Koppy, Writing @koppywriting - Tumblr Blog

"The best thing we can do with power is give it away" - On the leftist critique of superhero narratives as authoritarian power fantasies:

The ongoing "Jason Todd is a cop" debate has reminded me of a brilliant brief image essay by Joey deVilla. So here it is, images first and the full essay text below:

"A common leftist critique of superhero comics is that they are inherently anti-collectivist, being about small groups of individuals who hold all the power, and the wisdom to wield that power. I don’t disagree with this reading. I don’t think it’s inaccurate. Superheroes are their own ruling class, the concept of the übermensch writ large. But it’s a sterile reading. It examines superhero comics as a cold text, and ignores something that I believe in fundamental, especially to superhero storytelling: the way people engage with text. Not what it says, but how it is read. The average comic reader doesn’t fantasize about being a civilian in a world of superheroes, they fantasize about being a superhero. One could charitably chalk this up to a lust for power, except for one fact… The fantasy is almost always the act of helping people. Helping the vulnerable, with no reward promised in return. Being a century into the genre, we’ve seen countless subversions and deconstructions of the story. But at its core, the superhero myth is about using the gifts you’ve been given to enrich the people around you, never asking for payment, never advancing an ulterior motive. We should (and do) spend time nitpicking these fantasies, examining their unintended consequences, their hypocrisies. But it’s worth acknowledging that the most eduring childhood fantasy of the last hundred years hasn’t been to become rich. Superheroes come from every class (don’t let the MCU fool you). The most enduring fantasy is to become powerful enough to take the weak under your own wing. To give, without needing to take. So yes, the superhero myth, as a text, isn’t collectivist. But that’s not why we keep coming back to it. That’s not why children read it. We keep coming back to it to learn one simple lesson… The best thing we can do with power IS GIVE IT AWAY." - Joey deVilla, 2021 https://www.joeydevilla.com/2021/07/04/happy-independence-day-superhero-style/

prismatic-bell

“Just this once, everyone lives.”

thebibliosphere

I was already on a hair trigger today trying not to snap at a mutual for reblogging a "fuck authors who use Amazon" post, but, like, this shit is why some authors can only afford to use Amazon.

They don't have the $75+ to distribute through Ingram Spark. They don't have the $25 it takes to change your files if you need to update them after they've been accepted. They can't afford to take the cost of printing hit to their sales. They can't afford to lose an additional 40% of their income to retailer discounts.

And just so we're clear, Ingram isn't a vanity publisher. They're one of the largest print monopolies in the world. They're used by most mainstream traditional publishers and indie and self-pub authors alike. Amazon uses them when their print demand is too high.

My friend, whose work is published by Gollancz, is printed through Ingram, the same as mine. The difference is their publisher takes the hit for them. In theory. We won't get into dwindling advances here or how publishers are increasingly putting the onus of marketing and sales onto their authors or the fact that their editors can't afford rent or food while the executives get richer and richer.

So what do you do when the mainstream doesn't want you? What do you do when you're told if you can't keep up with the rat race, that you don't deserve to have your work published? What do you do if all you have is the ability to tell stories for a living, and no one wants you?

Well, you could die of starvation. I'm sure there are several people on here who'd be happy if that happened to me. (I know. Because they tell me. Often.) Or, you can shake hands with the devil, knowing it's a bum deal, knowing everything is fucked, but also knowing that every other aspect of this fucking industry is just as fucking bad.

There's no escape. It's relentless.

And you've got people out there posting things like, "Actually, I think authors who charge for their books are part of the problem."

And yeah, in an ideal world, I'd be making art for art's sake.

But we're not in that world. We're in the bad place, and you're actively making it worse. You're encouraging people to steal from people who are struggling just like you and calling it activism against billionaires or putting them in the same moral category as said billionaires as though we're not trapped in this system, same as you. Some of you are fellow fucking authors. And, like, my mind boggles at what it would take to stab a fellow creative in the back like that, but here we are.

Hell world.

thebibliosphere

#smth i been thinking about as i get closer to finishing this draft#how im gonna publish#i think amazon has some exclusivity rules if u go thru them??

Hi @necroticarts, I saw your tags and just wanted to save you some time and energy by replying.

Amazon does offer higher rates for exclusive distribution, but you don't have to take them if you don't want to. If you opt for non-exclusive, you can still go wide through global distributors like draft2digital. d2d will also get you access to library markets.

You can gain access to the Amazon market through d2d, too, but you'll get a higher royalty rate if you distribute directly through KDP, so it's good to use both. Just don't tick Amazon on the d2d uploads. (The same is true for Audible and FindAwayVoices - a partner of d2d)

Kindle Unlimited demands total exclusivity while you are enrolled in that program, and you cannot distribute anywhere else until you take your title out of KU, not even libraries.

If you go wide, however, through a platform like d2d, you can enroll in Kobo+, which is Kobo's rival to KU.

Kobo+ pays authors roughly the same as KU but has the added benefit of not (currently) demanding exclusivity and does not prevent you from enrolling in library access.

Their list of titles is currently not as expansive as KU, but I'm excited to watch it grow and hope more people will switch from KU to Kobo+.

Hope that helps!

ailesswhumptober

Prompts for AI-less Whumptober 2023

It’s finally time! These are your official prompts for AI-less Whumptober 2023! We have 31 days of wonderful whump prompts. Each day has a set of 3 different prompts to choose from! Alternative prompts will be posted under the cut.

Happy whumping!

r4bbitdragon

just got to the end of network effect and all that but

im thinking of how the first time murderbot admits it might also just be weird as a secunit beyond just the ‘hacked governor’ thing (very satisfying) is in realizing Three actually was able to feel close to the other secunits and trust them to some extent. obviously still caution but Somewhat More Social

anyways. so three gets given a copy of mb’s info in a format that probably somewhat but not exactly resembles The Murderbot Diaries Series and is obviously going to pour over it because what else are you going to do when you just got full free will access for the first time and this is your only guide but

its obviously going to look for parts that contrast its experiences too and what if mb’s constant asides of not being able to trust other units at all no way no how extreme lonerdom. and it shifting from ‘well that seems exaggerated’ to ‘oh my god does it live like that’ to

it would be very funny if three decided it Felt Sorry for just how bad mb’s trust issues with other units were. what if murderbot had to deal with another secunit deciding it was its poor little meow meow. i think it would die instantly

missbcm

https://twitter.com/profannieoakley/status/1357768408671027202

This thread is gold… make your own here: https://htck.github.io/bayeux/#!/

dancing-crow

perfection

elugraphy

川の畔の巨大発電所→詳細 Abandoned giant power plant in river side.

vetyr

Little sneak peak of an illustration I made for Classics But Make It Gay Vol. 2! There’s a ton of insane art in this book, preorders are open now thru Feb 14th (almost 700 orders so far)—link here :)

helenasurvives

calling all authors!!

i have just stumbled upon the most beautiful public document i have ever laid eyes on. this also goes for anyone whose pastimes include any sort of character creation. may i present, the HOLY GRAIL:

https://www.fbiic.gov/public/2008/nov/Naming_practice_guide_UK_2006.pdf

this wonderful 88-page piece has step by step breakdowns of how names work in different cultures! i needed to know how to name a Muslim character it has already helped me SO MUCH and i’ve known about it for all of 15 minutes!! i am thoroughly amazed and i just needed to share with you guys

theredscreech

Cultures include Yoruba, Sikh, Vietnamese, Polish, and dozens more!

2soulscollide

WEBSITES FOR WRITERS {masterpost}

E.A. Deverell - FREE worksheets (characters, world building, narrator, etc.) and paid courses;

Hiveword - Helps to research any topic to write about (has other resources, too);

BetaBooks - Share your draft with your beta reader (can be more than one), and see where they stopped reading, their comments, etc.;

Charlotte Dillon - Research links;

Writing realistic injuries - The title is pretty self-explanatory: while writing about an injury, take a look at this useful website;

One Stop for Writers - You guys... this website has literally everything we need: a) Description thesaurus collection, b) Character builder, c) Story maps, d) Scene maps & timelines, e) World building surveys, f) Worksheets, f) Tutorials, and much more! Although it has a paid plan ($90/year | $50/6 months | $9/month), you can still get a 2-week FREE trial;

One Stop for Writers Roadmap - It has many tips for you, divided into three different topics: a) How to plan a story, b) How to write a story, c) How to revise a story. The best thing about this? It's FREE!

Story Structure Database - The Story Structure Database is an archive of books and movies, recording all their major plot points;

National Centre for Writing - FREE worksheets and writing courses. Has also paid courses;

Penguin Random House - Has some writing contests and great opportunities;

Crime Reads - Get inspired before writing a crime scene;

The Creative Academy for Writers - "Writers helping writers along every step of the path to publication." It's FREE and has ZOOM writing rooms;

Reedsy - "A trusted place to learn how to successfully publish your book" It has many tips, and tools (generators), contests, prompts lists, etc. FREE;

QueryTracker - Find agents for your books (personally, I've never used this before, but I thought I should feature it here);

Pacemaker - Track your goals (example: Write 50K words - then, everytime you write, you track the number of the words, and it will make a graphic for you with your progress). It's FREE but has a paid plan;

Save the Cat! - The blog of the most known storytelling method. You can find posts, sheets, a software (student discount - 70%), and other things;

I hope this is helpful for you!

(Also, check my blog if you want to!)

iselsis

“Don’t use adverbs” and “use strong verbs” really go hand in hand, but there are some things that people tend to misunderstand about these two guidelines and a rule of thumb that should help clear things up.

Some people take do not use adverbs to mean if there is a single word ending with -ly or not more obscure than a cult of Irish goat herding rock bands, you and every creative endeavor you will ever undertake will crash and burn on the rocks of failure and misery.

This mindset leads to writers going too far with use strong verbs. You’ll find writers mugging thesauruses in dark alleys and rummaging through their jackets for spare vocabulary and pocket lint in their efforts to not use a plain verb. Sometimes, instead of just one strange word, an action is described in tedious poetic detail not because the moment is special, poetic, or symbolic, but simply because the writer didn’t know what else to do.

Example:

“Creative:”

He hurled himself forward a few feet, landing on the ball of his right foot before pushing off and hurtling forward one more step. He repeated the motion with his left food, foot impacting the ground like a hammer before he was off again.

Concise:

He went for a jog.

So what’s the rule of thumb? What will save you from the hole dug for you by decades of well-intentioned but confusingly quippy writing advice?

Say precisely what you mean.In the words of my spirit animal, William Strunk “This requires not that the writer make all his sentences short, or that he avoid all detail and treat his subjects only in outline, but that every word tell.”

People have an image in their head of what running is. If your character is moving in a way consistent with that standard image, just say ran. If your character is running in a way that is different from that standard image, then you should explain that in as few words as needed.

Example:

Let’s expand on a few words, then pare them down by using a strong verb with the same meaning.

Runs –> Runs quickly –> Sprints

Eats –> Eats frantically –> Devours

Sings –> Sings loudly –> Belts

Kills –> Kills criminally –> Murders

Sleeps –> Sleeps soundly –> Hibernates

Dances –> Dances smoothly –> Glides

Don’t be afraid to use adverbs, though! Sometimes, the standard image conjured by the strong verb is too extreme. Say, the person is running quickly, but not quite sprinting, and not really jogging, and not quite….You can just say running quickly. Verb+adverb is enough if verb+adverb is all you mean. Also, sometimes the word you want doesn’t exist, but you want to tell me that your character looked out at the wreckage then looked at their surviving friends and smiled sadly.

Don’t be afraid to use adverbs to not look pretentious either. Use words your target audience will understand. For instance, you should say “she habitually thought it was useless” instead “she engaged frequently in floccinaucinihilipilification about it.” This can be hard to even notice you’re doing, as writers often have an unusually large vocabulary, but especially if you’re writing for children or teens, you don’t want your readers to have to read with a dictionary on hand. Use your best judgement, and a second pair of eyes can help you notice when your writing is too difficult.

That wraps it up! Tl;dr: …I’m realizing the irony of creating an extremely long post about being simple and precise and then writing a simple and precise summary of said post…

Well, in short: say what it takes to get the image in your head onto the page in the easiest way for your readers to understand.

:D

benevolenterrancy

a protagonist that was intentionally created by humans with unnatural strength and healing factor, to be hired out to slaughter things while being perceived as a dangerous, intolerable monster by those they’re intended to protect, and carrying a staggering amount of anxiety and self-worth issues because of it

aka: …witcher murderbot au? please? anyone? hello?

whumptober

Whumptober 2021

Welcome to Whumptober 2021! May the Whump be with you :)

To all of you who participated last year - we have changed a few of the rules, but overall things have stayed the same. To everyone new: WELCOME!

Please make sure to read the Event Info carefully, most of your questions will be answered there already. For everything else you are welcome to come to our ask box or ask questions in our Discord server here.

This year’s AO3 Collection can be found here.

With that being said, we’re very excited to see the community come together once more and be a wild, chaotic bunch of creators and consumers of whump. We wish you all the fun!

(All 31 Themes + Prompts, Event Information, and FAQs are posted below the cut!)

Keep reading

chaoschaoswriting

Fantasy/ Romance Writing Prompts (Fluff and Angst, SFW)

“There is a hole in the world, and you want to talk about ‘us’? Are you mad?”

“I don’t know what Gods brough us together, but I know they would want more than death from our journey.”

“It is my honour to walk by your side, in this life and the next, but I will not do this thing.”

“I beg you, do not go where I can’t follow.”

“All the magic in the world cannot compare to the enchantment of your eyes.”

“If we do not prevent this plague from spreading, the dead will outnumber the living.”

Character A “Dragons are not to be trifled with, and their bastard offspring cannot be loved.” Character B “And yet I love you.”

“I have a remedy or spell for everything but a broken heart - you must endure, there is no other way.”

xenosagaepisodeone

if you were a young girl from 2007-2012 then The Camisole was your only defense against the terrible onslaught of uncomfortable youth fashion. every shirt from that era was a low cut scoop neck/v-neck and every pair of jeans was low-rise; the camisole stitched these miserable garments into a complete outfit in the same was that frankenstein’s monster was fashioned a complete man. The Camisole has done more for society than our troops.

#I am wearing one of those camisoles right now actually

fixyourwritinghabits

What's a good way to prepare for NaNoWriMo? I'm really deciding to go for it this year with a novel idea I've been trying to get motivation to do for years. But I have no idea on how to actually... get started. Do I plan out the general story beats before November, do I just start writing?

YOU ARE TOO LATE TO DO ANYTHING BUT PANIC, but really, don't panic.

PREP: If you have time this weekend, try to write those beats down. I like to have a big posterboard to slap sticky notes or flashcards on with scenes, important plot points, etc, but whatever you can do in whatever makes sense to you, do it.

TIME: What's more important is looking at the month ahead and figuring out where you can carve out writing time (and space) ahead of time. No amount of prep work in the world will take the place of actually doing the work, so getting up an hour earlier, or unplugging an hour sooner to get some writing done is something you can work out now.

TRACKING: Create an account on the website! It has its flaws but it does give you a really good stat counter and an easy way to add your daily word counts. The forums........ Well, exist. You might find them useful, moreso for hanging out with a local group. It can also be fun to make your own bullet journal to track word count or goals.

BUDDIES: Rope some friends into a discord, or find one already running! NaNoWriMo is always easier to do with others, I've found. Word sprints go better in packs!

REWARDS: Get yourself some cute stickers and a make a goal tracker to slap them on. Go do it, there's a ton of Halloween stickers out there now. It's fun!

On that note REMEMBER TO HAVE FUN! NaNoWriMo is supposed to be fun, even with the suffering involved. If you are completely miserable by the experience every time you sit down to write, stop. It's not worth it if you don't enjoy it. There's literally nothing wrong from stepping back if it's not working for you.

koppywriting

This is fine, helpful advice, but it’s also not too late to plan!

https://youtu.be/RV3hFoIzHb4

Follow the instructions in this video. They’re a straightforward, helpful tool for quickly planning a book. Even better, it sounds like the asked already has a solid idea of their story, which will make this easier.

#paragon-arthur #nanowrimo #writing #planning #pantsing #Youtube

marinella-ela

palaceofthedeadmemes

was no one going to tell me about this?

yall thought I would miss this?

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