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ms-demeanor · 1 year

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So I've been seeing some discourse around the No Fly List leak that looks a bit like "hey everybody, we can't make jokes about this, the list is racist and there are children on the list" or "if you're talking about identity categories instead of the list you're missing the point" and I think that we CAN make jokes about a trans bi lesbian catgirl owning the US government while also appreciating the gravity of the No Fly List but what I think is troubling to me is the way that these discourse posts are treating the blatant racism and inherently fascist nature of the No Fly List as news.

It is news that Maia Arson Crimew was able to download a copy of the No Fly List from an unsecured public server.

It is not news that there are 1.5 million people on that list, many of whom do not belong on it for any number of reasons, and it is not news that there are children on that list, and it is not news that the list is a tool used to deprive people of their civil liberties. That's why the list exists.

I'm aware that I'm getting older. I'm aware that there are entire adults of legal drinking age who were born after 9/11. I'm aware that it's not super common to follow up on foreign policy or national security debacles from when you were in kindergarten, but there are people who have been mad about this shit for twenty years and if you're just now hearing about how bad the list is for the first time, hell, maybe that's on us and we haven't been yelling enough (though when I'm yelling about how the TSA is security theater meant to make us accept encroachments on our rights, this is at least a part of what I'm yelling about).

The No Fly List is a list of individuals maintained by the TSA who are deemed a threat to security for some reason or another.

The TSA maintains the list, though they are given information for the list from the FBI, Terrorism Screening Center, and other entities. If you'd like to click this document, you can find 250 pages of FOIA'd documents about the No Fly List pre 2006. Much of this document is members of the FBI trying to justify why they need a copy of the list and lamenting that airlines have a copy of the list and they don't. This is very funny.

There have been issues with mis-identifications and false positives for the list for as long as the list has existed. You can click here to read through an infuriating 200 pages about a Pfizer employee who was stopped at least a dozen times at airports and who retained a law firm to hound the TSA/CBP/ICE clusterfuck of interagency buck-passing for nine months to try to get the problem resolved. One of the three documents at this link includes a complaint from the president of the Terrorist Screening Center lamenting the way that the TSA would refer obvious non-matches to be detained, including infants and the elderly.

At this point, the FBI/TSA/TSC/ICE/CBP claimed list was still relatively small, in the low thousands at most.

However a 2009 cost-benefit report by the Defense Technical Information Center found that in 2004-2005 30,000 people contacted the TSA to have their names removed from the list; 30k false positives suggests a list somewhat longer than a thousand names.

As long as the No Fly List has existed, criteria for being placed on the list has been subjective and selectively enforced.

As the Crimew leak shows, there isn't a tremendous amount of biographical data, but there are hundreds of thousands of names and it is enforced at the discretion of the TSA in each individual airport in the US, which is how you end up with duplicates and toddlers and 100-year-old men on what is functionally a filter to keep Muslim people out of the US.

The list has expanded every year that it has existed, and has been defended by republicans and democrats alike since it became one of the tools in our arsenal to fight "the war on terror"

And for just about that long, people have been talking about how it is unconstitutional, denies civil liberties, and also just doesn't really work.

It has never been transparent, it has always been a tool of surveillance, exclusion, and control:

And people have been documenting, protesting, and suing over the islamophobic nature of the list - and the security state's weaponization of the list as a threat - for two decades at this point because in the earliest days of the No Fly List it was OPENLY ACKNOWLEDGED that it was based on racial profiling and people made (shitty, cruel) legal arguments for why it should be:

THIS isn't funny. These are not the things that people are joking about when they choose to stay silly :3 in this conversation.

But these things also aren't news. Nearly everything I screencapped here was listed as a source on Wikipedia, and what wasn't was available as simple searches on Archive.Org or easily looked up on news websites.

All you have to do is just *look* at the sources on Wikipedia to see that people actually have been talking about it for quite a long time, very publicly, and that there has been a lot of public outcry about the list as it balloons and punishes innocent people with false positives:

And when you've been looking at stories like these for twenty fucking years it feels wonderful to say "holy fucking bingle" and celebrate that for once someone did something VERY COOL in order to shine a light on this massive (and apparently underappreciated problem).

#long post #very long post #tw islamophobia

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jennamoran · 3 months

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The Far Roofs

So today I want to talk a bit about what this game wants to be. In particular, I'm going to go over its key technical and artistic goals.

The Far Roofs focuses on immersive hidden world fantasy adventure. It's intended to offer the experience of a grounded, emotionally real base world attached to an idealized, fantastic "hidden world" setting.

One might say, the streets and buildings and houses of the game's world are basically our own. Above us, though, is a stranger, more idealized, and more fantastic place. It's hard to get to. It's dangerous. It's less grounded. It's full of wonder.

Those are the Far Roofs.

This divide exists to make the game feel as real as possible, if you want to go that way. That's part of what hidden world fantasy is about, after all---the idea that magic is here. That it's not in some distant alien land or mythic future or past.

It's here, if you want to reach for it.

(Now, the game is flexible enough that you can play "protagonist" types instead of realer people, and many traditional gaming groups will probably prefer that, but that'll mean getting less of that immersive effect.)

The mood the game is interested in is that feeling you get when you take a huge risk---move to a new place; try a new thing. The feeling you get in those times in your life when everything is alienated and wondrous and terrifying but there's also so much more *hope* than there was in the still times before.

It's a mood of being swept up and called forward.

This is, among other things, meant to be a game for people who've been beaten down or exhausted by the ... everything ... to feel that sensation of moving forward again.

To remember what it's like, why it's worth it, how to reach for it again.

It's meant---and I do understand that I am finite and flawed and this can only go so far---as a tonic and refreshment to the soul.

Rules

The Far Roofs uses a 5d6-based dice pool system for day-to-day task resolution. It's relatively traditional and optimized for fast, fun dice reading. There's a loose consensus I've seen in RPG design circles that dice are for when outcomes are uncertain and both options are interesting, and I don't disagree ... but there's also this thing where rolling dice to decide is intrinsically interesting and fun, where it's fuel for a certain part of the brain.

This game tries to get as much out of that side of dice as it can.

You'll also collect letter tiles and cards over the course of the game. This is for bigger-picture stuff:

To answer big questions and to complete big projects, you'll either assemble representative words out of those tiles, or, play a poker hand built out of those cards. Word and their nuances express ideas and shape how outcomes play out; poker hands, conversely, just give a qualitative measure of how much work you do or how well things will go.

In keeping with this, the campaign is represented principally in the form of questions or issues your words and hands can address. Player/GM-created campaigns would be the same.

Physical and Electronic Product

I wanted to put the print version within the range of as many people who might need that tonic as possible. That means that for this particular game, I wanted to cover the full territory that I'd normally cover in a two or three volume set (core rules, setting, and campaign) in a single 200-250-page volume.

In practice this means there's a guide and examples for constructing the setting, rather than a deep dive into a fully-detailed world; that there's a bit less in the way of whimsical digression and flourish than in the writing I'm known for; that there's minimal "flavor" text on abilities; and that the campaign presentation is pretty fast-paced.

Conversely, it means that the game should be easy to absorb and to share with other possible players, and, that the game and campaign in this one relatively small volume should provide enough content for five or six years of play.

The book will be 8.5"x11" with grayscale art, available in a limited hardcover print run and a print-on-demand softcover form.

On the Rats

You'll see a lot of talk from me and others about the talking rats in this game. They're one of the jewels of the experience, and I think they're probably a significant draw just for being talking rats that are core to the game.

... but I'm going to hold off for now, because, to be clear, this is not a game of playing talking rats. It's just a game where talking rats and probably one of the top three most important setting elements.

I couldn't get that feeling I wanted of ... the base world being grounded realism; of the hidden world pulling you up and out and into a world full of magic ... with your playing rats, with your playing something so distant from the typical player.

So this is not a game of playing them.

They're just ... I like rats, and so I made the rats in this game with love. They're great ... whatever the equivalent is to "psychopomps" is for a magical world instead of for death ... and a way of talking about how in the face of the world, we're all pretty small.

I'm really excited about this game; the playtest was lovely.

I hope you'll enjoy it as well!

#the far roofs #jenna moran #rpgs

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buniyaad · 7 months

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January 8th - 14th, 2024

Monday, January 8th - Sins of the Family // Isolation

Tuesday, January 9th - Prophecies // Deadly Devotion

Wednesday, January 10th - Superman Cults // Possession

Thursday, January 11th - The Forgotten One // A Hole in the World

Friday, January 12th - A Parent Knows Best // Eldritch Horror

Saturday, January 13th - It Takes a Village // Inheritance

Sunday, January 14th - Mistakes Were Made // Horror Movie AU

Purpose?

Not enough horror-themed fanworks in the world about the Superfam. Got jealous of the Batfandom having all these horror-themed events and projects, so I decided to host one for the Superfam.

Why should we participate in this?

Because you like seeing the soupeyfam in ever-increasingly fucked up situations that elicit a deeply-rooted, ancient dread :3

So how does it work?

The release date for fanworks is from Monday, the 8th of January through Sunday, the 14th of January, 2024.

This aint a Halloween-themed event! You have well over three months to write, draw, and create fanworks. However, use the spooky season to help generate some ideas and propel you forward! :3

This an opportunity for people who’d like to explore the Superfamily characters, dynamics, and relationships through a variety of prompts. Although romantic ships are nice, please make sure the Superfam are the focus of your fanwork.

Superfamily characters include, but are not limited to:

Clark Kent

Lois Lane

Kara Zor El

Jonathan and Martha Kent

Jon Kent

Osul Ra and Otho Ra

John Henry Irons

Natasha Irons

Kon El/Conner Kent

Chris Kent/Lor Zod

Karen Starr

Kong Kenan

Superfamily characters of ANY comic book universe are acceptable. If you want to spend the entire fanweek exploring Ultraman and Injustice!Superman because you love drama, then be my guest! If you want Ultraman to kidnap Lois this time instead of Jon, go for it!! Let that imagination run WILD!!!

Darkfic, horrorfic, genre-specific work, and other both safe and not-safe-for-tunglr dot hell tropes are welcome. Just make sure that you post any Mature content on a landing page that doesn't restrict Mature content (like AO3). I don’t want anyone getting their blog banned. We cannot defeat our capitalist overlords, but we can definitely work around them.

This fanweek will not have a dedicated blog. These prompts are free for anyone to use. Because it is a non-traditional, non-monetized, and free-to-opt-in casual event, there will be no mods but moi, no advertising of paid services, and no ratings or participant restrictions. I will open a collection on AO3 in January for anyone who wants their work collated for this event.

In order to ensure that both creators and the audience are making informed decisions about what they engage with, all creators are encouraged to include triggers, ships, and any other squick warnings.

Please utilize the read-more function for fanworks that are longer than 250 words. We're tryna read yer stories, not get spammed with a wall of text. Please Be Courteous.

And last but not least - if you are engaging with any of the fanworks, reblog, reblog, reblog! Share the work with your followers. Send all the love to the creators for crafting their masterpieces!!

What can I contribute?

Fanart (standalones, comic strips, etc.), fanfiction (one-shots, multichapter, etc.), fanmixes, gifsets, graphics, meme collections, fanvids, whatever your heart desires! Go wild!!!

Can I create/write not-safe-for-tunglr dot hell content?

Yes!!! All creators are encouraged to include triggers warnings, sub-genre specifications, ships, and other warnings in their posts. I will not discourage you from writing your 16k Kara-goes-evil fic, but please... Be Courteous and tag your fanworks appropriately so people can make an informed decision on what they're comfortable with viewing.

What does (X) prompt mean?

Each day has two prompts!! You can either pick a prompt OR you can combine prompts in different ways. Let your imagination take you where you want to go with each prompt!! If you want to explore both in the same fanwork, then be my guest!!

Mainstream Canon, Elsewords, and AU content is acceptable! Just make sure to stay within the comicsverse. Creativity is key! Have fun!!!

Can I crackship/multiship/harem/OT3/polyam the characters?

Absolutely!!! Just please remember that this is the Soupeyfam horror week, not the Lois-Has-A-Harem-of-Elseworlds-Supermen week. We love ships and things, but this week is about the Superfamily. The characters can have their lovers, but their personal romantic dalliances shouldn't overtake the Soupeyfam dynamics (unless you're pulling a Cersei and Jaime, lmao, if that's the case, go wild).

Does this have a tag?

During release week, use the general “superfam” tag to share your work with the wider Superfam fandom on tunglr. You can use whatever other tags you fancy. The best way to share, however, is to directly @ me so that I may reblog it.

I didn’t read a damn thing before this, Ava.

TL;DR: Over three months until the fanweek!!! For all fanwork creators out there, now’s the time to start thinking about what prompts you want to utilize for your creations. There are no creative restrictions, but I do ask that you follow these posting tips:

All fanfiction should be under a read-more.

Not-safe-for-tunglr fanwork should be LINKED to whatever landing site the content is being hosted on (Twitter, AO3, etc). This includes both fanfiction and fanart. I don’t want your blog getting flagged bc tunglr hates gay people.

Provide content warnings for all triggers, squicks, and sub-genres. Unfortunately, in my ten odd years away from DC Comics, the fandom's seen a resurgence in puritanical behavior and tons of censorship and self-censorship. Please list content warnings on your work but do not be discouraged in sharing your work. If a fancop gets on your ass, block them. Please block as MANY as you can. They're like pests, they're always gonna be there, but their influence can be diminished by staunch blocking and reporting.

You can participate as much as you want!! Maybe you only wanna create for one day? Cool! Maybe you’re an overachieving corporate clown insomniac like myself, and wanna create for every day of the week? Go for it!!!

The most important thing is to have fun :)

Truth be told, this event is entirely selfish. I personally love to the horror genre, and would love to see the characters in the Superfamily get more canon content as seen through beloved horror tropes. Unfortunately, Status Quo often gets in the way, and the current fanworks are largely ambivalent to the Dreadful and Despairing. If you'd like to join me in creating deliciously dark fiction featuring our favorite DC clan, please do! I would love to read your 10k character study of Otho and Osul assimilating into human society after spending their formative years as slaves in Warworld.

We’re over three months away from release week, so take your time, look through the prompts, and get your creative juices flowing! I will be sending out reminders until the go-live date.

For the people who showed interest during the initial interest check, I hope you're able to participate. To the four people who hate me, your mom's a hoe. Thank you.

#superfam #superfam horror week #clark kent #superman #lois lane #jon kent #kon el #kong kenan #karen starr #natasha irons #dc comics #real talk #ava's ficcing adventures

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brechtian · 5 months

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(Mostly Signed!! YA + Sanderson) books I own and am extremely willing to sell for cheaper than average listings bc I don’t want them anymore. a lot are hardcovers (heads up most are signed but some include personalization with my name sorry. if ur name is Ella congrats tho). All are very very good quality or like new bc I was delicate with my books when I was younger (prices are for the lot of every book described in a listing and all are negotiable!)

Six of crows & crooked kingdom (1st/1st) both signed - $90 + shipping

Shadow & bone (hc) and siege & storm (pb) both signed and original covers - $75 + shipping

divergent books, all signed with inscriptions - $100 + shipping

mistborn second gen (wax and wayne), bands of mourning is a signed 1st/1st, alloy of law is a used 1st/1st, shadows of self is a used 1st/1st. $150 + shipping SOLD

Alloy of law 1st/1st former library copy - $45 + shipping

Steelheart by Brandon Sanderson trilogy, firefight & calamity 1st eds hardcovers; steelheart just paperback. $35 + shipping SOLD

hardcover signed copies of first dragonsteel editions of legion and legion: skin deep by Sanderson, rare - $75 + shipping SOLD

Darkest minds trilogy + companion novel, first two books signed, all except first book hardcover - $80 + shipping

All of lunar chronicles and fairest signed; cress, winter, & fairest are hardcovers and 1st/1sts as well. Winter has an exclusive stamp. All include personalizations “To Ella” - $125 + shipping

heartless and renegades by meyer signed hardcover 1st/1sts with inscriptions - $50 + shipping

First five books & companion novel for throne of glass, all first ed hardbacks except the first one I believe. Queen of shadows is signed and has the empire of storms signature tour stamp, empire of storms is signed, and heir of fire has the empire of storms tour stamp. Lot is $500 + shipping, individual book prices vary. SOLD

First two acotar books with original covers, both hardbacks. Acotar is first printing. Acomaf is a special signed first edition/printing with a page insert declaring its special binding, first edition status, & signature. Together $250 + shipping SOLD

Literally the entire The Last Apprentice series by Joseph Delaney none are signed but I own all fucking thirteen and the companion book in original covers, mix of paperback & hardback - $100 + shipping

Grave mercy (paperback) & mortal heart (hardcover) both signed - $45 + shipping

The Entire selection trilogy & sequel trilogy all signed. Sequel trilogy are all hardbacks, original trilogy paperbacks. - $185 + shipping

Boys I loved before trilogy + summer I turned pretty, all signed except for always and forever Lara Jean. Mix of hardcover and paperback. - $100 + shipping

Anna and the French kiss trilogy, last two books are signed, all paperback and the colored cityscape covers - $50 + shipping

Everything everything by Nicola yoon signed paperback + sun is also a star signed hardcover - $95 + shipping

Unsigned lot of 5 rainbow Rowell books, four of which are hardbacks; carry on & landline are 1st/1sts - $95 + shipping

Ember in the ashes first three books by sabaa tahir, first two signed paperbacks; third one unsigned hardcover - $60 + shipping

Brandon Mull: signed hardcover holographic copy of the first beyonders book, all the fablehaven books (all paperback mix of new and old covers, but all are signed except book 5, and book 1 is double signed.), and signed hardcover first ed of dragonwatch - $110 + shipping

Not signed but I do own the entire Artemis fowl series minus the time paradox: $70 + shipping (mixed paper and hardback)

Daughter of smoke and bone trilogy by Laini Taylor all signed paperbacks in original covers - $125

Scythe & thunderhead, thunderhead is signed - $60 + shipping

Original pjo covers all paperback, the lightning thief and battle of the labyrinth are signed SOLD for $200

I also have pjo hardcover the ultimate guide with the holo cover and all of the trading cards like new and demigod diaries both 1st/1sts! - $60 + shipping

Heroes of Olympus series original covers, son of Neptune is signed. Last four books in the series are all hardcover 1st/1sts. - $125 + shipping SOLD

Pjo greek gods and Greek heroes hardcover. Heroes is signed by Rick and John Rocco, both first editions - $100 + shipping

Kane chronicle trilogy original covers, serpents shadow is 1st/1st hardcover, other 2 paperbacks - $40

Illuminae files trilogy first two books signed, all three books hardcover first editions - $200

Way of Kings signed hardback like new/unread - $100 + shipping

Hardcover signed copy of Oathbringer - $130 + shipping

Well of Ascension signed hardcover like new - $150 SOLD

Elantris signed no printing number - $150 SOLD

Warbreaker signed and inscribed w/ my name, former library copy - $95

Arcanum Unbounded signed hardcover first edition - $150 + shipping SOLD

Rhythm of War 1st/1st SOLD

Okay um there’s more but these r the main listings for now, see my reblog with the more comprehensive Sanderson listings if you are interested in his signed books (I have a lot!).

#pjo #cosmere #tlc #marissa meyer #Brandon Sanderson #idk trying to get the big names in the first five tags. there’s so much tho.#see reblogs for update with the Sanderson listings!#I literally do not read YA so if ppl don’t claim these they’re getting shipped off to the local used bookstore to give me credit to buy #more playssss :)#also I opened up my dms so if you wanna ask abt anything just lmk #I truly have such. an absurd amount of signed books. this after giving away so many and excluding all the lesser known ones #very okay w ppl reblogging this btw! I want them sold!

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moonshinemagpie · 4 months

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Colson Whitehead on Making Novels Half-Asleep

I deleted my Substack because, you know, its founders are evil. But this post I wrote last October feels relevant for writers going into the New Year. If it's TLDR, skip down to the "What Meant Everything to Me" heading.

Writing with Chronic Fatigue

I went to the Brooklyn Book Festival last weekend! It was pure magic after so many years of being away from the English-speaking book world. I felt like someone on rations finally allowed to eat my fill, gulping down book panels and author talks.

Colson Whitehead Goes to Church

One of my favorite festival events was a talk with Colson Whitehead in the St. Ann and the Holy Trinity Church. I’m a big fan of hosting cultural events in places of worship.

Colson Whitehead imparted insights that felt like gospel for writers. For those unfamiliar, Whitehead has published nine novels, two nonfiction books, and won two Pulitzer prizes. His book The Underground Railroad is one of my favorites of all time.

But I did not always like Whitehead’s work. I first had to read his 2003 essay collection The Colossus of New York in university, and it struck me as self-obsessed, MFA-brand New York nonsense. Like, he romanticized Port Authority, the dirty hellhole bus station where, in 2003, I was an elementary schooler waiting nervously for buses that were always late while getting continuously harassed by grown-man casino gamblers dressed like lumberjacks.

I really hated Whitehead’s cheery romanticizations. I wouldn’t pick up another Whitehead book until 2017.

(^just an HD image of Colson Whitehead)

Add Whitehead to the list of authors who wrote some of my most detested 1-star reads before they published the 5-star books of my heart: NK Jemisin, Maggie Stiefvater, Jeff Vandermeer, Colson Whitehead—almost all of my favorite contemporary writers put out messy, uncompelling books before they entered the realm of the virtuoso.

“I wrote a book called The Intuitionist,” Whitehead said at the church, referring to his debut, “and everyone hated it. So I thought, ‘Okay, I need to do better next time.’”*

It was surreal to hear a writer speak with such open eyes about the trajectory of their own career. Like, I knew I hated Whitehead’s early work. I didn’t realize that he knew it, too.

(It’s worth mentioning that someone who came up to ask Whitehead a question during the Q&A said, “The Intuitionist is my favorite book of all time.”)

But that wasn’t the insight that meant the most to me.

Nothing Is a Joke

Whitehead made joke after joke about chronic fatigue. He never used the words “chronic fatigue”; he never referred to his own health. But he repeatedly described scenarios that resonated with me as someone who lives with fatigue and hypersomnia:

“I spend most of my day just sleeping,” he said. “I mean, coming out here [to the book event]? Really big deal for me. Glad I could make it.”

And everyone laughed, but I don’t think that’s the kind of joke you make unless you mean it. I don’t think it would even dawn on a non-fatigued individual to make it.

What Meant Everything to Me

When Whitehead described his writing process, he said he writes about eight pages a week.

Eight pages a week.

Estimating 250 words/page, that’s 2,000 words per week. Or as he said, “32 pages per month, 320 pages after ten months. I find it adds up.”

He writes, he said, about three days each week. So that’s a little over 600 words each time he sits down to write.

To put this into perspective: If I write fewer than 2,000 words in a single writing session, I don’t consider it to have been a proper session. In less than a month, hundreds of thousands of people will join in NaNoWriMo and try to write at least 1,666 words every day for a month straight.

We live in a world where writers are encouraged to crank it way, way up, sacrificing what writing actually is in an attempt to maximize monetization of a craft that is not easily monetized. Romance writers give advice online for how to write just one draft of a book, no revision needed. Self-publishing writers crank out novella after novella to feed to the Kindle Unlimited machine. Everyone wants to be done with their book in a month. Memes proliferate in which writers scold themselves for daydreaming, plotting, outlining—for doing anything at all that isn’t literal putting words to the page, as if those other things weren’t integral to novel-making.

I thought I was immune to that hustle-and-grind mindset, because I know what writing a book actually entails for me and I have no intention of cranking out a first-draft story for KDP.

But I had never once considered giving myself the patient grace that Colson Whitehead shows himself.

“I don’t push myself,” he said. “Writing is hard work. On days when I’m not up to it, I revise instead. Just tinker with my last paragraphs.”

He joked about how, during the pandemic, he had to write his novels while his young son was at home. Whitehead said he usually writes a paragraph or two, and then sleeps for a few hours.

Daddy, why are you always in the dark? his son asked during the lockdown.

It’s part of my process! he joked. But I think he also meant it.

Novel Advice

He’s not the first writer to give this advice; this isn’t the first time I’ve heard it. Maggie Stiefvater wrote her first book only on Wednesday evenings, raising her children and working the rest of the time. Terry Pratchett wrote 400 words each day before he became a full-time writer.

But these are stories of pre-success, the ways we need to struggle when our creative lives are stuffed into the spare corners of our weeks. And when your week doesn’t have spare corners because you’re barely trudging on as it is, that advice doesn’t feel encouraging.

But Colson Whitehead is already successful. And this is still how he allots his writing time: In low-pressure, long-term, sustainable accumulations.

2,000 words a week.

I’ve known for a long time that I can no longer wait for healthy, clearheaded days to write. I don’t have them anymore. But it sort of sounds like Colson Whitehead doesn’t have many of them to spare, either, and yet he wrote the most energetic Harlem heist book I could ever want (Harlem Shuffle). He wrote the most literary zombie apocalypse book imaginable (Zone One). He has an oeuvre that brought enough readers to fill church pews, the line to see him wrapping all around the block. And he built this work, according to him, in between long naps.

In fact, his writing style probably hinges on his method. He’d be writing very different kinds of books if he wrote quickly. His just-a-few-paragraphs-a-day approach*** is probably how he writes descriptions with so many precise details, like these images of a party-supply store after the apocalypse hits:

The unit had completed a sweep of a party-supply store, a narrow nook on Reade that had been washed off Broadway into a low-rent eddy. Dusty costumes hung from the ceiling as if on meat hooks: cowboys and robots from chart-busting sci-fi trilogies, ethnically obscure kiddie-show mascots, jungle beasts with long tails intended for the flirty tickling of faces. Kingdoms’ worth of princesses and their plastic accoutrements, stamped out on the royal assembly line, and the requisite Naughty Nurse suspended in the dead air, tilting in her rounds. Do Not Expose to Open Flame. For Amusement Only. The masks had been made in Korea, delivering back to the West the faces they had given the rest of the globe: presidents, screen stars, and mass murderers. The rubber filament inevitably snapped from the staple after five minutes. The graft wouldn’t take.

I used to imagine Colson Whitehead as just being so impossibly brilliant that he spit this stuff out on the fly, leagues beyond the rest of us mere mortals. Now I see it differently: It happened laboriously, made by a tired, human brain full of faith in its own accumulative productivity.

Going Forward

No more for me, I think, of harsh deadlines and crank-it-out word counts. Instead: I need to provide accommodations for my own writing life. I must consciously factor in my own fatigue and stop demanding that I strain myself in ways unsustainable for a long and fulfilling creative life. Instead: Crank it down. Way down. And take naps between the paragraphs.

2,000 words a week.

Thanks, Colson Whitehead, for being honest about the work. We need more of that in the book world.

----

*None of these quotes are verbatim, just based on memory.

**This is similar to how both Donna Tartt and Nabokov have described their own writing processes. Maybe we spend so much time screaming at new writers to “just write” that we don’t talk about how slowness and care may enhance the quality of our prose.

#writeblr #writing community #colson whitehead #writing advice #draftdash

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chronicallykiki · 6 days

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FUNDRAISER EVENT Guide Dogs 250 Challenge

From 24th April to 16th May, I'll be taking part in a fundraising campaign for Guide Dogs!

"Every day 250 people in the UK are told they’re losing their sight. It can be devastating. People with a vision impairment are more likely to encounter depression, loneliness, and unemployment. Guide Dogs helps people with sight loss live the life they choose, but we need vital funds to do this. That’s why we need you to be a game changer and take on the 250 Challenge." - Guide Dogs Website

During this time, my Challenge is for streams to be at least 250 minutes long. I also plan to donate an extra £1 for every sub to my channel. And! I've set up a few goals, with incentives to look forward to:

Level 1 Goal £250 : If we hit this, I will sponsor one of the puppies! Level 2 Goal £500 : If we double our 250 goal, I will sponsor two of the puppies!! Level 3 Goal £750 : If we manage to triple our 250 goal, I will sponsor all three puppies!!!

Links: My Twitch Channel My Fundraiser Page Guide Dogs Website 250 Challenge Sponsoring A Puppy

youtube

Streaming for 250 minutes (just over 4 hours) doesn't sound like a challenge for most, but for a spoonie like me, who can't regulate their energy levels, it sure can be!

I'll do my best, but in the event I'm unable to meet the 250 minute minimum, we'll have to think of a fun forfeit or something (be gentle).

Regarding the sponsor puppies, the first will be chosen at random, and the second will be via a poll on my fundraiser page.

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mediocre-daydreams · 2 years

Note

Hey 🫶🏼🫶🏼🫶🏼🫶🏼

Can I request

“Do you trust me?” “No”

“You flinched”

“because i’m in love with you, isn’t that obvious?”

i've been wanting to write a taylor fic for a while and rep is my all-time favorite album; thus, this mess. i'm not sure how i feel about it tbh i wrote it in two parts and both times i was multitasking so,,, i think the ridiculousness of it all will make up for it

𝐝𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐞

bucky barnes x avenger! reader

inspired by delicate (not taylor's version, unfortunately)

notes: reader dumb asf, friends to lovers/mutual pining but x10 idiocy factor, literally just crack with a side of *stupid* angst, swearing, brief suggestive language, bucky's actually the worst communicator EVER, natasha and wanda mean well but don't give the best advice (but we love 'em always)

w/c: 4.1k

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.

this ain't for the best my reputation's never been worse, so you must like me for me

“this is useless,” bucky complained, flopping himself onto the couch, next to you—which was a bad idea, because the man was 6’3 and nearly 250 pounds. you felt yourself bounce as the cushions sunk under his weight.

“holy- watch where you’re sitting, barnes!” you scrambled back into your previous position, trying to regain your dignity as if you hadn’t just been catapulted simply because of a super soldier sitting down.

“this whole amends thing is bullshit,” he groaned, waving his hands in the air out of frustration. “i mean, i go up to people all sunshine and smiles and i’m like, ‘hi, i’m bucky, i’m here to make amends,’ and then they’re all like, ‘fuck you, asshole!’” he threw his face into his hands and groaned.

you stifled a laugh. “you look like an overgrown toddler right now.” it was true—his bottom lip was jutting out, he was slumped in his seat, and every once in a while he’d sigh or mutter something negative audibly like he was throwing a mini temper tantrum.

“who looks like an overgrown toddler?” natasha rounded the corner and smirked when she saw bucky and his pity party. “oh yeah, i see it.”

bucky rolled his eyes. “this is ridiculous. do you know how sore my cheeks are? i’m trying my fucking best here, and all i got today was glares, a cup of coffee thrown at me, and the middle finger from two grandmas.”

“your own people, turning against you.” you patted bucky’s shoulder reassuringly. “there, there. we’re still here for you.”

“gee, thanks,” he grumbled.

natasha covered her mouth to hide the knowing smile on her face. she was the best spy in the world, but the only thing that could make her break was watching you and bucky interact. neither of you was aware that you were very obviously teetering the line between teammate and soulmate. there was no in between, just a precarious tightrope walk.

“alright, you bums. tony’s hosting another one of his galas-”

“actually, it’s an extravaganza,” tony corrected, sauntering in with his yellow sunglasses perched at the tip of his nose as he checked off items on his holographic pad. “and attendance is mandatory. i will be marking lates and absences.”

tony didn’t even look up from his device when he said, “and yes, barnes, that includes you. consider this a part of your whole… making amends thing.” tony finally looked up from his screen to make intense eye contact with the three of you. “fabulous! i’m glad we’re all on the same page. 7:45 sharp; dress nice.”

with a snap of his fingers and a call for JARVIS, tony was gone as quickly as he had butted in.

natasha grimaced. “right. what i was going to suggest was that bucky takes a plus one. you know. breaking news: winter soldier has a heart! winter soldier, the secret romantic! bucky barnes, giving tony stark a run for his money as the womanizer of the decade?”

bucky looked uncomfortable. “sure…” he dragged out. “yeah, i’ll think about it. thanks a lot, natasha.”

we can’t make any promises now can we, babe? but you can make me a drink

your eyes flickered between the two of them and the thick tension laced in their glares. was this Sexual Tension™? you jumped up from your spot and excused yourself hurriedly, speedwalking to your room at an awkward mid-speed gait.

natasha had basically asked bucky out right in front of your face. great. what were you supposed to do, tell her to fuck off and let you make a fool of yourself in front of bucky? tony’s parties were never your scene anyway; natasha had much more grace and composure. bucky and natasha made sense. they had similar backgrounds, were equally sharp-minded, and admittedly, the both of them were very, very beautiful.

you buried your face into a pillow and screamed. technically, the rooms were soundproof, but it was more dramatic that way. at some point during your toddler-esque fit (bucky was rubbing off on you), you were struck with a brilliant idea. what you needed was a movie-style makeover montage.

you and wanda had always worked together perfectly. it was like you could read each others’ minds. well, wanda literally could, but you could do it…hypothetically? she was more than thrilled to help you get dolled up.

“i have snacks!” wanda squealed, running into your room with bags of gummies and packets of chocolate-covered pomegranate seeds floating behind her. (you had a unique taste in candy, so what?) she wiggled in place as she examined your setup with nothing but pure delight in her eyes.

wanda came up behind you while you were fiddling with your laptop and her enthusiastic but sudden exclamation made you jump. “ohmigosh, are we going to watch the bootleg version of legally blonde the musical? you know me so well,” she swooned, “that’s my favorite broadway production!”

wanda flitted between the various products you’d laid out in your bathroom. you’d prepared it all—an army of nail polish bottles, mountains of glittering jewelry, and heaps and heaps of makeup products that you’d probably never finish in a lifetime.

“bucky is gonna freak when he sees you!” wanda said decisively as she brushed your hair. you examined yourself in the mirror with a frown.

“wan, i’m pretty sure he and natasha are going as a couple.” you fidgeted with a stray piece of hair and wanda grabbed your hand before you could do any more damage to her styling.

“don’t fidget. you only do that when you’re really upset.” wanda sighed, meeting your eyes in the mirror. “i’m sorry, babe. i really thought- well, i’ll just say this is a surprising development for me too. i can’t really promise you anything without totally invading bucky’s bodily autonomy and forcefully and very immorally looking through his private and most intimate thoughts, but i really did- do think you have something there.”

you smiled sadly, unconvinced. “thanks. it doesn’t matter anymore, though. what’s done is done and i’m not going to cry over spilled juice.” you pursed your lips. “even if i really like orange juice…” you huffed.

wanda didn’t correct you. you were already pretty upset.

“hey, chin up a bit! you still get to go to the party with the hottest date ever, me,” she gestured to her body. “and, i mix a mean drink. none of that bartender nonsense. i’ll whip up something way better for us. what d’you say? wanna get totally trashed and embarrass ourselves in front of stuffy businessmen?”

you cracked a smile and looked up at wanda mischievously. “hell yeah. and let’s crack out the kazoos.”

is it cool that i said all that? is it chill that you’re in my head? ‘cause i know that it’s delicate

you were hopping around on one foot, still trying to put on a shoe, as you left your room and crashed into the most delicious-smelling wall you’d ever crashed into.

“bucky?” you squeaked, feeling your face heat up.

“hi, doll.” he smiled down at you fondly and helped you steady yourself before he got on one knee to help you with your shoe. you knew bucky ran warm, but you swore there was a heat in his cheeks too.

“you look b- you are beautiful,” he muttered, just loud enough so you were the only one who could hear it. you gulped, feeling like bucky had suddenly adopted wanda’s abilities to mind read from the way his blue eyes searched your face as if he was admiring art.

“you look okay, i guess.” you poked him in the chest. “c’mon, i’m sure nat’s waiting for us.” you ignored the pang in your chest as you said natasha’s name, but it was totally because you were just hungry.

“i’m hungry,” wanda whined, able to sense your distress and quickly changing the subject. “do you think tony got a fondue machine?” her strides had widened as she lauded on and on about the potential food options, picking up her pace at each mention of a different dish.

soon, there was good distance between bucky and you and a very distracted wanda. your eyes were fixed on wanda’s back, but you weren’t oblivious to the way bucky’s gaze was glued to the side of your face.

“doll, can i talk to you real quick?” he placed a gentle hand on your arm and you froze, whipping around to finally look at him with wide, doe-like eyes. you snatched your arm out of his grasp only moments after, walking down the hallway faster than before.

bucky’s face fell. he’d opted not to cover his metal arm that night, but he was beginning to regret that decision. he couldn’t tell how much of your avoidance was due to his arm or from some other unknown reason, and he wasn’t sure which was worse.

“no, wait-” bucky jogged to catch up to you, but you only threw an anxious glance over your shoulder. when you locked eyes, you stiffened. bucky was perplexed. he couldn’t think of anything he’d done wrong.

“sweetheart, why are you running from me?” he cooed, giving you distance but wary that you’d run from him again.

“it’s nothing, buck. i’m just… menstruating,” you lied.

“no you’re not.” bucky looked at you pointedly. “i know because we always do movies and chocolate on the 20th, and it’s the 5th. so… ‘fess up.”

“i-” you smiled weakly. “seriously, it’s fine. c’mon, you heard tony. i’m not getting marked late and ruining my perfect attendance record.”

bucky watched as you dashed off, throwing open the doors to the center of the party, leaving him alone and dejected in the hallway. well, not for long. natasha, in a slinky silver dress, snuck behind him silently and coughed. bucky shrieked yelped.

“you’re actually so pathetic.” natasha crossed her arms. “i literally asked her out for you and you’ve somehow managed to make her run away from you?”

bucky shriveled under her piercing disappointment. “what are you even talking about?” he grumbled, kicking an imaginary stone.

“you were supposed to ask her to be your plus one, idiot.” at this point, natasha seemed more upset than bucky, who had already resigned to the fact that he’d be forever alone.

“but you said that was a suggestion,” bucky retorted.

“you should know by now that anything i say, whether it be phrased as a suggestion or not, is mandatory. do better, barnes.” natasha puched bucky in his [flesh] arm before quirking her head thoughtfully.

“i think there’s still a way to salvage this. all you have to do is ignore her, so that she’ll wonder where you are, and then-”

“natasha, that is entirely a contradiction,” bucky interjected.

“buchanan, don’t you trust me?” natasha snapped.

“absolutely not. and don’t call me that.” bucky tried to stand taller and puff out his chest to assert dominance (to hide the fact that he was absolutely clueless on modern courting strategies), but natasha was unimpressed.

“i’m going to pretend i didn’t hear that, because i’d quite like for you to show up to the party in one piece. and don’t think it’s because i’m soft on you. i just think you’d make a good couple and i’m bored,

“so, like i was saying. you disappear, all mysterious and broody. that should be easy enough for you. then, she’ll think, ‘where are you?’ so she’s either going to text you or call you, and that’s when you invite her over. make sure you’re somewhere in the back… preferably dark and a bit secluded.”

bucky was incredulous. “you do realize i’m trying to get her to like me, not tyring to kill her, right?” his trust in natasha, which was already nonexistent, was somehow continuing to deteriorate.

“gramps, i’ve gotten more action in the past year than you’ve had in your entire life.” natasha flipped her hair. “anyways, she already likes you, dingus. i don’t know why…”

natasha stole a look towards the glass doors, which revealed tony’s extravaganza in full swing. she patted bucky’s arm patronizingly. “you’re not trying to get her to like you, alright? you have to show her that you feel the same, because full offense, you’ve been absolutely shit at expressing your feelings. have you always been like this? or did 40s girls just have low standards?”

natasha sauntered off, leaving bucky alone and confused in a hallway once again. he steeled himself, pushing back his shoulders, before stepping through the doors and into the party scene with determination.

he immediately deflated when he caught sight of you, hand resting delicately on top of some shmoozing billionaire (or so he figured), laughing gracefully at something the man had said which probably wasn’t even that funny anyways.

natasha’s step one suddenly became much easier. he had no inclination to chat up some new money assholes who’d probably end up badmouthing him to the press the next day, even if it meant being by your side. he stealthily (or as stealthily as one could for a hulking serum-enhanced man) maneuvered through the excessive crowd to the open bar that he was planning on living off of to survive the night.

third floor on the west side, me and you handsome, you’re a mansion with a view do the girls back home touch you like i do?

“a whiskey, neat,” bucky said, absolutely emotionless, as he slid into a booth. the bartender, who was horrible at hiding their expressions, seemed to cower in bucky’s presence. bucky took advantage of that.

“and make it fast,” he glowered. it was only when the bartender gave bucky a little salute, addressing him by his military title, that bucky smiled for the first time that night. maybe this party wasn’t going to be so bad after all.

“buck!” you screamed into his ear. you were kneeling on the seat from the booth behind him, leaning over the divider so you could make sure you were close enough to shatter his eardrums. he let out a high pitched squeal very masculine sound of being startled.

“aw, did i scare you?” you hopped the booth divider and slid in next to him. the booths were unusually small and bucky was unusually large, so you were essentially halfway on his lap. bucky didn’t know how you could be so nonchalant about it. he felt like he was going to throw up. or that other parts of his body were going to go up.

“n-no,” he insisted; his chin was pressed against his neck.

“that’s such a lie, bucky. you flinched.” bucky tried to protest, but you wouldn’t have any of it. “no, you definitely did! admit it, i surprised you.”

reluctantly, bucky conceded. “okay, maybe i was caught off guard. but i was busy looking for my girl, so whose fault is it really?” he was proud of his answer until he remember what natasha had advised him.

“make sure you disappear, all mysterious and broody.” well, great. it’d been less than 10 minutes. “she’ll think, ‘where are you?’ and that’s when you invite her over.” you’d found him before he could even make a move. the step which he anticipated would be the easiest had already been blown.

“your gi- oh, that reminds me, where’s nat?” your golden demeanor seemed to dampen for just a moment before you perked up again, looking up at bucky with those infinitely deep eyes. he gulped. wasn’t he supposed to be the one with the mesmerizing “steel blue” eyes? you were completely unfazed. this was not going his way, not at all.

“she’s in the bathroom… menstruating, “ he lied, regurgitating your excuse from earlier. you narrowed your eyes at him disbelievingly.

“oo…kay. well, that sucks. she’s gonna miss out on the caviar gun.” you nodded your head towards a man in a bright, coral-colored suit, who was indeed holding a bedazzled sniper rifle (whether it was real or a prop, bucky was too far away to tell) and shooting caviar like bullets into an eagerly waiting crowd. bucky wanted to say that he was surprised, but he wasn’t. this was a stark event, after all.

bucky’s attention was broken as you gasped animatedly. “you used to be a sniper in the 40s, right? we should ask the man if you can try it out!” bucky blushed as he felt your soft hand take his large, calloused one in his.

(he’d once asked you how you kept your hands so well maintained. you’d recommended him some obscure brand of floral lotion. he was wearing it today.)

bucky tried thinking back to what natasha had advised him. “make sure you’re somewhere in the back, preferably dark and bit secluded.” he glanced over at the steadily growing crowd at the caviar-fest. that was literally the opposite of what he’d been told to do. c’mon bucky, you already fucked up step one. you have to pull through with step two.

“actually, i think natasha, uh, wanted me to get her a drink,” bucky blurted. your lips twitched enticingly for a brief moment as if getting a drink was personally offensive to you or something, but you nodded anyways.

“you’re, um, a good date,” you stammered, looking anywhere but at him. bucky blushed. was he winning you over? “natasha’s lucky to have you.”

bucky wanted to die. this was worse than when he fell off the train.

“oh doll, i keep meaning to tell you that-”

“here’s your whiskey, sergeant bucky barnes- shit, james- seargent buchanan barnes. sir.” the bartender pushed the glass towards bucky hastily, their face pale and sweaty. you eyed bucky with suspicion.

“what did you do now, huh? always getting into trouble without me,” you joked, with a smile that didn’t quite reach your eyes. he sighed, tapping his fingers against his drink, leaving nervous fingerprints in the condensation. it was rare to see you so… guarded. you were the person who’d taught him how to feel freely and embrace vulnerability. now, you were the one putting up a front.

“i’ll admit, you are a good influence on me.” bucky waved the bartender over once more, who scurried up to the two of you instantaneously.

long nights with your hands up in my hair echoes of your footsteps on the stairs stay here, honey, i don’t want to share ‘cause i like you

“w-what can i do for you today?” the bartender forced the words through their teeth, mouth locked in a fake smile.

“what do you want, sweetheart?” bucky’s tone took a complete 180 as he looked down at you fondly, though you weren’t paying attention. you were more concerned about the bartender who looked like they were on the verge of a heart attack, swaying back and forth.

“i’ll have a… um, i’ll have whatever he’s having,” you smiled sweetly at the flustered bartender, who’d regained color in their cheeks at your comfortable tone.

bucky wrapped an arm around your shoulder, sending you into a dizzying haze of his cologne. “why are you still here? you heard m’girl,” bucky glowered.

you shot him a disapproving glare. “first of all, you’re supposed to be here working on bettering your reputation. second of all, you really should stop calling me ‘your girl’ if you’re out here with nat, i don’t think she’d be comfortable with-”

“can you just shut up for a second?” bucky removed his hand from your shoulder and slapped his forehead. then he realized how rude he looked.

bucky had been worried about you earlier because you’d clearly been hiding your emotions. but it seems like he’d only exacerbated the issue, because now there you were, biting your bottom lip in an unsuccessful attempt to stop it from wobbling. you were unblinking and bucky knew the glassiness in your eyes wasn’t because they’d been open for too long; rather, that you were tearing up and didn’t want to release them.

he really was good at fucking things up, wasn’t he?

“oh, doll, i didn’t mean- shit, i’m so sorry, are you crying? i didn’t mean to make you cry, i must’ve sounded like such an asshole just then,” he prattled, holding his hands up in surrender as he tried to undo all the damage of the night.

“no, no, it’s fine!” you laughed fakely. (thank god you were an avenger. you’d be a horrible actor.) “i didn’t mean to cling on to you the entire evening, i imagine nat’s wondering where you’ve been. how inconsiderate of me! i hope everything’s still okay between us?” your voice was almost an octave higher than normal.

“listen, i-”

“and i’m totally going to get out of your hair now—your hair looks really good by the way, really soft—and you can go have a super fantastic time with nat! um, let her know i have tampons if she needs any. okay, bye!”

the bartender had perfect timing. well, perfect for bucky, and unfortunate for you.

“here you are, ma’am! i wish the beautiful couple a beautiful night.”

that only made you more upset. bucky was very bad with crying people.

“you know what? let’s go. we need to talk.” bucky stood and grabbed your forearm, marching towards the dark, secluded place in the back that he should’ve gone to from the start.

you trailed behind him without protest, quickening your footsteps to keep up with his steady, determined pace. “hey, watch it! these are louboutins!”

bucky all but shoved you into a seat. he stood over you for a few loud heartbeats before he sank into a chair of his own, massaging his temples with exhaustion. “alright. you are not allowed to leave that chair until you hear me out,” he growled. the soft tone he only reserved for you was gone.

“you really piss me off sometimes.” that was a rough start for bucky. it was pretty apparent that he wasn’t the most feely-feel of a guy. “yeah, you do. and y’know why? because you’re so- you’re so you.”

you looked at bucky like he’d gone insane. that was a fair assessment. bucky felt like he’d gone insane too, with the way he’d stopped having any control of what came out of his mouth.

“you do this- this thing, where you’re so optimistic about everything except for when it comes to yourself. you see the best in people—even me, for fuck’s sake—but you can’t see it in yourself. the whole fucking night, i’ve been trying to tell you that i’m not with natasha—don’t give me that look—but you keep running away from me because- because why? ‘cause you don’t believe that in any universe, i’d want to be with you? because you’re wrong!” bucky was flushed and his voice had gotten much louder since the start of his impassioned declaration.

“and you pretended to be happy for me, even though you clearly weren’t happy—yeah, that’s right. i could tell. you’re a shitty liar—because you’re just the kindest, most selfless, the most deserving person i’ve ever known. and i’m one hundred-fucking-six years old. you deserve the world, doll, but it’s like you’d rather give yourself up for the world. nothing could replace you.”

bucky slipped out of his seat to come sit on his knees before you. he took your hands in his, resting your intertwined fingers on your thighs. “nothing could make me feel the same way i feel about you,” he whispered.

neither of you said anything. in the dimness of the corner the two of you were tucked into, he could vaguely make out the fluttering of your lashes, clumped together from the tears that’d soaked into your makeup. he could see your parted lips, swollen from having been bitten and chewed at this entire time. he could even feel your breath on his face, and at that moment, it was as if the air of your soft exhales that tickled his cheeks was the only air left in the world—like you were his only source of oxygen, and that he couldn’t survive without you.

sometimes i wonder, when you sleep are you ever dreaming of me? sometimes when i look into your eyes i pretend you’re mine, all the damn time

“that was a lot of swearing,” you hiccuped, eyes wide and brows furrowed. you shook your head in perplexion as your eyes flickered between his, like some possessive marking of a predator who knows they had their prey entirely under their control. “i don’t- i don’t get it.”

bucky wanted to choke you out. (not in a literal, violent manner! or in a sexual one, for that matter! at least, not in this context.) you were so stupid. how did you still now understand?

“isn’t it obvious?” he chuckled humorlessly. “i’m in love with you, idiot.”

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.

marvel masterlist | main masterlist

taglist: (comment to be added!)

@bambamwolf87 @yourallihave @im-a-slut-for-fluff

#bucky and reader #bucky imagine #bucky barnes x y/n #bucky barnes x reader #bucky barnes angst #bucky barnes fluff #bucky barnes crackfic #bucky barnes x avenger! reader #bucky barnes friends to lovers #bucky barnes mutual pining #bucky fic #bucky barnes x you

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drachenmagier · 1 year

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Hi! Saw your post about commissioners using AI as a skeevy way to get cheap fully-rendered art from artists (thank you for spreading the info btw! Deeply concerning the ways these AI programs are being used to make an already difficult field of work even harder 🥲).

But it also got me thinking a bit about TOS's and pricing your work, particularly commercial work... I'm in the process of preparing to open up for commissions for the first time in years myself, and was wondering if you had any advice/resources for putting together a professional looking TOS and figuring out how to handle commercial licensing? I know this stuff tends to be super regional, but it's so hard to find consistent information online on the topics 😞

I can only tell you how I handle it. :) For normal commissions, do feel free to copy whichever part of my TOS you think will work for you from my private commission info. If you're not Swiss, the last line on the page won't be usable.

A lot of doing art and illustration commissions is trial and error. I know it was for me. Tons of mistakes and hopefully not repeating them.

For pricing, a friend told me two things that stuck with me and helped deciding on prices since then.

First thing she told me is that exclusive rights for a simple caricature for a newspaper go for USD 800.- and up. Mind ya, she said that YEARS ago. And prices change. But if a simple black and white doodle goes for USD 800.-, don't sell exclusive rights to your full colour A4+ artwork for less.

If in doubt, don't sell your exclusive rights at all. Most clients don't need them and if someone tells you they will give you USD 25.- and a voucher for -10% off their own product for it, tell them to fuck off.

People will try. And you will learn to say no.

The second important pricing tip I got from said friend: decide on a price that makes it easy for you to let go. If you regret having sold it, the price was not high enough.

Most companies have their own contracts and their own price lists. It helps if you are able to adjust your work to their budget and deadline.

Read the contracts carefully, don't skim anything, only sign them when you understand them. Especially US-contracts have a lot of complicated looking clauses in them, like the Indemnification clause. If they tell you that a clause is just there and you don't need to understand it, you can sign the contract as it is: run.

Most clients won't actually need or even want exclusive rights, simple print licenses will be enough for them. A rough over-the-thumb minimum pay would be around CHF 200.- to 250.- per work day.

I will add a third point here:

If you really want something to exist and be a part of it, then do it. Have fun. We mostly regret the things we never tried and never did. And if you only do things for the money and don't get paid, it leaves you with nothing (my thanks to Neil Gaiman and his commencement speech "Make Good Art").

Some of my most amazing commissions were orders from people who couldn't pay a lot, but were awesome individuals with fantastic ideas. And I don't regret a second of the work I put into those commissions. But THAT is your decision. And purely yours. Don't let people tell you what to be exited about.

Maybe the thing you will be exited about is a kid that wants to pay you three shiny rocks for a drawing of their super hero princess cat wizard.

And you will make it the fucking best super hero princess cat wizard for one of the rocks, because you don't want the kid to have no shiny rocks anymore~. <3

#drachenmagier #artist help #advice #artists on tumblr #commissions #super hero princess cat wizard

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spnfanficpond · 2 months

Text

Weekly Pond Newsletter

Monday is President's Day in the US, which means if you work in parts of the government or banking system you might have the day off work. If you're in retail, you're probably working a sale. Sorry about that. In honor of the day, though, let us know about fics set in the White House! Reblog or reply with a link to your favorite Presidential fics!!

Old Business:

Fishing For Treasures - This weekend is FFT weekend here at the Pond, and this month's theme is SMUT!! Since we got almost 250 links sent to us, and we can only queue 50/day, this weekend will end sometime on Wednesday. Enjoy!! 🤣

#TweetFicTues prompts - Since we missed the last two weeks, we've got three sets of prompts for you!

New Business:

Weekend Giveaways in the Discord server - The past few weeks, Admin Michelle has been cleaning out her collections of random things in her office by giving them away! We have now added a new channel just for giveaways! This weekend, you could win a near-pristine copy of the EW Ultimate Guide to Supernatural edition! All you have to do is drop a link in the giveaways channel for a fic that features the bond between Dean and Sam. Can be Wincest or gen fic, just as long as the bond between them is central to the story!

Manta Rays in the Discord server - This week, Manta Rays Arthur and Spencer will be spending time in the Discord server chatting with you! Keep an eye out for announcement posts with exact dates and times, or take a look at our calendar. (You can also add our calendar to your Google calendar by clicking this link.)

Jason Manns and Paul Carella in the UK online - Jason Manns is across the pond touring with Paul Carella for the next week or so, and they're going to stream their VIP show online next weekend! Click here to learn more and get tickets!

SPN Rewatch: Fanfic Edition - Next weekend we are having another chat in our series rewatch, and we'll be discussing 1.19 Provenance and 1.20 Dead Man's Blood. Sam kisses a girl! John returns! Vampires exist! So much to talk about!!

Writing Sprints - Our sprint room is open all the time to anyone who wants to sprint, but next weekend you can win prizes for sprinting! Since a few have asked, writing sprints are where we set a timer, for usually 15-20 minutes but that is up to those sprinting, and you just write. You compete to see who can write the most words. They don't have to be polished words, just words on the page/screen. Some of our members use it kind of like ADHD body-doubling, even if there's no one else around to sprint with them! Competitive sprints mean you get to win prizes, too! If you have any questions about sprints, feel free to ask.

Angel Fish Awards - February is almost over, which means the monthly raffle deadline is approaching! Every fic rec you submit is one entry into the drawing, and there is no limit to how many you can submit! Spread some love and win prizes, too!! Here's a link to January's Awards, and more info about how it all works can be found at this link here.

(Divider by @glygriffe!)

That's all for this week! To see all Pond events, and also other SPN-related things like conventions and online concerts, check out our Google calendar! Click here for a static view in Eastern US/Canada time (desktop only, no mobile app access, sadly), and click here to add our calendar to your own Google calendar! We try to keep it as up-to-date as possible. If there's something you want to see on the calendar that's not there (maybe a convention we missed, cast birthdays, or something similar), send us an ASK and let us know!

Hope you have a great week! - From your Admins and Manta Rays, @manawhaat, @mrswhozeewhatsis, @mariekoukie6661, @thoughtslikeaminefield, @spencereliotwinchester and @heavenssexiestangel!

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transgenderteensurvivalguide · 1 year

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Hi! So I’m trans and I’ve been going by my preferred name for a long time, and everyone calls me that name (except for family who are transphobic). But basically, I want to legally change my name. I still get called my deadname a lot when it shows up on legal stuff and I hate it. So I need to convince my mom So my question is, how can I bring this up and convince her to let me change it? I already know the legal process.

Lee says:

You know the legal process already which is a great first step! But knowing what the process will entail both legally doesn't mean that you've fully considered the logistics.

Start by making a list of all the places where you will have to update your name (school, doctor's office, bank, social security, health insurance, etc) and then look into what each of them requires to update your name.

There's a lot of paperwork that needs to be done when someone changes their name, and you want to show that you're aware of that, you've read all of the applicable policies/guidelines already and you're prepared to handle it yourself.

Convincing your mom that you're ready for the decision will also be easier if you can show her how committed you are to it. In total, a legal name change can cost $500 or more (in some cases; some people pay less depending on the fees where they live and if they are eligible for fee waivers for court fees) and you'll need to calculate that exact cost for your situation.

You'll probably need to pay court fees (often $250 or more), a few certified copy of the original name change decree (often around $10 per copy), the cost of a new ID if you have a learner's permit, driver's license, or non-driver's state ID (often $13 or more), plus the cost of a new passport and passport card (around $160), an updated birth certificate (around $55), etc. And of course you'll also need to think about the fees for mailing things through the post office.

Depending on your state's laws, you may also need to pay to publish notice of the petition in the newspaper for some amount of time like three consecutive weeks if your local newspaper charges for notices to be published, and you may have to pay to have documents notarized.

Now that you've calculated what the cost of changing your name will be, you need to find a way to get that money. Once you've saved up all the money that you'll need to change your name, move on to the next step.

Finally, collect all the information that you'll need (save all the links to a document or print the website pages) and print out all of the forms that you'll need (court forms, social security forms, passport forms, school policies and forms, etc). Don't think of this as something you're doing to convince your mom-- you're doing this for yourself, because it's what you need to do!

In this situation, I'm assuming that your mom supports calling you by your chosen name and isn't included in the 'family who are transphobic' category. I'm also assuming that in your state you either need only one legal guardian to consent to a name change, or you only have one legal guardian (your mom), or you only need to convince your mom and then she will convince your other parent.

Getting your mom on board will be easier when you can show her that you've fully considered the process of legally changing your name, but you also have to convince her that 1) it's something that you NEED to do, and 2) it's something that you need to do NOW and not when you're 18 or older.

Having that type of conversation isn't easy, but it's a good opportunity to show off your maturity. That means listening to her concerns and actually addressing them, not yelling at her (I know you wouldn't but I have to say it!! Some people do!!), trying to stay calm and taking deep breaths, etc.

If she says that she's worried that you'll change your mind because you're young, tell her that you've been using this name for years and are unlikely to change your mind.

If she doesn't understand why you can't just wait until you're older to change your name legally, show some vulnerability, get emotional, and talk about how being deadnamed affects your levels of gender dysphoria, how often you come across your deadname, how your mental health will be improved when you can change it, etc.

Recognize that you'll likely need to have multiple conversations with her on the topic and it won't be a single one-and-done in a day-- it may take several months before you win her over. Try to keep the big picture in mind. If you have a therapist, they may be able to help you prepare for talking with her.

Finally, remember that you know your mom the best! The things that might have convinced my mom aren't necessarily the same things that will convince your mom. The things that my parents were worried about may not be the same things that your parents were worried about. You are the only one who can figure out what the right path is for you to achieve your goal.

The last thing I'll note is that sometimes you can't win every battle. I was able to convince my parents to let me change my name legally as a minor, but I wasn't able to medically transition until I turned 18.

If you aren't able to convince your mom to let you change your name, remember that it isn't the end of the line. Eventually, you will be 18. And all of this work that you've done will make it much easier for you to change your name at that point-- you'll have all the paperwork at the ready!

It can be difficult to be unable to transition in a way that you need to, but know that you'll survive and you'll get there eventually, and you need to take care of yourself (physically and mentally!) in the meantime to be at your best when it is time for you to achieve that goal.

Followers, any advice for anon on convincing a parent to let you legally change your name as a minor?

#Lee says #legal name change #parents #trans #transgender #legal name change as a minor

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destinedtobeloved · 6 months

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Now that I’ve finished Altered Carbon, I think it would be fun to share one of my notes from my notes app that I’ve been writing on since I’ve started it. I’ve cried a lot about this book, and everything I’ve ever left behind has claw marks.

This book definitely has claw marks.

It includes all of my favorite moments and parts of the book down below :)

Things I love about book Kovacs

- he’s trying to quit smoking

- His hallucinations are of Jimmy and Virginia Vadura

- Him and Ortega don’t actually hate eachother that much in the beginning

- At first Takeshi doesn’t actually hate Bancroft either

- He’s genuinely confused about earth terms

- He was mad that at the Wei clinic they didn’t give him back his watch or his bandana, simply because he just bought it and he’d liked the watch

- He likes shopping

- He likes fruit juice???

- Gaslit Umou into being late to Psychasec because he needed to eat breakfast

- He deals with hangovers like a champ

- Started smoking in the construct once he remembered it had no real consequences in the real

- Understands female complexity/differences between male and female

- Knows how to handle gentle situations most of the time (victor talking about his daughter, Kristen talking about Ryker.)

- Quotes poetry from Quell

- Also enjoys poetry (ex; the carving on the bench at the faculty when he’s waiting for the doctor.)

- Slept for twenty hours after the Wei clinic??

- His emotion (though i do miss the scene where he’s drugged up outside of the raven talking to Quell. ‘250 years is long enough. It’s time to move on.’ ‘Never. You hear me? Never.’)

- His love for Sarah

- His attempts at smiling

- His explanation of personality frag!!!!

- Chapter 20 as a whole is so amazing (talking about Ryker- him and Curtis, bla bla bla, mostly just Elias and Kristen stuff.)

- Ramen just awakens something in him

- Actually very good at telling children’s stories to Ortega (like a dad.)

- Good at cracking jokes

- His interaction with the little girl in the second page of chapter 25???!?? (He shoots her with a little finger gun when he realizes she’s looking at him expectantly after seeing his weapon.)

- After the whole blown up building Kadmni thing (‘that’s fucking enough!’) he smokes because he just decides it’s not worth it

- Him and Trepp playing card games on the airship that Trepp had taught him

- He literally reaches for his Nemex every three seconds istg

- Remaining ‘innocent at the core’ -reileen

- Apparently having a very deep very drugged convo about cats in chapter 26

- Kovacs is a MUNCH

- Repeats the same Virginia Vidora quote over again. ‘We take what is offered. And sometimes, that must be enough.’

- Reileen always starting off her talks with him in Japanese because she thinks it unites them in a way

- Had to stop himself from calling reileen ray

- He actually DOES genuinely smile (ex; when Irene is exited about the limo)

- ‘I’m a sucker for family reunions.’ HE ACTUALLY DOES CARE (maybe it’s because him and Sarah never got to have one after he was taken out of the store.)

- Sleeping in the car (limo) so Irene can get laid

- The guilt/itchiness he has after relapsing into smoking

- Him and Trepp are actually friends and she insists that they go party, drink coffee, play card games together, ect.

- Considers trepp not getting into the envoys a ‘Lucky escape’

- Trepp n Kovacs playful teasing

- He missed Ortega when she left the Hendrix and didn’t come back. ‘I missed Ortega.’ Page 356

- Bancroft saying he’d been around for the RD’s of two of his children. (Going out of order back to the beginning)

- Doesn’t bullshit. Didn’t tell Irene it would pass when she was feeling hurt after being resleeved.

- It was nerve wracking to him to watch Irene code

- Reileen and Miriam slept together??

- Takeshis urge to be cruel

- Got anyoyed when Miller was tapping on the table and just flatted out his hand LMFAO

- When he heard he got a call he immediately asked if it was Ortega.

- Literally seconds before he’s about to get beat to death in the Panamrose he thinks about how bored he is

- Still, right before he about to die, he thinks about Ortega and calls her a ‘pocket of calm’

- He’s ready to die, not awfully upset about it because he knows Kristen has enough information to get Reileen and also because he knows Sarah will be released

- Trepp saves him in the Panama rose

- He talks to his dad mid fight after not hearing him forever. Before he killed Kadmin (calling him the ‘patchwork man’) he asks if he wants to say anything.

- He’s afraid to alter his virtual self because he thinks it’s not far away from what reileen and Bancroft do

- Sits on a forklift after the fight thinking. He’s weirdly soft.

- Claims that nothing hurt more then the realization that this would be his and Ortegas last moments together

- Held hands with her too

- Would’ve given anything to not have to dissolve what was growing between them.

- He loves her more in the book than he did in the show (and it’s making me sob.)

- He literally is arguing with himself when he is double sleeved

- He almost killed someone at 16 because he looked like his dad

- Also wanted to help the Elliot’s because of his family and his mom who was like Lizzy

- Absolutely does not want to talk about his past and his father/family

- Planning to get drunk because he doesn’t want to talk to himself sober

- Disappointed with his copy for smoking

- Takeshi fter the microsurgery is down at the lake with a little girl who seemed to ‘adopt him’

- He’s actually kind of heartbroken when him and Kristen’s relationship changes after he is resleeved.

- Makes his day that he can still make Ortega laugh before he convinces her to get him some stiff because he thought their dynamic was weird afterwards

- Before he and Reileen fall to their deaths he says, ‘When they ask how I died,' I said, 'tell them: still angry’ as well as ‘that’s fucking enough’

- Once his clone lost to rock paper scissors and was set to die, he asks if he wants him to tell Jimmy anything. I sobbed.

- Kept accidentally talking about Reileen in present terms after she died.

- He gave money to Irene once he’s about to leave for Lizzy. (‘I want there to be something clean at the end of all this, something I can feel good about.’)

- He held Irene after that.

- He attempts to laugh with Ortega before he goes

- His quote saying that no matter what you always leave alone. (‘Whatever world it is, whatever you've done there for better or worse, you always leave the same way. Alone.’)

- His last wishes are for Kristen to get Ryker to stop smoking once he’s out of the store

#altered carbon #joel kinnaman #Takeshi Kovacs #reileen kawahara #kristen ortega #Elias Ryker #Richard Morgan #books #books and reading #books and literature #bookshelf #reading books #emotional damage after this #post-read #book review #writer #once again #like I say in every post about this book #book takeshi gets a 10/10 for me

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gender-trash · 4 months

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I saw your lovely post on perfect binding. I thought you might like some binding and printing trivia:

At least in my misspent youth, books were usually printed in multi-leaf sheets. The process of placing page images onto a (usually giant) sheet is called imposition.

The traditional names for book sizes come from this process. Folio: the sheet is folded once. The book is gigantic. Quarto: two folds, half the size of folio. Octavo: three folds (8 leaves from one sheet). This is roughly the normal hardcover size.

The same process was used for perfect-bound paperbacks (trade or mass).

For perfect binding, one could either guillotine off the entire folded and possibly nested back of the signatures (the classic square back perfect bind), saw notches into the backs to give more glue-strength for what you are calling signature-embedded-in-glue, or do bupkis and get less strength signature-embedded binding.

In any case, for any imposition that has multiple folds, you usually guillotine the extra folds (top or bottom edges of the leaves). Once upon a time, the bindery might not do that, so you would have to slit your new book’s top or bottom edges apart yourself.

While it is true that Madame Guillotine has a maximum capacity, the ones I have seen have a capacity of multiple feet. Push the two Big Danger buttons, and first a huge hydraulically driven clamp descends to hold three or four feet of giant stack of paper. Then the giant frighteningly sharp blade descends and trims a fraction of an inch from many books worth of paper.

Thus the perfectly rectangular perfect-bound paper back got that shape courtesy of the guillotine.

I hope this amuses you. Cheers!

AW YEAHHHHHH thank you!! my instantiation of Madame la Guillotine has only around a ~250 sheet capacity so i am v v enamored of the Big Danger guillotine :p

also im really glad books come with the edges pre-cut these days i'd be so scared of fucking it up?? this has haunted me ever since i found out about it from the bookbinding museum. imagine dropping like two weeks' rent on a book and then accidentally cutting the pages apart really crooked. i'd die

#the trashcan speaks #devil venerable also wants to exploit the memoir class for evil purposes

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bg3-aita · 10 days

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AITA for falling in love again after having my heart completely wrecked?

Okay so here's the situation. I (35f, elf) met this wizard (35m, human) by complete chance last year after we both got swept up by a mind flayer ship and had tadpoles inserted into our brains. i knew pretty much from the moment we met that i was in love with him, and though it took a while for us to get together, once we did... i don't use the word soulmate lightly, but i was pretty sure he was mine.

my wizard used to be Mystra's chosen. tl;dr they were lovers, and he tried to impress her by going after a piece of lost magic that should've stayed lost. it nearly killed him, he lost mystra's favor, and became a walking nuke.

as it turns out, the piece of lost magic was actually part of the Karsite Weave-- ya know, the shit that temporarily killed Mystra once upon a time-- and the only way to diffuse the bomb in my wizard's chest was to get the Crown of Karsus and bring it to Mystra to be destroyed. only, the crown was on top of the Netherbrain's head, so to get it, we had to deal with that.

together with our friends, my wizard and i defeated the Netherbrain, and the Crown of Karsus broke into pieces and fell into the Chionthar. but here's the thing: instead of doing the smart thing and deciding to retrieve the Crown, bring it to Mystra, become her chosen again, and have the bomb in his chest removed forever, my wizard decided it was in his best interest to find the Crown, reforge it, and ascend to godhood himself.

i told him not to do it. begged him not to, actually, but in his mind asking him not to meant that i thought he couldn't do it, which only increased his desire to become a god-- just to prove everyone wrong.

he left me the day we defeated the Netherbrain to go search for the Crown. he didn't ask me to come with him, he declined when i asked him to stay, and he walked away from me without so much as a kiss goodbye.

i won't go into the details, but his departure broke me in a way i've never been broken before. i was devastated and assumed a lot of really unhealthy coping mechanisms because of it.

enter my vampire (250?m, elf)-- this man was one of the people my wizard and i defeated the Netherbrain with. he watched our relationship from it's very first moments to the moment i collapsed on the docks in tears because my wizard left me. he stayed by my side for a tenday after my wizard left, because he didn't want me to be alone, and he (and our other friends) were worried i might do something stupid.

the vampire has always been a good friend to me, and three months ago, we became more than friends. as it turns out, he'd been in love with me this whole time and let it go because i was happy with the wizard. the vampire picked up the pieces i'd broken into and painstakingly put them back together, and i fell in love with him in the process.

last week, the wizard came back out of NO WHERE, after being gone for a full year. he'd ascended to godhood and was finally coming back to "give me everything" and "take me to Elysium."

i told him no, and that i was with the vampire now, and he took it....poorly, to say the least. the wizard seemed SHOCKED that i said no, that i'd moved on, and had the audacity to tell me i BETRAYED him and his trust by not waiting for him. not to mention, his "apology" for leaving could hardly be called an apology, it wasn't even sincere.

to be clear, the wizard did not explicitly ask me to "wait for him," nor did he try to contact me at all while he was gone. honestly by the third month of radio silence, i'd given up hope that he was coming back. he claims i must have never truly loved him or believed in him by assuming so.

AITA for moving on???

What are these acronyms?

Click here to submit a post or read our FAQ page!

#bg3 #bg3 aita #unreality #fandom aita

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mimsier · 4 months

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ring in the new year with a readathon! dedicating time to reading is my most favoritest way to end one year and begin the next, and so we bingo for a sprinkle of festivity

anyone is welcome to join in ♡

to literally rip from my post last year: fills are focused on checkpoints along the way of reading + easy peasy pitstops when you need a break, rather than focused on what you’re reading, so it's friendly to multiple genres and formats! win by any pattern you choose!! this is all for fun & the love of reading

static board >>here

new year’s eve & new year’s day #readinthenewyear

keep reading for the row by row list of prompts, plus some totally optional suggestions for the free space. feel free to ask for clarification!

row one finish 1 book share 2024 reading resolutions read at midnight read 500 pages / listen for 10 hours liveblog a chapter (or more)

row two predict the ending finish 2 books share favorite line write a review post book rec(s)

row three read 100 pages / listen for 1 hour update readathon progress free space enter a book giveaway read 250 pages / listen for 5 hours

row four post readathon wrap-up read more books than planned reblog from a book's tag take a break! set/join 2024 challenge(s)

row five snap some pics re-read a favorite reflect on 2023 reads share 2024 anticipated releases finish 3 or more books

free space alternatives: • check out booktube! like + comment • check out any book community you've been meaning to & engage (or lurk, that's your business babe) • plan a buddy read • liked a book? look for more by the author! • hated it? embrace schadenfreude and check out 1 star reviews! • resolved to read more next year? join a book club • add books to your tbr • create a goodreads or storygraph account • make an edit • make a bookmark or other bookish craft • share about your reading habits • start a journal for tracking or share your fave pages if you already have one

#readinthenewyear #booklr #read-a-thon #readathon #reading bingo #reading challenge #really loved my layout last year so this year's board is built on the same bones

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mariacallous · 6 months

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Five months ago, software engineer Shikhar Sachdev adopted a peculiar hobby. While his friends met for drinks or played FIFA 23 to unwind after work, he would come home, boot up his laptop, and spend hours filling out job applications, for sport.

Sachdev is content with his job at a San Francisco fintech company, but he writes a career blog in his spare time and had noticed a recurring sentiment: Job hunting these days is the worst. Friends described returning home from an exhausting day of work they hated, applying for new positions, and quickly growing discouraged by clunky application software and a low response rate. Research suggests the frustration is widespread: 92 percent of candidates abandon online job applications before completing them, according to the recruitment platform Appcast.

“You might hate your boss. But if you think that searching for jobs is worse, you're never going to change,” Sachdev says. “I wanted to try to put some data behind the claim that job hunting sucks.”

Sachdev set himself the challenge of applying to 500 software engineering jobs to observe exactly what made the endeavor more or less frustrating. Halfway through, however, he hit a snag. “I wanted to chop my head off,” Sachdev says. He scaled back his target to a still brain-melting 250 jobs across a range of industries and company sizes, chosen largely at random—companies he’d seen on billboards, for instance, or friends’ employers.

Sachdev timed each application from start to finish and for consistency always applied directly through a company’s career page—he ended up spending about 11 hours total filling applications. Since he wasn’t looking for a new position, he always stopped short of clicking “Submit” on a completed application, except for a few choice roles that piqued his interest. (He landed three interviews, but didn’t pursue the jobs.) He aimed to make each application serviceable, but wasn't as thorough as a truly ambitious or desperate job seeker would be, so he figures the times he logged are underestimates.

Sachdev found it took an average of 2 minutes and 42 seconds to fill out a job application—but that doesn’t include time spent identifying suitable roles, and the time could vary widely from job to job. The longest took more than 10 minutes, the shortest less than 20 seconds. Much of this variation sprang from the particularities of applicant tracking software.

Applying to work at a company that used Workday, for instance, took 128 percent longer than average for similarly sized companies in the same industry. Workday spokesperson Nina Oestlien called customer service a “core value” at the company and says that application timing is determined by how customers configure their applications. (Disclosure: WIRED owner Condé Nast uses Workday. Also, we’re hiring!)

Starting Over

Sachdev’s job hunting obsession was born partly from rejection. Originally from Geneva, Switzerland, he graduated from UC Berkeley in 2019 with a degree in environmental economics and philosophy. Most of his friends lived in the Bay Area, and career opportunities in the region abounded, so he resolved to stay.

As Sachdev’s senior year wound down, he began furiously applying for local jobs. But his heart sank each time he reached the portion of an application that asked if he needed visa sponsorship. Since he lacked US citizenship, he needed an employer to sponsor him, likely with a specialty H-1B worker visa. “When I would click the H-1B box, my application would go straight into the garbage,” he says. “I was getting rejections four minutes after I applied.”

But Sachdev has the tenacity to power through the uttermost tedium for months on end. And he discovered what looked like a loophole. Foreigners who earn STEM degrees from certain US institutions can work in the country for up to three years without a visa under a federal program called Optional Practical Training. “Who stays at their first job for more than three years?” he rationalized. So when the visa sponsorship question popped up in an application for a product manager role at a major tech company he wanted to work for, he clicked “no.”

After he landed an interview, Sachdev spent 40 hours scouring job sites for tips, cramming his notebook full of hypothetical questions and their responses, compiling a presentation the company required—and totally neglecting his coursework. Half a dozen interviews later, he got the job. His heart soared, but not for long. When he explained his immigration status to the recruiter, she rescinded the offer. Sachdev started over, eventually landing a job with a startup willing to sponsor his H-1B visa, and decided to parlay his experience into a career blog offering help to other hapless job questers.

Job hunters have long complained about the process, but it developed fresh annoyances after moving online starting in the mid-’90s, says Chris Russell, managing director of the recruitment consultancy RecTech Media. Online job boards like Monster and CareerBuilder flooded companies with candidates, giving rise to applicant tracking systems built to help recruiters manage the deluge.

These systems promised to save recruiters time by automatically ranking and filtering applicants based on keywords. From the perspective of applicants required to laboriously enter their information into the software, they felt like a new barrier. “These systems were built with the companies in mind,” says Russell. “They never really considered the user experience from the job seeker’s point of view.” A cottage industry sprang up of tools and résumé whisperers promising to help job seekers get past the automated scanners.

In recent years, new features like psychological assessments and “digital interviews,” in which applicants answer prepared questions into their webcams, only placed more barriers between candidates and human decisionmakers. Meanwhile, the fundamentals of hiring remain stuck in the past, says Scott Dobroski, a career trends expert at jobs platform Indeed. It takes three and a half months for most Indeed users to find a job, he says. “All the other parts of our lives have sped up. The hiring process has not caught up.”

Time Wasters

While job hunters have much to gripe about, from “ghost jobs” to the dreaded “résumé black hole,” Sachdev decided to focus his efforts on the initial application process. He identified three main factors that affected the time it took to apply: the size of a company, the industry it was part of, and the applicant tracking software it used.

Applicant tracking software was a major source of Sachdev’s frustration. The most common systems he encountered were Workday, Taleo, Greenhouse, Lever, and Phenom, which adds AI-powered features on top of systems like Workday. More established systems such as Workday and Taleo redirected him away from the careers page and made him create a separate account for each application, adding significant time and vexation. By the end of his 250 applications, he had 83 separate accounts.

Newer offerings such as Greenhouse and Lever spared him some of these frustrations. Applications through Lever, for instance, took 42 percent less time to complete than the average for similarly sized companies in the same industry.

Sachdev also spent many excruciating minutes retyping information he’d already uploaded on his résumé because software would misread it. Workday, for instance, would routinely populate the education field with “Munich Business School” even though Sachdev’s résumé clearly says he graduated from non-soundalike UC Berkeley. “Sometimes it's not even the time,” he says. “It's the mental fatigue of having to do it every single time.”

The longest application to fill out was for the US Postal Service, clocking in at 10 minutes and 12 seconds, while the shortest was that of hedge fund Renaissance Technologies, which requested only his name and résumé and consumed a mere 17 seconds. In general, Sachdev found that government applications took the longest—a trend that Indeed’s data backs up—followed by aerospace and consulting jobs. Younger industries such as online banks, AI firms, and crypto companies were amongst the least time-consuming. Legacy banks, for instance, took about four times longer to apply to than their newer online counterparts.

Sachdev also found applications to large companies more time-consuming than for smaller firms. In general, a doubling of company size added 5 percent to the average application time.

While the process was largely an exercise in repetition, Sachdev encountered a few creative takes on a musty old format. Plaid, a fintech company that provides APIs to connect software with bank accounts, invited applicants to apply via API. (Sachdev opted for the old-fashioned route, for consistency.) The gaming company Roblox let candidates apply in-game.

While hiring software has historically been stacked in employers’ favor, more job seekers are using their own forms of automation. Bots and tools like LazyApply use text-generation technology like that behind ChatGPT to automatically mass apply to jobs, to the likely chagrin of overwhelmed recruiters. When Sachdev posted his results on discussion site Hacker News, one commenter claimed to use bots to fill out job applications and ChatGPT to write cover letters and correspond with recruiters, fully taking over only at the interview stage. “Can you blame him?” Sachdev says. “Because the companies are doing it too. Their résumé parsers, their application tracking software, and their tools are also using AI. So it's almost as if the applicant now has this weapon they can use against the companies.”

An AI arms race that floods the job market with unserious applicants and insurmountable filtering tools is in nobody’s interest, however. Indeed’s Dobroski says some platforms, including his own, have begun rolling out a new approach that aims to save time on both sides, albeit also by leaning on algorithms. Instead of sending hundreds of résumés into the void and hoping for the best—“spray and pray” he calls it—candidates can list their skills, qualifications, and preferences and let AI suggest suitable jobs to apply for. “The matching really speeds up the hiring process, and it connects the candidate with employers that they otherwise may not even have considered,” he says.

Sachdev has his own ideas for what would make job applications more productive for both seekers and recruiters. First off, he advises applicants to save time and mental anguish by prioritizing employers that use simpler software like Lever and Greenhouse. For jobs he’s really serious about, he’ll try to make a human connection with the hiring manager on LinkedIn.

There’s a saying Sachdev likes, from computer science professor Randy Pausch: The brick walls are there for a reason. Facing and surmounting hurdles can help a person discover how much they want something. But if an employer erects too many barriers, “is an applicant really going to think, ‘That brick wall is there for a reason?’ Or is the applicant going to exit out of your website and go apply somewhere else?” Sachdev says. “I think it's the latter.”

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