#this is why i wanted to be a teacher/am becoming an editor lol

[wander-wren]

this is a psa: putting the name of a character who did NOT speak behind your dialogue tag just makes everything really confusing and annoying to read.

“Aww, come on!” Jane rolled her eyes at John’s pout.

in this situation john is the one speaking, but we get jane’s reaction first, so it seems like she’s talking until you get to the end. i’ve read fics that do this over and over, but also sometimes don’t do it and sometimes don’t have dialogue tags at all, and it becomes almost impossible to tell who’s saying what. it would be better to write:

“Aww, come on!” John pouted. Jane rolled her eyes.

or you can put john pouting first, then dialogue. if you wanted to keep it exactly as written above, just put a paragraph break between the dialogue and prose. just pls. let me follow your conversation.

[landwriter]

So, I don't know terribly much about the development of Old French to modern French. I DO know that some dialects are far more legible than others (such as that of the Romance) which is true for Middle English too.

Part of why French changed less, though, is because they had a solid literary tradition in the vernacular much earlier than the English, see the Romance as a good example. Hell, Old English is more stable in spelling than Middle English because there was a literary tradition there, too. The French were also the first to really sit down and write a prescriptivist guide on language. The English followed, but by that time, the word endings had already undergone so much lenition that the word final -e was hardly spoken and thus written anymore. It was not really used for the meter, they preferred French loans for that. (I also think the troubadour tradition may have affected the discrepancy between lyrics/poetry and the later developed prose). You can still see some Middle English variants in modern spelling though! Have would've been pronounced with an e at the end in Middle English, which is lost now. It ends on an /v/ now, a voiced fricative rather than a vowel. Knight is now, in IPA, /nait/ and has lost the k and ch sounds still there when the spelling was established.

If you compare English books of 100 years ago to English books now, their spelling is identical. If you compare Dutch books of 100 years ago to Dutch books now, the difference is Massive. Why? Because the English (like the French) don't really update how the language is written. The Dutch do, and this aids language change (not a bad thing!) and means that older texts look Really Old and become harder to access much faster.

Anyway to get back to the Romance, lol, basically it was a non stop bestseller from 1230 until c. 1510. After that it suddenly became a lot less popular. There are early print versions that have marginal notes that show people really USED the book to like learn from it as a lovers Bible.

Also, the editor you want for an Old French version of the Romance is Felix Lecoy (he edited the book in 3 volumes that were published in the late 60s/early 70s and I think you only need the first for Guillaume's section). It was based on a single manuscript (the other approach to an edition of a manuscript that survives in multiple sources is to make an archetypal text) and is generally considered the best/most scholarly source. Let me know if you're unable to find it, I may be able to help you out!

😭 The sheer KNOWLEDGE. Demolishing this content like I'm doing a kegstand. This is all so fuckin' fascinating!

All I have to add is that as far as prescriptivism goes, l'Académie française is pretty iconic and has been mentioned (usually disparagingly) by multiple French teachers I've had since at least grade nine - most often mocked for railing, in futility, against English borrow words like 'e-mail' and insisting on the neologism courriel - and for conservatism w/language change in general.

(Having now looked it up I am shocked and furious, I tell you, shocked and furious, that none of my teachers or professors mentioned that members of the Academy are called les immortels, yes, THE IMMORTALS, and wear special green robes that cost $50,000, and carry ceremonial swords unless they're a member of the clergy? There are 40 of them and members are inducted for life. I had been picturing a bunch of stodgy old professors arguing around a table about whether female government ministers should be called la ministre or not, but now I'm picturing the same thing, except they're all in fantastic uniforms and carrying swords that aren't strictly meant to be brandished but definitely sometimes are when the debates get real heated.)

Thank you so much for pointing me in the right direction for an edition! <3

[not-poignant]

Hey Pia hope you’re doing well

I was wondering, is the thing where Arden picks up a bunch of random hobbies and commitments a part of his ADHD or does it have like a name?

I’m a highschool student and I get told by all my friends and teachers that I have overcommitment issues and part of it’s just for uni and whatever ofc but it’s also that I want to do ALL THESE THINGS

Like I’m in 4 different science competition teams, the school debating team, school orchestra, scholarship classes, editor of my school newsletter, I lead the school amnesty and unicef clubs plus the IB program and being in the national maths Olympiad team lol and I don’t want to let any of these go but it’s so stressful and I’m so tired and ppl say I have to say no to stuff which is also stressful!

Also, doing more is always portrayed as such a great thing and I feel rlly guilty letting stuff go? So I’m just reaching out because you portrayed it in such a refreshing way and I was really curious!

Firstly, massive respect for your ability to fit this ask into the Tumblr ask limits. Seriously :D

Okay secondly, Arden’s habit of picking up a bunch of random hobbies / commitments is part of his ADHD. People with ADHD have this to different degrees, and my beta in particular relates really hard to this habit of Arden’s.

But actually, one of the reasons I put this in is because this is a very bad habit of mine - which is overcommitting, and overworking. And not wanting to let anything go.

People teach you a lot of skills in your life on how to pick things up, but almost no one teaches you what to do when you have many hobbies you love, and they’re hurting you because you’re working too hard and don’t have time for your loved ones (or to even really have loved ones) as an example. And it absolutely is a crucial skill to learn for people who are dealing with this, though capitalists don’t want you to learn it.

In the media what I see is most folks having no hobbies and someone being ‘oh you have to learn some.’ I liked Arden as a contrast to that ‘no, that’s too many things, put some back.’ Where Arden’s ADHD manifests - though it’s much more controlled than it used to be - is that he desires to spend a lot of money on the thing as soon as he gets into it (because he only wants the best of the best - which wasn’t great when he wasn’t earning much money), and that he starts really hooking into it in an obsessive kind of way. Spending a night making bows for your dog is one thing. Then wanting to spend $500 and start an Etsy store small business is like...from one day of work, not great.

A lot of Arden’s life has involved choosing to let go of things he’s loved doing, for his own sanity. This is something I’ve had to do as well and I fucking hate it, and these are the techniques I’ve developed for myself (and my still frankly overcommitted ass, who has people saying ‘when are you going to do LESS’ all the time to my face).

* Remind yourself that dropping some things now doesn’t mean you’re dropping them forever. It doesn’t have to be permanent. Sometimes it’s good to put a time limit on something. ‘I’m going to drop this for four weeks / four months and put a note/reminder in my phone about it right now.’ Chances are high you are not going to be as interested in that thing in four weeks/four months. (Chances are sadly also high you may have replaced it with something else). Like, there will be science groups you can join for the rest of your life. And debate groups. And newsletters.

(That being said, none of those things count towards our grades in Australia? So I don’t know how much these things are counting towards your grades in general and I’m not going to like, touch that side of things - however overcommitment is a super fast way to do a lot of things not that well, or to suddenly get so sick you can’t do any of the things and then feel terrible while you’re sick, more on that later!).

* Time caps on certain hobbies and activities and commitments. This is to actually shoot my habit of hyperfocusing in the foot. I don’t have time to play piano for four hours, but I’m allowed to play it for ten minutes a day (sometimes more but not often). And ten minutes a day adds up over time. I literally sit down and put the timer on my phone. If say there’s something that meets up twice a week but some people only go once, be one of those people!

* Rate the things based on how they contribute to your a) career and b) quality of life and c) happiness. Anything that rates lower on the list compared to the others (that isn’t like, literal money-making work or literal classes) needs to be dropped.

* Dropping things is just actually one of the hardest parts and there’s no real trick to making this easier. I just remind myself: ‘Just because I can do this thing, and do this thing well, doesn’t mean it’s good or healthy for me to do this thing. I need to spend time with people I care about, and I need rest, and those things matter more even if they feel less like ‘accomplishments.’ I want to care for myself through my hobbies, not punish myself.’ That goes some way in keeping perspective, but look, ngl, it sucks to drop commitments if you have an accomplishment/achievement/job satisfaction addiction. It just sucks.

* Accept that you are going to feel guilty, and that guilt is just an emotion, and it doesn’t mean you’ve done something bad. Look sometimes guilt gets it wrong! Sometimes you feel crushingly guilty just for breaking a bad habit, it’s not useful, you just have to kind of be like ‘huh I’m feeling a lot of guilt for trying to look after myself, that’s really interesting, I guess I can understand that but I’m also going to try and praise myself for doing a great job. Just because this isn’t an obvious kind of achievement, I know I achieved something really big and difficult today.’

* Oh yeah, use achievement and ‘job’ type language for doing things that involve successfully taking care of yourself and your energy levels. Just...sometimes you have to ‘if you can’t beat them join them’ - chances are you’ve never been as kind to yourself or proud of yourself for resting and taking it easy and seeing friends, than you are for taking on too many commitments. So...challenge yourself to be kind to yourself and proud of yourself for resting and taking it easy and seeing friends and committing to less. Trust me, you are never going to forget how to overcommit, and you are never going to become lazy or lax because you dropped a few of the (billion) things that you’re committed to. You can afford to praise yourself for this! And generously!

* Seriously, seriously consider seeing doctors or psychologists about this. Despite a TON of PTSD, I actually see my therapist most for working too hard and overcommitting. We spend a lot of time talking about why I might not be the worst person in the world for taking a break. Take it seriously. Your list alone made me feel like I was about to have a panic attack, lmao, your friends and teachers are right, you have overcomittment issues.

* Workaholicism and work addiction is real. There is a growing amount of information about how to deal with it and it’s worth googling.

***

Er anyway that’s what I do. It doesn’t always work. I have a lot of rules in place and I abandon half of them about halfway through the year and then s u f f e r. And have been doing that for over 25 years and I’m going to say bluntly now - it’s why I’m as sick as I am, and some of that sickness is irreversible. If nothing else, if you want to stay as active as you are now, I do not recommend that anyone push themselves so hard that they can no longer even do things that they enjoy on a regular basis, because they’re too physically debilitated to manage it, because they pushed their bodies too hard during the university years and just after. Because that is 100% why I became so sick in the first place.

And even extremely healthy people who have no history of chronic illness often develop something, in conjunction with years and years of working too hard or overcommitting. I’ve seen it happen to far too many of my friends, and you might feel like ‘just another six months’ or ‘just another three years’ but you’d be surprised how quickly you can go from ‘I’m doing it I’m doing it’ to ‘I keep getting migraines all the time doctor how do I fix this so I can go back to working as hard as I was before’ and your doctor being like ‘...yeah this isn’t curable. I’m going to give you some meds, that all come with horrible side effects, and you simply can’t do what you were doing before.’ Game over.

Trust me, that shit catches up with your body always. It might not be now, and I hope frankly it’s never, but overcommitment and workaholicism are the two fastest ways I know to chronic illness and once you get there, you can’t work your way out of it again.

Though god knows I have tried.

[christinaroseandrews]

As I was scrolling through the dumpster fire, I came across your review for 'Born to be Bound'. I loved it! It was an absolute delight to read with some of the best burns I've seen in a long while. If I had the funds to purchase books, I now know to not buy that particular one. Thank you for suffering through the incessant, hoity-toity babble to warn the rest of us.

I get by on limited income, books are a luxury I can rarely afford. Fanfiction fills my need to read and consume written stories. And now I can't unsee the asexual erasure in the A/B/O tag on Ao3. I'm moderately pissed off at myself now.

I'm a disgruntled fanfiction writer. I will do what I do best. Say, "I can fix that." Then write it into existence. I'm going to add an asexual Alpha/Omega couple to my current A/B/O fanfic. I'll use a popular ship that is a minor background pairing.

On a related note, how do you keep your sanity alive reading badly written books for a living? Are magical abilities granted to editors? Like, does some higher power descend upon you saying, 'Congrats! You're strong to survive the trials of terrible wording inflicted upon the English language. Take this level up and go forth!' ?

Hi!  I’m glad you messaged me. Nice to meet you!

Awww! I’m blushing from your praise. That was only for chapter 1 and there are 10 chapters in this, so I’ve got a lot more to go through. I’m hopeful it will get better. 

I really understand not being able to buy books. That’s pretty much me all the time. LOL I’m a disabled, chronically ill person who can’t work a regular 9-5 job so I do other stuff to pay the bills. There’s a few ways to be able to read original fiction for free. The first is that a lot of authors will offer books for free as reader magnets. The second is that publishers of all stripes will send out ARCs of books to people with the understanding/hope that they will review the book. This is how I get most of my more recent releases. Finally there is reading from the library. I’ve been utilizing both Overdrive and Hoopla. And fanfiction is a wonderful thing. A precious thing. I am 100% here for fanfic, especially since I still write it myself. LOL

Don’t be pissed off that you missed the lack of ace rep on the tag. Be proud of yourself that when it was pointed out your first thought was “How can i fix this?” Because that speaks volumes about you as a person. And you’re a good doobie. I think it’s awesome that you’re going to add more asexual rep to the ABO tag. We need that. There are not nearly enough characters on the Ace spectrum and it really runs the gambit. I’m a demiromantic/bisexual myself. There needs to be more Ace rep out there. Good on you!

So you want to know how I keep my sanity when reading bad books?

So here’s the thing, most of the books I edit aren’t badly written. They really aren’t. Even those that if they were published in the form I got them in would be called “badly written” have potential. They’re unpolished. They have flaws. They need work. And it’s my job to help the author get their book into the best shape that I can.

Also most books, even Addison Cain’s Born to Be Bound have something good about them. Something. And one person’s yuck is another person’s yum. This book happens to be hitting a lot of my yucks and there’s some structural, logistical, and tonal problems with the book. That being said, I can say that from the one chapter I’ve read I wouldn’t have guessed that the story started its life as a Batman fanfic featuring Bane/Original Female Character. So she filed the serial numbers off well, I guess.

The other thing that keeps me sane is a philosophy I have about editing/life. No effort is wasted if you learn something or help someone else to learn. I wanted to be a teacher before I hit some pretty big obstacles and had to switch gears. And in my heart, I still want to help make the world a better place. And if that means that I help others create beauty, then that’s a good legacy for me.

I also have a good support system and invest in self care. That can be reading a good fic, watching something fun, or even playing a game for a little bit. I also don’t edit constantly. I take breaks. Edit for an hour, take a 20 minute break. This keeps me more focused and allows me to not get dragged down. Plus it works better for my disabilities since that’s a thing.

Additionally, I 1000% agree with the maxim that any problem in a book can be fixed in the editing process. It just takes a lot of work and a lot of suppressing of the author’s ego and the author has to be willing to do that. That last one is the toughest, because these books are their babies. Their children. It’s hard to hear that their child isn’t perfect. And editing can feel like an attack if you aren’t used to it. I do a lot of hand holding. I make sure that they know that just because I’ve found something I need to change that it isn’t a reflection on them. The only time it becomes a reflection on the author is when they have been told something is a problem and they choose to ignore that anyway because it doesn’t fit with their vision. I’m a pretty hard core editor. I tend to give it to my clients straight. And I think my clients know that I honestly and truly want them to succeed. Because I do. Honestly, a well-edited successful book is like a huge piece of advertising for me as an editor. Like straight on. I want my clients to succeed because then I’ll succeed. It’s a very symbiotic relationship.

Now there are books that I’ve edited that are absolutely horrible. Books where I’ve gotten them in the copy edit phase and I’ve wondered why the acquisitions and content editors are letting this subject go to press. But in the end, I have to remember what my job is. When that happens, it’s the self-care route again.

But seriously, most books have something good in them. It’s a question of finding it and drawing it out.

[judaiteitoreokou]

This is for the OTP prompts. Just do whatever ship(s) you feel like doing the most! Write as many or little as you like, as long as you're enjoying it ^_^

Judai: So mommy @shiroekoyuki is giving me free reign over this OTP prompt thingy (is this even an otp prompt? Lol).

This post might be a bit longer than my usual posts…. lol…. hope you guys will have fun reading my answers for this~☆

I’m going to start with my Tsukipro OTPs

HajiShun

• Who’s the werewolf and who’s the hunter

I’m going with Shun as the hunter and Hajime as the werewolf. Shun wouldn’t kill Hajime. Hajime with a black purple-ish fur that is so soft to touch. Lol.

• Who’s the mermaid and who’s the fisherman

Hajime as the fisherman and Shun as the mermaid. I’m imagining a pretty Shun with silver to pure white scales; he has pearls in his head, ears, wrists and neck; and he’s definitely the prince of the Atlantis and at the same time the resident sea witch (warlock? Magician?). So yeah, Shun can definitely turn himself into a human without any of those “in exchange for legs, you will lose your voice” deal.

• Who’s the witch and who’s the familiar

Shun is definitely the witch and Hajime is the familiar.

• Who’s the barista and who’s the coffee addict

I can’t imagine Shun as a coffee addict since he usually drinks tea so I’m leaning on Shun as the barista and Hajime as the coffee addict.

• Who’s the professor and who’s the TA

Hajime as the serious yet gentle to his students professor and Shun as the mysterious and mischievous TA.

• Who’s the knight and who’s the prince(ss)

Shun as the prince who either always laze inside the castle or always go out of the castle to observe the kingdom’s citizens (with Kai always fretting and chasing for the missing prince) and Hajime is the knight who is serious in guarding prince Shun’s life to the point that he’s always there wherever Shun is located.

• Who’s the teacher and who’s the single parent

To be honest, I think I’ll find it more interesting if its Shun who is the single parent and Hajime who’s the teacher.

• Who’s the writer and who’s the editor

Shun is the writer while Hajime is his exasperated editor. I bet Shun has two editors and it’s not because Hajime is not a good editor but because if those two are left alone, little to none will be finished. Lol. Btw, Kai will be the other editor. Lol.

ShiTsuba

• Who’s the werewolf and who’s the hunter

Hmmm.. I’m gonna go with Tsubasa as the werewolf who refuses to hurt humans and probably just there in the human territory to chill, and Shiki as the hunter who one day, unexpectedly, met the werewolf Tsubasa. 

Also, I just wanna see a Tsubasa with fangs… wwwwww

• Who’s the mermaid and who’s the fisherman

Tsubasa as the beautiful mermaid/merman and Shiki as the fisherman who caught said merman and immediately tossed him back to the water. 

Shiki wanted to eat fish. Edible fish. Merman is not edible (and is very pretty).

• Who’s the witch and who’s the familiar

Tsubasa as the stressed-out-for-being-tsukkomi witch/wizard and Shiki as the  why-am-I-here-I-want-my-coffee-boke familiar.

• Who’s the barista and who’s the coffee addict

Of course, without a shadow of a doubt, its Shiki who’s the coffee addict and Tsubasa is the exasperated barista.

• Who’s the professor and who’s the TA

Shiki as the professor who thinks sleep doesn’t exist and Tsubasa as the TA who forces the said professor to sleep. 

• Who’s the knight and who’s the prince(ss)

At first, I want Tsubasa as the prince and Shiki as the knight but I think it will more hilarious if its Shiki who’s the prince and Tsubasa as the knight. Shiki is like goes out of the castle without a disguise to visit that local tavern for a coffee with an exhausted Tsubasa who just finished fighting off tons of bad peeps who wanted to kidnap or assassinate the prince.

• Who’s the teacher and who’s the single parent

Tsubasa as the teacher of a preschool and Shiki as the single parent who was shocked to find his normally stoic son smiling happily to this pretty preschool teacher. 

I bet you’re thinking its love at first but nope. Shiki is salty that as soon as he greets his son, said son went back to his stoic self without a single trace of smile. And I bet he became saltier when he found out said pretty preschool teacher is that same first-year brat when he was still a third-year high schooler who criticizes his music and just vanished before Shiki can present to him the complete and improved version of his music. 

By the way, Tsubasa is actually a student from a different school and Shiki didn’t know. That’s why Shiki was shocked and thought it was a ghost or something when he asked for a certain blonde-haired guy in every first-year class in his school.

The Tsubasa is actually a ghost theory of Shiki was further enforced when he remembered the said blonde teen looking ethereal. No, it was just the trick of the light and Shiki’s exhausted mind and lack of sleep. 

• Who’s the writer and who’s the editor

Shiki is the writer who writes several award-winning novels and articles, and Tsubasa is his editor who kept on forcing Shiki to sleep and makes sure the said writer eats. It was kind of a traumatic experience for Tsubasa when he was still a rookie editor and he found Shiki fainted on the floor due to lack of sleep and food. After that, Tsubasa made sure to visit the writer everyday to keep him well-fed and to make sure he does sleep.

Tsubasa also became Shiki’s muse, without the former knowing it. Tsubasa was the person who broke Shiki’s writer’s block on the novel series he wasn’t able to finish for a long time. 

KouMamo

• Who’s the werewolf and who’s the hunter

Koki as the werewolf who is nice to human beings and Mamoru is the hunter who doesn’t like killing werewolves or any living things for that matter. Mamo-chan would rather befriend supernatural beings than killing or making them his slaves/followers. And because of his friendliness and warm aura, he has lots of supernatural friends. 

He met Koki when the latter was wounded after being shot in the forest by a hunter. Mamo-chan, who was in the forest to look for herbs, came across the wounded werewolf and carried him back to his house. Helped by his fairy friends, Mamo-chan was able to heal Koki.

Yes, Mamo-chan is a Disney princess. No one can tell me otherwise. Lol.

Also you may think the plot is a bit cliche but KouMamo is just that kind of couple who actually do all those cliche scenes you find in romantic movies. Although for both of them, it came naturally.

If you’re wondering about Mamo-chan’s supernatural friends, they consist of fairies, vampires, the demon lord, nymphs, elves, demons, a dragon king, gnomes, mermaids/sirens, angels, undeads, and beastkins. As for why Mamo-chan wasn’t able to befriend any werewolves is because werewolves attacks or runs away from him as they can smell the scent of hunters from him. Its cause Mamo-chan also has hunter friends.

And yes, the demon lord is Shun. Lol. Hajime is the dragon king.

Actually, if you guys want me to give you details on this AU, feel free to ask. *beams*

• Who’s the mermaid and who’s the fisherman

Mamo-chan is the mermaid/merman and Koki is the fisherman. Mamo-chan as the mermaid is due to that one art by Koyoki-sensei. I think it was an art for Halloween…?

Anyway, Mamo-chan as this mermaid who was caught by one of Koki’s net. Mamo-chan is a friendly and curious mermaid who, after their first meeting, started to watch Koki closely when the latter visits the sea. 

Friends with the wizard Shun, he asked for his tail to become legs. However, it came with a price. (I bet you think the price is Mamo-chan’s voice but nope, that’s not it. Lol) If you want to know more, feel free to ask. 

• Who’s the witch and who’s the familiar

Mamo-chan as the wizard whose magic sometimes fails while other times its too successful to the point of being too powerful. Koki is the familiar he was able to summon after five failed attempts.

• Who’s the barista and who’s the coffee addict

I can’t picture any of them as the coffee addict… But I’m gonna go with Mamo-chan as the coffee addict and Koki as the barista. Mamo-chan is that one customer who orders sweet coffee drinks to the point you can’t taste the coffee anymore and Koki is the barista who indulges Mamo-chan’s every coffee order despite it being too sweet to be healthy.

• Who’s the professor and who’s the TA

Koki as this cool-looking professor with tons of fangirling students and Mamo-chan is his clumsy but hardworking TA.

• Who’s the knight and who’s the prince(ss)

Koki as the knight who has sworn to protect the gentle and kind Prince Mamoru. 

• Who’s the teacher and who’s the single parent

Mamo-chan is the preschool teacher and Koki as a single parent. So I’m gonna merge it with the abovementioned ShikiTsuba scenario. Mamo-chan is Tsubasa’s coworker who plays the piano while Tsubasa sings. All of the kids love him, even the stoic son of Shiki (although said son loves Tsubasa more). While Koki treats his daughter as a princess, Mamo-chan sees her like an independent woman as said daughter acts so responsible to the point that she always looks out for her clumsy teacher. 

Mamo-chan is the reason why Koki’s daughter doesn’t act spoiled. Said child started learning how to make food and do chores so as to help Mamo-chan. Koki, while being a gentle, loving, doting parent, is not always around as he has to work and leave his daughter to the maids. He does give the effort to be there when he’s free from work. He was actually surprised when instead of playing, his daughter was helping the maids do chores and cook. Asked why, she answered that she wanted to help Mamo-chan-sensei….. and also be a woman who needs no man in her life, except for Mamo-chan-sensei and Papa (Koki). (By the way, the being “a woman who needs no man in her life” came from Mamoru and Tsubasa’s female coworker who was broken-hearted at that time). 

And since his daughter kept on mentioning this “Mamo-chan-sensei,” Koki found the time to visit the preschool to see who exactly this teacher who has become such a huge influence on his daughter. And lo behold~

(Feel free to ask for more details. LOL)

• Who’s the writer and who’s the editor

Koki as the editor and caretaker of one stressed-out writer Mamo-chan. XD

===========================

Judai: Those three Tsukipro OTPs for now. Perhaps I’ll make another post for my OTPs in another fandom. Actually, feel free to send an ask indicating which what couple would like me to write on. 

You can also send an ask if you guys are interested on the AUs I made up.

- Judai

[jali-writes]

thirty-one asks for writers.📜

what is a genre you love reading but will probably never write?

horror, cyberpunk  

which writer has had the greatest stylistic influence on your writing?

fuck if i know

has a specific song or lyric ever inspired a work of art for you?

HAS IT

a writer whose personal lifestyle speaks to you?

i’m not interested in the lifestyles of other creators. it’s personal and furthermore, whatever works for them usually doesn’t work for me.

do you write both prose or poetry? which do you prefer?

prose. i hate poetry.

do you read both prose and poetry? preference?

see above

which languages do you write in? which do you want to write in someday?

uhhhhhhhh english??? unless you wanna count french, my n5 japanese, my fluency in html and css, and my pidgin python?

share a quote or verse that has been on your mind lately.

It is said that when his wife died, Cronus wept for one thousand days and nights, collecting his tears and fashioning them into a beautiful crystal devoid of color –for his world felt devoid of love or joy without his lover, and the only beauty he could see were the memories in his tears.

a writer/poet whose life you find very interesting?

again, i literally don’t care. probably the only writer i know anything about was hemmingway, and i think he was a complete chad, with anger issues and addition issues. plus all his work sucks, don’t @ me.

what do you feel about the idea about someone unearthing your unseen or discarded drafts someday, long after your death? what about your personal journal?

i write my diaries with the frame of mind that someday, someone might stumble upon them and have a peek into what life was like during the years of my life recorded. who knows, maybe it’ll help future historians. or maybe they’ll just find me very irritating and pedantic.

do you prefer to write in silence or listen to something? what do you listen to?

lately it’s been chillhop in general. i used to write to just about anything, provided it worked for the scene, but i was younger and more energetic, and uninhibited by the effects of depression.

has an image ever impacted your artistic lens/inspired your work?

yes and no. for my current project, i’ve had in mind different geographical elements, architecture, and fashions for each different location, so i sought out the best i could find based on real-world examples to serve as visual reminders.

what would you describe the experience of writing itself? as in putting the words to paper, not planning or moodboards etc. do you agree with the common idea that the satisfaction lies in reading your work after you are done with it, rather than the process of writing itself?

uhhhh.... writing is .... making words happen in an appealing and emotive way? the satisfaction for me lies in finding just the right words and arranging them just so, so that the exact idea in my head is transcribed for others. but i tend to work in a vacuum so it’s up to my editor(s) to make sure my transcription makes any sense lol

how often do you write?

when depression permits, when i have a story to tell.

how disciplined are you about your writing?

i don’t block time, i just neglect other things in favor of writing. this means going without food or shower or sleep, and i’m well aware it isn’t healthy, but it’s how i roll. my digital files are immaculately named and organized. my diaries and bullet journals are dated, and my written-on-paper drafts are in bound notebooks labelled by volume.

what was your last long-lasting spurt of motivation?

about 2 days ago. i was on a 3 day binge, writing.

have you ever been professionally published? are you trying to be?

some would argue publishing online is “professional enough”, but seeing as all i’ve got are fanfics, i’m gonna say no. i would be sued black and blue if i tried to make bank off those ips. i would very much love to become published in hardcopy one day, but it’s a struggle for me to make my original constructions play out.

do you read literary magazines?

no. in fact i’m not a fan of anything literary, i find it pretentious and the people associated therein imo look down on fiction like it’s a dirty old scab.

a lesser known writer you adore?

n/a

do you write short stories? do you read them?

write, yes, read, no. unless it’s something my friend sends me for feedback, of course.

do you prefer to involve yourself with literary history and movements or are you more focused on the writing itself? any favourite literary movements?

we don’t do literary anything in this house. it’s pure fiction or gtfo. i barely have the energy to write at all most days, nevermind change the world and the way it views [concept] at large.

are you working on anything right now?

yes.

how did you get started with writing?

at some point in my late infancy i developed the motor skills to hold a writing implement. i would staple sheets of paper into a booklet and scribble on them, and then read back my “book” to anyone who would listen. i’m told i’ve been making up fanciful stories since i could talk. ironically enough by the time i was expected to learn how to read, i was so steadfastly against it, my mother and teachers feared i’d have to repeat first grade or be illiterate for the rest of my life. somehow my mom got through to me and after that, i consumed more books through scholastic orders than food. by 2nd grade i was reading at a 5th grade level; by 3rd i was reading at a 9th grade level.

do you have any “writer friends”?

at least 2

what is your earliest work you can remember?

i was 11 years old, in 6th grade, and my english teacher told us to make up our own fairytale. so i wrote about my cat.

have you found your writer’s voice yet? does your work have a distinct tone?

i have a portfolio of voices.

do your works share themes/are commonly about certain topics? or are your subjects all over the place?

mythology, love in all its forms, acceptance, family, self-discovery, neato buildings, supernatural, magic

what does writing mean to you?

the act of creation; getting to see places and journey with people i’d never otherwise meet; thinking about the way people are

in an alternate universe, imagine you had not found writing. what do you think would be your fixation otherwise?

screwing on the caps of toothpaste tubes

do you feel defined by your work?

as far as i can tell, i have yet to be defined by anything. i think being defined by something means it has ownership over you, but i am the creator, the maker, the god here, and i own it all. it does not own me.

have you ever written/considered writing under a pen name? if you would be okay saying, why?

yeah but i’m not saying what that penname would be because that would ruin the anonymity of having such a name.

[lnarizakis]

— sam’s match-ups masterlist

hi! if you sent in a match-up ask, you can find ‘em all here! if you sent off anon, i have just tagged you and added the link to the post. if you sent as anon/anon with identifying emoji, i included your description along with the link. this post will be constantly updated as i continue to post my match-ups! thank you and i hope you all enjoy your match-ups!!

— @hqprotectionsquad . . .

— anon . . . ❝ could i get a matchup🥺 with 2 boys~ i'm 4'9, i'm really tiny and i've been told i have really nice hair hehe personality wise i've been told i'm really gentle and calming, i had a teacher that said my voice is "serene" and "soothing" >__< i'm the mom friend of the group🥰 i'm quite the introvert, i enjoy just staying home with some takeout, studying quietly or playing acnh underneath all my blankets.. i'm quite fond of hugs and cuddling and forehead kisses too though😚😚💞💞💞 ❞

— anon . . . ❝ could i request for a matchup?🥺 i'm about 5'3, my friends always say i'm the perfect height to hug 🤗 i have long hair till my waist that i dyed a rose-gold colour, i like wearing green or grey contacts because i like the way they make my eyes look. i have a resting b!tch face though...i'm not very approachable because of it😭 i've been playing netball for about 6 years now and i'm quiet irl i guess, but off the court and when i'm comfy, i'm quite the goodball🤙🏻🤙🏻 ❞

— anon . . . ❝ grats for 500! I'd like to request a matchup w 3 ppl pls! Im female, 5'2, i LOVE volleyball! i play wing spiker but i used to play setter, i loved setting for my besties in hs after training. I like to work out, read books & study. i clean my room every morning cos i like neat things, my closet's organized. i have dark brown eyes and thick thighs, proud of em! i also dance, im flexible, and im taking journalism. i wanna play pro vb in the future but tbh 158.5cm's too short, but im not giving up! ❞

— ⭐️ 🌸 anon . . . ❝ Hey hey! If ur still doing the matchup event i would love one!! Im a short gal with wavy dark hair and green eyes. I wear makeup p often esp red eyeshadow and black winged eyeliner (bc im an egirl until i DIE). Speaking of egirl i dress in black and with a chain most of the time but i also randomly flip into floral soft girl hours?? As for personality im really energetic once im comfortable and i love people who can match that energy, esp bc i get anxious rlly easily so i need someone . . . who will help keep me calm and happy when my drive for success gets a lil out if hand lmao. I’m also v combative towards ppl who i think are disrespectful! I love classic novels and watching foreign movies, but I also LOVE sports and get rlly hype abt them. I also LOVE music esp metal but i can and WILL vibe to literally anything esp if its during a workout (bc i live at the gym and someone spotting my squats is so romantic 2 me 🥺). A match w/ 2 boys would be sick, tysm in advance! ❞

— anon . . . ❝ Im medium height with long brown hair and sharp features. I like drawing, reading, cooking. I’m rather chill and level-headed, i’m usually the one to fix objects and solve problems, I avoid drama. I’m compassionate and caring but sometimes indifferent. I like mountains, art galleries, concerts, cello and graphic design. I’m adaptable and open to learning new things but I don’t like changing my routine too much. + 1 male character. ty for this and congrats on 500 followers!!! you deserve it ❞

—anon . . . ❝ hihi!!!! congrats on 500!! i lov ur content sm.. akfjag im asking for a two chara match up!!! im 5'3 and i have pink hair,, i switch between so many hobbies LOL i play volleyball and softball,, and i love singing and painting!! i have a really cottagecore aesthetic and i love baking things for people!!!!! im really energetic and v bratty over text but i get flustered so easily in person,, i hope youre having a good day//night !!!!!! ty for ur fics ❞

— 🐧 anon . . . ❝ match up please!!🥺 2 characters n no gender preference!! im a tall (around 184cm) kinda chubby girl w/ shoulder length brown hair, hazel eyes, pale skin w/ a lot of moles n i wear glasses! im p shy n it takes me a while to open up. but when i do i am a completely dif person,, making friends is hard but the ones i do have i love more than anything! when im w/ them im cheerful, talk a lot n goof around. otherwise i look p intimidating n serious cause i have a rbf n barely talk,, . . . im the mom friend, an optimist, a dreamer n a procrastinator. im p hard to piss off but when im angry i can get scary 😳 im sensitive n cry a lot, currently im working on being more confident! i love animals n flowers!! cause im not the best with words i use lil gifts n touches to express my love! my hobby is drawing! ive been doing it my whole life n im rlly proud of it!! congrats on 500 followers love❤ ❞

— @raevaioli . . .

— 🦆 anon . . . ❝ Happy 500 bubs! You def deserve it :)! I was wondering if I could get a #1 male matchup? Looks: 5’1 petite fem w/ small chest/tiny waist. Thick/medium brown hair and eyes. I’m a cancer with ENTP type! I’m a very affectionate person to my loved ones. I’m very stubborn, sensitive (but I try to hide it), ambitious, witty and very talkative! I like to tease my friends, watch Netflix and try new baking things! Although I show my love through actions, I’m fine with getting love back in any way . . . Also I like baths! (It’s random but why not 😌) I wish you a good day! ❞

— anon . . . ❝ Hey! Can I get a matchup? (#1)I’m a Leo and a ISFJ chick! I have medium brown hair and big eyes w/ glasses. I have a petite body with a small waist and chest. I’m really nice to people but very awkward (I’ll laugh at the floor) and when annoyed. I’m much more open to others like my best friend,I feel at home with her :,) .My hobbies include watching greys anatomy, shopping for clothes, and calling my friends. I would want my partner to be a lil more extroverted than me. Happy 500 😊 ❞

— anon . . . ❝ hi! Can I get a matchup? I’m 5’2 straight girl w/ long brown wavy hair and big brown eyes. I’m thick in all the right places🥴 plus I have a curvy body. My star sign is Pisces and I’m a ISFP. I’m more introverted than extroverted. I dress like Hobo type of way, but i always wear AF1s and I NEVER crease them. In my spare time I draw,listen to raps (mostly by Tupac) and oldies, learn raps, and hang out wit friends. I also have a bunch of piercings on my ears and one on my nose. ty CONGRATS ON 500+ ❞

— anon . . . ❝ CONGRATULATIONS ON 500 WHOOP WHOOP❣️🥺, can i please have a matchup doe! so happy to celebrate this with you❤️ i’m a female, straight, 5’4 and a half, dark skin with medium black curly hair, chubby cheeks and always smiling, i love being outside just experiencing life or trying new drinks at restaurants!! i also enjoy staying home to watch tons of anime & movies or dates to the museum or theme park, spring is my favorite season and orange is my favorite color, i’m so hyper and loving, thank you! ❞

— 🐾 anon . . . ❝ Twice the charm I suppose :) I’m a 5’1 girl with long wavy brown hair. I have a lot of piercings and I tend to wear a lot of jewelry. I wear two knee braces due to a connective tissue disorder. I’m bisexual, so either way works for me owo. I’m an INFJ and a type 4. I’m told that I’m pretty easygoing but I get angry real quick when someone I love is threatened. I’m very empathetic and I’m the mom friend of the group 🐾 . . . Fun fact, don’t leave me alone in public for more than two seconds or else random strangers come up to me asking for advice. This has happened way too many times now don’t ask me why lmaooo. I’ve been playing soccer for eleven years now. I was the captain of a coed college-age division team for two years. I play left defense and goalkeeper. 🐾 . . . I go hiking a lot, I love cliff diving, and I’m an archer. I am also a painter and a writer. My dream job is to become a book editor, but I want to eventually live off my books. I tend to be pretty clingy when it comes to people. I randomly need a lot of attention and force my friends to cuddle. They like rejecting me 😔. Sorry that this was so long aha. Ily and have a good day 💕🐾 ❞

thanks for sending in an ask ! didn’t see yours? please let me know !

[seovienrose]

soccer club captain mingyu x yearbook editor reader au! pt 2

continue from pt 1

mingyu is very close to seungcheol, the soccer club former captain and school alumni as he came to monitor the progress of soccer club under mingyu’s leadership

the 10 players, lining up and standing across each others trying to pass the ball to each other as a warm up

so the team was divided to into 6:6 with seungcheol as the goalkeeper for the opposite team 

the game started with a loud whistle and seokmin got the ball, trying to score into the opposite goal, he passed the ball to the team’s striker, mingyu and mingyu striked a goal easily

jihoon, then tackled a ball from seokmin and almost landed a goal but was blocked by chan, the team’s goalkeeper

after 2 hours of games, the practice ended and mingyu’s team won with 8:6

seungcheol knew he entrusted the soccer club to a reliable person 

“good game today mingyu and others, i have lots of fun monitoring and playing with you guys today! good luck with upcoming regional tournament! now lets go to mcdonalds boys its my treat!”

since its been half of the year, the yearbook committees had gotten so busy to catch up with activities within the months (sports day, academic decathlon, language week etc)

since that bread and milk day, mingyu and you didn’t come across each other except that time you met him at the school gate and he blushed suddenly

what drugs he’s consuming

anyways, you were discussing with yearbook journalists and photographers about having them manage their time properly according to upcoming events due to midterm examinations coming soon

a lot of teachers complained that some yearbook committees had to miss classes frequently because of activities held by the school (its inevitable you know)

you went to your work desk after briefing but the photographers and journalists still sat around the meeting table 

you were eavesdropping to minghao talking to other photographers about regional soccer tournament apparently being held soon and who’s getting the tickets

“mingyu got me a front seat ticket and he said he is inviting someone else too”

“he is probably inviting the girl in the theatre club, no?”

“dunno...”

WHATS THE DEETS WITH THE THEATRE CLUB GIRL

“well im not suprised if they still keep in contact with each other”

as much as you pretended to be unbothered you cant help yourself to be engaged in their conversation about mingyu

until the assistant editor of yours, soonyoung or people call him mr hochi came breaking the chit chatter to end with his arms crossed

hochi is much feared by the committees compared to the chief editor yourself since he is a year older and stricter with the yearbook’s precision

he was the chief editor for 3 years consecutively before you and decided to become an assistant because a lot of past committees quitted because of his leadership lol

“i didn’t appoint you guys to gossip but to do your job as yearbook committees, i don’t want to hear any complaints again from teacher about any of you slacking or missing out in classes”

with that everyone parted ways and continue doing their things at their personal desks

that was just an appreciation advertisement for our mr hochi lets get back to your love story

when you went to your locker to pick up english literature books, you saw a note stuck on the locker door

‘hey can we meet at equipments stores around 4 am right after our evening class, don’t be late i have to attend my soccer practice at 4:15 pm, sincerely mingyu’

okay why he wants to meet you at 4 in the morning but the practice at 4:15 pm???

you just laughed and proceeded to your literature class

after your literature class, you went straight to equipments stores and saw mingyu were fiddling around with something in his hands

“why do you want to meet me at 4 am?”

mingyu was half shOOKETH when he heard your voice and he had this “what???” face

“you wrote 4 am in the note” and you laughed again

mingyu was rubbing his neck and kinda laughed too, “i wrote that in hurry because i was in rush to my mathematics class”

you nodded and he smiled in awe after looking at you

“ah actually i want to give you this..i don’t know if you’re free but i’d be honoured if you can come to my tournament”

(my readers be like pretends to be surprise.gif lmao)

HE GAVE YOU THE VIP SEAT TO THE SOCCER TOURNAMENT YEAYYYY

“oh....” you just accepted it shyly

suddenly he rummaged his adidas convertible and took out an egg tart and strawberry milk again this time

you feel so overwhelmed you want to burst when he gave them to you

“y/n do come to my tournament this saturday alright? i would be so happy if the chief editor herself could come and give her personal feedback!! i gtg now, bye!!”

“thank you mingyu..”

mingyu walked away and went to field after making you feeling so flushed

the following morning, when you walk to the hall you met minghao and he greeted you a good morning

“y/n i already talk to the graphic and layout designer to reformat the yearbook design since we’re adding new segment”

“what segment?”

“either advertisements or candids section, what do you think is better?”

“for 2 pages? nobody is gonna be entertained with ads” and someone was running in the busy hall, pushing your shoulder making your file in your arms fell

minghao collected your file and tilted his head to the side

“y/n..you’re going to mingyu’s tournament?”

little did you remember that the soccer tournament ticket was in your clear file and minghao had to see that

“y-yes...”

“we’re going together then!!!” minghao jumped a little and stopped his track, “wait a minute...so you’re the girl he is currently having a crush on?”

“what crush? what about the theatre club girl?”

minghao was standing with his hand hanging to his waist, “so you overheard our conversation?”

you nodded

“we guessed him and the theatre club girl were a thing but turned out she was pestering mingyu one-sided”

he walked to the stairs to go to his literature class and you continued your way to your physics class after bidding goodbyes

in the literature class, minghao interrogating mingyu session

“dude, you’re flirting with y/n now?”

mingyu ignored the latter but he was actually flustered to answer

“do you expect a full page coverage of you and soccer club in the yearbook by doing this?”

mg: “what the hell minghao?”

minghao: “okay im just kidding”

mg: “she’s too adorable”

minghao: “adorable? didnt she get mad at you for sleeping on the couch in a prohibited room?”

mingyu was in his dreamy state because he was reminded of your smile

he was like that for 1 minute and minghao snapped his fingers

“okay fine i like her genuinely i want to keep her in pocket stop asking me” 

saturday arrived aka the awaited soccer tournament day

your father lifted you off at the town’s stadium and you saw minghao with his camera bag and camera tripod

“hi do you need help mr photographer?”

minghao: “sure thing, do you have the ticket? lets go in”

you helped carried the adapters and batteries bag and got inside the soccer hall 

mingyu who happened to be searching for vending machine found you and minghao

HE INSTANTLY TURNED INTO THE BIGGEST PUPPY EVER

he came running to you and grinned as wide as he can

“you came y/n!!!” 

he looked at your shoulder and noticed the adapter bag belonged to minghao and rolled his eyes as he took the bag off your shoulder

“yOU MADE HER HOLD YOUR THINGS???!!!”

minghao was like -_______- “shut up mingyu” 

“i offered to help because those seemed heavy” 

after the chaos mingyu held minghao’s both camera and adapters bags then lead both of you to your vip seats

minghao set up his tripod and started adjusting his camera

you were inspecting the soccer hall

can you guess what mingyu was doing?

DING DONG DAENG 

he was looking at you tenderly like he hadn’t seen you for 10 million years, he was really infatuated with you

you said “don’t you have like rehearsal or stuff to do other than looking at me like a creep?”

mingyu blushed again and excused himself to the waiting room to brief to his soccer club teammates

“i have never seen him so invested in a girl like that before, he likes you like a lot y/n”

“really minghao, you think so?”

anyways the tournament began, for the first halves of the game your school team seemed sloppy and demotivated because “apparently they seemed nervous” the commentator said

during the interval time, you can see and hear mingyu shouted really loudly to give encouragements toward his teams

the coach also were guiding them and giving careful advices before their second halves started 

mingyu on the field were looking at you and minghao, smiling half-heartedly

you took this opportunity to make a big heart with your arms and mingyu instantly laughed, continued running to his position

seokmin, jihoon and mingyu scored 4 goals during the second halves with chan managing to block 2 goals and 1 free kick from opposite team

your school soccer club took the trophy home with last minute goal from jihoon with 9:7 and all of the players were roaring happily doing their circle hugs

after the final match ended, you waited by the side of field 

mingyu saw you in the crowds and he ran towards you

“congratulations mingyu, i enjoyed it!!”

“well im hoping you could come for another tournaments”

“i would love to......date you and also go to your other tournaments.”

mingyu was SHOOKETH AGAin its like he was getting heart attack

“what?????”

“you didn’t hear it wrong, boyfriend”

mg: “so it’s day one today?”

you nodded and beamed like the brightest sun ever

mingyu gently kissed your cheek and you both half-hugged since mingyu was sweating lol

little did you know, minghao captured the picture of mingyu kissing your cheek perfectly

[xerborgen]

entry 0?

hello!

currently, my summer break has officially begun. not too sure what to feel of it though, since I recently got more loose leaf paper for my favorite notebook [that i’m gonna attach a photo of] and my motivation for note-writing is 10000000000000000

anyway, i’m not too sure what this entry is about but since i decided to type up an entry on my summer break, why not tackle about my 9th grade experience from what i expected, what i experienced, and what i’ve learned!

what i expected, experienced, learned...

during the summer before 9th grade, i already expected that it would be challenging and hard, hearing from a lot of peers that 9th grade was probably the most stressful out of the four years of high school. but to be honest, i really, really did not know what was in store for me. all i knew was i was happy that i was still with the same people, not wanting to go through the pain of silly introductions & awkward getting-to-knows (we still did though, for the sake of something to do on the first days + teachers wanted to know who the hell we are - so even if all of us dreaded the introductions, it was fine, because we already know each other. let the teachers have the shorter end of the stick lol) 

i vaguely remember how my 9th grade kickstarted, but it was also the year i started to become a part of the editorial board in our school publication. i was the web editor, meaning i had to edit photos & posts and basically run the social media accounts lol. the job was a fucking inconvenience because i usually don’t like committed work and i don’t like being bothered most of the time, but it was something out of my personal bubble and even if i dreaded the times that it bothered me, it helped me hone my passion for design and taught me a LOT about work and ethics. being in that organization made me cry, and honestly, i do not want to be part of it again this year, but i decided i’ll stay one more just for the record. i realized that i was an ass for not giving all of my best when my team, even though sometimes were assholes, were doing their jobs efficiently. 

if you read my older entries, its stated that i wanted to change myself and my ways, for my sake and for the better. during 8th grade, i started to undergo major constructions from my personality & disposition to my outlook and perception in life. this year made me go through a lot as well, and i tried to not make the same mistakes anymore.

friends. i lost my connection with a handful of people this year, and it was challenging for me. being in the a class with the same old people does have its disadvantage, and it’s not being able to avoid being involved with people you don’t want to fuck around with anymore. i do have some old friends that i missed being with, but i think that it was supposed to be like this. i do not resent.

i am very blessed to have a small circle of close friends that i can call my home. i do not need a lot. i just need enough. these are people that i am willing to share my pain and laughter with. and i’m very, very thankful for them.

academics/future. since 10th grade is coming up, i cannot avoid The Talk where it involves what i would do in senior high and college and so on. i’m still torn between graphic design and architecture, but i think i will pick the STEM strand just because.

i became more diligent in my studies and i can say that i can take notes very well. i have a tiny knack for studying for upcoming exams, because i can create cute notes and only think of exams, and not other stuff if that made ANY SENSE

i also did things that i did not think i would do and can do. representing my section in a contest by myself and won, joined a dance competition and won, and others. 

here are a compilation of what i learned but with matching quotes:

strike the iron while its hot. grab the opportunity while its right in front of you. trying never hurts. i was always scared of failure, that it clouded my vision that success could be within my reach.

everyone, even myself, can have an easy change of heart. don’t expect people to stay the same. expect differently everytime. if someone has been good to you, expect the next time that they’re not, so that the pain won’t be doubled and you just let yourself down with your wrong expectation. better to have a lower expectation be proven wrong than a higher one.

there’s beauty in solitude. i always wanted to go home early after classes. always wanted to seclude myself and recharge because my energy gets drained after being with people a lot. when you’re alone, you see things a lot more clearer and be a little bit better.

listen first before you speak. speak if it’s needed...

do all things with great love.

that’s basically all of the things i can think of right now, but if i ever remember something, i might add it on again to this.

anyway, i recently had the productivity to watch Naruto again and finished it! i even started Boruto: Naruto Next Generations which is still ongoing. i freaking catched up until 98 episodes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

anyway, summer break’s still long enough to do a lot more things.

playlist while writing this entry: “my lofi series: marsh/mellow!” by me on spotify

10:19 pm. 3/31.

[saints-row-2]

talking about life stuff 

im still jobless and im meeting up w/ an agency that helps ppl find volunteering gigs so hopefully that should be interesting at least and grab some experience but im really feeling like... kind of apathetic about the future like i dont feel particularly motivated about any career... atm im trying to start working on short stories to sell and i care about that a lot more than any job in particular...

i just like. theres no like. career i really care about getting. ive been trying to get into publishing (and failing lol) as an editor and that would be cool but i dont like. feel super passionate about that atm like i dont really. care. like i dont have dreams for any job other than to be an author like i want to be a novelist and i dont super give a shit about anything else.

except. like. teaching. like pretty much my whole childhood i wanted to be a teacher and like that was literally always the plan until i got into university and i totally forgot about it in the last few years bcs i decided i had to get involved in writing as a career. and now ive like. remembered it suddenly. and its suddenly been something ive been really thinking about like ive even been looking into teacher training stuff... 

like part of me is like. you really wanted to do this for a long time. but another part of me knows that ive latched onto this idea bcs going for teaching would be like. like its A Goal to work towards instead of doing what im doing atm which is kind of aimlessly drifting around trying to work out what i wanna do which is kind of the default state for 20 year olds. like doing teacher training would be more time in uni and more time in training and not like.... being on my own. like its easy i guess is my point. obviously its not easy to become a teacher but its easy to latch onto smth as a goal when theres nothing else around.

but at the same time. i love the idea of being a high school teacher so much. i love the idea. i think about it all the time. but i dont think its a good idea to start committing to something when im in such an emotionally vulnerable place in general.

like. idk. its hard not knowing what youre doing. i really hate not being in university anymore. i still feel very unequipped for life. but! hey thats what the volunteering stuff is about. i wanna get experience i wanna work... if i spend time doing that itll boost my general confidence i think and then we’ll see. im still putting a loose deadline that if im not like.. working or in an internship or something at the end of the year im gonna start really seriously looking at phd or teacher training options but we’ll see where i am mentally. at the end of the year! thats where im at. 

god i keep obsessing over this teaching thing and i just know its gonna be soooo embarrassing if i like totally forget about it again in two months!!  but thats why im just thinking about it im not committing. 

[hidden-otaku-stuff]

(1) Hello I am back!! I'm sorry it's been long, these past couple of weeks have had me swamped with homework :( and yet I still didn't do it all 🤡 also get ready for a bunch of messages because 1.) responses and 2.) my thoughts on Lockscreens. Spoiler: I am Emotional haha. Aww, thank you :') I used to think it was weird to give yourselves nicknames but I'm past that now haha. Another one I go by sometimes is "Lizard" because I stick my tongue out a lot when I'm talking??

(2) and people think I'm cold blooded because I get really cold easily and like to bask in the sun. I mostly just did traditonal sketches and a lot of screencap redraws. I want to get into art again, but I'm taking it slow for now and focusing more on my writing. And I feel that too LOL. I'm going to start a blog dedicated to reblogging x reader fics that I like because I'm too embarrassed to do so on my main blog (I tell all of your followers 🤡)

hey Honeymoon! as long as you’re taking care of yourself, that’s all I care about 💞 i’m gonna post my responses into two parts. a Lockscreens segment after you send in the rest of your thoughts and a get-to-know-you part for now!

(also I’M FROM CA TOO AND WHY ON EARTH ARE YOU SENDING ME MESSAGES AT 3AM OML)

ngl, i feel like the best person to give you a nickname is yourself! i jokingly gave myself the nickname ‘Daddy’ and that’s literally become my “rave” personality LMAO. but i can understand why some people think it’s weird 🤷 honestly lizard is a bad-ass nickname !! i’m the same way - being in the cold makes me sooo sleepy and i’d rather bask in the sun 😂

i’d love to see your artwork or writing sometime! please feel free to send it over 🥰

(3) Honestly even with all my issues it's kind of nice being a hopeless romantic! Like you said it gives me the chance to day dream haha. Maybe I have my head in the clouds a lot but sometimes it's nice to be there. There's so many, but I think it's a tie between enemies to lovers and friends to lovers. I love the drama and comedy from the former but I'm so Soft for the latter, and that's highkey how I want my relationship to start.

(4) I think building that bond with someone before you even start dating them is really sweet, and having that connection by the time you commit to each other is 💓 I'm sorry you've been having writers block, that's the worst :( if it helps, the past two chapters have turned out amazing, I love them so much!! I think the closest I got to hardcore shipping something that wasn't canon was RinHaru? But there was also a lot of tension and affection in their relationship so I could see it being canon

there’s nothing wrong with having dreams! just so long as you can ground yourself at the end of the day. 

enemies to lovers is always the funniest for me to read TBH. because it’s such an inevitable cliche haha. friends to lovers though -- oooo my heart. 

the best relationships start with friendship. it’s the most authentic imo. like for me, it’s exhausting bearing my heart open to new people each time i want to get involved with someone romantically. but having someone who already knows you inside out??? swoon. what about a trope you dislike?

ah tyty, i’m glad you enjoyed them! the writers’ block wasn’t too bad for these chapters. i’ve had them typed up for a few weeks now :’) 

rinharu is so cute though! but Harukoto (or whatever the ship name is tbh) is super cute too. but maybe i just really like the best friend to lovers trope LMAO

(5) I just looked at their insta and !!!!!!!!!! that's so cute! I like bokuaka but I've never looked into it as much as others, but their art made me have Feelings lol. I think that is a good view to have on family tbh. I've developed a relationship with my blood family and we're close, but there's something special about the relationships and love you have for people you choose to stay with. I love Tiana!! I think she's a really underrated Disney character :(

(6) She really encompasses Disney's message of working hard to achieve your dreams, and she's a strong, independent woman without being closed off and rejecting her feelings. I think it's so cute and cool that she had that much of an impact on you :D Oof, I get that 💀. Men are gross 🤢 I don't get it very often because I live in SoCal and tbh to a lot of other people brown just equals mexican lol. They're right but I really don't look full mexican. Portuguese and Islander people can tell though

bokuaka art makes me have ~ feelings ~ i also really like @/liann1009 and @/maddox_rider on IG! (tbh idk if they have a tumblr whoops) liann1009 does a lot of OiHina whereas maddox_rider does bokuaka which is ridiculously cute too 🥰 

DUDE OMG YES!!! Tiana and Kita (from Atlantis) are under-rated QUEENS who deserved better!! we need representation out here in this b*tch!!! 

idek why, but some people think i look hispanic 🙃 but yes bby, men are gross and should be better!! i have yet to meet a man who deserves to stand on equal ground to me, imma be real. (2d men don’t count but y’know). does it bother you when people mistake your ethnicity? 

(7) Thank you!! Ngl it's kind of scary wondering about what the industry is going to be like because I'm sure I will run into a lot of biased people and sources, but learning to navigate that is just part of the job. Of course there's people who will read biased sources and attack you too, but you can't always escape those people :/ and thank you love, you're so sweet 💕 That's really admirable! It takes a lot of work and creativity to start a business, I'm sure you'll be successful 😊

(8) what kind were you thinking of? and psych is super cool too! Having that understanding of people and the world can be really eye opening and fun :D It's okay, he was one of my favorite teachers but looking back he was an asshole. He had his good/funny moments and did a lot for me, but he also abused some of editors in my journalism class, and some friends of mine :/ He wouldn't appreciate their work, sometimes insult them, and even encouraged my friend to not sleep for the sake of the paper

i’m positive that you’ll do just fine once you get out there! it seems like you have a pretty thick skin :) 

i really wanted to open a business to help support under-represented groups receive an education - with major focus on minority groups such as orphans/foster children, veterans, and the homeless. there’s so much logistics that tbh i’m too ~stressed~ to think about so i’m tabling that for awhile :’) 

bruhhh fuck that teacher. drop his addy, i just wanna talk real q 💞   if you can’t support all of your students, then there is no point in being a professor!! there is literally 0 reason to be rude when you’re in a position of power, especially when it involves someone’s passion, career, and/or education.

(9) I just remembered that there's a limit to how many asks you can send in a certain amount of time so if these suddenly stop I'm sorry! I'll come back when I can haha. I wouldn't say I'm all that great tbh, but I'm proud of a lot of my works LOL. My favorite part about it is using makeup and tools to just turn into something else. Wounds are always fun, but making yourself a gargoyle or some other creature is what makes it so interesting to me.

(11) I'm OBSESSED with the makeup and costumes from LOTR. It's my biggest inspiration. I can go on about it haha. That's so cool!! Being a part of the whole production, especially all sides to it, sounds so fun. Do you have any favorite memories from your time in high school? I'd love to hear them if you have any :O Confession: I have never seen any of those asdfkljvk. I know I really should though and it's on my to do list ! I've heard really great things about all of them !

imma be real, i didnt know there was a limits on asks LMAO. i did hear that they sometimes get eaten though, so i really hope that doesn’t happen 😅 

we all start somewhere. your first step will never look like someone else’s, nor should it. as long as it’s something that you can look back upon and be proud of and know that you’ve grown from, that’s all that matters! 

just imagining someone using makeup to turn themselves into a gargoyle has my head spinning  🤣 like ya girl can barely do her eye-makeup, let alone anything as intense as that! what’s been the most difficult project? 

DUDE, I LOVE MEDIEVAL-HISTORICAL WORKS! like the dresses from that Mary from Reign wears has my heart so softtttt. dfsnosdf. please!! tell me some of your fav things about LOTR  💖

omg high-school was so long ago, i don’t think i have any favorite memories from it 🙃 i think the opening night of a production would be the best. listening to the audiences reactions as the performers left their hearts on-stage, seeing all the pieces fall together, that was always absolutely incredible. wbu, what did you enjoy about hs? 

i have very strong opinions on those musicals LMAO. i can talk about them forever  🤩

[kierarutherford]

My Writing Method

I said I would elaborate on my method and here we go. 

1. It starts with an idea. = This can come from the shower, a stop line off a show, my kids yelling, shopping, a weird commercial, a nightmare/dream. I just get them. And I run with them.

2. Writing. = So I adhere to my own principles based on the advice from Stephen King to aspiring writers. In his heyday he would write roughly 5000 words or 6 pages a day. I try to accomplish the same minimum. NOW we’re going to get into the meat and potatoes of my operations. *WARNING* I am a squirrel.

3. Sitting down = so some writers love writing board, story layouts, chapter layouts, character sheets... *ahem* I have NONE of those. Absolutely everything I have ever written was from my head. I had no idea what the characters were going to do in that chapter, or how it got there. I simply had a starting idea and a chapter ending idea. Ex. Hyacinth and Cullen from Where Flowers Dare to Bloom. In a chapter, I knew I wanted to lead in with the Winter Palace. By the end I wanted her to violently kill the Duchess. How I got from walking through the front doors to her stabbing the Duchess to pieces with a broken buckler, all from the seat of my imagination pants. :) I also write at all hours. I’ve been known to write at 3 am, especially if the words are pouring out.

4. Never second guess = In the beginning when I’d get a comment about why I added this or why I did this, I would panic. Over think it, swear I was doing it all wrong and shut down for a whole day, maybe two. Throwing off my minimum. Now I stick by my guns. I put a very raw scene in two of my fics. Ones I was concerned to put in, but they lay the foundations to my characters. Without them, I feel the character lacks the depth she deserves. Stephen King’s words, write for yourself first, ring very true for me.

5. Proofreading = I DO NOT have an editor. As much as I’d love one, it’s costly and I don’t have the income for someone to read and pour over my lengthy chapters. Where Flowers Dare to Bloom is over 130,000 words and 19 chapters. So, I follow the advice of my elementary school teacher. Read it out loud. The ear picks up what the brain does not. It catches the odd sounding sentence, spelling mistake and the wrong word. It’s not perfect but it has served me well. I am becoming a better editor as I write.

6. FINAL = I do NOT keep several copies of one fic. I have 1 save for each one. No ‘rough draft,’ or ‘first cut,’ it is literally a file on my computer labeled All in a Name, as I work on it, I save it. Nothing more, nothing less. 

There we have it. My squirrel brained writing style. It works for me, but it isn’t for everyone. With All in a Name, I have to remember where everyone is on the field and players, so I have them written on a dry erase board. It’s the only time I’ve written anything down lol. That’s it.  If you have questions about my crazy style, how I created my characters, why or how I came up with these stories, feel free to message me! Seriously! I’d love to answer them, and if it helps someone else’s writing, even better!   

[imnoexpertblog]

Lonely Netflix Movie Binge

6/21/18

In my boredom with Baby being gone on his business trip and needing something to watch/listen to while I pack up our apartment, I have been watching random Netflix movies that were suggested to me based on my interest and past viewings. I never watch new movies alone. I can re-watch anything I want by myself but I like seeing new stuff with someone else. Over some intense self-reflection the past few years I think this is because I have always had company in some form throughout my life. I was rarely alone. I never had to do anything myself. My mom was very social when I was growing up and she always had friends over. My siblings were also always with me. Then as I got older, I was usually in a relationship. When I was single, I had a roommate I was very close to. I’ve become used to doing things with someone else. Going out to eat, watching new movies, going to events, even just hanging out. It’s not to say I can’t do these things by myself, I have grown to appreciate my alone-time. But. I prefer to have company when doing certain things. I like sharing experiences with people; talking about what we are doing, making memories, having someone else to enjoy time with. But with Baby being away, I forced myself to watch six whole new movies by myself! These are the ones and what I thought about them. (I tried to pick unique and understated ones but that were still specifically recommended to me by Netflix and that went… Not so great).

Adore

“Two lifelong best friends each begin a steamy affair with the other's son, but trouble begins to brew when one of the two young men desires a lover his own age.” I have seen the cover art for this movie for a long time now, maybe a year. I don’t know why I have skipped over it every time until this week; maybe because I never read what it was about. The synopsis intrigued me enough to start watching it though. Seems pretty risky and taboo, doesn’t it? That always makes something enticing. I will say, though, it is odd. It has a soap-opera type of feel to it. Instead of being really cliché, it turned out to feel a little deeper than that. I am not sure how believable the whole plot is, but who watches a movie to see a boring realistic story? I was pleased with the cast and the acting. I think it was scored well, too. There is tension and drama, but it’s a calm flick. I wasn’t sure what to make of this movie until I found out it’s actually a French production. That changed my perspective a bit, considering the difference in culture. The setting made it easy to watch; the beach is absolutely gorgeous. I was genuinely interested to see how in the world this unique situation would turn out. The reviews aren’t very good, but I didn’t hate it, my any means. I thought it was interesting to see how everything played out for them all.

Open House

“A teenager and his mother find themselves besieged by threatening forces when they move into a new house.” This one I was excited for initially when it was new. I like thrillers and I like the main actor, Dylan Minnette from 13 Reasons Why. But man oh man. This movie is so slow. Not until half-way through the film did I actually feel some excitement or anticipate what comes next. The whole beginning half I was just kind of waiting. The “build-up” didn’t build me up at all. I was bored watching this. The real excitement did start until there was 22 minutes left in the movie. A lot of wasted time, if you ask me. The same “scary” weird things happen through the entire first 3/4 of the movie and it was just redundant and anticlimactic. But once it got going, HOLY COW. I will say I was so confused because there didn’t seem to be anything in the movie that would point me in any direction of guessing what was happening once the action was going down. So, that also frustrated me. It was a pretty intense last 20 minutes or so, but that is not to say it was good. Thumbs down for sure.

Below Her Mouth

“Jasmine is a successful fashion editor living with her fiancé. On a night out in the city with her best friend, she meets Dallas, a roofer recently out of a relationship. Surprised by the confidence with which Dallas pursues her, Jasmine turns Dallas down but can't get her out of her head. When Jasmine finally succumbs, the two women embark on a steamy affair that forces them both to re-evaluate their lives.” Okay. I didn’t expect this movie to have so much sex in it. Again, I watched it out of intrigue for the taboo nature of it. And taboo it was, oh my goodness. There was no limit to nudity or openness of sexual scenes. I have no issue with intimate scenes, but I was surprised to see just how much there was involved in the film. It seemed to be overkill at some points. I was fascinated by how these two women acted with and towards each other so early on in knowing each other. I guess I can’t judge. Baby and I felt like we were together forever by the time we were a week into seeing each other. We acted like it, too. Anyway, this movie just seemed like a lot of erotic moments with little substance. I did need to know how this affair would unravel, though. Not sure how I feel about the ending. All of that being said, I wasn’t sure how to rate this.  It is rated pretty poorly overall. A lot of people attacked the main focus being on sex. Which it was. It got in the way of getting to know the characters. There was nothing to invest myself in. The acting was also dull until the erotic scenes. The more I type, the more I realize that I was unimpressed, as was everyone else. I’ve read that this is a crappy version of another movie on Netflix, “Blue is the Warmest Color.” Maybe I will watch that next.

Friend Request

“Laura is a popular college student who graciously accepts an online friend request from Marina, a young social outcast. To everyone's shock, Marina takes her own life after Laura decides to unfriend her. Soon, a disturbing and mysterious video appears on Laura's profile and her contacts slowly dwindle. When her friends suddenly begin to die one by one, the frightened young woman must figure out a way to stop the carnage before it's too late.” I remember seeing the trailer for this in theaters back when it came out 2 years ago. I did NOT want to watch this movie. I thought it looked ridiculous, to be honest. I have never been interested in the social . I know I shouldn’t watch anything remotely scary if I have to sleep alone (I have issues with a type of nightmare/sleep disorder but we will get into that another time) but beyond my better judgement, I watched it anyway. I was actually very interested the whole time I was watching. I did think the kills were different. The reviews are horrible. People have ripped this movie apart. Maybe I’m a broken human being (LOL) but I didn’t mind it. I also actually really enjoyed the ending. I wasn’t sure how this could end up, but I like the way they did it. Again, I’m on the fence about rating it. I wouldn’t say it was great, but I wasn’t struggling to watch it either.

Inconceivable

“Angela develops a friendship with a mysterious woman named Katie and offers her a job as a live-in nanny. The natural bond soon turns into a dangerous obsession as Katie becomes overly attached to the family's young daughter. Enduring lies and manipulations, Angela and her husband realize that sweet Katie is actually trying to destroy their family from within.” This started off with a bang. It also revealed the twist within the first half of the movie. I was pretty interested in it the whole time because I liked the story-line. You get enough information at the right pace. It didn’t drag and it didn’t bore me at any time. I was a little apprehensive with how all these movies have been underwhelming this week, but I liked this. I didn’t find it predictable. The reviews, you guessed it, are bad. I actually rarely agree with reviews on movies that aren’t huge. I didn’t this movie to have crappy reviews though, to be honest. I recommend this movie.

Dismissed

“An optimistic, straight-edged teacher finds trouble when a star student is willing to do anything to get an A.” Alright. First of all. Dylan Sprouse acted the hell out of this role. I was thoroughly impressed with him in this film. He was so believable! A great film about psychopathy. I was hooked right away, even with the vague synopsis/summary. There was so much potential for this to be so cheesy but it wasn’t at all. They didn’t hold back in this film; the incidents that occurred. Some reviews said it was predictable but I highly disagree. Reviews also said it was low budget (is also said that they did well with such a low budget) but I didn’t see it that way. I don't want to give too much away because really liked it and I recommend it.

I wish I had better suggestions for you guys, I really only recommend Inconceivable and Dismissed out of these six movies. I guess I’d say watch Adore if you are bored and wanna throw something on for background noise; something to catch every now and then while cleaning maybe. Friend Request might have been something I liked just because I like scary movies, but watching those can be fun. Below Her Mouth, honestly is just super erotic. Take that as you may. And lastly… Please, I beg of you, never waste your time on Open House.

In other news, I have decided to take this day to myself. If you are not my fiancé, I can't promise I will be talking to you today. I have packed a lot (which I wouldn't have gotten done without the help of my sister Vanny, my best friend from work, Ryan, and his best friend named Cal), slept less than I've wanted to, been to the bank too many times, and have seen my mortgage lender too often lately. It is time to shower, sleep, watch better movies for sure, and lay around without having to answer ANYONE. If you feel like you've been stretched too thin or you're stressed, you should consider doing the same. I've been non-stop going at it for about six weeks now and I deserve this. I love you all, but I need today. Comment away, just expect a response tomorrow. Xoxo.

[this-is-a-witty-url]

the wonder @chlance tagged me :o :o now i gotta write 10 + 1 facts about me!

awwww yeah

i was born 2 days before my mother’s 30th birthday. it never really hit me, the whole 30 year difference, until this year. because i’m turning 30 this year. it feels like my mom had accomplished so much more than me by the time she was 30. this year is gonna be an emotional one.

my grandmothers named me because i am the first born. my mother wanted to give them the honor. had they not named me i would have been named summer dawn or mahogany. my mother’s mother named me after the movie breakfast at tiffanys, my father’s mother gave me my middle name because she liked the name. she doesn’t call me by my first name for this reason.

my dad was obsessed with trying to get me into the tv industry. i attended quite a few model and tv casting calls as a kid but my ADD kept me from actually focusing enough on the commands to land any callbacks -- except for one show when i was 14 which i did appeared on but by that time i wasn’t interested in tv anymore and become an emo scene kid so my dad gave up.

i love movies and music from the 1940s - 1960s, the golden age of hollywood. west side story makes me cry and days of wine and roses is probably one of the best movies ever. i’m listening to frank sinatra right now and it just reminds me of nights in my childhood home with it playing on the stereo while my mom would tell me stories about my grandmother hanging out in that whole social scene in the 1950s.

i was a film student for three months before switching my major due to the economy going to shit and i was afraid that getting a degree in film would land me with a lot of school loan debt and no actual job to pay it off. video editing was always a hobby of mine as kid and my dad spent a lot of money buying me gadgets and nice computers to edit videos on. i took tv production throughout high school with a desire of going to film school and eventually becoming a film editor.

i can play the tenor saxophone, clarinet, bass clarinet, and bass guitar. i’ve been awarded so many medals, badges, and accepted in honor bands as a bass clarinet player in middle/high school. in high school i played in an afterschool misfits tribute faux band with a friend. i was in jazz band, marching band, and concert band... but jazz is my passion, especially in high school. i had a shitty band teacher in high school and his shittiness was the reason why i did not pursue music in university. teachers who don’t understand the impact they have on students shouldn’t be teachers.

i worked in the airline industry for three years, because it was what my mother wanted me to do, eventually becoming a flight attendant for northwest airlines. once northwest got bought out by delta, i lost my job due to low seniority and decided to continue straight to university.

i’ve been living in japan for roughly five years, going on six. i am japanese on my mother’s side -- with relatives hailing from kyoto (kansai wut wut). i am literate in the language. 

my goal is to visit all 47 prefectures in japan. i’ve only achieved a quarter of that goal: niigata, toyama, ishikawa, fukui, gifu, shiga, kyoto, osaka, hyogo, wakayama, nara, aichi, shizuoka, kanagawa, tokyo, saitama, chiba, and okinawa. i have 29 more prefectures to go. the prefecture that left the biggest impression on me was okinawa. it’s simply gorgeous.

i suffer from anxiety and add. its been a struggle trying to deal with it without medication and sometimes i feel the anxiety is getting worse the older i get. but i’m trying to think of ways to combat it. i don’t think anxiety is a weakness but i don’t think it’s a badge of honor either. it had taken me years to publically admit it.

+1 i’ve picked up the guitar recently as a means of therapy and to challenge me since i could never play it.

i tag: @northenn @sheegey .... because i know they’ll do it LOL and anyone else who wants to 

[buzzy-study]

GET TO KNOW ME TAG

tagged by @agustudy 

rules: answer the questions in a new post and tag 20 blogs you would like to get to know better.

nickname mimi or kayla star sign leo!
 height 5'1
 last thing I googled asos (bc i was tracking my order)
 fave music artist seventeen, hoody, marina and the diamonds, fka twigs  song stuck in my head 저 별 by heize and 에라 모르겠다 by big bang last movie I watched elf lmaoo last tv show I watched that 70s show 
what are you wearing right now pajama pants and a pink tee shirt 
when did you create your blog honestly i dont remember lol
 what kind of stuff do I post? a variety of things; anything to do with studying, fashion, art, photography, religion, kpop and also some health stuff like relating to mental health or chronic illnesses 
do you get asks regularly? never lol not many people follow me 
why did you choose your URL? i just got it from my instagram and added studies and idk its just a classic artsy name ig¿  gender female
 fave colour i lov all colors tbh! i really like very bright pastel colors and also very dark colors like navy WAIT I HATE NEON OMG  average hours of sleep prob 6-7 lucky number 11 
fave characters EVERYONE FROM THE 100 ESPECIALLY BELLAMY 
how many blankets do you sleep with? it depends but i have a sheet, a heated blanket, a duvet blanket and a small throw blanket
 dream job THIS QUESTION IS SO HARD FOR ME TO ANSWER BC I HAVE SO MANY INTEREST AND PASSIONS AND THINGS I WANNA DO (this will prob be a rant haha) sO OBVI i wanna do something related to my passions,, which are film, photography, languages, linguistics, travel, and lil kiddos and doggos and society ig ¿ so from those passions ive had ideas on becoming a multicultural or bilingual teacher (OR assistant teacher), maybe work as an film producer/editor or coach actors in a language??, speech pathologist, maybe teach a foreign language, consult multicultural families/communities, work in tourism or international relations, be a translator/interpreter YEAH MAN IDK ITS A LOT IM NOT TOTALLY SURE YET! but one thing i am sure of is that i def wont be going into the medical field bc im afraid of needles and the blood and anything medical related ! (oh god this really did turn into a rant) following 1,569 I challenge @study-languages + @mathemantics and anyone else who is reading this or just wants to do this!

[limejuicer1862]

Wombwell Rainbow Interviews

I am honoured and privileged that the following writers local, national and international have agreed to be interviewed by me. I gave the writers two options: an emailed list of questions or a more fluid interview via messenger.

The usual ground is covered about motivation, daily routines and work ethic, but some surprises too. Some of these poets you may know, others may be new to you. I hope you enjoy the experience as much as I do.

  Rachael Ikins

Rachael Ikins has been nominated for the Pushcart Prize & CNY Book Award multiple times and won the 2018 Independent Book Award for Just Two Girls. She featured at the Tyler Gallery 2016, Rivers End Bookstore 2017, ArtRage gallery 2018, Caffe Lena, Saratoga Springs, Aaduna fundraiser 2017 Auburn, NY, Syracuse Poster Project 2015, and Palace Poetry, Syracuse. Her work is included in the 2019 anthologies Gone Dogs and We Will Not Be Silenced the latter Book Authority’s #2 pick for the top 100 Best New Poetry Books for 2019. She has 7 chapbooks, a full length poetry collection and a novel. She is a graduate of Syracuse University and Associate Editor of Clare Songbirds Publishing House. She lives in a small house with her animal family surrounded by nature and is never without a book in hand.

Associate Editor Clare Songbirds Publishing House, Auburn NY

https://www.claresongbirdspub.com/shop/featured-authors/rachael-ikins/

2018 Independent Book Award winner (poetry)

2013, 2018, 2019 CNY Book Award nominee

2016, 2018 Pushcart nominee

Www.writerraebeth.wordpress.com

https://m.facebook.com/RachaelIkinsPoetryandBooks/

@poetreeinmoshun on Instagram

@writerraebeth on Tumblr

@nestl493 on Twitter

Above all, practice kindness

The Interview

1. What inspired you to write poetry?

I started writing poetry in second grade when I was 7. I still know that silly poem by heart that I’d written for Halloween. And it was about cats. Some things never change, although I write about more than cats now. As far as inspiration I suppose it was hearing it—I speak several languages— poetry is its own language. My first grade teacher had us copy poems to learn penmanship from the chalk board. My father used to have me read psalms from the Bible at bed time as I learned to read more. I think I was just born a poet. Only one period of my life was I unable to write and that was caused by serious adverse reaction to medications. It was a bleak time.

2. Who introduced you to poetry?

I have already mentioned my dad and my first grade teacher. The most significant person was my 8th grade English teacher. A poet and author herself, she presented the unit on poetry ( met with groans esp. from the boys) by having us go out into the community to find poems in magazines and periodicals and cut them out. To create a notebook of poems. She had us each get a copy of two seminal poetry books, Poetry USA and Reflections on a Gift of Watermelon Pickle and we were assigned poems and practiced. We performed for a small crowd one afternoon in the school library. It made a huge difference to be taught by someone who was passionate about poetry. No English teacher for the rest of my school years ever came close. We are still friends. She is in her 80s now and still writing in multiple genres, attending workshops and publishing.

3. How aware were you of the dominating presence of older poets?

I’m not sure what this question refers to. Older in history poets or older people I knew who liked or wrote  poetry. My father was given, as were all soldiers, The Pocket Book of Poetry.  Soldiers would carry it under their helmets. My dad still had his copy, and we used to read from that little book. So I was aware of the masters as a kid, but had not known an actual adult poet until I was 14.

4. What is your daily writing routine?

I tend to work in the mornings. I browse markets using social media a lot, too. If I find something interesting I will match up the pieces I want to submit and then revise and polish. As far as new work, again, it tends to be written mornings. I was riding my bike yesterday morning, and a poem started up in my head. This has always been a way I write. Other days something will happen, something that has been subconsciously simmering will say “It’s time!” Whatever else I had planned that day will take back seat to the need to write, and I may write for 5 hours straight.

Walking or riding and letting my mind roam. Once the body is craving relief, all extraneous clutter- thought goes away and clears space for something new to appear. I just listen for it.

5. What motivates you to write?

A feeling of not having achieved some mysterious rubicon yet. I have won a lot of prizes and as well published quite a lot of books with three publishers in multiple genres, and yet I  am just driven. I also have to say, I think I can’t help it. Writing is like breathing to me. “Write or die.” I would also like to make a significant amount of money at my craft/passion to make a dent in my monthly budget. Would I like to support myself at it? For sure, but I don’t know if that will ever happen. I have intense focus and ability to pursue something no matter who detracts from it. That has done well for me, too. Because in spite of teacher support, my family never took my writing seriously until the past decade.

6. What is your work ethic?

My work ethic has always been work hard and  help one another. We are all in this together. Contests aside, we are not competitors though some act that way. Help someone else. Don’t trample someone with your ambition. Pay it forward. Honesty. Write honestly.

7. How do the writers you read when you were young influence you today?

Oh, that is an easy one. I first tried to read Tolkien to myself as an 8 year old. Was a tad daunting. Instead I read all of Milne’s Winnie the Pooh books. The classics. Read Tolkien again in my 20s and was hooked. Both these authors made a mark on me somehow, scarred my heart and brain because decades later after writing nothing but poetry since age 14, in my 40s I wrote a series of children’s stories and the initial chapters of what became the first book in the Tales from the Edge of the Woods series, Totems. My understanding of fantasy and my choice of magical characters and so on was sparked by those great authors. My children’s stories stayed in a box until about a year ago, through 7 moves. I showed them to a publisher last year and we worked on edits. A Piglet for David will be coming from Clare Songbirds Publishing House later this year, the first in a series of young reader chapter books.

8. Who of today’s writers do you admire and why?

I admire J. K. Rowling though I am not a Harry Potter fan. Like her, I have known horrible poverty. You just do the work, period. And if you become successful, you do good with it. I also have always admired poet Marge Piercy. Since her book The Moon is Always Female in the ‘80s with its erotic poems connected to the natural world and also cat poetry Marge has seemed to appear along the journey just when I  needed an example to follow. I have also been at work on straight fiction, a lesbian adventure/ romance for awhile. I have never been fond of reading explicit sexual descriptions. It bores me. Do it, don’t discuss it lol.

I had to write a love scene and had no idea how to do so. One thing about love scenes is it is easy for them to be unimaginative.

I was in a bookstore and found an anthology Best Lesbian Erotica, not sure of the year. Looking through the table of contents I saw Marge Piercy had a short story in it. So I bought it, read her story and the rest of them, then faced off one night, sweating, in front of my computer and wrote the scene. A few years later my story “The Horse Rescuer” was accepted for publication, and I was paid probably the most for one piece I’ve been so far.

In 2014 I noticed Marge on FaceBook so I private-messaged her, one of those “You don’t know me but…” expressions of gratitude for her presence in my literary life. She responded and suggested I submit to her June Poetry Intensive. She chooses 12 students for a week long workshop every year. I finally got to meet my hero.

I like Mary Oliver’s poetry, too, but Marge is the one who has always been there in some sort of magical way. There are really too many authors for me to list.

9. Why do you write as opposed to doing anything else?

I can’t not write. And when a poem in particular or a scene if we’re talking prose, starts coming together in my mind, I have to stop whatever else I’m doing. It’s like going into labor I guess. You can’t tell the baby you’ve changed your mind, stay in there.

10. What would you say to someone who asks “How do you become a writer.”

You write. The best way to become a writer is to read everything you can get your hands on. Then you write. Maybe you start out emulating a style of someone you like to read. Keep writing and eventually your own voice will be heard. Writing is the most labor-intensive, long-term gamble of a profession going. You can theoretically spend, for example, 5 years writing a novel, another several seeking an agent and publisher if you want to go the path of the big 5 publishers, and yet you can spend a whole decade of your life on that one project and it may never be accepted. Or sell. Know that up front. Study. Go to workshops. Find a writing group. Read at open mics. And if/ when you reach a point where you have something to submit, read the specs the publisher lists as to how to submit to their publication. It shows respect. Many a writer has been summarily rejected for not submitting the way the publisher requested. Be tough. Opinions are completely subjective. Being rejected by a publication is meaningless. Editors are human beings. We all have different tastes. Don’t take it to heart. If you are lucky enough to get a note of feedback along with the rejection, learn from that. Read books about writing.

It’s hard. Be aware. Being a writer is not for the faint of heart. If you are serious about it you will pursue it no matter what. We only pass this way one time. So if you really want to do this, do it.

11. Tell me about the writing projects you have on at the moment.

Right now I am in the midst of launching my mixed-genre memoir, Eating the Sun. It is the love story of my husband and me. Organized by seasons of the year, the garden is the vehicle that takes the reader on the journey. Each section starts with narrative and then has poetry related to it, and finally recipes created by us from garden ingredients we grew. I use my artwork often in my books when publishers allow it.

This book has pen and inks, photography and cover art by me. I have a second manuscript submitted to a publisher. It is all poetry titled Confessions of a Poetry Whore. Another poetry  manuscript  to be sent this fall is titled Riding in Cars with Dogs.  It will be the companion book to my previously published For Kate: a Love Story in Four Parts written after the death of my beloved cat, Katie.  Since grief is a universal experience and so is love, no matter what shape the beloveds, this book is accessible to anyone who has lost someone. The second fantasy book of the Tales of the Woodland series,  Beach Wrack has been written and edited professionally and is in the queue with a mid-level publisher. Book 3, Through the Hedgerow  is half written.

All four or five of the young reader chapter books are written as well. A Piglet for David will be Book 1. These also have my artwork as illustrations.  My work is contained in 5 upcoming anthologies, and I am eagerly awaiting copies. All releasing this summer and fall. Both writing and artwork.

Last but not least, I am at work on a thriller/horror genre novel. Haven.

Wombwell Rainbow Interviews: Rachael Ikins Wombwell Rainbow Interviews I am honoured and privileged that the following writers local, national and international have agreed to be interviewed by me.