#writing and being a content creator is exhausting and at times makes me wonder if it's worth it

[cure-icy-writes]

Okay, it’s late at night but i’m gonna be honest here. the more i mature as a person, the more i dislike seeing posts like “if you’re reading this, you should be writing” or mocking writers for having too many works in progress, or encouraging them to mock themselves for it.

Guess what! YOU are contributing to the grind culture and you need to stop and think critically about whether this is really encouragement, or if it’s going to lead to burnout and people slogging through WIPs that no longer resonate with them, all for the sake of that gold standard completionism.

Abandoned works in progress are part of the natural process of growing as a writer. Having too many ideas and not enough stamina for all of them is part of the natural process of growing as a writer. Eventually, you learn to grow your stamina, to create oneshots, to relegate certain AUs to remain just concepts or tumblr tags on your blog with a couple of posts, and not make everything a fic. Authors, like most humans, are capable of learning self-regulation if you give them a chance. 

And pushing them to create finished, easily consumable works? BRO WHY ARE YOU STUNTING THE NATURAL CREATIVE PROGRESS IN FAVOR OF SOMETHING THAT IS EASY TO CONSUME? Why do you encourage the mindless grind?

Idk man, it’s suspiciously close to the capitalistic mindset to me. Some people just have fun telling goofy little stories, and we as a society need to treat them as growing artists and not endless content machines. writers are human too! we need community and emotional investment. why don’t you stop going for the low hanging fruit of “go work on one of your 50 wips” and let people live. Better yet, go leave a nice comment on a work that hasn’t been updated in months or even years. A drop of honey versus a barrel of vinegar and all that.

[aheathen-conceivably]

Did someone say Simblr Gratitude Day? ✨

Y’all will have to forgive me for not having more prepared to show the immense gratitude I have for y’all today (a special thank you to @armoricaroyalty for the idea!) so please instead have a characteristic rant because I love you all and I can’t let that go without being said!

There’s no possible way for me to tag everyone I am grateful for because there is/has been so many of you who have helped and inspired me along the way. Also there’s so many of you who make the community what it is by reading or sharing, so I want to thank all of you beyond just those mutuals and content creators I appreciate. So thank you…

❤️ To all my Fellow Simblrs both big and small:

I know how utterly strange this little hobby can be. It can suck you in and spit you back out, take our attention for weeks and months at a time and then burn you out. It can be immensely fulfilling, creatively inspiring, and then exhausting. Thank you all for continuing to post here every day, for making this community a vibrant and lively space for those who have been here for years, the teenage simblrs just finding their sea legs, and for the new people stumbling into the community every day. Thank you for inspiring me and welcoming me and making me want to come back every day!

❤️ To my fellow Decades and Historical simmers:

What a strange and serendipitous moment when I fell into this little niche world. I would never have thought there were so many of us who find so much joy in combining these two hobbies and interests, so to see you all out here thriving and creating was a wonderful moment. Thank you to CC creators/mod makers/recolorers/builders/pose makers/and anyone else who makes this possible at all. Without y’all how could we transform this game into the historical wonderland we’ve come to love?

Another huge thank you to anyone who’s ever posted their decades challenge or historical content, to those doing gameplay or those who fell down the challenge to storytelling pipeline (hello it’s me) or those who share their edits and lookbooks. Y’all have all inspired me more than y’all can know.

❤️ To my mutuals and simblr besties:

The moment we utter ~mutuals~ on this site y’all know exactly what I mean. Like a little telekinetic bond that when I see your content or you see mine you know that’s exactly why we’re here, and I’ll support you every damn time. Thank you to those in the notes, those I speak to regularly, and those who I may not know as well; y’all are all the lifeblood of my dash and I have found many little icons I know immediately. Even if I don’t see you for a while you’re still in my mind and I’m so grateful for that.

A special above and beyond shoutout to those who have helped make the story happen at all. Those who have patiently walked me through technical skills and editing techniques and those who read my rough drafts and give me absolutely invaluable feedback. And of course those who finally pulled me down the reshade rabbit hole despite my unbecoming stubbornness. Y’all know who y’all are and seriously, would I even still be writing without y’all?

❤️ To anyone who has ever read, engaged with, or enjoyed my story:

I just…I cannot even possibly fathom how to show my gratitude to y’all. I never intended for my small little hobby to completely take over my brain, or for my decades challenge to become a story to this degree. But little by little it has done so, and I have y’all to thank for that. To those in the community who found me when I was a baby simblr and reblogged me, or those who encouraged me when getting more than 10 notes a post was an exciting feat. To anyone who has enjoyed a single picture or a single post, to the casual readers, and those who have jumped aboard along the way.

I am grateful for every interaction. Every single like and comment and reblog brings joy to my day and inspiration to continue creating. But a very special thank you to those I see in my notes every story post, who have been here from the beginning or gone back to read the story despite having literally hundreds of posts to go through. To those that know my characters and take the time to comment on them with emotion and investment. For all the joy this community brings me, those are the moments when I’m really stunned at my presence here and this little space you’ve all helped me create, so from the bottom of my heart, thank you all ❤️

[cordeliawhohung]

When did demanding for the next chapter become the norm? What happened to "I love your work!"? What happened to sending cute little asks yelling about how good the recent chapter is. If there is one thing that I know about writing is that rushed content will always be worse than a chapter that needed a little extra love.

this!!!! i promise this is the last time i'm going to complain about this stuff, but i think i speak for all writers when i say that if you send someone an ask or comment something along the lines of "when are you posting the next chapter?" "will there be another part?" "part 2???" you are going to burn. them. out. i think tiktok and other social media platforms have actually rotted some peoples brains into thinking that writers are content creators who can crank out 6k long works at the snap of your fingers. that's not at all how it works. the creative process takes time and can be draining for a lot of people!!!

i'm going to start deleting and potentially blocking (if it gets bad enough) people who send me asks wondering about the next part to soft spot. you guys, it is so exhausting. like i work full time. i work 10 hour shifts. i've had people send me asks THREE DAYS after i've posted a 10k long chapter asking when i was giving them another part. it's honestly childish and ridiculous. trust me i am trying. i write as often as i can. but please realize i am a human being. i haven't been very secretive about soft spot being a poorly hidden trauma fic, either. what that means is that i'm dumping a lot of my personal experiences into this story because therapy is honestly too damn expensive in this damn country lmao. so give me patience. this is all super personal to me. hounding me isn't going to make me write any faster. i have no schedule. i do not write full time. you're lucky i even post my stories at all. also i feel like i pretty regularly post updates about/sneak peeks of soft spot anyway? so if you guys would even just take a moment to go through my profile you'd probably figure out why the next chapter is taking a bit to be written lmao.

so just... keep that in mind before interacting with the authors of the stories you enjoy. writers do not owe you anything. like they mentioned in the ask, send encouragement. tell people your favorite parts about the story. ENGAGE with them for christs sake. and for all of you who do send me asks telling me what you enjoy about my work, please know i am forever grateful for you. you guys inspire and get me excited to write, and just know that it really helps so much <3

anyway, i'm hoping off my soap box now. please don't go about attacking anyone who does this by the way, i'm def not trying to spread any shit. i'm just a very tired writer trying to get their thoughts out lmao. but i agree with you 100% - this chapter needs a little extra love. and i hope it'll be worth it for you guys <3 treat your writers with kindness

[opaljm]

so I’m not sure if you’re Korean American, but your about does say Asian American so I’m just curious: how do you feel about white authors writing about bts, but not specifically mentioning any Korean culture? Do you think it’s offensive for them to write about Korean people while not being Korean?

If this makes you uncomfortable or you aren’t Korean American, feel free to not respond!

I think anyone can write about bts but I do think it’s weird when you can replace the name of a random bts member who the fic is about with any generic white name like Sam or John and it doesn’t seem off at all. I’m not saying you need to start using Konglish dialogue because that’s hard to pull off without it sounding cringy or that every fic needs to be set in South Korea but I don’t think people should be writing bts fanfics and stripping the members entirely of their personalities and everything that makes them who they are. At that point you’re just writing fiction, not fan fiction, and slapping the members’ names on your male MCs. There’s been fics I’ve read where Jungkook has an italian heritage which is … like just call him Jaime and upload it to Wattpad under original work. What annoys me too, in addition to completely stripping bts of their culture and heritage is when people start to write fics and Taehyung is 6’4 and blue eyed all of a sudden.

What is the point of writing fan fiction if you’re going change every single solitary thing about bts from their ethnicity to their appearance. Would anyone even know you were writing about a bts member if you didn’t use their name?

The difference between changing or erasing bts’ nationalities or ethnicities versus doing that to other characters in other fandoms is, that bts are real people. There are some unspoken rules you should adhere to when writing Real People fanfiction. Like for example, maybe not write about them partaking in incest with their real life family members? Yes, I know, people write incest fics about influencers and entertainers all the time. But you get why that’s wrong right? Now if you were writing fanfics about entirely fictional characters, the world is your oyster and you can make them do anything you want, you can change them to be like anything you want. Because it’s entirely fictional anyways.

Maybe making bts not Korean is not the worst thing that has ever happened to them in a fic but I guess it just makes me wonder a lot about the creator and why they felt the need to strip bts of who they are. Is it for a racist reason? Is it because they only see bts as literary characters who exist to serve the plot of their fic and the fact that they are real people means nothing to them (the creator)? But yeah I do wonder and sometimes it makes me suspicious and distrustful of the creators who write them like that. It’s fucking exhausting having to question if someone did something because they are a racist, you know? So yes this has led to me avoiding interacting with a few creators and their content just because I don’t want to have my guard up for micro aggressions and covert racism.

Yeah so that’s just my take on the whole thing.

[thisaintascenereviews]

A 17th Anniversary Retrospective Of Lupe Fiasco’s The Cool

Rapper Lupe Fiasco is somehow the most underrated popular rapper. That’s an oxymoron, I know, but despite having a top ten hit in the 00s, he’s been largely forgotten about, at least in the mainstream. Not in the underground, where Lupe is still a critical darling. I just reviewed his newest album, Samurai, and it’s a great little rap album that showcases the best of his sound, all the while only being a half hour long. A lot of rap albums tend to be over an hour, which is a long time to spend with any album, but I can understand if that’s a detriment to getting into the genre. Not everyone has the time to spend with so many albums, or let alone the patience, whether it’s just exhausting or dense. Some rap albums can be dense listens, mainly for their lyrical content, but also for its production and sound, but Samurai is right to the point. It’s a half hour jazz-rap album that does its thing, all the while showing how good Lupe is all these years later. Even almost 20 years later, after his debut album, he’s still delivering really solid bars, production, and flows.

Lupe is one of those rappers that you just know you’re getting quality from, no matter what you hear, and that’s true. I’ve been a fan since 2015, back when I listened to Tetsuo & Youth, and I thought it was a cool album, but it was a dense and long listen. I was new to the genre still, only being into rappers like Childish Gambino, Chance The Rapper, Tyler The Creator, and a few more, but Lupe Fiasco’s brand of rap is lyrically dense, fast-paced, and intense at times. It’s still catchy and fun, but when an album is 70 minutes and over, it can be a lot, especially when not every song is a winner. I realized that after listening to Samurai that I haven’t listened to any of his first three albums. That’s when Lupe was in his prime, and when the mainstream cared a lot about him.

It worked out, too, because I found a vinyl copy of his sophomore album, 2007’s The Cool, for $20 on Amazon, when it was originally $40. Now would be the best time to listen to that album, so I’ve been listening to it for the last couple weeks, and I wanted to talk about it, albeit in a retrospective format, versus a full-on review. This album is considered a classic in the hip-hop community, and it’s easy to hear why, because this album is wonderful. I’ve had a lot of fun with this album over the last couple weeks, but I haven’t been going back to this one as much as Samurai, or as any other albums I’ve been spinning. I’ve been wondering why I haven’t gone back to this as much, but it dawned on me today. That’s what made me finally sit down and write this, but it’s because this album is a little too long and self-indulgent for its own good.

This album is 71 minutes long, and that’s not bad on its own, but the biggest issues I have with this album isn’t really with the music itself, it’s more so with the presentation and how there are so many ideas thrown into this album that it becomes overstuffed. I feel like this album runs out of steam by the last third, and with the last five songs, I sort of just zone out. With that said, this album is still a classic, because Lupe shows that he’s a great and versatile rapper, as well as a complex and clever lyricist with a flair for higher concepts and ideas. Some of those concepts don’t work too well, or at least as well as he thinks they do, but it’s not much of an issue when the music itself is good. A lot of the hooks on this album are killer, especially the top ten hit “Superstar,” “Gold Watch,” “Go Go Gadget Flow,” “Hip-Hop Saved My Life,” and a few more tracks, but Lupe is a great singer, too, and that’s something people don’t remember that much.

If anything, this album just suffers from having peaks and valleys. The peaks are just so high, it makes the valleys that much more noticeable. The last five songs on this album just don’t do much for me, and I zone out each time, unfortunately, but there are a lot of great tracks in the meantime. Like I said, Lupe sounds amazing, and for that alone, this album is worth hearing, but it’s kind of dense at times, namely for his lyrical content and how fast and technical he can rap.

That’s impressive on its own, but a song like “Little Weapon,” for example, is about guns and their relationship to children, whether it’s child soldiers in Africa, high school shooters, or kids who play violent video games and how they’re exposed to that kind of violence at such a young age, and that’s kind of a heavy topic. The song itself is quite good, both for Lupe himself, but Fall Out Boy frontman (and fellow Chicago native) Patrick Stump produced this track, and it sounds cool. Lupe would actually appear on Stump’s debut solo album on a remix of “This City” in 2011, and that’s how I found out about him at first. Anyway, the lyrical content can get heavy at times, and despite the songs being catchy a lot of the time, this isn’t really music you could play in the background or play for someone that doesn’t want something super dense or meaningful.

Samurai, though, is an album I could listen to whenever, because despite having complex and interesting lyrics, they’re not as heavy or intense as The Cool. The song “Dumb It Down” actually addresses that, and talks about how Lupe has to dumb down his music to sell records, so the hook is very simplistic and catchy, whereas his verses are complex. This record is a classic, and I can see why people absolutely love it, but it’s a lyrically dense album that’s still catchy and fun. I just don’t go back to it very much as other albums, because of how long it is, and how this album has its peaks and valleys. As an introduction to Lupe, this would be a good one, and The Cool is an album that people still talk about 17 years later, for good reason.

[redfurrycat]

May i respectfully ask how you can enjoy a ship if u didn't see the show for canon's sake?? 😄👀

Hey Anon! :)

Talking about Sterek are we, right?? :D

Upon reading your ask, I reflected on how I got into the Sterek fandom in the first place, and wow what a nice journey down the memory lane!!

Short answer to how I can enjoy a ship if I didn't see the show?

COLDFLASH.

Confused, are you? =D

The longer version of my babbling is under the cut, and so very sorry about that, coudn't help myself! :D

In case you don't know about the Coldflash ship, Anon, just a quick word. Tis the hero/villain ship from the Flash tv-show, aka Barry Allen/Leonard Snart.

THEM:

I started following this ig account ss.sterek [@holycafe if I'm not mistaken], liking all the coldflash posts, then getting curious about their other posts as well.

This is how Sterek came to be.

At first, it was a polite indifference, but the more I saw the sterek posts the more it got interesting to me, until one day I started searching for any Sterek content.

Until I started searching for any content on Tumblr, specifically.

Until I liked so many incorrect quotes and crack posts about this so-called Sourwolf and Spaz.

At some point their dynamic became SO addicting, I decided to start reading fics.

Did I understand any of the mentionned canon? Heck no.

(The Teen Wolf Wiki Page was a huge help in that regard, explaining to me what a kanima or a nogitsune was for example.)

Still, I remember the first fics I read were about Stiles being Pack Mom to the Wonder betas!! =D

Also fics closely (ish) related to canon...So yeah they always referred to stuff happening in the show that I usually didn't get...

With patience, some research, and LOTS AND LOTS AND LOTS OF FICS, I began grasping things and characters surrounding the Sterek pair.

So I may not know about the Derek and the Stiles from the show, but I know of the fandom version of them.

Beleive me, it puzzled me how big it got to me. (BUT I'M LOVING IT!)

Like I probably have 2,000 bookmarked Sterek fics on AO3 plus the ones I've yet to read on my marked-for-later and the other ones I read without bookmarking them (rookie mistake xD).

I think the writers and the Sterek content creators have taken the grumpy-sunshiny & dry-sarcastic dynamics and wrote....how to say it? almost different characters than from the show? To the point I didn't need the show to understand them.

Nor did I wish to.

Actually, I tried watching after S06 got out, but didn't last more than 15 min maybe? My brain was too wired up on the Sterek vibe to fully appreciate the show. (Maybe my teenage ass would have liked it... But as I was watching soooo maaaaany tv-shows already, it was impossible to start watching Teen Wolf, and when I first heard of Sterek I was at Uni and really didn't have the time - But OH LORD THE NUMBER OF FICS I READ... My life saver to countless sleepless nights unable to close my eyes xD)

I've only watch THE famous Sterek Supercut!!!! :D <3

I don't know if you are aware of my Tumblr really, but if you are, you may notice I'm VERY MUCH INTO PLANES AND PILOTS these days... (okay it's been a year)....

YEAH YEAH YEAH TALKING ABOUT TOP GUN AND TOP GUN MAVERICK AND BLONDE AND BRUNET PILOTS SO WHAT OF IT?!

*I'm super chill, whatddyamean???? :D*)

Make NO mistake though, Sterek is still a favourite pair of mine, and I AM OH SO GLAD to see old and new content popping up in my dash. Still reblogging and reading!!!!!!!!!

ETERNAL STEREK!

Thank you to the original account that got me into Sterek. Thank you to THE STEREK FANDOM FOR CREATING THE MOST AMAZING CONTENT AND FICS.

Dear you go, Anon, rambles over. :D

(((I started writing the reply in the morning, and it is now the evening. I got distracted by real life stuff in the middle, and I AM EXHAUSTED. I hope you can make sense of all the babbling (or word-vomit, more like it.) I won't be reading again cause otherwise I'll keep adding stuff :D))

Have a good day Anon! ;)

[undrgrnd-nft]

UNDRGRND: IN THE BEGINNING

by NFTjoe

ORIGINALLY POSTED ON UNDRGRND.IO: NOVEMBER 12TH, 2021

Every day someone tweets that they quit their job to focus on NFTs full time. Someone within our social circle makes a previously inconceivable amount of money and can now turn their hobby into a career. While the rest of us sit back, watch and wait our turn.

The messages we receive from Twitter make it feel like it will never happen to us:

If you’re reading this tweet you’re early to NFTs. _

Perseverance is all it takes to succeed in this space. _

GM, NFT World! Let’s see those unsold NFTs and find you a collector!

I’ve got (insert amount of crypto) to spend! Show me your dope art! I’ll buy something.

This last one in particular frustrates me the most. Artists flock to these tweets with hopes that this thread will be the break they need.

Rarely does this method work.

The Problem

The NFT market can crush an artist’s spirit. The expectations of becoming an instant success do not match the work required. The emotionally draining act of constantly selling yourself along with the energy needed to create can lead to depletion and exhaustion; it’s why we also see so many tweets about mental health in the NFT space.

With so much effort and resilience required to survive in this space the easy thing to do is hop on a Twitter thread. This typically leads to some followers but no sales. So what is the next step for an artist?

Some artists are accepted to gated platforms (SuperRare, Makersplace, Nifty Gateway) giving them an advantage. There the artist must display the talent that the platform deems worthy of their brand or standard. But what about the ones that don’t meet an arbitrary requirement or style? And what about the artists that are never considered due to the sheer volume of applicants?

OpenSea has become a perfect metaphor for the experience of the NFT artist: an ocean filled with NFTs for anyone to purchase, if only you can find it and can discern between value and speculation. At least on SuperRare or other curated sites, a collector can trust that the gatekeepers have put in the time to discern whether this artist is “worthy” of being collected.

The popularity of Hic Et Nunc (HEN) helped bridge the gap between value and speculation by allowing a lower entry point for amateur collectors to simply buy what they love. While HEN has provided a cleaner NFT alternative to ETH marketplaces and created a launch pad for unknown artists - with no curation, artists still go undiscovered by collectors who may love their work.

This is why many of us in this space turn to Twitter to discover new artists.

This is why influencers have taken to profiting off of their following to help artists gain exposure.

This is why shill threads have become a daily practice on Twitter.

On the surface, these threads appear innocent and supportive. Perhaps many of them are sincere, but this is an inefficient way to connect artists with collectors and an even worse way to highlight talent that may go unrecognized.

The Solution

“In 4 months, you’re going to look around and wonder how you got here.”

That was my boss back in February. It took a little longer than that, but he was right.

How did I end up here?

How did I become one of those people tweeting about how NFTs changed my life?

Nine months ago I answered a random post on Reddit:

“Looking for NFT content creators to join our community-driven NFT publication.”

Thus, I met my boss, Sean, the co-founder of Cryptowriter, and began talking about NFTs and the insanity that was beginning to take hold of people and push NFTs into the mainstream.

Since then, we’ve talked every day: late at night spitballing crackpot ideas to each other; tinkering and rewriting articles; arguing (Sean calls them “discussions”) about the best path forward.

Every crazy idea I have, he encourages me to go further, explore it and make it a reality.

I began gaining his trust and vicariously gaining the acceptance of the other founder, Kenny, as well. Freelance writing turned into recruiting artists for interviews. That led to me hosting the podcast, Behind the Pixel, with an open-ended conversation revealing the artist’s inner thoughts, ideas and influences surrounding their art.

Behind the Pixel was also created as an airdrop feature for our Cryptowriter Membership cardholders. Partnering with artists, we feature them on our website, host them on the podcast and then drop a piece of their artwork to our members.

We quickly connected the dots realizing all these pieces worked together and were part of something bigger.

UNDRGRND was born from those “discussions”. UNDRGRND would become an art platform, dedicated to newly discovered artists, elevating their exposure through articles, podcasts and airdrops to our community.

No longer would artists rely solely on the Twitter algorithms and shill threads. We would partner with artists, collectors and curators to filter through the noise and discover talented artists that deserve recognition for their work.

Our Passion

In the early 2000s, there were underground hip-hop, garage-rock and pop-punk bands floating around on the internet in blogs to gain exposure. Those unknown bands eventually became music video stars and grammy award nominees. But it all started on a website just like UNDRGRND.

There was competition and pride among people who knew musicians before they were mainstream. The band, Bon Iver, won a Grammy for Best New Artist in 2012, despite their first album being released in 2008. Bands like Saves the Day, Jimmy Eat World and Dashboard Confessional were indie label monsters before radio stations began playing their singles. Before Mos Def and Talib Kweli were superstar rap lyricists they were heading the underground hip-hop movement. And before Arcade Fire was on the cover of Rolling Stone, they were receiving accolades on the blog Pitchfork. This was my foundation and a formative experience for who I am today.

Sean started telling stories about his blog, TheFreshBeat, that highlighted underground and unknown electronic music artists. It gained enough of a following that clubs in the Miami area began looking to TheFreshBeat for new undiscovered electronic music.

We talked about how great it was discovering music that no one else knew. We enjoyed sifting through everything to find the gems; it was work but it was fun.

Now, we bring that same energy and mentality to UNDRGRND.

Our Mission

Like Indie music to mainstream pop music, UNDRGRND will focus on unfamiliar names before they become famous.

As a member of our community we hope to fuel your excitement of discovering something new.

We will think in terms of years and not hours. You will not find hype on UNDRGRND. You will not find a quick flip on UNDRGRND. You will find the genuine-honest substance of style and creativity.

We will provide you with diverse viewpoints, our knowledge, and our passion. We will write thought-provoking pieces and explore deeper discussions about art. We will share the wisdom of experienced collectors and curators to help guide and teach a new generation of investors, art enthusiasts and hopefully future millionaires (but remember us when you’re rich and famous, ok?).

There are cliches in the art and writing industries:

Buy what you love.

Write what you know.

The writers at UNDRGRND were recruited to write about the art they bought because they loved it. They are individuals with experience and opinions, who have helped shape my own taste in art. Before I became the Managing Editor of UNDRGRND they took the time to educate me. And now, I’ve recruited them to teach everyone else.

We will purchase art we love and we will write about it.

Through this, we hope to elevate some of the best unknown artists through our writing, podcast episodes and share some of those artists through weekly airdrops to our UNDRGRND Membership Cardholders.

The artists we share will become the storytellers and cultural influencers of the future.

If we elevate everyone together, we all succeed.

My personal goal is to give back to the community that has given me a chance to fulfill my dream. To all the underground artists, writers and collectors that haven’t yet reached their full potential, I will help you reach it. I will help you reach the goal of changing NFTs and art from a passion to a career.

UNDRGRND is more than just an art platform, it is a philosophy; a philosophy shaped by the community; a community we build together.

Curators. Collectors. Artists. Writers. Enthusiasts. Colleagues. Friends.

UNDRGRND.

[if-confessions]

IF author confession here but this might annoy people because I saw one talking about how some IFs get attention fast and how its annoying. Mine is one of those or I consider it to be because I never thought so many people would like the idea.

Anyway here's the other side of getting a lot of attention when you're just beginning, it is overwhelming. And as much as I'm grateful it's not a dry desert I'm also terrified of making a mistake or not being able to deliver and absolutely losing this thing that's currently built on sand.

I'm still grateful because I think for a bit I thought "yeah this much attention is probably normal" but then I see certain posts that bring me back to life and it's all "oh god they'll hate me if this sucks" again.

Do I sound entitled and like a spoiled brat? Maybe but this is truthfully how I feel.

Ohhh related to the OG Confession though I think that OP anon was more frustrated with not getting attention than anything else. But those two asks feel like different side of the same coin.

Feelings aren't right or wrong. They just are. Sometimes all your feelings are aligned, sometimes they are conflicting. It's normal. It's very human. No worries there.

So here's a hug, hon.

And you don't sound entitled. Just because you got a lot of attention quickly (lol, can't relate), it can still be scary to have so many people look at your project, interact with it and have (maybe too strong) opinions about it.

You can end up feeling very pressured to put out only perfect content, and reply to every messages you get, and feel thankful all the time for people giving your work attention, etc... because you don't want to let those people down. No wonder it can be overwhelming!

But, writing IF shouldn't put you in such a pressured state. You are allowed to make mistakes. It's actually good to make them, because this is how you learn to be better, to grow as a creator.

So make your mistakes. Make a lot of them. And have fun with it!

Also, if people don't like it, welp, that's life... Can't please everyone. (Also don't try to, it's exhausting, you lose your sanity, it's really bad, trust me...)

[asherlockstudy]

Re the anon ask about RandL's queerbaiting (and forgive me if you've posted about this before - I'm new here!). Do you think it's obnoxious/unreasonable for R&L to differentiate between shippers who ship for fun, treating it all like fantasy, and shippers who truly believe that the guys have been in a secret relationship for years and say so? And is it outside the realm of possibility that they might come to tolerate and even enjoy the one and dislike the other?

Also, is it queerbaiting if they've explicitly stated they aren't gay for each other? I mean, technically yes, but I suppose I'm used to the kind of queerbaiting where the creators keep it ambiguous, purposefully leading people on with false hope that the ship might become a reality. That's not to say that I can't see why their have-our-cake-and-eat-it-too approach when it comes to appeasing shippers isn't sometimes troubling. I guess I just don't find it as sinister(?) as I've found it in other instances.

Re Stevie: Two possible scenarios occur to me - 1. She knows they're gay/bi/whatever and is protective of their right to keep that to themselves or 2. She knows they're straight and is protective of their right to assert that without being called liars. If she's of the mind that it truly is nobody else's business, I can see why she'd use the tension/speculation for content - both for the views and to feel like they're taking control of the narrative. Maybe she'd even use it as a pushback for what she sees as a invasion of boundaries on the part of some fans. I agree that this wouldn't be particularly kind, but I could see someone getting into that headspace even as a member of the LGBTQIA+ community.

Again, forgive me if I'm missing something key here or if this is a topic you've already covered exhaustively in the past.

Hello!

RE: the differentiation between shippers, I answered a relevant ask just a few days ago where I explain my opinion in detail. Here's the link. Overall I agree they differentiate between different types of shippers but I try to go a bit deeper than the superficial distinction "fanon" shippers VS "canon" shippers, so to speak.

RE: the queerbaiting. Truth be told, I was wondering about that the other day. Rhett and Link have openly stated they are not into each other and that they will never kiss, so if someone legitimately expects a confirmation (by real people with families!) or a kiss in front of the cameras, they are kidding themselves. I think the root of people's hesitance to write off Rhink just entirely is that there is a progress in what R&L indulge to do that creates false promises. For example, they have done fanfiction reading three times and each time was massively different from the previous one. First time, it was some teen stuff and they were uncomfortable. Second time it was explicit and they were hilariously embarrassed (like visibly flushing to the point of seeing redness and sweat on them lol). The third time it was explicit and they ENACTED it with a certain casualness. So, you see, if they can't stick to a consistent behaviour, this makes it harder for fans to be consistent in regulating their expectations. Still, I am unsure about the term. What it essentially is is a "we are clear about us but we give you a bit of what you want and we call you idiots for wanting this at your face". So, I don't know if it's queerbaiting per se, but it is certainly mocking their fanbase and quite a bit problematic.

RE: Stevie. Heck I don't know. Your theory makes sense but even if she's trying to be protective (for whichever of the two reasons you said), she does not do a good job at it. How protective was she when she asked Link "whether he just said Rhett made him horny" (he didn't) which made both Link and Rhett uncomfortable? How protective was she when as a host in LTAT she showed to Rhett's dad some hilarious, embarrassing and even Rhinky moments and then aired a video of Rhett's dad judging him and saying stuff like "we gave money to make him an engineer and look what he chose to do with his life" and then Rhett was on the verge of crying? And there are many more things that I can't list now from the top of my head but I am not sure Stevie is what they needed. She helped them become a big and relevant business to be sure, but creatively and even psychologically? I am not sure she's been effective support. She comes off so inconsiderate to me.

Since you mentioned it, I will soon start closing off this discussion from my blog. I am getting a lot of replies and asks but the truth is I expected my op to go totally unnoticed! I genuinely enjoyed the conversation that developed because of it (and your ask, let me be clear), I just think I am reaching a close of what new I can personally contribute to this particular topic.

Of course, you are always welcome to my inbox to discuss anything RandL and Rhink <3

[softlyscreamingintothevoid]

9/12/2024

Autism burnout SUCKS

Everyday I wake up and have to go to work I wonder how much longer my body can last before it shuts down.

I've had a headache and fatigue for the last 3 days. Every week I get one bad headache about midway through the week. Is it exhaustion? Is it hormones? I have no idea.

Working full time is draining my spirit. I don't even have the energy to do much after work or on the weekends. I spend my time outside of work at home, trying to relax and rest or enjoy some part of the day by engaging in my hobbies. The worst is when I don't even have the energy or brain power to do my hobbies.

I feel so behind in life sometimes but nothing is helping me get ahead when I'm constantly fighting a losing battle to survive.

I can't afford to not work. I'm jealous of people who don't have to work. I feel envious of the extra time to rest and recover and engage in creative works.

I've lost all sense of creativity in burnout. I don't draw anymore. I don't make content. I don't write. I'm a failed content creator and streamer and ultimately it never mattered anyway because it's not like my stuff got that many views or anything. When I tried to come back I got no views and then stopped again because what's the point. The algorithm will not let me come back unless I post weekly again, which I physically cannot do.

I miss having energy and free time and being passionate about things.

Signed,

A burned Rose

[thefanficmonster]

Corpse’s Girl

Corpse Husband x Reader (Female)

Warnings: Bullying, Swearing, Derogatory Terms

Genre: Angst, Fluff

Summary: Y/N’s life as a regular college student is forever stripped away from her when her relationship with the famous YouTuber Corpse Husband is accidentally revealed during an online class of hers. How will she cope with the sudden spotlight and the unwanted attention, some of which crosses into bullying?

Requested by my amazing Tumblr friend @itsminniekat 🥰 She’s been reading and liking my works since day one and I honestly couldn’t be more grateful. If you’re reading this, all I can say is thank you, darling. Thank you so much for sticking by my blog even when I posted some crappy fics. I’ll make sure this ain’t one of them. Love you with all my heart. ❤❤❤

P.S. - I named the mean character with my name so I hope no one who reads this has the same name. Wouldn’t want any of you feeling like the villain 😘

Who knew online class would be even more boring than being physically present for a lecture? Seriously, I find myself doing the weirdest of crap to entertain myself - like trying to balance a pen on the tip of my nose for example. I jot down some notes every now and then but that’s basically it. My mind can not fathom the concept on concentrating on whatever my professors are going on and on about. Well, full disclosure, I couldn’t concentrate even if I wanted to, especially with my boyfriend streaming in the other room.

He’s currently playing Among Us with his usual gaming squad. Listening to his input during the discussions, I can always tell when he’s lying. I honestly find it hilarious that his friends can’t pick up when he’s bullshitting them. I sometimes wonder if he has brainwashed them. And that’s one of the main reasons we don’t play Among Us together - he can’t lie to me. Not only do I pick up on his con with ease, but he always says he feels bad when he lies to me which is just the sweetest thing. Also, I refuse to play cause I’m shy. His friends are all well-known content creators and I’m a literal nobody. Every now and then I find myself wondering why Corpse is even with me. He’s always quick to push those thoughts out of my head and make sure they don’t return on a long notice, but they do interrupt my peace from time to time.

“Y/N, do you know?“ The sound of my professor saying my name takes me out of my eavesdropping of Corpse’s stream.

I panic, but quickly improvise, “Sorry, my internet is slow, you cut out for a second. What was the question?” I feel my face heating up, making me glad we are allowed to keep our cameras off.

“Question number 15 on page 82 in your textbook. Do you know the answer to it?“ My professor repeats himself, his tone annoyed.

I look down at the page that’s already opened in front of me. I let out a sigh of relief, seeing that the question is rather easy.

“Yeah, um, it’s...“ Suddenly, Corpse’s laugh reaches my room loud and clear. There’s no doubt my mic picked up the noise, especially since the door to my room is open.

The color drains from my face as I hurry to say the answer and remute myself. My eyes are wide as I stare at my screen, hoping no one will acknowledge that very recognizable laugh.

“OMG Y/N, are you watching a Corpse Husband stream in class?” One of the bitches in my class, Vy, speaks up, “Not a very goody-two-shoe move on your part, dear.” 

I purposely unmute my mic to mumble a quick ‘Shut up, bitch’ that somehow manages to fly under my professor’s radar and the class continues. It’s the first time something like this has happened and I’m not sure if I handled it properly or not.

The class ends shortly after, allowing me a sigh of relief as I disconnect from the meeting. 

“Fucking finally.“ I mumble to myself, leaning back in my desk chair. Tilting my head backwards, I see Corpse standing in the doorframe. I grin, not only because his presence itself makes me ten times happier, but also because he’s upside down from my viewpoint. “Well, hello there! How long have you been spying on me?“

He struts over to me, leaning his face over mine, “Long enough.” His lips linger above mine without any actual contact before he pulls away, allowing me to sit up straight and proper in the chair. “You still have classes?”

I nod my head while disappointedly rolling my eyes, “Yeah. One more. Shouldn’t be too bad since it’s English Lit. You’re done streaming?”

“Yeah, I just have some other things to do. I haven’t done a narration video in a while, I miss making that type of content.“ He plops down on my bed, running a hand through his messy black curls.

“Weren’t you recording some lines a few days ago?“ I frown as I try to recall if what I’m referring to actually happened or my brain is too fried to decipher reality from my bootleg perception of it. Online class, man - messes with your head like sleeping pills - makes you disoriented and exhausted with barely doing anything other than trying to wrap your brain around a lecture or two.

He hums affirmatively, “It’s not a finished project and I don’t even know if I’ll use those or rerecord them. I’ll have to listen to them again before I make a final decision.“

I tilt his chin upwards with my pointer finger, a gesture he has told me he finds very endearing, “I’m sure they’re great and you just refuse to be satisfied. Everything you do is great.“

He smiles a small, shy smile, his fingers gently wrapping around my wrist, holding my hand in place, “You’re biased. You like me too much to tell me when I do some bullshit.”

I scoff, “You know that isn’t true. If someone’s gonna kick your butt in formation, it’s gonna be me.“ I give him a quick kiss on the forehead before pulling away from him, “Go on, now. I have a class to attend. You distract me enough while you’re in the other room, I can only imagine how hard it’d be for me to focus if you were right by my side.“

He smirks, bowing a little as he makes his way out of the room, “You flatter me.”

I playfully roll my eyes, getting my headset back on as I tap the last class for the day. We have an assignment due to the start of the class which we’ll have to present if the professor approved of it. We basically had to write a psychoanalysis of a character from any book of our choice. I chose Heathcliff from ‘Wuthering Heights’ which is one of my favorite books of all time. I’m proud of what I wrote and the way I wrote it, but I’ve always barely scraped by with a B in this class, a B+ if I’m lucky, so I’ve never gotten any major credit, even when I put my 110% in the assignments and projects.

Well, color me surprised when the professor calls on me first to read my work, complimenting it on its detailed and specific nature. I get my printed assignment out in front of me and unmute myself.

“I wrote a psychoanalysis on for Heathcliff, a character from Emily Bronte’s novel ‘Wuthering Heights’.“ Just after I say this line, Corpse’s voice booms throughout the whole apartment, no doubt being picked up by my mic. It doesn’t sound like he’s actually talking, he can’t be that loud. I put two and two together when I recognize the lines he’s saying - the ones he recorded a few days ago. They’re coming from his computer speakers. He probably didn’t check the volume before playing back the recording.

I mute myself as quickly as possible, but it’s too late. The voice dies down as Corpse probably turned down the speakers.

My professor, who is already done with this lecture, just annoyedly remarks, her words overdosed with sarcasm: “Read your assignment and you can go back to whatever it is you are watching.”

“Wow, Y/N! Again?! Are you one of those crazy obsessed fans or something? Is Corpse Husband all you watch?“ This bitch is really poking a stick at me, huh? The only crazy obsessed fan here is her, and my friends but they are allowed. Little do all of them know, I am obsessed but not simply over a YouTuber. I’m obsessed with my boyfriend who just happens to be a YouTuber.

“No commentary, please.“ The professor scolds her, “Go on, Y/N.“

I finish reading without any other disturbances. The professor compliments my essay again when I’m done, the small incident at the beginning forgotten already. Well, not by everyone. One of my friends shot me a quick text to joke about it which only earned an eye roll from me.

My friends don’t know that I’m dating Corpse either. As I said, they are simping HARD over him while I act the most indifferent on the subject. Whenever they ask my opinion on him I either say ‘he’s OK’ or just avoid answering completely. I know saying anything more enthusiastic than that would turn into a snowball rolling down a snowy hill - I’d just keep babbling about how nice, amazing, wonderful and a gift to this world Corpse is, inevitably revealing our relationship in the process.

I’m afraid of revealing my relationship with Corpse in front of these people. They are all run on jealousy and selfishness and I can only imagine how mean they’d be about it. I’m already not too fond of them, it would only be worse if any of my personal life was exposed.

When the class finally ends I remove my headset, putting my forehead down on the desk, barely missing the keyboard. I groan in frustration and anger at myself for not fighting back. I could’ve and should’ve said something - ANYTHING. But what? That’s a question I can’t find the answer to.

“Hey...“ Corpse’s hesitant voice comes from behind me, “You ok?“

I straighten my posture, turning to him with a smile. “Yeah, but these people suck.”

I get up from my chair as he approaches me, basically falling in his arms. The comfort I feel radiating off of him makes me relax, forget the past hour or so. He has always had this effect on me. Like my own personal kryptonite to my anger and anxiety.

“Did I get you in any trouble because of that?“ His voice shows clear concern and guilt. 

I wrap my arms around him tighter, burying my head in his chest. “No, don’t worry about it.“ 

And I really wasn’t in trouble. Not until now that the video is officially posted....

I can call these people dumb all I want but they sure put two and two together awfully fast. They recognized the lines they heard during class as the same ones from his new video that came out almost a week after the incident, aka two days ago. It’s safe to say I haven’t touched my phone or computer since.

“This is all my fault.“

Of all the horrible things I suspected would happen this has to be the worst - Corpse is blaming himself for it. I am prepared to take all the shit these people have to throw at me but seeing Corpse beating himself up over this is killing me. No amount of convincing can change his mind. Nothing I say helps.

“Please, stop doing this to yourself. Non of this is your fault, Corpse.“ I’ve repeated this sentence more than a thousand time these past forty eight hours, each time saying it more and more desperately.

“All of it is my fault, Y/N. I’m so sorry. I hate myself so much.“ Has been his reply single time.

 I can’t watch him be so mean to himself. It’s the most conflicting thing when the person you love most is torturing themselves. It’s easy if it’s someone else doing it, you just kick their ass. But what are you supposed to do when the person you want to protect is the same one you need to protect them from.

Corpse has shut himself away in his recording room these past few hours and though he clearly needs to be alone, he still left the door open just a crack cause he knows I’ll be worried sick otherwise.

While I’m alone in the living room, I’ve finally managed to brace myself and build enough courage to power up my laptop. Last time it was on it was going mad with notifications.

“It’s digital. Only digital. It can’t hurt you too badly if it can’t touch you, right?“ I mumble to myself, already frustrated despite not having yet seen all the horrors that await me.

And horrors there were. Everywhere. Twitter. Instagram. Facebook.

My grades. Some pictures of me no one has ever seen. My school files. People from my class tweeting Corpse to ‘expose’ me for the ‘slut’ or ‘bitch’ I really am. Corpse hasn’t touched social media either and I plan on making sure it stays that way. God only knows how much worse he’ll get if he sees these claims.

And then, like a notification sent straight from hell, an email from my professor.

Practical lectures on Friday. Be here at 9 AM. Don’t forget your mask and gloves.

Good thing I opened my laptop when I did. Friday is tomorrow and I need to prepare for this day. Not only do I need to hit the books but I need to toughen up a bit. I can’t go there looking like I feel - like a mess.

Alright, time to put the brave face on. No more wallowing in it, at least not until tomorrow afternoon.

I make a study plan and hop in the shower. I feel the need to apologize to my hair for washing it so roughly, basically yanking at my strands from frustration that has been suppressed for too long.

I get our of the boiling hot shower, red as a lobster, and change into some clean comfortable clothes and put my ass in study mode. I remove all the scary expectations of the morning to come from my mind and let the information the textbooks has to offer seep into my brain.

                                                            *  *  *

I’m about to head out and, despite my put-together composure, I am a wreck inside. I actually put effort into my appearance, I mean - I even styled my hair. A pretty façade to hide a ruin.

I saw my friends’ texts last night, all three of them ending their friendship with me because they felt betrayed. I haven’t yet decided how to feel about that. Doesn’t matter at the moment, there are more important matters at hand, aka surviving the next three hours.

My college is within ten minutes walking distance from our apartment. That ten minute walk has never been so stressful, not even during exam season. The air feels a little harder to breathe, the path a little shorter to walk. And my moment of reckoning a little too close.

I feel eyes on me the second I start walking through the park of our campus. Sure, I could just be paranoid, but the feeling is too real to be just my imagination in overdrive. I’m glad I have my hair down and a mask on so the redness of my cheeks and neck isn’t on display. That’s a sign of weakness right now.

We have two an hour and a half long classes between which we have a snack break that’s half an hour. I usually enjoy that period but I’m dreading it now. These assholes can only be so mean in the presence of a professor, but during lunch break they can increase that tenfold. 

“Well if it isn’t Corpse’s girl.“ I hear that a lot. The whispers are not so much whispers as intentionally loud enough for me to hear remarks. I’m not bothered by them, it’s the least they can do. If I let such a simple thing get to me, I’d be crumbling by the end of first period.

I hear some shuffling behind me and out of the corner of my eye I see, yeah you guessed it, THAT bitch. She’s standing as close to me as she can without violating Covid regulations. A mask is covering her face but the menacing look in her eyes tells me all I need to know about the interaction that’s about to go down.

“I’d ask how much he pays you for the hour.....“ her long nails tap the wooden desk, “but that’d be rude. I bet it’s tough being a maid. Do you just clean or are you a multipurpose lap dog? No offense, I’m genuinely curious.“

“Vy, would you be so kind as to give Y/N some room to breathe?“ The professor asks as he nonchalantly walks in.

Vy rolls her eyes, batting her eyelashes at me, “Talk to you later, sweetheart.” With a fake friendly wave she’s out of my hair, at least for now.

Remember what I said about these people not being as dumb as I pegged them to be? Yeah, scratch that. These fuckers actually tried getting away with taking pictures of me with flash in broad daylight. Like, HELLO! I have two functioning eyes and a brain, I’m onto you. Sadly, me having figured out their childish but hurtful methods of humiliating me doesn’t change much. They still posted the pics they took, using the most derogatory terms they could find in the English language, always making sure to tag Corpse and me both.

Needless to say, these were the longest three hours of my life.

                                                              *  *  *

Shutting the door to our apartment behind me causes relief of the highest levels. I feel like I’ve locked out all the bad shit I have had to deal with these past twenty four hours. 

I’m tired. I’m fucking exhausted. I feel like a discarded piece of paper. 

And it all starts crumbling. A wall is bound to start slowly falling apart after being hit over and over again, each time feeling the blows with a stronger intensity. 

I slide down the door sitting down on the floor and slowly taking my shoes off. I put my bag beside me and wrap my arms around my knees, hiding my head in the space between them and my chest.

One tear slides down my cheek.

Another follows.

And another, this time accompanied by a choked sob.

A pair of arms wraps around the ball that my body has been shaped into. One of his hands comes up to stroke my hair gently, feeding me the comfort I have been longing for since I left the apartment this morning.

“I saw it. All of it. All the shit they talk about you. All the names they call you. And I’ve never wanted to beat so many people up simultaneously.“ His words make me raise my head from its low position, giving him a knowing look. “I wish I could. I would, but that would land me in jail. Which doesn’t even sound so bad cause I don’t like going out. Only problem is you wouldn’t be with me. I wouldn’t want you to be there with me, don’t get me wrong, I’d never want you to end up in jail. I-...” I cut him off by pressing my lips to his. A quick kiss that says so much but mainly shows the immeasurable gratitude for his support.

Seeing those awful tweets and comments had the complete opposite effect on him. He no longer blames himself but the people who actually deserve the blame - all those jerks from my college.

I pull away, giving him a small smile. “I would never let you go to jail.” 

He smiles back at me, overjoyed that my mood is slowly being lifted, “Come on, I have a nice crowd that would like to meet you.”

I know exactly what he means. Felix, Sean, Rae, Dave, Sykkuno and the rest of his friends. The people I’ve been so shy and afraid to meet since day one. Being shy doesn’t really make sense now, seeing as how they know I exist and that I’m a part of Corpse’s life. 

What do I have to lose?

“Guys, this is my girlfriend, Y/N.“ Corpse’s black avatar runs around my cyan one in the Among Us lobby.

I can’t help but giggle when I unmute my mic, “Hi everyone! It’s so nice to finally meet you.“ They each introduce themselves, expressing how happy they are to be meeting me too.

It’s the first time in what feels like a while that I’m truly having fun. These people are wonderful, each so unique and lovely. They never brought up the scandal nor acted as though they knew about it. I know they did and I am beyond grateful that they never mentioned it or treated me any differently because of it. Also, Corpse was streaming the whole time. I had my phone on his stream, my eyes nervously scanning the chat every now and then. I couldn’t believe it. Corpse’s real fans were just as wonderful as his friends - they were nothing but supportive and happy to have met me.

Now, I can either choose to believe these people were being so nice to me out of sympathy or I can believe they really like me and appreciate me for who I am and not for what happened to me. 

I choose to believe the latter.

And while I’m still getting accustomed to this whole new spotlight, I know I’ll be able to handle it as long as I’m holding Corpse’s hand in the process. All I need is to have him beside me and I’m prepared to tackle anything.

“They love you.“ Corpse tells me once the stream is done and we’ve hopped out of the Discord call, “But I love you more.“

His arms wrap around my waist while mine instinctively find their way around his neck, “I love them, too. But they’re at the number 2 spot.”

He smirks at me, “I wonder who’s at number 1.”

I push up on my toes, putting my lips an inch away from his, “Hmm, I wonder...”

He doesn’t let me finish, silencing my teasing with a sweet, loving kiss.

@susceptible-but-siriusexual  @simonsbluee  @save-the-sky  @hacker-ghost  @bi-andready-tocry  @imtiredaffff  @jazzkaurtheglorious  @hereforbeebo  @fandomgirl17  @chrysanthykios  @maehemscorpyus  @loraleiix  @letsloveimagines  @annshit  @i-cant-choose-a-username-help  @enigmaticmaze  @divine-artemis  @waterlilypat

[deliriumsdelight7]

A plea for audience engagement

Hoo boy.  I did NOT want to do this.  At all.  But I feel like the Rumbelle fandom has reached a fork in the road.  One path leads to years of wonderful stories and content for the fandom to enjoy.  The other leads to a slow death for this wonderful community.

This rant is probably going to come across whiny, bitchy, and completely entitled, so if you’re not up for reading that, feel free to scroll past.

There has been a sharp downturn in audience engagement in the fandom as a whole lately.  I’ve been seeing fics get just as many views as they did last year, or close to it, but fewer and fewer likes, reblogs, and AO3 comments over the past few months.  At first, I thought it was just me: either my imagination, or maybe my writing was starting to stagnate (or worse, starting to suck).  But no - I’ve had multiple authors mention how their work over the past few months will get few interactions, or worse - none at all.  Combing through their Tumblr and AO3 pages confirmed my suspicions (yes, I am being THAT flavor of creep).

This issue extends to weekly author Tumblr posts, such as TMI Tuesday.  For the past few months, I (as an example) have been extremely lucky to get a single Ask in my inbox.  Most weeks, I get nothing at all.  Other writers have reported the same thing.  It’s gotten to the point where other writers have stopped making these weekly posts altogether, because... why bother?  Why take the time to write that post inviting interactions?  It’s clearly adding nothing to the fandom, so all it does is open you up for disappointment when nobody responds.

Now, I know that nobody is entitled to comments/kudos/likes/reblogs/whatever.  And anybody who creates art for no other reason than to get compliments is going to have a bad time.  But here’s the thing: without input, there can be no output.  As our favorite scaly wizard says, everything comes at a price.  Writing fic is a creative, joyful, freeing thing - but it’s also work.  It’s stressful, it’s time-consuming, it’s exhausting... For those of us who are constantly putting out content, it’s basically an unpaid second job.  So when you pour your time, energy, and soul into a work and get little to no response... it’s discouraging.  Really discouraging.  I know for a fact that I’m not alone in feeling this way.  Multiple other authors are starting to feel both disheartened and unappreciated, to the point where they’re considering becoming much less active in the fandom and moving on to others.  I’m talking about die-hard fans who put out multiple entries a month - sometimes multiple a week!

Look, I get it.  Life really sucks right now for a lot of us.  Many members of the fandom don’t have the time/energy/spoons to go on Tumblr or AO3 to read.  This post isn’t aimed at them.  But for those of you who still check the Rumbelle tag daily, weekly, monthly, whatever, please - please interact with your content creators.  They pour so much of themselves into their work.  Hours upon hours go into each and every one.  So please - if you read someone’s work, just take thirty seconds out of your day to send them a comment.  It doesn’t have to be an essay.  It can be a sentence.  Or a word.  Or an emoji.  Anything!  And if they solicit Asks, send them a quick one!  Ask their characters questions.  Ask the author questions about themselves as a writer, or about who they are as a person!  I promise, it absolutely makes their day.

I love this fandom, guys.  In the Rumbelle fandom, I feel like I’ve found a sense of belonging I never knew before.  I’ve been pouring my energy into keeping the fandom alive through discussions, taking over popular events, trying to create new events, and yes - writing fic.  I would gladly bleed myself dry for this fandom.  But all of that comes to nothing if several of our most prolific authors become too discouraged to contribute.  So I beg you - please, please, please let your content creators know how much you love their work!

[lix-ables]

hi! this is probably a dumb ask but i saw your recent post about it so i thought i’d ask 😅 tbh i’ve started multiple blogs for random stuff before and am apparently still lost on tumblr lol but since i’ve fallen into fandoms and fics I’m not sure how to support? i know reblogs are basically what every creator talks about but if you don’t have followers isn’t a reblog kinda useless cause it doesn’t circulate? and i’ve realized you don’t really get followers unless you create content yourself? i get that the interaction and commenting can be valuable but i guess my question is if i were to create a blog to reblog and comment on fics would it be pointless if i had no followers? this isn’t meant to disregard your post or anything just genuinely curious on how to properly support writers by maybe making a new blog, sorry for the long ask so feel free to ignore! hope your doing well and have a good day ☺️

hi bub! ah you raise a good point actually, it's not a dumb question please don't say that. (kinda got long so i added the read more)

blogs that do have content/followers, the posts can be shared. as for the others i think just your feedback is enough for us you know? we don't require you to make different blogs just to get followers to share our content. even if tblr is about reblogs, than compared to twitter or instagram, it's the comments and feedback about our works we're looking for. we really appreciate anything and everything, because it truly is our motivation to create more posts for everyone. it's benefitting us as writers and content creators, and you as well, being readers.

we really appreciate when we get comments, feedback or anything in that form, about our works. because otherwise, and this is for me, i do not know about other writers it's demotivating. i really hope the readers know and understand that writing, or making posts in general about anything at all, is really tasking. it does get exhausting at times, but we still do want to write, with it being our hobby. we personally don't have any obligation to write for anyone but ourselves mostly, but we still want to write you know? to entertain y'all, our followers.

i hope i kinda made sense. what i mean, in conclusion, is that we just want any kind of feedback, anything is alright.

thank you for this ask , bub and i hope you're having a wonderful day/night yourself !!

[softkuna]

Sukuna || Interview || Fic

Part 1

Content   ║  Punk!Sukuna x reader. There is an oc version here.

Beauty wasn’t in the eye of the beholder, no, it is in the mind. Sukuna was enraptured. Addressed again, he shifted his posture, leaning into the arm of the couch as she did with her chair. The two were close in their cohort. An air of comfortable conversation lingered between them, much to his dismay. Her question wasn’t unusual. He’d been asked it in the beginning of his career and one where he had a planned answer.

Count      ║ 2,626 K

Consider ║ Swearing. Female Pronouns (she/her).

Creator   ║ This is the reader version. I took the name of the oc out. Hopefully the double post isn’t too weird? I did research on punk fashion, culture, and all which was really interesting. I knew some stuff about it before, but it’s really rich! I hope it’s not too information dense for you guys. Either way, Punk!Sukuna is now my comfort au and writing him is an absolute delight!! Also, Sorry for changing from ‘you’ to she/her ;v; it’s a lot easier for me to write/edit this way.

Sukuna had a lazy grin as he lounged back into a modern cream sofa. His arm stretched across the back of it, ankle crossed over his knee. Eyes staggered from the two cameras set up to the woman talking with some other chick. One held a small stack of papers, the other was grandly gesturing. He breathed out a short-stop breath, wishing they wouldn’t waste his time with bickering. Annoying as it was, it left a thick self-satisfactory lather over his ego.

  “-didn’t you say the band?”

  “Yeah, but this is better.”

  “Sure… but what happens if-“

  Quite frankly, he hated most press and avoided it, so to just have him in the hot seat was a double-edged blade. They didn’t get the whole band, but they did have The King himself. Whatever publicity he thrived off of were live shows, signings, fancams, tangible and real-time events. Interviews were a complete and utter waste of his time. He did a couple in the beginning, but found them pointless, callous even. They all asked the same shit. So, him coming alone was absolutely a note to pin to the fridge, even if it were a passive-aggressive post-it note.

  His head turned to the two going back and forth. It wasn’t until the third minute ticked by that Sukuna felt the flashpoint of his blood plummet, “Yo! We doing this or what? You’re wasting my time here, Eros.”

  The blogger whipped her head to the man with an indignant, “Excuse me?”

  “Eros. Known for being reckless and unreliable? Like your scheduling.” He leaned forward, elbow on knee and chin in palm. The aura of shit-eatery exponentially growing, “You’re not excused, sorry, not sorry Princess.”

  “I think you have the wrong God,” She quipped as she dusted off the front of her outfit. It was a smart look and an intentional one for an interview with a punk rocker. What would strike the best complement than a khaki academic outfit? It consisted of a white high collared button up, sleeves billowing before cinching at her wrists. The blouse was stuffed into high-waisted, cuffed khaki chinos, pleated at the center of each pant leg. Over top, a gray woolen sweater vest. Accessories included various silver rings, a black ribbon to tie under the folded collar, and small silver studs as earrings. Makeup remained that done-up natural with brow, liner, and mascara. Hair had been swept into something similar to a faux 1920’s bob, pulled loosely back. The overall silhouette made the perfect contrast.

    Sukuna wanted to peg her as your average superficial fashion bitch, he really did. Even at the concert, she dressed smartly despite the pathetic look on she wore on face. It wasn’t until afterwards when he saw the burn in her eyes, that he craved for her to prove him wrong.

  Black flats clacked as she approached her own seat, a matching armchair to the couch. She held a certain command once she walked in, instructing him on where to be, which camera to look at, and what the introduction would be. He listened, admiring how her small frame moved to and fro, fixing up last minute edits on a paper, chattering with who he assumed to be a videographer. It was a whole production. One that was hers. The set itself was practically out of a home décor magazine. It was a general space used across the publisher, but she was born to be there. Deserved to be there. Her calculated glee and deliberate positioning of each member made him feel as though he were looking through a mirror.

  The interview process began.

  She sat professionally, legs crossed and leaning on the arm of her chair closest to Sukuna. He was unmoving, that slit to his lip curling upwards as the cameras began. She introduced the blog, the channel, her social media handles. With a smile, she introduced herself, “With me in this special is lead singer of Two Face, the King of Curses – Sukuna.”

  The camera panned to his lazy wave, “Yo.” He looked to her, she looked to him and for a moment she thought she saw a flicker of interest. Maybe the man was meant for cameras after all.

  “After looking more into the punk scene, there’s a pretty interesting history behind it. Revolution, social discourse, poverty, violence, and unity. As someone in the scene, can you talk a little bit about what you know of the background?”

  Sukuna drank in her voice, smooth and warm like the steady strum of a bass guitar. For a moment, he wondered if she sang. He quirked a brow, “Sounds like you didn’t research enough to summarize it yourself,” Eyes flickered to her features, watching as slight annoyance crinkled onto her nose then smoothed, “Let me learn you, Daisy. Starting back from rock in the 50’s, take that, strip it, build it with shit you find in the backyard…” His wrist rolled as his harmonious voice sang on, lacking even a single stutter as he summarized the movement top to bottom, inside and out, “…So, people would make their own records, sell them in plastic bags, they’d scan and reprint photos to make their own ‘zines. Shit was hard to distribute without tech…”

  Much of his dissertation, she hadn’t even found on her own deep dive into the culture. Sure, the anarchist and nihilistic ideologies were well known to pretty much anyone who would listen, but the deep history and connection between communities was far beyond the surface scratched into.

  “There’s a crowd of sub-genres now. Fuck ‘punk is dead’ what even is that bull shit?” Sukuna scoffed, jerking his chiseled chin to the side, “Only thing that’s dead here is – ironically – peoples drive to change.”

  His interviewer sat in silence for a moment, mind spinning. He spoke in the way a well-educated University professor gave a dissertation to his peers, dripping in confidence from his storm of information. He was articulate despite the fowl language, even including a tie in to modern perception. Excitement curled into the recess of her mind. In a delightful turn of events, expectation and reality didn’t match up.

  She leaned forward slightly folding her hands over the arm of the chair, “That was comprehensive. Thanks!” She chuckled, causing the man before her to freeze and thaw with a nod. She continued, “With all of this mention of D.I.Y. culture in punk, let’s talk about Vivienne Westwood.”

  Sukuna kept his attention to her profile as she spoke to the camera, catching himself in the glow of her enthusiasm, “On Kings Road in England, she kickstarted the fashion movement into gear. Now, many would think that with a style such as this, it would’ve been hand-me-downs, pins, self-stitching, but contrary to this belief, many of the clothes in her store were expensive. Knock offs circulated, and seeing as much of it did have that hand-done finishing touch, many decided to take tailoring to their own hands…” Not that this was a competition, but she found herself trying to prove his ‘research’ comment wrong. Her ability to scour and exhaust her resources of fashion history is the furnace that kept her going and she would make it well known that she was not to be challenged.

  The approaching lurch of a stalemate stuck to the walls of the vocalist’s stomach. Something he didn’t think he’d feel for a while. Small stuff over here may not’ve known all there was about the cultural history, but he could feel the crashing wave of fascination washing over him as she spoke. Sure, some of it he knew. Some of it he naturally garnered from stylistic preference and others he learned for marketing, however there was just a certain target she aimed for with such precision that he bled a newfound admiration.

  Beauty wasn’t in the eye of the beholder, no, it is in the mind. Sukuna was enraptured. Addressed again, he shifted his posture, leaning into the arm of the couch as she did with her chair. The two were close in their cohort. An air of comfortable conversation lingered between them, much to his dismay. Her question wasn’t unusual. He’d been asked it in the beginning of his career and one where he had a planned answer. As practiced, “I ans-“

  “You’ve answered it already, yeah, I know. I saw the interview,” Her head tilted to the side, pleasant smile hinting at her trick, “but enlighten me for a second about how your natural style transitioned to what it is on stage. We’ll put up some of the photos taken from last night here,” her hand gestured to some empty space, “You basically turned chiaroscuro and made it a performance. It’s obvious in how each member contrasted with themselves and the stage.”

  The chick didn’t even know who he was a week ago, yet somehow watched every interview since the start? An answer tumbled from the tongue readily, “Punk is like a renaissance of music. Like I said before, it tore down the foundations of what was before and built something new out of it.” The words were succinct, but as her pretty lashes bat, he was goaded into continuing, “Contrast is important. I like art. I like plays. Just ‘cause it’s punk doesn’t mean I can’t have it look aesthetic? Or is that a word only snobby fashion journalists can use now?”

  “Hm. Change ‘journalist’ to ‘vocalist’ and you’re a word away from meeting the requirement,” It was a sour candy treat traded for his lemon warhead.  

  “Ouch. Miss Blog-Spot here has some sass,” His large frame leaned further into the armrest, cheek resting on that fist.

  “Mister Eight-Track here is some a–“

  The videographer clapped his hands, “We have sponsors, you know. We can at least censor him.”

  It was Sukuna’s time to laugh a loud, hyena-like cackle. A large hand smacked his leather-clad knee. She scrunched her nose again, biting back her tongue from childishly jutting out at him.

  As soon as the videographer clapped his hands again, she recollected herself, shuffled her papers, and continued on, “From what it looks like, you took a mixture of old and new high-trend brands and added a touch to them to keep with theme. Even now, you’re wearing a Real McCoy with cone spikes embedded. Is that custom made? McCoy isn’t cheap.”

  Part of him hated her keen eye, but reveled in her raw talent all the same. “I’m not going to bull shit you and say I dumpster dive for my clothes. I like high quality things. What’s the point in making money if I can’t spend it? What’s a bigger ‘fuck you’ than having your version of a top-brand item being worth more than the original?” With a proud glint in his eye, he rolled the jacket off, sure to make a grand display of strong, bare arms as he did so. The muscle tank he wore was similar to the concert before, white with a pocket, neckline was stretched and worn. It hung over the dense muscle of his shoulders and chest. Sukuna could feel the trail of her eyes on him. His chest puffed from her approval. He threw the jacket over his knee, flipping the leather inside out to show where the studs had been placed, “See this? Did it myself.”

  Manicured fingers touched the inside of the jacket, thumbing the connecting points that the studs were pressed in by and sealed. The work was immaculate. Sukuna leaned back, canines gleaming as he saw her mouth move in a silent ‘wow’. He picked the front of his tank top, snapping it up and allowing it to billow back to his body, “Embroidered this, too.”

  He waited for her comment, her praise. Why? Like he needed some two-bit Vanderbilt bitch’s validation. He chalked it up to being praised by a master of the craft. He hadn’t been prepared for her to take the fabric between her fingers and rub it, concentrated brows cinched like a corset. Well-toned abs flinched in response to her delicacy, but she didn’t notice.

  The embroidery was messy and chaotic, but it was obviously intentionally. The way the needlework was so clean, barely leaving a hole from the pull of the exceptionally soft fabric. It wasn’t floral like in the concert, but abstract stitching created crosses and streaks here and there, using the composition of the fabric as like it were a canvas. Experimentalist. It was like touching the work of Westwood herself.

  God, she hated how perfect it was. It squeezed her heart to know that he was so effortlessly multi-talented. She rubbed the fabric between her fingers once more, attention being stolen by his baritone voice. She could practically hear the treble in it, “Ey Princess, you think it’s okay to just touch me?” His breath caught under the arrogant teasing of his words. Not from the words themselves. Couldn’t care less about that. What choked him up was whatever resplendent emotion flared from them when she peered up to him.

  “Let me check the tag.”

  “What?”

  The blogger leaned back, cheekily snapping the shirt as she did so. “Your shirt, can I check the tag? I want to see what its made out of. Also, sorry.”

  Sukuna blinked twice, mouth stupidly hanging open before he leaned forward, “I’ll allow it.”

  He may have tinnitus, but he wasn’t deaf enough yet to miss the mocking ‘I’ll allow it,’ muttered under her breath. He wanted to laugh, but for the second time, the graze of chilled fingertips along his skin shut him up. Along the back of his neck, she fiddled to flip the collar and tug it. Her eyes squinted and a hum escaped her throat. Sometimes she wished she could read upside down. That’s when she sat on the back on the sofa and leaned closer, pulling the shirt to better read the small print. If Sukuna were a cat, he’d lean his head into her. The thought physically bothered him.

  “I knew it. It’s American Pima. Thanks for letting me check.”

  He missed the shiver her touch gave him as she sat back into her chair.

  “While I have more questions for you, this video’s gotten pretty long already, so we’ll have to cut it a bit short here,” She gave a closing statement, motioning for her guest to do the same. With a thanks, the cameras were cut.

 While the editor and videographer chatted together, She leaned heavily into the back of her chair, poised posture slipping into something more comfortable. Long lashes slid closed and a heavy drag of breath lifted her chest. Sukuna’s eyes trailed along her form, contemplating Eros once more.

  She exhaled sharply, “I do appreciate you coming on stage. It’s disgusting how talented you are.” She laughed, cracking an eye open to meet his, “I prepped a lot of questions thinking you’d be short with me. It’s a shame I only got to ask a few.”

  He was surprised himself. It was more than just her talent to make him talk - she may have been the first to see him as an opportunity rather than a commodity. ‘She would be the first and last reporter to see me as a meal’ was the thought he had going into this interview. He had every single intention to shut down her buffet, make it apparent that he was not to be dined on by a single soul. Yet, if his dish were ‘opportunity’, hers would be ‘intrigue’. He wanted to devour it, to know its palette and identify its spices. It was a compulsory urge to order, just to see why he craved it in the first place.

  “Film the next few concerts. Backstage.”

Tags:  @lovesakusa​

[zmayadw]

Hi, love ❤️

I just wanted to say a couple of things about your latest post if I can.

I can relate to that feeling really well and I understand how difficult it is to explain it.

Of course I'm happy to see other people's works here in the fandom, but at the same time seeing all the effort the person put in it makes me feel even more guilty for not being so active/not doing a new artwork or post each day.

In summer, so when I had more time, I used to do more than 5 posts a day to suppress this feeling. I was really happy to be that active here, don't get me wrong, but at the same time so exhausting, since I tried my best to make people see I cared about them and my blog.

However, I've to admit that it's the worst when you're feeling tired or not so motivated and see the others posting a lot of wonderful stuff. It makes me lose even more motivation sometimes, because I'm afraid I'll never reach that level of quality in my posts.

I really hope I explained this whole quite clearly.

Thank you so much for reading and sending you a big virtual hug ❤️.

Hi, love 💚💚

First, let me just say that I am sorry you know this feeling, it definitely isn't the greatest feeling in the world and it can really get you more down and unmotivated for sure 😔

Second, I can relate to the part you said about doing your best to make others see you care about them and your blog with your posts.

Now what I am about to write will be another long rant from me, and a sort of vent regarding the previous (second) statement, so if you don't want to read it just skip it, no hard feelings, but I just need to get this off my chest.

I know manny here understand this kind of sittuations and feelings behind it, and I thank you all for it, but unfortunately there are (and I suppose always will be) those who don't understand it, as I've seen it being mentioned manny times in this or that way.

I really wish those ones would get to their heads that to create something, whether it be a drawing, or a fanfic or whatever other thing, takes time, and it is OUR time, that we more than happily spend creating all those things, because lets be honest here, we - as a creators of it all - like doing it and it makes US happy. But you also NEED to finally understand that we ARE NOT machines - we are just ordinary human beings behind our blog names, with our personsl lives and feelings, and we can easily crack under the presure of trying to balance all this and keeping everyone pleased. We, too, have bad days, just like everyone does, and we should be allowed to take breaks on such days without needing to worry what our followers might think about us if we don't post anything for a few days, or even longer.

I get it, you are all eager to get new content from us all, and I assure you we love making it and we appreciate every like and comment/feedback we get from you, it really means a lot to us, and we do care about you. But cut us some slack here for gods sake, because (at least in my case) sometimes it will happen we get unmotivated and tired and sad and angry and nervous...and we don't need to add to all of that the worry of our follower being unpleased/unhappy by the lack of our posting.

Keeping our blogs should be a fun thing firstly and mostly, it is not a "8-17" job thing but our free time we spend creating something we also can't wait to share with you all. So if you can't really wait some time for something new, by all means feel free to unfollow me, because I can guarantee you it will happen that it might pass days, weeks or even longer that I won't post new work. And if you can't finally understand that it is not because I don't care about you or my blog, then I even encourage you to do it. Because I'm tired of adding the worry about that too, along with everything that is or will happen in my life, to something that should give me a feeling of joy.

Ofcourse, this is just my oppinion, you don't have to agree with anything I said here, and that's fine, I'm not asking you that. And I won't apologize if I might sounded harsh here or made someone feel offended by anything I wrote here, but that's just how I feel.

Anyway, thanks to anyone who read this, and I wish you all to have a great day💚

[slightlyrebelliouswriter23]

Hi Em✨

I absolutely love your writing and your posts and I’ve been following you for a while now💕

I’m not sure about you but I feel quite uneasy/conflicted with the current rhetoric on book tok. I understand people not liking certain books but it’s been hard to see people slander books and the people that like those books/characters/stories,etc. I get that criticism is needed for certain themes or values that appear in books but reading is loosing some of its escapism for me:(

Reading in context (fictionally and in the real world) is always needed but sometimes I just like a book because of the characters or it’s story and not necessarily that it checks all the boxes for being perfect.

Tbh, as much as I love certain books, some of them have become tainted for me and I genuinely wish I didn’t I read other people’s opinions on them.

Book tok is great for reccs but I can’t even filter it out of my feed at this point. I kinda wish toxic fandoms also looked inwardly because as much fun it is to engage with fans and people that are apart of that fandom, some people take it way too far such as sending hateful anons to creators (such as you🥺) or calling books trash when they’ve been super influential or important to people.

I guess my little rant is over but I was wondering if you had any opinions on this or have any sort of guidance. Is there a place I could get reccs or how can avoid all of this rhetoric that can affect my view of a book.”?

Stay safe and have a good day✨💐

hi there, nonnie! thank you so much for the kind words, i really appreciate you 🥺❤️❤️

first off, i want to say that i 100% understand this. i never really got into booktok specifically because i had a feeling it was basically going to be book twitter 2.0 where everyone is just ripping into each other constantly. i don't like being influenced by other people's opinions either, and the drama that seems to be obligatory baggage for most fandoms these days (with the exception of TFOTA, cos for some reason we are extraordinarily chill) just isn't for me.

it is, of course, essential that we continue to think critically when it comes to media. it's the only way we can affect change in a positive direction. but this also must be balanced with a willingness to be humble with our opinions, understand that they are just opinions, and accept that everyone consumes media for different reasons.

this also means we'll all hold different boundaries about what we're willing to consume, and where we draw the line for things we won't consume. granted, books might be the mirror through which we see life reflected, but they are not reality itself. to a certain extent, fiction is fiction. and different boundaries does not a bad person make.

speaking of drawing lines, i'm going to direct you to this post by @bookofmirth , which is mainly about ACOTAR/SJM/Palestine but some of what they have to say there is very applicable to this topic, and eloquently put:

"Some people can separate art from artist. Some can't. It's up to all of us as individuals to draw that line where we are comfortable."

i agree with this statement wholeheartedly. it is not up to randomgal4549 on tiktok/twitter to decide what eye should or should not read. the unmitigated gall of anyone to think their opinion should dictate other people's choices is highly presumptuous and quite frankly exhausting.

apart from maybe the bible/other religious texts, what a person reads is not a reflection of who they are or what beliefs they hold. we need to learn not to conflate the two, and start regarding each other once more as humans with complex thoughts and feelings, capable of introspection and growth, instead of little icons on our phone screens with immovable and absolute beliefs.

so that's my opinion on that. my main advice to you would be KEEP THINGS ORGANISED. what i mean by that is this:

curate your social media experience! it is YOUR responsibility as an owner of any social media account (including tumblr) to customise your space to fit YOUR needs. if you don't like someone's opinion/content? unfollow. if someone is rude/you don't like their vibe? block. if you find the things someone shares to their socials offensive? unfriend. this is setting boundaries, and the people who take any of these things as a personal offence are the exact people you want to keep a healthy distance away from. you decide who you follow and what you see on your dash. be protective of your space and who you allow to have access to your energy.

keep personal feelings separate from the public! i honestly can't stress this point enough. if you feel the need to rant about something that irks you about a specific book/author/person's opinion, keep these discussions in the DMs with a trusted circle of friends. it is psychologically proven that when someone feels attacked, they will double down on their og opinion, no matter if they realise they're wrong. thus, projecting high-strung emotions into public spaces such as twitter, while understandable in some cases, will only serve to further polarise people and hurt the very movement you're likely trying to bolster. blow off steam with people you can entrust with your emotions. NOT strangers on the internet.

designate time to learning about issues that are important to you! i strongly advise against turning to any fictional medium for moral lessons or life advice. if you can dedicate some time outside of your escapism to inform yourself about important subjects through educational resources that are specifically designed to Teach/Impart Knowledge, instead of giving an ounce of thought to Intrinsically Biased Information Received Second Hand, i promise you you'll feel a whole lot less obligated to other people's opinions.

if you're unsure about a particular book/author, consider borrowing from your local library, purchasing the book second hand, or finding an ePub copy.

for recs, consider booktube. i know it's probably seen as a bit old school by now, but the great thing about youtube is that you're not randomly/unexpectedly subjected to other people's shit opinions like on other social platforms. you have to click a link to watch the video, which gives you more autonomy in regards to what opinions you consume. my personal favourite youtuber is Khadija Mbowe. she's not a booktuber, per se, but her content focuses on in-depth critical analysis of media/society through the lense of WOC (specifically Black women), and i find her channel compelling as well as informative.

goodreads is also a great place to find book recs without the constant influx of opinions. if you can find yourself a circle of trusted friends to follow on there, you can't go wrong. my goodreads is linked in my bio under "connect" and you're welcome to follow me there. or not! it's your choice.

–Em 🖤🗡