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acehotel · 5 years

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The Bushwick Review: Interview with Elle Nash

There’s a particularly delicate yet redolent allure to the “and” found between some of fiction’s greatest love stories. Jules and Jim. Henry and June. In the case of writer Elle Nash’s novel Animals Eat Each Other, it’s Matt and Frankie. Tales of love and loss, instability and stasis, all told through the lens of a 19-year-old narrator adrift in Colorado Springs are what line the pages of Nash’s brutal and endearing debut.

In partnership with The Bushwick Review, an independent literary and art magazine, Nash chats with editor-in-chief Kristen Felicetti about her editorial origin story, the importance of bisexual representation in fiction and how to ignore people who talk about her baby’s socks.

Animals Eat Each Other was published by Dzanc Books last year. The UK edition will be published by 404 Ink in May.

Kristen Felicetti: I’d love to hear how Animals Eat Each Other came together. From the initial idea, to its development, to its publication with Dzanc Books.

Elle Nash: It started off as a short story in one of Rae Gouriand’s six-month writing workshops online. At first, I thought it was a story that could be told in just a few pages, but then I began working one-on-one with Tom Spanbauer as a mentor, and he kept saying, “What about this?” which made me realize how much I was glossing over, and kept prompting me to expand on so much of the story. I think that lasted about two years. The process really taught me how to slow things down. At some point, Michael Seidlinger, who was working with Dzanc at the time, asked if I was working on anything and so I sent him this manuscript, which he loved and which then-editor-in-chief of Dzanc, Guy Intoci, also enjoyed. After a while, they offered to publish it. Feel like I got really lucky with that, as Dzanc has been a great publisher. Michelle Dotter, the current editor-in-chief, is a wonder to work with.

KF: I really like how spare, direct and visceral your prose is in this book. Did that style come pretty immediately to you for this novel, or is this something you refined in its editing?

EN: I think it was definitely refined in editing. Although I worked a lot with Spanbauer as a mentor while I was writing this book, and his style is also minimal in that way (he was a student of Gordon Lish, along with Amy Hempel, etc), towards the end I found myself rewriting entire chapters. I find myself using things like metaphors as almost a shortcut to what I really want to say in a story, and so I tried to find those and expand on them as much as I could.

KF: You recently tweeted “what are your fave books that feature bisexual people” and I saw that in another interview for this book you mentioned wanting to create a book with a bisexual character, because you don’t see bisexual characters that often in fiction or media. I hadn’t really thought about that much, but it’s true. While in real life I know people across the queer spectrum, I can’t think of a lot of bisexual characters in fiction. The other thing I liked about the narrator’s sexuality in the book was that she doesn’t seem to be concerned with attaching any labels to her identity. She’s just driven by her own desires and behavior. She has sex with men (Sam, Matt), she has sex with women (Jenny, Frances), but I don’t think she even once uses words like “bisexual,” “queer,” or “gay.” I’m not sure what my question is here [laughs], I’m just saying you gave me interesting things to think about. Do you want to talk more about any aspect of this?

EN: Yes! And people had a lot of great suggestions — Mean by Myriam Gurba; anything by Kathy Acker; Henry and June by Anais Nin; Salt Fish Girl by Larissa Lai; The Salt Roads by Nalo Hopkinson — I need to read all of these, obviously!

I really just love to see and want to read books about and by people who are outside of this realm of what a traditional relationship looks like, even if there is not a particular label on the character’s sexual identity — and I think the reason for that is because growing up, perhaps, I felt I was exposed to a lot of books that dealt with young adult issues but the particular issues became the entire character’s identity. For example, The Best Little Girl in the World, (or Wasted, even though I love that book), or Cut by Patricia McCormick, Crank by Ellen Hopkins, Smack by Melvin Burgess. These books were all great, but in them, the characters’ lives are consumed by their troubles, it becomes their entire identity, and I really favor work that illustrates the life of a character that, for example, is affected by these kinds of important issues, but also shows how there are other facets to their identity. Being bisexual is not the only thing that I am, there are many facets to a person, and so that seemed important to express in a book, to show a character’s life like that.

KF: In addition to Animals Eat Each Other’s recent release, the magazine you edit, Witch Craft Magazine, also just released its most recent issue. Can you talk a little about the process of putting that issue together? What’s the process of working with your co-founding editor Catch Business, your team of assistant editors and the writers you publish?

EN: Yes! That was a tough issue, mostly because the original release date was on the heels of me giving birth, and so we had to push it back. I had also just moved out of the city that Catch and I lived in together, and so we’ve been doing everything via email, text and Skype. Catch really has kept the sails up while I’ve been less involved because of the baby, and the assistant editors I worked with for issue four (Asha Dore and Gwen Werner) made some excellent selections for non-fiction and fiction this go around. The hardest part is staying on top of email. I just spend less time on the computer these days, and it can be hard to respond to things. I always feel like I should be doing more. In the past, I’ve made the trailers for the issues as well but our art editor Carabella Sands took the lead on that front for issue four and it was great. I’d really love for us to expand and do more but right now it’s just something we have to do slowly.

KF: You recently became a parent. We’re around the same age, and I haven’t decided whether I’ll have a child yet, but I’m pretty nervous over whether I’d have any time left for writing/being creative or even how I’d grapple with the identity of being a mother or being seen as a mother. Obviously I’m not the first female writer to ever have these fears. Did you have any of those same anxieties about being a parent or not? And do you still or is that just not as big of a deal once the moment actually arrives?

EN: I did and do have anxieties over time, but to be honest I have always had anxieties over time — when I had a full time job, I felt the same way, that I wasn’t getting the time I needed to write and that I might die before the work I need to do gets done (I always feel this way!). When I had a part-time job, I was spending a lot of time doing freelance transcription work to make up for my loss in income and so I worried about wasting my time there as well. And with a kid, it is harder because I am currently on her schedule, but I still do find the time to write while I can. She naps, for example, and so I make the best of it. Also knowing that she slowly gets more independent and that the process of her being a baby is a temporary one helps, and that a writing career is a long-term goal, that expands over multiple decades (as long as the existence of a life allows). But I mean, yeah. It is always hard. I like to be alone a lot, at least when I write. I don’t get the uninterrupted five to eight hour stretches of time inside my head anymore, like I could with a day off work, but since her birth, there’s been somewhat of a schedule (which does change a lot), and I’ve been able to polish 20 pages on a new book, write some essays, do interviews, polish a short story… and waste a lot of time on Twitter. I started dictating some of my essays/stories for example when my hands were busy and she just wanted me to hold her or while I was breastfeeding (though I haven’t done that for a while). I think for anyone who does have anxiety about time but WANTS a kid, the best advice I have is to just not stress yourself about it or push yourself to do it if you really can’t. Some days I wake up and I just think, “I can’t do this today” (“this” being all of the responsibilities of being a parent and also the pressures I put on myself to write, etc), and so I won’t write that day. It’s both hard and not hard. Time just keeps moving and the child keeps growing, and I have to be willing to go with the flow of that. If I fight it, it’s too hard.

On the identity of being seen as a mom — sometimes I think, “I’m too butch/dress too XYZ/am too sad/insert identity label to be a mom!” like when I think of how my mom was/dressed/etc, and because I got really hung up on my assumptions of how a mother should be. But, I am also surrounded by a lot of great mothers who are themselves/their identities intact/are full, sexual, beautiful, creative, independent people, and that helps me not be hard on myself. I wondered if my identity would change, and I don’t think it has, really, I just have become less patient for other people’s bullshit and am very strong about enforcing my boundaries now, in a way that I wasn’t before. People in public make comments a lot (like, for example, if the baby is not wearing socks outside, I know someone will say something), and you really have to ignore it. You just have to become really all about yourself and the kid and fuck what other people say about how you should parent. It’s just not their life. That’s become extremely apparent.

KF: What are some things that inspired Animals Eat Each Other or other recent work of yours? It can be other books, but also films, music, people, things in nature, anything.

EN: So many things! I think the biggest inspiration I drew from was Tom Spanbauer’s book I Loved You More, which is a masterpiece about three people who love each other and how hurt/heartbreak rippled through them. It’s an important book about relationships. I listened to a ton of The Weeknd while writing the first draft of the book, I think because it is easy to listen to his music on repeat a lot and is very melodic, and also listened to a lot of Lund. The film Manchester by the Sea inspired me, as well, because in the Amazon reviews so many people hated the movie because it felt unresolved and depressing to them, and I love that kind of work. I read a lot of things that inspired me also — Mila Jaroniec’s Plastic Vodka Bottle Sleepover; Elizabeth Ellen’s Person/a; Juliet Escoria’s Witch Hunt; Something To Do With Self-Hate by Brian Alan Ellis; and Waves by Lucy K Shaw.

#interview #ace hotel new york #the bushwick review #elle nash #book #animals eat each other #ace nyc #ace new york #ace hotel #yes

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surflove808 · 7 years

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Fan Wars: A New Hope. Damnit.

I sure do hope you like reading lots of words!!

Here's the remix (Edited. Longer. Angrier. Yay!): I’m about to get all fire and brimstone up in here. I apologize in advance.

Regarding my blog post re: The Joke Debacle, most everyone has been so thoughtful, mature, kind and open minded about the discussion matter, even if they didn’t necessarily agree with me. So that right there, shows me that it’s possible for all of us to be more understanding with each other regardless of our ships or faves or whatever. And I’m an open-minded, open book, so even if you don’t agree with me, this is a safe place to vent concerns or frustrations with what I say. We can all respectfully disagree, meet in the middle or go just back to our own corners. Whatever.

I'd like to encourage those of you who are taking your frustrations out on anyone who agrees with points made in my article (on Twitter or wherever) to come speak directly to me if you have an issue. I wrote it, after all. My blog is helpfully linked right there in the article. I don't bite. And for those of you who aren't overly familiar with what's going on, please check out the many, many comments attached to my actual blog post, and you will be able to see that there are far more people that are fed up with these bad apples, than there are bad apples. I hope. And if there are apples that don’t feel like they’re being given a fair shake, I’d like to hear from those apples too.

When I posted my angry rant last week, I didn’t expect it to gain so much traction. But it did…and it showed me I wasn’t alone, and that there are a lot of fed up fans out there, and justifiably so, who are looking for an end to this ridiculous inner-fandom civil war. I'm relatively new to Tumblr. I wasn't expecting to become the unofficial mouthpiece for this issue.

I was approached by movietvtechgeeks.com asking if they could use my blog post in an article about the cyberbullying that’s happening in this fandom, so I said “Sure!” I’m honored that someone would want to print my rambling. But of course, it’s also opened up the floor on Twitter, yet again, for certain people to deliberately misconstrue the content and twist it to suit their own agenda in the comment sections. What they fail to realize is…they’re only proving why we needed this article in the first place. So, joke’s on them!! However…. now I feel obligated to come on here and clarify my intent and that’s friggin irritating.

Here is the article if you want to take a looksee: https://twitter.com/movietvtechgeek/status/927578926397952000

I NEED TO MAKE A FEW THINGS CRYSTAL CLEAR (apparently):

1. I don’t have a ship. I don’t dislike shippers. (Ship away! I just dislike pushy people with no sense of boundaries) So please do not misconstrue anything I say as promoting or denigrating *a* ship. You do you. Let me do me. Well, that sounded vaguely dirty… you know what I mean. I’m just gonna ship me with myself now. Nobody can love me quite like me.

2. I don’t stan an actor, and I don’t think that because someone likes “another” actor (whomever that might be) more, that it’s a direct affront to me or them. I tag all these "relevant to the post” actors because I think they’re all relevant to the success of this show, and sadly….also to this juvenile ridiculousness that seems to be brewing between fan factions.

But, if I’m being honest? Full disclosure: I do have a favorite! Jensen. Heyyyoooo! I think he’s an incredibly talented actor IN MY OPINION, and I like his extraordinarily expressive face. See? Simple as that. Is that a problem? And do you feel better now that it’s out in the open?

We can all have opinions, and favorites without “throwing feces like howler monkeys” to quote a certain dickhead angel. And as far as personalities and talent go? They’re all amazing, and they all belong, IN MY OPINION. The main cast, the supporting cast, new castmates, former castmates…. they all just…gel. You know? It’s some kind of voodoo magic. And they’re by all accounts, really decent people doing good things out there in the world. Without any one of them, it wouldn’t be the show we all know and love. And if you don’t love the SHOW, well….I guess fucking go watch something else? Right??

Listen....Unless you’re tied to a chair Clockwork Orange-style, and being force fed this show by some evil, covert government agency… you DO have other choices.

3. I sucked it up and joined Twitter because there seems to be an attack dog, hive-mind situation happening that seems hell bent on cowing people into submission. That shit doesn’t fly with me. And if I’m on there and see bullying, damaging misinformation or harassment… I’m going to get in the fray. But I’m going to TRY to do it with honesty, integrity and a sense of humor. I want to sit at the adults table on Turkey Day. Not at the kids table with Weird Uncle Augustus. Know what I mean? Don’t be that guy.

AND ONCE MORE FOR THE PEOPLE IN THE BACK: To be clear - I’m not speaking to ONE specific group of people. However, if you look into the mirror I’m holding up and see your own reflection? I’m probably talking to you.

4. I’m not going to choose a “side”. I choose the show, it’s actors, crew, writers, etc, collectively. Because they all work their asses off, both on and off the set to give us fans so much more than just entertainment.

5. If someone wanted to hold a mirror up to this fandom right now, via a juicy documentary on the ship wars, fighting factions, undermining, conspiracy theories, revenge tactics, harassment campaigns, etc…. I think its safe to say, we’re all gonna be pretty fucking embarrassed. Let’s hope that never happens. I’m cringing just thinking about it. But we deserve it, if we keep on with this petty bullshit, ya know? 6. My blog post was not about for J2 "stans” or about Misha “stans”, for gods sake people. This post was about how splinter groups (for lack of a better term) were being damaging and disruptive (As they do.) and how it’s bad for EVERYONE when we let warring factions steamroll over everyone else, AND each other. This post was a direct response to the organized and brutally efficient Twitter campaign that somehow found its way into the laps of a handful of online news sites in an effort to publicize an off-color joke in order to take advantage of the current climate in the entertainment industry and start a viral witch hunt. *I just ran out of breath. Time for a James Brown pause*

7. My post was also aimed at the Twitter spamming campaigns that Shatner and Pellegrino, as well as J2 had to put up with in the past few weeks. And don't feed us that horsehit about them bullying the poor fans that spoke their minds. NO. You collectively went on, and started shit, kept coming at them, and they defended themselves. And rather maturely, considering. It’s about groups of people that have gotten so wrapped up and out of control, that they’re poisoning this fan family. I genuinely feel concerned that some folks are confusing reality with fiction, here.

8. If you look back farther on my Tumblr page (?) to the good ol days of last Thursday (?) - particularly the Silent Majority post - that post is not in reference to any fan or any actor, specifically. It’s in reference to the majority of fans who want to do the right thing, WANT to help out, WANT to just enjoy the damn show without all this drama and hate. But because they’re quiet, and they’re not able to speak their minds without fear of retribution…. they’re vastly under-represented. And so, the assholes of the fandom run amok unchallenged. THAT’S the majority I’m speaking of. 9. I abhor anyone that lurks around on social media looking for people to mess with. So, imagine my surprise and disappointment that now I’M that person, because of this fucking shit!! I’m only getting after people who are picking on others, but still… lurking, arguing. Utter waste of valuable time. Yours and mine.

Saturday night I apparently pissed off the leader of one of the SPN gangs (what do you call them??) when I called her out on her behavior and was ominously told: “Wanna see what happens when I tell my followers what to think and do”. To which I responded “I already have. And it’s deplorable” And then offered to provide her with my name, # and home address. She didn’t want it. I don’t know why. I thought it was funny! I NEVER get hate mail... and I was looking forward to some postcards. I’m old school that way. Don’t hate tweet me. Send me a hate postcard featuring something cool from your state.

Jokes aside....that’s the kind of crap that mobilized me in the first place.

I tried to have a reasonable conversation with this individual and even asked if she wanted to take it offline and talk. I followed her lead, conversationally, did snark back when required...but just when I thought we were going to have a reasonable discussion, she pulled the rug out. I tried. If you’re reading this and you feel misrepresented, or misunderstood, or you’re trying to misrepresent our conversation - the door is still open if you want to talk. But I’m not going to tolerate your bullshit, and neither should anyone else.

Who ARE these people? And why is this happening? That’s my question.

10. I'm not here to listen to arguments that a 6-year old might find compelling in a court of law, such as: Well, Jensen told that joke a year ago, or Misha said thisthatandtheotherthing back in the day...so why are you only talking about Jareds joke?

Well...because this is not a tit-for-tat thing. I'm talking about the issue that is relevant RIGHT NOW. And this is far from a "blame it on Jared" thing. I feel awful for the guy. For both of them for even being looped into this insanity. The intent of my blog post was to address very current events that have been demonstrative of the current, toxic climate brewing in the SPN fandom. I’m NOT here to write the Unabridged History of SPN Actors and Their Fondness for Off-Color Jokes.

11. If you're all wound up and offended by what I wrote? It's probably because I wrote this blog post not for you, but about you. OR, you've not been provided with context, content or clarity, and you got swept up in this manufactured hysteria and reacted. OR, you think I’m a total asshole, and that’s ok. I get it! And I understand how my post could make some of you defensive and prickly. But hey, as the saying goes... don't start none, won't BE none. On the flip side, as someone eloquently stated (ahem, CarolHansson) "It's ok to be offended....it's also ok to not be offended"

12. I am not a rape apologist. And neither are the actors. And to even insinuate that any of us, by extension of supporting Jared or Jensen in this situation, are pro "rape culture", is appropriating a term and using it so irresponsibly that you're negating the real suffering of sexual abuse survivors. The more you trivialize it, the more you take away its power. Stop using manufactured concern for survivors as your jumping-off point for harassment, and START asking yourself what's really motivating you to use that argument as an excuse for your behavior. BTW, #Metoo, and you sure as hell don't represent ME.

If you want to see a record of this casts achievements for mental health awareness, LGBTQ rights, anti-bullying and womens issues, to name a few - it's a simple Google search away. That's on your time. Not mine. Again....not here to write their autobiography. This piece is an opinion piece. I try to be balanced, but that’s as far as it goes. I'm not CNN.

13. MISHA: Misha was not mentioned in my post because Misha was not under fire last week or the week before over this stupid bullshit. If I SEE that happening, I’ll write about THAT. But HE was not the focus of this mess. So I left HIM out of it. Does that make sense? And also? I'm not here to equally represent all actors at all times. That's not how this works in the context of the subject matter at hand. If you want to see more adequate representation for your favorite actor - write your own op ed. Easy peasy, lemon squeezy.

And Misha as well as J2, are probably more than a little appalled that some of their biggest fans (?) are committing to some shady behavior in their honor and in their names. Just a guess. They’re good guys and this is probably not sanctioned behavior. If you think it is? Show me the receipts. Let’s do this honestly, using facts. Not conjecture.

14. No, I do not excuse anyone's behavior because of their physical attractiveness. Neither do most people. I am not a child (Thank you, Uma Thurman), and I don't rationalize like a child.

15. No, I am not doing this to seek approval from the actors, and neither is anyone else with the #istandwithJ2 hashtag. As previously stated, this is an equal and opposite reaction to the bullshit that brought us all here today. You’re grasping at straws at this point, if that’s the argument you’re going with. Speaking on my own behalf, I have nothing to gain here, except some new Tumblr friends with a side of troll.

16. To reiterate on previous posts - I’m hoping that all of us will collectively start sticking up for each other when we see someone harassing a fellow fan online. Even if you don’t want to comment….maybe give the person being flamed those little heart thingys (likes?). Direct message them if liking their post doesn’t feel safe. Show them your support in some way, so that they don’t feel alone and so that they don’t feel quite so vulnerable to attacks from online bullies. We Have Got To Start Backing Up People who are just trying to express their opinions respectfully and are being slammed with responses that are belligerent, demeaning, threatening, obnoxious, etc. Otherwise - these jerks will just keep steamrolling right over the more gentle viewers out there. And a lot of them, are just kids. And this goes both ways. It has to, in order to be effective.

If you see something - say something. That’s my 2 cents anyway.

The world’s going to Hell in a handbasket, 26 innocent people were gunned down yesterday in a place they held sacred and felt safe in, and it just keeps happening.

Mother Nature has decided she’s sick of our shit and has been upending thousands of lives. There are actual sexual predators in some of our pasts and sadly, in some of our futures. And this “joke” has no relevancy or bearing on that sad fact.

Women, people of color, LGBTQ people, economically fragile people, physically fragile people, etc...are seeing their protections, rights and livelihoods eroded away in an alarmingly short period of time, and the list goes on and on… and THIS is what we’re dedicating our mental and emotional resources to?

This show is supposed to be an escape from reality, guys. Not actual reality.

Why are we harassing the actors and fellow fans of a television show that brought us all together in the first place? This is entertainment, people. I know how important this show is to all of us. And I know how impactful the message of this show has been. And I know that without this show, some of us might not be here today. We are some passionate sumbitches. I GET THAT.

The question still remains.... what in the actual fuck are we really fighting for and about, here? If someone can quantify and explain that to me in a way that makes sense, I’m all ears.

Has it really come to: “Maybe we need to devise a more sophisticated tagging situation so that people don’t keep dipping their chocolate in other peoples peanut butter.” I don’t know. But this is Nth level ridiculousness, and we need to figure it out before it gets even worse.

For now, I’m going to get back to enjoying this show for what it is, and putting my beautiful brain back to work on more important matters. I’ve spent a week in this muck, and it’s been... enlightening. I’ll say that.

And even though I don’t agree with some of you - I can see by the CSI-level attention to detail that a lot of us have applied to all things SPN... that we could actually be mobilized into an almost unstoppable force for real good and real change. If we wanted that.

We could probably figure out who ordered JFK’s assassination. Figure out where Jimmy Hoffa’s buried. Solve the mysteries of the pyramids.... help reunite missing kids with their families...Get Trump impeached... ahem. You get it.

Or we could just keep wasting our pent-up aggression on other fans, and the actors of our favorite show. Because that’s easy. Choices.

But wait! There’s more! Because I keep getting valid messages and concerns, this ridiculously long piece just got longer.

Posting these blogs has opened the door to a lot of private communication from both sides of the fence in the fandom, and I'm going to include some of my recent responses to an SPN fan who felt that her group of fans were not getting a fair shake and felt my blog targeted them. We had a long discussion and she was very cool and had a lot of valid concerns and examples of other bad fan behavior dating wayyyy back, so I wanted to add this in.

I'm just going to paraphrase my own replies and print them here, so that people who may feel misrepresented or angry can see that, there are other ways to discuss these issues and for everyone to see that there's a better way than Twitter Wars.

(Paraphrased conversation subject matter in italics)

What's amazing is that J2 fans AND Misha fans have private messaged me with the exact same concerns. And you have one very important thing in common: You ALL feel victimized. And you have been. Know why? It's because you've been victimizing each other.

(Slaps own face. HARD.) Not because of her. But because of this whole enchilada.

If both groups are concerned about the same issues and both want the harassment to stop, whyyyy are you still at each others throats?

Well, I think it's because good people are capable of behaving very badly, especially online. And all they’re doing is making themselves look ridiculous. And they do not merit support.

A lot of people have been using me as a mediator, or prism, so to speak, with regards to this issue. But you don't need me, when you all essentially want the same damn thing.

It's time to stop participating. All you have to do is take a step back and say to yourself (or others if you’re feeling up to it) I'm not going to support harassment, hate or damaging misinformation. And you can do that by unfollowing abusive accounts, by not "liking" or reblogging abusive content...and/or by not contributing to it yourself. And if enough of us did that, BOOM, on our way to a solved problem.

These are only a few suggestions. There's no cure or quick fix for this.

Only alternatives to current behaviors.

And I know there's a lot of bad blood between these groups as evidenced by the mountains of grievances I've been getting. Can’t un-say or undo any of it. But we can stop doing it going forward, can’t we?

As long as people want to keep concentrating on past transgressions and dwelling on past arguments, no one can move on.

And continuing to keep score with hopes to "win" something on here isn’t working either. I’ve got bad news: There's no "winning" here. No grand prize. Just more of the same bullshit. And if you’re happy to sit in this pile of crap and continue to marinate? That’s your prerogative. By “your” I mean WHOMEVER fits the bill.

It's not my responsibility to make you play nice with each other. Or mediate your arguments. Though, it sounds like mediation is exactly what ya'll might need. I'm just here, publicly stating how this all looks to me: Like a never-ending playground slapfight.

I think that there will always be "haters". That's the nature of fandom, and life in general. But if we stop promoting that kind of behavior with our support, and if these individuals have to lurk in the back channels, as opposed to being allowed to thrive and build fiefdoms all over social media. That sounds like a good compromise to me.

And if you have a lot to express on this matter from your own perspective, there are better alternatives to spamming people on Twitter. For example...

Write a blog! If you’d like to provide an objective viewpoint, and also defend your stance but you’re afraid people will see that you support actor A, B, or C and automatically discount what you have to say? Start a side blog. Compile a list of wrongs that you’ve seen committed by both sides and be the mirror, and show people what they’ve become.

Create your own, blank slate and start fresh.

There, now I can drop the mic.

#Jensen Ackles #Jared Padalecki #Misha Collins #spnfandom #spn family #dean winchester #Sam Winchester #castiel #mark pellegrino #lucifer

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paigeontheoffbeat · 7 years

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i just started writing again (simonvsbram is the blog i'm posting on for that) and idk do you have any advice? i'm here to supply the simonvs fandom with as many fics as i'm able

K, hoping @simonvsbram (welcome, welcome!!!) does not mind, but I am going to hijack this ask and turn it into a long, multipurpose post.

(First, go read their fic! It’s called “Greenfeld”,” and it’s way cute! It’s got some awesome Garrett stuff, and it’s Bram POV, how can you not like Bram POV?)

http://archiveofourown.org/works/11605065

I’m going to start with some general Simon Vs. fandom advice, directed at anyone.

1) Contribute! Our fandom is bite-sized at the moment, but that is seriously liable to change soon. Get in now! I literally read SVTHSA only like three months ago, and have managed to worm my way in.

Write fic! Any fic! And make art! Make random Tumblr posts about it! Go on the Discord!

2) Most popular Tumblr tags are: #simonvs, #simon vs, #svthsa. I’m pretty sure the word “homo” can’t be used in a tag, so if you’re doing the title, go for #simon vs the homosapiens agenda or #simon vs the homosapien agenda.

3) The Discord is an awesome place to chat about Simon or Upside, which I am terrible at visiting, but you totally should, if you haven’t: https://discordapp.com/invite/BusWwd3

4) Can only speak for myself here, but asks (both anonymous and otherwise) are great! Will 100% give answer about anything Simon-related (or probably anything bookish at all). You can totally talk to me! It might take a few days, but I’ll try! But if you’re asking me or anyone else anything at all, always remember that there’s a human on the other end of that screen. Let’s all be nice :D

5) Speaking of this, one of the things I love about SVTHSA is just how…kind it is? Will prob do a whole post about it sometime, but like, angsty assholes aren’t glorified for being angsty assholes in Becky’s books. Let’s all be kind and supportive of each other around here, too! (To clarify, I’m not responding to anything, but just, this little fandom is so lovely, let’s keep it that way!)

Now, general Simon fic advice, too. This is also for anyone.

1) Let’s talk about structure for a minute. SVTHSA is written in the first person, present-tense. You absolutely don’t have to mimic this style. If you don’t feel comfortable writing this way, don’t. I basically can’t write in the first-person, and I probably never will. I HAVE done a couple of Simon fics in present-tense, and wow, is that an uphill-battle. Do what makes you comfortable, and make sure to edit for verb tense. Stay consistent (this is sooooooo hard for me, I always have to do a bunch of edits even AFTER I’ve posted a fic).

2) Use your tags. You have to remember that SVTHSA is one of those rare queer stories that has a happy ending. It is a safe, happy mental space for a lot of people.

I’m not saying we shouldn’t be writing angst! Write the angstiest fic you can imagine! Write a long, angsty Simon/Bram breakup fic if you really, really want. (I would read the fuck out of it, but be miserable every moment.) Hell, my current fic is a wee bit angsty. No one can or should police that. But like I said, use your tags. Tag slurs. Tag bullying. Tag angst. And respect that some people might not want to read those things.

4) It is both incredibly weird and incredibly awesome to have an author who reads fic, and even tweets about it sometimes. What a concept! Don’t let this affect you, though. Fic how you’d normally fic. Don’t let the fact that Becky Albertalli may some day see your sex scene prevent you from writing said sex scene.

5) Read, review, and give kudos to other people’s fics, when you can. Let’s have all the mutual love around here!

6) Write AUs. This isn’t directed at anyone. It’s not even really advice. Just, the existing Simonverse AUs are my favorite things in the universe, so. Can someone make this happen? Um, please?

7) I want to end on a note about everyone’ fave, Bram. Guys, I fucking love Bram. A gay, Black, Jewish, shy, nerdy, sweet, athlete love interest? He’s awesome.

But (and this goes out to you specifically if you, like me, are white), he is also a human being, with a complex inner life. Let’s all remember that. (I’m not directing this to anyone, nor have I seen anyone who this should be directed to. It’s just that I think there are about to be A LOT more Simon fics soon, and Bram is going to be the subject of A LOT of them.)

Especially when we’re writing fic, let’s all be real careful not to fetishize him (or Simon for that matter). Bram is fucking wonderful, but he is not pure and perfect, as much as we may adore him and joke about it. He makes mistakes in SVtHSA. He’s a human with flaws worth exploring. We owe it to him to explore them, sometimes.

P.S. I seriously wasn’t kidding about those AUs? Zookeepers? FBI agents? Teachers? Neighbors? I’m waiting, folks.

Oh, and I’m one to talk, but some more Leah/Abby for me to read would be fantastic. If anyone is inclined.

#svthsa #simon vs #simonvs #simon vs the homosapiens agenda #bram greenfeld #fic #fandom stuff

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loveinthewriteway · 7 years

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#omg #this took me forever #i hope y'all enjoy! this definitely got me thinking more about this upcoming fic #ans #ans: sunshine #ans: zayn #woc fic #1dff #1d woc #zayn malik

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chadpetersondatingblog · 7 years

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Short Dating Profile Examples: Over 30 Fun Bios

Similar to how explaining a joke ceases to make it funny, overkill in your dating profile can suck the intrigue out or a first encounter. Too much information can come off as overbearing, leave you with a conversation void on a first date, or simply take up way too much of your time and energy. Below are over 30 short dating profile examples and ideas for some short and sweet approaches to writing your bio that will help you knock this annoying task off your list and get you swiping sooner.

Approach 1: Keep It To The Facts If you had to whittle yourself down to an elevator conversation, what would make the cut? Three to five quick and essential thoughts in your About Me will do the trick, so long as they’re memorable enough for someone to remember you.

1. Natural redhead, unnaturally good at limbo contests, hates seafood but loves goldfish crackers

2. Top 5 movies: Amelie, Se7en, Moulin Rouge, The Emperor’s New Groove, Wet Hot American Summer.

3. I have a twin brother, no he doesn’t look like me, DO NOT EVEN ASK IF WE ARE IDENTICAL.

4. My #1 vacation destination is the Minnesota State Fair, and I don’t understand why it doesn’t make more appearances on Insider.

5. I majored in art. I work as a writer. One Art Degree for sale, perfect condition, $35,000 OBO.

6. I’m afraid of heights, and I can’t swim, so let’s do some land activities.

Pick A Fave And Roll With It Is there a movie you know every line to? An album that shaped your entire adult identity? A hobby you turned into an Etsy empire? Share a quick blurb about it. Those who respond will find a huge part of your life intriguing, and that’s a great place to start.

7. All I want is someone who can sing the Elephant Love Medley Duet from Moulin Rouge with me. My sister could do it, but she always makes me be the boy.

8. You haven’t lived until you’ve tasted a bacon peanut butter chocolate malt from Five Guys. If you’d like to argue with me, I’d be HAPPY to do a taste test.

9. I know every word of the ten-season run of Friends by heart, and my next goal in life is to watch them en Español until I know Spanish.

10. What’s your favorite Jonas Brothers song and why? Mine is Good Night and Goodbye, and in the following dissertation I will explain in detail why they were the best boy band of all time. (cont.)

11. Three years ago I started a book club. We mostly read wine labels.

12. My mood is either the end of Monument Valley, or the end of Inside. Never in between.

13. Sriracha makes everything better.

Obscure References FTW If you’re not that into pleasantries and small talk, this is a great way to comb through the weeds when it comes to meaningful connections. Go with a line from a TV show that always busts your gut, a not-so-famous historical quote that you identify with, or a nod to your neighborhood’s best kept secret, and those who get the reference are automatically in the club.

14. 42

15. People tend to overlook Vince Vaughn’s most brilliant and nuanced work as “Luke Zoolander.”

16. Do you think Postmates will deliver me a plate of chicken drummies from the Nan’s menu circa 1994?

17. I’m more of a Russ than a Ross.

18. I shot first.

19. Oh to dance beneath the diamond sky with one hand waving free, silhouetted by the sea, circled by the circus sands, with all memory and fate driven deep beneath the waves; let me forget about today until tomorrow…

Lead With A Teaser Some may call this click bait, but hey, whatever opens the door to conversation… Tell a joke, but leave out the punch line, post a pic of you with a celebrity and a caption alluding to the insane story, anything that comes off as quirky or intriguing will leave people dying to chat with you.

20. I dare you to ask me what happened when I met Snoop Dogg at a wrestling event in New York City.

21. Look I’m not good at a lot of things, but I can do my make up to look exactly like Blanche Devereaux from Golden Girls, so we should go clubbing.

22. What’s the best thing about living in Switzerland?

23. I have the greatest idea for an app of all time, please inquire if you’re interested in investment opportunities.

24. A/S/L? …No I don’t want to know yours, I want you to guess mine.

25. Of all the things you could walk out of a Jonas Brothers Meet and Greet with, you wouldn’t think it would be a banana. And yet…

Let Your Social Do The Talking Your social media accounts likely give a pretty well rounded view of who you are as a person, so skipping the cheesy intros and just linking to or referencing the one you’re most active on cuts out the boring middle man. Plus it gives your potentials permission to stalk you, which, let’s be real, they were going to do anyway. At least this way, you own it.

26. Share your top pinned tweet—It’s usually the one that has gotten the most attention. Mine says “I’m tired the way old people are tired at the end of their lives.”

27. Link to your Instagram page—fire selfies and all the delicious food you could be cooking for your future partner… it’s a no-brainer.

28. Download and share a particularly good Snapchat story—Nobody wouldn’t love a 14 second snap of your roommate’s cat being a weirdo.

29. Share the results of your latest Buzzfeed quiz—In case you were wondering, based on my favorite kind of bread, Ryan Gosling is my husband.

30. Link to your list of Twitter faves—They’ll get a good sense of what makes you laugh, your political stance, or whatever it is you choose to focus on on a regular basis.

31. Share the latest Facebook-generated word cloud you made—the center of my last one was my mom’s name, which I know isn’t that appealing, but it’s a conversation starter to say the least.

You can use any of these approaches or a combination to get you started on a short, but sweet dating profile bio, but no matter which approach you take, the key is to be warm, fun, and engaging. If you can infuse some humor or an interesting talking point into your description, people are going to want to get to know you.

The post Short Dating Profile Examples: Over 30 Fun Bios appeared first on The Date Mix.

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ashleyjacksonblog · 7 years