#by the way i dont know why but i still can't tag TL for whatever reason so | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

dissociativedoe · 2 years

Text

I've seen a lot of debates against tone tags that boil down to "nobody will remember all of those acronyms," and the main issue with that is. well. People have been making shorthand for things for a long time?

I remember being a kid and hearing adults around me complain about "text talk:" OMG, LOL, LMAO, WTF, the infamous ASL, etc. (and hey, did you know "etc." is shorthand, too? it's short for the latin phrase "et cetera.")

They balked that it was unprofessional, that kids would forget how to spell, or that nobody would be able to "talk proper" (whatever that means). But another complaint I remember hearing is that they didn't know what all of it meant. I mean, teens were coming up with new acronyms all the time. How are we supposed to keep up with deciphering their texts?

And nowadays, it's commonplace. Most people know what LOL and OMG mean, and how to use them. Teachers and old folks might still say they're unprofessional or that the youth doesn't know how to spell anymore, but that's about the extent of it.

The key thing about tone tags is that they were a shorthand language made as an accessibility tool. The point is to help you convey tone, which can prevent a lot of misunderstanding - especially if you're autistic like me, but just in general to prevent miscommunication.

Yeah, sometimes they can be confusing, and some are similar enough to get mixed up. But that's true for a lot of shorthand - hell, i still take a minute to figure out what someone means by ADA.

I'm not going to lie, some of them are similar enough in meaning as well that they're almost the same. I still can't tell the difference between /lh and /hj, but if that distinction matters to the person using it, who cares?

I've seen people just say "use your words" as an alternative - say "I'm being sarcastic" instead of /s, "(not talking about anybody here, don't worry)" instead of /nbh. The issue I run into is that I hugely struggle with words when socializing. And especially when you're non- or semi-verbal, that phrasing is hard, and it's clunky. Twitter and most phone messaging services also still have character limits, and an already-lengthy message may not have room for longer clarification. And again, as has always been the way with texting, people are always going to find shorthand to say what they mean. Are you going to start telling people to say "I seriously just laughed out loud" instead of "LOL?"

If you dont want to talk to people who use tone tags or if you refuse to use them yourself because you think they're stupid or whatever, that's fine. Nobody is forcing you to, and you have the right to avoid them. But that also means that others have a right to not want to talk to you if you outright refuse to use them when it's a tool they prefer or need.

If you don't know what the tone tag is short for, you can always ask. If you just want people to stick with the basics (/s, /j or /hj) when talking to you, that's also fine. But I really don't think it's fair to insinuate that people who use tone tags are bad people for... *checks notes* trying to convey tone and intent in a way that's short and easy for them.

TL;DR: Shorthand and acronyms have been used in texting for a long time; why are tone tags any different? Tone tags are a tool used to prevent miscommunication in a shorter space. If you don't know what one means, you can always ask.

#how do i even tag this #tone tags #txt #also i am SO SORRY im awful at tldrs ive always been bad at summaries

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everyonesfavoritenotetaker · 3 months

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Leeeeemon! Where are you? Broccoli's trying to look for you!

Well, the guy is certainly alive, that's a start- In fact, he's circled his way back to Marsh's, walking down an aisle of snacks. He's still looking quite nervous, but at least he hadn't wandered enough to lose his way back.

[[LONG POST AHEAD! put under a read under so it doesn't clog the TL :> I also have to split this post into two because of image restrictions mobile tumblr has, unfortunately. This is part 1!]]

[🍋] "Oh, No- No- I'm fine- They know I never go far, Why would they be looking for me?" Lemon chuckles nervously, continuing down the aisle.

[🍋]"I mean, it's not like I'd have much of anywhere to go anyways- They're wasting time, y'know-" He mumbles, as if he hasn't been missing for several months at this point.

He hasn't been in a building this packed for a while, just making a few stops at gas stations and the like to gather himself and pick up food. And he would be at a gas station right now, if Marsh's hadn't been closer. A step closer to the apartment complex, if it's better to look at it that way.

He stops to pick up a box on the shelf, closely examining it. 12 granola bars, on sale for 1 and a half bucks, the generic brand, not bad. It'll probably last him long enough to get back to the apartment complex, or until Apple and Broccoli track him down- Whichever comes first.

He brings it up to his face to get a better look at the box- Trying to find the flavor of the bars somewhere on it.

And after a moment of trying to find the flavor, he gives up.

Whatever they are, he'll certainly live.

He keeps it with him, continuing down the aisle.

He's mellowed out somewhat, bit he's still on edge- Just not as much as he was earlier, but when is he NOT nervous?

...Broccoli and Apple are quite literally in the aisle over, Apple having insisted that he was hungry and needed a snack. Broccoli begrudgingly tagged along.

They're idly chatting, but Broccoli is getting more and more stressed as time passes- In addition to being cold. Even if it arguably isn't right now. And a stressed and cold Broccoli isn't a nice one to deal with.

[🥦]"....Look, I know you're hungry, and you want to take you time shopping, but you've already picked something out. Can't you just check out so we could get going-? Not to rush you or anything, just- Yknow."

[🥦]"He could have been to Crescent City and back by now! Don't you find it a little weird that he hasn't come back?"

Broccoli just wants to find Lemon on his own accord, but Apple certainly has other plans.

[🍎]"I'm sure he's fine wherever he is, man. I mean, it's not like you called the cops like 7 times- Chill out before you bolt or something." Apple replies, having already been dragged around the state a few times. "It's not like I dont care about the guy, its just that you spend every waking hour looking. Isn't it getting exhausting?" At this point, they've looked all over the place, and he'd just like a moment to relax.

[🍎]"When's the last time you had something to eat, huh?"

It's a question that seems quite out of the blue, but it's a good one to ask nonetheless.

[🥦]"..."

Broccoli is silent for a few moments, seeming quite irritated, before speaking back up. You can essentially hear the tea kettle boiling.

[🥦]"....Chill out-?"

There's another short bout of tense silence before Broccoli speaks up again.

[🥦]"....Chill OUT-? Apple, if Lemon was fine, he would be back by now- Or at the very least FOUND-!" Broccoli rambles off. "For all we know, he could be hurt, or WORSE! This isn't something you just wait around and find out on-!" His voice is raised, but he's not outright shouting.

They sound quite irritated, sweeping Apple's initial questions and worry out of the way.

[🥦]"We can't just sit around and find out on stuff like this- He's gotta be somewhere out there!"

#CURSE YOU APP IMAGE LIMITATIONS!!#[[Lots of ooc notes down below!! holy hell.]]#[[I had artists block and writers block BACK TO BACK WAUGGHH]]#[[Followed by tumblr deleting the draft several times]]#[[might have bitten off more than i could chew with this one folks]]#[[never again will i attempt a post this long until im SURE the motivation will last for the entire duration of working on it.]]#[[“Bolting” in Broccolis case refers to a process that broccoli plants go through under extreme stress!]]#[[The plant basically goes nope! and then blooms prematurely before DYING]]#[[Wanted to clarify i didnt mean like bolting in the running away sense.]]#[[Applies to plenty of vegetables! Not just broccoli plants but this is more of a specific case.]]#shaking citrus [lemon]#sick tricks! [apple]#the notetaker talks! [broccoli]

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clumsyclifford · 3 years

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fun that you asked 1 and 2 bc those were the ones I was going to ask you

same hat

1. has a comment someone left on a fic of yours ever made you laugh out loud? oh my god so many yes. the ones @gutsmp3 leaves make me laugh so often i wish i could remember an example?? but anyway she’s just very funny in general. also i think i’ve mentioned this one before but someone once commented on i think spidey fic saying they read the funny parts of the fic out loud to their dog and that killed me

2. has a comment someone left on a fic of yours ever made you cry? uh.........literally actually tear up and cry? probably not, i don’t think so. but like, i’ve definitely felt the emotion that accompanies crying at a fair few comments. maybe TL’s comment on neon weekend, just because i was so nervous to post that fic and then their response was so......Like That. (also we weren’t even friends then!!! they’re just That Good!! all the time!!!!! TL love fest, i love TL). actually also, talking about melia, part of the comment she left on the rilex soulmate au fic said “bella everything u write fucking redefines the meaning of love” and it was about a friendship scene and that just like.........made me feel like everything was Worth It. anyway melia thats my favorite compliment ive ever received in case you were wondering. so like i didnt cry but internally I Was Crying

fic writer asks!!!

#re: the person reading to their dog #the best part of that is apparently they usually read to their husband #but their husband wasnt there #so like..........they just read to their dog #likethats SO funny #god i had a better memory for this kind of thing #bc i know i have laughed and internally cried at many many comments #i just dont remember them right now #the long message helen sent me about the zouis friendship fic. THAT one #anyway yeah #by the way i dont know why but i still can't tag TL for whatever reason so #tl i hope you see this anyway #reveriesofawriter #ask #answered

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hangmansradio · 3 years

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Do you ever question ~why~ you write, and find yourself wanting to throw your laptop out of the window because of it?

I write for the MCR fandom and ill be honest, i fell out of love with the fandom a long long time ago (mainly because of the online toxicity). Now, i no longer care about receiving comments or kudos from people in the fandom because it honestly just raises anxiety in me, so I've found myself writing but not posting it anywhere. (Before, kudos and comments especially from regular readers were what motivated me)

There's no other fandom I'm interested in writing in, and I'm past the age now where a new fandom can grab my attention easily- it would really take a lot for that to happen. So I'm at this point where I'm just like... why am I writing and who am I writing for? I'm using Gerard and Frank as characters but I'm so far removed from the fandom that I don't feel connected to it in anyway anymore.

I hate Canon (in terms of tv show fandoms etc) so a bandom is perfect for creative liberties when writing, but I just... feel so unmotivated. And yet, writing is my life, I dont know what I'll do with my free time if I stop.

I know you've spoken before about second guessing your place in the fandom and whether or not it's a space you still want to write in. How do you still continue to write when you feel that way? I know you're currently taking a break, but before that?

If you can't relate to anything I've said in this ask then just disregard it, but I have the feeling you are or have been in a similar position as me and maybe you can offer some words of wisdom 🥺

Oh nonny, I really, really feel for you right now 💜 I am in basically the exact same position as you, more or less. I've been writing in the MCR fandom for fifteen years now (yikes) and it was always such a warm, safe space. But the past couple of years I've slowly noticed that changing, and now, even me as a seasoned writer who KNOWS the fandom so well, am totally disgusted by the thought of posting anything new because the toxicity is at a new level. It's like people will read someone's work now just to find something to complain about, when ✨back in my day ✨ the number one rule was always "don't like something, then hit the back button". I feel like it's become an okay thing now to literally harass authors, which is just awful because we're all writing for free, in our spare time.

Once upon a time you could write about literally anything and know you were safe to post, even back before AO3 and their fantastic tagging system. Back then, you knew there was a chance you could be reading something you disliked every time you clicked on a fic, and that was fine, because you just turned back if that was the case. And that fostered a really great community, where anyone sending hate or being at all negative to an author were very quickly shot down by everyone else reminding them that only THEY, and not the author, are responsible for keeping themselves happy on the internet.

All that being said, I'm not sure I'll ever return to writing MCR fic. Taking this break has been so healing, because I don't miss it at all. I miss writing terribly, and I miss those wonderful readers who would always send love my way, but in general... My mental health is a million times better for getting out. And it would get even better again if I had the heart to completely sever the ties with my AO3 account - just this morning I received another negative comment on a fic and seeing the email notification come through with comments makes me so anxious now. I hate that it's become that way, and the temptation to completely delete my profile is so tempting. But I couldn't do it to those people who still say they get so much joy out of my fic.

So... I'm in a very similar position to you. Writing MCR fic was me. It's what I did every spare moment I had for literally half of my life. So where do we go from here? Personally I'm still figuring it out.

I'm lucky in that I have some fantastic writer friends who still want to read my stuff in private who I can post to. It's not as motivating as that rush of posting online and seeing who likes it, but it's enough. I haven't written anything at all, not a single sentence, since I uploaded Chains made of Gold; but last week one of my real life friends asked if they could help get me out of my writing rut, and requested a Kingsman fic, not to post online but just for them to read. And it's the first time I've felt any sort of motivation to write. Something small, safe and private to share with a friend, that I can handle.

I'm similar to you, in that I find canon difficult to work around because I'm so used to writing whatever I want. But there are no fanfic rules that say you have to stick to canon - the joy of fanfiction is that we don't have to do that! It can be hard getting into a new fandom, but maybe it's worth just a little try?

And for me, as it is for many fic writers, the dream was always to one day write original stories to publish. Recently I've felt like that dream is further away than ever, and maybe I'm just not a writer anymore. But I can't imagine my life without it, writing stories is my passion, and I can't let a toxic fandom destroy that.

So to you nonny, I say this - don't give up. It's easier said than done, I know. Find "real" people who love writing and befriend them, if you don't already know people who might want to read your stuff in private. I'm more than happy for you to send anything my way, be it fanfic or otherwise, and I'll gladly cheerleader for you if it helps keep the writing bug alive. Joining a creative writing group is also a fantastic way to keep motivated and challenge yourself with new ideas - I LOVED the one I was in, but sadly I have no local group now. But if you do, please try it, getting away from the internet communities that are so toxic and into a group of real people, all passionate about writing, is such a healing thing.

We all started writing just for us. Because we loved it. Hold onto that, and take as long a break as you need, and I promise the urge to write will come again 💜

TL;DR The 'point' of writing has always just been to tell those stories inside of us. Don't give up on something you're passionate about, find good people who can be excited about your writing with you and share things with them 💜

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