#so i try to get creative tm

[cocajimmycola]

Oh, what about names, pronouns and titles with the themes of Poolcore / Vaporwave / Synthwave ?

-- @hypnosiacon [ Neko ]

Names

Wave, Splash, Wade, Lagoon, Saline, Retro, Ether, Capcha, Saga, Dial, Dialtone, Viper, Storm, Toxic, Matrix, Odyssey

Pronouns

Aqua/Aquas/Aquaself, Wade/Wades/Wadeself, Murk/Murky/Murkiself, Lurk/Lurks/Lurkself, Sali/Salin/Salineself, Tech/Techs/Techself, Elec/Electro/Electricself, Wave/Waves/Waveself, Hori/Horiz/Horizonself, Fil/Filt/Filterself

Titles

The One who Wades ; The Being From the Deep End ; The Vapor in the Depths ; The Synth in the Sea ; The Pool Creature ; The Vapor in the Waves ; The Synth Siren ; The Waves

[ @hypnosiacon ]

[indelicateink]

i am just so earnestly curious. i read the books a long time ago, i am struggling to put myself in the shoes of someone who doesn't know what's coming. the latest promo that has the sinister projection of L: does this come across as menacing to people who are book-innocent? do those audience members have anxiety about him showing up in paris?

i know he was fucking excoriated by a lot of viewers for season 1 and ep 5 especially (no matter one's experience with the canon), and a lot of people now despise the character.

but does like. anyone actually have concern abt the guy showing up and making trouble? it seems to be the reaction they want people to have, I'm curious if it's working?

[azrielgreen]

Once again back on my "Please write whatever the fuck you want especially if it's unhinged" bullshit.

I feel like fandom doesn't talk enough about contrast to understand how important it is and how human nature will always inevitably seek it out to some degree. One of the BEST things about a pairing in fandom is that you get to read fic about them in all different ways. From Canon typical meet cutes and happy ending fix its to serial killers AU and dead doves ahoy. Contrast and multifaceted expression is necessary. It will always exist. It needs to. It should. It MUST.

I say this because the suppression of "contrast" (I.e anything the loudest people in fandom don't vibe with) is especially rampant where the pairing becomes an extension OF the people engaging with it. The inability to separate and share space securely without needing to dominate through bullying and harassment is behind so much of what's wrong in fandoms now.

But see, most people don't understand what fucking contrast IS. They can only imagine someone doing what they are doing: trying to dominate and suppress by asserting superiority, when in fact that's not the case at all.

Contrast is a good thing. A fic that's different and weird and provocative might inspire something new in a reader. Art doesn't only come from happy hyperfixations and an echo chamber of agreement. Salt tastes AMAZING after chocolate. Everyone's tastes can be expressed and contrast is what's responsible for so much of creative expression that we barely realise it. Contrast is Eddie Munson DYING in SE4. Did anyone like it? Fuck no. Did it trigger a mass movement? Hell yes, at least in part. If everything in fandom is "Happy and Safe and Approved By The Self Selected Voices of Fandom TM" then everything will become a replica of everything else. There must always be space for the new, challenging and downright dark explorations because they provide balance, they trigger reactionary imagination, they provide context and critical thought and that's without even touching upon catharsis or human experience in a narrative frame.

Contrast is necessary. Anyone can write ANYTHING. AO3 is an archive, it's for everyone and anyone but not any ONE person to try to control.

No cruelty or discourse will be worth it in 5 years time. Only the art will remain.

💜💜💜

[emo-batboy]

thoughts on battinson with his like seven kids and they have to suffer through everyone wanting to fuck him cause have you seen him??

Alright so this response kinda works in a competely separate realm of canon than what I usually post. I’m gonna preface that right now, but BOY do I have thoughts :D

So when I think of Battinson and his (non)accidental orphan acquisition, I see Battinson as being on a much more even playing field emotionally than most other iterations. He’s not really as stoic and put-together, so having kids (especially multiple) would cause a LOT more chaos and drama. So in this case, I like to think that it happens at a very rapid rate. (Again, I’m saying this because this require straying from the film’s canon to a much larger degree than I usually do.) SO by the time he’s 32, he has an 11yo Dick, a 9yo Jason, and an 8yo Tim. And they probably grow with him much like teen parents do with their kids. He’s not as authoritative as most parents. Instead, he starts out as like half older brother, half dad, then graduates to the roll of batdad after his whole vengeance era.

THAT ALL BEING SAID!! BECAUSE THEY’RE SO MUCH OLDER AND BRUCE IS YOUNGER, THEY DEAL WITH A LOOOOTTTTTT OF CREEPY LADIES TRYING GO GET WITH THEIR DAD. (AND THEY ARE VERY. SMART. FOR THEIR AGE)

Dick, older brother and the leader of the “Save Dad and Our Childhood Innocence” brigade teaches the three everything there is to know. He is the most experienced with these awful public events like galas and charity auctions, so he is in control.

And it is SO much easier to get the creepy suitors to back off when they work as a team

Dick talks everyone’s ears off. He’s the golden boy (getting perfect grades and gold medals in his school’s gymnastics team) so he EASILY gets away with distracting people

Dick will insert himself into adult conversations all the time, and Bruce always lets him, which allows Jason and Tim to wreak havoc on whatever target they chose.

Whenever it isn’t too obvious or it’s late enough in the night, Jason will fake a cold or a headache sometimes (he’s prone to falling sick) and Bruce will insist that he take his kid home and tuck him into bed himself, very fatherly

Tim uses his Youngest Child points to woo the nicer ones and direct them away from Bruce, but it doesn’t usually works on the gold diggers (and thank god because Tim HATES acting cute) so he’ll use it on Bruce instead

When those three plans don’t work, the three gremlins start getting Creative TM

Jason, taking a swig from some wine glass and proceeding to spray it all over Vicky Vale’s white dress: “This isn’t grape juice!”

Tim, resident iPad kid and (despite popular belief) The Most Evil of the Three, sees some lady touching his batdad so he finds her phone number on an online directory and prank calls her every time she gets too close

Suitor: “Your father is very handsome.” Dick: “My father’s dead :(” “…” “Oh wait, you mean Bruce! Yeah, he’s nice.”

One lady starts hanging off of Bruce, but he needs to run off to say hello to an investor. Jason appears from nowhere in his dapper little tux and the lady just says, “So uhh, you like the Wiggles, right?” Jason: “Nope! Have you ever read Crime and Punishment? :)”

Dick “accidentally” slaps some obnoxious guests with his wild hand gestures “Oh no! I’m so sorry :(( Let me get you an ice pack” and pulls them away while the other two hide their laughter

One of the ladies who is WAY too comfortable and forward when flirting with Bruce is forced to sit down with Tim and he goes in head first “what are you doing with my dad?” “oh you know what adults do, honey. Messing around, having fun” and he’s like “well My dad doesn’t look interested” “of course he is! who knows? Maybe we’ll hit it off and make another one of you one day” which gives Tim intense psychic damage, but he’s a horrible little brat so he doesn’t give up. He hits her with the innocent doe eyes and asks in the cutest fucking voice “Where do babies come from?” she BOOKS IT (they never see her again)

Anyway, to answer your question: they are little terrors. and Bruce knows they’re little terrors, but he doesn’t care because he hates the creepy attention even more than they do, but this way it comes with a show :D

[mrthful]

YOO MFKR DID U RLLY RLLY LIKE THAT TRICKSTER ART???

Well, u can commission me!! im opening some slots cuz mfkrs gotta get back to that grind TM

more under the mfkn cut brothers n sisters n all in betweenesses

ok idk how many of these ill take bbut probs NOT MANY cuzz yeahhh but! rules!!

ill draw p much any characters but i prefer homestuck characters more than anything, that jus means if theyre from homestuck or smth similar (hiveswap, vast error, fantrolls) ill draw it (both human and trolls)

FYI these are COLORED SKETCH COMMISSIONS meaning theyre definitely not going to be the most clean nice lookin thangs, will end up bein my choice if i make it a full or half body, and ill try to make it as brightly colored and eyestrain as i can mfkn stand (unless told otherwise)

also i take payment first, want a slot? jus dm a mfkr!! i also accept most forms of online payment, i gots all the mfkn accs so whatev works for yall < 3

YEAH!!! thats it, mfkrs gotta put food on his plate n fuel the creative buzz, these kinda count as emergency comms for me so mssg a mfkr!!!! hit a clowns dms up!!!!!

[monsteraficionado]

watcher love time: what’s your favourite thing about each of the founders?

Hii Em!!! Oh god, Vi sent me a similar ask last week but I forgot about it with everything*handwaves* happening, but!!

Ryan Bergara: I love his ambition, determination and work ethics. I love how he made Unsolved even if then Buzzfeed didn't know what to do with a proper series, and kept at it until it exploded and then Buzzfeed could do nothing but keep greenlighting it. I love how he keeps friends around forever: if you get branded as a Friend of Ryan Bergara then that's permanent, sorry. I love how he loves unapologetically what he loves, it being people, or theme parks, or food, or movies, everything.

Steven Lim: I love that he's the funniest co-founder, often without meaning to. I love how he commits to the bit, even if the bit takes him way farther than he intended to (Him feeling unable to escape the TMS persona? Beautiful, amazing). I love how he keeps growing every day, becoming a better and better person, always trying to find kindness in everything, and how earnest he is. I love how he has continually decided to step back creatively to take into the harder, more boring, more joyless parts of running a company, so his two co-founders can focus on being creatives, and I love that he is finally going to be able to dedicate himself to a show of his own.

Shane Madej: I love his creativity and how his love and curiosity for the world are at the forefront of every project he helms. I love how he just doesn't do stuff he doesn't want to do, like going to the movies in London instead of going to see a play and have a nice bonding experience. I love how we do not understand why he does half of the things he does (like his toxic relationship with a grocery store), because he is so grounded in himself that he knows he doesn't owe to anyone to explain what he does.

[kyberbonsai]

I've said it on Twitter but no one follows me there so I'll scream in the void here as well ✨

If you are a Dimension 20 Burrow's End TM enjoyer and particularly if you love Jasper's performance as Thorn (and honestly, who wouldn't), do me a favour and go listen to Three Black Halflings, the ttrpg podcast hosted by Jasper along with Jeremy Cobb and Olivia Kennedy (but you can call her Liv!). Just trust me on this one, I need more people to get into 3BH immediately, they are amazing!

Their episodes are very varied, with one of the main focus being diversity in d&d/ttrpgs on all fronts. They are some of the most fun, insightful and creative people in this space! They have important, deep conversations with many incredibly talented folks, with an attention to inclusion of a diverse array of creators from minorities and marginalized backgrounds. They have multiple awesome campaigns that will make you cry and laugh at once (and you'll get more of Jasper's incredible roleplay, along with so many talented guests (Emily included, she's a guest for a few episodes on Outlaw and Obelisks, their post-apocalyptic western inspired campaign)). They try out different systems and new ttrpgs, but also discuss d&d with class dives and news episodes.

They have interviews with many people: to mention a few from d20 we're talking Bennan, Lou, Murph, Emily, Zac, Ify, Carlos, Gabe, Erika, Persephone, B.Dave, Krystina, Amy, Matt and Aabria at various times, but also people from the rest of Naddpod, Transplanar RPG, Oxventure, Dicebreaker and other cool spaces!

Not strictly related, but Jasper was also the first (and only, I think?) guest DM on Naddpod, I think his Potcedonia two-shot is some of the most fun content out there!

I need to see more of them in this space, as well as more fanart of their campaigns, so I need everyone to listen to their podcast. Here's a link to their Spotify! https://spotify.link/gXVjcTIm2Db

[kingthunder]

Analysis of Jaskier's songs from s1—

—and how they reflect the narrative events and Jaskier's character arc through the show. I'm trying to keep this as canon as possible and not look at it through shipping goggles, but there is textual stuff about Jaskier's relationship with and love for Geralt that's impossible to ignore.

Toss a Coin to Your Witcher: Jaskier’s first big break, the famous and famously annoying Toss a Coin. He wrote this when he was around eighteen and it definitely feels immature. He’s cracking bad jokes like “elf on a shelf” (god I hate that one, it grates me every time) and substituting “bleat” for “beat.” He’s taking enormous creative liberties with facts. And he’s being a little thoughtless; in his enthusiasm to hero-wash Geralt, he’s throwing elves under the bus, calling them devils and pests while he’s talking about Geralt as a friend to “humanity.” (more about this when we get into some of his later songs and his time as the Sandpiper)

This is an upbeat, catchy (and kind of shallow) song that I mentally classify as one of his “narrative” songs. It tells a story. It feels optimistic, much like Jaskier himself at this point in his life. After all, this is the kid who saw a big scary witcher brooding in a corner and decided that nothing could go wrong by following him around. He’s got a head full of heroics and heartbreak and nothing is going to dissuade him, not even being nearly killed. This song is a perfect time capsule of the beginning of Jaskier’s career and also the beginning of his long-running relationship with Geralt.

The Fishmonger’s Daughter: Jaskier plays this at Calanthe’s court when she orders him to play “a jig.” It seems like a pretty typical bawdy tavern song, the kind where you try to drum up audience participation. Most of the court seems to know it and sing along with it. No idea if Jaskier wrote this himself. He probably didn’t. It seems like one of those songs that everyone just knows.

Her Sweet Kiss: This song makes me feel deranged. This is definitely a Jaskier original. We see him writing and noodling with it at the beginning of The Mountain (tm) and asking other people if his lyrics are scanning well. He’s been traveling with Geralt on and off for about twenty years now, so he’s forty years old or close to it. He’s seen some shit, and part of the shit he’s seen has been Geralt and Yennefer’s relationship. He is not a fan. He is so deeply not a fan that he’s writing a whole song about it. But also? He’s putting himself in the song too, and he’s putting his heart on his sleeve, the same way that he tries to do when he talks to Geralt about going to the coast. The lyrics of this song are about three people—a man (Geralt), a woman (Yennefer), and the singer (Jaskier). It’s about how the woman is bad for the man, and how much the singer loves the man.

Whether you see Jaskier’s feelings for Geralt as romantic or not, these are the facts:

He doesn’t like Yennefer or think that she’s good for Geralt, and says so, repeatedly, both in casual conversation and in his music. In the song, he writes, “She’s always bad news, it’s always lose-lose” and that, “She’ll destroy with her sweet kiss.” 

In the song, Jaskier calls Geralt “my love” and says, “I’m weak, my love, and I am wanting.”

He asks Geralt to go to the coast with him, so they can “work out what pleases” them. He wants them to stay together and not go their separate ways like they often do.

Immediately after this plea, Geralt goes straight to Yennefer and (just in case anyone was doubting that Her Sweet Kiss was about the three of them) Geralt and Yennefer fuck while an instrumental version of Her Sweet Kiss plays over the sex. I still can’t believe the showrunners did that. That was A Damn Choice. (deranged, I am deranged about everything about this)

The kicker is that the song wasn’t even finished when Geralt flipped his lid and shouted Jaskier off The Mountain (tm) and out of his life. Which means that Jaskier, alone and heartbroken (his own words from s2), finished this song and published it afterwards, even knowing that the entire situation had gone tits up and that he might not even see Geralt or Yennefer again. Maybe it gave him some catharsis to sing it, who knows.

This isn’t a shallow catchy tune like Toss a Coin or even Fishmonger’s Daughter. It’s deeply personal and a tonal shift from his previous music.

(and it makes me deranged)

Stay tuned for my season 2 thoughts!

[whinyandcheese724]

so i posted a couple days ago about some buddie predictions for s7 but my thoughts have changed so here's my final answer before s7 airs.

I don't think we're going to get buddie together this season. HOWEVER, i do think there will be some seeds planted. based on the way Oliver and Ryan are talking about their characters and their self-discovery it seems like there might be some sexuality/romance self-discovery, at least for Buck, maybe for Eddie. but the way they're talking also feels like they don't want fans to get over excited, if only so we don't get disappointed. Oliver saying "I know how that's going to be taken", and Ryan's comments about men just being vulnerable with friends make me think that there isn't going to be much romance between them this season. also the fact that they're moving to a new network means they get new creative freedoms, but also means that they have to reintroduce these characters, which means going back to their (the characters') roots a bit, and spending some time just establishing who these people are to a new audience. combine that with the fact that this season is only 10 episodes (3 of which are about the cruise ship), and this is an ensemble show, I don't think they're going to have two major characters completely change their ideas of themselves, and get involved together.

that being said, TM also promised buddie dynamics in each episode, starting off with Buck and Eddie trying to help Chris with dating. and of course we have the madney wedding (and suspiciously burnt/ripped/missing clothes) so romance is in the air.

So here's where I'm at tumblr: I think that this season Buck will have some sort of sexual/romantic awakening, be it a bi awakening or an Eddie awakening. I don't think we're going to get much on Eddie's side, or if we do it will be much less blatant. between the two of them, Buck is the one who always wears his heart on his sleeve and is constantly open about his life, while Eddie is more quiet and closed-off, and this tends to reflect in their writing. I think the beginning and middle of the season will reintroduce them as best friends, maybe with a little something more in the background, but not too much to be undeniable. then, the last couple episodes will possibly (hopefully) lay on a bit more subtext so that the last episode ends with 1. a kiss/confession/date bathena style where the first few months of their relationship happens between seasons, or 2. enough to imply that their romance will be at the forefront of their arcs/relationship next season

(personally, I'm hoping for the second one because even though we might have to wait longer for confirmation, we'll get more of the beginnings of their relationship)

Edit: So I wrote this before "I love you to the core" dropped and now I'm leaning a bit more towards buddie becoming canon this season, but in the sense that they are coming to terms with their feelings for each other, not necessarily getting together. I don't think there needs to be a period of dating men to try it out for either of them, but I do think that best friends to crushes to boyfriends is a bit too fast for a 10-episode season of an ensemble show

[virgo-dream]

1st Dreamling Nation Fic Exchange: Victorian Soldiers Edition ✨

“A mini bang of fics all written by members of the Dreamling Nation discord server, revolving around the same prompt, in which we were all given the same two pictures and, outside of brainstorming plot ideas together, were left to our own devices to create a story.”

It is with great pleasure that I present this collection of fics, fruits of the first Dreamling Nation fic exchange!

When I made this discord server back in December, during a Christmas induced Big Sad(TM) moment, I could never have imagined the amazing community we were creating, and now, almost a month later, we’ve got more than just these fics to show for what this server has given us. I’m incredibly blessed that one moment of deep sadness led me to meet such great people, and that we can keep inspiring each other and celebrating creativity and this wonderful fandom space that The Sandman has given us.

This event was only made possible by @littledreamling’s gentle guidance and kindness. Thank you, my love! I hope this will be the first of many! 💖

Now, with no further ado, the fics:

⭐️ When I Wake Up, There Are Only Your Eyes to Greet Me, by @virgo-dream

Rating: Explicit / multi chapter / warning: graphic depictions of violence

Five times Sergeant Robert Gadling woke up to Captain Morpheus Apeiron. One time Morpheus woke up to Hob.

A very unlucky battalion finds itself in the command of one Captain Morpheus Apeiron. He doesn't seem particularly worried with their survival, but mostly with ending the war as soon as possible. Sergeant Robert Gadling seems to be the only thing keeping all these young and inexperienced soldiers alive. After one particularly heated fight between them, Hob ends up discovering there is much more to his Captain than meets the eye, but is he seeing Morpheus as he truly is, or through the prism of his own desire?

⭐️ Golden Heart, by @littledreamling

Rating: Teen and Up / multi chapter

The first time he had ever clapped eyes on Morpheus Endelas, son of Lord Chronos Endelas, Hob knew the man was no soldier. He had floated through the camp, his feet barely brushing against the dry leaves, his head held high and haughty. There had been a massive red jewel around his neck and a white-breasted raven perched on his shoulder, equally lordly, if a bird could ever be described as such. Hob had simply rolled his eyes. He didn’t know why Lordling Endelas was parading through their camp, but it was also above his pay grade. He was just a first lieutenant, practically still rolling around in the mud with the common soldiers. So he had shrugged and rolled his eyes some more, right up until someone helpfully informed him that Morpheus Endelas was their new Captain. And then he had started reconciling his relationship with God, because the Lordling was sure to get them all killed.

⭐️ Ananke, God of Compulsion, by @aquilathefighter

Rating: Teen and Up / multi chapter

Lieutenant Hob Gadling is planning on deserting before his deployment. He has everything planned from faking his death to getting to the US. However, a wrench is thrown into his plan when Captain Morpheus Endeleas asks him to be his assistant for the week leading up to the company��s deployment. Now under close watch by a man Hob thinks despises him, he cannot escape his duty. What will come from a week working closely with Cpt. Endeleas?

⭐️ Tirra Lirra, by The River, by @quillingwords

Rating: Explicit / multi chapter / warning: major character death

Little Hob Gadling meets a strange boy by a river, and their lives become intertwined over decades. A love story set against a backdrop of war. A tale about memories, dreams, and making choices.

⭐️ After The Storm, by @immacaria

Rating: Teen and Up / multi chapter

The war was over. They had won. It was finally over. But Hob knew that at the moment they stepped into London, Dream's family would descend upon them like vultures and try to seperate them. No problem, though, Hob fought four years in the war. The Endeles family would not take Dream away from him.

[pastafossa]

How do you get past writer's block? I have a fic that I'm working on that is updating on a schedule, and I made the mistake of giving myself a month off in between parts and now I can't really get back into writing it. I don't want to leave it abandoned because I have a few people who I know are really invested and I don't want to leave them hanging, but I'm having a hard time getting as excited to write it as I did before.

Ok so I'm in a weird place for this, hilariously. Because The Answer That Usually Works For Me (TM) and that carried me through a regular weekly update schedule for almost two and a half years is, in fact, not at present working for me apparently my brain can write through a pandemic but not through recovery from the shit that went down in December/Jan so we found my writing kryptonite. However, I'm going to assume you're closer to 2021 Pasta than 2024 Pasta. SO LET'S GO WITH THE METHOD I NORMALLY USE SINCE IT WAS SUCCESSFUL FOR YEARS. Cause that's the thing: sure, I've written almost a million words, and pumped out chapters for years (ignoring the past few months) but I promise, I hit the same walls as everyone else even when nailing weekly uploads. But over those years, I came up with a fairly solid list of steps that I'd go through one by one.

Fun one first: when I'm in a block, I almost always try re-engaging with canon first. I'd rewatch my favorite episodes, binge a whole season, or even the whole series depending on how much of a boost I needed. For me at least that was often like Pavlov's bell, my favorite story triggering a flood of affection. I'd remember why I loved this fandom and the characters so much, and it could often kickstart my brain and excitement back into gear. If you really want to dangle a carrot and your fic touches on canon, focus on watching parts you're excited to get to in your story. A big one for me in TRT for example was the post-Nobu, Nelson v. Murdock episode, since I'd had that planned for TRT almost since the start, and I was very excited to reach the hurt/comfort I had planned. Even if your fic isn't following canon though, see if it'll give you a creative rush again!

So let's say step 1 doesn't work, either because the canon just isn't hitting the spot or because your fic is dealing with something else. In this case, my next step was usually to jump ahead to write a scene I was really eager to get to. It was often a short blurb, but it was always something I REALLY wanted to explore, and because I'm also a reader who likes exactly the tropes and plots I'm writing, I want to read what fucking happens. Except, fuck, I'm not there yet, am I? And I can't see how that scene finishes until I write my way up to it and finish it. This is my own carrot. Multiple scenes in TRT were written months or even years in advance, simply as a way to bribe myself. This is also an option!

But maybe this doesn't work. Sometimes it didn't. This is when it got a bit more serious. For anyone who was reading at the time, you'd have noticed that I'd sometimes drop side fics, either Matt POVs or one-shots. This was me, in essence, working on the shower principle (basically, ideas/solutions will come if you stop thinking about it and do something else, like take a shower). I figured if I went and wrote something else - either with less stress, or something fun and dopamine-inducing - the part of my brain focused on my Big Fic would wander around the writer's block beneath my notice. And it almost always worked, all while I still kept my brain trained that, hey, even if we're not writing This Thing, we're still writing.

But let's say this doesn't work either. You're well, and truly, stuck. Been there now and then. And, you're going to hate this one. I hate it but it works 9 times of 10. And it is: Write anyway. Half of it was spite. I was not going to give up my schedule, I liked my schedule. The other half was that I knew myself. I knew if I could just get past the chapter/plot/dialogue I was struggling with, I'd be able to roll along again. And so I made a rule: whatever I wrote didn't have to be pretty. It just had to exist. If that meant I wrote, "Jane chased the cat in circles and caught it. She was happy." then that's what I wrote. Because everything, EVERYTHING, can be fixed in editing. But you can't fix what doesn't exist. And so there were those nights when I would scowl and groan and snarl and bash my head against that writer's block until 5 in the morning, but in the end Jane chased that fucking cat adn caught it, it was written. Hilariously, sometimes those chapters have wound up amazing (likely because I spent so much time hammering at them) and reader favorites. There are absolutely, I believe, moments where you can, and should, see if you can push through.

But that brings me to *waves* now. A lesson I've only recently recently and with encouragement. Namely... sometimes brain no go and that's ok. My steps work for me 99.9% of the time, but I've done the above during the past few months, and it just... hasn't dragged me out entirely out of it yet. Sometimes, our brains demand that break, especially when things just aren't going great. There's a reason TRT had a break of roughly 2 years between chapter 4 and chapter 5 (feel free to check the chapter index with dates on AO3!). I had some life things happening and I just was not in a place to write, even if I was still busily plotting and planning and thinking about TRT behind the scenes. And that was ok. We're not machines. I came back like a bulldozer in Jan 2021, yes, and bulldozed through weekly updates, but that break was needed. And now I'm obviously taking a short one again while I recover from everything. It's ok if you're not in a place for it. So the last step is one I've been told a lot by dear friends recently as they helped me through this: be kind to yourself, and try not to stress if none of the above works. The story will always be there, and if TRT is any indication through all its highs and lows, your readers will be there when you start up again.

[writing-with-olive]

Getting back into creative writing

So if anyone ever finds themself in the "hey I got too overwhelmed by Life tm and had to drop creative writing, but I miss it and I want to go back but I'm struggling to pick up where I left of" kinda situation, I got a few tips that might be worth a try (noting of course that everyone's brains work differently and all that so if these don't work don't worry about it too much - you WILL get back into it, it's just that you might need a different solution

1 - Look at some of your old projects

Did you have any kind of mood boards, incorrect quotes, outlines, prose from a project you wanna get into or you remember enjoying working on? Check them out again! Sometimes getting back into the process is hard because you're out of touch with the characters or world or plot which can make forward progress feel way more daunting. So explore what you have down already, and if you feel inspired, add to the collection - no pressure of course :D

2 - Make it REALLY easy to work on your project

For example, if you're working on plotting, set up a timeline with sticky notes somewhere where you can leave it up for weeks at a time. If you get an idea, jot it down on the sticky note and then place it on the timeline in approximately the spot you think it would fit. You can see progress growing, and if you only have one idea in a day, you can still make use of it without having to go too out of your way to make it happen. Or if you're in the drafting phase, an option could be to leave the doc open so you can just get right back into it if inspiration strikes.

A lot of writing advice will talk about how this is a craft about discipline, about how habits built inspiration, and if you're trying to write as a full-time career, then yeah that's probably true. But this is about getting into it as a passion again and that's the kind of thing that can be done better (in my experience) from a sense of excitement and freedom rather than one of commitment. So this tip is more about maximizing how far inspiration alone can go without worrying too much about the other stuff - that can come later.

3 - Find some people to encourage you

I'm going to differentiate here between "encourage" and "hold you accountable." Remember - the goal here is to make writing feel like a natural and exciting part of life again, rather than another thing to add to the to-do list. So these people are going to be the ones that cheer you on when you make progress or do something cool, rather than the ones who press you to keep writing, writing, writing. Though if you build up steam in the future and want to transition, that is always an open option.

4 - Try different forms

Creativity is creativity. If the specific type of creative writing you used to do isn't working for you right now, try other styles. Maybe you want to do longer form if you used to do short stories, or vice versa. Or switch it up between original fiction and fan works. See what sparks the most joy and run with it.

[fiyasgideon]

Hi there. Any mdtb AU fic recs (modern setting preferably or unique settings) that you could share? Thanks :)

Sure thing! I'm gonna try to list some of the less popular (around 500 or less kudos) fics that I love so there's a higher chance people haven't read them yet, and also, so they'll get more love.

Forward by @raendown

Modern AU where Madara meets Tobirama again at a soccer game. Very cute and Raendown's works are all amazing. Honestly, they have a ton of good Modern AU's, so I'd just go check their profile out and search their Modern AU tag.

Get Yourself Someone Who Can Do Both by Gracelte

A funny modern AU Valentine's fic where every year for Valentine's, Madara pretends to go get stood up at a restaurant to get free meals.

The Boss's Sweetheart series by Sylencia

An overall amazing series, I think the second one is my favorite just because of the scene they make at their date and how Madara tries to make up for it afterwards.

In Need of Good Food by @wisiaden

A very funny food fic where Tobirama has a ton of food allergies, but doesn't let that stop him from enjoying renown chef Madara's food.

To Whom it May Concern by Honks

A very cute and funny Modern fic with an online crochet teacher Tobirama, who goes by Suiton, and a Madara who is a very good son who is just trying to help his mother out by emailing Suiton questions about his pattern videos.

Of Fungi And Voyria by @messier-47

This is actually a Stardew Valley au, though no knowledge of the game is needed (as I have none and still enjoyed it). It's got some heavy themes though, so mind the tags. Totally worth it if you can read it though, it's what got me into Messier's fics (which are all amazing, especially the spice).

Two Of A Kind by midnightfeast

This is a MadaTobi fic in a kinda loose way, as Madara is an inmate at a prison, and Tobirama is a horse, but they bond. It's cute, and a little funny seeing Madara become the Horse Girl tm. Definitely worth a read.

Angel of Vengeance by Makiaru

Modern cop Tobirama who requires help from a hired killer Madara for a special case after something happens and his suspect walks free, allowing them to kidnap his younger brothers.

And now, for some spice!

No Matter the Distance by Sylencia

Modern AU long distance relationship with some nice phone sex.

Play Games With Me by Sir_Thirst_A_Lot

A funny modern gaming streamer Tobirama and Madara fic with lots of fluff and UST.

Working Relationship by CreativeSweets

A modern superhero au with kleptomaniac Tobirama and superhero Madara falling for each other. In mask or out of mask? I won't say. It's a good story on its own, but it does have some spice in it.

Ride For Me by Pengress

A spicy fic set in a modern sex club where Madara goes to let off some steam by himself. Tobirama likes what he sees and maybe wants to show Madara how much better things would be if he let Tobirama join. For now though he can't touch Madara, so he'll have to get creative.

All in the Technique by @illogicals-blog

Tobirama moves back home and rejoins the Uchiha owned dojo where Madara has become an instructor. Lots of UST, and many innuendos about working out.

Send them Packing by @ellionne

A funny modern female Madara exacting revenge on some men who decide to spread fake stories about sleeping with her by pretending to have a dick they apparently "forgot" to mention in their stories, and a sec shop worker Tobirama who is all too willing to help her, in more ways than one.

If there's a Modern AU fic you like that I didn't list, it's either because it's something I've already linked before in a previous rec list, which you can find here or here, or it's from Raendown or Sylencia, who pretty much dominate the Modern AU tags, and you should definitely just go to their pages and read all their fics.

[yuurivoice]

Hi yv! I just wanted to send a message saying how much I love your content and I have for years. It's been amazing to see your channel grow and I'm one of your biggest fans!! I used to sub to the patreon but life goes hard and I haven't been able to for a while. The latest auron video has been practically on repeat for me and I really just wanted to say I hope you have a wonderful day and happy holidays!!! Give all the kitties a kiss on the forehead for me pls!

Thank you for the kind words! No worries about whether or not you're a Patreon sub, I certainly appreciate the support but always want people to put themselves first so don't sweat that and I hope you kick life's ass! Also, sending me a kind message is a pretty great way to support in its own right, so I'm genuinely appreciative!

The cats will most definitely be smooched, and I'll pass along a note that it's from a kind Anon!

It's been a wild few years, huh? Making the leap from the Tumblr days to the YouTube era was a big one, but the past 4 years were where I really started to find my footing and I think there's been a lot of growth creatively and personally.

Things have been moving in the right direction despite some personal road bumps and detours. Looking back, there's a lot of things I wish I could have accomplished and kept afloat while working through everything. Still dealing with the guilt of BitterSweet and Shattered not being a thing this year, particularly for all the ride or die Alphonse and Seth fans who have been starving for content while I've been hesitant to push out content for them because the big series wasn't coming.

Thankfully, most people have been supportive, kind, and understanding. That being said, I'm not ignorant to the nature of my content (growing roster of characters = someone's fave isn't getting posted for a while) and I'm doubly thankful to those who have been chill as other characters get established and have their time in the sun.

I'm really hopeful that in the coming year, balance and scheduling and planning are all finely tuned and help me avoid content traffic jams like we've run into such as the recent Charlie Era (lol) which wasn't exactly the plan, but with October AU series + Plushie + Lost & Found all aligning it sorta just worked out that way. Also, it bears mentioning that it's not every day that a side character who was not guaranteed to catch on as A Thing (TM) actually finds an audience and has significant demand. Sometimes you gotta roll with how things play out, and that's just the nature of creating content on social media.

I'm optimistic that things will be at least a LITTLE bit more balanced thanks to ADHD treatment and seeing huge improvements with my mental health. Which can't be understated, because holy shit, the amount of things I'm just able to do without feeling like I'm holding myself at gunpoint or making a million deals with myself to convince myself to do a single task is amazing.

Not only is it easier to get to work, it's easier to do more of the work. That Auron audio you referenced is a great example. I was worried with the script I had and the premise, I wouldn't be able to get much more than 9/10 minutes out of it. The length of my general audios is something I've been conscious of forever, so I was shocked and thrilled when I finished up with the recording and it was 24 minutes of some of my favorite Auron content ever. I'm getting more comfortable improvising, or creating more as I go vs. write, record, post. I'm able to do a little more, add things that I would normally omit or not bother with, and just try harder without feeling like I'm trying harder and purely because I'm enjoying it and I want to.

I am SO sorry that this turned into a rant in response to what was a fairly straightforward question, you caught me while I was feeling introspective.

tldr: Thanks for fuckin' with me. Folks like you make me want to work hard and deliver the goods. The kindness goes a long way, and I don't take that for granted!

[karniss-bg3]

oh great and powerful one, do you have any tips for writing kar'niss? i love how you characterize him and in my Desperate Hunger for the Content(tm) my desire to write my own stuff has reared its ugly head. however i am a bad writer lmao so any tips would be awesome <3

love your work, keep it up i want to send u so many delicious cookies

That first line had me giggling for a good twenty minutes, thank you for that.

I'll start off by saying I don't think there are "good" or "bad" writers. Everyone is at a different stage in their journey and like with any creative talent, it only requires some nurturing and practice to blossom. It's more about the journey than the destination. If you finish writing a blurb and you're happy that you took that step then you've succeeded.

As an artist I am sure you have a creative process you go through when you're gearing up to put an idea from your mind to paper. Writing is no different in that regard, a little planning goes a long way. Ask yourself, what premise do I want to see brought to life? From there ask how you see the character(s) reaching that destination. Do they encounter trouble along the way? What obstacles are in their path? How do they overcome them? Ect.

As for my characterization of Kar’niss, I am fortunate that he is a bit of a blank slate compared to others in the BG3 universe. It makes it easier to mold him in my image without making the reader double take. Every character has a “voice”, and if you study Kar’niss his comes through clearly. I am a physical writer which means I focus a lot of energy on how characters move, what expressions are on their faces and why, as well as exploring physical ticks that are unique to the individual.

In the case of Kar’niss, put your focus on these key areas:

-His mannerisms. He has a lot of limbs in motion at once. Is he nervous? Then he may shuffle in place, or wiggle his pedipalps as a form of stress relief. The same can be true of excitement which might make his butt wag or joints sway. I imagine Kar’niss moves around a lot, he doesn’t strike me as the sort that can stand still for any length of time. He has an anxious energy and it only grows the more stressful the situation he’s in.

-His choice of words. Kar’niss speaks in third person often, rarely switching to first only under special circumstances. So when he speaks you’ll often use “We”, “Us, or “Our” when he is referring to himself. “I” does still make an appearance but it seems to only slip in when he’s seeking credit for something good he’s done. It’s almost a way of protecting himself from backlash. Only once he’s confident that he’s done something right will he take full credit for himself rather than acting as a collective. He also uses “Majesty” and “Queen” often and in his early days it’ll be his topic of choice.

-His personality. Kar’niss is a loyal fanatic that is terrified of failure, to the point that he’s blind to his own abuse. He also has a hair trigger temper and will lash out the second he senses a threat or an enemy of his “Queen”. This can come in the form of verbal or physical backlash depending on the degree of the offense. He has major trust issues which is easy to see why. He’ll be hesitant to let anyone close and is likely to scrutinize even the smallest detail out of paranoia. His mind has been broken twice and that comes with consequences. He may have panic attacks, hallucinations, or psychotic breaks that border between zoning out and talking to himself all the way up to violent outbursts. Look at it this way, your Tav is navigating a minefield and they must tread carefully or it’s bye-bye legs.

I think these are three good starting points to begin with. The great thing about fanfic is the world really is your oyster. If you have an idea brimming in your mind then unleash it, whether for an audience or strictly for yourself. None of us are trying to be Tolkien and that isn’t what it’s about anyway. It’s getting enjoyment from characters that we want to spend more time with in the environments we wish to see them in. I have no doubt you’ll do great and I will always support more Kar’niss in the world. Good luck and thanks for the cookies!

[artnerd1123]

iiiiit's that time of year again folks! sliding in sorta late with mine, but its before new years, so it counts.

artwise the year was rather dry. another one of those "creating or being 5000% dead" years. plenty of fic writing! and i sure am breathing! but... eheheh. if it weren't for my commissioners, i wouldn't have anything a lot of these months X] ah well, the personal pieces i did do were either big and experimental or just character silly times to help me fall back in love with art. i'll call it a win since i had at least one thing every month!

as always, sentimental rambles are reserved for under the cut <3

oh, and a compilation of all the previous years too! as a treat!

tadaaa many old arts and progress <333

nyway. dudes. bros. friends and foes alike. what the FUCK was this year lskdjfldksf this year dragged me thru dirt. it was 100% MY dirt and 100% MY adulting life struggles!!! but it was still dirty struggles lskdfj

i got covid the last week of january, first of all. that was awful and i wouldn't recommend it at any point. honestly? kinda set the tone for the rest of the year. i went through 3 different jobs lmao. that's gotta be the thing that shaped most of my mood and time. first job was overworking me, second job literally ground me into the dust, and the third job (which i'm still working at) has helped gently get me back on my feet. i actually LIKE going to work most of the time again. really relieving when u gotta work to live X] tho i'll be honest i don't remember a lot of the year aside from work ahaha :,) leaning on my daylio mood tracker/diary app for a lot of this review ;_; money's been tight and circumstances have been up and down and all around... plenty of mental health bullshittery to compliment getting worked to death. got to meet and vibe with friends new and old on a few scattered vacations tho! nd i took the time to tend to friendships in general as i was able. when i wasn't... y'know. just Trying To Exist tm. sometimes i feel like i wasn't there enough this year. like it kept slipping through my fingers. time was slow and too fast all at once. energy was very hit or miss. but... hey, there's gonna be those times when u just survive. i'm ok that the year was spent just getting by. next year should even out a bit- or at least present new problems rather than dragging out the old ones LKDJFS oh! and there were some good things in there for sure! went to an owl city concert, started hanging out with my new work friends, saw the mOTHERFUCKIN FN/AF MOVIE HELLO???? and renewed the lease at my apartment! so, hey! another thing i'll call a win.

time plods on and so do i! into the new year i go, armed with headstrong plans of hope, new roommates (yet longtime friends) on the horizon, and blorbos ready to spin faster than any twister.

here's to another one around the sun. may we get a little more rest and a little more creative in '24 🖤