figure out so much with all the different alien languages and figuring out how behind they were technologically from what little they could understand from the transmissions they were listening to.

After some of their findings, the Garrison had reevaluated the importance of their work and had put more resources into the investigation and the results from their findings. Despite the bigger effort, they didn't learn too much more. They occasionally heard that Voltron had saved a planet or that the Galra were attacking a planet or something of the like, but they couldn't figure out any details and weren't making any progress with figuring out whether Lance and his friends were ok. Eventually, the investigation had hit a standstill, though the researchers were learning a little about aliens and their culture and technology, they were no closer to finding out what had happened to neither the Kerberos mission nor Lance and his friends. It hurt Veronica deeply that whenever she reported back to her and Hunk's family, she could never tell them any good news, or any news at all sometimes. During all the investigation though, she had gotten to know Adam very well. She had tried to hit on him at first, being the bisexual flirt that she was, but she not only learned that he was gay but also that he was in a tough romantic situation. He was a few years older than her (which is why she hadn't known of him earlier) and had been the fiancee of Shiro (who she had also tried to hit on before the Kerberos mission but had found out he was gay and taken anyways, now she knew who though). Despite Shiro having turned her down, she and Lance had always fangirled over him together at the Garrison and both of them had looked up to him as a hero (she had actually gone up to flirt with Shiro as a dare from Lance he had never thought she would follow through with). Over the time at the investigation, she had learned from Adam that Shiro had a disease, a terminal disease and that he hadn't wanted him to go on the Kerberos mission because of it. He had broken up with him when Shiro had left because he couldn't bear to be with someone who took risks that Adam had seen as unnecessary considering his disease; it had hurt Adam to see the one he had loved constantly choose to put himself in danger despite Adam's concerns for his well being. Despite the breakup, Adam still cared deeply for Shiro and had worked with the investigation into the Kerberos mission and that had been how they had met. Since they both had graduated the actual Garrison school and just worked there, they could leave the Garrison whenever they pleased (when they weren't working). Veronica's family lived far in Cuba, but Adam's and Shiro's families lived near the Garrison as their families also worked at the Garrison, but not in the piloting or technical fields. Veronica and Adam were both young prodigies in their fields, Adam being the best pilot second to Shiro and Veronica becoming one of their best technicians and analysts. Adam kept Shiro's parents updated on the investigation as they weren't able to be a part of it due to it not being in their fields, but felt similar to Veronica when he couldn't give them any good news. Despite him turning Veronica down, they had become good friends over the investigation. They had been the only young ones in the investigation, so they enjoyed each other's company. They trained in shooting together, they visited each other while they were working sometimes, they had long talks about their feelings, and Adam helped Veronica find people to flirt with and teased her constantly about it. Veronica was attractive and there were definitely plenty of girls and boys who were attracted back to her, but she never really tried to get into a relationship or actually pursue anything beyond flirting. Though she was outgoing and friendly, she didn't get along with too many people. Her personality was a bit much for most people and she hadn't really made too many friends over her life. She had really appreciated becoming friends with Adam, who didn't mind her strong, fierce and sassy personality. It had been nice to have support while she struggled through the pain of not knowing if her brother was ok.

When she had seen the video from Lance, she burst out crying, so relieved that he was ok. She was still scared and worried for him, now knowing he was what they called a paladin for the blue lion, but she was also proud that her goofy little brother was out there working to save people. She sent the video to her family and sent Hunk's video to his family. Although she was glad that he was safe for the time being, she still had to work with all the new information Sam Holt had brought with him. He had brought a lot of information and as she was one of the top analysts, she had had a lot of work to do. But knowing that Lance was ok made it a little easier. Sam worked with the information the investigation team had uncovered and then worked to get the whole Garrison involved and upgraded. The investigation team had actually gotten some information that even Sam hadn't had and it had been an overwhelming experience to put all the data together. With the new knowledge, Sam worked with the instructors to adjust the Garrison for the Galra forces accordingly. The Garrison had adequate piloting techniques and training, but they also had to get better ships to be able to fight the Galra and also had to train the students and current pilots to be able to actually fight. The scientists that had come a little later had helped with making ships and technology to fight against the Galra, but they still didn't know too much about how to actually strategically fight the Galra. That's why the new group of aliens who included more fighters and actual strategists were so important. Veronica and Adam had asked every single alien that had come to Earth about Lance, Hunk, Pidge, Keith and Shiro, but not a lot of them knew too much about them besides their roles as voltron paladins. But every little thing that they were able to tell them meant the world to Veronica and all their families. Veronica and Adam had also bothered Sam Holt to the maximum with all the questions they had asked him about them. They all told her enough to know that Lance was still himself but more mature and made her really proud of him, though she began to miss him even more. She also stood by Adam, who had to hear about all the crazy stuff Shiro had gone through. All the pain that Shiro had gone through hurt Adam, but Sam had told him how much of a difference Shiro was making. Shiro had made a video for his parents and for Adam. He had apologized for leaving for Kerberos and told them how much he had missed all of them, but he stuck with his choice because he's helping people who need his help. Shiro told him that he wished Adam was there with him, getting to see all the aliens and helping all of them out, Shiro telling him that he would've been great at it and would've loved having his partner alongside him. Although Adam was still concerned for him and still mad that Shiro had chosen to leave, he knew that risking his life and helping others is what Shiro had wanted to do and he couldn't ever change that. Now all he wanted was to be there alongside him to help him as best as he can, so he could be with the one he loved as long as he could.

***

When the new group of aliens had arrived, Veronica felt her heart drop. Among the group there was a gorgeous purple alien girl who looked super badass. She was next to 2 other pretty alien girls, but they were holding hands and seemed very happy together. Also, there was just something about the purple one that drew Veronica in. Adam looked at her and could tell what was about to happen and rolled his eyes but smiled. Though she knew she should be professional, as soon as the aliens were getting settled with Sam, Veronica pounced at the opportunity to flirt and use a pick up line.

“You must be one of the fighters because my heart has been shot clean through, ” she told her, giving her a big flirty smile.

“It doesn't look like your heart has been shot, and although I'm a highly skilled fighter I'm actually here as a strategist,” the alien replied, not having understood the flirt.

Not giving up, Veronica held out her hand to shake. “I'm Veronica. I bet you have a name as lovely as your complexion.”

Raising her eyebrow, the alien took her hand and shook it. “I'm Acxa, ” she replied, still not acknowledging the flirts.

Veronica was about to talk to her more but she was called over by someone from the Garrison. She told Acxa it was very nice meeting her while raising her eyebrows, though guessing Acxa still wouldn't understand her flirts, and went off to where she was called. Adam pats her shoulder and chuckles under his breath (she punches him in the arm for that) and they walk over to get down to work.

At a meeting for all the top people in each field, Veronica found Acxa leading the meeting with her strategies. Acxa's strategies seemed really well thought out, though Veronica didn't know too much about battle strategies to be sure. Acxa seemed a bit hesitant when presenting them, but Veronica couldn't figure out why since Acxa clearly knew what she was talking about and had good and smart ideas. At the end of the meeting, Veronica tells Adam to go ahead without her, and he shakes his head but smiles as he leaves. Veronica waits until everyone else had left the room and surprisingly Acxa had too, even though Veronica hadn't told her that she was waiting for her and she clearly couldn't pick up social cues well. When Acxa saw that Veronica was also there when everyone else had left, she hugged her own arm and looked down. Veronica walked over to her and laid her back on the wall.

“You don't have to answer this if it makes you feel uncomfortable, but I was just curious… why did you look so hesitant and anxious when you were presenting? You clearly knew what you were talking about and even though I don't know anything about battle strategies, I could tell your strategies were impressive.”

“I'm part Galra.” Acxa said, looking back at Veronica bluntly as if she had explained everything.

“And?” Veronica continued, expressing her confusion.

“Don't you distrust me because of that?” Acxa asked genuinely.

Veronica was taken aback by the bluntness of the question and Acxa mistook her shock as confirmation for her fears and hung her head down sadly. Veronica quickly responded to deny her misinterpretation. “No! No, no, no, no. You're working to help others face the Galra now and gave us good strategies when we desperately need it, and that's what matters.”

“Your peers might disagree. The blade of marmora often faces hate even from the people we help save because we're Galra. Not only that, but some of the blade itself dislike and distrust me and my 2 friends who aren't full Galra.” Acxa replied, seeming like she had accepted the situation though it hurt.

“Well forget about all them! You're going to make an important difference and potentially save lives with your good strategies. If anyone tries to tell you anything hurtful, I'll fight them.” Veronica said, passionately defending her.

“Are you a skilled fighter?” Acxa asked.

Veronica hadn't been ready for that serious question. “Well actually I meant verbally, but I mean I can shoot well enough with my blaster and I work out a lot.”

“Do you know how to fight in combat?” Acxa asks her.

Veronica looks down and blushes. “Not really… Do you?”

“I do.” Then Acxa frowns and lowers her voice. “All the Galra have to…” Acxa hugs her own arms and looks down. Veronica looks down as well but then looks up when Acxa speaks up again. “I was actually wondering if you'd mind showing me where my quarters are again? I could really use some rest.”

Veronica grinned. “Of course!” she replied enthusiastically. Then Veronica blushed at being so obvious but Acxa still didn't notice. “Follow me,” she told her, still grinning and blushing. Acxa smiled slightly and followed her.

The walk to Acxa's room had been silent, Veronica being too nervous to say anything. But she had really liked talking to Acxa and Veronica decided to take a risk.

“So, um, if you'd like, sometime I could give you a tour and show you around. If you want.” She said to Acxa, blushing and shuffling her feet.

“I'd enjoy that. Thank you for taking to my room.” Acxa then smiled and looked at her. “And for the words of support. I appreciate it.”

Veronica had a dopey smile on her face at that point. “Of course.” She just stared at Acxa after that, possibly even drooling. “Well, um I'll let you get your well earned rest now. See you later.”

“See you later.” Acxa replied with a smile, then she closed the door. Veronica then left with a dopey smile on her face.

(“Looks like it went well.” -"Shut up Adam”)

The next day, Veronica was training on her shooting skills. Veronica was an adequate shooter but she wasn't as skilled at shooting as she was for data analysis. After missing another shot, she huffed in frustration. The next thing she knew, there were firm but gentle hands on her arms, adjusting her position.

“You're too tense,” a familiar voice said behind her.

Veronica had almost died on the spot. She had not been ready for the sudden contact and had squealed loudly in surprise. Her face felt like it was on fire. “A-Acxa?” she stammered.

“Yes?” Acxa replied, acting as though she hadn't just made Veronica melt.

“I was just, I just wasn't expecting you come here. Although, as I think about it, you did say you're a skilled fighter. But you never told me what your actual weapon of choice is, or if you even fight with a weapon or just do close combat.” Veronica rambled, still unnerved.

“I am skilled with a blaster, but I'm just as skilled with close combat.” Acxa answered. “So I was wondering if you would mind taking me on that tour now? If you're not busy,” she asked nervously.

“Oh, um, of course! Uh just let me change into something more suitable. Let's go to my room first.” Veronica replied, still flustered at the whole ordeal but excited to hang out with Acxa more. When they reached the door to Veronica's room, Veronica looked at Acxa mischievously. “You know, I wouldn't mind if you wanted to come in while I changed,” she told her, raising her eyes flirtatiously. Acxa was again unfazed by her invitation and told her she would wait for her outside the room. Veronica sighed in disappointment but went into her room to change. She was still determined and decided to wear something really nice to try to impress Acxa. She wore an outfit with a lot of blue to match her eyes. Then she left her room and looked at Acxa. Acxa couldn't suppress a small blush and told Veronica she looked nice in that outfit. Veronica was shocked she had finally gotten a reaction out of Acxa for a change and happy she finally succeeded. Veronica grinned and hugged Acxa's arm. “Let's get started with the tour!” She exclaimed, openly excited as they started walking forward.

I want to write out a bit more of the preceding plot before I write the tour, sorry for the cutoff just when the action was starting! On the tour, they will eventually talk about how Acxa wasn’t respected for her intellect both before she joined the coalition because she wasn’t full Galra and after she joined the coalition by ally planets who held their prejudices against the Galra even after the blade proved to be on their side. Acxa also hadn’t been well received by team voltron or the blade of marmora because of the initial distrust because of her previous allegiance to Lotor. Veronica had never discredited her aptitude because of her Galra heritage and defends Acxa’s intellect and tells her that she doesn’t care that she’s part Galra, she wants to become closer to her (similar to what actually happened in canon).

Some things that I would like some ideas for:

The shadam dynamic/story before they broke up after Shiro left for Kerberos (Adam wasn’t even given a personality before they killed him off, he was just introduced as the love interest and I’m just not sure what kind of character he should be or what kind of partner he would be with Shiro)

The Garrison klance dynamic (I think it would be cute to write them a dynamic and story before they reunited because of voltron, they were there for a few years, there’s no way they wouldn’t have solid interactions when they were literally living together for years as kids) I’m having trouble thinking of a dynamic that’s cute and could fit in with Lance thinking they had a rivalry and Keith not remembering him enough to recognize him when they first reunite.

I had a few other things, but due to not getting back to this in a while and not writing it all down, I can’t remember. Again, any feedback and ideas would be appreciated!

#veracxa #vld #voltron #acxa #veronica #ff vld fixit #danimals talks #a few of things i'm also gonna include in my fic:#pidge being nonbinary #keith and lance talking about how they both almost died #i'm gonna better handle the clone arc and have stuff in the astral plane #also lance is gonna be bi from the getgo and he gonna flirt with everyone cute he sees #also i didn't like how the first lion switch happened so i'm going to fix that and make them do group activities to bond as a team #and obviously i'm gonna put some more klance and romellura #let me know if there are any integral moments you think I should fix or add!#also i'm obviously gonna take out the racist stuff against hunk and lance and allura's obviously not going to die #i have a bunch of other stuff planned out too but this is probably already too overwhelming so i'll just save them for later

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10 Brands that Excel at the Art of the Comeback on Social Media

Engaging with audiences on social media is an important part of any brand’s communications strategy. You want your customers to know that you’re listening to them and that you care about their experiences and opinions.

Most of the time, helpful or positive replies are enough to keep your followers happy and build your audience over time.

Sometimes, however, it pays to take a risk. That means sharing content that could spark controversy, thrust your brand into the spotlight, or draw critical attention.

If you do them right, these tactics can pay off big time helping your brand establish its identity, win new followers, or stay ahead of criticism. But they can also lead to disaster.

How can you make sure your brand avoids disaster? By learning from 10 brands that did it right.

Bonus: Get the step-by-step social media strategy guide with pro tips on how to grow your social media presence.

1. Netflix always has a reply for critics

Does anyone not love Netflix on Twitter? Their social media is so good, it almost makes me forget that they no longer have Buffy the Vampire Slayer available to stream.

Even their pre-Christmas bio, a cheeky acknowledgement of one missing holiday classic, shows how well they know their audience:

That’s the key to their success on social: it’s clear that they share their followers’ passion for TV shows and movies. And they’re not afraid to get defend themselves, like when a follower criticized their description of Gossip Girl:

1. Everybody loves Gossip Girl.

2. Where is the lie tho?

— Netflix US (@netflix) December 11, 2018

They don’t play favorites with their programming either. When one follower questioned their retweet of an unconventional routine by Miss Toto from RuPaul’s Drag Race, they didn’t hesitate to reply.

yes.

— Netflix US (@netflix) December 18, 2018

They’re even ready to stand up for the infamous peach scene in “Call Me By Your Name.” That’s how much they love their movies.

quite the opposite.

— Netflix US (@netflix) January 7, 2019

Many brands try to cultivate a suave, cool voice on social media, but Netflix’s responses show that sometimes it pays off to embrace a weirder, nerdier brand voice. Their genuine enthusiasm for TV and movies allows them to connect with fans and followers, and it also helps to promote their content.

2. Merriam-Webster makes the dictionary cool

It might be hard to believe, but one of the best social media accounts out there is run by… the dictionary.

That’s right — the giant book you only crack open to settle Scrabble arguments. Somehow, Merriam-Webster has built a loyal following of more than 725,000 people by tweeting about definitions and grammar.

How did they do it? By seizing opportunities to inform and educate, with a tone that’s funny and confident, like your best English teacher from high school. Here are some of their most cutting clapbacks.

.@dannygonzalez Why don't you look words up before complaining to the dictionary? https://t.co/2HFnO4Y0aY

— Merriam-Webster (@MerriamWebster) January 17, 2017

People keep 1) saying they don't know what 'genderqueer' means

then

2) asking why we added it to the dictionary pic.twitter.com/wsGZ7Y6XB8

— Merriam-Webster (@MerriamWebster) April 25, 2016

If the dictionary can transform their public reputation from a dull reference material to a vital source of trivia and current events, there’s hope for any “boring” brand!

Take it from Merriam-Webster and look for opportunities to share timely, thoughtful content. Use clear language or emojis to make technical information accessible. And don’t be afraid to let your values show through your posts — you may not win everyone’s approval, but you’ll build loyalty and trust with those who choose to follow you.

Oh, and it never hurts to be funny.

We save all our hardcore, heavy metal content for Thursday afternoons. https://t.co/pTLZNSyNS6

— Merriam-Webster (@MerriamWebster) December 13, 2018

3. Sanofi fixes a PR crisis

Pharmaceutical giant Sanofi experienced every company’s worst nightmare when they were thrust into the center of a PR scandal in May 2018. Actress Roseanne Barr blamed sending several racist tweets on her use of the sleep aid Ambien, which is made by Sanofi.

Rather than trying to dodge the spotlight, the company responded swiftly to her remarks with a strong position of their own:

People of all races, religions and nationalities work at Sanofi every day to improve the lives of people around the world. While all pharmaceutical treatments have side effects, racism is not a known side effect of any Sanofi medication.

— Sanofi US (@SanofiUS) May 30, 2018

Their response went viral and garnered overwhelmingly positive responses. While they could have stayed silent and wait for the next medial scandal to redirect public attention, their decision to respond allowed them to turn a disaster into a win.

Keep hoping that your brand is never associated with a celebrity’s public meltdown, but just in case, it’s important to have a plan in place.

4. MoonPies seizes the mo(on)ment

The August 2017 eclipse was a rare cosmic event, and a lot of companies attempted to ride the coattails of public excitement with stunt advertising campaigns. But few were as perfectly positioned to do so than the aptly-named MoonPies. Rather than pulling together a big campaign of their own, they managed to achieve a massive impact with a single tweet:

Lol ok https://t.co/lobyuNOkee

— MoonPie (@MoonPie) August 21, 2017

It’s always a good idea to take note of upcoming occasions and events that align with your brand (a content calendar can help you there!). These are perfect opportunities to boost your visibility in the public eye and gain new followers.

But MoonPies proves that sometimes there’s value in a less-is-more approach. Rather than competing with rival campaigns, MoonPies broke through the noise with a funny, irreverent message.

5. Adidas owns up to an insensitive email

Is there a more awful feeling than realizing that you just said something really insensitive a moment too late? Adidas knows how you feel.

In April 2017, they sent an email to select customers with the subject line, “Congrats, you survived the Boston Marathon!”

While most would agree that running a marathon is an impressive feat of stamina, their phrasing inadvertently made light of the devastating Boston Marathon bombing in 2013.

My friend received this email from Adidas after the Boston Marathon… I don't know how an advertising team doesn't catch this. pic.twitter.com/Fe16Z4Hnvq

— Robin Dich (@RobinDich) April 18, 2017

Rather than minimizing or ignoring the situation, Adidas swiftly issued an apology.

pic.twitter.com/cdBKixwSqT

— adidas (@adidasUS) April 18, 2017

While publicly apologizing could have drawn even more attention to their faux-pas, Adidas managed to strike the right balance with their message. They didn’t deflect or minimize the impact, and they take responsibility as a company for the mistake.

As proof of public forgiveness, the ratio on their apology tweet is excellent. People on social media are quick to pile on when it comes to a public blunder, but a genuine and thoughtful apology can go a long way to restoring your brand’s good name.

Bonus: Get the step-by-step social media strategy guide with pro tips on how to grow your social media presence.

Get the free guide right now!

6. Wendy’s is the reigning clapback champion

No roundup of social media comebacks would be complete without mention of Wendy’s, which may now be better known for their online sass than their Junior Bacon Cheeseburgers. They even wrote a blog post, patting themselves on the back for their best 2018 Twitter roasts.

Not really afraid of the burgers from a place that decided pancakes were too hard.

— FREEBACONATOR (@Wendys) June 11, 2018

Fast food restaurants are a competitive bunch when it comes to social media sass, but Wendy’s is the undisputed champ, always ready with a witty response.

@Wendys thoughts on @IHOb ?

— Gabe Kapler’s Coconut Oil (@GabeKaplersOil) June 11, 2018

Their strategy can’t work for everyone; Wendy’s has built their online reputation on being snarky, and 2.9 million people follow them for their merciless burns. Before you follow their lead, make sure sarcasm is true to your brand voice.

7. The MERL gains popularity with humor

Why does a small museum about the English countryside have more than 80,000 followers on Twitter? Because unlike other tiny museums about mundane subjects, this one knows how to build a brand using social media!

The MERL (Museum of English Rural Life) first emerged from internet obscurity in April 2018 with a delightful riff on the “absolute unit” meme. Even if you’re not a scholar of internet humor, you can still appreciate the artistry:

look at this absolute unit. pic.twitter.com/LzcQ4x0q38

— The Museum of English Rural Life (@TheMERL) April 9, 2018

Twitter users came for the chubby sheep joke and stayed when they realized this museum (and its collection of old farm photos) was absurdly funny. Suddenly, we were all fans of rural British life.

me at xmas dinner: just a couple roast potatoes please being good this year

me 5 mins later: pic.twitter.com/W93gtEQAh0

— The Museum of English Rural Life (@TheMERL) December 19, 2018

Just as marketers since time immemorial (or, okay, since the early 2000s) have tried to predict what content will go viral, social media managers are always trying to nail the formula for the perfect post.

In part, their tweets work because they’re so unexpected — who would think a museum account could be so weird and hilarious? But also, their content works because it’s unique. They’re drawing inspiration from their own archives and collections, which means their posts aren’t like anything else you’ll find on Twitter.

At the end of the day, social media users care about the quality and originality of content above anything else. If you’re sharing funny, interesting, or visually striking content, you’ll find your audience.

8. KFC proves that honesty is the best policy

In February 2018, KFC turned a PR disaster into a major win when 750 of their restaurants in the UK and Ireland closed suddenly due to a supply issue.

Fried chicken fans were livid. Local authorities even had to remind the public that a fried chicken shortage was not a valid reason to call the police.

How did they fix the fiasco? By taking responsibility, admitting fault, and being transparent about the issue.

In addition to setting up a website where customers could check if restaurants had reopened yet, and taking out some profane print ads to apologize, they also kept their social media followers in the loop.

There's gossip in the hen house, here's the facts… pic.twitter.com/lEuyiOZx2h

— KFC UK & Ireland (@KFC_UKI) February 21, 2018

Good news, over half of our restaurants are now back open! Our teams are working flat out to open the rest. Equilibrium will soon be restored. pic.twitter.com/ZXgijpBR7L

— KFC UK & Ireland (@KFC_UKI) February 20, 2018

As the head of brand engagement Jenny Packham said, KFC decided to “remain true to its brand voice” and apologize to customers, rather than hide behind a formal statement or point fingers at the supplier.

As a result, their fans and customers felt like there were real people trying to fix the problem, not just a faceless company trying to minimize a major problem.

9. Patagonia defends their environmental values

Outdoor retailer Patagonia is well-known for their corporate values around sustainability. And they’re willing to defend their reputation as environmental stewards when customers question their commitment:

Considering they are printed on 100% recycled paper with non-toxic ink, we do think that it's worth it to share our stories and photos with our customers. If you'd like to be removed please send your name, address, and customer number to [email protected]

— Patagonia (@patagonia) November 30, 2018

We didn't have a Black Friday sale as it promotes buying more which promotes more waste.

— Patagonia (@patagonia) November 30, 2018

But they brought new attention to their cause when CEO Rose Marcario announced on LinkedIn that the company was donating their $10 million tax cut—the result of changes to corporate tax rates administered by the Trump administration—to environmental causes. While many companies avoid wading into political territory, Patagonia took direct aim at Donald Trump with this comeback, calling the corporate tax cut “irresponsible.”

The tax cut is a contentious political issue, and their bold response did generate some criticism. But it ultimately drew a huge amount of positive attention to their company and practices, and reinforced their brand values.

Customers increasingly consider company values when choosing between brands. If you want to set yourself apart from your competitors, making it clear what your company stands for can be a smart strategy.

10. KLM improves the traveler experience

Airlines have it rough on social media. By my unscientific estimate, ninety-nine per cent of all messages they receive are from disgruntled passengers who are mad about flight delays, lost luggage, and disappointing mid-flight snacks. They’re a hard bunch to appease, but Dutch airline KLM does it better than anyone else.

In 2014, they launched a campaign to encourage customers to reach out on social media if they had lost items during transit. It kicked off with an adorable video featuring a dog named Sherlock returning forgotten possessions to happy travelers, which racked up over 24 million views.

Unfortunately, Sherlock isn’t actually checking flights for your forgotten headphones, but KLM flight attendants are. And customers still regularly contact KLM for assistance.

Big thanks to @KLM and the wonderful lost+found crew who found my #amazon #kindle and returned to me before flight today pic.twitter.com/uMvipnsHeW

— Andrew Lombardi (@kinabalu) October 17, 2017

Me: I’ll just leave my laptop in the seat pocket in front and have a quick nap before we land. ????

Also me: OMG I LEFT MY LAPTOP ON THAT PLANE ????

Fortunately, @KLM’s lost & found team & @Schiphol airport retrieved my trusty mobile office in under 20 minutes. ????

Thanks guys! ????

— Luc Dockendorf (@LucDockendorf) June 12, 2018

Promoting this option to customers has two benefits for the airline: it generates positive stories about returned items, and demonstrates their commitment to customer service.

Hello Nick, we would like to request our KLM Lost & Found Team to start a search for your lost item. Please send a Direct Message for this. Thank you!

— Royal Dutch Airlines (@KLM) September 10, 2018

It also clarifies how their social media team can assist customers. People often tweet at brands asking for help with problems that can’t be addressed in a tweet or a Facebook message, leaving the customer angry and unsatisfied with their unresolved issue. By telling people what their social media team can do, KLM has set themselves up for success.

Inspired by these comebacks? Use Hootsuite to monitor all relevant conversations and engage your audience (with a bit sass, if appropriate). Try it free today.

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hub-pub-bub · 7 years

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At best Product Marketing is an ill-defined role in most organizations… at worst, it's entirely dismissed. However, Product Marketing contributes to your broader strategy and in many ways IS your strategy.

Product Marketing ultimately helps identify and validate your critical, yet sometimes elusive, product/market fit. It defines message and position and drives your narrative into a market. It constantly adapts to the shifts and movements of your buyers and the market. Product Marketing isn't easy. It is a complex function with dynamic inputs and diverse outputs. And it’s this complexity crossed with the individuals at each organization that contributes to the varied definitions of the role.

Presented here is one definition of the function of Product Marketing. How you define the role within your organization is up to you; however, the components outlined here as the function should be covered by your product marketer or shared with those in adjacent roles.

Product Marketing (simplified)

Product Marketing (the function) can be broken down into three core components. There is a core narrative, which is your story (based on your message/position) and two vehicles to communicate this to your audience, an internal and an external channel. Who does all of this work is up to you and your organization.

Product marketing is the process of building and delivering a core narrative.

The three components are identified by distinct deliverables and they are inexorably tied together. It's simple, you build a story, deliver it through two channels and then gather feedback and guidance, applying it back to the central core narrative.

Building your story: the Core Narrative

"Companies that don't have a clearly articulated story, don't have a clear and well thought-out strategy. The company story is the company strategy " - Ben Horowitz , A16Z

Nailing your story (and ultimately your strategy) is difficult. It's complex and countless companies have faltered and fallen because they never got this right. You need to align product, market and audience to "get it right". There is no simple formula for how to do this, but there is a framework for telling your story and a general process that can be followed to drive its iterations.

Most importantly, your story is not just a list of product features you think are cool. Sure, these are important but there is so much more. To get the story right, you’ve got to empathize with your ultimate practitioner and derive the “why”. You’ve got to align, categorize and help your audience consume. You need educate them on the how and why. It’s not about you.

Your core narrative outlines the why, what, how, why us and why now for you, your product and more importantly for your audience.

There are three layers of message that go into every core narrative: company, audience and product message. It is imperative to think thru these layers as they are the lens in which people consume your story.

Company: Your company message outlines why you and the team comes to work everyday. Why do you fight your fight? It outlines what you believe in and rarely wavers. Those are the characteristics that make up your company's personality.

Audience (most important IMO) - There are three reasons people buy anything. They want to make money, save money or mitigate risk. That is it. Those are the ultimate values. If your "why" doesn’t directly restate one of these as it relates to your product, it ain't right. This needs to be inspiring and most likely aspirational.

Product: What does your product do? What problems(s) does it solve? If you were to open the box and pull out all the features, how would you group them into functions that are aligned with the way your audience thinks about them? How is it different than others?

Once you have these core messaging components of your story sorted out, you need to put them into a narrative that outlines your “why, what, how, why us and why now”. It will be a journey that is informed by the three message layers (company, audience and product) and walks your prospects and the general market through a coherent story. It’s this storytelling that is delivered primarily through your website and in your corporate deck. Often, it is one of these two key deliverables that is used as the vehicle to flesh your narrative out.

So what about position?

Positioning is critical as it helps the market (and yourself) understand where you fit. Most organizations focus on product message and rarely focus on positioning. Don’t feel bad, you are not alone. It’s an epidemic. It’s usually pretty difficult to get right but if you have a more complete picture of your message across company, audience and product, you can more easily paint a difference between you and your competition.

People buy from people, they don’t just buy features. They buy for an experience. They often buy because they like you or they believe in you. It’s true and this is part of your position. Further, the more you know about your audience and yourself, the better you will be at delineating yourself from others and standing out… your message layers drive your positioning. Ask Nike or Apple how much their company and audience messages drive their position.

Delivering your story: External Content and Internal Tools

With a core narrative in place, you need to tell it to the world. This is done through external content which builds awareness and educates the market and the internal artifacts that are used to educate and arm your sales teams (and everyone else in the company) with effective tools to speak to prospects and customers.

The core objective of delivering your story is to educate the market and your prospects.

In order to efficiently educate the market and your prospects, you'll need to know who these people are and what makes them tick. So, for your external content it is important to define buyer personas and ideal customer profiles that inspire and influence effective programs. And for your sales team and internal tools, you'll want to define target account profiles and a sphere of influence that will help direct conversations to the right people.

So with a narrative in place and a set of personas sorted out, you can build out all the tools and playbooks that enable the sales team to educate and close prospects and the content that will inspire your audience and fuel campaigns and programs. There's a lot to create but a decent list might include the following:

So, any one of these few dozen items could be a post in itself, however, the goal of this post is to simply start the conversation about all the components that define the product marketing function. So, I digress for now but do hope you will comment and add to/argue the list as necessary.

If it was only this easy...

In a few hundred words we've laid out a definition of product marketing. It's really as simple as building and delivering a story. That said, the job is extremely difficult to do well as it requires a delicate balance of humility, work ethic, sales, intelligence and creativity.

Humility is the number one trait because if you are a product marketer, you already know that you’re wrong and everyone else is right. Ha. Your humility will serve you well here as it’s part of the job to channel all the opinions and do what’s right with them.

Intelligence: An effective product marketer needs a solid, in-depth understanding of your product and the broad market in order to be a translator between the two.

Communications/Sales: They are also one of the the best salespeople in the company - they know the prospect better than anyone and are routinely on point to sell the vision and story to internal stakeholders and peers. They’ll also need to present publicly so speaking skills and likability are huge.

Creativity: They need to be creative so they can dream of new ways for the product to work, visualize unchartered visualizing solutions and identify better ways to meet and predict market needs. They'll need to create an effective message platform that excites the market and internal and external audiences.

Work Ethic: Most importantly, the success of a product marketer is often defined by their work ethic. They operate at the intersection of many teams (sales, product management, finance, engineering, support) and, as a result, often have more on their plates than many know and timely execution is always important.

A good product marketer is a rare find, so when you do find one, keep them happy, align with them and pay them well. They will wear may hats for you and will become a central machine for your business. They ultimately provide the fuel that powers marketing and much of sales. And remember, the story they build and deliver is your strategy.

What is your definition of product marketing?

I feel Product Marketing is the MOST important function in your organization. But hey, i’m a bit opinionated on this particular topic. There are about eleventy different ways the product marketing role can be defined and this is not meant to be some uber definition of the function, rather something to think about as you define the role in your organization.

What is your definition? Would love to hear your feedback and start a conversation on how this critical role is defined. How is it different in your mind? In your organization?

NOTE: This is an ad-hoc, practitioners definition of the Product Marketing function that i’ve assembled over the past decade or so (ok, maybe a little longer). I have been lucky enough to have worked with and learned from some of the best… and there is a little bit of all of you here. Thanks!

#product marketing #marketing

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xt1erminator-blog · 7 years

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“Celebrity” DMs That Slay

I love Dungeons & Dragons. I love playing it, DMing it, reading about it, watching YouTube videos on subject matter relating to it (Nerdarchy, Matt Colville and Drunkens & Dragons: Play D&D Like A Badass are all great YouTube channels with quality content). Some games are even great to watch live streams of, especially observing talented “celebrity” Dungeon Masters working their magic, some of them admitting a lot of their “performance” and the content they come up with for their players is improvised and off the cuff. It takes a lot to pull that off. Most games out there however, are very difficult to watch and enjoy. There are too many distractions among groups when streaming stuff and it can be boring.

So, for anyone new to the D&D hobby that might be reading this blog, I just wanted to write up some stuff on three of the best publicly known Dungeon Masters out there thanks to the Internet - most of us into D&D will know who they are, and they are all are on a lot of people’s Top 3 Dungeon Masters Ever lists I’m sure. These guys put in some crazy hard work to help the online community better ourselves as Dungeon Masters. Thank you.

(And you know, I should have mentioned this in one of my first posts on this site, but I’m not a professional blogger or even a good writer. This is just my space to shoot the shit (probably mostly talking to myself no doubt) about one of my favourite past times, D&D). Warning: some of this post may seem out of logical order, sorry in advance :) I had to go back and edit it a few times. Apologies for any inaccuracies as well but I’m pretty confident it’s solid.

Chris Perkins, “Celebrity DM to the Stars”

Being a semi-regular reader of Dungeon magazine for quite some time, I didn’t really pay attention to names of the authors of the short adventure modules published within the magazine’s pages. When I reconnected with the hobby a couple of years ago after hearing a lot of good praise about 5th Edition D&D, I did more and more research about the people behind it, and naturally stumbled across reading about Chris and the Acquisitions Incorporated live games run at some of the PAX (Penny Arcade Expo) Conventions with the Penny Arcade guys (Jerry Holkins, Mike Krahulik and Scott Kurtz, as well as occasional appearances by celebrities/TV personalities like Wil Wheaton and Morgan Webb, author Patrick Rothfuss, etc.). Then I went back through old Dungeon magazines after reading that’s how Chris got his start to getting his foot in the door, and have since become a fan of his. He’s even replied to Tweets of mine once or twice. Woo.

I am very entertained by how Chris runs his live games. It’s quite easy to see why he is held in such high regard. I started to lose a little interest in his work however when his regular weekly Dice, Camera, Action web series started. They were starting to run a series based on The Curse of Strahd just before the book released. The PAX games are still great, as are the in-studio AI series episodes, however with Dice, Camera, Action things seemed to really be a struggle and it was hard to follow and really get in to. Between technical difficulties in the first few episodes, to things taking a long time to pick up due to excessive chatter which was in my opinion a waste of time (get on with the game ffs! This happened quite frequently), it was hard to keep myself entertained and motivated enough to finish watching each episode. By the 6th episode or so, I stopped watching D, CA entirely. I decided to revisit it recently and while the presentation is a bit better and they seem to have worked out the kinks in the system, I have come to the conclusion why it wasn’t a success for me: the cast picked for this series is not very good. It’s not Chris - how can it be. The guy is probably the most dedicated and passionate Dungeons & Dragons fan, Dungeon Master, works for the company who makes the game (Wizards of the Coast), and spends a shitload of time on Twitter answering questions from fans with his unique sense of humour, I love the guy (not that way). The cast though. Very weak. Generally speaking they are either too silly to take seriously or not entertaining enough in role playing their characters (hey, I’m not very good when I play and probably an even worse DM so I’m not tooting my own horn by any means), etc. but they are on camera for this and I really cannot believe so many people like this show like they say they do. The whole “Waffle Crew” thing I just don’t get I guess. The cast isn’t exceptional and I think Chris should be spending his time with a different group doing bigger and better things. Again, I am a heavily opinionated bastard as stated in the header of this blog :) “ProJared” is probably the weakest link in the D, CA group. He just doesn’t bring anything to the table and quite honestly, his attitude sucks. It is a puzzle to me how he was chosen to partake in this show with the legendary Christopher Perkins, DM. Just watch his videos on his YouTube channel, ProJared Plays I believe it’s called. I suggest watching his video entitled “Worst Player Ever”. Wait for the part where he describes how he “loses his shit” with “Steve”. But enough about him... Chris rocks.

Matt Mercer, He’s Pretty OK

One of the players in a campaign I run is a very, very big fan of Critical Role. If you don’t know what CR is, Google it. It’s one of the reasons she became interested in Dungeons & Dragons and wanted to try it out, which opened a huge floodgate for me that had been closed for several years, and caused my re-connection with the hobby a couple of years ago. The addiction resurfaced and hundreds (OK, probably thousands) of dollars later I am the proud owner of a collection of nerdy D&D stuff that has been amassed. Damn you, Liesl.

Anyhow. I was curious and tried watching some episodes of CR. At the time, I wasn’t into it. Not at all. I wouldn’t say I am now either, but I have probably watched around half of the 80+ episodes and find quite a bit of entertainment in the performance everyone in that group delivers.

So, at the time we started getting into 5e via the infamous Starter Set, featuring the introductory Lost Mine of Phandelver adventure module. Naturally, I ran it improvising mostly everything and only referencing major area and plot details when absolutely required. I admittedly do not care much for running any of the current 5e premade adventures and therefore probably won’t ever run any of them in their entirety (I will pick apart things, and throw in content from an old Dungeon magazine, even 4e source book, etc. or borrow a part from some other WotC hard cover adventure campaign book, that, like I said, will never run in its entirety). There’s good stuff in there, but it doesn’t play like modules back in the good old days. Anyhow I think it went well. The more we played, the more references were made to Critical Role and how Matt did things. So I got more and more curious and gave Matt and CR another chance. Glad I did.

It turns out what I really went back for though after thinking I didn’t like CR, was Matt Mercer (after awhile the cast of that show grew on me, but I was paying particular attention to Matt most of the time). It’s absolutely unlikely I would ever be able to pull off 1% of what he can do with voices, and describing and gesturing things when he spins his tale - but I try to absorb everything I can, and hope my poor little brain remembers just a smidgen of it and it enters my game at some point and does just a little bit to help my improvisational skills. I don’t think I’ll ever attempt performing NPC or monster voices, but who knows... like they say, you’ll never get anywhere with it if you don’t just start doing it, no matter how much of a fool you think you are making of yourself. There is a reason why Matthew Mercer is regarded as one of the best Dungeon Masters in the world, because he truly is just that damn good.

Also - FORCE GREY IS AMAZING. It’s a short run series Matt DM’d for several other celebrity players including the immortal Brian Posehn.

Matt Colville, the YouTube DM Activist

Finally, I think my personal absolute favourite "popular” Dungeon Master these days would have to be none other than Matt Colville. He claims to be a normal person just like anyone else, but he’s totally a celebrity now, to me anyhow. Ha ha. Dude, you’re on a now-quite-popular YouTube channel. You’re awesome. Thank you.

Matt is a writer by profession. He’s got a couple of fantasy novels he’s written that you can find on Amazon.com (Priest, and Thief I believe are the titles - check them out). He’s also lead writer at Turtle Rock game studio in California. Makers of games like the Mercenaries series on consoles, and more recently the party vs. big bad enemy shooter Evolve (he says he’s most proud of this title), all of which Matt did major writing on. From the game sessions I have watched that he has posted on his channel, it is evident that he is very creative and an extremely bright person more than capable of running a really great game that is well thought out and has all the bells and whistles and logistics of everything worked out just right (in my opinion). I wish I could run my games with his brain :)

The last few videos I’ve linked on my blog here are a few of my favourites of his, and they have really kickstarted my brain. So now I am thinking of better ways to run my games, and attempting to infuse a similar kind of quality material that Matt seems to ooze out of his noggin. Watch his videos, all of them. When I first discovered his channel, I was amused. However, after watching maybe a half dozen more videos, I had to stop. I think it was the rapid rate at which he discusses the topics presented, it was maybe overwhelming me. I took a break for a couple of months and avoided his channel. Then a colleague and I were discussing him, and in hindsight I realized I really totally dug his stuff. So when I went back to checking out his videos and gave some thought about what it is that he is doing with his channel, and what he is doing to help Dungeon Masters (new or old) better the quality of their games. I watched every single video (and rewatch several frequently for inspiration) and it’s now my top rated Dungeons & Dragons influenced channel.

I respect his genuine passion for the game and how he conveys his message to us, and appreciate the time he takes to create such brilliant content for the DM crowd. I highly suggest subscribing to his channel. If you can get past the fast paced talking, it’s worth the time to check his stuff out. If there ever was such thing as a “Church of D&D”, Matt Colville should be the high priest of it.

In the words of Mr. Colville:

“Peace. Out.”

And now, enjoy some whiny ProJared! (”he’s such a dumbass!”)

-runDMsteve

youtube

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