#thank god for emotional support swedes

[elnotwoods]

as expected

[kriss-the-writing-nerd]

11/11/11 tag game

Answer 11 questions, make 11 new questions, tag 11 persons!

I was tagged by @waterfallwritings for this! Thank you, your questions were really interesting and fun to answer! o(^▽^)o

(Sorry if I got a bit lengthy, it was just so nice to do something not university related after exams!)

1. How do you come up with ideas for your WIPs?

The heavy artillery from the get go, eh? *cracks knuckles* Okay, to be honest, I'm not sure. I've never really thought of it, they're just there, clamoring for attention (plot bunnies are my best ally and worst enemy). I definitely have bouts of very intense inspiration and days when I just,, can't. Even if I know where the scene is going, how it's going, and why, the words aren't there. Or they're all wrong. (This is when I default to writing ugly-crying emotional breakdowns or sex. Likely both.)

Working out a story is a game of association laced with concepts and core elements for me. Like this: dragons (core element) + mountains (association) + tribe/clan (concept) + shapeshifting (association/concept) + relocation/settlers (core element). And that's basically my dragon wip.

Eld's story is based on a Doctor Who quote "demons run when a good man goes to war". Ren and Kuro grew up with me; at some point they just started acting on their own - I just throw shit at them and sees what shakes loose at this point. (They have five kids! How???? did that?? happen???)

(I'm a sucker for prompts. My brain can see a single word and just, run of with it hollering in glee.)

2. How do you get past gaps in the plot?

Urrrrgh, I have to get past them??

I struggle, is what I do. Typically I let it sit, soundly on the back-burner in my mind, until I've mulled through my story to the point where the hole is gone. (This takes months, and with my sci-fi wip I ended up rewriting the dang thing completely at the third draft after eight years of working on it. Scrapping it was painful.)

Or I try a different angle. Sometimes it works.

3. What motivates you to keep writing?

I love writing. There's really no more significant reason than that. Writing allows me to express myself, create and explore worlds and characters who wouldn't exist otherwise. And it lets me just exist without any layers. When I've been hurting, writing has helped me get the pain out with no more than tears.

And I love words and languages; the way we have about 10 different words to say "snow" (partly because Swedish mesh several words into one but still) and maybe 2 (3?) for heat. That there are groups of languages with the same ancestors that are so close; how absolutely amazingly different they can be (I just learned "y" is not considered a vowel in English and I'm???? Completely blown. What. What do you mean it's not a vowel. Are you sure???). And languages with different alphabets and ones that use pictures to represent ideas instead of sounds! And sign languages!!

And idioms! It's so cool how idioms can carry words of wisdom, caution and reassurance, and rarely can be translated (classical examples from Swedish "There's no danger on the roof" and "The rain is standing like sticks in the ground") because they lose their connections to the cultures they are used in.

The universes in my head are as full of life as the real world and not nearly as anxiety-inducing. I have stories to tell. And you know that feeling when you’re in the zone and everything is flowing and you’re writing 10′000 words in a go? That.

4. Do you do any other kind of creative writing?

I dabble in poetry? Like, very sporadically and with mixed results. I have a friend into slam poetry who opened my eyes to it, too.

(Would fanfiction go here too?)

5. Do you have any other creative hobbies besides writing?

Urngh, yeah, too many. If I’m not reading, my hands need to be moving or I’m an unhappy bean. Though, writing is the only thing I never put down. Ever.

Okay, so, I draw (badly), both on paper and digitally. Mostly landscapes. I also try to make house sketches/plans. And I paint (a bit better than I draw), prefer oils or acrylics over water colors. My partner and I also paint miniature models when there is time.

I also crochet and knit, and I love origami. I roleplay (Dungeons & Dragons, whenever the DMs have time), and I play the violin (and piano) and write simple music for myself.

I garden if there's time in the spring and during summer, and I absolutely love these little fairy-gardens that have been popping up everywhere. On that note, I have more houseplants than I have space for.

I'm also thinking to start up a little thing making bracelets and bead strings for fidgeting. I needed some kind of stim toy to be able to focus and I wanted something silent with many different sensations to keep me entertained. I hunted around a bit but eventually made my own and they turned out pretty nice!

(I also like to bake, especially pies and breads.)

6. What do you do when you’re stuck on a scene and don’t know how to get it out / write it?

I slam the key words in. And then I ignore it until it stops fighting back so much.

Or I backtrack. Sometimes I've written myself into a corner unknowingly.

Sometimes I drop a wip that's giving me grief and work on another, or I use word/idea prompts to get me started.

7. How do you decide how to end your WIP?

God, please tell me because I don't hecking know. Should I do an epilogue? Should I leave it open/ambiguous? Should I just cut it off and leave the next step to the reader? Should there be a "true" ending, with goodbyes (actual or metaphorical)?

Urrrrrrrrgh. Good Lord, endings.

8. When in the process of writing do you decide how its going to end? Or do you kind of just wait til you get there?

Either I know from the start, before I write the first words, or I wait. Which tends to mean frustrating the hell out of myself. I have started to go through my wips (whether original or fanfiction) and give them all bare-bones outlines, because not having endings is a big problem for me.

9. Why did you decide to join writeblr?

Basically when I decided I had had enough of the "join to see more" button or the "sensitive material" warning. And when I realized there was a really nice writing community here I could maybe become a part of. (A major reason was actually @concerningwolves advice posts.)

10. What’s your favourite food?

(CW: Maybe skip if you’re vegetarian/vegan/you’d rather not read about meat.)

Chinese deep-fried chicken with sweet-and-sour sauce (not the spicy chili kind, the actual pineapple and tomato juice based kind) with rice. No question about it.

Mom's "blodbröd med fläsk" is a close runner up though, but we only eat it once a year, at the midwinter solstice. It's homemade Swedish tunnbröd (hard thin-bread) with blood instead of water in it that you dip in boiling water to make it soft, with white sauce, and fried, thoroughly salted pork.

(Believe me, some country-side Swedes in the northern parts are still pretty pagan about the sun coming back, me included. It's a big deal when you go between no night/darkness and then very little/no sun.)

11. If you had to kill off a character in your WIP, who would it be and why?

People are dying right and left in most of them already, since three include large-scale wars, so there's no shortage there.

But if I had to choose a main-character or a directly supporting character? (MY BABIES! NO.)

I think Ren, from the sci-fi wip, because he would be free from both responsibility and physical and mental pain. (My boi is a wreck.) It wouldn't be unlikely either. But at this point it would destroy my story! 😂 Less story-destroying would be their foster-guardian Sandra. It would still force me to write a completely new arc, but it would be do-able.

Although, regarding the fantasy wip Firestorm, Kebarock dying in their war would crush Sunling. That could be done without losing the plot entirely. Hmmm.

Puh, that was a lot of thinking! Okay, I'll be tagging.. @concerningwolves @weaver-of-fantasies-and-fables @adorhauer @focusdumbass @sleepy-and-anxious @els-writes @meteorwrites @sebastian-writer @telvivere @thescribesloft and @aceymichaelis No obligation to do this of course! <3 (And if I tagged you and you’d rather not be tagged in games, I apologize, please let me know)

And here are your questions if you want to:

1. What about your wip makes you smile?

2. What's the hardest decision you've had to make in regards to a wip?

3. What text font do you prefer writing in? Or do you write by hand?

4. Are there pets in your wip? If not, what pet might your character(s) keep?

5. What AU would you love to see/write for your wip?

6. Is there any type of music/a song in particular that you associate with your wip?

7. Are you a night owl or an early bird/When do you write?

8. Favorite beverage?

9. Where do you prefer to write? At home? In a library? On the bus/train?

10. What are your first 3 to 5 associations with the word 'writing'? Why those?

11. What do you do when you're bored?

Hope you enjoy! o(^◇^)o

[andrebearakovsky]

Thank you notes to the 2016-17 Washington Capitals

With the expansion draft looming and the realization that our team would be no longer becoming imminent, I started getting a little emotional and nostalgic. So I wanted to do something as a final wrap-up to put a final bow on the season. And I know I’ve done a couple of posts that could fit into this category (the top 10 post, the end of season thanks to my mutuals, etc.), but I’m going to do one last thing while the gang is still officially together. I’m going to be writing quick thank-you notes to each of the players. This is going to end up totally cheesy, but I don’t care. I need to do this. It’s closure for me. So without further ado, I’d like to thank the 2016-17 Washington Capitals for being my favorite group of teammates and for giving me so much to love during a very tumultuous year of my life.

Thank you, Taylor Chorney, for being the best press box resident there ever was. I could probably count all the games you played on one hand. I’m not sure how much effect you had on the ice, but I loved you off the ice. You’re a great person and you mesh with the rest of the team wonderfully. Your friendship with Schmidty give me life, and I loved that one time you two played video games with Burky and Willy. If we could keep you on as like a personal cheerleader to just hang out and be friends with the team, I would give you that job in a heartbeat.

Thank you, Brooks Orpik, for giving me something to bond with each and every other Caps fan about, no matter our differences. The coaching staff and Kuzy and co. may love you, but we’re not entirely fond. Thank you for making me realize we deserve so much better than you and for making it clear how much better than you Schmidty is. I sincerely hope you find a nice home somewhere else.

Thank you, Kevin Shattenkirk, for giving us all heart attacks at the trade deadline. You sent my son Zach Sanford to St. Louis, but I was okay with it because I thought you’d help us go all the way. Obviously that didn’t happen, but I enjoyed having you around. And your friendship with Oshbabe is goals. But I know how desperately you want to be a Ranger, so I wish you the best of luck in New York.

Thank you, Daniel Winnik, for giving us the best fourth line in hockey. You along with Beags and Willy (which I’m pretty sure you dubbed as the “Lunch Pail Line”) were one of hockey’s most lethal fourth lines, and you meshed so well together and had amazing chemistry. Thanks for also being one of our best penalty killers, and for making me love your dogs and your family. When you were traded to us last year I didn’t know a lot about you, but after a year and a half I feel your personality has shone and you fit in perfectly with the team. I simply don’t know if we’ll have the funds to keep you around, but if this is the end of the line, I want to thank you for making it a good one.

Thank you, Brett Connolly, for showing the world that you were an absolute fucking steal. You were worth way more than your asking price. I’m so glad you decided to have the best year of your career with us. I wholeheartedly enjoyed watching you constantly give up your body for the game, get into the gritty areas, and just mesh with the team so damn well, even when you were getting sat at the beginning of the year. I don’t know if you’ll be with us again, but if this was just a one-year thing, it was a good one.

Thank you, Lars Eller, for being a solid third center. No, you didn’t fulfill your prophecy and defeat Pittsburgh, but throughout the year you centered the line with Burky and Conno that just flourished and it was beautiful to watch. Also you have a pretty face, which I appreciate.

Thank you, Justin Williams, for veteran experience and amazing hair. Throughout the year I have loved your sassiness, your goal-scoring punch, and your veteran leadership. You had amazing line chemistry with Kuzy and Mojo and it was beautiful. And all your teammates love you. The kids look up to you. Andre even did crazy hair day with you. And I sincerely hope this isn’t the end. But thank you for helping to anchor us.

Thank you, Matt Niskanen, for being probably our best defenseman throughout the course of the season. You consistently give us solid defense, and I never have a complaint about you. Thank you for being a solid pair along with Dima, and thank you for giving us the best smiles whenever you score (I’m pretty sure those smiles are what make flowers grow).

Thank you, Philipp Grubauer, for being the best backup goalie the world has ever seen. You’re good enough to be a starter somewhere, and for the past half a year I’ve braced myself for that becoming a reality. You’re too good to stay with us forever, which breaks my heart. You’re such a pure, good soul who deserves better. You strike me as the quiet type, but I know you have teammates and fans out there who love you, including me. So thank you for the absolutely amazing year you had, and know that I will support you no matter where you end up.

Thank you, Dmitry Orlov, for having the best year of your life and proving to everyone that you deserve to be here. Everyone last year doubted that you could have a good year, and you proved them all wrong. I mean, look at you. You played all 82 games, you scored your first career power play goal, had your first NHL fight, and you literally almost murdered Matt Duchene in the best hockey hit I’ve ever seen (and think about daily). Thank you for your excellent defense, and I hope to see that smile again someday soon.

Thank you, Jay Beagle, for having the best year of your career and being a giant meme in the process. You are truly iconic, and even though the rest of the league doesn’t know you exist, I feel truly blessed to have you on our team. Thank you for being so entertaining and such a sweetheart. Thank you for being a faceoff king and one of our best forward penalty killers. You’re the real MVP (no seriously, look at the record whenever you get a point), and thanks for just creaming the central division this year. It’s been a pleasure.

Thank you, Karl Alzner, for everything you’ve done for this organization. You’ve been one of our most consistent and reliable defensemen, a leader and friend in the clubhouse, and went so so long without missing a game. The team and everyone I know loves you so much. You’re so funny, incredibly likeable, and your hockey marriage to Carlson literally gives me life. Washington will always be your home. And this isn’t fair. I’m not ready to say goodbye. Thank you for being you, and I promised myself I wouldn’t cry until it was official; I still have time before the waterworks.

Thank you, John Carlson, for making me fall head-over-heels for you. By this point everyone knows how much I love and appreciate you. I love your flow (when you have it RIP), you play some awesome defense, have a wicked shot, have one of the most epic bromances of all time, and have an adorable son. But most of all, you’re an underrated leader who needs to be rightly recognized. You’ve been with the Caps for so long, and everyone trusts and respects you, and I strongly believe you should be rewarded with an alternate captaincy. I squeal whenever I see you with that A, and if you get it permanently I know I’ll bawl my eyes out. So here’s to you, and I’m crossing my fingers for you, my beanie sloth son.

Thank you, Marcus Johansson, for being one of the most underrated snipers in the league. When teams are preparing to face the Caps, they think about Ovi, Nicky, Oshie, and Kuzy, but sometimes you slip to the side and get forgotten about. But not to me. You’re quiet, and you strike when people least expect it. Mojo appears out of nowhere, a silent Swedish sniper. You absolutely do not get talked about enough, and I really want that to change. Thank you for blessing us with your laugh and your pranks, especially on your fellow Swedes. I love you so much, and I look forward to more of you next year.

Thank you, Evgeny Kuznetsov, for making hockey fun again. There are few players in the NHL who are more entertaining than you. I love your enthusiasm and your silliness and your wit, I love how hilarious and clever you are. And of course, your cellies are second to none. Your play this year was amazing, and you did us all a favor by giving us the world’s greatest celly: the bird celly. I love you and your ridiculousness so so much, and I want to thank you for being you.

Thank you, Nate Schmidt, for proving to everyone that you’re worth so much more than what they gave you. You were in the bottom defensive pairing and relegated to the bench with the arrival of Shatty. But throughout the whole thing, you kept a smile, as you always do. You’re an amazing defenseman, and you deserve to get that playing time (methinks I smell a pairing with Carly in the future?). And know that if you leave us, I will absolutely bawl my eyes out. You’re one of the best things to ever happen to this team, you’re so loved, and you have such a bright future ahead of you. Thank you for all the energy you bring.

Thank you, Braden Holtby, for constantly saving our asses yet again. We do not deserve you, and we are not worthy. Thanks for being an amazing person off the ice, as we all need someone like that. And thanks for being a fashion icon, we all aspire to be as beautiful as you. It’s been a pleasure to watch the best goalie in the league, and I’m crossing my fingers for you for that Vezina. 

Thank you, Tom Wilson, for maturing and growing your game so much. We all love you for the brobean fun and the hard hits, but this year you increased your game offensively (god bless you for the Toronto series), and most importantly your defensive game. You were an important part of the gritty fourth line and were one of our best penalty killers. You took less penalties and definitely less stupid ones. No one outside of DC will admit it, but you’ve come a long way and you’re a better all-around player. And I’m so so proud of you. Thank you for that, and also thank you for your abs. AND thank you for meeting me at meet and greets twice this year; you were so sweet to me and I will treasure those pictures til the end of time.

Thank you, Andre Burakovsky, for reminding me why you’re the love of my life. You are so so important to both me and to the team. When you went down this season the team had trouble keeping afloat. You’re more important on he ice than people realize. I think we’ve just seen a hint of what you can do on the ice, and I can’t wait for when you just explode and become a goal-scoring fiend. I love you so so much. You’re such an absolute sweetheart, the best human being in the world. You’re so full of love. And you’re so attractive like damn. I will always be thankful for Mojo making that bet with you and you growing out those curls, for that we are #blessed. I love you, and thank you for that.

Thank you, TJ Oshie, for getting me into hockey. You’re the reason I sit here today typing this. Thank you for getting me into this wonderful sport that has given me so much joy and so much pain. You were my first hockey love and still retain that title, eclipsed only by Burky. I cried when I learned you were coming to my hometown team, and you were one of the main reasons I started following them closely. And from the bottom of my heart, I thank you for everything you’ve given us over the past few two years, from electric goal-scoring to shootout prowess to your beautiful smile. And I beg, please don’t leave us. We need you. I need you. You mean so much to me and I don’t know how I’ll handle it if you don’t come back. Please come back, for me and for all of us.

Thank you, Nicklas Backstrom, for making me fall in love with you. I didn’t mean to, but you sucked me right in. And, looking back, how could I not? You’re utterly amazing. Your prowess on the ice and playmaking abilities are second to none, you’re an amazing leader whom everyone loves and respects, and you’re an amazing human being. You’re shy, sassy, and wouldn’t hesitate to kill a man for your teammates. You have the most epic hockey romance/bromance of all time. You’re such a dad. I love your smile, your curls, your laugh. You absolutely do not get the recognition you deserve and you utterly deserve the world. I cried when you guys won Worlds, because you deserve everything. We’re so damn lucky to have you, and I feel lucky to be able to watch you for the entire season. You deserve so much more. I love you, and thank you for making me see that.

Thank you, Alex Ovechkin, for absolutely everything. Once again, everyone gave you so much shit that you absolutely do not deserve. You are the best hockey player in the world, and anyone who can’t see that is blind. Anyone who says a damn thing about you is wrong. Anyone who thinks about giving you up is a fool and a fucking idiot. You’re an exciting player, a player of a generation unlike any other. You’re an amazing person so full of love, both for yourself and for others. You shouldn’t have to apologize for being you just because other people are dicks. You’re amazing and you’re an unparalled leader. You deserve the entire world, so much more than you’ve gotten. I want you to have it all just so you can shove it back in the faces of everyone. You’ve given us your everything, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. It’s been a pleasure to watch one of the greatest of all time for the past decade. I love you and everything about you. Never change, but hopefully circumstances will. Thank you for everything.