#take that away and you give yourself facebook's problems

[made-in-manetheren]

And contrary to how @staff apparently think your users want this site to work, that line is defined by our ability to curate our own experience.

Don't try to be like every other social media site. The fact that Tumblr is not like them (particularly with respect to algorithms and the unique conversation structure of reblog chains) is why Tumblr is still standing.

Tumblr’s Core Product Strategy

Here at Tumblr, we’ve been working hard on reorganizing how we work in a bid to gain more users. A larger user base means a more sustainable company, and means we get to stick around and do this thing with you all a bit longer. What follows is the strategy we're using to accomplish the goal of user growth. The @labs group has published a bit already, but this is bigger. We’re publishing it publicly for the first time, in an effort to work more transparently with all of you in the Tumblr community. This strategy provides guidance amid limited resources, allowing our teams to focus on specific key areas to ensure Tumblr’s future.

The Diagnosis

In order for Tumblr to grow, we need to fix the core experience that makes Tumblr a useful place for users. The underlying problem is that Tumblr is not easy to use. Historically, we have expected users to curate their feeds and lean into curating their experience. But this expectation introduces friction to the user experience and only serves a small portion of our audience. 

Tumblr’s competitive advantage lies in its unique content and vibrant communities. As the forerunner of internet culture, Tumblr encompasses a wide range of interests, such as entertainment, art, gaming, fandom, fashion, and music. People come to Tumblr to immerse themselves in this culture, making it essential for us to ensure a seamless connection between people and content. 

To guarantee Tumblr’s continued success, we’ve got to prioritize fostering that seamless connection between people and content. This involves attracting and retaining new users and creators, nurturing their growth, and encouraging frequent engagement with the platform.

Our Guiding Principles

To enhance Tumblr’s usability, we must address these core guiding principles.

Expand the ways new users can discover and sign up for Tumblr.

Provide high-quality content with every app launch.

Facilitate easier user participation in conversations.

Retain and grow our creator base.

Create patterns that encourage users to keep returning to Tumblr.

Improve the platform’s performance, stability, and quality.

Below is a deep dive into each of these principles.

Principle 1: Expand the ways new users can discover and sign up for Tumblr.

Tumblr has a “top of the funnel” issue in converting non-users into engaged logged-in users. We also have not invested in industry standard SEO practices to ensure a robust top of the funnel. The referral traffic that we do get from external sources is dispersed across different pages with inconsistent user experiences, which results in a missed opportunity to convert these users into regular Tumblr users. For example, users from search engines often land on pages within the blog network and blog view—where there isn’t much of a reason to sign up. 

We need to experiment with logged-out tumblr.com to ensure we are capturing the highest potential conversion rate for visitors into sign-ups and log-ins. We might want to explore showing the potential future user the full breadth of content that Tumblr has to offer on our logged-out pages. We want people to be able to easily understand the potential behind Tumblr without having to navigate multiple tabs and pages to figure it out. Our current logged-out explore page does very little to help users understand “what is Tumblr.” which is a missed opportunity to get people excited about joining the site.

Actions & Next Steps

Improving Tumblr’s search engine optimization (SEO) practices to be in line with industry standards.

Experiment with logged out tumblr.com to achieve the highest conversion rate for sign-ups and log-ins, explore ways for visitors to “get” Tumblr and entice them to sign up.

Principle 2: Provide high-quality content with every app launch.

We need to ensure the highest quality user experience by presenting fresh and relevant content tailored to the user’s diverse interests during each session. If the user has a bad content experience, the fault lies with the product.

The default position should always be that the user does not know how to navigate the application. Additionally, we need to ensure that when people search for content related to their interests, it is easily accessible without any confusing limitations or unexpected roadblocks in their journey.

Being a 15-year-old brand is tough because the brand carries the baggage of a person’s preconceived impressions of Tumblr. On average, a user only sees 25 posts per session, so the first 25 posts have to convey the value of Tumblr: it is a vibrant community with lots of untapped potential. We never want to leave the user believing that Tumblr is a place that is stale and not relevant. 

Actions & Next Steps

Deliver great content each time the app is opened.

Make it easier for users to understand where the vibrant communities on Tumblr are. 

Improve our algorithmic ranking capabilities across all feeds. 

Principle 3: Facilitate easier user participation in conversations.

Part of Tumblr’s charm lies in its capacity to showcase the evolution of conversations and the clever remarks found within reblog chains and replies. Engaging in these discussions should be enjoyable and effortless.

Unfortunately, the current way that conversations work on Tumblr across replies and reblogs is confusing for new users. The limitations around engaging with individual reblogs, replies only applying to the original post, and the inability to easily follow threaded conversations make it difficult for users to join the conversation.

Actions & Next Steps

Address the confusion within replies and reblogs.

Improve the conversational posting features around replies and reblogs. 

Allow engagements on individual replies and reblogs.

Make it easier for users to follow the various conversation paths within a reblog thread. 

Remove clutter in the conversation by collapsing reblog threads. 

Explore the feasibility of removing duplicate reblogs within a user’s Following feed. 

Principle 4: Retain and grow our creator base.

Creators are essential to the Tumblr community. However, we haven’t always had a consistent and coordinated effort around retaining, nurturing, and growing our creator base.  

Being a new creator on Tumblr can be intimidating, with a high likelihood of leaving or disappointment upon sharing creations without receiving engagement or feedback. We need to ensure that we have the expected creator tools and foster the rewarding feedback loops that keep creators around and enable them to thrive.

The lack of feedback stems from the outdated decision to only show content from followed blogs on the main dashboard feed (“Following”), perpetuating a cycle where popular blogs continue to gain more visibility at the expense of helping new creators. To address this, we need to prioritize supporting and nurturing the growth of new creators on the platform.

It is also imperative that creators, like everyone on Tumblr, feel safe and in control of their experience. Whether it be an ask from the community or engagement on a post, being successful on Tumblr should never feel like a punishing experience.

Actions & Next Steps

Get creators’ new content in front of people who are interested in it. 

Improve the feedback loop for creators, incentivizing them to continue posting.

Build mechanisms to protect creators from being spammed by notifications when they go viral.

Expand ways to co-create content, such as by adding the capability to embed Tumblr links in posts.

Principle 5: Create patterns that encourage users to keep returning to Tumblr.

Push notifications and emails are essential tools to increase user engagement, improve user retention, and facilitate content discovery. Our strategy of reaching out to you, the user, should be well-coordinated across product, commercial, and marketing teams.

Our messaging strategy needs to be personalized and adapt to a user’s shifting interests. Our messages should keep users in the know on the latest activity in their community, as well as keeping Tumblr top of mind as the place to go for witty takes and remixes of the latest shows and real-life events.  

Most importantly, our messages should be thoughtful and should never come across as spammy.  

Actions & Next Steps

Conduct an audit of our messaging strategy.

Address the issue of notifications getting too noisy; throttle, collapse or mute notifications where necessary.  

Identify opportunities for personalization within our email messages. 

Test what the right daily push notification limit is. 

Send emails when a user has push notifications switched off.

Principle 6: Performance, stability and quality.

The stability and performance of our mobile apps have declined. There is a large backlog of production issues, with more bugs created than resolved over the last 300 days. If this continues, roughly one new unresolved production issue will be created every two days. Apps and backend systems that work well and don't crash are the foundation of a great Tumblr experience. Improving performance, stability, and quality will help us achieve sustainable operations for Tumblr.

Improve performance and stability: deliver crash-free, responsive, and fast-loading apps on Android, iOS, and web.

Improve quality: deliver the highest quality Tumblr experience to our users. 

Move faster: provide APIs and services to unblock core product initiatives and launch new features coming out of Labs.

Conclusion

Our mission has always been to empower the world’s creators. We are wholly committed to ensuring Tumblr evolves in a way that supports our current users while improving areas that attract new creators, artists, and users. You deserve a digital home that works for you. You deserve the best tools and features to connect with your communities on a platform that prioritizes the easy discoverability of high-quality content. This is an invigorating time for Tumblr, and we couldn’t be more excited about our current strategy.

[leog4u]

Adult Gaming Survey Results!

Hey, hey! Here's the results of that survey on adult games I set up a while back. I was blown away by the amount of responses, totaling at 1,159! After reading every write-in, I've made a little write up with some analyses that adult game devs could chew on. I think it's also interesting from an audience stand point, so give it a read! The link above goes to the survey results, so you can see the percentages and write-ins for yourself. Oh also here's a link to the top 12 favorite adult games of the responses, so you don't have to count the 591 answers yourself.

As a reminder, this is a survey for adult games. Search any game in the response list at your own risk. Minors go do something else.

And with that out of the way...!

How often do you play adult games?

Something I noticed was quite a few replies mention very large gaps between adult game sessions. I'd like to drill down on this, because paired with respondents mentioning not know how to acquire adult games, this lack of awareness might lead to less opportunities for playing adult games.

The flip side to many responses in “Other” mention binge bursts, followed by long periods of no adult game activity, it might just be a case of adult life lacking free time. 

How long do you expect an adult game to be?

A relief to game devs, there’s no major expectation for an adult game to be pulling JRPG playtime numbers. A majority would rather play a game that does what it sets out to do at its own pace, rather than hitting a target goal of X hours and be subject to poor flow and padding. 

How long is an adult gaming session?

A majority spend over an hour, with time set aside to do said adult gaming. While “till i finish” could be less than an hour, it’s still a designated time set aside to play an adult game.

What’s interesting is the responses in the “Other” category that go into detail, if the goal is to just get off, it’ll be quick. But if a game has plot and gameplay, like some kind of video game, then it’s likely they’ll take more time as they’re now being entertained in the way a video game does.

When it comes to art, what level of quality do you expect?

Again, something that should come as a relief to adult game devs. There’s not a big expectation of painted, master quality art that would be hung in a museum. People want something that gets the idea across and something fresh. 

The style should match the actual content of the game. Too many times I've played a game with the most facebook friendly mobile game style, and it just feels like it's distracting from what the game is trying to actually do.

It also would help if when a potential customer scrolls down the itch.io adult game page, their eyes don't glaze over at art that looks like every other game on the market.

Do you buy your adult games?

A problem that is highlighted here is the lack of ability or knowledge on how to buy adult games. Storefronts hide the settings needed to see adult game options, which actively lead to a lack of knowledge on how to purchase. 

A majority of the “Other” category mentions it being a combination of spending money and playing free games.

Another point to note is that some mentioned that they will pirate with the intention of spending money later. A free demo, like some mention seeking out first, can help devs avoid piracy, since some people use pirated games as a demo when none is available to see if the game’s worth it.

Another note, which unfortunately won’t help the devs affected, but when non-english games aren’t available in english or on english storefronts, some respondents feel that the only way to play is by pirating. It’s difficult to get the numbers, but I’d be interested in seeing how well japanese adult games on steam that have been localized for english speaking audiences are doing, since that previously wasn’t an option for japanese adult devs until very recently.

How important is writing in adult games for you?

This was actually a surprising result to me. Adult games primarily advertise their art. How much of it there is, how well drawn it is, if it’s animated or not. So seeing 77% of respondents cite good writing as one of the most important parts to an adult gaming experience really changes what the priorities should be for an adult game dev. 

While some would skip writing, either to get to “the good stuff” or just to skip over bad prose, some have an actively worse experience with being shown bad writing.

How important is animation in the porn scenes?

A recurring sentiment in the “Other” category is that if the animation is bad, don’t bother. 

Combined with the majority of 67.1% saying that animation is optional, I think adult game devs are safe to not prioritize it unless their game is the kind that needs it to function, like a side-scroller. It drains a lot of money and resources, especially for a first time project.

Even the live2D tweening has little payoff with these numbers considered.

How important is voice acting in the porn scenes?

Similar to animation, voice acting is a nice feature to have, if it’s done well. Otherwise it can feel tacked on, or worse, detrimental to enjoying the game.

With 50% not caring or actively muting, I think it’s safe to say that it’s a “nice to have” and resources should be focused on other things like writing and gameplay.

How important is sex sound effects in the porn scenes? (moaning, wet slapping, squelching, etc)

What’s really fascinating is that the sound effects and audio design are more appreciated than the voice acting. If I had to pinpoint a difference, it’s that bad delivery can ruin a scene, but a sound effect is far less intrusive.

What genres of porn games do you like the most?

The genres chosen were a combination of which were the most populated as well as recent trends. A large amount of write-ins were expressing that simulation games were a favorite. 

Now comes the question, is the number one favorite genre RPGs because that’s the best genre for an adult game, because it’s a genre people enjoy playing for gaming’s sake, or because a massive amount of adult games are made in RPG Maker? I think it’s a little bit of columns A, B, and C.

When it comes to adult games, what matters more?

People are here for porn, but that doesn't mean they're here for just porn. They want a good delivery vehicle for the porn. Both parts of this sentiment mean that there's one thing you should avoid more than anything and it's annoying padding and grinds. They bought your game, there's no need hide a nipple behind five hours of gameplay. Likewise, it's not very good game design to give the player everything at once, as I've mentioned before.

There are several draws to adult games. It's intimacy in a safe, virtual environment. It's making bonds with characters the player falls in love with that end with a climax, or two. It's exploring kinks. And it's blowing off some steam by getting your rocks off. These should be considered when designing a porn game.

Does a kink you enjoy influence if you buy an adult game?

In the future, I would rephrase this question as asking how much your kink factors into buying a game, rather than what was presented. As it stands, “I buy things if they’re good” isn’t that interesting or valuable of an insight.

Respect to the small slice that don't buy shit unless it has their kink in it.

Does a kink you dislike influence if you buy an adult game?

Making more extreme or polarizing kinks optional enables the developer to explore said kinks while allowing the player to avoid uncomfortable situations. As long as it’s clear what’s optional and what isn’t on the product description, this seems to be the preferred method. 

What’s your stance on AI art?

A landslide stance. This can be attributed to politics: there is a hardcore stance against any and all AI. That aside however, when it comes to selling a product to a consumer, why would they want a product they know was made with no care or effort? Where else were corners cut? AI in porn games are usually used to generate the art and writing, the most important parts (according to the survey) to the porn game. It's where you want the most care and attention, not the opposite.

What aspect of an adult game do you care about the most?

Players care about the porn in their porn games. This isn’t a surprise. Audio being ranked so low also isn’t a surprise considering the previous results. But, what is interesting is how gameplay is ranked highest in the “important” category, past art and writing. I interpret it as “come for the art and writing, stay for the gameplay.” 

Talking Points From the Free Form Responses

Replayability and customization are gameplay features people value, which can be reflected in the amount of responses citing games such as Corruption of Champions and Degrees of Lewdity as their favorites.

Porn games are really unique because you need to list out its content. We're used to spoilers being a bad thing in marketing materials, but for porn its mandatory. A customer needs to know: what's the degree of sexual content, is it cheese cake, is it gay, is there dub-con, is there inflation, the list goes on. Nobody will be mad to know that something they don't like is in something. Well, some people will be, but it's a lot worse when it's a surprise. Also consider, it stops comments asking if there's content like pregnancy in your game or not.

I can not understate how important customization is to a number of people, wanting the body and pronouns they have to be reflected in the player character. This gives text based games a bit of an edge, since it's significantly less resource intensive to accommodate for all these different identities in text vs having to make art assets for every configuration and body type.

There’s a general lack of knowledge on where to actually get adult games. This is due to social media sites making it difficult for adult content to be shared, as well as limited market places for adult content. Epic Game Store has a ban on it, despite allowing for full on con-artist projects like NFT and Crypto games, while Steam requires some settings to be changed that aren't advertised. However, Steam's new feature to hide games definitely helps gamers feel more comfortable acquiring adult games since their friends won't have to know when they're jerking off.

Woman focused content that doesn’t involve non-con is lacking. Meanwhile, a lot of adult games that feature a woman protagonist that does consent either have her be bimbofied or a literal succubus, rather than an actual character that wants sex like their male counterparts. These male counterparts could be extracted from their porn game and placed in any other fantasy story and get along fine, so why not women?

Don’t forget to add a gallery to your game.

[wandaluvstacos]

I am begging people to stop buying this damn sewing machine for anyone older than 12.

As a toy for children, it's acceptable. If you ACTUALLY want to sew something, do not get a cheap piece of crap from Walmart for $35!! You'll work on this thing for 15 minutes, it will suck, you will get frustrated, and then you'll tell yourself that you are simply incapable of sewing and that it's too complicated for you. But it's not your fault-- you are working with a child's toy. That's like giving up on driving a car because your Barbie Jeep's battery dies the first 5 minutes you're in it.

My two recommendations:

First and most recommended: You get a LIGHTLY USED modern plastic machine for cheap off Facebook Marketplace or your local sewing machine repair shop. I'm talking less than 10 years old. You ask the seller "do you use this regularly" or "has this been serviced". Try to buy from someone who has used the machine recently because they'll know its ins-and-outs. You can find a modern machine for like $30 on Facebook Marketplace from someone who has actually used it (I would not recommend Goodwill or anywhere you can't speak to the person who used it before you, if you are just starting out). One highly recommended modern machine for beginners is the Singer Heavy Duty.

It's $200 new but you can easily find one much cheaper used. It's simple to use and will hold up to basic sewing for the time it will take you to decide whether you want to sew or not. Other modern Singers suck ass; save yourself the trouble. Go with the Singer Heavy Duty or a Brother, or even a Janome if you can find one cheap enough. Stay away from anything that's not a time-trusted brand.

The Brother CS6000i is a decent beginner's machine.

Again, do not buy machines off eBay unless they make it CLEAR that it has been fully serviced and is in perfect working condition. They honestly aren't much cheaper used on eBay than they are new, so best to buy it from someone on Facebook Marketplace or at a sewing machine repair place.

Second recommendation: Buy a VINTAGE METAL machine that has been fully serviced or in perfect working condition. These are more difficult to find serviced, so I wouldn't recommend it unless you find one on FB Marketplace (though the one I got on eBay worked perfectly out of the box). There will be TONS of very cheap vintage machines on FB Marketplace, but the problem with these is that they've often been sitting in a cabinet for 20 years, unused. Not great for learning on. You can also buy one of these machines and have it serviced, but having a machine serviced will cost more than the machine is worth, more often than not.

There are benefits to a vintage metal machine over a modern plastic one. it will last your lifetime. It can sew through thick, difficult fabrics. They're much better looking imo. They likely won't break unless you drop them down a stairwell. However, the oldest ones only do a straight stitch, and speaking as someone who has vintage and a modern machine... the automatic buttonholer and overlock stitch are nice to have! But the vast majority of the stitching you will do will only be zig zag (for stretch knits/elastic) or straight stitch. The zig zag feature became available in most domestic sewing machines by the late 1950s.

Any vintage machine made before 1970 will be fine to sew with; everything was pretty good quality back then. 1970s era Kenmores are ugly and basic but they are cheap while also being excellent machines, and they're the "newest" domestic machine you can get that's still all metal.

Any Singer will have easy-to-replace parts, have easily findable user manuals, and every sewing machine repairman will be able to fix them. The uglier ones in the 1960s are dirt cheap, if you make sure it's not younger than the 628 or 337. Both of these machines are the cheapest vintage all-metal Singers you'll find and they work fine (and they do zig zag stitches).

Do NOT get a Touch n Sew or Stylist made in the late 1960s or later. Generally if it has plastic buttons, it's got something plastic inside (not always, but with Singers, often). These Golden Touch n Sews are in fact Touch n Throw (away).

Any old black machine will be fine and very simple to use, and I think they look gorgeous, but they only straight stitch, so you won't be able to sew your own leggings on them. If you only want to make curtains, quilts, or bags or something, they will work fantastic for that. Just make sure they're serviced, as these things usually are not.

I'm going to talk to my younger, beginner self: Just because it's a used, older machine does not make it worse!

Even used modern plastic machines can work fine. It's rare that people are selling a machine as WORKING when it doesn't work. People tend to be honest about it. Usually they are selling it because they lost interest, it was given to them by a family member, or they just don't use it enough to keep around. Buying used is almost always the best, cheapest option for a beginner. Stop buying these cheapo gadgets on Amazon! They will only make you hate sewing machines.

[writingquestionsanswered]

How come I managed to get an outline done for once for the sole purpose of getting me to finish a chapter but I just can't get myself to finish that chapter?

Chapter Outlined, Can't Write Chapter

It happens. Outlines go only so far... you still have to flesh out the scenes as you write them... figure out the dialogue and the blocking. It's sort of like you can plot your trip route on Google Maps, but you still have to actually drive from one point to the other.

So... when you have an outline but are still struggling to actually write:

Problem #1 - You Don't Have a Way In

Having a chapter outline usually just means you know what generally (and importantly) needs to happen in the scene, the general order those things need to happen in, and some things like the scene's purpose, your character's goal, etc. But this is sort of like having a set of instructions that say, "Go to building. Go inside." Okay, great... but how are you specifically getting inside? Are you going through the front door? The back door? Climbing through a window? Landing on the roof in a helicopter? Tunneling in through a basement wall? So, before you can actually start writing, you need to figure out the specific way you're getting your character into the scene. A good way to do this is to go to the first important thing that has to happen in the scene, then rewind from there. What is your character doing in the moments before that? What has to happen in order to put them into that place in that moment? Is there anything unique about the circumstances or location you can focus on? Try opening up some of the books on your shelves and look at the ways different chapters begin. It will start to give you ideas for how you can open your chapter.

Problem #2 - Not Inspired/Excited

Having your chapter outlined doesn’t mean is a good first step, but if you're not feeling motivated to actually write the chapter, it will harder to write it. Try doing some fun exercises to get yourself excited about the chapter. Do a mood board or playlist for the chapter. Save some character and setting inspiration photos on Pinterest. Do an interview with your character that takes place after the scene/chapter to get their take on what happened and what they feel about it.

Problem #3 - Something Isn’t Working

Stories are like a house of cards in that one misplaced “card” can bring the whole thing crashing down. Sometimes you lose interest because an earlier element or event didn’t quite work. You can feel in your gut that something’s not right, so your brain interprets that as losing motivation. It’s not really that you’ve lost interest in the story… it’s that you’ve lost interest in the dead end path it’s on. Go back to the previous chapter or two and look for something that’s not pulling its weight. It could be an unnecessary character dragging the story down, a subplot that is cluttering up the story or drawing attention away from the main plot, or a scene/scenes that don’t add to the story. It could even be a combination of these things. If you can find it and fix it, your motivation may return.

Problem #4 - You’re Distracted by Other Things

If you sit down to write and you’re busy scrolling through facebook, texting with friends, and singing to the radio, you’re probably not going to get much done. Try blocking out thirty minutes (or whatever amount of time you can afford) and dedicate it entirely to writing. Shut down social media and other tempting apps/sites. Turn off the TV. Put your phone on silent. Tell housemates not to bother you. Put on soft music without lyrics, and focus solely on writing. If you find your mind starting to wander toward other things, yank it back and focus on your story.

Problem #5 - You’re Lacking the Physical/Mental Energy to Write

Whether you’re sick, not getting enough sleep, super busy, depressed, or in a bad mood, not having physical or mental energy can make it hard to write. Do what you can to bring your energy up as much as possible, both physically and mentally, and you may have an easier time writing that chapter.

I hope something here will work for you!

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

I’ve been writing seriously for over 30 years and love to share what I’ve learned. Have a writing question? My inbox is always open!

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[idrawfunkythings]

DCAtober Day 18: Phobia

Words 1,600+ Summary: Moon admits some feelings and you chase him home

Spring was both of your boys’ favourite season. Sun loved how deep nights stretched into long days, and Moon liked how all kinds of new animals would be finding refuge wherever you went. You liked the walks - on warm spring nights, you and Sun would have a nice wander around the city, and you’d come home with Moon in tow.

You were having one of those nights now. It was a Sunday. Tomorrow you’d resume your job search. The stash Fazbear had given as hush money was more than enough, but you still needed a steady income. But for now, it was you and Moon, and the just risen rock that he was named after shining in the sky.

Moon’s steps are long and graceful. You, on the other hand, are trailing behind slightly, watching as his head swivels from side to side. He spends your walks together coolly inspecting the surroundings. When Sun goes out, most of the way home is spent in silence, unless Moon decides he’s in a feral mood and wants to chase you.

You’re less than fifteen minutes away from home, at the point in your journey where you cut through a park to avoid construction on the sidewalk. Moon’s hypothetical ears perk up when he hears laughter coming from a swingset, eyes trailing over to where a group of young kids are playing together while their parents sit nearby.

He slows, falling back to where you are, and you give him a funny look that he avoids. “What’s wrong?” Despite his clear anxiety, his optics remain fixed on the group. “Moon?”

“Let’s take the longer way,” he stutters out, clasping your hand and backpedaling to the park gate. “Sun wants to see if the bluebird eggs have hatched.”

“Whoa, whoa, what?” You dig your heels in the grass, which realistically would not stop Moon at all (his freakish strength and everything), but seems to work enough to get him to stop. “Those eggs hatched a week ago, remember? Sun cried because one of the hatchlings almost fell out.”

“There’s another nest,” Moon says determinedly. He still hasn’t looked away from the kids.

“No there isn’t. Sun’s on that birdwatching Facebook page! He would have told me if there was a new nest.”

“Just popped up.” Moon tugs your arm. “Come on.”

You follow his gaze, to where the kids have stopped their swinging and are looking at him with wide eyes. One of them seems to have recognised him, a boy with a white eyepatch on his right eye, and waves excitedly. Moon waves back half heartedly.

“Nest,” he repeats.

“Are you scared of them?”

His red pupils find you, piercing your soul. “Scared?”

You couldn’t believe you hadn’t realised it earlier, honestly. This was the first time Moon had been near a group of children since the daycare. Sun had, of course, when you went to the grocer’s or out for early walks, but by the time Moon came out most kids were snuggled in bed.

The problem was you didn’t know how to approach this without him biting your head off. “Not scared,” you amend hastily, acutely aware of the way Moon’s smile has tightened. “Just… overly cautious.”

“Our whole job is with kids,” Moon spits, and you totally don’t note the use of ‘is’ rather than ‘was’.

“I know… but it’s the first time you’ve seen them since… um…”

Moon’s face tilts, and his eyes narrow, meaning he’s either about to chase you until you can’t breathe or Sun is trying to calm him down. “Not scared,” he says eventually.

“Okay. But is there… apprehension?”

More words from Sun. Moon pauses.

“…don’t want to hurt them.”

Okay! This was progress! Moon was being more vulnerable with you. If you weren’t currently standing in front of him, you’d be pumping your fist in the air in excitement. You compose yourself and pretend you’re not totally surprised he didn’t just pick you up and walk the longer path anyway. “Why would you hurt them? We wiped the glitch.”

Moon’s hands tremble, and his bells rattle as they shake. “Could be in a file.”

This had clearly been affecting him more than you knew. You wonder if Sun feels the same. You’d ask him tomorrow, when he was cornered and had to be honest or get hit with a pillow. “Leo checked your files.”

Moon finally looks away from the kids, staring in the direct opposite direction. “Humans make errors. Too many errors.”

“Well… yeah, we do,” you relent, slipping your hand into one of his to still his shaking. “I can’t promise what he did will be 100 percent perfect.”

A quick glance at Moon’s face tells you Sun is definitely staring at you in horror through their headspace. You’d deal with him later.

You jump back quickly before they can start an argument. “But I trust him, and I know you do too. I mean, hey, he’s one of the only people Sun allows to open you guys up.”

Moon’s listening, mostly because he doesn’t have a choice. But he’s not running away, so you count that as a win.

“Moon.” You squeeze his hand. “Before we even got rid of the virus, we had pretty much worked through all the triggers and reactions it caused. You trust me, right? I trust you and Sun with my life.”

“…your judgement isn’t worth much.”

“Okay, rude.” You’d elbow him if it wouldn’t just result in you getting a bruise. “Sun thinks my judgement is impeccable.”

“No, he does not.”

“He’s also rude!” You say, jabbing a hand at Moon’s chest. He chuckles quietly, so, hell yes, this was working. You adopt a softer tone. “Moon, buddy. I wouldn’t tell you to go over if I thought you would hurt them.”

Moon looks at you in a pained way, which you realise is because you’re doing exactly what he used to do when a kid was scared at the daycare.

“If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” You gently tug him back in the direction of the playground. “Please?”

You can tell just by looking at him that both of them absolutely do not want to go near the swings at any cost. Moon seems ready to bolt, like a scared cat that is waiting for the right moment to zoom away.

“You can do it.”

He looks down at you and his fingers lock up, almost crushing your fingers. His feet are still firmly planted on the floor. There is not intention of moving.

“Is Freddy scared when he goes on stage?”

If Moon wasn’t about to short circuit, he would have groaned. “What.”

You repeat yourself. “Is Freddy scared when he goes on stage?”

It’s stupid. It’s so, so stupid, but it’s the only thing you can think of. It’s what they used to say to the kids when they were scared to make new friends, or show their art, or do anything they clammed up just thinking about.

You nudge him.

“…yes.”

“But what does he do?”

“He goes on stage.”

“And why does he do that?”

“Do we look like children.”

“And why does he do that?”

Moon looks very much like he’s not scared anymore, he just wants to kill you. “Because he is brave.”

“Let’s be brave together.” You take a step forward. He’s not gonna follow. You know he’s not going to. This was all just a waste of-

Moon follows you.

You hide your joy and take slow steps past the swings, where the kids have returned to their talk. When they catch sight of Moon again, and how close he suddenly is, the one who recognised him earlier jumps up and comes sprinting over. His parents eye him warily, but calm at the sight of the daycare attendant. His reputation precedes him.

“Mr Moon!” the kid shouts in excitement. “What are you doing here?”

Moon is still trembling. You squeeze his hand yet again, and give him a smile. He straightens up.

They really must have been amazing performers.

“Hello, Hudson,” he coos, bending down to be on his level. “I’m here with my friend. Do you remember them?” You wave at the kid, and he waves back. “Are those your friends?”

“Yeah!” Hudson nods excitedly. “We go to school together.”

“You must be having a lot of fun.”

Hudson nods even more enthusiastically than before. “It’s so much fun! I’m learning how to read.”

“That sounds very hard.” Moon gives him a high five. “Well done, star.”

Hudson looks over to his friends. “I gotta go play, bye!” He runs off without saying anything else. Classic kid.

You don’t say anything as Moon stands back up, nor when you walk out of the park and cross the road. When you reach the bike path, where blackberry bushes are covering the sides, you beam at him.

“I’m proud of you.”

Moon looks away. “We miss the kids.”

You blink. “You do?”

Moon nods. “We miss all of them.” he stares at the path ahead of you. “That doesn’t go away.”

Maybe once upon a time, you would have been skeptical if that was him speaking, or if his coding was mandating the response. However now, you knew his words were all his. Fazbear couldn’t control them anymore.

“Maybe we should go past the park more,” you suggest. “Say hi.”

Moon chuckles lowly. “Sun says you sound like a creep.”

You smack his faceplate. “Shut it, Sunburn!”

Moon laughs and dodges your second attack, and despite your best attempts, evades you the whole way home. Later, when you’re getting ready for bed, he pulls his hat over your eyes and cackles as you stumble after him, trying to chuck it at his head.

[pompadourpink]

hi mom! i'm starting uni in september, i'm moving to a new city so i need to start shopping and all, but also my parents didnt really give me advice and im the eldest so im kinda lost, do you have any advice?? XX

Hello darling,

The ABC:

Uni is scary: freedom goes from 8 to 90 in two months, and it is intoxicating. Making up for lost chances can lead to bad choices (spending, dating, partying).

Parent yourself if needed: autonomy is essential. Learn to cook, budget, clean, be clean, save, be a good citizen, make scary phone calls, keep yourself safe, and prioritise.

No one will force you to get up and study, or hire a 21-year-old dropout you instead of a fiery 18-year-old. Effort will not betray you (being an ageing lazy gifted child will).

Have shared hobbies, from movie Sundays with a friend to knitting with your sister. A social life is a happy life.

Trust your body, it knows. Stomach cramps mean we hate him, daydreaming means try, yawning means bed (not coffee).

The home:

Make a cleaning schedule, be open-minded and reasonable, do not do/say anything the landlord wouldn't like (I fully recommend having roommates once for exposure therapy).

Bribe a nice neighbour with food. Having that phone number will one day mean not sleeping outside or getting a package stolen.

Document problems right away (photos, timestamps, screenshots, testimonies), as you may need to take action later. No emotions, you're just "worried about everyone's wellbeing".

Mould, vermin and leaks are enemies. Act yesterday.

Avoid big purchases. You don't know the future (location, size, taste). Go secondhand, natural (wood/glass), neutral, practical.

Avoid silly purchases: streaming, takeout, drinks, fast-fashion; you will not regret having a downpayment saved in ten years.

If you need to do emergency laundry, put a bin/bucket in the shower, add water and detergent (+ soda crystal for stains or whitening), mix, wait, rinse well, hang it.

The shopping:

My grandmother has kept her house clean with a squeegee broom wrapped in a floorcloth and Marseille soap since the 60s. When something doesn't work, look back.

Must-haves: cleaning (#1, cloths, soda, Castile soap, steel wool), hygiene (scraper, net, shower head filtre, first aid), night (good pillow, plugs, mask) supplies, freezer if possible, water filtre, reusable period protection, winter clothes, long chargers, sunscreen, friend living at home who will lend you tools.

Must-not-haves: trends, collections (even books), a pet - don't let Felix keep you back, sleep over and study in Paris!

Have an emergency kit (+ whatever you need) + a smaller version in the car/at the office (with cash).

Fresh fruit, starches, frozen vegetables, cans of legumes, fresh, canned and frozen protein, a treat, something fun once in a while to experiment + a bimonthly outing.

Formal outfits. Large black dress pants, white shirt, dark grey thin jumper, pencil skirt, blazer, large coat, trench coat, loafers, tall boots. Not tight or slouchy, comfy, plain, natural fabrics.

Craigslist, Facebook marketplace, thrift stores. Make a Pinterest 'perfect home' board instead of letting yourself be fed by social media and stores.

The social life:

Make one or two real friends and cherish them forever. Support each other, travel, buy a house together, idk.

Don't be afraid to exist alone - you shouldn't fear what your head has to say.

Take advantage of what's free.

Don't miss out on huge opportunities for people. Some are around out of necessity and will ghost you after graduation.

Do not try to impress, especially those you don't like and who don't like you. Do not do or say anything cops wouldn't like. Be a homebody who doesn't drink if that's what you want.

Do not try to educate those who will not learn.

Do not befriend someone who fully lacks confidence. Those relationships will be one-sided and exhausting.

Befriend older ladies. They will see through the lies of men, classmates, and employers trying to fool you.

The love life:

The thirty-two-year-old man doesn't find you mature; he sees a willing blank canvas. Do not.

If a date mocks you and you get mad, either that is who he is, or he hates you. Your job is not to pretend you don't care so he can have a girlfriend.

Ask yourself if you would tell your friend, mother, or Taylor Swift that they should lower their standards. If not, take a break from dating and think about why you think you don't deserve respect.

Don't forgive what you don't want to tolerate.

No nudes. Never nudes.

Don't try to force a relationship with someone who has made it clear that he is not interested. You will be played like a fiddle until he meets someone he wants.

Don't try communicating with someone who is messing with you on purpose. No one ignores you for three days or breaks your favourite necklace after an argument by accident. Also, your husband would never.

The daily life:

Keep an official e-mail address (firstname.lastname) + a casual one (f.lastna), a solid password (Lanadelrey1984#) changed yearly, and a list of usernames/accounts and auto-generated passwords.

If you don't trust your parents, block them from your account or open a new one when you turn 18 before they rob you.

Save a year's worth of expenses, don't purchase what you couldn't buy twice now, don't replace what still works, thrift/swap, and think for a week before spending.

Get folders for your paperwork + scan them onto an encrypted Drive (not iCloud): diplomas, flat, car, work, taxes, health, etc.

Print pictures and make albums before the app disappears.

Prioritise health. Exercise (cardio/strength, ex: runs/weighted Pilates), walk, drink more, sleep, eat fibre, take vitamin D, mind your eyes/ears/skin/teeth, stretch, and leave if needed.

Only invest energy, money, or time into what is worth it. FaceTime before the date, get secondhand leather boots instead of replacing plastic biyearly, drop the book after 100 bad pages.

Refuse advice from people whose lives you wouldn't want, who happily overwork for a mediocre wage and don't know who their children are. These handcuffs are homemade.

The job:

People will not forget how you made them feel, and the world is small. Colleagues, clients, and bosses will gossip: make sure it is for a good reason. Dress and look clean, stand straight, be on time, and never gossip, even when you are wronged.

Understand the power of sobriety. Be known for your projects and LinkedIn CV, not your bright skirts and temper.

Protect Future You to secure the next step. No friends, no enemies. Smile, stay neutral and calm, listen, move on, make your IG private, Google your name.

Lie. You don't avoid them, you eat lunch with your nana (hi Paula, no, I forgot she's at the hairdresser's); weren't unemployed, your father was ill; cannot go out, you have a birthday party.

Act boring with jealous old women and obnoxious men: take the fake compliment for a real one, don't understand the innuendo, have too much work to chat. Bullies get bored.

Instead of clapping back (see #3), be Cinderella, who overlooks insults and asks Ethel if she is alright, maybe she needs to talk?

Sites to look up: Proton (mail, VPN, drive), Notion.

Love,

Mum

(PS - apologies if the she/he thing doesn't match you, this is a flexible plan for all of my children)

[demigodofhoolemere]

I’ve been seeing this float around on Facebook lately and it’s bugging the crud out of me:

What is with everyone’s obsession with insisting it’s bad to need to be rescued? For as long as the human race has been on the planet, people have had problems that they needed other people’s help to resolve. Needing help is not a failing nor should it be the takeaway from these princesses’ stories as if it’s a bad thing that makes them weak. Yes, they do need help. Your point?

Snow White and Aurora were both under a curse that rendered each of them effectively dead. Were they supposed to magically wake themselves up? I’d want to be rescued if I were them. Plus, breaking it down to “she needed a prince” belittles the efforts of the Seven Dwarfs and the Three Good Fairies, who did most of the legwork in the resolution of their respective movie plots out of deep platonic love for the girls under their care. Then there’s Cinderella, who lived in an abusive household. It’s not a weakness that she wasn’t able to get out of that situation on her own, and once again, giving all the credit to the prince (and credit where credit is due, he did search far and wide for her and was able to take her away from that life in the end) detracts from the aid provided by the Fairy Godmother who enabled her to get out in the first place. All of these ladies had more helpers than just their princes, and it is because of the combined love and efforts of all of these people that our heroines were able to have their happy endings. There are plenty of great stories where the heroine is able to fight for herself, but these particular stories aren’t about that because these ladies are each in terrible circumstances where they simply don’t have the ability to do so. They do what they can, but in the end they can’t save themselves alone and there’s nothing wrong with that. These are beautiful stories about having people in your life that value you enough to fight for you when you can’t fight for yourself. Wouldn’t we all want someone to come to our rescue when there’s nothing we can do about our situation? Is it not a good and comforting moral to show that there are people in your corner who will show up for you no matter what the circumstances?

The other thing that’s bugging me about this:

Leia has to be rescued. By a man, and at that, one who could technically be seen as a prince. No one bats an eye at this, because it’s understood that she’s being held prisoner on the Death Star and couldn’t possibly be expected to get out of that on her own. It’s not seen as a weakness that someone had to come for her and take her away from there. Leia is awesome and is rightfully acknowledged as a great heroine, but she also needs help sometimes, because everybody does.

So WHY do people get so hung up on these princesses who also shouldn’t be expected to get out of their own prison cells of eternal sleep or abusive family by themselves? Why the strong negative reaction to girls needing outside help in such serious scenarios? For all that people say these stories teach girls to sit and wait for a man to save them, the stories themselves absolutely never try to say that, and frankly, with the opposite trend in recent years of fictional women who have to do everything on their own and can’t be shown to need help because they have to be the Strong Female Character, I’d be far more concerned about the impact that would have on girls. Far better to say you might need help at some point in your life than to instill the idea that you’re not a strong girl or not good enough if you can’t do everything by yourself.

Anyway. Justice for the classic Disney princesses.

[sgiandubh]

Sasnak City - a different view

I will never encourage you enough to read the whole comments' thread of a post you liked. Otherwise, it's blink and you'll miss it, as I almost missed the only feedback of the Sasnak City event we have on this side of the spectrum: @rosfrank's. She graciously agreed to let me repost them and I truly thank her for the kindness.

Her comments were made under two different posts, so I collated them and vetted their content as much as I could, given the unprecedented context of the SAG-AFTRA strike and the scarcity of details. I did not watch the recap on Instagram, because I am not a fan of the format.

I had no idea Sasnak City was a consistent partner of the Camp Encourage for autistic children project. At least since 2020, as a very superficial Google search shows:

...in 2020, with RR...

... in 2022....

What is Camp Encourage?

This:

Do you have any idea of what it is to be the mother of an autistic child? I don't have this honor. I have never been through the stress and the pain of looking for the right solution, for the good therapist. I never had to swallow my impotent tears and fight with the angel, fruitlessly asking myself why did it happen to me.

I can assure you that career, money and the white picket fence house which mortgage you just paid off do not matter. Not when you wait dejected, with your well-garnished checkbook and no hope in sight, until the good doctor will finally see you. Not when your child is a desperately inaccessible fortress. Not when you tell yourself you just can't take it anymore and yet miraculously find out that yes, you eventually can, over and over and over again.

Before judging, you might want to take a moment.

Side note: the man who supposedly is not good with kids interacted with the organizer's autistic son. On stage (try and take an autistic person out of their comfort zone, anyone?). Oh. What an inconvenient truth, again.

Different figures circulate. I think this is pretty close to reality and also to the 'small and personal fan convention format'. Not sure it made anybody rich overnight, after you deduce all the costs - part of proceeds went to the above charity, anyways. Zealots would like more transparency, perhaps. With which moral authority?

Second bone of contention and a particularly unsavory one, at that, the disrespect of the SAG-AFTRA's strike rules:

What was I telling you, the other day?

As for the limbo, I cannot believe no one bothered to look around a bit for confirmation. On Facebook, for example:

They did their due diligence homework. This announcement was posted on July 14, 2023, with a solidarity with the strike hashtag to boot. Propaganda? Hypocrisy? Oh, give me a break. It is legally impeccable.

There you go. No mention of the show anywhere - check. Screened questions - check. Only the SS paraphernalia (pics, etc) supplied - check. Books still ok for autographs (at S's discretion to go ahead or not, which means SAG-AFTRA is ok with, by the way) - check. Make lemonade when life gives you lemons and 'be creative' - check.

Where is the problem? Why certain sleuthing skills suddenly vanish when it's about formulating a balanced, reasonable POV?

Let me guess. It's all about the "go away, ugly socks, your story sucks" syndrome. Oh.

You'd wish, duckies. You'd wish.

I am not these people's lawyer. Playing Atticus Finch completely ceased to interest me sometime around 1998 AD. I even doubt we can stand each other IRL, for reasons. But I am not discussing people, here. I am discussing and debunking a homespun web of self-righteous lies.

Thank you, @rosfrank. Your gesture was generous and very, very brave.

[automatismoateo]

The Christian Right Has Handed the US to our Enemies via /r/atheism

The Christian Right Has Handed the US to our Enemies Major cuts to: USAID (US soft power). The CDC and FDA (our health and safety). Vaccine cuts. Our military leadership and budget (national security). Installing pro-Russia pro-Fascism lackeys to run intelligence (national security), the military (national security), health (health and safety), and represent us abroad. Aligning with Russia against the world. (National security & soft power). Tariffs aimed at allies, and breaking treaties with allies (economic security, national security, soft power). Massive deregulation of industry and tax cuts favoring the wealthy (health and safety, economic security). All of this is coming to pass because religious freaks who hate trans children, gay marriage, and free women, united behind a rapist to get what they want no matter the cost. Now to the important part. What can we do? Make it personal. Stop letting these people run their mouth without opposition. Everywhere. At thanksgiving. Facebook groups. In the office. You encounter it? You oppose it. Make it clear they are immoral. They don't get to pretend to be holy when they are nazis. Activate politically, effectively. No online signatures. Use social media to connect and rally. But effectiveness comes from direct (phone or in person) contact with elected officials. It comes from showing up in person to town halls. From protests that shut down traffic and the economy. From strikes. Demand strong and consistent action against this threat to our existence. Run for local office. Force the religious to choose. Either their religion is evil and they are all hell bound, or they can embrace what few shreds of decency it promotes and stand up against Republicans, publicly, in the pews. There is no middle ground. Stay strong. Do what you need to, to take care of yourself. Stay informed. As best as you can, don't look away. Stay active, not passive. Look for more ways to have a real life effect. Give up on any distraction that won't solve the problem. Taxing churches is nice, but it won't stop them from preaching hatred and control. The content is the issue. As long as religious leaders embrace fascism and sell it to their parishioners, our country will never be free of their threat. In the US the religious is political. Let's face that reality and fight. Submitted February 27, 2025 at 03:45PM by baronvoncommentz (From Reddit https://ift.tt/7W6FEom)

[rebecca2407]

The Harm of Thoughtless Facebook Posts: Why I’m Considering Blocking Family and Friends

Social media has become a space where people feel entitled to share whatever they want—about themselves, about the world, and unfortunately, about others. It’s easy to think that posting on someone’s Facebook wall, tagging them in a status, or commenting on their personal matters is harmless. After all, social media is a public space, right? But what people fail to realize is that these seemingly innocent posts can be more harmful than they appear.

Recently, I’ve been experiencing this firsthand. People—family, friends, those who claim to care—feel perfectly fine posting about my personal life, sharing their opinions, and making assumptions. They don’t ask if it’s okay. They don’t consider how I might feel about it. They just do it. And now, I’m left questioning whether I even want these people in my online space anymore.

The Problem with Posting About Others Without Consent

Many people don’t stop to think before they hit “post.” They assume that because something involves someone they know, they have the right to share it. But what they fail to consider is how that post might affect the person it’s about.

• Loss of Control Over Personal Information – When someone posts about me without my consent, they take away my ability to control what is shared about my life. Maybe I didn’t want people to know about a particular situation. Maybe I wasn’t ready to talk about it. But once it’s out there, I can’t take it back.

• Unwanted Attention and Judgment – Social media invites opinions. A post that might seem innocent to the person sharing it could lead to unwanted comments, unsolicited advice, or even criticism. Suddenly, my personal business becomes a topic for public discussion.

• Emotional Impact – Sometimes, people post things that are outright hurtful. Maybe they don’t mean to cause harm, but their words can still sting. A careless comment, a passive-aggressive remark, or an assumption disguised as concern can cut deeper than they realize.

When “Family” and “Friends” Cross the Line

What makes this worse is that it’s often the people closest to us who are the most oblivious. Family members think they have an automatic right to share details about my life simply because we’re related. Friends assume that because we’ve known each other for years, they can speak on my behalf. But what they don’t seem to understand is that relationships—whether by blood or friendship—don’t override respect for personal boundaries.

I used to think I had a solid support system, but this experience has made me rethink that. If someone truly cared about me, wouldn’t they respect my privacy? Wouldn’t they ask before posting something about me? The fact that they feel entitled to share my life online without my permission makes me question whether they actually care—or if they just want attention for themselves.

The Need for Boundaries—And Possibly the Block Button

At this point, I feel like my only option is to set strict boundaries. Maybe that means having uncomfortable conversations. Maybe it means removing certain people from my online spaces. Or maybe it’s time to start hitting that block button.

Blocking family and friends might sound extreme, but if they continue to disrespect my wishes, what other choice do I have? Social media is supposed to be a place where I connect with people on my terms—not a space where I feel exposed, disrespected, or hurt.

I never thought I’d reach the point where I’d want to cut off people who are supposed to be close to me, but their actions have made it clear: If they don’t respect my privacy, they don’t deserve access to my life.

Final Thoughts

People need to start thinking before they post. Just because you can share something doesn’t mean you should. Before posting about someone else, ask yourself:

• Did they give me permission to share this?

• How would I feel if someone posted this about me?

• Am I considering their feelings, or just doing what I want?

Respecting boundaries isn’t difficult. It just requires a little thought and consideration—something too many people seem to lack.

For now, I’m taking control of my online space. If that means removing people who can’t respect me, so be it. My peace, my privacy, and my well-being are more important than someone else’s need to post.

[newspropaganda]

Yu-Gi-Oh! Zexal Fans are Fake as Hollywood Elites

Why even bother calling yourself a Yu-Gi-Oh! fan when all you do is shill Zexal nonstop, acting like it's the pinnacle of the franchise while giving 5D's zero respect? You're not a fan; you're just blindly hyping up the weakest series and ignoring the one that truly set the standard.

It's painfully obvious that this obsession with LGBTQ issues has clouded your judgment, and it's honestly laughable. I have zero respect for your so-called "rights" or your garbage opinions. I can't stand the way you Zexal fans set yourselves up as these so-called "ambassadors" of Yu-Gi-Oh! back in 2015, still parading around like a bunch of spineless hypocrites who hide behind fake logic while ignoring your own glaring problems.

Your precious Zexal is as outdated as the media that pushed it, and you can't even show a shred of respect for the original Yu-Gi-Oh! series like 5D's while clinging to DM and GX just because they’re not as “edgy” or “serious.” Face it—you're supporting shallow, surface-level shows and ignoring the ones that actually matter.

It’s like your whole mission in this community is to prop up Zexal like it’s the only Yu-Gi-Oh! entry that matters. I’ve seen more respect in fandoms on Facebook than in this echo chamber on Tumblr, where it’s nothing but Zexal this and Zexal that, and it’s getting old.

Take that YouTuber Yu-Gi-Oh! Everything—he refuses to criticize Zexal even once because he's terrified of upsetting cancel culture, SJWs, or social justice gatekeepers, as if their approval is the only thing keeping him relevant. It’s pathetic! Now he’s got his brain rotted, hyping up every Yu-Gi-Oh! series from the Bridge era like he’s some kind of guru. It’s not just exhausting; it’s a complete joke.

You Zexal fans are as fake as the Hollywood elites who blame everything on Trump or push their woke, gender nonsense. 5D's doesn’t have the strong fandom it deserves because you Zexal pigs shoved away real fans with your double standards and complete ignorance of what’s right and wrong. Ever since 2013, all you’ve done is hype Zexal for its flashy animation, refusing to even acknowledge episodes like 5D’s ep 69, which has more impact and meaning than your entire so-called "favorite" show.

One good episode? Zexal couldn’t even manage that without shoving its propaganda and pandering 24/7. I mean, if I wanted to see gay ships, I’d just go watch Yuri on Ice. At least then I’d skip Zexal and save myself the suffering of sitting through this mess for the thousandth time.

Zexal fans are so completely blinded by their own hype, it’s almost laughable. Even Reddit is a prime example of just how dense and clueless they are. I’m seeing people over there trash-talking me nonstop, trying to label me “controversial” just because I speak the truth about Zexal every day. They can’t even confront me directly or send threats because they know I'd win this argument, hate mail and all.

I don’t care enough about Reddit to get invested in Zexal's pathetic excuse for a fandom. But let’s be real—over there, Zexal is treated like it’s the second coming of Jesus or some other nonsense. It’s just another disaster these fanboys obsess over, too blind to see it for what it really is.

Anyway, wish there was button that said ''get rid of this community'' that might save 13 years of this problem.

[agentcable]

Chicago Fire Season 6 Ep. 9 "Foul is Fair"

Dawson asks Severide for help after hearing bad news. Casey and Dawson have trouble communicating, and Brett and Kidd compete for Zach's affections. Meanwhile, Otis, Herrmann, and Mouch are looking for the source of a bad smell at Firehouse 51.

If you want to watch the series for yourself, stop reading! This post contains spoilers to the storyline.

Captain Matt Casey wakes up at 2 am to an empty bed. Gabby Dawson is on the computer, but Bria hasn't posted in days. He tells her to get some sleep, but Gabby says the social worker said Bria didn't have any relatives. There was an Aunt Melinda on her FB. Gabby wants Stella to cover for her tomorrow, so she can keep working. Matt isn't happy but agrees and goes back to bed.

Herrmann is surprised to see Stella working EMS instead of the truck. He says Gabby gets to passionate about her job. Sylvie arrives at the firehouse and asks Otis and Joe if they smell something. Mouch says women have more scent receptors than men. Otis blames the smell of Capp's gym bag. The alarm rings and all crews leave for a call.

Truck 81 and Squad 3 arrive at a building where a woman's foot is caught in a door. A man is caught in the doors and is pushing on the door, telling them to hurry up. Matt tells him if he pushes the door again, they will leave him in there. Severide carries her to the gurney, and the man demands to be let out. Matt turns to him and says they'll let him out once they sweep up the glass. THe man shouts at Matt and hits the wood to close to the doors. He walks away.

A homeless kid calls Severide over. He says he knows Bria and went to school with her. He tells them where she is, saying he didn't tell them last night because they looked like cops. Kelly gives him money, and he leaves. Matt sees and asks why he went to Skid Row with Gabby. Severide thinks Gabby didn't tell him because he's worried she'll get too close to victims.

Back at the firehouse, the men smell something awful. Otis thinks it's another shift trying to mess with them. Matt orders them to search their stuff until they find what's making the smell. Gabby calls Severide to tell him she's looking for Melinda on Bria's Facebook. He says Matt is worried about her and she promises to catch up.

Severide runs into Matt in the hallway and says Gabby went to Juliet to check out an aunt she found on Bria's Facebook. Severide said he isn't getting involved, just trying to find this girl. He asks if he can take the Squad to the store where the girl hangs out. As Severide approaches a group of kids, they scatter. One stops when he says it's about a girl named Bria. He finds a phone on the ground and takes it with him as he returns to the truck. The girl returns and says it's hers. She says Bria went to see her dad, who is in rehab, and never came back. She asks if he'll tell her they're worried about her.

Otis, Herrmann, and Mouch take the beds out of the room to find the source of the smell. Otis says it is black mold. Matt asks Chief Boden if he can use his office to finish his paperwork. Boden says he can use the blue office since he is now Captain, but the alarm goes off and the crews are called out.

Stella and Severide are enjoying working together, sharing tips. A girl answers the door and says her mom is in the basement. They think it's carbon monoxide and say to hold their breath and get her out in 20 seconds. While down there, Stella notices chlorine and ammonia in a bucket with steam coming out of it. They rush back upstairs. Stella seals the basement door and calls Haz-Mat. Sylvie helps the mother. Stella tells the mother she can't mix chlorine and ammonia because it creates a toxic gas. She didn't know because she was just trying to clean the floor. Zach from Haz-Mat team says it will be fine in a couple of hours. Stella and Sylvie stare at him, thinking he is gorgeous.

Mouch thinks the smell is from a plumbing problem in the firehouse. He asks for the toolbox from Truck 81. Matt sees Gabby's boxes on the table and stops to look at a photo of him, Gabby, and Louie.

Severide and Cruz arrive at the rehab clinic. Cruz knows the receptionist and asks to see a patient. She gives him the paperwork and access. He is taken to Mr. Jamison's room. He says he's Gabby's co-worker and asks about Bria, who is missing. He gets upset and asks Warren if Bria came to see him. Severide says Bria didn't hate him and did come to visit. Bria wrote "I love you, Dad" on his window. "Bria," Severide says. "Get out and we'll make sure she's there when you come back."

Gabby finds Melinda's address and knocks. She looks through the windows but no one answers. When she leaves, someone opens the door and asks if she's Melinda Tripp. The woman says Bria is better off alone on the streets. She won't end up like her mother. Gabby sees that Melinda is a drug addict. She learned that Bria's mother killed herself. Gabby says Bria is alone and scared.

Gabby talks to Severide. She found Bria's aunt and understands why she wasn't listed as a guardian. She says Bria's sister killed herself because of Bria's dad. But he says Bria was there and loves her dad. He tells her to drive safely.

Mouch says you have your main line and then your water line. One goes to the sinks and one goes to the toilets. Herrmann tells him to make sure he has the right ones. Mouch says he has and they are ready. He replaced the seals and flushed the pipes. Herrmann looks at the floor, wondering what the extra pieces are for. Mouch shrugs. They go back to the bunk room and ask Otis if the smell is gone. He has a cotton ball in his nose and says he doesn't know. Stella and Sylvie said it still smells. Boden walks in and asks why there are greasy gaskets in his hallways. Herrmann says Mouch wanted to flush out the sewer line. Boden wants to know who told HQ about the mold at Firehouse 51. Sylvie and Stella ask Zach from Haz-Mat to check the smell. He agrees.

Sylvie calls him and he agrees to come over. As soon as she hangs up, Stella says she's asking him out. Sylvie says she was going to ask him. Stella says she calls dibs! They disagree on who he was on the call with. Both say they need this. Stella says Severide has put her in the friend zone. Sylvie says she broke up with Antonio Dawson again. They challenge each other.

Matt listens to Gabby's message, apologizing for being distant. He goes to Boden and says he needs to talk. He says he wants to stay in his old quarters because he's been distant and wants to stay close to his men. Boden says he's a little jealous because he misses being bothered. Matt jokes about sending Mouch to sleep on the couch if he misses it.

Zach arrives and Sylvie and Stella greet him. Herrmann says there's a mystery odor, but it's not from Otis. Zach brings out a toy used to identify bodies in rubble. As he approaches Otis, the detector sounds louder. He finds the smell is inside the divider and chisels into it, where he pulls out a blue collar with a bell on it. Herrmann says they found the smell. Zach carries the bag and says he'll throw it away on his way out. Herrmann says he may have to come back and dispose of two more bodies. Cruz says Mr. Sprinkles got away. They didn't want to break his son's heart. Matt calls Truck 81 for a meeting. Sylvie talks to Zach about Stella. She says she is fantastic. He gives him her number.

Matt tells the crew to cover the wall until it's fixed. He wants the closet in the hall cleaned up. Matt sits in his office, enjoying the noise of his crew.

At Molly's, Otis says Lily did a great job honoring their wall of fame. It's a picture of Mr. Sprinkles. Herrmann doesn't find it funny. He says the animal died because of them. He calls them "nitwits". Otis says he sacrificed himself for the greater good. The call for the HQ approved new mattresses for all bunks. Herrmann puts a pitcher on the counter and says they have to put $200 in for the Chicago Humane Society if they want to drink at Molly's again.

Stella says Zach called. They're going on a date tomorrow. Sylvie says that's great because he sounds great. Stella is mad. She thinks Sylvie felt sorry for her and told Zach to ask her out. Sylvie says Zach asked for her number and she said she was fantastic. They hug, and Stella says she was the best.

Gabby tells Severide about talking to Antonio about Bria's aunt. Bria was 6 when her mom shot herself, and her aunt is mentally ill. Gabby's phone rings as Matt sits there. Gabby gets a call and asks them to describe her. She hangs up and tells Matt it was the morgue. A teenage girl, a Jane Doe, just arrived. She had Gabby's card in her purse. Severide gets up to take her, but Matt says he will.

[tiaraahotel1]

Things To Explore During the Kainchi Dham Tour

Introduction

Neem Karoli Dham needs no introduction, yet we are trying to give you some glimpses of neem karoli through this blog, as we take you on Kainchi Dham Tour through our writing, and just imagine what it would be like to be in Nainital in the lap of Nature with the almighty Hanuman ji and his biggest devotee of all time Lakshmi Narayan Sharma Also known as Neem Karoli baba.

This Dham was built on 15 June 1964, This Dham is Located in Nainital, Uttarakhand. There are several modes of transport to reach here, If you want to visit by your vehicle then it is also not a problem, as it is linked to the main road, The nearest Railway station is Kathgodam Railway station which is about 43 Kilometers away from the Kainchi Dham Ashram, The nearest airport from the Dham is Pantanagar Airport which is around 75 Kilometers away.

Nainital Kainchi Dham is believed to have the divine power of healing and fulfilling wishes. Today Business tycoons like Mark Zuckerberg, Steve Jobs and the greatest celebrities and cricketers are living examples of the miracles of Neem Karoli Baba, and Kainchi Dham Uttarakhand. When Facebook was not doing great and there was a time when Marck Zuckerberg was thinking about selling Facebook, He turned to his mentor Steve Jobs as he respected him a lot and always looked to Steve Jobs as his mentor, Steve Jobs suggested Mark Zuckerberg visit Neem Karoli Dham in India and that advice changed mark Zuckerberg’s career.

To Explore yourself

You are not reading this blog to search for something outside or to read stories about Baba, as more stories can be told even 100 blogs would not be sufficient to complete them, You are reading this blog cause at first you want to explore yourself then you will have thousands of options left after this, Neem Karoli Baba Ashram Kainchi Dham is not just a place to worship, it is the place where you find yourself, where you unleash your full capacity,  This place has its speciality that whatever you seek for you, you get that if that is correct for you. This Ashram has a meditation hall and accommodation for visitors.

What to explore on the premises?

This Dham consists of many buildings, like a Kitchen where meals are prepared and served to everyone who visits the temple, Kainchi Dham Ashram has a meditation hall and accommodation for the visitors, For those seeking a blend of comfort and spirituality, homestays and resorts near Kainchi Dham offer a perfect retreat. These accommodations provide modern amenities while retaining the charm and tranquillity of the surrounding landscape. Whether nestled amidst verdant forests or overlooking pristine valleys, these stays offer a refreshing respite from the bustle of city life.

Nearby Attractions and Activities:

Nainital is sufficient to make someone excited to go there, when you add Neem Karoli Dham to that trip you make this trip blessed and secured with the universe’s biggest and most powerful security of Shri Bazrangbali Maharaj, Neem Karoli Baba was the biggest devotee of Hanuman ji, to his pupil he is the incarnation of lord Hanuman. There are many places to visit near Kainchi Dham, Like Naina Devi temple, one of the most powerful Shakteepeeths of Maa Sati.

Next is Ghorakhal Golu Devta Temple, Which is believed to provide justice to its devotees.

Nainital Lake is one of the biggest attractions of Nainital, about which we have been studying since we were kids in our school books and magazines.

If you are a nature and bird lover you must visit Pangot village, this village shows you the snowcapped mountains view the visitors.

If you are looking for adventures you must visit Bhimtal, you can have the water sports of kayaking or you can simply enjoy your boating.

Places to stay near Kainchi Dham:

There are many places to stay in Nainital. You can find many resorts near Kainchi Dham, but we recommend the Tiaraa Hotels and Resorts as they provide the best services and amenities, They provide an indoor pool, indoor gym, games room, dining area, rooftop cafe, open bar, conference hall, Best and luxury rooms and plenty of plans options to select your desired room, This Resort is closer to the Kainchi Dham, staying at Tiaraa Hotels and Resorts only promote your spiritual journey to be more comfortable. Staying in Tiaraa Hotels and Resorts helps to ease your  Nainital and Bhimtal tours. Staff here are well behaved and well managed you can trust people here with your goods.

Conclusion

You better visit Neem Karoli Dham to reinvent yourself. We all are fighting every day with our luck and we all need comfort, Even a famous Philosopher named Jeremy Bentham says “Happiness, is thus a matter of experiencing pleasure and lack of pain.” You can enjoy the Bimtal travel Packages of Tiaraa Hotels and Resorts during your visit to Neem Karoli Ashram, You can visit multiple places near Kainchi Dham, You can enjoy your Homestays at Kainchi Dham, and enjoy river rafting, boating and other river games. If you want to know the true peace you should visit Kainchi Dham and reach here as every mode of transport is available nearby.

[myresellerhome]

16 low-cost marketing ideas for small businesses

Small businesses must get creative to stand out and do well in a business world where big budgets often determine success. Marketing keeps a business going, but for small businesses on a tight budget, it can be hard to find methods that work without spending a lot of money. Don't worry—we've compiled a list of 16 low-cost marketing ideas that will make a big difference for small businesses that don't want to spend much money.

1. Understand your customers. 

Thinking that "anyone" can buy from you is a big mistake. Even though bigger businesses might be able to reach many people, "the riches are in the niches" for a reason. 

As a small business owner, you can get the most done by picking a niche. To find a niche and attract buyers, you must know their pains, problems, triggers, and top priorities. 

What makes them want to make a purchase? What will it look like if they do? Knowing the answers to these questions can help you write resonating messages and make a strong case for your solution.

2. Get your own online identity by making a website.

One of the best things you can do for your small business is make a website that looks professional. This is where you tell people about yourself, your business, your location, and how they can contact you. 

You will always own this way of selling. You can send traffic there from ads and other marketing efforts, and it can also bring in traffic on its own. 

It's not just a brochure, either. If you know how to turn visitors into leads and leads into buyers, you can make your site sell things 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

3. Write a blog to get people to visit your website. 

Blogging is a great way to get free traffic, especially from people still thinking about buying rather than buying right now. In addition, it can give you respect in your field and make you a thought leader. 

To start a blog, you can create a simple site with a cheap or free website builder. These tools even allow you to download templates to use right away. 

You can add "calls to action" (CTAs) to your posts once you start writing them to get people to subscribe to your blog or get emails from you. 

It will help people find your website online and teach potential customers why they should trust your business, even if you only post once a week. 

If you want to write the posts yourself, you can also read this guide for beginners. 

A blog is a great way to get leads and give possible customers who have yet to be ready to buy a way to learn more about you and your business. It may take some work, but it's worth it.

4. Use social media to market yourself.

Social media is a great way to market your business because billions of potential customers use it daily. It can help you connect with potential customers, spread the word about your business, and sell your goods.

Everyone wants their business to go viral, but you can't just post once and hope for the best. The best marketers stick to a regular content plan for writing and posting. 

That means you can post every day for writing. 83% of social media marketers think it's better to post less often but with better content than with less relevant content daily.

Instead, take the time to create exciting and well-thought-out material. Next, create a regular posting plan with a social media content calendar and ensure your posts go up at the best times. 

5. Make a plan for how you will use social media. 

You can use Facebook and Yelp to find local businesses and read reviews, but Instagram, Pinterest, and Twitter can give you even more chances to share your posts, content, and ads. 

If your goods or services can be bought online, customers can find you more easily on these sites. Also, join only a few sites simultaneously to spread your exposure. This guide to the five types of social media will help you develop better plans. 

It's helpful because it gives an overview of all the different systems and lists the main pros and cons.

6. Spend money on ads. 

Building an accessible business takes time. Pay-to-play strategies that target buyers with a lot of intent can help you reach other goals faster in the short run. That could be why 80% of brands use paid ads. Google Ads are a good choice if the people you want to reach are looking for your product or service online. 

Facebook ads might be a better choice if they aren't. People on social media aren't usually looking to buy, but if you show them enough specifically focused ads, they'll become interested.

7. Use SEO to improve your Google rank. 

Are you or your business among the first things people see when looking for you or your product or service online? If not, you should spend some money on SEO. SEO, which stands for "search engine optimization," increases your site's ranking on search engines like Google. 

Some things that determine if a site is at the top of a SERP are its keywords (and where they are placed on your site), the length and quality of its content, how quickly it loads, how often it posts new content, and more. 

Sites like Google use a complicated algorithm to find the best and most relevant material to show to someone who is searching. 

8. Make a plan for email marketing.

When you start regularly adding content and creating landing pages, you should send them to prospects who are most interested in learning more about your product. In order to do that, you should first make a plan for email marketing.

You should be careful not to send too many emails to people who sign up for your email list, but you should send enough information to keep your prospects interested and informed.

9. Take advantage of free tools for advertising.

When we talk about free marketing tools, it's important to remember that you don't need to add extra gadgets to your budget since you've already set a limited goal and scope.

It's best to use free tools for advertising whenever you can. You should only buy paid tools if they will improve your current tasks or processes.

10. Work with influential people to get people to know about your brand.

One of the useful marketing ideas right now is influencer marketing. Working with people with a large following in your area is a surefire way to get your business noticed by your audience.

Influencers not only know your field, but they can also tell great stories.

That means they'll be able to sell your brand and tell your business's story to the right people, even better than you.

11. Utilize a CRM to keep track of your connections.

When you send personalized, targeted letters, email marketing works best. It would help if you did that with a customer directory or customer relationship management (CRM) system.

Your CRM tracks customer interactions and helps you improve your sales chances by storing information about your leads, prospects, and customers.

12. Make a profile for your business on Google 

If you haven't already, create your free Google Business Profile now. After you sign up for this free account, Google will verify your business and ensure it shows up on Search and Maps when people type in nearby keywords related to your business (more on this below). 

If you fill out and improve this Google Business Profile, your business will appear as high as possible in search results. People who look for your business directly will see a knowledge panel on the right side of the screen. You can also ensure your business shows up high in local listings. This knowledge panel will include important details like your address, phone number, a link to your website, pictures, and real customer reviews.

13. Make infographics and materials based on data

Want more people to see your content? Focus on data-driven pieces and make graphs easy for people to understand when you write content that people want to share. If getting your data takes too much time or money, you can always use data already out there for free, like government figures. You can get people to share your content and thoughts by choosing data that makes people think.

Making content based on data makes it more likely that well-known publications will link back to it because they want to write about your numbers. These links will not only show your content to more people but also show Google that your site is trustworthy, which can help your search engine results. 

14. Put on your workshops and events.

Instead of just going to events, why not host your own? It might cost more to host your business networking event, community event, or industry event, but you can keep costs down by limiting the size of the place.

You could also teach a class or lecture about something you know a lot about. This is a great way to show that you are an expert in your field and meet new people in the same field. You could hold a webinar and promote it on your social media and email marketing programs to keep costs low and make it easier for people to join.

15. Ask for client testimonials.

Testimonials from past customers are a great way to get future customers to trust you. Everyone who owns a business wants happy customers to leave a good review. However, many people need to remember to write their customer feedback. Customers who have already bought from you should feel free to give you reviews. This will help you get more reviews. People can be reminded to leave reviews in your marketing papers or your emails.

16. Do not forget about LinkedIn

LinkedIn isn't just a place to look for jobs, post job openings, and meet with other people. If you know how to use it right, it can be a great way to build company awareness and reputation. 

In addition to writing regularly on other social media sites, you should also post regularly on LinkedIn. Posting thought leadership content here is a great way to show your knowledge of your field. You can write on other posts and make your own for added value. Always act professionally and know what you're talking about. Stay out of heated arguments because they could hurt your image. 

Conclusion

Small businesses wanting more attention and customers can benefit significantly from low-cost marketing strategies. Small businesses can promote their goods or services effectively and cheaply by using the tips in this piece, such as making the most of social media, connecting with other businesses, and writing content people want to read. Business owners must be creative and think outside the box when they need to sell on a budget.

Janet Watson MyResellerHome MyResellerhome.com We offer experienced web hosting services that are customized to your specific requirements.

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[bookstoreadbtr]

Unveiling Creativity: A Journey through the Literary Universe with W.K. Lawrence

W.K. Lawrence, a versatile author with a passion for storytelling that spans across various genres, invites us into the depths of his creative universe in this interview. From poetry to novels, Lawrence's literary journey has been a vibrant exploration of creativity and self-discovery. Join us as we delve into Lawrence's insights on writing, publishing, and the inspirations behind some of his notable works.

1. When did you discover your passion for writing?

My passion for writing started with a passion for story. I always enjoyed reading, and being read to and being told stories as a kid. Then it was TV shows, movies, professional wrestling. I found a story wherever I could. My writing really started with poetry and lyrics in my teens and then evolved into short stories when I was in college. When I was about 24, I started to really take writing seriously. It’s part of who I am now. Even when I was writing a lot of nonfiction academic material, I was always dreaming of getting back to the creative work, and I finally did in 2014 when I started work on The Punk and the Professor.

2. What encouraged you to make the leap of faith to publish your first book?

My first book was a collection of my early poems. I just really wanted to share something with the world. I was young and the writing was raw and blunt. There are a few good ones in there, but most of those old poems are just exercises. My next poetry collection due out later this year is a world away from the poems in that first book. There is a lot of progress in the next one in terms of maturity in both the content and style.  

3. How did you get started with the publishing process?

The process is different with each book. The first book was with an old extinct publisher that did just a few titles of local authors. I have eleven books out now and a twelfth and thirteenth on the way. Take for example, my nonfiction book, The Bell’s Book. That was a book written on accident. In 2019, I woke up with this crazy, rare, but temporary disease called Bell’s palsy. In my learning about the disease, I produced a guidebook to help others. Naturally, you take it right to a press you have connections to. As an indie writer, I like the small press options because you don’t have to compete or wait years to publish the book.

4. What were three things you learned about the publishing process?

Be patient in the process. Take another day to look things over. No matter how many people look at the book before it’s published, it’s going to have problems in the final version you discover later. And nothing is ever perfect. I also appreciate the artistic freedom indie writers have.

5.       What was a mistake you made you have used as a lesson learned?

Give cover art more consideration. But honestly, every new book teaches me something about writing and makes me better at what I do. It’s no lie that learning by doing is the best way. You could go to all the lectures in the world, all the conferences, all the workshops, and they’re not going to do what the action of writing does for you. In fact, all of those things might end up confusing you more, taking up a lot of time, and costing a lot of money. Don’t get me wrong, it’s great to hear what more experienced folks have done. Reflective introverted learners learn a lot just by seeing models and hearing great advice, but you have to do the lifting yourself to really apply those lessons. 

6.       What advice would you give an aspiring author?

If you really love to write, write. Don’t write about writing. Just write. You don’t need a degree, though a program is a great networking tool and a place to really gain some wisdom from experienced authors, and if you’re lucky you’ll meet fellow writers you trust to help critique your writing. But don’t spend too much time worried about what other people think. You have to read too. Read a lot. Reading a lot of different books is what matures our craft. I truly think everyone has a story in them to share with the world. Most won’t ever tell it though. Tap into it and find your story and tell it. 

7.       What inspired the book, “Highway Zero”?

Highway Zero is my fourth written novel, but second published. It’s the sequel to Punk and Professor, and I knew when I was finishing Punk that there would have to be a sequel. I actually knew exactly how it ended, and so the first page written was the last page or two of the novel. The sequel was on hold for a while and delayed due to the distractions of the disease that led to The Bell’s Book, but once it got going the book wrote itself. It was a quick, spontaneous, and adventurous writing that mirrored the story. I’m proud of it. I think it’s a better book than the first.

8.       What is a brief summary/synopsis of “Highway Zero”?

Highway Zero is about a young man who wants to move on from everything he’s ever known, yet he’s haunted by everything and can’t really let go of it. On a quest for love and shelter, the character hits the road, explores America, and finally ends up at a university. But that doesn’t solve his problems. It probably makes everything worse with all the pressures and substances around. He goes through a monumental transformation.

9.       What was the biggest lesson you learned during publishing “Highway Zero”?

Again, tap into it. Get into the groove of writing and let it take you away. I was hypnotized in a trance as I wrote it. Much of it was in the middle of the night. Don’t resist it. Ride the wave. 

10.     What inspired the book, “The Punk and the Professor”?

The first published novel was inspired by my own adolescent troubles. Jack really has a lot of me in him, yet there are differences. I published another book titled 89 Days, which goes into the differences between me and the fictional character, and it also shares a few outtakes cut from the final novel. The book is fiction, but as Camus once said “Fiction is the lie through which we tell the truth.” There’s a lot of real people and real problems in that book. Parents who read it would be horrified that that kind of stuff goes on with teenagers, just children really. It’s a sociological case study.

11.     What is a brief summary/synopsis of “The Punk and the Professor”?

The Punk and the Professor is a school novel that shows a troubled introverted kid faced with a big decision about his future. It’s do or die. He sees a lot of trouble around his neighborhood and in his family but doesn’t know what to do about it. He’s pretty helpless, but he fights on. I’d like to think it’s an inspirational story that pays tribute to the good teachers and alternative schools. 

12.     Are there any book/author events for you in 2023/2024?

Maybe in late spring or summer, but probably not many in person events. That’ll all be explained in the fourth sequel.

13.     Where can your future fans follow you on social media?

https://twitter.com/Wklawrence  on Twitter or whatever it’s called now

14.     Do you have a website?  

15.     If you were on a twenty-four-hour non-stop flight, what three books would you take with you, and why?

That sounds like a rough flight! I’d probably want to be immersed in a completely new book so they’d be mostly books I haven’t read yet. Since that flight’s probably taking me to Australia, I’d pick a nonfiction book about Australia. Maybe I’d reread a Carver collection of stories. The third book would have to be one from one of my indie writer friends. Reading fellow indie writers has given me a fresh outlook on reading. You get fresh ideas and fresh voices. They’re not pushed by some corporation or extensive marketing campaign, and they’re not a brand. I’d much rather support someone’s art rather than make wealthy writers wealthier. David Carter, Sean DeLauder, Ben Shaberman, Matthew McConkey, Dana Vacca, all have great fiction books to check out.

16.     What lesson(s) have you learned in 2023 that you will use in 2024?

After getting really close to my characters using first person narrative in the first two novels, I’ve learned how to write better characters in third person. I got it out of my system and I’m ready to make a big transition to third person in the third one. It sets everything up for where I want to take the fourth book.

17.     If you had the chance to have lunch and conversation with any author dead or alive, who would it be and why?

Dead, it might be Mary and Percy Shelley. Not sure how much fun they’d be, but I’d have a lot in common with them. For an author who is still alive, I’d sit down with someone, but you don’t know their name yet. 

This interview with W.K. Lawrence has provided a fascinating glimpse into the world of a passionate and dedicated writer. From the early beginnings of discovering a love for storytelling to navigating the complexities of the publishing process, Lawrence's journey exemplifies the resilience and creativity required to succeed in the literary world.

Through his candid reflections on lessons learned and inspirations found, Lawrence offers valuable advice for aspiring authors, emphasizing the importance of perseverance, continuous learning, and staying true to one's unique voice. His dedication to the craft of writing shines through in each word, resonating with readers eager to embark on literary adventures that provoke thought and stir the imagination.

As Lawrence continues to enrich the literary landscape with his captivating narratives and compelling characters, we eagerly anticipate the release of his upcoming works and the development of his craft. With a website and social media presence inviting readers to connect and explore further, Lawrence's influence extends beyond the pages of his books, fostering a community of storytelling enthusiasts united by a shared love for the written word.

We extend our heartfelt gratitude to W.K. Lawrence for sharing his insights and experiences with us, inspiring both aspiring writers and seasoned literary enthusiasts alike. May his journey continue to inspire creativity and ignite a passion for storytelling in all who encounter his work.

[deadoldmen]

People are giving you hate cause you're taking the bait, turn the other cheek if you want people to stop bothering you. Be a quiet christian that minds their business.

I don't think you should be getting "kill yourself" messages. That's going a bit extreme in my opinion- but what you have to understand is that this behavior is an immune response. Tumblr wasn't created with Christians in mind and a lot of queer people don't want to have to act appropriate for Christians on this website. The way to get people off the website that would try to police people's behavior is to act even more inappropriate and make them uncomfortable enough to leave. Like saying "kill all men" might drive away good men but will definitely drive out and away bad men. I don't know if you remember when that argument happened but- pretty much we agreed that "Yes it's mean to say that but there's a reason women like to say it as a joke- if you take it seriously, you may be the problem"

"Most people I know who hate Christians have never met one" what planet do you live on? Most people that hate Christians (in the way they do on this website) come from majority christian countries and have both Christian people in their schools and families. (Or even grew up christian)

What ever Christians did a long time ago may not be relevant but what about everything they are doing now? Do you get to pick and choose what denominations are "the good ones and the bad ones"? I'm not saying all christians are evil but there are christians that do bad things not only because they are sinning because they are only human like the rest of us, BUT Christians that do evil because they think it is god's will.

Charity that force compliance, colonialism, racism, Antisemitism, Doomsday planning, homophobia, transphobia, sexism, spousal abuse, child abuse, protection of predictors within the system...

My family is Catholic and I still love them as they are... I used to be religious and I still carry with me both the good and bad of that. But on Tumblr.com when someone says "christians are getting a little too comfortable on here" they mean comfortable being hateful. They should not feel comfortable enough here to express those views, go on Facebook or something.

Christians are getting a little too comfortable on here me thinks