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supremechancellorrex · 10 months

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Now, I gotta say, I find it interesting how there are some people that target you for stating your opinion on fiction. I've had this same Jedi-stan user sending me tens and tens of comments which are based on denial and opinion rather than any logical argument. Now, they're telling others not to read my arguments because... what, it's too scary? They literally reblog my post with a quite insulting argument and then quickly block me because they don't want me to respond.

Well, too bad.

This isn't even an argument based on logic. You just stated your opinion and acted like it was a fact, anyone else who believes differently is doing so "foolishly", more "foolishly" than a child apparently. Because despite much evidence to the contrary in children's media, apparently 'villains' never have any depth or say the truth ever, according to you.

Slick: "Yes, she offered me money. But she offered me something more important, something you wouldn't understand: freedom!"

You know the one thing Slick doesn't actually have? It's freedom. Because, he is a slave, that is a fact. Let's go through the fact that slave isn't a title you award but a state of existence and being, a slave by definition is: "a person who is forced to work for and obey another and is considered to be their property; an enslaved person." That is the clones to a T. Just because Slick was selfish doesn't just invalidate he described a situation which still has not been refuted and instead has been only proven over and over again.

Now, you say "the clones are property of the Republic", and they are under the command... of the Jedi, who are generals and part of the Republic command structure. Legally, the Jedi may not have a say in the fate of the clone troopers other than being in charge of their daily actions and organisation for years, but illegally? Are you claiming that the Jedi could not even think to organise a mass desertion? When the law is unjust, you challenge it, you break it. Now, you try to absolve them here by saying that they had no choice because the Separatists were a threat to the Republic, an institution that supports slavery for its own ends. You may hate it but "Cool motive, still slavery" still applies here. Any institution that supports having an enslaved army does not deserve to exist, and that includes the Jedi Order's support of the Republic.

As for your non-sequitur on the placement of the episode, this is just pointless. There is no basis to discount an episode just because it wasn't in Season 4. This adds nothing to your argument and is just a complete fallacy.

You can't really make this argument on a number of basises. One, the writing intentions have clearly changed since that initial George Lucas' quote decades ago. Not only this, but George Lucas doesn't even own Star Wars anymore and Disney are now in charge, with Dave Filoni and a number of other writers making significant contributions.

Dave Filoni: "So I think that trying to draw these paths of the Jedi and the choices they make and how they wind up good or bad … Yoda isn’t afraid in the prequels to say the Jedi are flawed and that they’ve become greedy and self-interested and arrogant. That helps you understand why they’re going to lose the Clone War and why they’re so ripe for the picking."

I think this quote speaks for itself. Also, I think it was very clear that George Lucas, a man well-known for changing his mind and who was still the executive producer, was on Ahsoka's side in the Wrong Jedi Arc. Otherwise at some point the narrative would have refuted her assertions on the Jedi Order, that's just basic storytelling.

Now, onto the clones. You essentially admit that the draft is essentially slavery in the clones' case. The clones are property and are referred to as such, they can't leave, they can't vote, they have no rights and this has been the case since they were fetuses in tubes. Let's look at Umbara again.

Fives: "We did it. We took Umbara."

Captain Rex: "What’s the point of all this? I mean, why?"

Fives: "I don’t know, sir. I don’t think anybody knows. But I do know that someday this war is gonna end."

Captain Rex: "Then what? We’re soldiers. What happens to us then?"

Considering the fact that the Senate are voting on whether to "decommission" the clones like a product in the Bad Batch, I think it's safe to say that Captain Rex's fears were confirmed. Senator Riyo Chuchi, an actual good person in a bad system, is literally fighting to give the clones any rights at all in the Bad Batch, and she is a lonely voice.

Riyo Chuchi: "[The Clones] are not droids to simply be shut down. These are soldiers who defended us, defended our worlds"

Meanwhile, when the Jedi wax on about the end of the War, they just assume they'll be fulfilling the same duties they did before the war. This is because the Jedi are privileged and are treated as citizens during the War, able to walk around completely uncumbered and engage on a conversational level with the elite. They can also leave the Order, especially if they break the code, which is not something allowed for the clones. They may be servants, but they aren't property, and they have more tools to push back and fight the Senate, which they can walk around freely in a venerated position. You practically say this throughout your argument. Over all, the Jedi are drafted, the clones are slaves. There is a difference in the power dynamic.

The Clone Wars waived the right to be dismissed solely as "It's just a superificial kids show, don't criticise" when it decided to deal with dark, serious topics, including the Republic's growing authoritarianism, political maneuvering, slaughter and murder. All those cases of the Jedi challenging their leaders simply make it more egregious that the Jedi never advocated for the clones to the same level. The fact Mace Windu is willing to fight tooth and nail for the Zillo Beast, however demonstrates no passion to fight for the clone rights, who are slaves soldiers under his command, is actually a pretty bad look. There are also clones that died around the same time as Even Piell, yet they get no rites either.

It's funny you mention Qui Gon Jinn because his opposition to the Jedi Council has been noted previously and it is a critique of the Jedi Order.

Dave Filoni: "I think Qui-Gon in a lot of ways represents the kind of path the Jedi are supposed to be on. He’s the one that’s the most compassionate. But he has no ambition to be part of the council. He feels he can’t do what he needs to do if he’s a part of that. That thinking and that philosophy is from what Dooku taught him. Dooku was a free-thinker and was looking out for people."

Oh, you know Dooku too? The guy who said "The Jedi blindly serve a corrupt Senate that fails the Republic it represents." Looks like he imparted some spirit to his Padawan. Ultimately, this actually supports my arguments that the Jedi Order have lost their way as an institution. Now, earlier you say it "sucks" the Jedi can't allegedly speak out because of the draft, at the same time you... have Jedi speaking out on every topic that isn't clones. Hmm.

Well, mademoiselle-cookie, you have crossed into antisemitic territory here and it's shockingly disgusting of you. The Jedi should not be considered an expy of Jewish people, because that would be really racist of the writers and very misrepresentative. Jewish people are not a fictional order of magic monks that wave lightsabers around, fighting wars with state-owned clone slaves, believe it or not. Going through your argument until now has been bearable, but this really takes the cake. I've warned people to stop using real-life minority groups as meat-shields for their fictional favs, however it seems that privileged people will often use minority groups instinctively for their benefit. The fact you accuse me, a mixed race gay man, as being the type to fall for Nazi lies because I critique the Jedi Order is just the icing on the cake.

Also, you argue "it's a kid's show" and then it's a direct allegory for the Holocaust, one of the darkest periods in human history, at the same time, huh? If this were the case, it would mean it's portrayal is even more important to critique without exception.

But, moving on from your just completely inappropriate allegory. So, the Jedi have a "choice" as you just state. That's much more the clones ever had and that is a privilege. You're essentially arguing for the Jedi to stand back and do nothing by choice while earlier you also argued that the Jedi had to do something in regards to the War as it was the moral choice but also that they 'don't' have a choice. Meanwhile, the Jedi were shown to be willing to overthrow Palpatine given the 'proper motivation', but due to their lack of compassion I guess the enslavement of millions of men such as the clones just wasn't important enough. Your argument falls apart because the Jedi did try to overthrew Palpatine in the end, just not for the slaves.

Using the "Bad guys lie" trope in an absolute capacity is also not an argument. You're just stating your opinion as a fact again and it's very 'convenient' your metric. I could reply "Good guys can be wrong and don't always tell the truth" and we'd, like your point, get nowhere.

Finally, an interesting point. There's no denying that Ahsoka did not make the situation as squeaky clean in her desperation, however ultimately my point still stands that Mace Windu, and I quoted him, said "I understand your sentiment, Obi-Wan. But, if the council does as you suggest. It could be seen as an act of opposition to the Senate. I'm afraid we have little choice."

At the end of the day, the Jedi do have a choice despite what Windu says. The choice was political. The ruling isn't unanimous, because doubts are expressed, but as Mace Windu says what they view as important in response to Obi-Wan saying things don't add up regarding Ahsoka is to focus how it looks to the Senate, a Senate that supports authoritarianism, corruption and slavery. The Jedi arguably lie to themselves and say they support justice, but they don't ultimately. As Jedi Master Dooku, the described "free-thinker", says: "The Jedi blindly serve a corrupt Senate that fails the Republic it represents."

Hmm, you don't seem to understand what an "unreliable narrator" actually is. With your use especially, every single character ever could be described as an unreliable narrator, I can describe Mace Windu as an unreliable narrator or Obi-Wan. I could literally flip your argument and claim the Jedi are unreliable narrators who only think they're doing good because they were raised in an environment which told them this from a young age and ultimately they were propping up a failing, authoritarian, corrupt 'Republic'.

I don't think you realise that Ahsoka's story would not have been presented the way it was in Season 7 if the narrative was not on her side. There were key cues in its structure and quotations that were critical of the Jedi Order, who were mostly in opposition to Ahsoka narratively.

Ahsoka: "This is why the people have lost faith in the Jedi. I had, too, until I was reminded of what the Order means to people who truly need us.”

What a coincidence that Obi-Wan, a man gifted with the gab, fails to counter this criticism as well. Just like Slick.

We literally see the Jedi propping up the Republic system for the near entirely of the War. They allowed "the destruction of innocent life-forms", the clones, men brainwashed and forced into combat. They also conducted military investigations, deferred to the Senate, and I think it's very telling that Rex did not reveal Cut Lawquane's location to either the Jedi or the rest of the Republic. As Generals, they are a part of the hierarchy, and they support the Republic, a hegemony of laws and demarcations. Also, last I checked, Satine isn't a slave, I only wish Obi-Wan had gone out of his way to protect the clones as people, but I guess he only does that for citizens.

As for Order 66, again, this isn't an argument on your part. I'm well-aware of events, nor did I say they deserved to be murdered. The Jedi Order, specificially their leadership, made "poor choices" and it screwed them over. I also find your Nazi allegory more disgusting personally, but whatever. Now, let's see what the Jedi are actually doing.

Dave Filoni: "They’ve, as an institution, existed for a very long time. It doesn’t mean they’re evil or bad, but they’re making a lot of poor choices, and they can’t get out ahead of things in part because they’re desperately attempting to do things the right way and take an even stance.”

The centrist stance the Jedi take on most matters clearly contributed to their downfall. They made "poor choices" and I am critiquing them for it because allowing slavery at the heart of the Republic is not just a poor choice, but a stupid and immoral one. They are 'desperately attempting to do things the right way', but they don't, and this is why actual criticisms are levied at them. Again, I never argued the Jedi were evil, I argued they should be held accountable for their flaws and mistakes, like everyone should be.

I like how you completely misunderstood my point here despite many other people getting it. The problem is that the Jedi do have a choice, it's just a difficult one. However just because doing the right thing is difficult does not mean you shouldn't do it. The problem with the Jedi allowing countless clones, who are slaves, to die for years and that not prompt them to confront, combat or even overthrow the Republic is it makes them very morally bankrupt. As soon as the Republic said it was going to utilise slaves, the Jedi should have realised the Republic was the enemy of human decency itself. But, as we know from just watching Star Wars media with basic critical thinking or this exchange in Rebels...

Ezra: "Master Yoda, you’re powerful. You must know a way to destroy Vader and his Inquisitors.”

Master Yoda: “Padawan, thousands of Jedi once there were. Then came war. In our arrogance, joined the conflict swiftly we did. Fear, anger hate. Consumed by the dark side the Jedi were.”

I think you need to add more depth to your idea of "good". The Jedi were complicit in their own downfall. The fact you have to jump through so many 'logical' hoops to 'explain' and 'absolve' them is evidence enough. The fact you also dismiss all criticism of the Jedi as anti-Jedi propaganda, even when coming from its own members, from Yoda to Ahsoka, who clearly the narrative sides with. Now, as for your 'the citizens did nothing too' whataboutism argument? Yep. So, if you're arguing the Jedi are as bad as Republic citizens who also enabled clone slavery, then sure, a little 'harsh' of you, but that's what you're actually saying here. Plus, you keep both stating the Jedi have a choice and don't have a choice when it suits you throughout this argument.

And, regardless of whether the SW writers verbally acknowledge the word slavery, it is the story they present by saying the clones are "property" who "have no representation in the Senate". You should watch the Riyo Chuchi episodes in Bad Batch again, because this should be impossible to miss in the discussion of "clone rights". Your attempted use of 'rhetorical' questions instead of an actual argument is also pretty uninspired.

You literally didn't "debunk" anything, mademoiselle-cookie. As usual, you used ad hominem attacks, misused terminology, made antisemitic allegories, and now you're upset someone expressed an opinion you dislike. The fact you warn other people not to read my opinion as if you're the guardian of Jedi stan tumblr and they couldn't bear having someone make a post they don't agree with is also hilarious, I would hope people are full of sterner stuff. After all, people always have a choice, whether to read or not.

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kissatoru · 6 months

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for the FINAL time: indicate your AGE on your blog PLEASE

i know i’ve said this so many times that it feels obnoxious at this point, and trust me, i’m as tired of saying it as (those of) you (who this doesn’t apply to) are of hearing it, but i need to reiterate it one last time. honestly, this is more of a rant than anything, but these thoughts have been on my mind for a while and i’ll just be glad to get them out. maybe this is making a big deal out of something quite small, but it wouldn’t have to be if people would actually listen/care.

i want to start off by saying if you’re someone who doesn’t have an age or an indicator of it on your blog, and the title of this post annoys you, you can go ahead and unfollow me right now.

or don’t, because i’m going to block you sooner or later anyway. which i realise sounds harsh, but apparently being polite about it isn’t getting me, or any of the other 18+ only blogs on here who are constantly repeating themselves, anywhere so i don’t care about being polite anymore.

the cheap price of literally nothing but having some numbers in your bio is still too high for some of you to ‘pay’ to read mine and others’ work. like we’re writing stuff you can read for FREE and all that us nsfw writers ask is that you have an age on your blog — yet some people still refuse to do that much. it’s not only disappointing, but also straight up disrespectful. there’s blogs who’ve been following me for WEEKS who still don’t have an age indicator, despite me posting about it regularly and despite it being clearly stated on my pinned post.

believe it or not, i don’t want to block you. some of you are always in my notifications, interacting with my posts, and especially when you reblog mine/my moots’ works, i recognise you, and seeing you makes me really happy! but when i check your blog and see that you don’t have an age on it, that’s telling me you’re seeing my reminders but you just don’t fucking care.

it’s all well and good interacting with me and my posts, but if you can’t even respect the simplest of boundaries, i don’t care whether you’re actually a minor or not. you are obviously too lazy or don’t care about me as an actual person as much as you care about the content you get to see on your timeline.

maybe you have your reasons, like maybe:

you’re not comfortable sharing your specific age. that’s totally fine! you can tell me in my dms if you’d like to. if not, anything from the year (e.g. 02’ liner) or the decade (e.g. 90s baby) you were born to an appropriate age range (e.g. 19-23) etc. will suffice. if you’re unwilling to do at least that, then i’m sorry but my blog is not for you.

you’re new to tumblr and don’t know where, or how to set up your blog. in that case, you google it. yahoo it. bing it. i don’t care. use the internet you clearly have access to and find out. there’s plenty of tutorials, you just have to look for them. or ask a friend or a mutual. you can dm me your age just so i’m aware until you figure it out.

you don’t have time. in that case, i don’t fucking believe you lol. if you have the time to read a whole fic, you have the time to punch in a two digit number into someplace on your blog — or to find out how, and then do so.

some of you don’t have an excuse though. some of you will list literally everything about yourself but your age on your blog?? you clearly know how to use tumblr, you clearly know where to put info about yourself, you clearly have time so... maybe you clearly just do not care enough to do the bare minimum of reading my byf or my pinned post.

also, it genuinely does not matter, nor do i care, where you actually put your age. whether it’s in your bio, your title or a pinned post, as long as it’s there, in some place i can access, it doesn’t matter.

i think i’ve talked about everything i wanted to, so to end this post on a more positive note, i want to thank the people who actually listen. i, nor anyone else, should be having to thank people for doing the bare minimum, but, at least in my experience, when you’re having to block 9 out of 10 blogs that follow you on a regular basis, you can get pretty used to the constant disappointment, and seeing that 1 blog who actually has an age on their blog can be pretty relieving lol so thank you<3

#( ★ ) psa.

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abysscronica · 9 months

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I hope it's ok to ask, I noticed you don't interact with many blogs or fandom discourse in general. Is there a reason?

Okay, I've received a couple of asks and DMs more or less revolving around this topic, so I'm going to address it here.

My blog's main goal is to interact with my existing readers, since all my stories are on AO3 and Wattpad (I've only posted a couple here). I use it to answer your questions on my writings, the characters, and whatever you guys want to ask me, and I love it. Of course I'm happy if I get some more readers from Tumblr, but that's not my primary aim here, at least for now.

It would be great to use this page to expand my followers, but I barely have time to actually write these days, so unfortunately, at the moment, I can't afford to spend any to curate this space... except for answering your asks. (on this regard, I know I'm months late for some, please don't lose hope, everything is there and will be worked on eventually!)

That said, even if I do get time to dedicate to my tumblr at some point, it'll probably be ordering my posts and posting my other stories, not much more. Before I go into more details on my thoughts on fandom discourse and fics/headcanons, let me repeat the usual disclaimer...

The ones below represent my very personal views. They are not right or wrong, and it absolutely does not mean I disapprove of different views. I encourage you all to enjoy the fandom experience and community in the way you see fit, as long as it's not damaging you or anyone else.

Fandom discourse. I... simply don't really care about it. I'm talking mainly about One Piece, but this can apply to any content I enjoy. Here's how my experience goes: I read the manga, the SBS, watch the anime, consume basically any content available. I follow a couple of OP youtubers talking about every little thing, from chapter reviews to any kind of news (Tekking101 and Sawyer7mage). Then I write fanfictions based on all the knowledge accumulated, of course expanding into my personal headcanons. This pretty much satiates my thirst for content and need for sources.

Obviously I enjoy talking about OP with other fans, especially like-minded ones such as Kid Pirates fans. Buuuut being an active part of the community can also be exhausting. I'm sure you know there's a lot of Kid dissing going on for example, and Kid fans are often caught in battles to defend him. I honestly don't want to take part into it, because I don't think other people's feelings about a character should influence my experience of the show anyway, so I don't care about changing their mind either. I just... wanna do my own thing and share it with my mutuals & readers.

Analyses, meta, theories. Honestly, the two OP youtubers I follow (plus Arthur's posts on Twitter) fulfill this need in a very comprehensive way. I've yet to see a single tumblr post that comes even close to their insights (but if you know some, feel free to point me in that direction, I'll be happy to check them out). They often even contain inaccurate information. I do reblog whatever I deem interesting though, and I'll gladly answer to anything if you wanna know about my thoughts.

Fics & headcanons. Once again, I'll always be super happy to share my content with you guys. I cannot accept fic requests but feel free to ask for any headcanon you may be interested in!

As for other people's stuff. I said this before, unfortunately I'm a terribly picky reader (this does not only apply to fics, but to literature in general). The slightest hint of "unjustified" OC, a Mary Sue trait on a MC, too many cliches, a writing style that does not catch me... I'll scroll ahead. I know many will roll their eyes at this, and they are right, but I just won't impose something I don't fully enjoy to myself, not with my limited spare time. But writers should write whatever they want and I'll never be unsupportive of that, even if it's not my jazz! The stuff I read and enjoyed, I reblog.

This should be all I have to say on the matter. If you have any further question, feel free to send and ask.

#personal

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demcnxdrcwned · 2 years

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●°• Rules, Guidelines, etc. •°●

1. 18+ only. If you’re not or your age isn’t on your blog, I’ll probably soft block. You’re welcome to come back when you are though. Mun and muses are of age.

2. Chances are, there will be triggering content on this blog or content some people might not be comfortable with or like. I don’t use readmores by default unless my partner uses it / it’s requested but I do my best to tag using [trigger] tw ( ex: death tw ) for specific things or default tw for general nsfw ( smut, nudity, etc. - things you probably wouldn't want someone to see / read over your shoulder ) or things that I feel should be tagged but unsure of how. If I’m not tagging something you need me to, let me know and what tag to use. Otherwise, by following / interacting with me, you accept the risk of doing so.

Note: I am not a mind reader and will not be in tune with your thoughts and feelings. If we’re writing something you’re not comfortable with, TELL ME. You might think it’s obvious but if I continue writing it, clearly it’s not to me. It’s just as much on me to do my best to be mindful as it is for you to communicate your boundaries. Also I most likely won’t be perfect in adjusting so I would appreciate any patience you can spare and politely pointing out what I’m still doing to make you uncomfortable.

3. Fiction is fiction. Writing problematic content does NOT equate to condoning those actions in reality. Writing a problematic ship, plot, and / or muse does NOT equate to condoning that behavior in reality. Writers can do with their muses as they like. It’s their muse. So don’t go policing someone else's writing. Just don’t interact with content you find problematic / offensive / etc. Use tag and content blacklisting. Use unfollowing and blocking. You control the content you consume and decide to interact with. That’s your responsibility. We’re all here for a hobby, so just stick to things you will enjoy. I myself find some things disagreeable but that’s the other person’s writing, not mine. No need for harassment. Applying the same thing here, a bit of a repeat of the previous rule, by following / interacting with me, you accept the risk of doing so. If you don’t like the content here, DO NOT FOLLOW / INTERACT.

Note: Tagging requests apply here too. If you want me to tag a thread or other content, let me know. If I miss a tag, let me know. No need to be rude. Just “Hey could you tag [post/content] with [tag]?” or “Hey you missed tagging [post] with [tag].” is perfect. Then I’ll tag with [tag] tw. Similarly, you may request I use the alternate face claim of a muse for our threads should you be uncomfortable with seeing the current / default one. If there is none I have selected ( I don’t really have any for the moment ), or if you prefer, you may also request I not use any face claim at all for our threads. But it’s ultimately my decision.

4. Mun does NOT equal muse.

5. Anyone is welcome to answer open starters or send memes / starters ( specify muse or at least narrow down if you can - makes the process faster ) but I do prefer plotting and with mutuals ( so it’s clear we’re both interested in writing together ). Please just be considerate when reblogging memes. Refrain from spamming my activity with it and / or never sending one in.

Note: This is a sideblog so follows will come from my main, lilxmcrtes.

6. You’re welcome to hurt the muses however you want. Just don’t forget there are consequences. Likely unpleasant ones.

7. Discord for rping / plotting / ooc is available to mutuals that ask.

8. Please don’t reblog my ooc posts if you’re not making a conversation with me out of it. Reblogging just to reblog makes me uncomfortable. Thanks!

If you’ve read these, please give the permanent starter call(s) a like / comment to show you have and want to interact. It really helps to know your muse preference to kick off interaction. If you follow and don’t, I’m less likely to initiate ( if at all ).

More to come as needed. ( Last updated 8/24/22 )

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justholdingstill · 2 years

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reblog your writers too!

I keep seeing that post go around and around about how folks coming to Tumblr from other social media platforms might not know that content here has to be reblogged to be seen and get attention, but the wording of it focuses almost entirely on visual artists and that gives me pause.

The message is wonderful and meaningful, because there are SO MANY artists and visual content creators out there, and their work absolutely deserves to be seen and shared. I’m a huge proponent of practicing what you preach, and I think you can see from both of my blogs that I deeply love, support, and share art and artists of all stripes! Nothing I’m about to say here should take away from that.

But. I have a but.

BUT. But. You should also be aware that because Tumblr is primarily so visually-focused, writers and poets and anyone else who creates mostly text-based content here are already at a disadvantage. It’s not a competition; I’m just saying that from my own experience and the experience of many other writers I’ve talked to (some of whom straddle the line as both writers AND artists), it’s much less likely for text-based creations to get likes and reblogs. It is much harder to draw attention to your work and gain readership if you don’t already have hundreds of followers, if you don’t have some kind of image attached to your writing; it can still be quite difficult even when you do. There are exceptions to these rules, to be sure, but it’s true. So don’t forget to hand out love and reblogs to your local writers just as much as you do for your artists!

And yes, the disconnect does make sense; engaging with text-based works often does require more of a commitment, more time, more attention span. Much of the time, so does creating them. Just like many other people, I also get on tumblr if I want to waste time or distract myself from other things, and I can understand if people don’t want to dive too deeply into a story that takes them offsite, or an into essay that requires focus. I get it! Shorter writing pieces get reblogged more often than longer ones for that reason, I imagine.

But as a writer, and of a friend of many, many writers who care deeply about their ideas and their craft, I can attest to the fact of how demoralizing it can feel when something you’ve worked on for weeks or months or years barely moves outside of you or your friends circle because people might be liking it, but they’re not reblogging it; they tell you they loved it, but the post dies a slow, sad death exactly where you left it. As the original post discusses, liking written content is lovely, but it doesn’t create spread or engagement. Reblogging does.

Treat your blog like an archive of things you might want to read later! Leave a little trail of delicious poems or fanfic treats that you think your mutuals might enjoy! Boost a post because your friend is awesome and you know they’re insecure about their work! Boost a post because their brain is huge and you want everyone else to know what incredible ideas they have! Because their poetry makes you weep with joy! Share things even if they are not your cup of tea personally, simply because there are so many people out here creating content for the enjoyment of others as well as themselves, and it will be the right cup of tea for someone else!

TL;DR Support your writers by reblogging them too!!!

#this has been a PSA #I'm passionate about this and not just for selfish reasons #this applies to writers reblogging other writers just as much as it does anyone else btw #and to original work just as much as fic!#writing is so vital but it is HARD #give your friendly neighbourhood writers their serotonin TODAY!

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spamtonology · 2 years

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I'm always happy to encounter someone else who ISN'T a fan of the acid theory because I'm beginning to feel very alienated for not liking it. The theory itself doesn't even bother me as much as how fandom treats it as practically canon. It's almost as common as the fanon white-haired Addison Spamton now, so much so that fic writers don't even warn or mention it until it suddenly comes up, like, it should be ~obvious~ that that happened. Like, I wouldn't mind it if it wasn't *everywhere*.

Ah, the Acid theory, a popular yet controversial theory.

You are not alone in disliking it, I won't name specific people but a few others have also expressed their dislike of the theory, namely the fact it contradicts some previously established canon.

I will put another disclaimer that this in no way means people should stop writing or drawing anything concerning the theory, this would be policing on my part and my intent is not and will never be "stop having fun".

(There were a few posts some time back criticizing the theory, but I cannot find them now. If you have these posts please be sure to reblog with a link to the post!)

There are several reasons as to why the theory is problematic (side note, this is a word that has somewhat changed meaning thanks to internet culture, I am using the term here in its original sense: Open to doubt; debatable.)

At first glance the theory seems to have merit, considering the acid river sequence the player goes through, and the remarks Spamton makes in allusion to the acid river as he used to be an inhabitant of the mansion. That, and there is Queen's statement that the acid shrinks anyone who falls into it, further supported by Spamton's dialogue. It's easy to see why the theory becomes popular for this reason.

But, further examination into the game sees several contradictions: First, the acid does not have that much of an effect on Darkners, Queen can drink it just fine (it seems to have an inebriating effect), and I believe there's a line mentioning Swatchlings swimming in it unharmed but I don't know how correct that is.

Her "guests" shrink from the acid, but they shrink to about the size of a mouse, not to the size of a teenager, hence why they can fit in those tiny "villas".

Second, this applies to the above about Queen, there is a common idea that it was either Queen or Swatch that "threw" Spamton into acid. There's...no evidence to support that beyond the fact these two characters would have been present at the time. Furthermore, it is out of character for either of them to consider the act:

Queen is not cruel. She is strange, airheaded and has a playful attitude that often leads to mistakes being made and criticism from her civillians, but she is not cruel enough that she would dump someone in acid as an act of revenge/punishment. The fandom, weirdly enough, seems to want to make the Queen out to be more evil than she really lets on (or more than she really wants to be), all for making Spamton the victim and, often, Swatch as his savior. It's a very strange phenomenon in my opinion.

Swatch has a little less established character so the situation is more ambiguous, but they’re not especially violent enough to do such a thing either.

There is that other problem with the theory: using it to further angst plots and Spamton’s victim role in fanworks. Personally, I find it a little cheap when there are probably more creative ways you could portray his downfall. It also adds on to the phenomenon of needing to rescue and protect him from perceived ills, making him helpless in that situation re: ableism and treating him like a child.

The final reason the theory can be contradicted is that in the Japanese text, the line about burning is attributed into staring into something so bright it burned away at his eyes. This is personally a little more interesting to me than simply using acid, and it provides more creativity as to what could have burned his eyes out.

And, yes, I agree wholeheartedly on the untagged Acid Theory mentions, I do feel that it’s something that should be trigger tagged, and too many people in the fandom fail to do so.

I’ve run out of steam for now, unfortunately, so if anyone else wants to back me up, please do, thank you.

EDIT: @firethekitty has given me a post on evidence for the eyes burning away theory

#spamton #acid theory

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blueprint-han · 3 years

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[Image ID: A black picture with the title “HOW TO SUPPORT FANFICTION AUTHORS” written in bold caps lock, colored with a winter forest picture. End ID.]

Well, this post has been made countless times, but I’m making one too because I’ve seen a lot of people say they’re new to tumblr and don’t know the whole “reblogging is better than liking” rule and other stuff. So without any further ado, here are ways YOU can support the fanfiction authors. Now keep in mind this applies to almost every author out there, not just the stayblr fandom, so if you’re a silent reader (or even if you aren’t), I advise you go through this post. Warning, this is a fairly long post going into detail, so yeah. I still expect you, the readers to read this, and if you’re a writer, feel free to lmk if i’ve written smth wrong or if you want me to add something! ^^

In this post I’ll go into thorough analysis of the pros and cons of each of the methods listed here and how YOU as a reader can show the authors whose fics you read more love and motivate them to produce content.

WARNING; LONG POST! GOES INTO A DECENT AMOUNT OF DETAIL. NOT EDITED, EXCUSE ANY TYPOS.

#1 : LIKING !

I think this is basic common knowledge, and a lot of people tend to do this. When you like the post, the author sees it, you see it, and if the author has their liked posts accessible (which majority of the time they don’t), and if someone deliberately goes to check it, then they see it. See why so many authors say just liking does nothing? Only liking says “Hey, I’m gonna tell you your story is not that good by simply liking it and not sharing it with other people. :D”

♯ PROS:

You’re telling the author that you've read their fic, and either you’ve enjoyed it to a certain extent, or you’re just saving it to read for later.

Likes are seen by you, the author and anyone who has access to your likes (which, most people don’t).

♯ CONS:

If you ONLY like, you’re not really helping the author’s work reach a wide audience because this site isn’t Instagram. Reblogging is the only way people can SEE our works. I’ll cover more on that in the next section.

In a nutshell, liking is good! But you should most likely use it in a combination with the other stuff I’ve listed below, because just the like itself doesn’t really do much in giving the author any feedback or interaction on their fics.

To clear shit up; I’m not talking about those people who don’t read the story or appreciate it in the first place. I’m talking about those who appreciate the fic, like it, but don’t leave any sort of feedback to show that.

#2 : REBLOGGING !

This is SO, SO important. I cannot stress on this enough. Let me explain WHY so many writers stress on reblogging content:

Tumblr’s tag system is inherently fucked up, and has grown more so over the year. I’m not kidding, at first, the fic either used to show up in the tags or it didn’t, but now, sometimes your fic can be REMOVED from the tags because of,,, idk tumblr tag shit. Anyways, as you can see, it’s very demotivating for authors at that point, because the major way for people to find their content and expand their blogs has been blocked.

Due to this reason, tumblr authors need to RELY on you, their followers to help spread their works to a wider audience. Now again, before you get me wrong, I’m not saying you ae forced to rb our works regardless of whether you like them or not. BUT, that being said, if you DO infact like the story, there’s no harm in reblogging, right? By doing this you’re indirectly telling the author — “hey! :D I liked your fic! Which is why I am gonna share it to my followers so they can read it too :D” Trust me, you’re doing nothing but helping the people who produce content for you to read. Seems like a worthy cause to hit the reblog button, right? It’s only a one, or maximum two step procedure.

Leave tags in your reblogs! Trust me, as an author myself and as much as I know from all my author friends, we oft check the tags of your reblogs to see if you found any part amazing or even if you have anything to say about the writing we put so much hard work into. Even a key smash or a “This was so [insert adjective] 🥺” is enough to leave a smile on your authors face.

♯ PROS :

You’re !! Sharing !! Your authors !! Works !! This leads to them getting more recognition, so for the content they’re so graciously providing for free, you’re promoting their blog and helping them expand it.

If the tags are being a shit, which majority of the time they are, then you’re literally making an author’s day by reblogging! You’re showing them that you, a follower and appreciator of their works are willingly sharing their content because it deserves to be seen by more people. Again before any dumb people decide to attack me, i am talking about people who like the fic but don't bother reblogging and are silent/ghost readers. I am not forcing anyone to read anybody’s work.

YOU’RE MAKING YOUR AUTHOR SO HAPPY WHAT MORE REASONS COULD YOU POSSIBLY WANT !! 🥺

♯ CONS :

Literally none, because as far as I remember no author is against reblogging of their works. It’s quite literally the way this platform functions. Reblogging is IMPORTANT.

#3 : COMMENTING/SENDING FEEDBACK !

This kind of overlaps with the previous section, but THIS IS SUCH AN IMPORTANT STEP !! When you leave feedback, you are directly giving the author something so much more valuable to them than high follower/note counts or money. Your feedback is literally our serotonin. I kid you not the number of times I’ve received a positive comment and smiled and it has made my day. There’s a reason youtubers (though not the best example, bear with me here because it was the only one I could think of) ask people to subscribe, like and COMMENT. The subscription is like a follow, the like is ofc like a heart, and the comment is equivalent to an rb with comments in the tags.

You might argue and tell me that a comment is basically like an ask so the reblogging step isn’t necessary, but I’m sure 99% of you use YouTube and you know that more comments leads to people’s videos boosted in the stream/trending charts. This is what reblogging does. Reblogging shares the piece with other people like minded, which leads to a boost in reads. You are literally helping your author grow.

It’s quite literally the same thing as youtubers. Youtubers NEED validation to keep their content creation going, so do writers, so do other ccs on this site. This post is however, focused on WRITERS, so keep that in mind.

♯ PROS :

By doing this, you’re giving author valuable feedback! It’s similar to what you do in rbing with tags. Interactivity with their fics boosts their note counts and helps expand their audience, so srsly, now think of it: your one comment is playing such a massive role to help ccs create more content.

Imagine how much of a difference the note counts will be in when every person who simply likes after reading the fic, reblogs, leaves a comment and sends an ask. the note counts would be high on each and every fic, which is validation in itself, but your comments would inspire the writer so much more! Please, don’t skip the commenting part. Even a simple one like: “this is so cute!” is wonderful.

♯ CONS :

Remember, if you’re gonna give constructive criticism (which I’m sure you all are smart enough to know if different from hate), make sure the author is okay with it. Authors need to be in a specific mindset and must be ready to accept criticism, so if you’re gonna give constructive criticism to them when they’re at a low point, it may demotivate them.

Just commenting, instead of reblogging and commenting in the tags/ reblogging and then leaving an ask in their inbox, while it gives validation in plenty, will not lead to the author’s work being spread. Therefore I suggest either reblogging and commenting in the tags or reblog and then leave an ask, or comment under the fic!

!! reminder; I am not saying that if you don’t rb and just leave feedback, your feedback has no value. We authors truly appreciate every bit of feedback, but this post is aimed to help you learn how to interact with and support authors, and make them feel more motivated, because the current scenario of liking and scrolling is taking a toll on their creative abilities. Take it from a person who’s been writing for a year.

#4 : COMMSIONING VIA THEIR KO-FI/OTHER APPS !

Before any of you attack me, let me tell you that this is not a step that is 100% necessary to do. ONLY donate if you can and if you genuinely want to, and if anyone is forcing you to pay for something against your will, you need to get yourself out of there.

Regardless, if an author has a kofi and you’re able to and you want to donate, you definitely should! It’s also a valid form of support.

#5 : ADDING THEM ON REC LISTS/ RECOMMENDING THEM TO REC BLOGS

This is such an underrated option, to be honest. I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve seen my fic was recommended onto some rec list and it’s made me smile so hard. If you like some fics, create a rec list! They’re oft very popular amongst the fans too. Making rec posts is such a great way to share your favorite stories with others.

Rec blogs! I’ve seen a couple going around, and needless to say they are a great way to get someone else to read your favorite author’s work whilst also giving them your own feedback. These blogs oft accept recs via a form or ask box, and they leave your feedback along with their own, or else they’ll oft tag the author in the feedback post, so look! You’re basically helping your author share their fic to many more people, because you’ve given them feedback and a reblog.

♯ PROS :

Validation! Feedback! Reblogs! More exposure! Helping a blog grow! Spreading love! basically a run down of the stuff I’ve said before!

♯ CONS :

Literally no con of this. Unless, a one in a million case, this author says they don’t like receiving feedback/being tagged, and I’m sure NO person has said this before, at least none that I’ve heard of.

#6 : FINAL COMMENTS; MISC !

When an author points out about how the interactivity is drastically reducing, don’t just give them blind apologies. Yes, you feel sorry for not interacting as much, we understand, but rather show that you’ll become a better content consumer through your actions. We need to see that we’re not just throwing words into a void and that people are actually trying to be better content consumers.

Understand the fact that authors don’t get paid for this, and 99% of the time, these authors don’t take commissions either. They’re giving you novel worthy writings for free. Take Percy Jackson: You think the author would have felt motivated to write the subsequent parts, let alone two whole series based off of it if literally no one showed that they were interested? Rick Riordan has sales, he is being paid, there are millions of people and big agencies who provide him feedback. Now take that huge amount and simmer it down to an audience of maybe 10000 people This is what fanfic authors want. They don’t want your money, nor are they telling you to risk your lives for them. All they want is, a reblog, some tags, some feedback, some INTERACTIVITY. A sign that they aren’t throwing fics into the void and that people actually like them, some motivation to continue. Seems fairly easy to throw an rb with some tags, right?

Don’t bother to tell me that we do this for ourselves and we shouldn’t ask for likes and reblogs and feedback, because 1) you are consuming the content that we “write for ourselves” and 2) writers post their content here for interactivity and feedback. We could just not post and write and save our fics in our dungeon drafts for years. But we choose to post to entertain the readers, the consumers. And we aren’t even asking that much in return.

Don’t give me the whole “I’m scared that authors feel that comments are annoying” excuse either because seriously this has been DEBUNKED SO MANY TIMES. Istg, in the nicest way possible, if you still think writers are annoyed by interaction and feedback, after so many posts, long rants have been posted as to how we’re not, then you must truly be living under a rock. There, I said it. Please stop thinking this way, I’ll say it again, AUTHORS ARE NOT ANNOYED OF FEEDBACK, COMMENTS, TAGS, REBLOGS. WE LOVE IT. Saying this is like saying that the audience in a theatre play shouldn’t clap when the play ends because the actors would find it noisy. 🤡

I’ve seen some people saying they have anxiety issues and such, so pls note that I’m not invalidating your condition. If you’re trying to be more interactive, I really appreciate it! If you can’t, that’s fine too. You’re trying.

But for the people who have no reason other than feeling lazy to rb and comment, your lack of interactiveness is not excused. Please. Tumblr is a reblogging site. If you’re gonna consume content like authors are some sort of machines, I encourage you to go get some more perspective.

This site is not Instagram or the satan bird app. Your likes are appreciated but frankly speaking, they do nothing to the author except tell them “Hey i read ur fic but i'm not gonna support u :D” and honestly, that is detrimental to their creative capabilities and mental health.

DON’T FOLLOW AN ACC JUST TO MINDLESS RB THEIR SIGNAL BOOST POSTS AND THEIR REBLOGS OF GIFS AND NOT INTERACT WITH THEIR WRITING AT ALL ! Trust me, authors prefer a lower amount of interactive followers than a high count that doesn’t even give them any feedback. Again your follows are appreciated, but when you’re following, you know the type of content the author creates, so the author expects that the more followers, the more interactivity. These days, this is just becoming the opposite. So don’t do it! If you’re gonna follow to read, interact with their works. I promise, this will make both you and the author happy. A win-win situation.

In conclusion: SUPPORT YOUR FUCKING AUTHORS! THEY ARE NOT MACHINES THAT HAVE NO FEELINGS TO PRODUCE CONTENT FOR YOU! FICS TAKE DAYS AND DAYS OF PLANNING, PLOTTING, OUTLINING, WRITING, EDITING, MAKING TEASERS. SO JUST SHOW THEM YOU APPRECIATE THEM WITH AN RB. IT’S THE L E A S T YOU CAN DO.

I will be liking this post here written by the lovely @chaninfused and @scriptura-delirus . Please take time to read it because if you weren’t convinced by my arguments, you will see how much frustration we as writers face on a daily basis. Please, just show support. Here is the post by @stayndays about how to get more people to read your work, because it also has a note on reblogging. Please educate yourself, and put an end to this mindless consuming culutre and bring up some interactivity.

If you’ve read this far, I want you to go to two of your favorite authors and leave some feedback in their inbox, and tag me in it (either tag me yourself or ask the author to do so, they won’t mind). Show your writers that our words are taking effect and you are becoming better consumers. I mean it. I’m serious. I want every single one who reads this post to do this. besides valid reasons, if you’re lazy to do this, you’re a part of the problem. PLEASE get more perspective.

Also, feel free to add to this post! I’d love to read your thoughts too, remember to be kind though. And, if I think your rb is somehow contradicting my points and is bringing down the reason I made this post, I will politely ask you to delete your comment, because this post is about being truthful about the harsh reality of tumblr consumers and how we can change it. I’m sure none of you will let it get to that point, though. <3 love you guys. 💓

And, just a reminder, don’t just blindly like this too. Do what I said before, and while I am not forcing you, I’d appreciate your reblog, because seriously, it took me 3 whole days to write this, plus, I’m sure this will help more of your followers understand the fault in consumer culture. haha, that’s it! This post was way too long uff.

also, this is ur cue to not be stupid in my inbox. You have something to say? Think I worded smth wrongly? I’m sure it wasn’t my intention to do so, point it out with manners.

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iamanartichoke · 3 years

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just some thoughts, based on @iamnmbr3's post here (I didn't reblog bc I didn't want to seem like I was trying to disagree with you, though our opinions on this do somewhat differ) which included a quote from a recent interview with Mike Waldron.

I was just thinking today about all of the mixed reactions of the fans, and how extremely different some fans' response has been to others, and taking into consideration a lot of the interviews w/ the showrunners (when I say showrunners I mean Mike, Kate, and anyone else who made final decisions) and the conclusion that I, personally, have come to is that it's not so much a hatred of Loki or, like, a personal vendetta against his character as much as it is just a lack of empathy and a fundamental misunderstanding of him as a character - and I bring this up bc this quote (or interview) is a great example of that.

" ...opposite our guy, who has been doing things throughout his life somewhat selfishly, driven by his own trauma."

On the one hand, you have verbal acknowledgement from the writer that Loki's actions are driven by trauma, which is what we've been saying all along - that if you consider the context in which Loki committed most of his misdeeds, you see not a villain motivated by evil but an "anti-hero," in a loose sense of the word, motivated by trauma and pain. This acknowledgement is not nothing.

But on the other hand, Mike recognizes "driven by trauma" as a motivation and misinterprets it or doesn't understand quite it. He sees Loki's actions as selfish bc they are self-serving, on the surface - Loki feels Not Good Enough, Loki wants a throne and power to feel Good Enough = hence, Loki is a narcissist whose inferiority complex is his motivation to do evil things and/or betray those who love him.

I think this general mindset can be applied toward how he views Loki's life - and, by extension, Loki - in general. He recognizes the trauma and that growing up a prince of Asgard wasn't all sunshine and roses but, at the same time, he seems to be approaching it from a position of "nothing you went through is that bad, considering the privilege you had, especially compared to a child abducted from her family who then grew up homeless and on the edge of one apocalypse after another, scavenging to survive and having to teach herself everything she knows." Strictly on a surface level, Loki's upbringing does look pretty good compared to that.

There's no real empathy there, though; this mindset says "you can be privileged or you can be destitute and if you're the former, it could have been worse and you should be grateful for what you did have, and if you're the latter, it's made you tough and leaves you with little sympathy and/or patience for privileged people."

It's very black and white, but it's not an interpretation that he's alone in coming to. How many times has the conversation (argument) been had on this website, where some careless person is like "Loki is just evil" or "Loki isn't evil but he did bad things, stop apologizing for him" or "Loki literally killed hundreds of people but lol go off I guess" - like, that mindset (and by extension, lack of empathy for Loki in particular) is shared by significant pockets of the fandom (or at least the audience in general).

Kate, on the other hand, has expressed not only a love for Loki but a somewhat more empathetic understanding of Loki's trauma and kind of the root of all these issues that drive his villainy in the first place, but for whatever reasons, as director, she chose not to have the narrative reflect those roots and to be honest, I'm not really sure what to make of that except that it would seem her interpretation of Loki is more in-line with those parts of the fandom who absolutely love Loki's portrayal here.

I don't know, I'm just kinda rambling at this point, just trying to express some things I was thinking as the show's run comes to a close. Ultimately I think that the showrunners probably feel that they've done Loki justice as they understand him, and wrote a story/characterizations that were accurate to their perception of him, as opposed to having any malicious intent or intense dislike of him (I kinda think Mike doesn't really care for Loki as a character, but that's purely my own speculation). And, I mean, fiction being so subjective, it's like - it is what it is, really.

Disclaimer - I do not know Mike Waldron or Kate Herron and speculation about their perspectives and storytelling choices is coming as an interpretation of things they've said themselves in interviews, and is not reflective of them as people or even how I feel about them as people (pretty ambivalent, ftr).

#loki series negativity #loki series criticism #using both bc well hopefully the pro-side has the negativity tag blocked #and won't find this post #loki spoilers #loki tv series spoilers #loki series spoilers

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banescrown · 4 years

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Honestly the entire fandom normalizes all the wrong and offensive actions of all our white characters do, claiming them to be “iconic” or whatever. I don’t think many of us even realise that’s what we’re doing, it just happens automatically because white people saying anything bad has been normalized as okay, yet the moment a person of colour say anything slightly wrong they are trashed and hated on.

While yes we love those characters, they need to be called out on the shit they’ve done. I don’t CC (and other authors) realise that what they made their characters say and do is actually offensive. Like now we will see Alastair and Ariadne try to win back their loves and friends etc, but we’ll have to watch them own up to their mistakes and watch as the other side of the apologies are not called out (I’m wording this wrong I hope you guys get what I mean). The others will forgive Alastair for what he said at the academy, and all that racist and mean comments Matthew made to him will be completely ignored/not mentioned at all; only Alastair will be held accountable. Ariadnne will try to win Anna back, but Anna’s been on such a heartbreaker streak, and she literally asked Aridnne to just give up her entire life and dreams for her (and they only knew each other for hardly few weeks), and that will never be addressed.

There’s also a lot of hate going around like “people be stanning all them pretty boys even though they’re shit people” and then call out characters of colour (eg. Alastair), but like, what about your other pretty boys (eg. Matthew) who have done way worse shit, y’all are gonna stan them and justify that? It’s horrible how this type of racism has become so normalized and ingrained into our heads that we don’t even realise what we’re doing, and equally horrible that people purposefully ignore the shit their white characters do.

I’m ashamed to say that back when I read GOTSM I hated Alastair for what he said to Matthew, I didn’t even take into account of the fact that Matthew was the one who literally started it by insulting Alastair. I started liking Alastair after read COG and then when I came onto Tumblr I realised that it was not Alastair's fault alone for the whole situation. I then realized the same applied to Will, Jace and other characters like them, not even from TSC, I had normalized their actions in my head and really thought nothing much of it.

I’m generally the type of person who doesn’t give two shits of what you believe or what your skin colour is etc (I mean it doesn’t affect me or change my opinion on you not that I don’t care what matters to you I’m really bad at wording this I’m sorry), to me if you’re white and a shit person, you’re a shit person; if you believe in any religion and are a shit person, you’re a shit person; and vice versa etc. I will like you for your personality, you telling me you’re Muslim or follow any other religion, or your skin colour does not affect me in the slightest. So it really hit me when I realised that I had unknowingly become internally prejudiced (I’ve tried to change that, going back and looking at the shit a lot of my fav characters have done and acknowledging it, it’s really changed my opinions and perspectives a lot).

I’m giving my own personal example so people realise I’m not making shit up when I say we don’t even realise when we treat characters unfairly, not cuz I’m looking to attacked for this.

I’m really hoping CC proves me wrong and actually knows that she wrote in discriminative comments etc, and will have those addressed in her next book(s) like COI (obviously she can’t really do anything about like TID and TMI etc now and it’s fine writers are only human they make mistakes). Because at the very least I really want Matthew to be called out on the shit he’s done (as I’ve said before), as well as the fact that he’s literally an alcoholic, there is no way anyone can deny that it's 100% canon.

Can’t think of anything else to say about this now, pretty sure I’ve worded a lot of stuff wrong so I’m sorry if I end up offending anyone THAT IS NOT MY INTENTION, I just saw a post earlier talking about Anna and how she’s not really the best role model (and I honestly agree) and it started me off on this (I’ve reblogged it to my page, shoutout to the person who made that list). If I think of more I’ll reblogg this and add more or make a new post idk.

ALSO I LOVE ALL MY CHARACTERS THIS IS NOT A HATE POST ON ANY CHARACTER IF YOU DON’T LIKE THE CHARACTERS I’M TRYING TO DEFEND OR WHATEVER THAT’S FINE BUT I HOPE IT’S FOR VALID REASONS (idk what reasons come under valid reasons that depends on you ig) I feel like I need to add this disclaimer to every rant I post.

Yea so can we try and stop normalizing shit whit people and characters do and call them out on it thank you to whoever actually reads this whole thing <3

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mirclealignr · 4 years

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Since this is very frequently asked of me, I decided to make a proper post about it, that way it’s easier for you to find and easier for me to link if someone else asks. Hopefully this is somewhat useful for you guys? I tried anyway alsjsnja so here! This can be applied to any fandom but since I write for HP I took a lot of my examples for there. But this applies for anything!!

Writing Advice for Fanfic:

Characterisation -

When characterising, I understand it can be hard to differentiate your characters. Sometimes it’s easy to let them all fall into one generalised ‘character’. So here I’m gonna try and help you with keeping your characters separate from each other and more accurate when reading/writing.

Getting the right pet names/terms of endearment that a certain character would say to another character or to the reader is so useful for characterising. It may sound stupid, but it does help.

For example, in my opinion, Draco wouldn’t say ‘love’ to his s/o. Maybe to someone else or at the beginning of a flirtatious relationship, but not to someone who he’s dating. For me, he is more likely to use ‘darling’ or ‘princess’. However, if you don’t know for a certain character, the generic term ‘love’ is a good one to fall back on.

Another thing is, can you actually picture that character in your head doing or saying the think you’re making them do or say? Does it feel forced in your mind or does it seem natural? If it seems natural then you’re probably on the right track. An easy way to do this is by imagining the film/tv show character in your mind and hearing their voice etc...

For dialogue, which I will move onto further down, can you hear this character saying that piece of dialogue? How do they usually talk? For Fred or George, they’re often cocky/confident but with Neville he’s often stuttering and shy. So just keep this in mind when you’re writing interactions with other characters or the reader.

It sounds obvious, but what do they look like? When you say ‘They run their hand through their hair’, well what colour is their hair? Are they doing this confidently or nervously? Body language is essential - it’s something we use everyday without realising, but it says a lot. Really picture the character in your mind and portray this in what you write. We want to know who we’re reading for, not just from the title, but we want to feel like we’re really reading for this character.

Plot -

This will not apply to all writers, you may not agree and you may not want to do this. This is my personal opinion and what works for me. But here goes:

I learned this pretty quickly - fluff is brilliant, I’m a fluff fan, but I don’t write fluff with no plot (or angst either but i see this done more often with fluff) It can be good sometimes if it’s maybe a bit shorter like 700-1000 words or so, but even then, try to think of a small plot. Even if it’s a tiny plot, like sneaking out or baking a cake with someone who can’t bake. It makes the story more interesting and more likely for your readers to continue on. We want something to look forward to.

For longer oneshots, this really applies. I don’t, personally, want to read something over 1k if it’s just fluff with no plot. Keep me interested, will there be suspense? Twists? Pining? Oblivious characters? A problem? A resolution? There doesn’t have to be a resolution, maybe you’ll leave it on a cliffhanger and let your readers decide how it ends. But keep us enagaged.

For angst, it’s less generally done but again, a plot is useful. It also makes writing it for you easier if you have somewhere to go with it. Writing just fluff or angst can be hard if there is no basis for it and it might make the writing experience more strenuous.

Dialogue -

Don’t stress about dialogue. It honestly can be really easy. I know it’s something a lot of people struggle with and hopefully this helps.

Casual dialogue can be hard to get right, I know. Take inspiration from real life conversations. How do you talk to your family? How do you talk to your friends? Use that and incorporate it into your fics. Make it believable. We don’t want to see dialogue that doesn’t flow or seems robotic, which can be easy to do. We want dialogue that seems realistic for that person to say.

For example, when you toalk to your friends, you probably use slang like “gonna” / “kinda”, so don’t be afraid to use that in dialogue - you want it to sound natural (although I’d avoid using fillers if you can). Hermione might use the word ‘hence’ but would Fred or George? It’s brilliant to use words like this, but don’t lose your characters in it. Save these words for your descriptions.

When it comes to more formal dialogue, just think how you would act in that particular situation, whether it’s with a teacher/boss/person of authority. But also, don’t lose the character in the speech. Hermione is probably is going to talk to a teacher much differently than Fred or George. A teacher however, will always talk to their students the same way unless they know them personally.

Don’t forget to use a variety of replacement words for ‘said’ or ‘say’. While these words are perfectly fine to use, I recommend using others too, to keep it interesting but also to convey your character’s emotion or how they’ve said it.

Descriptions -

This is something I feel like writers get so well in some areas and forget about in other areas. Anyway, here we go:

Don’t just tell us two characters are in love, show!!! us!!! — these two people in love, well, are they blushing/stuttering/ being bashful/flirting? What’s their body language like? How do they differ around this person to someone else? When you’re in love, or have a crush on someone, these things change around that person. Most of the time we don’t want them to, but they do which is why we’re so aware of it. Not only this, but how does the character feel about their change in personality/body language? Does it make them more nervous/angry/confused? Don’t just tell us, prove it to us. Especially if it’s the reader that feels this way, we want to feel they way you’re telling us we do.

Don’t just say they’re at the Black Lake (or anywhere else), show!!! us!!! What does it look like? Is it night/dusk/dawn/morning/noon? If it’s night time or early in the morning, what’s the temperature like? Perhaps the temperature can link into the plot. They’re going to this place for a reason, remember, so use this to your advantage. Are their birds? What can you hear? see? Make this scene come alive for us, make us feel as if we’re there. This isn’t usually where writers trip up, but sometimes it’s easy to forget things as basic as descriptions because we’re so wrapped up in the plot.

Dont just give us a story with dialogue saying ‘he did this’ , ‘she did that’ , ‘you did this’ - Where are we/what are we doing/how are we feeling/are we in school? Is it day/night/sunset/dawn? What are our surroundings? Describe what you can hear/see, don’t forget about the senses. Use as many as you can. Make us feel as if we’re there, engage us. Sight and sound are most often used but don’t forget about touch and smell. And even taste, though there’s going to be fewer situations this can be used.

What are the reader’s emotions, another character’s emotions? Why are they feeling this way? Don’t forget, there’s not just happy and sad, there’s anger, jealousy, frustration, despair, upset, depression, hunger, energetic, excitement. Humans have such a wide range of emotion, don’t forget to use them and make us feel or empathise with these characters/the reader.

Alright, I hoped this helped someone? Anyone? If you want me to touch on other areas, please don’t hesitate to send me an ask and I’ll try to help you out. Same goes with something you think I’ve missed on here. Feel free to reblog this as well!

#writing advice #advice for writers #fanfiction advice #fanfic advice #writing fanfic #dialogue ideas #advice #fanfiction #lena vents

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recurring-polynya · 3 years

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What comparisons can be made between renruki and Ichiruki? I often wondered about this.

This is such a hot button issue that as soon as I received this (perfectly polite) ask, my body tensed up and my brain went Am I being trolled?

It’s honestly a shame that there is so much bad blood behind this, because it is, in fact, a very interesting thing to talk about, and I am going to attempt to do so in good faith, because I love thinking about this kind of thing. Even though I am very openly a Renruki shipper, I love all three of these characters very much, and I think that Ichigo and Rukia’s relationship is very important! I am doing my best to be neutral, although I have not read very much Ichiruki fanfic/meta, so please give me a benefit of a doubt. Obviously, I can’t stop anyone from reblogging this and putting their own comments on it, but I have no interest in getting in debates over it, so don’t be surprised if I don’t engage.

This is both long, and I am sure some people don’t care, so I’m gonna put the rest under a cut. I have tried to hard to write this in a way that will not make anyone mad, but if you think it will make you mad, please give yourself the gift of not clicking on it.

So, what is the same between Ichigo and Renji? Lots, actually. Physically, they are both tall, strong, and have ridiculously colored spiky hair. They are outwardly grumpy, but secretly have soft, gooey centers. Neither one of them is dumb, but they are both dumbasses. They are protectors: they would rather take any amount of pain or damage onto themselves than see a loved one hurt. Their friends are everything to them, and that goes triple for Rukia.

How are they different, then? There are three major bullets:

- Ichigo is alive. Renji is dead. Perhaps this is a little flip, but Renji belongs to same world that Rukia does, and Ichigo does not. This is not a value judgment, it is just a fact: If Rukia ends up with Renji, she stays where she is. If she ends up with Ichigo, either Rukia or Ichigo have to make a huge change. I will get back to this.

- Youth vs. Experience. Ichigo is a 15-year old boy, as we are told about 1000 times. There is some mystery over how old Rukia and Renji are, but they have graduated from secondary education and are currently employed. I think it’s safe to assume that they are roughly close in age to each other, but I think Rukia may perceive Renji as seeming older than herself-- he graduated from school, and she didn’t; he’s on his third squad transfer, whereas she’s hasn’t budged from her initial, entry-level job, and he’s now middle management. However, the arc of the story we don’t get to see, is that over the timeskips, Rukia not only catches up to, but surpasses him. Also, not for nothing, but I think that in the same way Rukia is immediately drawn to Ichigo because of his resemblance to Kaien, I think she is also drawn to him for his resemblance to Young Renji-- a grumpy, prickly young man, leaking self-doubt from every pore, whom she is more able to be generous towards through the lens of age and experience. (And I think this comparison could support either ship)

- Ichigo is the protagonist. Rules don’t apply to him. Fate breaks on his sword. He represents the triumph of love or hard work or dreams or what have you over the cruel millstone of the world. Renji, on the other hand, is firmly bound to the rules of the world in which he inhabits. In fact, that is arguably the entire purpose of his character. Renji’s fights are often used to set the stakes of the conflict-- ah, Renji got mangled, this guy must be tough. In the Soul Society Arc, he is an antagonist because he is doing what he is supposed to. In the TYBW, Kubo literally throws the two of them in a pit to fight some asauchi just to make the point that Renji is a shinigami and Ichigo is something else.

Let’s jump over to Rukia for a moment. Rukia is a great character, one of my favorite characters in any media. Rukia contains multitudes. She is tough and strong, but often melancholy. She can be beautiful and elegant, but she also lies and breaks rules and tried to put Kon in a dead cat once. Emotionally, she likes to present a cool front, but she has a big, loving heart, and she feels deeply. As a character, all of this makes her very easy to project onto, which is why I think so many people OTP her with someone, no matter who.Some people choose to try to make her into one of these things or another, and some people try to keep her as the full bundle of contradictions that she is.

There is no romantic content in canon Bleach. There is no romantic content in canon Bleach. There are many, many scenes that can be interpreted romantically, but no one goes on a date, no one kisses. Ichigo gazes longingly into the eyes of all his friends, it’s just a thing he does. Orihime does explicitly proclaim at one point that she loves Rukia, although I suspect that in the original Japanese, it’s the word for “friendship love” and not the very-rarely-used “romantic love.” I have seen a scene-for-scene comparison of IchiHime “romantic moments” only it’s Chad and Uryuu (which I choose to believe supports IshiChad, rather than negates IchiHime, but we may all choose for ourselves!) My point is that shipping in Bleach is a DIY craft, which, when we’re all having a good time, is what makes it so fun.

So, bringing all of this together, given that Ichigo and Renji are fairly similar characters, why are the ships so different, and what makes one appeal to some people and be abhorrent to someone else?

I think about romance stories a lot. I actually took a class on romance novels in college and I just really like to think about the mechanics of stories. In the truest sense of the word, “romance” is about extremes-- about sailing the high seas and wearing ostentatious shirts and shouting off a cliff in a rainstorm. When we talk about romance as a genre, the characters tend to behave in a way that we would not prefer our actual romantic partners do, but the over-the-top nature of it makes us swoon and our hearts drop -- except when it doesn’t. What is heart-breakingly romantic to some people can be a huge turn-off to others. The biggest fight my husband and I have ever had was over a kdrama. The male lead was hiding his identity from the female lead in order to help her, and I found it all to be deeply, deeply romantic, and my husband turned to me and said “He is being dishonest with her and I think it’s morally wrong” and I almost died.

So, let’s break down some of the themes of the two ships, which I think gets at the meat of what you were asking. Now, like I said, shipping is very participatory, and anyone may have their own ideas of how these relationships would be, and I am a big fan of “a great writer can get away with anything”, but in broad strokes, I think that these are the themes of the two ships:

IchiRuki:

Love conquers all/ Love is enough to overcome differences of class, age, lifestyle, geography, etc.

Instant connections/Love at first sight

Love is a force of the universe that cannot be denied or defeated

Young love

Grand gestures

Your partner changes you (in a positive way)/You effect change in your partner

Your partner is the center of your world

Your partner is the one person who can get through to you/You are the one person who can get through to your partner

Banter

Dumbassery

RenRuki:

Love takes work

Best friends to lovers

Second chances/Broken things can be repaired

Love is a choice

You improve with age

Shared experiences build love

Pining

Working together with your partner to create a mutually satisfying life together

Your partner enriches your world, but your independence is maintained

Banter

Dumbassery

There is also some degree of character interpretation at work, too-- there seems to be a huge degree of disagreement between fans as to whether:

a) Ichigo enjoys his normal, human life, and even though he do anything to protect what he loves, he would prefer to live a human existence with his human friends and family. He credits Rukia will helping him realize his strength and powers.

b) Ichigo is unsatisfied with his human life and that meeting Rukia opened the doorway to a life of excitement and adventure, on top of being given the strength to protect his loved ones.

As far as Ichigo pairings go, I think that most IchiHime people fall in category (a) and most IchiRuki (and GrimmIchi) shippers fall in (b). In both cases, peoples’ ships align with their view of what makes Ichigo happy. Most IchiRuki content I have seen seems to feature Ichigo moving to Soul Society, rather than Rukia moving to Karakura. Rukia pretty explicitly indicates at the end of the Soul Society Arc that she wants to stay in Soul Society, plus she’s got a pretty established life there. Contrast that to the story of Isshin and Masaki-- Isshin seems pretty flippant and disaffected about his life in Soul Society; it doesn’t seem like it was a particularly hard choice for him to give up being a shinigami. Also, it’s pretty clear that what Isshin did was illegal, and I’m not sure there would be an easy way for Rukia to just say “WELP, I’m off to live as a human, smell you jerks later.”

To try to wrap things up, I think the actual dynamics of an IchiRuki or RenRuki relationship would be very similar, actually. They would banter a lot and dive headfirst into danger and support each other no matter what. Byakuya would treat either guy with the vaguest, most grudging amount of respect. The primary perpetual, unresolved argument between Rukia and Ichigo would be “The Living World is dumb/Soul Society is dumb”, whereas with Rukia and Renji, it would be “Squad 6 is dumb/Squad 13 is dumb wait no I didn’t mean that Captain Ukitake is an angel.”

Personally, I headcanon Renji as being more able than Ichigo to step back and be the support person in the relationship (see that bullet about Ichigo being the protag), so I think that RenRuki could manage to run a functional household, whereas Ichigo and Rukia would just go on adventures until they got arrested for tax evasion.

*For the record, I am very pro-IchiRenRuki, except that they would be even worse at running a household. It’s just Renji trying to explain how a chore wheel works while Rukia and Ichigo walk out the door on him.

#shipping discourse #they're just all very shippable!#with each other!#with anyone!#may god have mercy on my soul for venturing this close to the third rail of bleach discourse

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waka-chan-out · 3 years

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hello! i was just wondering how you started out your page, like any tips? I love your work so much 😤✋💕

well, first of all thank you very much! i’m surprised and flattered that you would ask me!

in all honesty, i don’t know how i got here. i feel like i blacked out at 300 followers and now i’m at 1.2k. but i can try to offer some tips! i know i looked at some tip posts when i was first starting and didn’t follow most of them, so i’ll let you know what’s been useful to me. obviously remember this is what worked for me and it may not apply to everybody. i acquired this audience completely by accident, so those that are actively working to build a page might give you different tips.

((keep in mind this all applies to fanfic blogs because that’s all i have experience in.))

things to do:

first of all, and this is pretty obvious: tag everything you think applies. it seems excessive in the moment but it’s the only reason anyone ever saw my stuff lmao. like for any specific character in my posts will have a whole slew of tags (and this is for my nsfw posts) like:

ushijima smut ushijima x reader ushiwaka smut ushiwaka x reader haikyuu smut haikyuu x reader hq smut hq x reader

going along with that, oh my god, come up with a tagging system. even if you don’t think you need to tag something, you probably do. so many headcanons of mine are lost to time simply because i never tagged them and now i have over 600 posts. i’m never finding that shit again. tag it.

make a masterlist. it helps you and your followers stay sane and organized. i made mine because someone requested it, so that was cool. but if you make one early it’ll make your life easier.

find one uniform way to structure your posts. i know everyone feels differently about this, but it really does make life so much easier. i’ve been doing my “post timeskip, obviously, content warnings, etc” thing since my very first post, and it just makes me feel more organized and consistent. everyone’s posts will look different, so just look at what your favorite blogs do and mush all that together. you’ll find what you like eventually.

be clear what kind of audience you want. this can change and evolve, but try to start off with some idea of what you want. don’t want minors on your page? write minors dni EVERYWHERE and keep up with blocking pages. a rules list helps with this, but of course people like to just not check those, so be firm when your rules are bent or broken.

post a variety of content. it’s so much easier to rack up notes on a headcanon or thirst post then it is anything else, especially the type of fics i write where it has a lot of banter and build up before anything else.

it pays off to have a gimmick! i acquired the most followers from my 300 follower event and that’s been so nice.

this isn’t necessarily a “blog” tip, but oh my god, learn how to structure writing. i cannot tell you how off putting it is to try to read fics when paragraph breaks are used awkwardly or there are two people speaking in one paragraph. you don’t have to be a perfect writer to write fanfiction, but please at least learn the rules of writing. if you need help, ask. google things. i’m an english major that wants to write and edit for a living and i still look shit up all the time.

write what you like. you’ll find an audience. you don’t have to cater to anyone else’s tastes or preferences. one of my first few posts was a request, and that was only after i had posted one or two things. people will find you, and it will be people that also like what you like. don’t make yourself uncomfortable just to cater to someone else’s preferences.

be patient. you won’t get followers overnight. some blogs grow quickly and others don’t. that’s just how it is. also don’t be too demanding with your followers. don’t get pouty when people don’t interact, don’t be demanding about requests. just realize that you’re a person and so are they. they aren’t obligated to read just like you aren’t obligated to write. relax and realize it’s just a blog. you’ll be fine.

edit: I ALMOST FORGOT !! be inclusive. holy shit. so many people will read your writing and though you shouldn’t write anything you’re uncomfortable with, it’s so easy to be inclusive. there are tips all over the place, but all you need to do is focus on the personality of the reader rather than their appearance. easy. i’m lucky enough to have a pretty diverse audience and it makes me so happy i could cry. i love knowing that people feel safe and included here.

what i haven’t found necessary:

making a tag list. i only made one recently, and even then i only have nine people on it. it’s not that necessary, unless you have a series that people want to see.

having a theme. seriously, don’t stress. even now i barely have a theme. it’s never been hard on me.

plugging your blog?? i don’t know if people actually do this but i saw a suggestion about it and it confused me to no end. i’ve never found that necessary, though it is nice having mutuals that reblog your stuff. still not totally necessary though. my only mutual was @tanzaniiite for the longest time and that’s literally just because i saw her follow me, saw that she was a writer, stalked her posts, and decided i wanted to follow her back. she was my 34th follower (yes i counted) and she’s still here. very much appreciated.

doing collabs. i didn’t even consider doing one until recently. they’re really not necessary.

self reblogs. another one that i think might help but isn’t necessary. i didn’t start doing these until i had acquired a larger audience. figure out what works for you, but i’ve unfollowed more than one blog just because of the sheer amount of self reblogs they do. i understand that they’re proud of their work and want it out there, but i just think there’s no way reblogging a new post every hour is necessary. obviously if you want to reblog your own content you can. but having a masterlist had made that unnecessary for me. one of my first posts had like 100 notes after it was first posted, and now it’s up to 600 when it hasn’t been on people’s pages in months. people will find your work if they want to find it.

obviously all of this is just my opinion and you should take it with a grain of salt. i started this blog randomly to post one tsukishima fic i had written for someone that i was told was good enough to post. i haven’t changed my writing structure or process since then, and i still have no god damn clue how tumblr works. it’s a lot less intimidating than it seems. i know it’s a different experience for everyone, but it’s an overwhelmingly loving community that is kind to new writers. i was lucky enough to grow fast and receive a lot of kindness, but that’s also because i put a crazy amount of effort into being kind back and posting consistently (and no one needs to be going at the pace i set towards the beginning of this blog. holy shit i was posting like every other day for a while.)

if you do decide to commit to trying to build an audience, let me know and i’d love to follow you! and if you’ll be writing (which i hope so because most of these tips are for fanfic blogs lmao) i’m always here to help with structure, beta reading, editing, etc. that’s literally what i want to do as a career so it’s never a burden on me. either way, good luck! it’s frustrating sometimes but if you have solid ideas and basic writing abilities you’ll be fine!

again, thank you so much and i’m so flattered you asked me 💞 i hope you have a lovely day darling.

#meg’s messages 📫#meg’s thoughts #⏰..meg

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safarigirlsp · 3 years

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Hey darling!

I feel bad that I haven’t had a chance to read your new Clyde fic..super busy with real life, but looking forward to it when I get the opportunity. But I just heard about the drama here today and I am so shocked, angered and appalled that you of all people are being targeted. Adam is getting a break from their hostility.

The cancel culture within the ADCU fandom is beyond ridiculous and childish, as you and I have discussed in the past. The entire atmosphere is toxic while there are pockets that are not. High school for adults is a good way to describe it because the dynamics are essentially the same: cliques/bullies, the good ones and the outsiders. While some may self-appoint themselves as judge/jury/executioner of the entire group, no one is better than anyone else even if they think they are. Condemning you and your supporters over FICTION is scraping the bottom of the barrel of pettiness and bitterness. Maybe some jealousy thrown in? Showing their true colors for sure.

Are people truly that unable to differentiate fiction from reality? Just because something is written as a story does NOT in any way mean you are describing your reality. It’s not an autobiography so why are people treating it like it is? Everyone preaches everyday about “click the back button and the block button if something bothers you that much” but it doesn’t seem to apply to the ones who feel victimized and go on the attack “because they’re exempt “. Doesn’t work that way.

Love you and wanted to share my support because there is no excuse for this behavior. You are an amazing writer and person in general and I am honored to call you a true friend. :)

Michele!! Thank you so much for sending this to me!!! I deeply appreciate your ongoing support and taking the time to send this to me! I’m sorry you’re present for yet another episode of As Tumblr Turns, but I think we’re all used to it by now! 🤣

I know you’re aware of the cancel culture, too, and I agree that it’s appalling. I’ve seen it happen to a few of my close friends and it enraged me to no end. It’s like there’s a High Council sitting around discussing who should be cancelled next and why before floating around their chickenshit little posts. I’m honestly glad they chose me as opposed to someone else because I’m the wrong person to try this bs with. I’m not going anywhere. I’m not going to stop doing my thing. I’m not going to stop writing what I want. And this has fueled me to get some serious writing done in the last couple days, which is just the shot of whiskey I needed! I hope they think twice before trying to cancel the next girl.

I haven’t even lost that many followers, which tells me that people reblog the cancel bs because it’s good PR to do so but they don’t really give it the time of day 🤣. I should still be good to go for a big follower milestone in July! Please send me any ideas you have for prompts or stories btw!

The story everyone is up in arms about (pun intended lol) is set during the Civil War. But that’s the extent of it lol. It’s tagged appropriately. There’s no political commentary whatsoever. It’s just a historical setting that I wanted to use for an AU because it isn’t duplicative of one of my other stories or of someone else’s. I wanted something with horses and war wounds consistent with Clyde for a wounded soldier trope. It’s really not deeper than that lol. His accent doesn’t really work for, say, a Revolutionary War AU lol. I personally refuse to write an entire period of history off as being off limits because people want to throw tantrums about it. Honestly, how many books and movies are set during that era? Maybe one day AD will make a movie set during that time and really piss everyone off. I would personally give a kidney to see him star in a remake of The Outlaw Josey Wales directed by Clint Eastwood!

I’m writing a smutty part two as we speak to post later tonight to celebrate today’s fandom fireworks! It’s best to get it in while this is still topical before people forget about it next week 🤣.

Thank you for your friendship and support! You’ll always have mine as well! 💗

PS. Look for a screenshot of this to be added to circulating collection 🤣

#SafariGate

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kingsuckjin · 3 years

Text

I tricked a lot of you, and here's how and why I did it.

Before you hit the "read more" I just want you to know this was an experiment, this isn't a call out post, I'm not coming at readers or writers, I have a shit ton of respect for you all, especially Jungkook, seeing as he's my second bias. Maybe even if you squint hard enough there's some info in here to help new writers. Beware the sort of long post under the cut.

So let's start off by stating my problem, a problem that I'm sure all or most writers are experiencing. Jungkook fics get more notes and feedback than any of the others. At first when this started for me, I was blaming myself and wondering if it was me and my writing. I was wondering if my other fics just weren't good enough, and then I started to see a pattern that it was just Jungkook fics getting the most notes and feedback. I don't feel like it's always been like this for me, for a long time a Taehyung fic of mine was most loved by readers, so I obviously questioned if my writing had just went bad somehow. I had started joking for a while that one of these days I'd post the exact same fic twice, a Jungkook version and one with any other member and see what happens, and it was only a joke but something last night pushed me to do it. Last night I posted a teaser to a fic I had been working hard on, something I thought people would love as much as my most popular fic (a jk one) and right out of the gate it ended up not doing well. I started wondering again if it was just me being a shitty writer and honestly I got tired of feeling that way and blaming myself so I broke.

What did I do?: I know the best time to post fics for me is Friday and Saturday nights because those are the nights with the most traffic. So last night (Saturday) took a Namjoon fic named "Drive" I felt deserved more notes (it only had 272) I copy pasted it into my docs, retitled it to "Ruin Him", and changed Namjoon's name to Jungkook and privated my namjoon fic that was exactly the same fic. I posted my "jungkook fic" right after my Jimin teaser, thinking at the very least that maybe I could also experiment with ways of bringing more traffic to a fic.

After about 12 hours here's what I found: 1.) Only one person caught on and in a very kind way wondered if I was stealing someone's else’s fic 😂(I'm very sorry anon. Thank you though for being brave enough to for that and stick up for writers and even be nice about it) my "jk fic" after just half a day had 160-ish notes, where as my joon fic that was the exact same had only 272 after months of being up. So my "jungkook" fix was obviously wracking up notes and feedback faster than the same one that came first. While a lot of factors probably go into this like the amount of followers I've gained since I've written the joon fic until now when I posted the jungkook fic, I do believe jungkook fics obviously do better. Now, I also don't know if I have a concentration of jungkook stans following me (because I too am a jungkook stan, I'm double biased) and I've done this to myself by writing a lot of kook, but I've heard a lot of writers have this exact same thing going on.

As for the results of if it helped bring traffic to my jimin teaser: it did not. My jimin teaser only has 55 notes after about the same amount of time of it being consecutively posted before my fake Jungkook fic. Although it had a banner, and promise of future smut (lack of smut now would also probably play a role in the amount of notes along with it just being a teaser) and the jk and joon fics did not have the fancy bells and tassels, it didn't seem to matter. So maybe banners for fics aren't everything but they are a nice addition to help draw people in.

What's the big deal? Am I just a writer groveling for notes?: the problem is I've felt restricted as a writer since I discovered this. I'll work hard on a fic and share it with you only to discover that there's no feedback, comments or reblogs, and that you only wanted Jungkook. It's disheartening, because while I love writing fics for the others I found myself wondering what's the point if no one cares? What's the point in sharing all of my work if it gets completely disregarded? What's the point if it doesn't bring joy to anyone else too? Writing makes me happy but what's the point in sharing it if no one wants it, why not just keep it for myself instead of going through the trouble of making a banner, putting in warnings, description and tags, check it for errors, harass my writer friends for opinions on it as I'm writing it, hyping it up first for weeks, and giving updates on progress? It's hard to find drive to write when you know not many others care.it all just filled me with a lot of doubt and apprehension before posting any fic. (But for those of you that do care and read or reblog and give me feedback on almost everything I write I hope you know you are absolute angels and you're what keep me posting and hanging on. I have such infinite love for you, I see you and know who you are and look forward to seeing you in my notifications every time I post something. I'd die for you.) Don’t get me wrong, I’m not trying to tell you what you should or shouldn’t read or write, I love a good kook fic as much as anyone else, I’m just stating what I've found, how it makes me feel and the decisions I’m faced with.

So what am I going to do? I understand there's a whole lot of people with kook as their bias (including myself) and I understand why Jungkook fics are so popular and I'm not quite sure it can be helped. Honestly, its probably just a me problem. It does make me feel sad that fics about the others get less love though. So what I've been thinking hard on doing these past few months is either 1.) Switching to AO3 only, I'm aware they probably have the same problem, but I feel like AO3 is just better with feedback in general no matter what member you post. I'm still deciding on that and might take me a few months to really think on. Honestly I don't think I could *only* write Jungkook fics, and if I did I'd probably get hate for it and experience severe burn out. Or option 2.) Leaving the option available for you to request any of my fics rewritten with a different member. And I don't mean just copy paste the same fic like I did last night every time, I like thinking that fics would go slightly differently depending on the member. So if you see one of my fics you'd want with another member you could just tell me. That way, if I get feedback on a fic that's similar to another, I could just apply it in my mind to both and I'd have reassurance that it's not just my writing that's making people not read or leave feedback.

I really want to know your thoughts on all of this, so please be sure to let me know. As for the joon fic that's also a jungkook fic, I'm adding both to my masterlist so long after this post is forgotten, I'll know it's not me and I shouldn't be so hard on myself and if you're another writer going through something similar, just know that it’s not you, your writing is not bad and you're not the problem. tumblr has been bad about creator feedback and reblogs even without all of this anyway.

#moon talks

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turning-dreams-into-chaos · 4 years

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Tips to keep Writers Writing

I made a tip list. For the record, I know I’m not following all these as I should be and by no means am I saying I’m perfect (lord knows I’m far from it). This really can apply to anything on Tumblr (Writings of any kind, artwork, poems, songs, basically any time someone is sharing something with the world) but I’m applying it to writing cause that’s what I do. I know there are so many of these types of lists, but I made this one, so enjoy.

Get the notes up! I’ve seen a countless number of writers putting out less and less content on here just because their pieces aren’t getting the notes they so obviously deserve. I know from experience that watching a piece you thought was going to be a hit flop is so hard to get over. It makes me, at least, not want to keep posting the fics and pieces I like because I’m worried about how you guys would like it. Listen, I know some people say they can live without your validation, and good for them, but just pretend that writers need your (good, not hateful) comments. If you like a piece (or read it), reblog it. It’s really the only way writers get their work out there.

Stop the hate! If you had at any point sent anyone some spiteful, rude, harassing ask on anonymous, you’re automatically dead to me. Seeing people receive hate comments is so heartbreaking to watch because I know they don’t deserve it. If you ever get the urge to send someone a hate comment, I want you to write it down on a piece of paper, fold it up real nice, and burn that shit. No one cares if you have something rude to say. We speak with kindness, or we don’t speak at all.

Send asks! Ok, this one’s easy. If you don’t know what an inbox is (That sounded kind of rude to me idk but I genuinely mean this because if you’re new to Tumblr it gets confused with direct messages) it’s where you can send people like little messages where they can answer PUBLICLY. It’s where you can also send anons if their anons are turned on, some aren’t so be aware. Anyways, I don’t know about everyone else, but I LOVE when someone sends me an ask. It makes me really happy to know someone took time to tell me their thoughts. And you don’t have to actually say anything, ask us about our days or ask us about pieces we’d done. If you don’t know how to start writing an ask, start with a “hello, how are you?” or “Hi! I really loved your piece.”

Request things! Only do this if requests are open though, but if you see a writer opened requests SEND SOMETHING! If you aren’t sure, check their bio or send them a message (or an ask) just asking “Hey! Are your requests open?” We’re cool, we won’t bite. If they say yes, celebrate. Then take advantage of the opportunity. Check to see if they have request rules or guidelines, sometimes writers’ requests are only open for a certain fandom or person. Don’t be sad if what you want doesn’t fall within those lines, it makes us sad. Don’t just demand a piece to be written. Be polite, say hi, tell them how much you’ve enjoyed their pieces and how grateful you’d be if they CONSIDERED writing the one you’ve requested. DO NOT BE UPSET IF YOUR REQUEST DOESN’T HAPPEN!!! Sometimes requests are given, and writers feel uninspired to write them, that’s life. If a writer does end up creating something, thank them, tell them you loved it and why you loved it. That second part really helps to know what was successful to keep in mind for their next piece.

Know we live lives! This is an important one to keep in mind. We are not machines on earth solely for the purpose of getting new content out. Some of us are in College, or high school, have families, full time or part time jobs. We are writing for free in our free time just like you’re reading for free in your free time.

Interact with us! There are many people who play “Ask Games” (If you don’t really know what they are it’s essentially lists of questions people post or reblog to let you all (the readers) get to know them better) and they want people to ask them the questions or other questions just to make them not seem like just a source of entertainment on Tumblr.

I don’t really know if anyone read all of these but thank you if you did. I don’t know why I felt compelled to make this, but I did, so I’d appreciate it if you’d all reblog this with tips of your own or tell me what you thought. This was long…

#tips to keep writers writing #writers and readers #follower tips #reblog please #comment please #pls share this #not trying to sound demanding

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