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damnation-if · 10 months

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Hi, I just played the demo and I loved it! I was wondering if you could give us an estimate of when the next update is coming?👉👈 (Or link a relevant post, if you already talked about and I just didn't scroll down far enough to see it 😆)

Also, I wanted to check, can you be in a romantic relationship with more than one character, and not just a sexual one? Because I might be in love with every single character in this game 🤭

hi, thank you! i'm glad you're enjoying the game :) i've answered the question about romancing multiple characters a couple of times in a couple of different asks but the posts all kind of link back to each other so you should be able to find all the info by. following the various links in each ask i think, starting here XD

i'm going to put the answer to your other question under a cut because some of it is quite emotional for me

i did Sort Of talk about this at the time when it happened, by which i mean that rather than making a post, i talked about it in the tags of an unrelated post i was using to distract myself (i think it was character playlists and how i'm not sure if it's a good idea to do them or not if i recall), but earlier this year while i was already going through a really rough time, my laptop died and i lost a lot of work on the game.

i knew my laptop was old and that this was possibly approaching so i made regular backups and the good news is that because i write in a separate word document and keep backups of those also i didn't actually lose any Writing. however. my twine has a problem in that every second or third game file that i publish from the build is Haunted - it contains passages i removed weeks ago, or writing that i deleted long before publishing it, that kind of weird annoying shit. (other authors have seen my files do this lmfao) and i just have to hope that the backups i make either won't be needed or aren't haunted. anyway... because hope is futile, the last backup i made was indeed haunted, and utterly useless to me as a recovery file. because it's just twine, i still have all the writing, as i mentioned... but i would have to re-code the entire chapter and put it all back together again because of how much the file did not export, which is a complicated and daunting process.

so i made a rambling explanation of this in the tags of a post and decided to take maybe a couple of days off and cool down from this specific disaster before getting into it.

i wake up the next morning to find the IF community absolutely plastered all over with Helpful Informative PSA posts about how Silly it is not to make backups and how if you just make backups you'll never have problems again and you should know better than to not make backups.

now. i'm not a catastrophist. i know for a fact that nobody was making or spreading these posts out of cruelty or a desire to make me feel bad. i also know that it's not particularly realistic to expect people who don't even know me to hunt down the source of a piece of hearsay that's like "i heard from someone that someone said that an author lost a bunch of their files and is really upset about it" to find out what the situation is and whether or not it's what they imagine. i don't even think the vast majority of people knew who it was that was the author involved, or who i am either.

but to already be going through an extremely stressful time and then lose my laptop on top of that and then be obliquely referenced by people i thought of as my peers as kind of just a big silly bumbling goose who didn't know how to manage my files and a "don't be like this person" attitude really, really hurt me. i can't express just how deeply it hurt me. one particular author was openly laughing at me and saying it was my own fault for being too stupid to make backups using a certain twine peripheral program.

so. there was a period of time where i could have found the motivation to just restart the whole chapter myself and re-code it in a frenzy because i wanted to get right back into writing it because. like a lot of authors, i LOVE writing. that's why i do this even when it's difficult. but that potential recovery was sandblasted away by the reactions of people that i thought of as my colleagues in some sense (even though i understand that they didn't do it with bad intentions, in most cases). and i hope people can understand that it greatly lengthened the amount of time i needed to spend away from the game recovering emotionally, despite being a Very Small issue to most people. i'm literally upset again just typing out this answer lmfao

however one other small piece of good news is that my laptop seemingly just lost the ability to turn itself on (because of its age) so i Think the hard drive is intact. meaning that i think i can get someone to pull all the files off it and just have them back fine once i do. the other piece of bad news is that my life is a trainwreck! and i cannot afford that right now. which is why i sort of pivoted to writing the 2000 follower celebration sidegame as a way to enjoy myself while i hurtle through hell sdjgbdfhfdgh

shortly after this thing with the laptop the house i was living in was sold out from underneath me, even though it wasn't supposed to be, and i had to find somewhere to live with my 18 year old cat, but the city i lived in had zero places that would allow cats (they're totally fine with Dogs though of course) so i had to move to an entirely new city on my own while worrying about her health. and right now i spend every fortnight desperately trying to scrape together enough to survive the next fortnight. there were entire months where i had no access to internet! it's been pretty Bad!!

so i get that people really want updates, and i'm really flattered that people do and it makes me happy that people like the game so much. but i am currently expending so much time and energy trying not to die lmfao, and i need to save up the money to get my files back around that. i truly cannot tell you when the next update will be, but i promise you that it Haunts me, probably more than you can imagine XD the sidegame will Definitely come out before it though, if that's something you're looking forward to.

thank you again for your message, and i'm sorry that i don't have good news for you. but i am trying, constantly. every day.

#what does the chaos mirror see #eternal-flame #i hope it doesn't come across like i'm mad about this question because i'm not<3 #it's just that my life is really terrible! and i constantly feel tense and upset about it! lmfao #i was SO nervous when i published the game for the first time that the build i published would be a haunted one lmfao #literally combing through every single accessible passage with a magnifying glass to make sure it wasn't #would it have been better to get the haunting out of the way with publishing the game or keep it for this backup problem?? i don't know #wish it just wouldn't do it i guess. but then again i haven't noticed it as a problem since getting my new laptop #so hopefully i won't have to worry about it in future #hurgh... still not over this properly i guess lmao

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loveyouanyway · 4 months

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fuck it friday

tagged by @wikiangela <3

"Buck? Come back to bed." "I forgot to get my meds yesterday, of course I did so I haven't been able to sleep at all in the last 24 hours. I'm exhausted but my mind won't fucking turn off. Stupid pharmacy not being open after 5 PM. Fuck," he curses. Eddie squeezes his hand and replies softly, "We'll go pick them up before our flight. In the meantime, let me scratch your back and sing you a song." Buck nods and it feels like his heart is going to combust. He climbs back into bed and sighs in relief when Eddie begins to gently scratch his back. "Just focus on my words, okay?" Eddie starts to sing a Spanish lullaby Buck vaguely recognizes and he drifts into sleep before the song ends. Eddie falls asleep soon after with a smile resting on his face. They end up both dreaming of how it'd be like to be together as if they don't already act like they're dating.

npt: @steadfastsaturnsrings @hippolotamus @monsterrae1 @loserdiaz @honestlydarkprincess @bucksbackwardcap @housewifebuck @judehendr1ks @kaseysgirl86-blog @alliaskisthepossibilityoflove and you if you wanna share something!

you can interact with this post to be added to my taglist

#secret fic #its actually already published to ao3 but its apart of a gift exchange and its anon until writers are revealed on feb 1 #i mean itd be fine if i shared it now but like yk ill wait #anyway stay tuned for feb 1 #tho it wouldn't be very hard to find it yourself haha #buddie fic #nolan writes

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adrift-in-thyme · 8 months

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Whumptober Day 16: "Don't go where I can't follow"

Continuation of Day 10

Read it on Ao3

- Time, Twilight & Warriors

- Summary: The Chain attempts to rescue Time from the Lost Woods before it's too late

CW for mild body horror, blood and injury

-------------------

The battle against the Shadow is a long one. Warriors would be lying if he said he was surprised. The monster is more powerful than ever (likely because of all the life force he drained from the rancher, he thinks bitterly) and stubborn to boot. He is not one to go down easily.

But even the mightiest of evils can fall. Especially when faced with a group of furious heroes. Now he sits before them, bloodied and bound, still grinning as though the tip of the Master Sword is not pressed against his neck.

“Where’s Time?”

His voice is firm and almost devoid of the anger burning within. Warriors supposes years in the military have done him a favor in that respect.

“Tell us now or that blade will be the last thing you see.”

The Shadow’s grin grows wider and his gaze flits to where Twilight stands, pale and weak but practically emanating fury. “Oh, I’ll tell you. Though it will make little difference. He is well beyond saving, now. You took so very long to take me down, after all.”

The rancher steps forward, hands balled into white-knuckled fists. “Where is he?”

The Shadow chuckles. “So impatient. Haven’t you ever heard that good things come to those who wait?”

Sky presses the sword closer to the monster’s neck. His eyes are ablaze with a fire Warriors knows is always there yet rarely sees.

“Tell us where our friend is,” he says, voice dangerously quiet, like ice about to crack.

“Very well.” The Shadow blows out a long suffering sigh. “Your beloved leader has returned home.”

“To Lon Lon Ranch?” Wind asks, puzzled. But Twilight goes several shades paler.

“The Lost Woods,” he breathes.

The Shadow inclines his head in his direction. “Indeed. You know what happens when an outsider enters those woods, do you not, Hero of Twilight?”

“What?” All eyes turn toward Twilight. Wind’s are as large as saucers. “What happens?”

For a long moment, Twilight doesn’t speak. When he does his voice is nearly as brittle as Sky’s and far more bitter.

“They become stalfos. Skeletal creatures forced to wander the woods forever, bound by their lingering regrets.”

Warriors’ blood runs cold. He whirls back to face the monster, fighting to keep his composure.

“Take us to him, now.”

The Shadow’s smile is borderline demonic. “No.”

“No?” Legend squawks. “What do you mean no? What, can you not even open a simple portal now?”

“I mean just what I said,” the Shadow replies, coolly. “No. I refuse to take you to him. If you wish to speak your parting words to the Hero of Time, you must find your own way to reach him. I would hurry if I were you. He has been there for a few hours now. That is more than enough time for the forest to claim him.”

Twilight makes a choked noise that is half-growl and half-sob. Wild puts a hand on his arm.

“You do know you’re the one with the sword at your neck, right?” he asks, keeping his gaze on the Shadow. “You don’t really have a choice. You either take us to him or you die.”

“Are those really my only options?” The Shadow pulls his arms out from behind his back, eliciting exclamations of shock and anger from all over the room. He ignores them and lifts his arms with a tired sigh, rubbing at his wrists. “It’s too dull, really, only having two when the world is far more complex than that. Perhaps, next time you will provide me with a more invigorating challenge.”

Sky lunges forward, but the Shadow darts away with ease.

“Too bad that you didn’t win,” he coos, drifting like a smoke cloud on the opposite side of the room. “But you know, many claim that the need for vengeance is a strong motivator. I’m sure you will soon find that to be true.”

They jump for him almost as one. But he fades effortlessly into the shadows, leaving nothing except the echoes of his laughter and the heaviness of dark magic hanging in the air.

For a moment after he is gone, Warriors can only stand there, uncharacteristically paralyzed. Then, Wind’s voice jumpstarts him back into action.

“We’ve got to be able to find him! There has to be a way! Come on guys, think!”

“Yes.” He shakes his head, clearing visions of his little brother wandering like a phantom through the forest he once called home. “Yes, there must be a way. Does anyone have any items that might help us travel through time?”

Besides Time’s ocarina, he thinks, bitterly.

“Better yet, has anyone here conveniently gained the ability to open a portal?” Legend asks, drily.

Slowly, Hyrule steps forward. “Not on my own… But I think I might have an idea.”

Twilight’s eyes light up. “You do?”

Hyrule nods. “I can’t promise that it’ll work. But if Ledge and I work together we may be able to draw on the remains of the Shadow’s magic to reconstruct the portal. It won’t stay open for long though, so you’ll have to get him out fast.”

“How long is not long?” Wild asks, frowning.

Hyrule exchanges a look with Legend. The veteran gives an almost imperceptible nod.

“Ten minutes, at the most.”

Warriors takes a deep breath and blows it out. “That’s all we need.” ----------------

Time doesn’t exist in the Lost Woods.

There is day and night, of course. But they are the only things differentiating one hour from the next. There are no clocks to read the exact measure of how long you have been doing something. No set times to accomplish one task or another.

It is so very different from Termina. And yet, Time had forgotten. He had forgotten about that characteristic of his home.

Once he had loved it. Now, he abhors it.

It rids him of what little sense of control he still has, draining it away like it steals the air from his lungs, dries the blood in his veins. For the first time in a long time, he has no inkling of how many minutes, or hours, or seconds have passed. And he sags beneath the crushing weight of helplessness.

At first, he forces himself to continue fighting. He still has to save Twilight, after all, and the rest of his boys. He still has to return to Malon. So, he fights the forest with every ounce of strength he has left, until every part of him that is still human is broken and bloodied and his throat is so hoarse from screams of agony that speech is impossible.

He fights until he cannot any longer.

The forest is strong. That steadfast might once kept him safe from the horrors that awaited him outside. Now, it holds him fast, slowly draining the life from his aching body.

The vines are still around his neck, though their grip has loosened slightly now that he has practically given up. With the way that they have situated themselves, he has little choice but to gaze upward at the clouded sky. In the haze he floats within it is hopelessly blurred, merely a smear of greenish-gold.

Distantly, he wonders if he will still be able to see it at all once he fully belongs to the forest. Will it take his remaining eye too, leaving him to stumble around blindly? Or will it allow him the bitter mercy of being able to see the paths he no longer understands?

A tear rolls down his cheek, leaving a trail of fire. Time closes his eye.

Pain is all he knows now, its wrath unending. He can no longer tell where it begins and where it ends, whether or not it is from his mad struggle or his decomposing body. It doesn’t matter either way. The fact remains the same. This is his fate now, terrible though it may be. He fell right into its clawing clutches.

He failed. And this time there is no way to turn back the clock.

Forgive me.

Darkness draws at him, as the vines tighten anew. It tempts him, beckons him forth. But some part of him still yearns to remain awake, just in case some new opportunity decides to present itself. All he needs is for one arm to be free, after all. That is all.

Yet, that seems as impossible as ever, a foolish thought of one in denial about the approach of his own demise.

Perhaps, he should merely give in to the darkness, allow himself a short rest before he awakens to a nightmare…

“Old man!”

His eye flies open as the familiar voice reaches his ears.

Twilight?

He can hardly see past the nauseating spots of light and darkness, but when the rancher comes to stand before him he can just make out his face, anger and worry and something terribly close to guilt evident upon it.

What would he think, your pup, if he could see you now?

“Pup…you…you shouldn’t be here.”

“Yes, I should.” There is something almost ferocious in his voice. “This can’t happen. Not yet. I won’t let it.”

Yet?

He knew something like this was going to come to pass, Time realizes dazedly. But there is hardly time to ponder the thought further. Because Warriors has just stepped from the portal and is standing before him now, his usual mask cracking to reveal the horror beneath.

“Sprite what…what happened?” He rushes forward, already unsheathing his sword. “What did he do to you?”

Time drags in a breath. “Wasn’t him,” he murmurs. “Not really. It was the forest. Forgot me.”

Something flashes across Twilight's face, come and gone too fast to decipher. Beside him, Warriors shakes his head. Though he is obviously struggling to replace the facade of determination and bravado, it is a losing battle. His gaze keeps drifting to Time’s hands, face going paler with each trip.

“We’re going to get you out of here,” he says, voice firm. “Don’t worry.”

Both heroes raise their swords at the same time and bring them down. Time tenses, hope and fear warring within him. There is a thunk as the metal meets plant material and sends them to the ground. Seconds later, more spring up, tightening around his arms.

He no longer feels the pain of their constrictive grasp in the places that no longer possess nerves. No, those parts have an entirely different sort of agony, the burn as though unnatural flames still lick at him. But Time feels ill anyway.

“They grew back!”

Warriors turns toward the portal in a whirl of emerald and cobalt blue. “We need more help out here! Hurry!”

Twilight’s face darkens and hardens. He doesn’t wait for the answering calls of the others, or their thundering footsteps. He slices again and again, carving at the vines with a fervor Time has never seen before. But every time he cuts them down, they spring back up, growing quicker and more agile by the moment. And all the while the prickling burn continues to spread.

“Twilight.” It comes out as nothing more than a hoarse croak that sends sharp threads of agony through him. But he has to say it. He won’t let his boys fight the same fruitless battle as him. Especially when the same fate could befall them at any second. “Twilight, it…it’s alright.”

Twilight's head jerks up. He meets Time’s gaze with fiery eyes. But there are tears wavering just behind that steadfast determination. And it breaks Time’s heart.

“This is my fate.” He tries for a smile. He wonders if he can even form one anymore. Is his face already gone, features transformed into the grim glare of all stalfos? “There is no stopping it. Leave now while you still can. It is not your time.”

Twilight chokes on a sob. The tears he had been restraining begin to roll down his cheeks.

“It’s not yours either,” he grits out. “Don’t you give up yet old man. This isn’t your fate. Not if I have anything to say about it.”

“Not if any of us have a say in it,” Warriors pipes up. The other heroes are crowded around him now, all with horror in their eyes and determination etched across their faces. “After all, Malon will kill us if we don’t return you safely to her. And I would kinda like to stay alive for the foreseeable future.”

Then flee this place, Time wants to cry, before the forest claims you too.

But the captain is already turning away from him to address Sky.

“The Master Sword should be able to fight the forest magic better than any of our other items. You cut off as many of those things as possible and we’ll pull him free.”

The Skyloftian nods. With firm resolve in his movements, he raises his sword and brings it down in one, smooth, swing.

Everything goes blinding white.

Pain streaks through Time anew, so severe that a strangled scream breaks free before he can stop it. His back arches, hands curling into fists as his body fights of its own accord to escape the reach of this fresh agony. It is the same burn that accompanies the destruction of skin and muscle, only one thousand times worse. It feels as though he has walked right into the furious flames of Din’s fire.

It feels as though he is being torn apart.

“It’s working!” Warriors yells in the voice of a captain leading his men. A voice that leaves no room for the brokenness that tries to seep through it. “Keep going!”

Sky’s next swing is decidedly shakier. “I’m so sorry.”

Time’s only reply is another cry as it comes again, dizzying and nauseating and too strong to struggle against. He isn’t even allowed a second of respite. Once one strike is finished, Sky doesn’t hesitate to drive home another. Wave after wave of inescapable agony washes over him and Time begins to lose himself within it.

But then someone shouts, “now! Grab him!” and he plummets back into something resembling consciousness. Hands grasp his arms and pull. He can feel the vines snaking along the ground, clawing at his legs and feet even as his brothers drag him away. He tries to scramble up and away from them, but his body is no longer cooperative.

It doesn’t matter, however. Because before he can even comprehend what is happening they’re through the portal and the Lost Woods are disappearing behind them.

His supporters slide down to the ground and Time crumples along with them.

“We did it!” Wind exclaims, with a leap of joy. “You’re not skeletony any more!”

He’s right. Time forces his eye open for just long enough to gaze disbelievingly at his trembling hand. It is flesh and blood once more. As if it were never gone in the first place. As if it were all just another nightmare.

“Yeah…we did. You’re safe, Sprite.”

It’s breathed more than spoken. Time drags his attention away from his hand to see Warriors, his face completely vulnerable now, exhaustion and relief dancing in his eyes. When he realizes Time’s gaze is upon him, he sends him a shaky grin.

“And thank Hylia for it. I couldn't have wrangled this many youths on my own.”

Chuckles sound around the room, thick with relief. Time can’t dredge up the strength to reply, but he manages a smile at least.

“Thank you,” he murmurs, barely above a whisper.

“There’s nothing to thank us for,” Twilight says, with a watery grin. “I told ya old man, we weren’t gonna just leave you to a terrible fate like that.”

“Of course, not.” Warriors pulls him close and Time lets himself relax against him, just as he did as a small child, curled up beside his big brother. “You’re stuck with us, Sprite, whether you like it or not.”

Time hums and lets his eye slip closed. He can still feel the vines around him and the remnants of the searing agony of his transformation. But for now he can rest, for now he can let himself slip away.

Because, at last, he is home.

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lethalhoopla · 2 years

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I am once again losing my mind.

This time: I went to look up references of Varric, and just typed "Varric Tethras" into the search bar. I was going to just tab over immediately to the images section, eyes barely glancing over the obvious top-result fandom wiki, then (more entertainingly, but still expected) Wikipedia link-

but. but the next one.

GOODREADS??

.... There's absolutely no tongue-in-cheek in the entry either.

(of course I immediately clicked on it who do you think I am)

There are 3 quotes from him relating to storytelling, both from 2 and Inquisition, as well as a book attribution:

The Dragon Age Novel Edition of Hard in Hightown.

ATTRIBUTED TO VARRIC TETHRAS.

with Mary Kirby*~

Absolutely unblinkingly written summary/bio.

I love this with my whole heart. Varric you beautiful bastard -- and DA writers/editors (Mary Kirby very much most importantly included) you even more beautiful, dorky, wonderful bastards.

---

*if you're not in the know, Mary Kirby is a cornerstone of the DA writing team, including being the one who was in charge of Varric (and Merrill!). To say she's his "trusted human confidante" is certainly putting it one (delightful) way.

#dragon age #dragon age 2 #da2 #varric tethras #i love things like this idk its just so delightful to see the love for a character so clearly echoed from the writers to fans and back agai #like it makes sense HiH is on goodreads - its literally a published book! (you can read most of it in dai codex in fact)#very fun and cheeky novella - not originally planned to be written #but mary kirby did it during DAI's development during times the team would work on 'related projects' that #would flesh out/expand on the world but probably/likely wouldn't see the light of day (which is really cool and immersive)#she apparently banged out most of HiH in a WEEK as codex entries (which are only 500 words long MAX so she had a hard cap!)#woke up in a fugue state with it finished kinda vibes apparently XD #anyways a couple years after DAI she was contacted and asked if she wanted to make it into a publishable novella that'd be illustrated #she agreed and here we are lmao #but! it's By Varric *with Mary Kirby*#and idk #my lil storytelling loving heart just is so delighted about all aspects #and its lead to Varric having a true-blue goodreads profile #so much good shit in the world man #including weird lil website entries on behalf of fictional authors that have 'real' published novels thanks to Dedicated Writers #fucking impeccable shit man

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agentravensong · 1 year

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was just reading about the history of physics for my postmodern literature class (don't ask), and the first chapter of this book called "the quantum moment" talks about how issac newton's work led to a fundamental shift in how most people of his time saw and related to the world, allowing them to understand it as an ordered system where everything that happens is caused by forces that obey unified and consistent laws, with those underlying laws being something people could learn and grasp rather than chalking it up to the world working in "mysterious ways"

and my rotted, poisoned brain went, oh. that's why they gave rosencrantz those newton moments in the movie version of r&g are dead*. to coincide with his and guil's dawning realization that they live in a world where fate is (seemingly) fixed, and their attempts to figure out their world's rules and limits.

i could throw screenshots from the script of the play here to draw the comparison, from any of guil's monologues where he philosophizes and tries to make sense of the situation/setting they've found themselves in, but i need to be getting to bed. y'all get it though, right?

*while the apple falling on ros's end is arguably the only direct newton moment, i'm also lumping in some of his inventions, because of this bit from the same chapter of the book:

#rosencrantz and guildenstern are dead #ragad #for the record this book was published in 2014 and goes on to discuss how quantum mechanics fucked up the newtonian understanding of things #and had its own huge cultural impact on how people conceptualize the universe #i love reading about shit like this at 11 at night. i wouldn't have the brain sparks that lead to posts like this otherwise #i love being normal about the way i process media. i'm so normal you guys. so normal :)

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mermaidsirennikita · 18 days

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People are ridiculously entitled and it’s genuinely so disheartening. Books are someone’s ART. You don’t just get to alter a name in someone else’s creative work. (I’m appalled people out there think this is remotely acceptable - writers are not court jesters nor do they exist to please everyone - no human being nor their creative work does, in fact!) Thanks for putting your various responses out there! Here’s hoping people learn to respect and appreciate artists and creators once again

Quoth Nora Roberts:

I am not here to be a slave to certain reader’s wants, needs, whims. Again, I write what I write, and these are MY characters, in my books. Not yours. They are yours to enjoy or not, but they belong to me, they come from me...

You don’t have to agree, but I’m not writing for your particular point of view. Again, I’ve explained my reasons for this. I won’t do so again. My characters, my books, my decision. If you want something else, read something else.

And yes, I said that, too. Blast away, it changes nothing. I am not obliged to meet an individual’s demands.

So.

First off:

If you're really super chill about the idea of being able to change what writers write just because you didn't like a detail you think is small and irrelevant, I would sincerely encourage you to read La Nora's full thoughts on similar issues... and yeah, I'm gonna equate something as "small" as a name with what Nora's talking about here. Because it is ALL the author's domain. I've never personally subscribed to the idea that a work "isn't yours anymore" once it's out in the world. The way people interpret and interact with it isn't yours, sure. But it's still your creation, and you should be the only person with control over the content.

... and sometimes, I, as a reader, don't like what authors do with their content. I get it. I don't like that Lisa Kleypas edited her work years after publishing it, because I'm big on the "own what you wrote originally even if it's uncomfy" train... (for the most part--editing the fetishization of Cam and Kev would've made sense to me). And I don't think there's anything wrong with readers pointing out problematic shit in a writer's work, offering critique in an open forum, as Smart Bitches, Trashy books did when reading Hello, Stranger, which I speculate may have prompted some of Lisa's edits.

But! I can't say that it would ever be my right as a reader to, say, use future technology to tell my reading device "edit out the times Cam says shit that reads super fetishized". It's just kind of repellent to me to imagine rewriting someone's work in any way without their permission. Fuck, I don't even like the idea of estates releasing sequels or revised versions of books unless the author indicated that such was in their wishes in their will. (See: the TWO official Gone with the Wind sequels/prequels/whatever authorized by Margaret Mitchell's estate.)

We, as readers, have our lanes. The writers have theirs. And sometimes, as writers, they do tiny things or BIG things in their lanes that we dislike. (I love Tiffany Reisz's Original Sinners series, for the most part. I really, REALLY hate the most recent book in the series. HATE. IT. But the only thing I can do about that shit is just pretend that book never happened, which I actually can fairly efficiently because I do in fact control what my brain does. Or, seek out books that give me what that series didn't with that most recent book. Sierra Simone's do a bangin' job.) But you know... Not only do I not think it is safe for me to merge into their lane... I don't want writers to feel like they have to submit to demand and give away pieces of their work in order to keep selling.

(And honestly? For the vast majority, I don't think it would make enough of a difference anyway--writers are often sold bills of goods with new strategies or tech. "This will change the way you sell books". Most writers won't ever be able to write full time anyway, and I find the way that this fantasy that you'll be able to do otherwise with THIS TECH optimizing your writing time, or THIS SUBSCRIPTION increasing the eyeballs that will see your book... Scammy. Not all of it's bad! But the selling strategy that you'll make more money... If you're selling on KU, if five extra people buy your book you're still making pennies, so it's gotta be more than one thing that converges to create the sale, and a lot of that, I gotta say, is word of mouth and people just LIKING YOUR SHIT. And I'd argue that they're more likely to like your shit if you're invested as a writer.)

Second:

No need to thank me! I honestly think that the majority of readers do appreciate what writers do (or don't feel either way about it and just read like people have always read lol) but I don't know. I can't really tell what it is--the sort of "fandom" that's been created around books (and like, author fan clubs and such have always existed, but obviously the accessibility is so different), new tech developing very rapidly when for centuries books were relatively stagnant technologically speaking, the fanficification of EVERY type of media it feels like... But the sense of entitlement that certain readers feel does seem to have grown. Or maybe it's simply become more visible. I mean, Nora Roberts has from the dawn of her writing career taken off had fans that can communicate with her, and I'm sure many have written letters like "Go give these characters a baby :(".

My biggest thing is always going to be this: some books ain't gonna be for you. There are books that sound so Caroline. I read them, and for whatever reason--writing style, one character choice, something ephemeral I can't name--they aren't. Everyone else loves these books. I'd love to love these books. I'd love to discuss these books. I'm not in the party. And that's FINE. Not every party is going to be a party I'm down for! One of my best friends loooooves Tessa Bailey and Tessa-like contemporaries. Tessa, by and large, doesn't work for me. So my friend and I can't discuss a lot of books in depth. Do I wish historicals worked for her so that I could nerd out with her? Sure! But I can't make something that doesn't work for her work for her, and I can't make Tessa's books work for me.

And I know that people will be like "it's just a name bitch", but... it's a slippery slope to me, just like ALL of AI and AI-related tech has been a slippery slope. Like, y'all said AI wasn't gonna be a big deal and would just make things easier, and people are now selling AI-written books under their names. Everyone said that authors would have control over how AI interacted with their books, and books are being scraped for AI on the daily.

I do not want anyone to have final control over what is and isn't in a book but the person who wrote the book. I do not want writers to feel like they need to cede any amount of control over the copy in that book over to readers in order to succeed.

And I honestly think it would be a lot healthier for everyone involved if we as readers (viewers, general audiences) just accepted that we don't get everything we want, and creatives are not here to dance to our tune. They are people, and they want to tell the stories they want to tell. Your power? Is in your dollar. If you don't like that shit, don't buy it. If you don't want to support it... don't! Fuck, if you want to talk shit on the internet about how the most recent book in the series was absolutely not for you, that's your right, too.

I don't want you fucking with a single word on the page, though. Feel free to go write your own shit--prosper! But that part of what Nora said that rings true to me most is "they come from me". These books come from writers. You have them because of those writers. So, I don't know, dude. Just take what's there, and if you dislike it, spit it out and move on to the thing you will like. Authors aren't churn factories to produce what you want, and ROMANCE as a genre, however commercial it is and however much it does have that One Rule that defines it as a genre... Is still something that writers should be allowed to experiment with. That's the work writers put in. The work readers put in? Finding shit that works for us. And I'm telling you... With a little practice, it ain't hard. How do y'all think I have all these books to recommend? Lmao

#romance novel blogging #and look until i publish a book i consider myself a reader first a writer second #i get it! i love readers! i am a reader! i think the majority of readers are totally respectful of the process #or again just don't care and read a book and move on lmao #don't even have a goodreads account #(which is FINE)#but the entitlement squicks me out both as a reader and as a (for now largely for fun) writer #it's like people put zero consideration into the effort and thought it takes #it's work! and your money is your money and you can decide whether or not you want to support that work #but like... it's especially a thing w romance imo even from romance readers #where this seems to be this idea that there isn't effort and thought put into the books. and it's p demeaning tbh #and you know i'd say the same shit if we were talking fic #and i don't think that any of what i'm saying suggests that you can't make fic btw--creating a fanwork and altering the original #v different things and they come with different intentions imo... and i respect the effort that comes w fic too #ANYWAY! i said i wouldn't say anymore but the casual nature of just changing shit really bugs me #and i needed to get these thoughts out of my head bc i kept thinking about it lol #and everyone can HATE ME

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revenantghost · 4 months

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There is nothing worse than having been both a professional chef and a baker

#*DISTANT SCREAMING*#Ok I'm good #I'm reading an ok one rn but I was Reminded #It really doesn't matter but there are just Some Things #A bakery AU just had someone whip up a batch of croissants once in forty minutes in a rush and I had to step away #THEY CAN TAKE AROUND THREE DAYS TO DO PROPERLY #AHHHHHH #Not in this fandom btw I wouldn't mention anything that the author could see publicly #Because LORD KNOWS I've written MANY inaccuracies outside of my wheelhouse #But boy #When you know #The exception to this is writing/publishing AUs #They're never accurate and thank fuck for that #ANYWAY war flashbacks over back to the wicked good fics this fandom creates #Yadda yadda

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butchriptide · 3 months

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genuinely really frustrating that people will like. choose to accept the age mistake made in assassin as canon for deathbringer when it actively contradicts older material. like. sorry idk if this is me being unfair here but genuinely like. why would you think it's intentional when deathbringer is described in main series as maybe a year or two older than glory at most, and can canonically not be any older than 9 due to stated timeline facts in the main series.

like. I get not liking glorybringer, i really do. no ship is for everyone. hell, even if assassin specifically makes you feel weird about it, so be it, to each their own. i can undertsnad that too. and yes, the glorybringer fans who think the age gap are canon are also in the wrong. they're being really gross, i don't think it's necessary to disclaim that, that feels given, but like... that only comes to my point still of like, i really don't understand taking a spin-off as canon over the main series. i don't really understand prioritizing later content as canon as opposed to the main work over spin-off as canon. why should a spin-off take jurisdiction just cuz it's newer? i feel like the older the canon is, the more likely it is the newer stuff will make mistakes. to me, in the case of a contradiction, the main series should be taken to? a spin-off is meant to supplement the main series, so shouldn't it only supplement canon that doesn't contradict?

like also, i get being frustrated it isn't fixed, but also. like. i obviously have not worked with a publisher before, but if I was writing for fucking scholastic books, no matter how well fucking beloved my series was, I don't know if I could risk being like "hey. can you pull my books from shelves and e-stores for me so that I can edit one line?" Like. I really don't think there's any reality in which I can make a corporation agree to that kind of thing, no matter what that one line may fuck up about my main story. like it's not even the only mistake she makes in the winglets. she calls deathbringer a rainwing in the flip book, but we're not hailing that as canon in retrospect, right? I don't know. I think it's unfair to presume that she's choosing not to fix it as opposed to it being an improbable to downright impossible thing to ask of a publisher. like yes tui is an incredibly successful author but i really don't know if we can presume she has that much actual sway on her publisher.

it's just really exhausting as a deathbringer enjoyer to feel like if I want to talk about and enjoy his character, and yes, that includes context given in the assassin winglet once you ignore the timeline error, i feel like I constantlyyy have to be saying "yes I think the timeline error is an error. no i don't think deathbringer is 13." like. every time i bring him up. i'm a riptide fan I'm used to it but also it's sooooo tiring to go into a character tag for a guy i like and be swamped with hatred for him and it's so much worse for deathbringer than riptide because in the deathbringer tag I have to deal with being actively accused of excusing gross shit for liking him instead of people just saying that my blorbo is boring.

#by nightwings standards deathbringer isn't even a fucking adult. like even when I was first reading the books he never read as an adult to #me. and the assassin winglet only further adds to this for me not lessens. he reads so much as #teenager/barely in his 20s guy who grew up #way too fucking fast for his own good but fully buys into his own narrative that he's got everything sorted and together #the way the age system works as I've always interpreted it is that like. each age up to 7 covers a wide but decreasing number of human #maturity years every time and then slows to the years being one-to-one by the time they're 7 #with 7 corresponding to 18 #which makes the nightwings not counting dragonets as fully grown until 10 the equivalent to how 21 is kind of like being an Actual Adult #law wise in America at least i mean to say #deathbringer can't even legally buy beer yet is what I'm saying. some hotels wouldn't let him check in without an accompanying adult #deathbringer #misc #wings of fire #wof #sorry for complaining in main tag but I'm so fucking tired of being made to feel gross for liking a character over material that #no casual fan of the series is even going to know exists or read that is so clearly a timeline error based on everything in the actual #series that I read #does my joke about him not being able to buy beer make up for it #do you guys still think i'm cool #on the note of publishing too #there's no reason to think scholastic could even make it happen in a timely fashion even if tui did ask for the change to the books. like.#looking up working with scholastic reviews some of the most common negative reviews are about poor management #i'm not trying to white knight for her or anything i think she's a flawed human being like anyone else I just think if ur gonna critique he #you should do it about stuff that's like actually poorly handled in her series. not a timeline error in a spin-off. like. come on.

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