#they sure are Some Ways of Engagement

[ploncc]

Hey, if you're a bookworm:

Trigger warning lists are there for your safety, not as a confession of the sins of the author/characters. Nor is it remotely possible for a list to cover every single potential trigger. It is the responsibility of the reader to manage their own media consumption and research whether a book might potentially be triggering (or even just upsetting) to them. Tedious, yes, but loves, please keep yourselves safe and put in the work necessary for your situations.

Along with that, "dark" is not an aesthetic descriptor. It is a blanket warning along the lines of "anything goes" or "author did not choose to use archive warnings"

You don't have to read a certain number of books a year. Hell, you don't have to be reading something right now. It's okay to take a break. It's okay to go at your own pace.

You don't have to finish that book either. If its making you feel drab or blue or frustrated, you can put it down, permanently or temporarily.

You don't have to read recently published things.

You don't have to read things published 100+ years ago.

You don't have to read things in this language or from this or that country.

You don't have to read things from any particular genre

However, because of the heavy commercialization of the genre and how hard it can be to branch out after you get used to it, I do want to say in particular: if you're feeling burnt out on YA, move on. Even just for today! Try 5 books from 10 different genres, or just find something that looks funny, or pick up something you don't think you'll like but want to try anyways, or find something on the 50 cent cart at the thrift store, or grab a book just because you thought the cover was neat. Reach for new things if you want to, sink your roots in. Take a break. YA is a very cohesive genre which can make it feel "sticky" and hard to try new things, but it might be time to give yourself a rest and/or try something new!

If you feel like you're "too dumb" for a book, find something related that's simplified and work your way up. I promise you, your brain works better than you think it does (I get it, ADHD + fatigue + trauma + life can be killer), but its just working on less information than it needs. You are not dumb. Pick up kids books. If those are boring off the bat, then find something a bit more advanced. Crawl your way up at whatever pace you want, and the second things get boring, move on! Acknowledge your past experience and stop comparing yourself to other readers. You might not understand the text today, but keep exploring, and one day you will.

Its okay to read fiction!

It's okay to read non-fiction!

The way we treat the concept of "problematic" in media is very close to how churches talk about sin. Understand why the text is hurtful, understand why people want/don't want you to read something, understand why the thing would be bad if it existed in real life, but put thought into it. If you feel like you don't know enough about the situation, it is okay to say "I don't know enough to form an opinion."

Reviews can be fun to read/watch/listen to. So can essays. Neither of those are a replacement for engagement with the text itself. This isn't a lit class. You aren't going to get a grade, you won't fail, there is no consequence here if you don't finish it "in time" or at all, or if you disagree with someone's interpretations, or if you couldn't write an essay on it even after you read it over twice. You are reading because you want to. Use reviews (yes, even as entertainment!), use essays, but don't let them think for you. You are not dumb. You can form your own opinions, you can do logic, you can think for yourself. Again, it might take work, but I promise you, you can.

It's okay to read!

It's okay to not be reading!! Life happens! Your brain needs a break! So does your heart and body!

Drink some water, be kind to yourself, rest your eyes/ears/fingers, and take a deep breath.

Read what you want to, when you want to, because you want.

[bizarrelittlemew]

no but imagine if the studios weren't greedy beyond all fucking believe and the actors and writers didn't have to strike because not only would they be able to be hyped along with us but we would probably ALSO be getting bts material from Samba and Vico (and others but Samba's 4k+ files are just SITTING THERE) like thye'd probably be allowed to post stuff that didn't spoil beyond what the teaser already gives away, right? even just a little bit? but instead they can't celebrate their own work like they deserve along with the rest of us because the studios won't fucking pay their workers and give them rights i am so ANGRY

[nellasbookplanet]

Do I actually think Imogen is going to turn on the party? No. I don't think it’s any more likely to happen than I did Fjord releasing Uk’otoa, or Caleb returning to Trent and the Vollstruckers.

Given the nature of the game, any character turning fully dark is unlikely, seeing as it would take them away from the party for a time or potentially even turn them into an npc, replaced by a new pc. So far the only time we've gotten close to seeing something like it happen was Yasha siding with Obann, which could only happen specifically because Ashley was gone from the table for a long time (it was also the product of mind control, not an active choice to turn dark, and as such still doesn’t really count as a pc turning on the party in my eyes).

But the possibility is there. The seeds planted. Travis has talked about how, after he threw the falchion away, he briefly considered having Fjord leave the party and retun to the coast and Uk’otoa. Liam has mentioned that, early on, Caleb returning to work for Trent was a very real possibilty. It can happen, if the players and narrative are open to it.

And now, canonically, Imogen is desperately and understandably searching for a reason not to have to fight her own mother. She is, however briefly, questioning whether the Ruby Vanguard might have a just cause. Much as she hates it, she also feels the allure of the power Ruidus gives her. Her closest ally is someone who has repeatedly assured she will stand by her no matter what she chooses, even after she voiced the possibility of letting Predathos get out. None of these parts of Imogen are evil, and all of them are understandable and deeply rooted in pain and ostracization, but they could very easily be turned into justification, were she pushed enough.

The seeds are planted. Again, I don’t think it will happen (she seems firmly against the evil plan when reminded of how evil it is), but there’s certainly nothing strange or hateful about engaging with and being interested in the darker possibilities as presented in canon. It isn't character hate to acknowledge that Imogen has the potential to go dark, much as Fjord and Caleb and Yasha. To me, it’s what makes her character interesting. I want to see her clash with the party, whether because she’s desperate to save her own mother or because she’s high off the power of Ruidus and lured in. I want to see Laudna have to choose between the world and her promise to stand by Imogen no matter what. I want to see the fallout, the slow healing and redemption and coming to terms with bad choices. I eat that shit up, and if it doesn’t happen in canon I'll probably go read some fic about it to get my fix.

[alistairkisser]

"can't you guys shut up and stop complaining about the announcements and just have fun" i am having fun. i like complaining

[g1deonthefirst]

i will say. i think that this fandom is generally very reluctant to criticize tamsyn muir as a white author but there's a meaningful difference between representation that's actually in the books and the author's headcanons posted on tumblr dot com.

[forcedhesitation]

this undeniably has to be one of the worst opinions I've seen about this season. like out of the plentiful failures season 4 had... you really couldn't choose one to talk about? max's mental health was one of the only things that I felt season 4 handled pretty damn well.

I do think it could have been better written, yes. the ending of her arc in season 4 was....insulting at best.

but overall? the show does a great job of addressing that max actually hated billy (she literally fucking admits to wishing for his death) and that her grief is more complicated than just missing a person. because she wasn't missing a person! she was ultimately glad billy was gone. but even in death, he torments her.

she watched a person she grew up with be brutally murdered by some fleshy abomination, RIGHT in front of her. her shitbag step father bailed on her and her mother after billy died, forcing them to move to the trailer park. her mother abuses alcohol and is never home because she's always working so they can afford to live in the trailer park. her friend group has been split in two by the byers moving away, which took el away from her too. she doesn't know how to reach out to lucas, deep down doesn't feel she deserves his love & concern, despite lucas' best efforts (vecna literally taunts her with lucas turning on her at the final confrontation). she wished so badly to have someone like steve in billy, but she knows that billy would never be that person. he was the complete opposite & she can't just have steve in his place. she mourns the brother she never had. she is devastated by the way billy still hurts her, even after he's gone.

she's what. fourteen??? when this all happens?

like the death of an abuser is never so simple as "hooray! I am so very joyous now that the source of my pain is gone!" the damage an abuser inflicts on you is not some cut to the skin that can be healed and one day forgotten. it's so much more tortuous than that. especially for a child.

[54625]

dude

[walker-lister]

I just have to remind myself sometimes that no matter what anyone else says, the way a piece of media makes me feel and the positive impact it has had on my queer identity is valid, and that tearing myself apart thinking I have to defend it or questioning my own place within queer communities is not at all important when compared to the almost tangible sense of 'rightness' that piece of media helped me to feel about myself.

[teledild0nix]

so i'm writing an 8th year fic and h&d are taking a muggle studies class together in which they read one of shakespeare's plays, and i'm trying to write a final project (for which they are partners) but like. hogwarts academics don't seem all that uhhhhh rigorous to me (like we see the students complaining about having to write a foot of parchment which is essentially ONE PAGE HANDWRITTEN) and i'm a little worried that my assignment is too rigorous.

it involves a lot of like. thinking analytically and using your imagination wrt the motivations of people unlike yourself, and that's not rlly something they do much at hogwarts as far as i can see. BUT it is muggle studies, and like. they could definitely all use some practice at those skills, following the recent implosion of their society.

[cyanopicas]

pondering an ultrakill gahoole au

[sadaveniren]

Why do you think the fandom treats Gemma and the Tomlinson sisters so differently?

Because Gemma is doing what they want and the Tomlinson sisters aren’t and despite being progressive and saying we support people for doing what they want we as a society and a fandom over all still operate under the rule of “my way or the Highway”

[yellowocaballero]

Talk shop Tuesday: what’s your favorite fandom to create for?

OHHH that's an interesting question. I think most multi-fandom writers have experienced how different cultures can be between fandoms. I've had works that got a ton of hits and almost no engagement for one fandom, and for another fandom the hits were modest but there was a ton of conversation in my inbox and on my blog about it - I think maybe the fandom was starved for gen longfic lol. So the level of engagement and positivity of the fandom has a lot to do with if it's fun to write for or not. Sometimes the engagement i can get a little weird, or it can be not exactly what you want...

I think my overall best experience was writing for Star Wars - despite the size of the fandom, the engagement was high and the tone was always positive and enthusiastic. Because so much of my SW stuff was just on my blog, the audience was small but very vocal and fun to interact with, and I've made long-lasting friends from that fandom.

But I've made great friends in every fandom, and I'm really lucky and haven't had awful experiences in any one fandom (for the curious - my overall worst fandom experience was definitely Detroit: Become Human. I wasn't in the fandom for that one, and I definitely made a wonderful friend or two, but the comments were just unusually noxious or annoying). Thanks for the ask, Seek!

[toytulini]

god this stupid fucking intracommunity infighting bullshit never ends and im so god damn tired. stop it. and if youre fucking discoursing this stupid shit you should have to add a fucking disclaimer to your fucking posts at least im tired of having to search yalls blogs when smth slightly off about your wording that i cant explain has me like hmmmmm and then i end up right and i really dont want to be

[corset]

What is the point of "family" by the way. I don't really get it

[jorrated]

man visual novels are fun n all but half of the time i feel like im watching a 30 hour movie

[lightblueminecraftorchid]

I love learning ASL it’s so good. Makes me happy to learn it. I’m so glad my university has classes for it with professors actually steeped in Deaf culture.