#want to avoid the blog in general

[evintide]

so, uh. howdy ya'll. sorry about the disappearance. life sort of happened and my health took a bit of a dive. thankfully nothing into the extremes but enough where i wanted to prioritize time for myself. still working through stuff but hey, who isn't? my sincerest apologies to those i left in the lurch. i plan on working on stuff around here again and will get back to you soon. hope ya'll have been well. as always, i appreciate your patience ♥

[chryblossomjjk]

...

[ecoamerica]

Watch the American Climate Leadership Awards 2024 now: https://youtu.be/bWiW4Rp8vF0?feature=shared

The American Climate Leadership Awards 2024 broadcast recording is now available on ecoAmerica's YouTube channel for viewers to be inspired by active climate leaders. Watch to find out which finalist received the $50,000 grand prize! Hosted by Vanessa Hauc and featuring Bill McKibben and Katharine Hayhoe!

[sprout-fics]

I’m sorry that you’ve been getting a lot of anon hate :( recently a lot of anons have been feeling pretty entitled and being rude to people just trying to have fun and to share

Me and everyone else who follows you enjoys what you write. You don’t deserve that hate. Sending much love ❤️

I wasn't getting anon hate until that last message, which I won't publish, but essentially got pissy with me bc I asked folks to talk to me off anon about stuff- which has been ignored twice today and as a result I wasn't able to discern one anon from another and came across as irritated to someone who didn't deserve it. (Sorry 2nd barracks bunny anon, that's on me) and that is one of the reasons I really don't like talking with someone via anon because it can lead to a lot of confusion. I've always asked people to talk me off anon, and it gets very frustrating when folks ignore that and insist I engage with them.

I get lots of sweet people over anon, and I appreciate them. However at this point I think I am going to permanently and forever turn off that function. Even outside of this circumstance I get anxious even seeing a notification because I'm constantly worried someone is going to be nasty. It's better for me to keep it off. It's a privilege not a right, and I have no obligation to provide that to folks if I'm uncomfortable with it.

[pastafossa]

how long did it take for your fanfiction to start getting some recognition? did you "advertise" it or "promote" it in any way?

i know that people say this doesn't matter, but i feel like even if you love writing the feeling that you're just talking to yourself gets pretty exhausting at some point. so i'm not talking about having thousands of readers but rather like. what's your advice to have readers at least?

- someone who hasn't even started writing their ideas yet...

LONG POST INCOMING.

First I want you (and everyone else reading who may be struggling with this) to know I'm absolutely with you and generally think 'it doesn't matter' is a horseshit answer. It's this weird thing we do in fanfic that we generally don't apply to other artforms that I've seen. If you're a painter, a playwriter, a novel writer, and you say, 'I want at least a few people to love my paintings, I want some people to come see my play, I want my novel to be published and do at least ok' we all support them, we nod, we agree, we talk about how they can do that successfully. It's considered normal to want some amount of success. But hold up fanfic instead and it becomes, 'how dare you want that praise, you're being egotistical, you should be writing only for yourself'. I'm not saying you can't do that - there are some who do - but it's definitely this bizarre switchup to say there's this single artform in which we can't want attention on our work and that there's something wrong with us if we do. That can be an absolute creativity killer depending on what kind of writer you are (hi, extrovert writer here who only gets writy writy juice from social interaction - aka comments and discussion. So I totally get it being exhausting just doing this on your own).

So let me say this categorically: you're allowed to want things. You're allowed to want kudos, comments, and hits. You're allowed to want messages and asks. You're allowed to want some readers you can talk with about your story.

You. Are. Allowed.

Ok, now that that's out of the way.

Edit: more below the cut cause I didn't realize the length of this on mobile

TRT definitely didn't get popular overnight. The first four chapters were sporadic, and then I took a hiatus due to life things for a couple years. During that time, it kept slowly ticking up bit by bit on AO3, with occasional comments. Iirc it was hovering somewhere around 700 kudos by the time I came back in Jan 2021 - and that's a awesome! It's big! But it's also a number that was gained over a few years, to put it in perspective. It absolutely took off after I came back though, and over the past 2 years both TRT's popularity and the stats of my one-shots in the fandom have grown. Part of that's just the time frame (TRT's been up about 6 years), but it's also due to a couple things that I think built up TRT's popularity.

Building a tumblr presence was huge. Ironically I didn't really intend to do it for advertising; I just wanted a place readers could ask questions or we could all freak out about Matt or I could post some drabbles or updates on the fic. But considering the fact that AO3 and tumblr are the top fic sites online, I wound up promoting my fics unintentionally just by being a friendly, happy tumblr user and fandom goer. All I did was follow the courtesy rules I knew - post stuff regularly, reblog, comment, make friends with other writers, just be friendly in your neighborhood because you love the lady with the gif flower shop on the corner or the wise old pizza maker who serves hot fandom takes all day long. I built familiarity with my writing and name by posting short fics, and by taking part in challenges and prompt lists and short requests for drabbles if I saw them, though that's something that's hard to do if you don't have time (I've got less time now, but I started this blog in the early pandemic so I had aaaaall the time in the world to write and was using it to stay sane). I tagged religiously because I LOVE tags, but that helped, too. Tumblr's search system is half broken but the half that works means people CAN find your writing even if they aren't following. Doing all this over here got me a huge boost over on AO3.

I will say that if you can have a fandom tiktok presence, there's a lot of fic reviewers, edits, and good stuff that can get your fic some readers (I've had some people do this on tiktok for TRT and it sent a surge over). I personally haven't done anything there yet, in part because while I'm on tiktok I try to keep my actual, real person accounts separate from my fic/fandom accounts and i haven't bothered to make a second account solely dedicated to the Pasta name yet.

Longfics on AO3 have the advantage in fic stats in the sense that every time you add a chapter, it gets bumped to the top of the front page and you get seen again. Eventually a lot of people will click out of curiosity. They may not, however, give you a lot of user subs or add to your other fic stats at first, whereas if you do a bunch of oneshots you're more likely to get user subs but less hits on each fic. This is a decision you'll have to make, and I know folks in both camps who built their followings using different methods on each. Either way, it helps if you're posting regularly, either in a long fic or one-shots. I call this the Stephen King method, who said he just writes a ton and throws it all at the wall, and eventually you get enough good despite the bad that you start building a following.

Learn learn learn. This is standard fic advice I always give, but it's still relevant. I think one of the reasons imo TRT has done so well is that I've spent a lot of time over the years learning how to write and edit - I read a ton of books (sometimes just to figure out HOW good authors structure their stories), I took a lot of English classes, I've taken some creative writing courses in my spare time. That two year hiatus was heavily spent doing a lot of research and practice around an original novel I want published one day. And I used ALL of that in TRT, just to see what it was like to put it all together. Be hungry for knowledge, be hungry to learn. The more you learn, the better your fic will be, and the more people that will click.

That learning also includes a looooong string of fanfics that started at a very novice level (hello 12 year old me), to fics that were ok and did moderately well but weren't anything huge. Hell, I had a tumblr account for my previous fandoms before I wandered over to Pastafossa, and while those fics did decently, I never had the huge reaction I've gotten here. But I used each and every one of those fics to learn and grow and adapt. Treat your own fics the same way. If it doesn't get hits, try to learn from it before moving on to the next idea a little wiser and a slightly better writer than before. There will always be people who start to follow you along the way.

A small one, but important: I swear to god, do not shit-talk yourself. Not in the summary, not in the tags, not in the A/Ns. I'm not talking, 'this is my first fic!' That's fine. I mean trashing your own work. Shit like, 'ha ha this sucks, it's terrible but oh well' will absolutely lower your stats, because people will believe you and will ditch your fic. On top of that, it's just mean to yourself, and as I said above, you want to be a good person in the fandom neighborhood. That means not breaking the windows of your own house.

People generally think of summaries as a side note, but a shitty summary can absolutely tank your stats. Treat it like the rest of your fic - this is the trailer before the movie, and it's a huge element of what gets people interested in the first place.

Lastly, like I said at the top, the biggest factor is time. There are people who post one fic and explode in popularity, absolutely. But far, far more little followings are built on the bones of time, of abandoned fics, of muttering and highlighting phrases in books in the middle of the night, of trying and trying and trying until we have at last have a breakthrough and then drag that breakthrough forward with us to the next fic. TRT is absolutely one part lightning in a bottle - the biggest success I've ever had anywhere with my writing, a confluence of fandom factors and world events that gave people (and me!) time to write and read. But it's also standing on the back of whole lot of fics I wrote that look like everyone else's: ones with no comments, low interaction, insults; ones where I had precisely zero idea of what I was doing, but wanted to try anyway. And the way I got through that, as a writer who needs interaction in order to create, was by building friendships in fandom so that even when a fic didn't do all that well, I still had friends I could talk to about the characters, the world, the fandom itself. I asked friends to look them over and give advice. I had friends being my cheerleaders. And if you're an extrovert like me, or just a writer who needs that to create, then those connections are vital as you build up a following.

That's a lot of what I've done. I know there are other ways to build a following, but this is generally what I've done, what I've learned to do, and it seems to have worked. Just remember that there are no bad fics - just learning opportunities. Learn something, and that fic's a success, and work as hard as you can to make those fandom connections to carry you through the process.

I absolutely hope to see your work around one day, so that I can be on of those followers!

[elliesgaymachete]

ok i’ve gotten a couple messages about tagging spoilers this week and i guess i’ve gotten some new followers lately so i’ll share my typical tagging etiquette if you’re not familiar

I usually watch critical role live and i tag ‘cr spoilers’ on liveblog posts and all other posts up until the Monday after when the episode is posted on youtube

After this, I continue to tag ‘critical role’ and specific ships and characters consistently, so if you’re really worried about spoilers after that point, just blacklist the whole tag

For other media that is currently coming out with new content, I will tag spoilers for a few days after the fact (ex. when I was watching doctor who i would tag all posts with ‘dw spoilers’ as soon as the episode aired for a few days)

If it’s a movie I saw in theaters or a video game I’m playing as soon as it’s released i’ll tag spoilers for maybe a month or so/until it’s on streaming/until hype dies down and i forget to use the tag (ex. ‘the marvels spoilers’, ‘hfw spoilers’)

If i’m watching/reading/playing something for the first time that has already been out for a while, I do not tag spoilers, instead I tag liveblog for posting my reactions to it (ex. ‘rwby lb’, ‘dungeon meshi lb’)

If I’m watching or reading something new and I really don’t want to get spoiled, I always make sure to blacklist the tags and words related to it and i avoid the tag where people who have already seen something are posting about it. When I was watching RWBY i had so many tags blacklisted half my dash was blocked out. But i didn’t get spoiled, so worth it.

If you’re really that concerned about spoilers, please just be smart about it and avoid the content you don’t want to get spoiled on instead of coming at me for not tagging spoilers. You are allowed to curate your own experience.

[definitelynotshouting]

helloooo friend :D !! tis i, bug anon

saw you weren't doing great from previous asks, hope whtever is happening gets better :(

my college searching thing is going a bit (?) better BUT i have major concerns about being discriminated about at the university my parents want me to go to which sucks :/

in other news, i accidentally told a customer "happy valentines gay! :)" and she was like "???? thanks ?" I WAS MORTIFIED DUDE

also! if you don't mind, could you tell me a bit abt your religion/who you worship? the only reason i would ask is bc i saw your prayer thing for jellie and had never heard of that god/goddess before (i believe she's from Egyptian mythology? idk) anyway if you dont feel like sharing, no worries :D

-🐛

HEY BUG ANON!!! :D thank u for the well-wishes, i really appreciate them a ton!! I hope the college searching goes better, it sounds real rough on your end :((( also AKSNAKDNKS HAPPY VALENTINES GAY....... THATS SO FUCKJNG FUNNY HELP MEEEE if someone said that to me while out and about i would be ecstatic truly KSNDWKNDKSNSJSNS

Sure, i can try and give a quick crash course in kemeticism if you're curious!! (As a general disclaimer to any OTHER kemetics who might see this, im gonna attempt to keep this very layman-friendly, so if i skip nuances in favour of simplifying stuff thats why. I'll leave some resources at the end of this post!)

Uhhh okay so kemetic paganism is a neopagan religion based off of ancient egyptian religious practices. There are a lot of different ways folks practice kemeticism-- such as reconstructionism (or recon; aka strict adherence to the rituals of antiquity), revivalism (adapting ancient rituals and practices into the modern era), and eclecticism (for the sake of simplicity, we'll say this is essentially taking several different practices from many other religions and combining them all into one personal practice). I fall somewhere between revivalism and eclecticism, mostly by virtue of also working with Hermes and Loki, though my practice is primarily kemetic in nature.

In short, i worship the ancient egyptian gods-- my patron, or a god whom i am particularly close with and mainly dedicated to, is the cat goddess Bast (also known as Bastet, although thats actually a mistranslation of her name). Bast is known by many epithets, but one translation of her name is "Lady of the Ointments"; its written with the hieroglyphs for a bas-jar (aka a perfume/ointment jar) and a loaf of bread (the "t" sound). She's a solar goddess associated with protection, is an Iryt Ra (Eye of Ra; Goddesses who protect and nurture the sun god Ra), and like many (and i do mean many) other kemetic gods, also holds ties to fertility. In the past she was depicted as a lioness, then later became associated with the domestic housecat, where she picked up additional ties to motherhood; she also began picking up attributes from close association with Het-hert (Hathor), which resulted in further associations with music, dancing, and the arts. She's often depicted holding an aegis (a collar-like necklace with a deity's head on it) and a sistrum (a musical rattle).

She's a very fierce but loving goddess whom i have been worshipping for the last 11 years :] i also work with other kemetic deities-- of my "personal quintet," as i like to joke, i work with Djehuty (Thoth), Sekhmet, and occasionally Sutekh (Set/Seth) and Heru-wer (Horus the Elder). And, ofc, from outside the kemetic pantheon i work with Hermes and Loki, who happens to be my other patron!!

Im very glad that my formal petition to Bast for Jellie has brought those who have seen it some much-needed comfort, and its nice that its also made some people curious about kemeticism!! If youve got any specific questions, feel free to drop me a line off anon or in dms! :] im always happy to chat!!

Some further reading if you're interested:

Per-Bast (a website dedicated to Bast that holds very good information and resources)

Kemetic Starter Guide

Kemetic FAQ

[ecoamerica]

Watch the 2024 American Climate Leadership Awards for High School Students now: https://youtu.be/5C-bb9PoRLc

The recording is now available on ecoAmerica's YouTube channel for viewers to be inspired by student climate leaders! Join Aishah-Nyeta Brown & Jerome Foster II and be inspired by student climate leaders as we recognize the High School Student finalists. Watch now to find out which student received the $25,000 grand prize and top recognition!

[dailyfigures]

can you give any advice for someone who wants to start a figure posting blog? also is it okay to post figures other people have already posted? not sure about the "rules"/etiquette

oh sure! i can't speak for any other figure blogs but personally i think anything is fine as long as you aren't purposefully copying any blog and think of your content (like your caption layout and which figs to post) yourself. obviously there aren't unlimited figures, and it makes sense to post popular ones that people will like, and there's only so many ways in which you can write a caption so similarities will always happen. as long as you know you aren't copying anyone, you're good. good luck and have fun! :)

[anghraine]

I saw someone comparing Wentworth’s initial insult of Anne’s looks with Darcy’s of Elizabeth’s and it’s like, yeah, I get the parallel, there are multiple ways that Persuasion plays with P&P, but being “wow, she’s really gone downhill since 19, I wouldn’t have recognized her” about the ex-fiancée that you’re still in love with has a very different vibe from “I’m in a bad mood, this random woman is not hot enough to bother dancing with, go away.”

[deathxproof]

I am here but I am also not here but I’m also here, you know?

[dandyshucks-moving]

thinking about how Guz.ma would give Junebug something to hold onto to remember he exists and he will be there for them once they're through to the other side every time they have to go back to their parents house for any amount of time

[medicinemane]

Like I've said, I try not to talk about it too much because it is a heavy topic, and I don't want people overwhelmed and burnt out to the point it all feels hopeless and they tune out

But the reason I do sometimes share stories like that last one about Ukraine is... I just... I really want to make sure people understand what this war is about

If russia pulls out... they fail to expand their territory and they have to go back and lick their wounds... that's it

If Ukraine gives up... they die. Towns under russia occupation are bad. Real bad. I don't share most of it because of how horrendous it is. Then people not under occupation can still have a missile hit their house at any time for not reason

It's literally a matter of life and death vs colonial ambitions

So I try to keep from bringing it up too often cause I understand the fatigue we all feel from all the horrible news we get, but this is why I feel so strongly about this, and this is why I hope that you, whoever you are reading this, also at least generally support Ukraine even if you can't keep up with all the details

I just don't want any more kids dying in missile strikes

[the-great-tiger-of-mumbai]

Peeks in.

[wordsgood]

at this point, ‘fake dating’ is an automatic dni for me. I hate that shit. the book could hit literally every single one of my story wishlist items but if it chucks ‘fake dating’ in there then you couldn’t pay me to read it. fake dating is a blight and I curse the advertisement execs who decided to push it so hard in the realm of traditionally published books where there’s no option for me to blacklist it from my sight

[enderwalking]

dunno if we’re mutuals but 🍓

hi! alas we are not, though i have seen you in my notes and have a little smile every time i do :D as a beginning grian-liker, i respect established grian-likers so very much

[spheresoffate]

so. 5000 years have passed.... and my fatamoru muses have finally reared their heads again.......... so, uh. hello?? c:

i was never able to be successfully active on this blog in the past, but i think i'm gonna give it a try again now that it's 2024! I've added Ceren as a new muse, and while this blog will remain low activity compared to my other ones, I've grown more interested in the fata morgana canon as of late so fingers crossed i'm able to write here some more. Hope you're all doing well! <3

[arovoidant]

It's my 5 year anniversary on Tumblr