#I'm putting all these in the tags so people who don't want to see pandemic related things don't have to read it | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

fireflysummers · 9 months

Text

Final Thoughts on GO S2

I'm probably gonna pull back on discussing S2, at least publicly, after this. I did actually like a lot of the season, but it's triggering some of my religious trauma and also the fandom is already stressing me out. So here, let's have some final thoughts.

First and foremost: I am not a Gaiman simp. I've read a decent amount of his work: comics, short stories, essays, and novels. Aside from Good Omens, I've liked Coraline and The Graveyard Book the best by far, whereas American Gods just. Did Not Connect with me, even though it's should have, given the stuff I tend to enjoy.

However. Regardless of whether I like a given work (or even like how he adapted it, a la parts of The Sandman TV series), he is a veteran writer who has proven that he does, actually, know how to write a story with consistent characters.

Beyond that, I do actually believe that he's trying to do right by Pratchett, and loves and respects the story and characters they created together. He's generally shown up as an ally to a variety of social causes, and directly and respectfully responds to fans on Tumblr. While no saint, I feel that there is cause to give the benefit of the doubt that things will resolve satisfyingly in S3, and that there is Intention about some of the things in S2.

This, of course, does not absolve it of being "bad," but even here I think we need to articulate better the different types of "bad" that people are reacting to. There seems to roughly be three camps here: 1) People who thought it was "bad" because of how it ended, with the breakup and a lot of unresolved plot threads; 2) People who thought it was "bad" because it struggled on a technical level with its set, lighting, directorial choices, editing, etc; 3) People who thought it was "bad" because they felt the characterization was significantly off and that the internal logic of the series had been violated.

With regards to Point One, the only solution is to Wait and See. Judgement should be reserved until the story is properly finished--easier said than done, especially considering the current media landscape, and the number of series or franchises that fail to live up to their promises.

Point Two isn't something I understand well enough to contribute meaningfully, except that I suspect the pandemic affected this aspect the most and am willing to give it a bit more mercy. That aside, I for the most part I don't find it bad so much as not as good as S1. Except for the parts with epilepsy warnings, surely there could've been a better way to do that.

Point Three... that's the stumbling block for me, and I find it interesting that most of the folks who struggle with this point in particular are long time fans of the book.

I trust that instinct.

There are two different directions to go from here. The first is the assumption that these problems are a result of ego, carelessness, or lack of skill from the showrunners/writers/director. It's cynical but not unjustified. The second is the belief that the breaks in lore or characterization were intentional, building towards a much grander conspiracy. Of course, even in this case I don't think it forgives the lack of signposting that would indicate that this is a choice rather than an accident. It just makes it feel clumsy and poorly constructed, a major risk on a show that hasn't had its third season confirmed.*

However, regardless, it still feels salvageable. I've enjoyed reading a lot of meta on all this, and I've pulled some things from others (particularly That Theory by @ariaste), but I don't really want to put forth a single, defined theory myself. Instead, here's some questions I've got, why those questions are important (to me, at least). Actual theorizing comes after, and anybody who snidely mentions Sherlock in the comments or tags is going to get auto-blocked. Like seriously, I'm aware that some stuff is a stretch, but it's fun??? To theorize????? And I'm here for me and my peace of mind rather than trying to argue a point.

*I have some suspicions here, particularly with Gaiman stating that the decision from Amazon would come much faster than The Sandman's second season (which was four months). I don't know enough though to say if that's actually significant.

Questions

Who the fuck is telling this story?

This is the most important piece, in my opinion. There's this assumption when reading books (or research papers, newspapers, etc...) that the narrator who is writing the words is a non-presence, Neutral and objective. That's not the case, and an important part of literature critique is figuring out who the narrator is, and what their goals are. Oftentimes, the narrator and the author are the same person, but with Pratchett's work, particularly on Good Omens and Discworld, the Narrator was its own unique character.

This is why people struggle adapting Discworld to live action--that medium requires a Reason for having a Narrator, and especially in the age of method acting that's often considered immersion-breaking. Good Omens worked so well because they not only kept the Narrator, but they made Her God.

This added some really interesting new dimensions, such as the scene where Crowley speaks to God about his fall and the destruction of humanity. He doesn't receive an answer, but we're watching from God's perspective, so we as the audience know that She's listening.

Another advantage of making God the Narrator is that it justifies all the goofy little asides we get into the lives of minor characters (i.e. Leslie the Mailman), without losing focus. It helps the world feel like it’s full of people, rather than characters and plot contrivances, and the theme that individual people and their choices are important. The Narrator is such a central character of Good Omens that without it, the story struggles to stay focused.

It also highlights a key difference in the writing styles of the two authors. Pratchett’s work tends to introduce four or five totally unique plot threads that feel completely disjointed until the last act (if not even later), when it turns into a Chekhov’s Firing Squad. Plot twists around secret identities and backstabbing and schemes are relatively rare, as the omniscient Narrator doesn’t lie about the intentions of people or their actions.

Gaiman’s writing is typically not like that, to my knowledge. He buries characters in misdirection and hints, and you never know the true identity or motives until all the chips are down. It’s a perfectly valid way to approach storytelling, but it makes it jarring to see it in S2. The lack of a Narrator is a huge reason why S2 doesn’t feel like Good Omens to some folks.

My gut feeling is that the decision to shift from the original Narrator was highly intentional. It helps to obscure the thoughts and intentions of people, and it also muddles the insights that we’re supposed to take away. (I would have loved hearing God monologue about what’s going on in Jim’s head. I think it’d do a lot to make him seem less.... obnoxiously stupid.)

More than that, it brings up a reasonable potential plot point of: Where did God go? Why isn’t She present in the story? Even in her early appearance in the Job flashback, she doesn’t sound like the narrator for last season. After the first part of her speech (which Gabriel later quotes), her tone turns casual and condescending, which might line up with her being a bit of an asshole, it doesn’t line up with the whole “dealer of a mysterious card game who is always smiling”).

Also, I don’t think it’s safe to assume that nobody is telling the story either. Just because they’re not making their presence known doesn’t mean they aren’t there, and in a story like Good Omens, that’s concerning.

Wait, where's Satan?

Another person I saw while scrolling the tags pointed out that Satan is nowhere to be seen this season. He's really only mentioned in reference to a bet God made in Job, but then Crowley is the one on the ground causing mischief. There's no Hail Satan among demons (like Hastur and Ligur did at the start of S1).

That's might be because the writers didn't want us to think it was important (a la Hastur), but that feels off. Given that Satan speaks directly through the radio to Crowley in S1, complimenting him on his work, it's safe to say that he was at least aware of and involved in the goings-on in Hell. The fact that he wasn't even an worry for Beelzebub in abandoning their post? Feels weird.

(Also if you know where that post is, I'll happy credit + link)

What is Maggie?

Look, I love cute lesbians in love as much as the next queer, but I don't like Maggie. I don’t think she’s a person. Contextually, she’s a plot device, but I agree with That Essay that she might be an actual Plot Device.

Her characterization is simple and relatively shallow—a bit of an airhead, ray of sunshine that’s supposed to remind you of Aziraphale. When she describes her past to Nina, it’s almost robotic (also, her story implies it was Mr. Fell who first rented to her ancestor, not Mr. Fell’s great-grandfather like Nina implied). Her emotions are over-dramatic and seem to be turned on and off at random (scenes with her crying to Aziraphale about her woes had my “manipulator” senses going off for some reason).

When asked about a song, she not only IDs the song, its singer, and its year, but how and on what it was distributed. (Honestly thought this would’ve been something interesting, because she’s been pretty ditzy so far, it’d be interesting if she had like... an insane memory for music history.) And then she’s the one that sets Aziraphale on his little investigation by giving him the transformed records, while also planting the seed about her love troubles with Nina. Later, her advice to Crowley is... not awful, but feels insincere and a bit too forward, given her own self-proclaimed lack of relationship experience.

I don’t know what she is (a demon, hastur with amnesia in disguise, a literal plot device inserted by the current storyteller, etc...), but there’s something not right with her.

(Also the joke of “who listens to records anymore, it’s so old fashioned” just doesn’t land, lots of people buy records, and I’m saying this as somebody who has worked at a record store before.)

What's going on with Aziraphale?

There’s something Off about Aziraphale, and it’s not his choices at the end of the season. That makes total sense if you read him as somebody with severe religious trauma getting dragged back into the abusive system because other people need him and he’s been promised the ability to change things.

But I do think something is happening to his memory. Nearly all the flashbacks are from Aziraphale’s point of view and retelling, which means that they’re less reliable than God’s version of events in the previous season. Many of them don’t make logistical sense (post-church scene in 1941), depict Crowley as meaner or more sinister than we know he is, or frame events... weirdly. The scene with him trying food for the first time feels Really Bad, especially when the series has previously established that he’s a) prim and proper and b) his interest in food is one of the beautiful things that connect him to humanity, not some kind of gluttonous sin. Also he turns down alcohol.

Their meet-cute at the start of the universe also doesn’t line up with their reactions to each other in Eden, or the fact that knowing each other Before has never come up or been hinted at anywhere ever. I don’t know what’s causing this to happen, only that Aziraphale repeatedly looks pensive when coming out of flashbacks, and Crowley is never there afterwards to corroborate said memories.

His actions also seem pretty inconsistent with what we know of him—i.e. I refuse to believe he would ever mistreat his books, even if they’re just old encyclopedias. Also, he feels a bit too...forceful in trying to get Nina and Maggie to fall in love? I mean, he didn’t exert that much direct influence on even Warlock, when he was actively hoping that the boy would turn out angelic rather than neutral.

I don’t think this removes his agency in that last decision, so much as explains how he was in such a vulnerable place at all. He still needs to apologize and fix things, because he messed up, and even if he hadn’t he still seriously hurt Crowley.

What's going on with Crowley?

There’s something Off about Crowley. The most obvious thing, of course, is his memories. At multiple points in the present day, characters state that they remember him or have met him before, only to be met with confusion. This is especially concerning given that he has a nigh photographic memory for faces (something mentioned in the book when he immediately IDs Mary Loquacious, 11 years after a 30 second conversation).

Overall, he seems to be better known by other supernatural entities this season, in ways that often tie him back to his angelic identity (i.e. saying they fought together in the war, Aziraphale stating he knew the angel he used to be, etc...). This doesn’t feel right, because S1 we see that Hell is largely apathetic towards his schemes, and definitely does not defer to him at any point in any capacity.

Then there’s the issue of his power level. It’s always been speculated that Crowley was a powerful angel prior to falling, when he mentions in S1 his involvement with star making, his seemingly unique ability to freeze time, and creating a pocket universe for Adam before the confrontation with Satan. He also has a tendency of breathing life into inanimate objects, like his plants or car. He also has the regular demonic skillset: miracles that can adjust physical appearance; the ability to change inanimate objects (like paintball guns into real guns); the ability to manifest clothing and similar items; and summon hellfire to his fingertips. This, plus the way he monologues to God with a degree of familiarity rather than reverence seems to indicate that he was Somebody Powerful and Important Before.

But in S2, his skills are significantly expanded upon. The miracle he and Aziraphale summon sets off alarms in heaven and hell, and it’s powerful enough to mask Gabriel from the Archangels. He summons a miniature sun to rain fire on Job, which is way bigger and flashier than anything we’ve seen him summon in S1. (If he needs fire, he alters the course of a dropping bomb, without creating one himself.)

Yet he’s able to cloak his presence so well he goes wholly unnoticed in heaven, or in front of heavenly agents on earth (i.e. the Job flashback). Muriel can’t clock him as a demon, or even as another supernatural being, despite their auras usually being pretty significant, such Aziraphale immediately sensing the archangels when they arrive. He’s able to interfere with files that Muriel claimed required clearance (although I feel like that might just be a snark about Obeying Without Thinking? I would really need a Narrator to know.)

I might be misremembering, but I don’t think we’ve seen angels or demons transmogrify living beings before either. In the book, Crowley brings Aziraphale’s dove back to life after the failed magic show, and occasionally sinks ducks, but he doesn’t alter them? Not even Adam demonstrates that skill in S1. But he has no trouble turning Job’s children into lizards, however temporarily. Boy that would’ve been convenient during the flood. Or when the guard stopped then from getting to the air strip.

I don’t have any real issues with his characterization in the present day parts of S2, but there’s something weird happening with Crowley.

Where's all the people?

I really like a lot of the new characters, but how were there only like, 2.5 new humans named in the present day? Flashbacks don’t count bc the humans are all dead and can’t affect the story.

As much as I like Nina, she and Maggie don’t drive the story beyond being an occasional and awkwardly inserted plot contrivance? Both are actively robbed of their agency at several points, forced into situations that they could not have avoided or escaped. I’m not really sure what growth they’re expected to experience other than deciding not to date each other after everything. I literally can’t tell you anything about Nina other than that she remembers her regular’s orders, runs a coffee shop, and has a textbook abusive partner we never see. The only meaningful interactions they have are between those two, or in conversation with Aziraphale and Crowley.

Compare that to S1, where Anathema gets hit by Aziraphale and Crowley, but her primary relationships are with Newt, Adam, and Agnes Nutter (I think that counts as a relationship). We know that she’s got a wealthy family back in Puerto Rico, and that she was literally raised to save the world, and that she isn’t happy under all that pressure. Newt on the other hand is connected to not just Anathema, but Shadwell and Madame Tracy. He never even directly interacts with Aziraphale and Crowley. We know about his hobbies, his struggle to hold down a job, and his almost supernatural ability to destroy any electronics he touches. I don’t necessarily like how their relationship came together, but they were both very, very well fleshed out characters with unique backstories and goals. They weren’t just... waiting around to give Aziraphale and Crowley a new questline.

And while there’s no requirement to include a large cast of human characters that are exerting influence over the story, the lack of it is another aspect that makes this season feel not like Good Omens.

Also, it's just. Really weird to me that the events of S1 aren't really referenced at all? Like, Adam isn't mentioned, nor is Warlock. I don't expect them to keep track of the humans they met on the airfield for 20 minutes, but none of it is ever specifically referenced as far as I can tell, beyond Crowley threatening Gabriel. Like, I get that it's been a few years, but the pair caused a big enough disturbance that you'd expect some kind of ripples in their supernatural communities.

Promised by the Narrative (Obvious Chekhov's guns that I will be legitimately upset over if they do not go off)

A sincere apology from Aziraphale to Crowley that doesn't come with the expectation that Crowley will come back to him, but because he deserves an apology, even if the choices Aziraphale made were done with good intentions. Aziraphale does not expect forgiveness, and is shocked when Crowley grants it without hesitation.

A clear declaration of love from Aziraphale, which can't be rationalized away by either of them.

An "I'm Sorry" dance between Aziraphale and Crowley, but with greater sincerity and gravity. The most important piece is that they end up dancing together, which signifies a mutual apology and dedication to come together.

Since kissing is on the table, I expect an actual joyful, mutual kiss between these two assholes.

A shared cottage in South Downs.

Predictions/Theories (just some fun thoughts I've had)

When Adam declared that Satan was not his father, he didn't make himself not the antichrist, but accidentally crowned his human dad the King of Hell. Nobody knows this, because Adam doesn't have a good measure for "normal" supernatural situations, and Mr. Young because he's so "normal" that he explains away all the magical bullshit that's started going down.

When Adam declared that Satan was not his father, he erased Satan altogether. However, this left a vacuum in both power and reality. The defection of both Gabriel and Beelzebub only widens that crack. In an attempt to Fix things, reality is warping the story. Crowley has become leagues more powerful between S1 and S2, as the narrative is trying to force him into the role of his previous boss. Aziraphale is unknowingly being pulled into a similar version on the Other Side, perhaps to replace Gabriel or perhaps to replace God herself, who has been fairly absent in all this. The alterations to their memories or past have come about to keep the narrative running smoothly.

When the Metatron asks Nina whether anybody has ever asked for death, he was actually referring to Death, the sole remaining rider of the apocalypse.

If Maggie is indeed a Plot Device, it would be a fascinating exploration of Free Will to see her become aware of this (cue existential crisis), and then fall in love with Nina on her own terms, rather than because she was written that way.

Hastur will be back. Somehow.

The reason why S2 focuses so much on the supernatural characters is because S3 will be about how the events in S1 have changed the political landscape of heaven and hell. Angels are questioning their roles, demons are yearning for something more. It's scaring upper administration, and then the two most reliable folks in employment run away to alpha centauri. Recruiting Aziraphale and getting him back in line prevents him from becoming a martyr, control the range of his influence. The series reasserts its theme of choice and agency by highlighting that Aziraphale and Crowley aren't that special, they've just had the chance to live and grow, and that the others have free will too, if they want it.

The reason why they wanted to separate Aziraphale and Crowley, is not to get Aziraphale on his own, but to get Crowley on his own. He literally stopped time and made a pocket universe in front of Satan last season. He's powerful and dangerous and somebody wants to see that reigned in.

Wishlist (stuff I desperately want to see)

Crowley getting an audience with God and an opportunity to ask his questions, only to refuse to do so because he's found his own Answers and he no longer needs hers

Aziraphale and Crowley growing more into their book incarnations. Aziraphale becomes confident in his sense of morality, which he developed the hard way through millennia on earth besides humanity. He slowly learns what it means to be loved, unconditionally, but also is better at asserting and maintaining his boundaries. Crowley, still anxious and unwinding, works through his fear of abandonment, providing him opportunities to be kind and gentle and nurturing--all traits that he's aggressively hid since being a demon.

Hand holding. I know that Gaiman was referring to Ineffable Bureaucracy, but I still feel like we'd benefit from meaningful hand holding, especially since that got cut from the adaptation of the book.

Shifted focus away from the supernatural shenanigans, and back onto the humans that actually drive the story.

Cameos from S1 characters (if not a more substantial appearance).

The Four Other Riders of the Apocalypse.

Cursed Thoughts (why I shouldn't be allowed a social platform)

Ineffable Bureaucracy turns up in season 3 because Beelzebub got Gabriel pregnant somehow.

#good omens #good omens spoilers #good omens season 2 #good omens s2 #good omens meta #good omens 2 spoilers #good omens 2 theory #good omens 2 analysis #long post #text

108 notes · View notes

pastafossa · 1 year

Note

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

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

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

LONG POST INCOMING.

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

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

You. Are. Allowed.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

#writing advice #fic advice #fic tips #building a following #fanfic #fic #writing tips #tbh i was shocked and still kind of am by how popular trt's become #because i have had ZERO previous experiences in my fic writing time that aligned #BUT #there are absolutely things I did in hindsight I think that helped a ton #and all of the practice and writing fic including the ones with zero interaction helped #i learned how to be a good fandom goer even when i didn't write #because i genuinely loved my little neighborhoods #and i used a lot of that when i started writing again cause why wouldn't i???#also avoid petty fandom drama you don't need to waste your energy on it #i WANT my blog to generally be a positive space cause i've got shit going on elsewhere and i don't need more #but that also means i think that people like wandering through cause they know there's a lot of happy things here #be the person in the neighborhood watering your daisies and putting out a rainbow pinwheel even when ted down the block #is feuding with susan up the block over the height of ted's fence

115 notes · View notes

respectthepetty · 1 year

Note

Hello. This might seem like a silly question but it's on my mind. What's the deal with the whole "we're talking on a mobile but let's show the characters in the same room" thing. The first time I saw I think it was Gen Y with Mark and Kit even before the whole separation thing. Then it appeared in MSP. And now in A Boss and a babe. And I'm sure I've seen it somewhere else but I can't recall now. To be honest I don't know if I like it or I hate it but for some reason it's nagging at me that it seemed like it came out if nowhere. Again sorry if it's a silly thing .

Also, love your blog, love the color commentary and I too think it's all on purpose and meaningful.

Hiya, Anon! Thanks for the appreciation! Also, I've written this before, but let me repeat it here - There are no silly questions on Tumblr! People created an entire fake movie, and somehow the BL folks convinced others that KinnPorsche was the Thai remake of it.

Now to your not-a-silly question! First, let me list the shows from the past few years that I can remember doing what you are writing about:

I don't file this in my mind's storage room, so if I miss any, someone shout it out.

See You After Quarantine? - Sato x Bo Chun

Hello, Stranger - Mico x Xavier

Gen Y - Mark x Kit

Fish Upon the Sky - Mork x Pi

GAP - Sam x Mon

HIStory 5: Love in the Future - Hai Yi x Johnny

My School President - Tinn x Gun

A Boss & A Babe - Gun x Cher

Bed Friend - King x Uea

I'm going to make an educated guess.

Looking at the timeline, this didn't come out of nowhere, but came out of necessity - a pandemic!

Gameboys - Gav x Cairo

There was a two-year+ period where many of the globe couldn't touch their loved one. The only way to "see" some family was through calls, so I think directors are making a conscious choice to show people in the same space after many years of that not being a realistic possibility.

I'm sure this technique has been used before 2019, but I think it's more of a sentimental choice to reinforce the narrative - people want to be around their loved ones. Technology is great, but it doesn't replace the feel of people sharing the same space and after having to deal with that for the past few years, we want to see people sharing the same space even if they aren't.

I, personally, like it. In HIStory 5: Love in the Future, Hai Yi was in mandatory quarantine when he spoke to Johnny on the phone, and they had several scenes on the phone where they would appear in the same room, yet when Johnny finally saw Hai Yi in person, he was left in awe.

Both were instantly attracted to each other, and it was believable because even though they were just talking on the phone, we saw them interacting.

Another educated guess is these shows are telling us that meeting and talking through the use of technology doesn't dilute the connection between the two people, but makes it stronger. The physical aspect is pushed aside and the emotional connection is front-and-center. King in Bed Friend is showing Uea that he doesn't just want his body, but he wants his presence. Mork in Fish Upon the Sky wanted Pi to know that he had always valued him as a person regardless of how Pi felt about himself. In Hello Stranger, Xavier and Mico would have NEVER gotten to know each other the way they did without the help of technology. Who knows how @dribs-and-drabbles and I would interact in real life, but in these tags, I'm trying my damndest to get in an ethical non-monogamous situationship, and know that my mama didn't raise no quitter.

TLDR: Technology brings people together, and putting them in the same room reinforces that.

#Gameboys #Hello Stranger #See you after quarantine?#history 5: love in the future #bed friend #my school president #a boss and a babe #fish upon the sky #gen y the series #GAP the series #making connections with technology #sharing the same space even when they aren't #waiting for daddy to slide into my DMs but apparently I gotta make the first move

66 notes · View notes

thefact0rygirl · 1 year

Note

Hi Vee, the last few anons about engagement have really resonated with me and I want to add my own feelings. This is not directed at you, I just appreciate how you answered those anons and thought you would be the safest person to say this to.

Everyone is a lot busier now as we are forced back to the pre-pandemic 'normal'. Readers don't have the support system that writers do, so they're less likely to stay. And I think your point about fandoms growing and shrinking naturally is also true of this fandom. It is simply something that happens.

Writers responding to previous anons that they're not getting notifications of comments and posts not appearing in the search again is annoying. Readers have had these problems for months, but it is never considered in posts about engagement. They just do not have a platform to talk about these issues because readers follow writers, not vice versa.

I find other fandoms to be more welcoming where readers can discuss with writers in separate posts, but this does not seem to be the case here. Reaching out to writers through asks or DMs is almost never reciprocated, so advice for people to do so falls flat. Some writers are on discord where they have their own discussions, but readers are not included and there is nothing similar just for readers. While it's not the writer's fault, there is a perception of a hierarchy where readers are only that: readers. They're not people to include or interact with, they're just the people whose job it is to reblog and that is all they are good for. The writers who say 'cherish your writers otherwise they'll leave' could take a step back and ask themselves how they're treating everyone else. Do they cherish their readers? If so, do they communicate that? Do they engage with/reach out to readers, or do they stick with other writers? If readers feel like they're not actual members of the fandom, why would they stay?

A previous anon said that posts about low engagement are off putting and I agree. There are writers, who I have reblogged, posting about how current interaction is not enough which has made me feel incredibly unworthy. I might make a shorter comment than others do or add only tags, but that plus the time spent reading it in the first place is time and effort I could have given to someone else. It is this, and the difficulty in making connections, that make me seriously consider deactivating. After all, what is the point of me being here if all I am is an outsider? I'm here to talk about Star Wars and make friends with like minded people but I'm not good enough to create and it is very clear that is the only thing that matters here.

Sorry for the essay Vee

Hi babes 💜 There is no need to apologize! I’m honored that you felt safe enough to send this. The previous anons brought up what a lot of people have been feeling (myself included).

Interaction is a sensitive topic - one without a clear and definitive answer - and that is frustrating. It’s not a comfortable conversation, but it's still worth having. Especially when so many people are feeling the same way.

You brought up so many important points, especially from a reader’s perspective! Thank you for sending this in. I’ve been thinking about this recently, and you articulated it so well!

We always say that fandom is a community, but there absolutely is an emphasis on writers. More often than not, we stress how readers should be interacting, but rarely is the opposite discussed. It's presented almost like a one-way street, and that doesn't exactly promote a community that is inclusive of both readers and writers. I can see how that might make a reader feel that they are only good for reblogging. That sounds really unfair, especially when many writers know what it feels like to be treated like writing machines.

And you're right. It's discouraging to feel like you're not good enough. If you always feel second best then why stay? No one wants to feel like that. I don’t blame readers for leaving or stop reblogging.

Interactions are a complicated thing, and to truly understand it we need to look at it from everyone's perspective. It's not to assign blame to anyone (tbh I don't think that is helpful), but to understand what is happening and look at our own actions. Everyone's experience in fandom is valid. Thank you again for sharing this 🤍

#vee answers #anon

39 notes · View notes

ellcrys · 3 months

Text

15 questions

Tagged by @itstimetodrew~!! Thanks for the tag!! ☺️

1. Are you named after anyone?

No, I don't think so! I think my parents just went through the list of baby names for girls and settled on Joanna lol.

2. When was the last time you cried?

Uhh... I teared up watching one of the episodes of Blue Eye Samurai a couple days ago but the last time I Cried was on my flight back to Boston last Friday rewatching episode three of The Last of Us lmaoo. (I was like SURELY I won't cry on my nth rewatch... #rip to me)

3. Do you have kids?

*Puts on my meme hat* What am I a child bride?

4. What sports do you play/have you played?

Swimming and soccer growing up. I did ballet for like a year or two also when I was like 5. Since graduating college I haven't really done any sports, just working out at the gym pre-pandemic and then at home since the pandemic, although one of my friends is trying to start a pickup soccer group which I'll probs join if it takes off. Do want to get back into swimming again also. That's on my 2024 todo list. I've tried running as a hobby enough times to know that I suck at it and that I hate it lmao.

5. Do you use sarcasm?

Does anyone not? lol

6. What is the first thing you notice about people?

Hmm, probably their outfit; I enjoy seeing people's different styles!

7. What's your eye color?

Brown <3

8. Scary movies or happy endings?

Happy endings!!

9. Any talents?

Ugh, no?? I can't think of anything lol. Being a procrastinator and the ultimate lazy bum (only half joking). idk man, I used to be proud of my writing and amv skills but I haven't seriously tried to write anything in probably a decade and I don't think I'm ever getting back into making amvs lol. Letting things go/being resilient maybe? I'm at the point in my life where everything is just 'it is what it is', but I think I've always been good at moving on from things tbh. Life's too short to dwell.

10. Where were you born?

Wisconsin of all states lol

11. What are your hobbies?

Nothing creative anymore, that's for sure (#rip). Uh, I love going out and doing things. I'm the furthest thing from a homebody so being trapped at home during the pandemic drove me nuts. Things I do on the regular include visiting independent bookstores, art museums, and seeing shows. I try to travel/see someplace new on the regular, whether that's going out of state/country or walking through a new neighborhood in the Boston area. I love eating, definitely a foodie. I read a lot (more fanfic than actual lit these days whoops) and watch a lot of tv. I also enjoy just walking around and people watching (will frequently walk around the neighborhood/city without any real purpose in mind as I go crazy if I'm cooped up in my apt for too long). I also love sending snail mail and exchange postcards monthly with a friend in London, and send holiday cards/postcards to family/friends when I travel. I guess documenting my interests on Tumblr can also be considered a hobby considering how much time I spend on here lmao.

12. Do you have any pets?

No, but I plan to adopt a cat when I (hopefully) get my own place!

13. How tall are you?

5'4" :')

I'd love another two inches... just two measly inches :')))

14. Favorite subject in school?

Growing up, probably math. I was good at it, and I loved how logical it was. I also really enjoyed chem, probably because it was the most math adjacent science (hilariously though, I hated physics). In college obviously computer science, my major. Though I've always loved my literature classes also.

15. Dream job?

Man I'd love to open and own an independent bookstore/cafe. Dream job for real.

Tagging (if you want!) @lordsardine, @goldshitter, @akechikurusus, @popflythesky, and anyone else who wants to do this!

#this was fun and it's been a while since i've done one of these so thank you for the tag!#only two weeks late lol #tagged

5 notes · View notes

theliterarywolf · 2 years

Note

So someone I knew in college was posting about how she's going through a really rough time. Her roommate decided to stiff her with the apartment rent, trash her stuff and dip out unexpectedly and sounds like she's one of those "woke performers" who is secretly racist as hell.

I genuinely hope she's safe and although I don't have a ton, I sent her some money. It's not a lot but she said every little bit could help. And I like to help people when I can. I'm not looking for thanks or recognition, just wanting to help friends.

My college acquaintance is a very talented black woman (idk what her exact sexuality is but she's not straight. She uses an umbrella word which is absolutely fine for her to use, I'm just not comfortable with that q word.) Obviously she's very upset about the situation where her former friend (white) is not being abusive

But now I notice she's posted a ton of stuff on her story about how white women can never know true oppression and you *should* compensate your black friends for emotional burdens. I'm not saying she doesn't have any point at all, but gotta be honest. . . if I saw stuff like "as a non black person, you owe it to black people to give them money for their suffering," before giving her money, I probably wouldn't have. At the end of the day, I wish her the best and I hope the money helps her.

But idk that kind of phrasing really sours what I meant to be just generosity to help someone out.

I... hate when people try to turn matters of support and aid into a 'if you're non-*insert whatever race the OP is* and you don't help, you're racist'.

It's the biggest turn-off in the world and it automatically makes me scroll that much faster. And I say this as a Nigerian-American woman.

I even remember reading through a thread of screenshots during the first few months of the pandemic where this Black American girl who had some kind of Patreon-like service where she taught subscribers how to grow marijuana and roll joints and she was upset that her donations had gone down (obviously due to people being unable to work). But she went off on a tirade talking about 'all y'all racist white ppl who look at my shit without donating need to gtfo. If you're white, it's your obligation to donate to black ppl!!'

And it's just like... Honey, no one owes you anything. And trying to turn it into 'if you're white/non-*insert whatever race the OP is* then you HAVE to support me!!' just puts a bad light onto anyone who is also in that racial background.

It's why anytime I scroll through the trending Fiction/Fictional Literature tag on Twitter and see people talking about 'Hi, I'm X and I'm a *insert whatever race the OP is*. BUY MY SHIT, YOU OWE ME', I scroll that much faster.

The bad taste from similar sentiments is why after one of my earlier teaching interviews (that I bombed) and the principal was giving me advice on what to do better next time, when one of his points of advice was 'one thing you can say to really sell yourself is talk about how you're black professional and how much a school should feel obligated to hire you'... I pretty much checked out mentally.

#long post

38 notes · View notes

hopecel · 1 year

Note

🍓 i’m late to the party but ily ❣️

Never too late! ❤️

Ok, so from what I've gathered you're an Adult with a Serious Job? In a medical field no less? I just don't think I can ever comprehend what sort of guts this takes. And during pandemic too. How hardworking you are. How resilient. Probably the reason why your posts are so sparse on my dash but I'm still glad to see you here, reblogging stuff, interacting with others and me 🥰

You've got excellent taste in music which translates not only in stuff that you listen but also how you approach the artist's work. My first memory of you on my tl is seeing some interesting mitski songs analysis. By that time I've just started listening to her music and seeing your takes was like "daymn I wish I had someone who's that passionate about her to discuss it with me". I know you're probably busy but sometimes I'm sad I don't see more of your takes and opinions. You drop the most hilarious joke, reblog a few posts, leave the funniest tags, and dip like a cool person that you are, I understand, but also, I can never get enough of you on my dash.

At the same time (and this is probably going to sound so self-absorbed but pls bear with me) I feel so lucky to have you be so supportive of my work. When I say I don't care how many notes a painting of mine gets as long as a few selected mutuals have seen it and reacted I consider my work successful? You're among those few people I seek to please, I love when you leave comments on my drawings across all social media (!!!) like it genuinely makes me want to make more and post more often. 🥹

p.s.

I consider printing & framing it and idk maybe I'll put it on my desk at work or hang it on the wall

@mutuals send me a 🍓 and ill compliment u!

#danishsweeetheart

4 notes · View notes

therisingphoenixden · 1 year

Text

So, I was tagged by @mxkelsifer for a fun little tag game! Y'all know the rules. If you see it and you want to play, go wild!

Share your wallpaper

I actually alternate between these two, depending on the vibe. Both sad places with sad stories behind them, but very pretty to look at and vibe to.

The last song you listened to: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TMQeYF_xOxE Looked it up to send to someone, forgot how much it slaps and had to listen to the whole thing.

Currently reading: Re-reading "The Body Keeps the Score" because March is a, let's say less than pleasant month for me and remembering that trauma does leave a mark and how to handle it is helpful to remember.

Last Movie: I honestly can't remember. Probably Lord of the Rings or something?

Craving: A $5 Hot & Ready pizza and I don't know why.

What are you wearing right now? Pajamas. Floral pj pants paired with a random shirt I grabbed out of the laundry instead of the shirt that came with the pants.

How tall are you: Too tall to wear heels and not look awkward in them.

Piercings: Hard to have piercings when your body is allergic to most metals.

Tattoos: One. A phoenix on my back.

Glasses? Contacts? Glasses all the way.

Last drink: Water

Last show: I sat and watched a little Recess on Disney Plus with my younger brother for a bit, if that counts. I don't really watch tv or movies. Not out of any pretentious reasoning or anything. I'm just very tired all the time.

Last thing you ate: Chicken and rice with some leftover carrot cake for dessert.

Favorite color: The dark dramatic ones, preferably in jewel tones.

Current obsession: Right this moment? Sleep. Otherwise just writing for giggles.

Unrelated obsession: My monster slippers for being super plush, nonslip, and whimsical. Everyone should have good monster slippers.

Any pets: 1 cat, Miss Daisy. And she's the best cat.

Do you have a crush on anyone? Not really? It takes a *lot* for me to find someone attractive to the point where I'd crush on them, which probably puts me firmly in the aromantic category.

Favorite fictional character: Sotha Sil, Lahabrea, and I really do have a type of silver haired, possibly ancient, people who are depressed/emotionally constipated and are the inventive type.

The last place you traveled: For fun? Buddy, I don't remember that far back, since it was definitely in the pre-pandemic times. Otherwise, work. Which is depressing.

Like Kels, I threw a blank copy under the cut for those who feel like playing along.

Share your wallpaper

The last song you listened to:

Currently reading:

Last Movie:

Craving:

What are you wearing right now?

How tall are you:

Piercings:

Tattoos:

Glasses? Contacts?

Last drink:

Last show:

Last thing you ate:

Favorite color:

Current obsession:

Unrelated obsession:

Any pets:

Do you have a crush on anyone?

Favorite fictional character:

The last place you traveled:

#shall we play a game: tag edition

4 notes · View notes

simstryingtheirbestok · 1 year

Text

get to know me - useless info edition

@papermint-airplane tagged me into this and I'm going to suppress my awkwardness long enough to do it.

what do you have under your bed?

This fold-up fake tatami mat that I put under my futon. Also sometimes marbles or small bouncy balls from my cat because if you hide a toy, it makes it brand-new when you find it again. It is apparently also very exciting when your person vacuums them up by accident and erupts in a stream of invective.

favorite candy?

I toggle between peppermint patties and Mounds. Right now it's peppermint patties because 'tis the season blah blah.

describe your favorite shirt.

A plain V-necked, 3/4-sleeve all-cotton medium gray shirt from the ultra chic, super exclusive, boutique artisanal St. John's Bay label at JC Penney's. 😂 Idgaf. I am at baseline an un-fancy person who became even less fancy during the pandemic.

the last thing you drew/doodled was:

The floor plan of a house in a custom world that I won't name because it was a really impossible house to play in, and I drew it out so I could expand the floor plan and make an improved version.

You know those houses that look adorable from the neighborhood screen, adorable in their thumbnails, adorable from the outside--and then you get inside and there are all these 1 x 1 tile bottlenecks because the builder cared more about appearance than function? It was that.

Builds like that make me so upset, and they're everywhere. Build like that for your irl dolls, not the Sims!

are you completely sober rn?

I am, and mostly have been for the last 5 years! I make one exception on NYE, then it's back on the wagon for the rest of the year.

It's the only way to fly for someone like me, who otherwise will decide to celebrate it being Tuesday. Wouldn't Fat Tuesday be even fatter if it happened every week? And Friday, that's mandatory, you've simply got to drink Friday, plus, Thursday is a kind of pre-Friday, isn't it? Yeah, it's Friday Eve! That deffo calls for some shots. Saturday is for pre-gaming with friends, then drinking some more--you wouldn't want to be antisocial--and Sunday there's a big game on that will be way too boring to watch without beer, and--

So. Once a year, and then that once-a-year usually reminds me why once a year is enough (because I don't do moderation).

what's one thing that annoys you more than anything?

I am trying to be less annoyed by things, but I'm still annoyed by enough things that picking only one is a challenge.

But I guess my build mode rant up there fits here too so, that. Oh and hey, I know "cozy" is very in right now, but while you technically can call a 2 x 4 room a bedroom... you probably shouldn't.

have you ever gotten your tongue stuck to a cold pole during winter?

No, I've spent too much of my life in the sunbelt for that to be a thing for me.

if you could be anywhere in the world right now, where would it be?

I know it's a cliche, but Paris. I am exactly the kind of tourist they hate--I dress terribly (see above), I butcher the language, I'm overweight, I'm basic in every respect--but I find their disdain for me absolutely adorable (and tbh somewhat justified) and my God, the food.

what was the last single word you spoke?

"Safe." I always end my goodbyes to people with "drive safe."

tagging:

I would love to see responses from @simsdastra, @oasislandingresident, and @distantloner if any of you feel so inclined? No pressure.

#tag game #non sims #get to know me

5 notes · View notes

epoxide · 1 year

Text

I posted 17,595 times in 2022

That's 17,595 more posts than 2021!

65 posts created (0%)

17,530 posts reblogged (100%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@managerie76

@dingdongyouarewrong

@onewhositswiththeturtles

@turbosocks-wifi

@amberfox17

I tagged 7,591 of my posts in 2022

#cats - 758 posts

#lotr - 534 posts

#art - 510 posts

#fanart - 355 posts

#the hobbit - 298 posts

#cute - 198 posts

#funny - 193 posts

#the witcher - 185 posts

#comics - 161 posts

#lol - 145 posts

Longest Tag: 139 characters

#so you can't make people wear a mask during a pandemic but force women to carry a baby to term (even risking their health) and that's fine?

My Top Posts in 2022:

This friendship between Natsu and Rogue was kind of unexpected. It makes a lot of sense, given the whole stuff happening.

But I'm pleasantly surprised at their interactions. 😁

It's great seeing them as besties and even if their paths will ultimately diverge (because gratsu and stingue), their connection is undeniable.

2 notes - Posted May 9, 2022

Today is Tanabata?

Dang, now I want to get some cute and chill words out with Natsu and Gray walking on a festival or something.

Just cute and dumb boys...

2 notes - Posted July 7, 2022

So much time has passed and I still just want to talk about Natsu and Gray...

They deserved better.

5 notes - Posted May 26, 2022

I honestly don't understand the people who put Mashima's writing/mangas on a pedestal.

He's a crappy writer!

He does come up with great setting and characters but development isn't really his thing - be it for the story or characters. Heck, he even apparently stands for unhealthy relationships (gruvia is that).

Why would you go hard for a writers who stunts his characters' growth like that? Who can't handle a big cast of charas either - he's no Oda, he dropped the ball so bad with FT!

And romance... he should have focused more in the friendship and adventure sides instead of trying to handle something like romance. Because it sounds so hollow, so half-assed and blah. Dude should not touch romance with a pole the distance between the Earth and Jupiter. Yes, it's hyperbole, yes, I stand by it anyway.

I'm not a hater but let's be fair. Just... it's fun to read his mangas and all but, please, he's just mid, not great. There's a lot that needs improvement.

8 notes - Posted August 9, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

This whole jury thing is stresssfullll.

But the judges - what are they drinking? Some of these points don't make sense.

11 notes - Posted May 14, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

#tumblr2022 #year in review #my 2022 tumblr year in review #your tumblr year in review

2 notes · View notes

the-blind-geisha · 2 years

Note

you're so right with that pandemic thing. i swear i had my moments when i thought it was 2023 and not 2022 lel.

living in demiurge tag sounds amazing, ngl. and, honestly, im not surprised you're trying to put his character into your original work. man, this gives me some very good memories, haha. good luck with that! i mean, based on what you were doing with your oc in ac era, im sure you gonna do amazing in here too! <3

glad to hear that. not about that anemia part, that can go and suck something. but yeah, thanks a lot, dear. ngl i feel guilty about this (or more like cringing) so, really, thanks a lot. it means a lot too! <3

Yuri Alpha has so little time to develop too, just like Albedo and Demiurge </3 but i know what you're feeling. my fav one is Sebas (funny how he and Demiurge aren't on friendly terms) and yeah. i mean, he had some time but it doesn't feel enough for me. or maybe, i just wanna see Tuare again. I absolutely love her too. I watched a few episodes of the new season and it's amazing! like you said, they really raised the quality (flashbacks from these sheep? from previous season). and yeah, the movie! man, i think it's time to reread the light novels.

that's really so sweet, I mean, oh my goooooooood. so, so, sweet! i need to confess tho, i was never really interested in final fantasy nor i can imagine myself getting and being active in overlord fandom. to be honest, i'm here just for you. our contact was cut but i've been thinking about you, how you've been and all that stuff. after all it was thanks to you that i started writing too and met people i still talk to. it sounds so silly, but i own you a lot. that's why i want to check in on you, from time to time <3

i was honestly surprised you got back on the blog that had ac content. but hey, no matter where you are and which blog you're using, you're still the same wonderful creator from these years ago <3. and i gotta check (reread!) the fall series cuz the dilf addiction is stronger in me than ever. also, damn, those names of your stories bring back memories too. but dunno why, i find myself missing the one about jacob wooing the reader? anyway, i just want to say: take your time. if you decide to post your fanfics again, that's great. if you decide to never post your fanfics again, that's great too! don't feel pressured, alright? no matter what. yes, im sure a lot of people would love to reread these fanfics again, but they have no right to pressure you to post them. those are your fanfics and it's completely your choice if you want to release them to the world again or to let them rot on your hard drive. (send them to a happy farm kekekek)

oh my! that's wonderful! i mean, he's your character, after all. so, i'd be nice to bring him back. loving the idea of werewolf au (it kind of reminds me of his ability to turn into a horse) but still, no pressure, alright?

omg that's honestly so nice! but also, hm. alright then, since im that person, then, hiya Oreana, thank you for all the fanfics, love letters, rp responds you have blessed us with. it was truly such a pleasant journey. but i should also say: thanks for writing that one love letter. i actually requested it during a school's party, my mood was absolutely low but your letter lifted it. <3

don't worry about the folks (me) not finding you! we (me) have our methods ("hackerman" methods)

it's always great to hear from you too, Oreana! <3 - P

(i need to say that cuz yeah. ehem... HOLY EFF look how long the asks can be now! that's so effing cool! i remember how limited you were when i firstly got on tumblr, so that's so effing awesome. so effing awesome for someone who loves to talk a lot. like me yaay!)

Mawwr, thank you, hon! That means a lot!

Haha, don't worry about the anemia part. XD I have taken iron pills on and off to where I'm becoming a functioning person again. And, seriously. Don't worry about anything negative between us that may have happened in the past. ♥♥

LOL I love the whole dynamic between Sebas and Demiurge. I'll admit I was so confused during the scene where Demiurge was fighting to get Tuare on his farm having not read the LNs or Manga and forced to go right into the show. X”D I thought maybe Demiurge randomly cared about her out of nowhere and the two were silently fighting over what she should do for Nazarick. Then I realized he just wanted to torture the poor girl...and that the sheep were actually humans. My whole world turned upside down, I tell you! X”D Out of context Overlord scenes are awesome... lmao.

Ooh, you started writing? That's awesome! I am so happy I could inspire that! ;^; One of my main reasons for writing is to try and inspire/encourage others. So that makes me insanely happy. ;~; Of course, hon. You can always check in on me whenever you like! Heck, I feel during this time I get nervous about all the people I'm close to or even the readers I miss. I just hope they're all doing well.

It was more to feel safe, and also, people kept following me here. X3 So I just decided to return to it. ♥

You're so dang, sweet. T^T Aww, thank you?? That's so kind of you to say!

Jacob wooing the reader? You mean the one that spawned a mini-story after I did the first love letter of its kind for a late V-Day drabble? An old friend of mine created a whole aesthetic for it...I think I have it still. I do! ♥

I know he took the reader out on a date and all that and it caused some Romeo and Juliet drama, as she was a Blighter, I believe.

♥♥♥ Thank you for that. I can't tell you how guilty I felt deleting the stories. I never do go delete happy, but oof. I was just beyond repair. The only positive out of that craziness was I grew a stronger backbone, but I don't know at what cost. X3; Still, thanks!

My word...the fact you remember even that—Emmett being able to turn into a horse because his mom was Oreana in another AU of mine—is amazing. O_O; I actually almost forgot it! That is...beyond flattering?? Thank you so dang much! T~T

Thank you, hon. Just...Thank you... I'm like, almost a sobbing mess of happiness right now. I can't tell you how lovely this message is to receive. ♥♥♥ I am so happy that love letter you received has brought you joy and it came during a good time for you. It is wonderful to know my writings came during the perfect time for some folks.

(Yeah you can practically send novels. XDD Works for whenever someone wants to send a RP post, I guess!)

#thanks again hon #means a lot #all of my love!#mod answers #anon #treasures #anon: P

3 notes · View notes

doctor-fancy-pants · 1 year

Text

The Netiquette

What's the etiquette here? I know, as if there's one rule for any corner of the internet that doesn't immediately boast approximately 8,000 exceptions and twice that on Sundays (and when there's a blue moon? on a Sunday? whew, all bets are off).

What I mean is: I had a LiveJournal, okay, I am literally crumbling into dust as I write this, and tumblr was for the internet generation after me, and it took me a long time to get the hang of Twitter (or at least, the way I wanted to use Twitter, which was to write VERY LONG THREADS).

On Twitter, depending on the nature of the discussion, I could slide into the mentions of public discourse, give my opinion, explain things that I understood, etc.; or if it was someone with a loose connection to one of my tweeps, it might be okay to reflect a little more personally or share an anecdote, while reminding oneself "this is a total stranger, so imagine you're at a chill party with a lot of people, and--" and then I remember what I'm like at parties. "--okay and then tone it WAY the fuck down, Doc. BE CHILL."

But also: you never wanted to be the "reply guy", right? Okay, so I'm not a guy, but I do get excitable and didactic when we trip over a special interest or area of expertise and I've had to learn to be a bit careful there, because I sure as hell don't like the reply guys (oh hey I just remembered another anecdote I have to put on the list for this thing when I have time), so I don't want to condescend to anyone else. (Unless they're a real arsehole. In which case, bring forth the mighty flail of sarcastic condescension. Look. It's Twitter. Pandemic. I have a PhD in genetics. There has been a lot of hot fucking horseshit flying around and sometimes you have to get your hands dirty. But I digress.)

So: for me, Twitter is somewhere between a party of chill loosely connected people (one's Tweeps), and an actual food fight in the world's largest school canteen (please do not mix my metaphors, there should not be horseshit in the canteen or several things have already gone wrong with the plan. EVEN ON TWITTER).

On Twitter, I wear body armour. I'm careful where I go.

Facebook, on the other hand, is like... it depends. Everyone uses it differently. I ended up deciding that my feed was kind of like my living room. Drop by, have a chat, have a discussion and a cup of tea, but it's not a place to start shit, or have a go at me, my various political opinions, or my other mates. That's a great way for me to literally have a panic attack. Those discussions and debates are fair game on a public feed, a news page, or someone who is okay with having their own feed hosting that, but not my feed.

I don't wear the body armour on my Facebook, not so much. It's mostly public, still, but the occasional post does get carefully filtered.

(I actually haven't been using the Facebook much lately over the past few months. Overwhelm. Long story. Stories.)

So... what's tumblr like? I wanna use it to tell all my bizarre shaggy dog stories and make people laugh or giggle or reflect or just feel seen. Like a short version (relatively speaking) of my Wordpress blog. Posts there are very long and carefully structured (and, thanks to the overwhelm, at the moment they are rare).

But if I see someone reblogging something funny, and I have a reply or comment to add, but I don't actually *know* the person who wrote it, is that... okay? I mean, it seems like how it works, but I got no clue what's going on in the background, will that seem rude to some people?

(also what the hell kind of tags would you put on this kind of post?!)

#tumblr questions #newbie #etiquette #netiquette #rambles #manners #hello it's me

2 notes · View notes

hmsannlett · 2 years

Note

Hi, there! Anon here! Oh, my heart looks for crumbs, too! I'm thankful to know that a fellow shipper is on the scavenger hunt! ;) I noticed the fandom has been quiet, too. I have a theory, though, that if TURN eventually returns to streaming apps the fandom will rise again! TBC...

Re: your/ the other metas, I've read all the tags and I agree wholeheartedly with your post re: the TURN finale and your utter disappointment at the women's endings! *ahh, my heart! 💔* And it's also very, very disheartening--more than I can put into words-- to know that there were scenes with Anna/Hew that never made it to script! 💔 ☹ TBC...

I've seen Wayback Machine, but I wasn't quite sure how to use it. Thanks for the suggestion! I’ll comb through tumblr and see if I can find any crumbs! *giggles gleefully* 😁 I always appreciate your helpfulness! 🤗 & 🤍

Hello! Oh yes, it's part and parcel of being a shipper. ;)

I don't want to sound like a downer, but I'm not very hopeful about Turn returning to any streaming services, since it was removed from Netflix because the license/contract with AMC was over. Now that AMC has its own streaming service, I don't think it's very likely AMC will want to license it out again (much like how Disney didn't renew any of its contracts with streaming platforms once Disney+ was in the works and ready for launch). Plus, I don't know that Netflix would try to get Turn again when the show had such a small base of people watching it. There wouldn't be much profit in it for them, I think. :/

And even if Turn did miraculously return to Netflix (or any other service), I don't know that much of the fandom would return. Most of the fandom jumped ship almost instantaneously after Turn was removed from Netflix, and it's been almost a year now since that happened. In the time since then, I know a lot of my Turn mutuals—and I'm sure many others in the fandom who I didn't interact with—have moved on to different fandoms (which is completely understandable; the fandom became a ghost town almost overnight, which is very unusual and certainly disheartening).

It's also my understanding that the fandom was largely the size it was in 2020/2021 due to the pandemic and people finding Turn on Netflix during the lockdowns. Prior to then, the fandom had quieted down in the years since the show ended; there were still some people keeping the fandom going, but the fandom—as fandoms always do—shrunk once the show was over. 2020/2021 in the Turn fandom was a unique period of time, and I don't think it'll happen again, unfortunately, especially with the show being so difficult to watch now, outside of buying the (fairly expensive) DVDs or pirating it. There have been new people who have drifted in occasionally, but the fandom has largely shifted to focus more on the American Revolution/Washington's aides de camp than on anything Turn related.

I don't say this to dishearten you or anyone who reads this; it's just what I've been settling with this past year while watching many of the people who I used to interact with move on. It really is amazing that the Turn fandom has lasted this long, considering it was never large to begin with, and it's almost been six years now since the show ended; I've seen much larger fandoms peter out sooner than that.

Anyways, that was a downer despite my intending it not to be. I do think people will continue to filter into the fandom like they've been doing; I just don't think it will be on the same scale as before.

I know, I was so disappointed when I found out that there had been plans for a better Annlett resolution in the S5 that the showrunners wanted. But I can understand it; the fans had to fight for the show to be renewed to even get S4 (and I think S3, too). The writers were in a hard spot and wanted to resolve the show as best they could with the episodes they had left. I wish they'd spared even a few minutes for Anna and Hewlett, instead of some of the (imo) unnecessary Benedict Arnold scenes in the last couple episodes, but it is what it is. And there's always fanfic to fix things. ;)

The Wayback Machine is great, and pretty easy to use once you get the hang of it! I'd recommend looking through some of the old Annlett blogs (most of them have "Annlett" somewhere in their url), and you can check in the replies/reblogs of their posts for other old Annlett blogs to peruse.

And no problem! I'm happy to help. :)

#asks #anonymous

0 notes

oro-e-diamanti · 3 years

Text

The one with Ethan’s suggestion

Description | Ethan suggests something that you had never seen coming - but for how long will you be able to resist him?

Content | smut with a bit of fluff

Pairing | Ethan x fem!Reader

Word Count | 3138

Tagging | @ginny-lily @mywritingonlyfans

***

"You did not just ask me that."

Ethan didn't even seem bothered by your shocked reaction. Instead, he simply kept looking at you, waiting, as if he had posed a completely normal question. You were certain it wasn’t though - who the hell just came out and asked one of their best friends to start hooking up? Surely this wasn’t just you thinking this was more than odd. You couldn’t stop looking at him, relaxing on a lounger in the sun, book still open in his hand, and how he didn’t seem to care.

“Oh, come one, Y/n,” Vic interjected from where she was relaxing on a pool float. “Poor Ethan hasn’t been with anyone since the pandemic started. The least you can do is help him get laid.”

“Get laid by me?!”

“Who else?” Victoria laughed. “It’s not like he can go out and pick up someone when we go on a promo tour in a week. We’re barely allowed to meet anyone as a safety measure.”

You shot her a pointed look and Victoria being your friend for the longest got it immediately.

“And no, I’m not gonna hook up with him. So it’s gotta be you.”

You couldn’t believe the conversation you were having. Had everyone simply gone crazy? Surely, Thomas wouldn’t be on their side in this, right? You watched as he lazily strolled towards your loungers, cigarette in hand.

“Thomas!” You shouted over at him. “Ethan wants me to hook up with him!”

“Fucking finally,” Thomas laughed as you stared back in horror. Was everyone in on this madness? “He’s been moping around for ages. About time he gets laid and relaxes.”

“See?” Ethan interjected. “Everyone thinks it’s a good idea.”

“I don’t think it’s a good idea!”

“Fine,” Ethan shrugged. You hated how much he didn’t seem to care - how he had posed a question like that without an ounce of awkwardness and how your rejection didn’t seem to faze him in the least. You knew he was open about sex and sexuality, you’d been part of countless conversations among the band and had seen him pick up people at parties more than once, but this unnerved you. "If you change your mind, I'm available."

And with that Ethan went back to his book, Victoria went back to floating around the pool and Thomas went back to smoking his cigarette. But you weren't going to go back to anything, because whether you liked it or not, Ethan's suggestion would continue playing in your head for the unforeseeable future.

***

Three days. It had been three days since that fateful day at the pool and you could barely stand to look at Ethan. It wasn't because you were embarrassed - you all spoke about such things quite openly - nor were you angry at him having asked in the first place - if anything, it was flattering, a man such as Ethan considering you attractive in that way. It was more of a constant thought in your head whenever you were in the same room with him or he talked to you or you looked at him or he so much as popped into your mind. You kept lying awake at night, intrusive thoughts of Ethan towering over you clouding your brain. You didn't know what it was but you knew you didn't like it.

You were pulled out of your thoughts as Victoria approached you, taking a couple of tomatoes you had spread in front of you and started cutting them up. You had been in charge of making dinner most days, with one or the other coming to join you in your cooking endeavors sooner or later. Today it seemed to be Vic, who was giggling away beside you, quite obviously dying to tell you something.

"And what is up with you?" You asked, a smirk on your face. You were happy your friend seemed so giddy and it had you itching to know why.

"I have a date!" Victoria was never one to keep things like these to herself for long - whenever she was positively excited about something, the world simply had to know. "Her name's Paula, she's on holiday here and we're going to go out for wine."

"Just wine?"

"Well, I'm gonna say, don't expect me back here tonight." She couldn't stop herself from smirking and then breaking out in another round of laughter and you joined freely. Good for her.

"I miss dates," you mused. "Or maybe - I don't know. Maybe I just miss at least staying the night with someone."

"You really need to get laid, babe."

"Who needs to get laid?" Damiano had appeared without warning, sneaking up on the two of you and pinching both of your waists teasingly before hopping on the counter next to where you were working. A slice of tomato was stolen and ended up in his mouth before you could react, only hitting him in the arm when it was much too late.

"Y/n," Victoria answered nonchalantly. You stared at her in annoyance but she didn't even catch your eye.

"So does Ethan! You guys should fuck."

"Not you too," you groaned. All of this seemed like a bad joke. In fact, you were starting to wonder if this was all some weird plot your friends had to get you to sleep with Ethan. But why would they?

"Huh?" Damiano sounded surprised but you didn't put it past him to simply put on a good act.

"Ethan asked her to hook up the other day."

"No way!" Damiano exclaimed. "He actually, fina- I mean, he actually asked you that?"

"Yup, and she shot him down," Victoria explained. You were getting more annoyed by the second. Especially because it felt like your love life (or lack thereof?) was being discussed without you. Plus, you couldn't shake the feeling they knew something you didn't.

"Aw, poor Ethan. You know, you should really give him the chance. Make the most of the fact that you've both got the house to yourselves tonight." Damiano's eyebrow wiggle earned him a tomato slice to the face due to pure irritation on your side. He wasn't bothered, quickly shoving it into his mouth and happily munching away on it.

"Wait, what do you mean? Where are you going?"

You sounded much more panicked than necessary. So what if you were alone in the house with Ethan? You'd survive. Easily. You'd read a bit of your book, maybe watch a movie, go to bed. You didn't even have to spend time with him. Right?

"Going out with my girlfriend, she's in town for work. Not sure where Thomas is off to but he's already left" Damiano shrugged, finally hopping off the counter to hopefully stop being in the way. "So, if there's anything you want to do, do it tonight."

***

So this was it. You were alone with Ethan. No, this was nothing. So what if you were alone with him? Not like it was going to change anything at all.

You had said your goodbyes for the night to the two lovebirds, wishing Victoria the most possible fun on her little date, before pouring yourself a glass of wine and retreating to the patio. You had no idea where Ethan was and you didn't mind.

The sun was setting, the temperature was more than bearable and you had your book lying next to you. Eyes closed trying to enjoy the last rays of sunshine, your hand grasped the stem of the wine glass, and fuck that moth scared the living daylights out of you. And caused you to spill your wine all over your blouse. Red wine. Crap. One was supposed to wash those out immediately, right? Right? You realised you had no idea, as you sprinted towards the upstairs bathroom, already unbuttoning for fast removal.

You threw the door open, feet set to move towards the basin, when you realised you weren't alone in the room. It happened in slow motion, as much as you hated the cliché of it all.

Ethan's back was towards you, strong, hard muscles visible under an array of water droplets that were slowly, slowly making their way downwards, hypnotising you and keeping your gaze locked on them. Your eyes were still travelling lower and lower when he noticed your presence, turning around out of reflex, and you could not help but notice he was not wrapped in a towel, nowhere close, when your eyes fell on-

Oh.

In a rare moment of clarity, you tore your gaze away, looking up at his face instead, just to find him eyeing up your cleavage. Your blouse was halfway undone, putting your white lace bra on full display. Then his eyes snapped away and looked into yours instead. For a second, it felt like the world was standing still. Your brain only worked for another moment before it decided to let your body - or potentially your heart? - take over.

You told yourself 'fuck it' - or maybe you said it out loud, judging by the sudden smirk appearing on Ethan's face - and reached for the man in front of you. He reciprocated without hesitation, pulling you in and meeting your mouth with his, as he walked you backward until you hit the wall. His body felt hot against yours, providing a stark contrast to the cold tiles pressing into you. His hands cradled your face softly, fingers stroking along your cheeks, while he kissed you, open-mouthed, in a way that left you breathless.

If you had ever had doubts that sex with Ethan would not be worth it, they had evaporated into thin air altogether.

His hands had started roaming your body, finally landing on the last buttons of your blouse. You had expected him to slowly open them up, but instead, he tore the fabric apart in one swift movement, buttons flying and hitting the ground with little clacking noises. You wrecked your mouth from him for a moment, staring at him in both surprise and awe.

"Spiacente," he murmured, although he didn't look all that sorry. "I couldn't help myself. I can get them sewn back-"

"Ethan, stop talking and start fucking me."

Your bold words took both of you by surprise but none of you minded, simply relieved that you were on the same page. His hands were now grasping tightly onto your thighs and, and without giving you a warning, he lifted you up, still pressed against the wall. Your legs wrapped around him instinctively and he took a step back, finding his strength and balance, and slowly carrying you into his bedroom.

You couldn't stop staring at him. Ethan's beauty was a sight to behold on any given day, but the way his lips looked kissed after just a short while and his eyes had that kind of shine to them that had never previously been directed at you, it felt like you were looking at something ethereal. Never mind the fact that you knew he was completely naked, not just the toned chest that was pressing into your torse, but everything else. Hell, you were sure you felt a certain something press into the back of your thigh quite shamelessly.

He dropped you on his bed, leaving you to bounce slightly on the mattress as you lied on your back. He looked like he was about to devour you and you just knew you'd bend to his every wish.

Without any further hesitation, Ethan moved onto the bed, immediately grabbing onto the shorts you were wearing and slowly pulling them down your legs. He held eye contact with you the whole time and you were convinced you had never seen anything sexier in your life. Your panties were the next piece to leave your body. Normally, this would be the point you got nervous about, crossing your legs, hiding behind hands, anything to protect what little of your modesty you had left, but this was different. Ethan took all shame away from you.

"Is this okay?" He asked, as he slowly crawled upwards, spreading your legs and leaving hot, wet kisses along your calves. As much as you appreciated him asking for consent, you almost had to laugh - at this point in time, you had lost all willpower to deny him anything. So, with a blissful smile on your face, you eagerly nodded at him, your hand reaching down and tangling itself into his hair. He groaned as you gave a little tug and the sound was more than enough to get you even wetter than you already were.

At least that was what you thought up until Ethan put his mouth on you. You had been expecting a bit more foreplay, maybe his fingers, but instead you felt his tongue lick along the length of you. Your moan loudly echoed through the room and you had never been so glad that Vic, Thomas and Damiano had deserted the two of you in the house.

Your grasp on his hair tightened as he started flicking your clit with the tip of his tongue. The fact that you could feel his hair tickling the inside of your thighs only seemed to make you more sensitive. Suddenly, one of his fingers entered you, quickly to be joined by a second. Your back arched off the bed in an involuntary reaction as your breathing became more and more laboured. You could hear- hell, you could feel him chuckle against you.

With a sharp tug, you pulled his head away from you.

"I'm not going to be able to take much more, Ethan," you confessed. He looked up at you with wide eyes, chin wet from going down on you and fingers still slowly moving in and out, and you momentarily forgot what you meant to say. "So if you wanna fuck me, I suggest you get a move on."

He didn't need to be told twice. You still sighed in disappointment when he actually removed his fingers from you but you were quickly distracted by him moving them to your mouth and slipping them in. You eagerly sucked on them, twirling your tongue around them, tasting your own arousal, and his composure was slipping with every second he looked at you. He quickly pulled his fingers from your mouth to crawl further up your body, his cock moving against your leg. He was so well endowed it would have almost been frightening if you hadn't been so turned on.

Ethan kissed you with a force that was unparalleled. There wasn't even a question about who was in control. As his fingers trailed from your neck down past your collarbones you both suddenly seemed to remember you were still wearing a bra. You made short work of the piece of fabric, carelessly throwing it across the room, and he thanked you by squeezing your soft flesh in the most delicious way. You repaid the favour by letting your hand wander to his cock and giving him a few strokes. He immediately let out the most sinful moan you had ever heard, head collapsing onto your cleavage.

"I don't think you need any more help from me down there," you giggled.

"With you lying under me like this, I sure don't."

Moving your legs around his waist once more, you slowly guided him into you, your walls swallowing him bit by bit, careful not to stretch you out too fast with his size. It felt like heaven on earth. You both moaned in pleasure as Ethan slowly started moving, making sure you were comfortable as he looked into your eyes, while you broke the eye contact time and time again, too overwhelmed to leave your eyes open every time he thrust into you. You kept grabbing onto what you could, the back of his head, his shoulders, his butt, as he increased his speed, hitting you in all the right places every single time.

You knew you weren't going to last long, not with him on and in and all around you, not with his fingers playing with your nipple, not with his lips clumsily attaching themselves to various places around your neck and shoulders, and as you felt his hand between your legs, softly circling your clit once again, you were gone. You came in waves of euphoria, unashamed of the volume of your moans and the strength with which you pulled on his hair. Your actions, combined with you clenching around him and a few more thrust, had him follow you moments later.

He carefully slipped out of you, never once letting go of you, and turning you onto your side with him so you were facing each other. Both of you were still breathing heavily, vision cloudy, but intertwined. You were convinced he had ruined you - there was no way anyone was ever going to live up to how he made you feel.

"So, did it live up to your expectation?" You couldn't help but giggle as you posed the question. "Getting laid again after such a long time?"

Ethan pushed a damp strand of hair from your face. You hadn't expected such softness.

"It wasn't actually about getting laid, you know."

"Huh?"

"It was about you."

"Okay, you've lost me now," you said, brows knitting as your hand searched for his, finger entangling the same way your legs were doing. "What are you talking about?"

"I... I've liked you for a while. And I tried so much, but you never even noticed."

Your mind replayed the last few weeks you had spent with the band in their summer house. Instances of Ethan bringing you food, cocktails, adjusting the shade to make sure you were in it, offering to put sunscreen on your back. Moments of him searching for your company, moving much closer than necessary in the heat, arms constantly touching when you were sitting next to each other. Jokes and teasing from the others, drunken remarks. You hadn't paid attention to any of it. You wondered how you could have been so blind to a man so wonderful.

"Wait, so instead of asking me out like a normal person, you suggested we hook up?" You couldn't keep the laughter in now. The situation was simply too ridiculous and you had not yet stopped riding on your high from the endorphins he had caused.

"It was Vic's idea." He buried his head into the sheets, but you could still see his cheeks turn an adorable shade of pink. "She knew I missed sex and she said you mentioned something similar so she thought this was the way into your..."

"Pants?"

"Heart, actually."

You snuggled closer, arms wrapping around him so that your noses were touching.

"Well, as embarrassing as it is, it somehow worked, didn't it?" You stroked over his head lovingly. "And I'm sure not letting you go any time soon."

#maneskin #maneskin imagine #ethan torchio imagine #ethan torchio x reader #ethan torchio fiction #ethan torchio x you #maneskin fiction #smut #my writings #ethan torchio

1K notes · View notes

thebibliosphere · 3 years

Note

So I'm currently unemployed because I got fired for taking too much sick leave (it was legally sketchy blah blah blah but in the end I just can't work and take care of myself and investigate my mystery health problems at the same time). So I've been spending more time writing!

I really admire your writing and loved Hunger Pangs. I'm looking forward to the poly elements developing and I'm wondering if you have any advice for writing about poly. I've made one of my projects a snarky take on "write what you know" ... Apparently what I know is southern gothic meets Pacific northwest gothic, chronic illness pandemic surrealism, and falling back-asswards into threesomes.

I know this is a very open-ended question and I don't expect an answer, I'm just curious about it if you have the energy. As a writer, trying to write honestly / realistically about polyamory/enm, I'm curious if you have any thoughts on what's different about portraying monogamy or nonmonogamy in books, romance or erotica or otherwise.

I'm trying to read examples but it's hard to find examples that fit the niche I'm looking at. Excuse me if this question is nonsense, it's the cluster headaches.

I'm sorry to hear you've been dealing with all that and solidarity on the cluster headaches. But I'm glad you're finding an outlet through writing! And I hope you're happy with an open-ended ramble in response because oh boy, there's a lot I could talk about and I could probably do a better job of answering this sort of thing with more specific questions, but let's see where we end up.

There's definitely a big difference between writing polyamory/ENM (ethical non-monogamy) and what people often expect from monogamous love stories.

Just even from a purely sales and marketing standpoint, the moment you write anything polyamorous (or even just straight up LGBTQIA+ without the ENM) you're going to get considered closer to being erotica/obscene than hetero romances. It's an unfair bias, but it's one that exists in our society. But also the Amazon algorithm and their shitty, shitty human censors. Especially the ones that work the weekends. (Talking to you, Carlos 🖕.)

So not only do you start out hyper-aware that you're writing something that is highly stigmatized or fetishized (at least I'm hyper-aware) but that you are also writing for a niche market that is starving for positive content because the content that exists is either limited, not what they want, or is problematic in some fashion i.e. highly stigmatized or fetishy. And even then, the wants, desires, and expectations of the community you're writing for are complex and wildly varied and hard to fit into an easy formula.

When writing monogamous love stories, there is a set expectation that’s really hard to fuck up once you know it. X person meets Y. Attraction happens, followed by some sort of minor conflict/resolution. Other plot may happen. A greater catalyst involving personal growth for both parties (hopefully) happens. Follow the equation to its ultimate resolution and achieve Happily Ever After.

But writing ENM is... a lot more difficult, if only because of the pure scope of possibilities. You could try to follow the same equation and shove three (or more) people into it, but it rarely works well. Usually because if you’re doing it right, you won’t have enough room in a single character arc to allow for enough growth, and if ENM requires anything in abundance, it’s room to grow.

And this post is huge so I’m going to put the rest under a cut :)

There's also a common refrain in certain online polyam/ENM circles that triads and throuples are overrepresented in media and they may be right to some extent. Personally, I believe the issue isn't that triads and throuples are overrepresented, but that there is such minuscule positive rep of ethical non-monogamy in general, that the few tiny instances we have of triads in media make it seem like it's "everywhere" when in actuality, it's still quite rare and the media we do have often veers into Unicorn Hunter fetish porn. Which is its own problematic thing. And just to be clear, I’m not including this part to dissuade you from writing "falling back-asswards into threesomes." If anything, I need more of it and would hook it directly into my brain if I could. I'm just throwing it out there into the void in the hope that someone will take the thought and run with it, lol.

I’d love to see more polyfidelitous rep in fiction, just as much as I’d like to see more relationship anarchy too. More diversity in fiction is always good.

Another thing that differs in writing ENM romance vs conventional monogamy is the feeling like you need to justify yourself. There's a lot of pressure to be as healthy and non-problematic as possible because you are being held to a higher standard of criticism. Both from people from without the ENM communities, and from the people within. Granted, some people don't give a shit and just want to read some fantastic porn (valid) but there are those who will cheerfully read Fifty Shades of Bullshit and call it "spicy" and "romantic," then turn around and call the most tooth-rottingly-sweet-fluff about a queer platonic polycule heresy. That's just the way the world works.

(Pro-tip for author life in general: never read your own reviews; that way madness lies. I glimpsed one the other day that tagged Hunger Pangs as “ethical cheating” and just about had an aneurism.)

And while that feeling of needing to justify yourself comes from a valid place of being excluded from the table of socially accepted norms, it can also be to the detriment of both the story and the subject matter at hand. I've seen some authors bend so far over backward to avoid being problematic in their portrayal of ENM, they end up being problematic for entirely different reasons. Usually because they give such a skewed, rose-tinted perspective of how things work, it ends up coming off as well... a bit culty and obnoxious tbh.

“Look how enlightened we are, freed from the trappings of monogamy and jealousy! We’re all so honest and perfect and happy!”

Yeah, uhu, sure Jan. Except here’s the thing, not all jealousy is bad. How you act on it can be, but jealousy itself is an important tool in the junk drawer that is the range of human emotion. It can clue us in to when we’re feeling sad or neglected, which in turn means we should figure out why we’re feeling those things. Sometimes it’s because brains are just like that and anxiety is a thing. Other times it’s because our needs are actually being neglected and we are in an unhealthy situation we need to remedy. You gotta put the work in to figure it out. Which is the same as any style of relationship, whether it’s mono, polyam or whatever flavor of ENM you subscribe to* And sometimes you just gotta be messy, because that’s how humans are. Being afraid to show that mess makes it a dishonest portrayal, and it also robs you of some great cannon fodder for character development.

Which brings me in a roundabout way to my current pet peeve in how certain writers take monogamous ideals and apply them to ENM, sometimes without even realizing it. The “Find the Right Person and Settle Down” trope.

Often, in this case, ENM or polyamory is treated as a phase. Something you mature out of with age or until you meet “The One(tm).” This is, of course, an attempt to follow the mono style formula expected in most romances. And while it might appeal to many readers, it’s uh, actually quite insulting.

To give an example, I am currently seeing this a lot in the Witcher fandom.

Fanon Netflix!Jaskier is everyone's favorite ethical slut until he meets Geralt then woops, wouldn’t you know, he just needed to find The One(tm). Suddenly, all his other sexual and romantic exploits or attractions mean nothing to him. Let's watch as he throws away a core aspect of his personality in favor of a man.

Yeah... that sure showed those societal norms...

If I were being generous, I’d say it’s a poor attempt at showing New Relationship Euphoria and how wrapped up people can become in new relationships. But honestly, it’s monogamous bias eking its way in to validate how special and unique the relationship is. Because sometimes people really can’t think of any other way to show how important and valid a relationship is without defining it in terms of exclusivity. Which is a fundamental misunderstanding of how ENM works for a lot of people and invalidates a lot of loving, serious and long-term relationships.

This is not to say that some polyam/poly-leaning people can't be happy in monogamous relationships! I am! (I consider myself ambiamorous. I'm happy with either monogamy or polyamory, it really just depends on the relationship(s) I’m in.) But I also don't regard my relationship with a mono partner as "settling down" or "growing up." It's just a choice I made to be with a person I love, and it's a valid one. Just like choosing to never close yourself off to multiple relationships is valid. And I wish more people realized that, or rather, I wish the people writing these things knew that :P

Anyway, I think I’ve rambled enough. I hope this collection of incoherent thoughts actually makes some sense and might be useful.

----

*A good resource book that doesn't pull any punches in this regard is Polysecure by Jessica Fern. It's a wonderfully insightful read that explores the messier side of consensual non-monogamy, especially with how it can be affected by trauma or inter-relationship conflicts. But it also shows how to take better steps toward healthy, ethical non-monogamy (a far better job than More Than Two**) and conflict resolution, making it a valuable resource both for someone who is a part of this relationship style***, but also for writers on the outside looking in who might have a very simple or misguided idea of what conflict within polyam/ENM relationships might look like, vs traditional monogamous ones.

** The author of More Than Two has been accused of multiple accounts of abuse within the polyamorous community, with many of his coauthors having spoken out about the gaslighting and emotional and psychological damage they experienced while in a relationship with him. A lot of their stories are documented here: https://www.itrippedonthepolystair.com/ (warning: it is not light material and deals with issues of abuse, gaslighting, and a whole other plethora of Yikes.) While some people still find More Than Two helpful reading, there are now, thankfully, much, much better resources out there.

*** Some people consider polyam/ENM to be part of their identity or orientation, while others view it as a relationship style.It largely depends on the individual.

#long post #writing #ethical non-monogamy #relationship styles #relationship models in fiction #also that kindle link is an affiliate link #because fuck giving amazon free recs

496 notes · View notes