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phantomarine · 9 months

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Clam's Quick Tips for Starting Your Very First Webcomic

Howdy! Here are the three bits of advice I tend to give people who ask me about getting into webcomic-making. Maybe they can help you jump into the fray with a little less fear.

1) Make Your First Chapter a Pilot Episode

You will be told by webcomic veterans to start with a short, simple comic idea first - which is wise - but if all you can think about is your big magnum opus, then you might as well hop in, right? Otherwise you'll just be glancing back at the other cooler project forever.

But if you can't start with a small simple story, start on a small, simple part of that larger story. Your first chapter should be a snapshot of the main conflict - show us a simple scene with few characters, ease us in slowly, keep things clear and focus on emotion/impact/clarity. Get the audience to care by offering something easily digested, but full of promise.

Once you're done with that 'pilot' chapter, and you're feeling more comfortable with the whole comic process, you can open the gates and show us the larger world. At that point, you'll be way more ready.

2) Simplify Your Art Style For Your Own Sanity

Always try to make your webcomic's art style as simple as possible - the standard rule is to use only 75% of your artistic skill for every comic page you make. Otherwise you will burn out quickly and terribly.

But you also need to be PROUD of your art style. If you're really feeling itchy, add a couple bells and whistles to your style so you can look at the finished page and say "Yeah, looks cool." You'll find the right balance the more you draw.

Also, don't be afraid to change your art style as you go along. Ultimate consistency is often impossible in webcomics anyway - so embrace your desire to try new things, streamline your work, whatever you feel needs to happen to be happiest. Sometimes the coolest part of reading a webcomic is noticing that style change - so don't hesitate to embrace it!

3) Resist the Reboot! RESIST!

The curse/blessing of drawing the same things over and over is that you'll inevitably get better at drawing those things. The trouble comes when you look back at old stuff and start thinking "Damn, I could draw that way better now."

You must recognize that this feeling never goes away. Not after a hundred pages. Not after three hundred. Not after a thousand.

I think everyone should be allowed one soft reboot for their first webcomic. Redraw some panels that bother you. Change up some dialogue if it doesn't make sense with your new story ideas. Do maintenance, basically. One of the beauties of webcomics is that they can be easily edited, without reprinting a whole book or remaking a whole game.

But if the ultimate purpose of a webcomic is to tell a story, then constant reboots will just be retelling the same story - slightly better each time, but the same at its core. We've heard it before. Most audiences would rather you save your strength and just keep going, rather than circling back year after year and going "Wait wait wait! I'll do it better this time."

Reboot early, not often, and only when you absolutely must! You're a storyteller, and you're constantly getting better at telling your story. Don't be ashamed of it - look back how much ground you've covered, and keep walking!

---

That's a good start. Happy webcomicking - don't be afraid to jump in, but be prepared to learn a lot very quickly. And if this advice doesn't work for you or adhere to how you did it, that's absolutely fine - webcomics are diverse by nature, and so are their creation processes. Feel out what works best for you, and good luck!

#phantomarine #webcomic #advice #just talking #writing

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art · 2 years

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Creator Spotlight: @tinypaint

My name is Michelle Fus. I’m a Jewish, non-binary artist. I graduated from the School of Visual Arts for Computer Art and Animation in 2011. I’ve interned at Pixar and worked for a few years at Dreamworks Animation. Over the past ten years, I’ve self-published two books and have run three successful Kickstarters. I now work with Skybound (The Walking Dead, Invincible) in developing my webcomic, Ava’s Demon, as a physical book series for stores. I like hiking, cultivating plants, caring for my cats, and hanging out with my beautiful husband. You can read my webcomic at avasdemon.com.

Check out our interview with Michelle below!

How did you get your start in art, and more specifically, with Ava's Demon?

I’ve always been into art since I was very young. I started to gravitate towards it in first grade, where we were required to keep a daily journal. I found myself drawing in it more than actually keeping entries. From there, I got more and more interested in honing my skills as an artist. I started making my own comics for fun. I signed up for classes outside of school and put together a portfolio for the School of Visual Arts, where I majored in Computer Art and Animation. After getting my first job in the field, I realized that it wasn’t what I wanted to do with my life. After working my day job, I would come home and work towards building a career in comics for myself by creating and uploading my webcomic, Ava’s Demon.

What is one habit you find yourself doing a lot as an artist?

Looking things up to learn more before I make art or write. For instance, how many livable planets are in a Galaxy? What does a black hole actually look like, and can it give off light? How long would it actually take to travel through space if you had the fastest ship possible? I look up all of these things and then ignore most of them for the sake of writing a fun story and making fun art.

From idea to final piece, how long does it take for you to create something?

It depends on the feeling I want to convey. Sometimes I’ll work for a whole week on a drawing and then delete it because I just don’t feel good about it. Other times I’ll make something in a day that I absolutely love from beginning to end. Some drawings I never delete nor finish, and instead, the files just kind of sit in a folder. The time it takes varies a lot.

Over the years as an artist, what were your biggest inspirations behind your creativity?

I really love good stories. So movies and books with captivating stories usually motivate and inspire me; stories that stay with you permanently, with twists and turns that you can’t stop thinking about. I also love finding characters whose struggles I can deeply relate to. I try to hold onto those feelings and emulate them through my art.

What is the hardest part of your process?

Actually finishing a drawing. The anxiety of it piles on me sometimes. I’ll work for a while on a drawing and constantly ask myself, “Is this drawing really finished? What terrible things about it am I not seeing?”. My desire to avoid making something terrible can sometimes put me in a mental prison where I keep chipping away at a drawing until I no longer know what I am looking at.

What is one interaction you had from a fan of yours that has stuck with you over the years?

In general, I like letting young artists in middle school, and high school know that I wasn’t very good at art at their age (I really wasn’t, I didn’t have the same resources they have now, and I didn’t have any perspective on what it takes to have a career in art, it’s a different world). Kids have come to me at conventions with their work for critique and advice, and I have to tell them that they’re already miles ahead of what I could make at their age. I have to tell them that it’s okay if they can’t make what all the professionals make online, to know that they have SO much time ahead of them to work at what they love. If you love making art, do it often, study art throughout history, and over time you’ll be able to create everything your heart desires.

What is something other people find hard to draw that you find enjoyable?

I have no idea. Sometimes it feels like drawing anything is suffering, even if you like what you’re making.

Who on Tumblr inspires you and why?

@loish has been consistently inspiring me since my days in high school. Every new painting has so much grace and power and is so excellent to look at. Her skill in shape and form seems limitless, and I hope to someday achieve even a small fraction of her understanding of art. Seeing her new work on my timeline also makes my dopamine spike, so I’m always looking forward to updates from her.

Thank you so much for stopping by and sharing, Michelle! Be sure to check out their Tumblr blog over at @tinypaint and follow their webcomic, Ava’s Demon, over at avasdemon.com.

#creator spotlight #artists on tumblr #webcomics #michelle fus #ava's demon

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ikeromantic · 6 months

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Ikevamp Boys React to Tattooed MC pt 2

Theo, Vincent, and Mozart!

Theo

Theo grabs your arm as you set down a frame in the small gallery where the next art show will be hosted. His grip is firm and insistent.

"What?" You raise an eyebrow, more curious than annoyed.

His other hand tips your chin to the left so that he can examine the side of your head and that's when you realize. He's noticed your tattoo. "Hondje, what did you do?" His voice is lethally soft, ungentle and demanding.

"I've had that since before I met you." You pull from his grip. "Anyway, it's none of your business."

"Everything about you is my business." He catches your hand in his and pulls you close. "Tell me."

You sigh. "Fine. I wanted a tattoo when I decided to go straight to work instead of college. Something to show I trusted myself. So . . . I got that star. Because I am my own guide and I choose things for myself."

Theo's severe expression doesn't shift as he tucks your hair back to get a better look at it. His breath tickles your skin. "Mmm. Fits you. Stubborn girl. Never listen to anybody."

"Hey!" You smack his shoulder. "I do when the advice is worth my time."

He laughs. "Is that so?"

"It is! Hey! Why are you still laughing?"

"Give me a kiss, then, Hondje." He points to his lips, a wicked gleam in his eyes.

Vincent

You disrobe, preparing to model for Vincent. It's the first time you've sat for him without being fully clothed, and you're a bit nervous. The vining flowers on your leg are not discreet and this will be the first time he's seen your whole leg without the cover of skirt and hose.

Vincent's eyes are immediately drawn to the colorful tattoo. His eyes go wide and before you can take a breath to say anything, he's kneeling beside you, fingers tracing the delicate lines and curls of ink.

"Ummm. Vincent?" You look down at him, feeling a bit flustered. His smile is angelic but the way he touches you is . . . not. And you aren't sure what to think.

"This is gorgeous. The colors. How did they get this shade? Here?" He is so close to your calf now that you can almost feel the motion of his lips, the flutter of his lashes.

"I - I don't know. You'd have to ask the shop." You give a self-conscious laugh. "Is it going to be a problem? I understand if you don't want -"

He looks up at you, his big, blue eyes as wide and endless as the open sky. "It's beautiful. You are beautiful. But I am going to have to figure out how to mix that color before we start." His smile is full of anticipation and excitement. "Do you have any more of these?"

Vincent reaches to push aside the modest robe you are wearing.

"N-no!" Your face is completely flushed now and your heart is racing.

He drops his hands, his expression going still and flat. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable."

You feel immediately terrible for disappointing an angel. "It's ok. I just didn't expect you to be so interested."

His smile returns, tentative and shy. "I am interested in everything about you." He presses his cheek to your tattooed skin. The gesture feels intimate, precious. When he lets go to mix his paints, you can still feel the ghost of his touch.

Mozart

You notice Mozart giving you an odd look. Something between bafflement and horror. "Do I have something on my face?" You self-consciously wipe across your nose and cheeks.

He shakes his head and stands, lips pressed together in a pale line. His hand goes to your arm, drawing a line up from your wrist to your bared shoulder. "This, fraulein. What is it?"

That's when you realize, you've never shown him your bare shoulder, where your colorful little tattoo is etched. The rose and thorns are easy to cover, though you don't mind showing them off. "It's a tattoo. Surely you've seen one before?"

Mozart opens his mouth and then closes it again. It takes him several breaths to get there. "You let someone put needles beneath your skin? Someone who touched you? Who marked you?"

"Erm, yes? I mean, that's how you make a tattoo."

He crosses his arms and walks to the window, chin jutting out.

"What's wrong?" You go to stand beside him, but he won't make eye contact with you. He's grinding his teeth and just staring out at the garden as if he wanted to see it burn. "Do you . . . hate it so much?"

You didn't want him to hate the tattoo. It was part of you, and seeing him like this was making your heart ache.

"No," he grumbled finally. "It's . . . it's very beautiful. I just . . ." He let out a long, slow breath.

"You what?" You prompt him to speak after several silent minutes pass.

"I don't like the idea of someone else touching you like that. On your bare skin. Holding you." He frowns.

You wrap an arm around him and lean your head on his shoulder. "Wolf, you are adorable when you're jealous. You know that?"

"I'm not - I mean, I -" He huffs, trying to excuse himself without admitting the truth. Then he sighs. "It's fine. I'll just mark you in my own way." He turns his head and you can see a dangerous, hungry smile on those delicate lips.

#ikemen vampire #ikevamp #IkeVamp theo #ikevamp vincent #ikevamp mozart #fanfiction #fanfic #otome #otome guys #fluff

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jpitha · 3 months

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Yet Another Writing Advice Post

I'm about to type about some stuff about writing. It's pretty Meta and feel free to skip this one if you're waiting for more about Gord and Fen, that's coming soon. It's not for anyone specifically, it's for me mostly, but you might get something out of it too.

As a writer - especially as an amateur writer who eventually wants to get paid for writing - one of the things I struggle with is what am I writing for? Is it just for me? Is it for my readers? Is it for sale?

Lots of writing advice for newbies boils down to "write the things you want to read, do it your way, fuck the haters."

This is good.

I mean it. It's going to sounds like I don't agree with it, so I'm saying right here off the jump, if you're just starting out, this is an unalloyed good. Write what you want how you want.

But.

If you want to write things that other people will read - not even writing things that people will pay you for - you also need to expand your skills. You should get better at writing. So as to not waste your readers time, but also so that you're better able to translate what's in your head into words on a screen/page so that others can see the cool as fuck things you thought up.

The only way to get good at something is to be bad at it for a long time.

It's hard for me to remember this. Every expert that you see, every skilled creation you come across was made by a person who did piles and piles and piles of terrible art first. I hate this! I don't want to suck, I never want that.

That does not make it untrue however.

I am a mediocre writer.

I am not saying this to fish for compliments, or to get positive reinforcement. It's the truth. I am trying every day to get better - and I am getting better! It's one of the reasons I like rewriting my old stuff. But, me assuming I am A Good Writer Now is pure hubris.

In an attempt to get better, I joined an online writing group. (I don't think anyone from there reads this Tumblr, but if they do, Hi!) Everyone in that group is skilled, probably more skilled than me. That's normal and to be expected. Everyone is good about offering crits and nobody is mean, but also it's not a hugbox. We're all there to get better and write.

Last week I put more effort into an entry than I think I have ever done. I spent real time on it, worked methodically, had a plan, even sought out folks to beta read. Like, I put in the work.

I still didn't win.

The winning entry was one that was almost utterly opaque to me. It wasn't "well that's not for me, but I can see how they'd win," it was pure "I don't like this and I don't understand why they'd win, and yet, here we are"

Why do I mention this?

Well, for one, I'm disappointed that I didn't win. The judges did give me crits on my entry, which was nice, but it wasn't anything I hadn't heard before. This is also fine, change takes time. But additionally the things they didn't like were things that I added on purpose. It's important to remember when receiving crits that you don't have to change what you do. It's just like, their opinion man. Brush off crits at your own peril however. They show what others who read your work expected to find and didn't.

It's normal to be sad that you worked hard on something only to find out it wasn't what the judges wanted to read. It's normal to be bummed to realize you aren't as good as you thought you were, and/or that you still have a long way to go.

But then what?

Do you change what your style? Try and write something that you think will appeal? Do you stick to your guns and say "I know what I like, and I will continue to write what I like?"

In the end, you have to decide why you are writing (or drawing or painting or weaving or whatever.) You have to decide who your audience is.

If it's just you? Keep on keeping on, go nuts! Make art however the hell you want. You are an artist, it's still art, you are legitimate.

If it's someone else? Then yeah, maybe work to drift towards something that the like. There's nothing wrong with a little pandering - to a point.

Is it to sell? Now, we're getting into the meat of things. If you want to make a go at doing this full time and making it a jobbity job, you have to start looking at your craft with a much sharper eye. You have to watch trends, follow bandwagons, do the things that bring eyeballs and wallets. Is it distasteful? It can be. Is it necessary? If you want to make money, yeah, unfortunately it is. Do you have to? Nah, you don't have to do anything you don't want to do, but do it with clear eyes about your prospects vis a vis the publishing world.

As for me?

I once thought that I could get some books published and make a tidy side income. Now? I'm not so sure. I still have it as a 2024 goal to be published anywhere, but I'm pretty sure that if I do get a book out, it'll be self published. I have friends who have agents and who have traditionally published books and the whole process is hard and depressing and not fun.

#Yet Another Writing Advice Post #writing #writeblr #jpitha #it sucks to suck #everyone is a beginner in the beginning #you have to write a lot of bad words before good words come out #writers of tumblr #writers on tumblr

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cophene · 4 months

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𝐃𝐈𝐒𝐂𝐄 | ohshc; nine.

* • ° to be completely empty

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pairing : ohshc x gn reader summary : perhaps no one at ouran is more qualified to deal with a broken heart than the host club. with a student’s heartbreak painfully obvious to everyone but themself, the host club takes it upon themselves to remedy that. all against that student’s better judgement. notes : multi-chapter fic, sfw, doesn’t follow canon plot word count : 2k+

Honey was carrying a large tray of food with impressive grace, tilting his head so he could see you from around the food. Mori was right behind him, a pitcher of water in one hand and a glass in the other.

“Are you okay?” Honey asked again, his eyes wide. “Your housekeeper let us bring up dinner for you. We hope you don’t mind.”

Bless Ms. Shimada. You reached to take the tray from Honey, a few of the dishes still steaming. You set it on the coffee table, gesturing for Mori to put down the water.

“Thanks Honey. Mori. You didn’t have to.”

“You didn’t answer my question,” Honey said, plopping down next to you. Usa-chan made an appearance, and Honey rested his chin on top of the plush, looking at you expectantly.

You smiled slightly. “Are either of you hungry? Ms. Shimada always gives me too much food. You could feed half the party with this platter.”

Mori sat in the armchair opposite you, crossing his long legs. “We didn’t mean to upset you,” he said.

“We shouldn’t have barged in like that.” Honey hung his head. “We’re really sorry. Please don’t be mad.”

“It’s fine. It wasn’t your fault. I just came up here for some air.”

Neither of the boys said anything else, so you took one of the bowls from the tray and slowly began eating.

Your friendship with Honey and Mori had begun when you were in junior high. You had just started getting into sports then, and before volleyball, you’d briefly considered martial arts. Your parents had taken you to one of the Haninozuka dojos, and left you to watch some of the sparring while they signed you up.

You remembered honing in on Honey immediately, even smaller than he was now, facing off with a boy twice his size. You’d expected him to get clobbered, already ready to feel sorry for him. He’d surprised you by matching the larger boy stride for stride, the two of them evenly matched. It was only later that you would learn the other boy was his cousin, Morinozuka Takashi, and that both he and Honey were martial arts masters in their own right.

Your martial arts career was short-lived, and you moved onto volleyball. But you managed to make the acquaintance of Honey and Mori and started tagging along with them after that. Maybe you weren’t the closest of friends, but you occupied a nice medium between Honey’s bubbliness and Mori’s stoicism. The two of them provided surprisingly good advice when the situation called for it.

“What happened to your room, Y/N-chan?” Honey asked tentatively. “Was it something bad?”

You couldn’t lie to Honey. Somehow, he was always able to tell.

“I threw everything out,” you admitted. “I couldn’t stand looking at it. I never bothered to redecorate.” You only had what you did because Ms. Shimada had replaced it for you. If you’d had your way, you would be sleeping on the floor.

Honey squeezed Usa-chan. “Why would you do that?”

You swallowed your bite, wondering how to explain. “You know about that trip I took to Malta? It … didn’t turn out too great. It kind of turned terrible, actually.”

“You got your heart broken,” Mori said matter-of-factly.

“Yeah. I guess I did.”

Little by little, you told Honey and Mori everything. How you’d met him, how you’d hit it off, how you’d started catching feelings. He had been easy to talk to. Had a great sense of humour and an adorable sensitive side. Both of his parents were high-ranking executives. They often came to Malta on vacation. He wanted to do government and personal relations work. He was always working on his public speaking.

Things had progressed. You’d thought about extending your vacation. You couldn’t stand the thought of leaving. He’d started to mean more to you all of a sudden.

And then, just as suddenly, he’d broken it off. Cut off all contact just a day before you were to fly back. It had been radio silence ever since. That connection you’d felt had been severed like it was nothing.

You expected Honey to start bawling or something, but he was strangely quiet when you finished. You peered at him, wondering if you’d bored him to sleep.

He was glowering, you realized. “I could hurt him,” he said darkly. A dark aura seemed to surround him and it sent chills down your spine. “No one hurts my friend and gets away with it.”

You waved off the darkness. “I appreciate that, Honey. He wouldn’t stand a chance against you. But things just didn’t work out. I’ll get over it.”

“You keep saying that,” Mori said. “Do you believe it?”

“Of course I do,” you muttered defensively. “It’ll just take some time.”

Honey brightened suddenly, looking like a miniature sun. “It’s okay, Y/N-chan! Even if you don’t want us to break all of his bones, we’ll help heal your broken heart! The Host Club is great at that kind of thing!”

“Oh, so you’ve done this before?”

“No,” said Mori. “You’re the first.”

“That’s reassuring.”

“I promise we’ll help you,” Honey said passionately. His eyes were sparkling. “You’ll get all better, and then play volleyball and be happy like you used to! Pinky promise!”

You begrudgingly linked your little finger with Honey’s. You had to try for scorn, because you could feel yourself wanting to cry again. It was terribly sweet of Honey to care that much about you. And you appreciated Mori being there to listen. You couldn’t say it felt better to air all of this out, but it lifted a weight off your chest. “Yeah, well, don’t beat yourself up if it doesn’t work.”

Honey grinned. “If it doesn’t work, we’ll beat him up!”

You stifled a laugh. “Hey, you’re not going to tell all of this to the other hosts, are you? I’m telling you guys because I trust you. I can only imagine what the other hosts are going to do if they knew.”

“But—” Honey tried to protest but Mori stopped him.

“This is your business. Who you decide to tell is entirely up to you.”

“I guess,” Honey said. “But they have to know the whole story if they’re going to help you!”

“Maybe I’ll tell them eventually. For now, I’m just not comfortable.”

Honey squished you in a hug. “I’m sorry this happened, Y/N-chan. I wish I could hug it all better.”

“Me too.” You lifted your head to look at Mori. You raised your arm. “Group hug?”

“No.”

“Well, damn. Alright.”

Earlier in Y/N’s room, the hosts had been lounging around. Kyoya had opened all of the cabinets and drawers in the washroom and came up empty-handed. Hikaru and Kaoru were still flabbergasted at the state of Y/N’s closet. Tamaki spun lazily in Y/N’s desk chair, lost in thought. Haruhi was looking out the window—by far the most interesting thing in the room. Honey and Mori were speaking in low tones, both of their faces tense.

Everyone had expected the usual in Y/N’s room. Messy clothes. An embarrassing photo or two. Some obscure figurines. They had been ready to tease Y/N to oblivion, but somehow, this was a blow they hadn’t been expecting.

Nothing at all to work with.

There was a knock at the door. Everyone sprang up, expecting Y/N’s return. When Honey opened the door, however, it was only the housekeeper, a tray of food in her hands.

“Apologies for the interruption,” Ms. Shimada said. She peered into the room. “Is Y/N here? They haven’t had dinner yet.”

“I think they went up to the roof,” Haruhi said. “They wanted to get some air.”

“I see. I’ll bring this up for them, then.”

“I can do it!” Honey said, already taking the tray out of Ms. Shimada’s hands. “Would that be okay? Me and Taka-chan wanted to talk to them!”

“I don’t see why not. They’d probably appreciate the company.” Ms. Shimada handed over the tray. “Morinozuka-san, there’s some water downstairs if you want to grab that too.”

Honey and Mori left the room. Ms. Shimada was about to leave too when Tamaki said, “If you don’t mind me asking, Shimada-san, what happened to Y/N’s room?”

Ms. Shimada folded her hands in front of her. She looked more intently at Y/N’s room, as though just noticing it. “Ah, well, it didn’t always look like this. It was much more lively before they … redecorated.”

“What happened?” Kyoya asked.

“I shouldn’t say.”

“Please do,” Hikaru said. He led the housekeeper into the room, and then into the desk chair when Tamaki vacated it.

“Yes, please. We’re good friends of Y/N’s. We just wanted to know what happened. To support them,” Kaoru said.

Ms. Shimada sighed. “Y/N was different before the school break. Very lively. Very energetic. They were barely in the house most days. They took great pride in their room. They’re not much for art, but their room was the one thing they enjoyed decorating.” She smiled slightly. “They sometimes wouldn’t allow me to clean inside. They didn’t want me changing anything.

“But after the break, there was a clear change. They were quieter. They stopped going to a lot of their extracurriculars. I noticed they cleaned their room more often. Then they began throwing things out.

“Y/N moved their trophies to the basement. They donated most of their clothes. And everything else … they threw out. One day when I came in to straighten up, everything was just gone. When I asked Y/N about it, they wouldn’t give me a straight answer. They just said they thought it was time for a change. If it weren’t for me, there would be nothing in this room at all. Y/N didn’t want to replace anything. I think they wanted it to be completely empty.”

Ms. Shimada looked down at her lap, her lips pursed. Tamaki leaned down towards her, his expression gentle.

“Thank you for telling us, Shimada-san. We appreciate it.”

“I’m so glad Y/N is getting out again,” the housekeeper said. She looked around at all of the hosts. “I hope you’ll give them the encouragement they need. I know everyone would love to have the old Y/N back.” The housekeeper smiled sadly. “I’ve known Y/N since they were a child. They’ve never been like this before. They’ve always managed to bounce back, no matter what happened.”

The housekeeper took her leave after that. A thoughtful silence descended over the hosts.

“I mean … it’s not that unusual, is it?” Haruhi asked. “All of this?”

Kyoya gave her a long look. “You still don’t understand.”

“What is there to understand?”

The twins were leaning against the far wall, their eyes narrowed.

“The breakup at Malta affected Y/N a lot more than they want to admit,” Hikaru began.

“Dropping hobbies, suddenly changing their style, retreating into themselves, those are all signs of a bad breakup,” Kaoru continued. “It’s how people try to regain control.”

“Everything in their room must have reminded them of him,” Tamaki said. “They wanted to start over.”

Haruhi wrinkled her nose. “Are you sure you guys aren’t looking too deep into this?”

Kyoya gave Haruhi a decidedly patronizing pat on the head. “You still have much to learn, Haruhi. When you’re a host for as long as we are, these things are easy to pick up on.”

“Yeah, with how much the guests are always blubbering about this stuff,” Hikaru said.

“They just love talking about breakups,” Kaoru said, rolling his eyes.

Haruhi looked around the room. “If you say so. I still feel like if the breakup was really that bad, Y/N would’ve just said so.”

Tamaki shook his head wistfully. “If only it were that easy.”

Y/N returned later that evening to see everyone to the door. They thanked everyone for coming, seeming a bit more withdrawn than earlier. All of the hosts left politely, keeping whatever comments they had to themselves. Y/N looked tired. Now wasn’t the time.

As Tamaki and Kyoya headed back to Kyoya’s car, Tamaki couldn’t resist looking back, searching the windows for the light that was on in Y/N’s room. His gaze lingered on it, imagining Y/N in that cavernous room that was missing all of its life.

“It’s worse than we thought. Isn’t it, Kyoya?” he said softly.

“It would appear so,” Kyoya replied.

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#ohshc #ohshc x reader #ouran high school host club #gender neutral reader #disceohshc

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tendermiasma · 10 months

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I Hope this question won't attract unwanted crowd, I'll try to type it in a way it hopefully will prevent it, but I have a question. As a professional artist, do you have any advice on how to not feel discouraged by A /i g3 ner*a/t3d images? And what to do to protect my art from being stolen? Recently I discovered one person close to me, also an artist, started incorporating that into their works and got into selling stuff assisted by it, and I feel kind of... heartbroken, betrayed? I don't know what to do, it makes me not want to continue the relationship, because this stuff is, in my opinion, actively hurting artists, but on the other hand, I don't want to lose a friend over it. Also, I am afraid that the only way to prevent what I create from being stolen is to not share it online at all, which is also heartbreaking, because one of the biggest part of creating (at least to me) is a form of dialogue with fellow humans, sharing emotions, and interaction between the creator, the art and the audience. I just feel lost. Also, I really admire your art, your skill, and you inspire me in a very profound way, just wanted to say that. Hope you have a good day!

Hi! It's a really shitty situation and I also often feel really doom and gloom about the whole thing. But the reason I keep making art is simple: It is my greatest joy to communicate through art and with every piece I make I continue to assert over and over that my human soul and the expertise that comes with it is a thousand times more valuable than a machine, and even though a lot of people wouldn't give a shit if a person or AI made it, there are always people out there who will care. I just really, really love doing it even while capitalism and our culture of consumption is taking on new and terrible forms. If we stop making art, what's left? Just the machine and nobody to speak up otherwise. Do nothing and lose everything vs keep fighting and something else, something better by some measure happens. Action is always the cure. I'm a big believer in that because I've found it to be true.

We're at a crucial time in the entertainment and arts industries. We all have some measure of power we can use against emerging policies and trends that don't benefit/actively hurt us. The WGA is currently striking in part to make AMPTP reconsider their AI policy of essentially just updating the WGA on the technology's progess annually. Other organized labor in entertainment and visual arts can negotiate anti-AI clauses into their contracts to make it less acceptable as a practice overall. You can use Glaze on your work to confuse AI engines and they just came out with a new version that I hear is a pretty nice jump in how detectable the texture is to your eye in the images.

I'm sorry you're going through that with your friend, though. It's hard and messy and there's no set way to go about it. It all depends on what you value most and what your own moral compass is telling you what you need to do here. Personally if it were a close friend of mine, I would talk to them about it. Depending on how they respond, your decision still might be a hard one or they could make it very easy. They will absolutely tell you how much time you should invest into this. Even if their attitude is clearly signaling that they do not care about you here and that you should move on from the friendship, it's probably still going to be painful and you'll grieve it for a while. Surround yourself with friends who understand how you feel and time will do its thing.

I think you should take comfort in that if you continue with art, this won't be the hardest decision you'll ever have to make. You'll have to make harder ones and will still come out on the other side. Even if you choose not to share your art on the wider internet and keep it as a precious thing among a smaller group of friends, it still has just as much worth and as you go along you will naturally find a balance between risks and reward. Don't forget that speaking out does actually have power in itself. Remember we've been able to bully a few companies into rolling back harmful practices in the past year or so.

I hope that was somewhat helpful. We're all trying to figure this out together and there's always going to be a future for artists as long as we keep pushing back hard. Capitalism takes a mile when you give an inch so it always, always matters to be vocal, spread useful information, use anti-ai apps on your art etc. It takes more energy to stay away from something you really want to do so I'm sure you'll find a way to share your art in the capacity you're comfortable with.

#asks

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genericpuff · 4 months

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I have a fandom I'm into where the world building and writing in general is kind of terrible, and I keep going "Maybe ill make a comic retelling" but then I remember I haven't even gotten my personal comic started and think about how much effort you put in to this retellkng and go "No. I actually don't want to do that."

hey, whatever you do decide to do, it'll keep you creating! Rekindled is a side project that's helped me heal through a personal project that I'm currently recovering from burnout on, I didn't really think too hard about doing it, I just went where my interests were and it's gone through a lot of evolution since then. Don't feel like anyone else's work existing should keep you from creating, that's not why other work exists and ultimately the only one stopping you from doing what inspires you (or what you're inspired by) is you (•̀ᴗ•́)و

That said (big edit ahead because I realized I had more things to say on this LOL), I think it also depends on what you're retelling and why. I feel the reason why LO is so ripe for retellings is because it, in and of itself, is a retelling. Whereas original stories that aren't based on any sort of pre-existing source material aren't really able to be 'retold' in that same way because they're telling exactly the story they intend to tell from the beginning, vs. LO which is poorly adapting original source material that pre-exists it by hundreds of years. Case in point, I wouldn't feel compelled at all to "redo" a comic like Let's Play or The Kiss Bet because neither of those are attempting to retell specific stories, they are the story and so to put them in any other form wouldn't be the The Kiss Bet or Let's Play anymore, thus defeating the point lmao In that regard, Rekindled isn't exactly LO, it's as much a retelling of LO as LO is a retelling of Greek myth. But because it does have that original source material that predates it, it makes people feel more compelled to retell it with the foundation that LO laid (with its vibrant bright colors and modern setting) but tweaking things to make them more accurate - or at least respectful - towards the original myths.

So I think you do have to ask yourself what it is you're attempting to re-interpret and what the goal is in doing so. Remember that it's all still fanfiction at the end of the day so don't be doing anything risky that might implicate yourself of copyright infringement lmao (do your own research and well-testing to see if it's something that would be worth it for you in the long run).

There are definitely times I'll encourage people to focus on their own projects rather than try to polish someone else's turd if it's in the pursuit of "fixing" things, art can and should be allowed to exist regardless of whether or not it's perfect and LO isn't an exception to that. I'm not gonna try and defend Rekindled as an exception to those times I'd suggest people to work on their own thing, I could - and should - be working on my personal original projects rather than what Rachel brought into the world. But that's also why I give it such an original spin because I also want to tell my own story, simply through the lens of recreating a comic that I loved for so many years and was retelling myths that I have a close connection to. All in all, that's why I tell people to take my experience and advice and rants with mountains of salt. I'm not a one-stop-shop for all-encompassing advice or guidance on what you should or shouldn't do. And my work definitely doesn't exist as a metric for what should be done by others lol Focus on you and your pursuits! <3

#that said it also depends on the thing ur retelling haha #i think the reason why LO is so retellable is it because it in and of itself is a retelling #ama #ask me anything #anon ama #anon ask me anything

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needfantasticstories · 2 months

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SKIP'S LU MASTER POST

List of Collab project and my fics. All credit for creating LU goes to Jojo, who is amazing! And THANKS A MILLION to @hotcheetohatredwastaken for reading my stuff and offering advice and encouragement. She deserves all the love and kudos for her fics!

(My AO3 name is SkipBreaker)

WRITING PROMPTS

Collection: Write It In Your Style (or draw!)

Prompt: create something about the chain helping a family rebuild their house after a monster attack.

ALL products welcome if tagged appropriately. Let’s see all your styles and beautiful brains at play! Tag all your friends. There is no deadline. Tag works as “LU rebuild the house prompt” and please use TWs.

LU Rebuild the House Prompt | Archive of Our Own

MY FICS

Short Fluff/Crack

Sneaking Apples and Other Tales is a collection of one-shot crack or fluff pieces.

Short Angst

Febuwhump2024 one-shots with a few that carry between days, and some are draft chapters for my bigger fics, especially Hidden Hero because torturing Sky makes me feel big feelings.

Here Now is a short fic collab with the amazing artist @hiimgin over us thinking about how nice it would be for Hyrule to get a hug from the best huggers, Twilight and Sky. She turned it into beautiful art, and I turned it into a whump-lite fic.

Longer Works-In-Progress

Angst-heavy for now, but they have bits of romance, fluff, and crack, and I'm slowly adding more. Update irregularly. If there are things you want to see in them, feel free to tell me and I'll consider it! Feedback keeps me alive.

Hidden Hero: Prequel to Blood and Blade where Sky has a terrible bad time during the War of Ages. Ghirahim makes good on some of his promise during Skyward Sword and keeps Sky from interfering. Sun, wrestling with the hurt Goddess within, will not stop until he's safe. (We were robbed to not get to play Zelda's arc, so I'm giving her a turn as the hero!)

(Warrior, I'm coming for you and the battle of Skyloft, someday...)

Blood and Blade: Ghirahim becomes everyone's problem when he ends up in Wild's era. My most ambitious project so far. A lot of elements for this fic and HH were taken from my first LoZ fic, TBD.

Friends and Foes: The start of my Hyrule kick, wherein Hyrule does a very Hyrule thing: gets injured while lost, and makes new friends. They kind of remind him of the Links. What could go wrong?

TBD: my first fanfic, and strictly LoZ set between BotW and TotK for now, though it could become LU. Wild has a terrible time when the Yiga start to recover after BotW. (Romantic fluff in the beginning, and other parts are probably so cringe, but I don't care anymore. I'm allowed to be a little freak. It's unfinished, like all my big fics, and it will probably change a great deal along the way.)

#skipwrites #lu fanfiction #linked universe #linked universe fanfic #build the house challenge #loz fanfiction

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thevindicativevordan · 6 months

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For all Seasons?

Overrated and like most Loeb books, primarily carried by the art.

Totally understandable given it is an absolutely gorgeous book. Rereading it took my breath away at every single spread, to the point I was sorely tempted to get the Absolute just for the art. Sale nails every single location, he can evoke Norman Rockwell with Smallville and then you turn the page and he's depicting Metropolis as the Art Deco wonderland of adventure it should be. Bjarne Hansen's coloring perfectly sets the tone for each of the seasons: bright spring, upbeat summer, melancholic fall, and then a gloomy winter that gives way to spring once more. On art, few are the names which can match these guys.

Great as the art is the writing is very basic. Clark is a good if simple lad who wants to help people because his salt of the Earth farmer folk raised him right. He reaches adulthood and realizes he doesn't want to spend his entire life in Smallville - choosing to leave after confessing his secret to Lana. After a period of adventures as Superman in Metropolis -where he earns the attraction of Lois and the enmity of Lex - someone dies while helping him save Metropolis which makes Clark depressed and pushes him to run back to Smallville. He and Lana reunite, she helps him rediscover his confidence, he saves Smallville from a flood and moves back to Metropolis. That is the entire plot and it's as barebones as the summary reads.

There's a few interesting bits that don't go anywhere: Clark remarking that Metropolis doesn't feel like home but Smallville doesn't anymore either is relatable to me. That part of growing up hits hard for anyone who has moved out of their parents' house and then returns to their childhood home for a visit. Pete chewing Clark and Lana out for getting the opportunity to leave Smallville that he always wanted, only to run back with their tails between their legs was nice. For All Seasons is my first time finding Pete interesting and I wish he had gotten his own issue where we see his perspective on Smallville. Everyone else waxes on about the town's greatness but that clearly is not how Pete feels, and a chance to see him express his view to contrast with the rest might have spiced things up. Ma and Pa offer the usual cliché cornfed wisdom if you like that sort of thing.

Characterization wise, Clark barely gets any? Since he doesn't get to narrate any sections of the book, we're stuck seeing him through other peoples eyes. He's nice, strong, principled, and has his head stuck up his ass. "Basic" is the best way to put it, he lacks the nuance or depth of other portrayals. A few good moments stand out, my favorite is when he cheekily escorts Lex's helicopter back to Lexcorp Tower after Lex has been arrested, that was funny and I wish we got more of that. It's not a terrible take, but I've read better elsewhere. Could just as easily see someone reading this and walking away thinking Superman is boring as I could see them reading this and coming away a fan. Probably the most damning thing I can say is that the "real" Clark is the most boring of the three identities. Metropolis Clark has an underrated sense of dry humor, Superman has a "friendly neighborhood hero" vibe that makes him endearing, but the "real" Clark in Smallville comes across as a dope who is always in need of simplistic advice, and walks through life with a wide-eyed puppy dog look that makes him feel stupid. Just doesn't come across as very bright in his "real" self.

Lois is... ok. Cast in the mold of the Byrne Post-Crisis model where she was sucking up to Lex Luthor until Superman came along and she switched to pursuing him. The feistiness and dedication to the story are there at least, and I do love how Sale draws her. But the only moment with Lois that I actually rate highly is the one where she's snooping through Clark's belongings, assumes the "L.L." he's talking about in a letter to his parents refers to her, and when Clark catches her she tries to gaslight him into thinking she's doing him a favor. Hilarious moment, but Lana honestly comes across more as Clark's great love here. She's the one he's thinking of even years after they last saw each other, she plays a critical part in pushing him to become Superman in the first place albeit indirectly, and at shakes him out of his funk when he's at his lowest. If this was one of the definitive works for Post-Crisis Superman, I finally kind of get why some writers preferred Lana over Lois.

Lex is lame as hell. Diet Kingpin indeed, his plan is underwhelming to put it mildly. He's not smart enough to create a virus himself so he has to hire someone else to do it for him? Not muh Lex. Knocking the entire city out just to set up one person dying on Superman's watch because that will make Superman quit is stupid not smart. Supes does recognize that Lex is probably responsible for the virus, that he doesn't immediately suspect Lex set up this woman to die just to screw with him feeds into what I said about this Supes sometimes being a dope. Pa gives him a pep talk regarding this that boils down to "sometimes you're going to fail" and yeah no shit. A grown ass man needs to hear that from his dad because Lex telling him he sucks and should quit is enough to get him to flee back home after one failure? Feud between the two of them here feels like an old man seething about the damn kid on his lawn rather than a titanic battle between Men of Tomorrow who each have their own idea of the future.

If I only got to recommend five books to win someone over to liking Superman, this wouldn't be one of them. It's fine, if you want a Superman book that makes you feel wholesome inside then go ahead. If you want to see Tim Sale absolutely knock you on your ass with great art, definitely check this out. For someone who thinks Superman is boring? I don't think this is going to convince very many otherwise.

#superman #for all seasons #jeph loeb #tim sale

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daydreamerfox · 11 months

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Hi! I have a few things I wanna say! It's all under the cut so it won't occupy too much space, also, please enjoy this cute fanart of Layla, my child who I relate to way more than I wish I did

Maybe you’ve noticed that I've been kinda quiet the past few weeks… or months… Well, there’s a reason for that. At first I wasn't motivated at all to keep working with art, I mean, let's be real here, it's not really the easiest thing to work with... and we all know that. That fact plus not having my own computer to work whenever I want can lead to a lot of frustration. Feeling like drawing, but not being able to because of many reasons outside of my control can make my motivation vanish really quickly. I’m sure a lot of you can vouch for me on that, artist or not.

The thing is: I have been trying to keep going besides that, because "it's just a phase, things will get better, I just need to push past it" to a point where it was just bad for me in general and completely unhealthy.

I was avoiding drawing as much as I could and, when I did draw, I wasn't as productive as I wanted to be, because I kept getting distracted with everything else, procrastinating it as much as I could without realizing it, which would just lead to more and more frustration with myself.

I felt like I was falling behind, I wasn’t being able to post as frequently as I wanted to, so I thought maybe finishing Illustrations quickly was the way to go, but that would lead to me wanting to draw whatever and even then not being happy with the results. When I was happy with it it just didn’t get the attention I was expecting it to get, which just made me frustrated again and made me try to push myself even more, even though I didn’t have the tools I needed to finish any art piece on the time I decided to do it or I’d just pull all nighters just to get something done.

Whenever I thought of strategies of how to fix my problem I just felt lost. I knew where I wanted to get, what I wanted for myself, but I didn’t know what I should do to get there, I couldn’t get to a conclusion about it no matter what I tried. It just felt like I was doing a lot of work, but with no direction and it just made me be stuck at the same place, which would just tire and stress me instead of giving me any gratification

It got to a point where I genuinely thought about giving up working with art for good. If it was so bad for me, why would I keep trying, right? Maybe I should just try to find something I could work with instead, something that wouldn’t stress me so much, but I have to admit that just thinking about that possibility made me so anxious! Imagine myself not creating something as a career, not working on getting my comic done, not making my ocs be known, not creating art for games, it all just filled me with anxiety.

I wasn’t sure what to do anymore. Continue working in the way I was working was just tiring me, stressing me and just being terrible for me in so many different ways, but at the same time I know I need to do it for my mental health. I need to vent out, I need to express myself and the easiest way for me is through my art!

All I could think of the entire time was that I wanted my mom to still be here and help me find out what I should do!

It was a terrible weekend where I was thinking about it nonstop and wondering what to do and what path I should take. I was trying to organize my bedroom to at least try to keep my head occupied with something else for a moment, and then I found an old notebook where my mom wrote something for me and along with many things she wrote:

“Never give up on your dreams. Know that sometimes they don’t come true in the time we want because there’s always the right time for it to happen”

It might not seem much for you but this sentense alone kind of made everything click for me. It was just the one thing I needed, the advice from my mother I was looking for.

I think it’s important to say that I didn’t feel better right away, but at least I knew I couldn’t give up like I was thinking about doing. When my friends asked me what would be my decision, I still wasn’t sure, but I knew I couldn’t and I wouldn’t give up, so I wanted to try at least one last time…

Honestly I wanted to start working on it right away but I caught a cold right after I had that decision. I guess that was something else I needed: Time for me to plan out what I would do, rest, allow my body and brain to breath for a moment and not feel bad about it, just respect myself and not worry about being late for something I wasn’t late for. I shouldn't strain my body and I'm trying to understand that still. It’s not easy.

While I didn’t feel well enough to work I took a few classes on how to do what I’m planning to work on and, while that didn’t answer all my questions, at least that helped me a lot on knowing what path I should take to get to my goal. I know it won’t be easy, I know it won’t be quick, but knowing what I need to do to get there is enough for me not to be as anxious about running in circles trying to get somewhere. Even if sometimes I still get scared thinking about that possibility.

Ever since then I’ve been trying to organize myself, I’m documenting it, making a few vlogs (It’s in portuguese, but I can subtitle it for the people who can’t speak portuguese, if you guys want it). I’m planning on talking about what’s working for me and what isn’t, what are my thoughts about this process and what I wanna keep doing or not. Maybe some of it might help someone who’s struggling like I was, and if it does, then I’ll already be happy.

Making videos like that is something new for me, so it might take a bit long for now, but I want to make something nice for everyone. I’ll also write down my thoughts about it, post it here and on my other social media (I’ll try to make something kinda regular, but I’m still thinking about how often I’ll do it.) I know not everyone enjoy watching videos and sometimes can focus better on reading things and either way that’s a way for myself to organize my thoughts. I’ll write it down anyway, the difference is that I’ll post it and hopefully help someone.

I might add a few WIPs here and there, but it’ll mostly be focused on my organization and my journey to become the artist I wanna be.

I’ve also found a notion template that is actually working for me and I’m able to organize all the posts for different platforms I was so desperately trying to make (it's easier to keep track of everything if they’re in just one plae and it’s easier to reschedule things if they’re digital)

It’ll be a long way, I know that, but I’m glad I haven’t given up yet and you guys are more than welcome to join me, if you want to! I'll love to share this with you and know what's working and what isn't working for you guys! We can always share tips and tricks with each other!

I hope to be able to show up here more often and that you guys can have fun and maybe feel motivated to follow your dreams or try to reach your goals too. Maybe I’m dreaming a bit too high, but I just need to be patient and keep working for it, trying to make things work and most importantly, not giving up!

On a higher note: my sister helped me fix a laptop so I can work on it most of the time and a friend of mine is helping me build an actually good computer for myself, though I don’t know how long the latter will take, it’s already good news… at least in my opinion.

Here's my youtube channel for those who want to check on the vlogs (though I'll still let you guys know when a new video's out)

And if you prefer any other social medias:

Insta: https://www.instagram.com/daydreamerfox.art/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/daydreamerfox Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/daydreamer_fox

#Genshin impact #Layla #Fanart #brazilian artists #brart #Sumeru #daydreamerfox #🦊 The Artist Rambles #(I should probably make one of those pretty and aesthetically pleasing deviders just so I'll be happy looking at written posts on my blog)#art.txt

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touhoutivations · 9 months

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my anxiety disorder is terrible lately and I'd like some advice. from any of the taoists, especially seiga (they're my favorites and probably makes it obvious to my friends who is requesting this)

"Oh? I never knew I was so adored, how wonderful! I'm always happy to give advice to such a devotee, fufu~"

"It's been a long time since I've felt worry… but outdated still are some perspectives on anxiety. Some say that it's 'from desires' that things like human suffering is caused…but I don't think that's quite true. If you'll allow me to be a bit wicked, desires such as wanting to feel in control aren't inherently bad. It's when these blind and block us that we slip up. Me telling you that your desire to not have anxiety is what's causing you to have it is simply inaccurate."

"Instead, wouldn't you argue the more Taoist approach is to operate within the tools you've been given? You cannot will the cage out of existence, but you can cut a hole in it, or gain the flexibility to travel the world within it."

"With hardship, I want you to think of yourself not as a person struggling under a waterfall, but as one that serenely stares up at the surface, or one that controls a wave. Breathe, and I don't mean subtle invisible breaths, you are allowed to take up space in this world. Try to find a visual that helps you, whether that's winding a fishing rod up, a windmill, a hamster on a wheel, I like to think about such things when it comes to circular breathing, like winding yarn and then unravelling it."

"Congratulations, you've taken control. By merely a breath, you've commanded your body, you own yourself. Such power with such a small technique. Now, I shall teach you metamorphosis. Don't be scared, it'll take time. Now, accepting that the world will keep turning and to move past them is a bit boring. This is a technique Taishi-sama and Futo use too- grandeur. Invert that voice that insists you're inferior, and have instead a 'hype man' of sorts."

"For example, how would Futo-san word it…'Begone! Foul thoughts- thou art clueless of the majesty of our lord, for thy seeth- they have seer-like ability, concerned with all- verily. Verily! They struggle, and yet- and yet- 'tis only a testament to a strength thee cannot comprehend!'" "Fufu, I should do that more often…Regardless, I promise you that you're well on your journey- and I believe in your conviction. After all, you have wonderful taste in exemplars~"

#seiga touhou #seiga kaku #anxiety #mod yuyu #touhoutivations #ask #advice #touhou positivity #i wanted to try capture a bit of seiga's laxness and selfish tendencies as well as her knowledge on taoism for this one aerhgbfdsb #i did some brief googling on taoism and i acknowledge that beyond it being out of my expertise i intentionally twisted a few things #in true seiga fashion i feel she would tweak and pluck from texts as she wishes #if anyone wants to give some Epic Taoist Facts and Logic I'd be happy to learn though!#also excellent taste in characters anon seiga (and the taoists) are a personal underrated favs of mine #sprites are from mystia's izakaya !

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al-the-remix · 2 months

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🦷🌿🍅

🦷 share some personal wisdom or a life hack you swear on:

I hate to sound like a boomer, but there is no foul mood i've been in that hasn't been improved by going for a walk. Like yeah it won't cure your major depression, but being in the sun and looking at the birds will it will make living slightly more bearable for at least half an hour.

🌿 give some advice on writer's block and low creativity:

If you're struggling with writing (or pursuing any form of art) I think most people would benefit from doing their best to make it a habit instead of something you only do when you're ""feeling creative"". Give yourself a reachable daily goal and time limit but don't feel like you have to hit it and if you don't you've failed. The most important part is having a quiet moment to reflect on your writing with no distractions. This could be 50 words or 2000 words, half and hour or three hours, the most important part is making it manageable and adaptable as part of your daily routine. For instance if my goal is 2000k for the two hours i have to write in the morning if i hit that goal specifically that's great, but also if i've only written 50 words and maybe those words aren't even final prose, it doesn't matter because i've spent those two hours solving problems and learning more about my work. And i know if i do this every day there will be a day down the road where i'm really on a roll and end up writing over 2000 words and everything evens out in the end. The one exception I have to this is that if you've been working and working on something for a while now and what you previously written and loved now feels terrible and bland it probably means you need to step away for a bit and come back to your work later with fresh eyes. Allowing yourself a break can really help with solving problems, especially in the editing phase. The point is to not beat yourself up so much over "producing" or "not producing" that you end up burning yourself out. Instead try and make writing (or drawing or whatever) a sustainable and enjoyable part of your life.

🍅 give yourself some constructive criticism on your own writing:

I definitely still struggle with my prose when it comes to deciding how much detail to include and when. But also self-critique is so hard because it's like the most subjective thing. I love details and I feel like sometimes I can get sucked into the spiral of "and then he did this and then he felt this and then his heart fluttered" but then when I try and self correct I get the newspaper roll to the head from @sevenfists for not applying enough emotional exposition. Or I'll think I'm failing at conveying the emotional elements of the story when actuality that parts fine and there is something else in there I could improve on. Really the best thing you can do is find someone you trust and who has similar opinions on what they need out of a narrative as you do, and let them to critique your work and beta read because they're going to have a much better objective eye than yourself, lol.

#asks

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kriimhild · 2 years

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Im asking as anonymous because im have social angsiety and this is the only way i feel i can remotly do it i have debated around a month of how to just go about talking about this and today i tryed to join the security breach show server on discord and imiditly left cause of how scared i got i havent posted my own stuff on my blog bevause im scared and just wanted to know....how the heck do you do it how the heck do you have the courage to do what you do? Heck im trying to write i fan fiction only to scrap it like once every two days....

It's something that artists have to learn (if they want to). In order for people to remember you, they have to know you. And the easiest way to do that is to publish. I see a lot of people afraid to publish, and mostly because they're afraid of disappointment. The negative feedback they might get. All I can always say is think about what could happen. I've never written next to my drawings that I am in a developing phase, because I'll always be in a developing phase. Even now. But if you feel safer that way, Feel free to make a fine print stating that you are a beginner. But never write something like "I know I'm suck. Don't look at it, I'm so terrible." If someone still says it sucks, give a big, thicc shit. As long as they can articulate what they don't like about our art, we should be happy with that, because it smells like a constructive criticism, which is very important in development. And if all you get is "lol you suck, your art's suck!" kind of message, then…well…what do you do with that? Delete the hell out of it and ignore. Someone's not paying attention to what their kid's doing again. At the first hand, you work for your own entertainment. There'll be people who love you and protect from any bully. You know, one of the hardest things about being an artist is learning to hold up your middle finger when you need to. I'll tell you smth. My partner's one of the most serious critics I know. He looked at my recent animation and said it had little to do with the lyrics. Ngl, I felt like shit. It wasn't the art the main problem, but the fact that I can't English properly and I'm listening to the rhythm, because I'm an instrumental person. For almost two weeks I've been trying to figure out how the two are related. If it doesn't work out, I'll just do it the way I originally planned. The audience will decide if they like it. If not, I'll think about my next clips. Do whatever you want, it's your imagination, your hand, your pen.

(I found this on Twitter, and I love it) We try to keep the server safe and clean, and the whole staff puts a lot of work into making sure that everyone's comfortable and has a good time in the community. It's not easy, because every day more people join and it's harder and harder to keep an eye on everything. Nevertheless, we're trying. If someone behaves rudely, we'll look at them with an angry-mom looking. I think the server is a safe place for a young, fresh newcomer to get to know people. We can't look after artists one by one, but we try to give out support and advice as much as we can. I don't know how much this message has helped, but I hope that I've encouraged you to share whatever you have with the world.

#Kriim advices #askbox

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stillyour-sweetheart · 11 months

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Hi <3 I came across some of your old posts about heartbreak. I am going through something similar and have been feeling down lately. Your feed feels so welcoming and warm :-) How did you find healing and peace?

Awe, hello there! First of all, thank you so much for liking my feed and for taking the time to send me a message. Secondly, I’m so sorry for what you’re going through… I know how much this hurts. It’s like a pain that can’t be described. It’s a pain that I wouldn’t want to wish upon any of my enemies. It really, really hurts. You know, it’s funny (in a very sad and ironic way). So the heartbreak and guy that you’re referring to happened more than a year ago already. Within that timeframe, I happened to find someone new about 6 months later (this was totally by chance bc I wasn't even looking!) We dated for 6 almost 7 months, and he just recently broke up with me around 2 weeks ago. I hope that makes sense, I know it sounds really convoluted. Basically, what I’m trying to say is that I’m experiencing heartbreak all over again, but with a different person. It feels fresh – again.

Unfortunately, I can’t say that it gets any easier the more you go through it. Each relationship is so different and you learn so many things. It feels terrible to feel like ‘the one’ has slipped through your fingers. It’s hard to readjust to live on your own again and to build yourself back with the now broken pieces. Some things that I’ve found that do help are being honest with your struggles and reaching out to your support system. People who can fill your cup with genuine love. Your cup will feel empty right now because you won’t have the energy to fill it up yourself. I have been talking to a lot of my friends about the way that I feel. I’ve reached out to my sister, something that I’ve always wanted to do and failed to do last time. Each person comes and listens and gives advice and different perspectives, but they all do so lovingly and with tact. I find this helpful. I am fortunate enough to be surrounded by a really good and close-knit support system made up of people that I trust with my life. I utilized that because I’m the type of person who needs to talk to someone, I can’t bottle things up. It hurts more to be in my head. Surround yourself with love. Try not to equate yourself with the love that has left, but the love that still continues to surround you.

Other things that help (as cliché as this sounds) are just keeping yourself busy/distracted. Put out your emotions and make them into something tangible. Do you like art? To draw? Do it. Do you like coffee? Go out and get some. Have you been meaning to clean your room? Check out that vintage store? Or listen to that new album? Do it! Now is a good time to fully indulge in the things that you’ve been pushing to the side for whatever reason. Fully immerse yourself in them (this is assuming that none of them are unhealthy of course).

But even with that being said, don’t ignore how you feel either. Don’t be SO distracted that you push all your feelings aside. FEEL THEM! Cry! Be MAD! Be confused! Sometimes I’ll just sit on the couch at the end of the day, and simply cry. The feeling of wanting to cry comes out of nowhere, but I allow myself to do it. I cry and I feel my whole face wet, and then I continue to sit. And the feeling moves on. It comes in waves. Expect to feel not in control of them, and let them come and go as they please.

I don’t know if any of this was helpful or not… I’m so sorry that I wrote so much. But one last thing I do want to tell you and emphasize is this: every relationship is made up of two IMPERFECT people. NO ONE person is to blame for the end of it. Each person shows up with the insecurities and shortcomings they have and hope to make things work. Sometimes it does, sometimes it doesn’t. It doesn’t mean there wasn’t love. It doesn’t mean that your efforts and feelings are invalidated. I think that’s one of the hardest things for me to believe – that the love was real even though the results tell me otherwise. Every ending of a relationship I get so fixated on the fact that I hope that the guy regrets, and this is something you won’t know (unless for some reason they come back saying it). However, something I CAN tell you for SURE is that whether they regret or not, they won’t ever find another YOU. Why? Because there is only ONE you. Take comfort in that and be proud of yourself and who you are because in that sense, you are irreplaceable. Does that make sense? You bring to the table strengths, history, weaknesses, etc. that no one else can. And they will realize this.

Again, I’m sorry you’re going through this. I really do wish I could help take your pain away, especially because I know how much it hurts. Just know that you will and can get through this. You will shine even brighter than before and in that way, your love will also emulate that when you decide to love again. I’m here for you if you need anything else! And thanks for reading and entrusting me with your message <3

#ask #anon #reply

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ethereal-originate · 3 months

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RANKING TDI GEN 4 CHARACTERS 🏝️

AXEL: (B) S1, she really didn't leave an impact to me, since she was eliminated early. All she was is a person who believes the zombie apocalypse will happen. But she nice enough to make breakfast for everybody (even tho it was gross). S2, I started to like her more since she tries to be nice and makes friends as possible. It great that she has hobbies of Art 🎨(I will like to see more of that than Zombies since no teenagers talks about Zombies). I honestly didn't expect her and Ripper will happen. It actually cute pair together. But, I didn't like how they were making out a lot in ep 7. But I understand why the writer did it so they can be double eliminated. It feels dirty that she got eliminated bc she a “biggest threat” even tho there Caleb & last season winner, Priya. If there S3 , I want both of them to agreed to focus on the challenge while together. If Ripper is eliminated early, the writer can focus on Axel. I wonder how Axel family will react if she brings Ripper for family dinner. 😆

BOWIE: (B) S1, he alright. I like his friendship with Emma. Wishing they talk more. S2, I like when he giving relationship advice to Ripper and he feels bad for cheating when Raj doesn't like it.

CALEB: (B) S1, Actually surprised he the first person to be eliminated. S2, from the person to be eliminated to a person who actually got to the finals. He alright. He got more role this season. His relationship with Priya is alright. I didn't like when they are fighting again when Caleb ally with Julia, it was nonsense.

CHASE: (D) He a jerk. He delusions and has no remorse for cutting Emma car brakes. I don't know why no one defend Emma when she trying to tell Chase it over.

DAMIEN: (B) One of my favorite characters.

EMMA: (C) S1 is just about her and Chase. She could have simply ignored Chase. And just say no whenever he says something. S2, she finally break up with Chase and hope in S3 it won't be the same as S1

JULIA: (B) Julia & MK friendship came out of nowhere. I won’t be surprised since the writer always write things out of nowhere and it only 13 episodes they can make, so of course they will fast paced.

MILLIE: (C) She was ok.

MK: (C) She was meh in S1. But the writer did good for making me hate both her & Julia. Isn’t it dumb that she exposed herself that people shouldn't underestimate her in a live reality show?? She literally caught stealing! Like how come no contestants aren't threatened by her? Shouldn’t she be arrested? I feel S3 she won't have no purpose since everybody knows she & Julia are cheaters. I won't be surprised she will be the first person to be eliminated. I will like to see 2 new villains taking their places, pretending to be nice as Alejandro did.

NICHELLE: (B) Same as Caleb & Axel. She didn’t left an impact but revealed she doesn’t do her own stunts. S2, I actually thought she will be in the finals. But sadly no. Hollywood should hire her for the hard work she been doing. I like her friendship w/ Damien and hopefully in S3 she will train him.

PRIYA: (B)

RAJ: (B)

RIPPER: (B) S1 he gross. I waited for this guys to be eliminated early. When they hint that his parents are abusive, I felt sorry for him. In S2, I started to like him more. He become a better person this season. Did he realize that girls are strong & wise bc of Priya & Axel? I’m honestly surprised he developed a crush on Axel. This guy has a lot of confidence to win Axel heart. 😆 It so romantic once he found out Axel interest, he wrote a poem just for her. Very Sweet! 💕 Hope these 2 last forever and isn’t written terribly like the other former couples.

SCARY GIRL: (C)

WANYE: (B) Just like Raj, he such a goofball. I’m ok that he S2 winner. ZEE: (A) Also one of my favorite characters! He funny and nice. Im so glad they don’t have to shove down my throat that he disabled, like very dumb woke shows/movies. He just a guy who born as an amputee. Nothing wrong with that! I actually love that a Soda company made him to sponsor their drinks! 😆 Never change Zee!

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