Mirth Book

INFJ; cancer; writer cloudgrey/pseudonymous on AO3 askbox open for writing questions

[mirthbook]

hi cloudgrey! i really love your work “the hand that saves,” and in fact it was what made me start thinking about and considering shigadeku as a ship in the first place, many years ago. however, as an nd and disabled reader, i do feel a stab in my heart every time i reread and come across the r slur (ret*rded) in the story. this isn’t a criticism by any means, but i wondered if in the future you might consider replacing it with a less harmful insult? i love your work and hope you are well!

hi thanks! i’m also autistic, and i’m sorry you felt hurt by the r word in the fic. i wanted to depict how the characters would actually speak and the fact that pc culture as we know it in the west doesn’t exist in jp. i imagine someone like bakugou and shigaraki would def use that word w/o care about whose feelings he hurt.

but anyway, here’s what i’ll do - instead of replacing it with an unrealistic word, i’ll go back to censor the word and also leave content warning when i have time. as a person who’s on the spectrum myself and have been offended by the r word thrown at me by an nt, it was irresponsible of me to not at least put a content warning. so thanks for bringing this up. x

[writingquestionsanswered]

Everyone talks about how reading is necessary for writing, but I always have such a hard time finding novels to read that I like. I'll check out 11 books at the library and return all of them. I search for what's in my genre and books others like, but I just can't find something that captivates me.

Do you have any tips for finding a good book?

Trouble Getting Invested in Books

If you're looking for books in your genre and books that others seem to enjoy, and are still struggling that hard to find something captivating, I would question whether there's more going on than you simply not liking the book. Here are other things that could be happening:

1) You're Not Giving the Book a Chance - Not all books are going to sweep you off your feet in the first chapter. In fact, most probably won't. Some of the best books I've read took a few chapters to get off the ground. So, make sure you're not giving up on books too soon. I usually give a book five chapters. If there's not even a glimmer of promise by then, I'll DNF.

2) You're Not That Into Your Genre - You'd be surprised how often people claim a genre but can only name a few books, movies, or TV shows in that genre they actually enjoyed. If you're having trouble getting into books in your genre, it could be you're not so much a fan of that genre but of whatever particular story led you to it. Try other genres and see what happens.

3) Right Genre, Wrong Subgenre - Most genres are umbrellas for a huge variety of subgenres. The romance genre, for example, houses subgenres like paranormal romance, contemporary romance, historical romance, science fiction romance... Someone might enjoy reading and writing historical romance but have no interest in reading contemporary romance. So, it's worth making sure you're in the right subgenre.

4) You're Just Not in the Mood - Some people are such avid readers they can read no matter how they're feeling. Others need to be in the right mood or mindset. When I'm dealing with sadness, depression, anxiety, or am just super busy, my "pages read" count drops dramatically. So, take your mood and mindset into account when you sit down to read. Try reading at different times of day or on different days to see if it makes a difference.

5) You're Distracted While Reading - Another bookish mood killer is distraction. If you're getting a lot of text messages, are scrolling through social media, have the TV or radio on, or are someplace where there's a lot of activity and interruptions, you might have a harder time falling into the pages of your book. Try finding a quiet place free from distractions to read.

6) You Need to Get an Eye Exam - I'm at the age where most people need reading glasses, and one thing I've noticed with friends is that their interest in reading tapers off in the months before they get glasses, then suddenly they're reading like maniacs again. Even when you're younger, eyesight can weaken, and when your eyes are weaker it's harder to read. Even if you don't realize the words are a bit blurry, your eyes do. You may get a headache, find yourself re-reading the same sentence over and over, or you might just feel like you can't get into what you're reading.

Alternatives to reading when you just can't read:

listen to audio books

start watching a new TV show

watch movies

play through a story-oriented video game

read graphic novels or comic books

How to Find Good Books to Read:

search for Goodreads lists using keywords that interest you

sites like Whichbook, What Should I Read Next, or BookSeer

read the book that inspired your favorite TV show or movie

find a "best books" list and choose one

ask friends and family for recommendations

I hope this helps you get your reading back on track!

Please re-blog if you enjoyed this post! ♥

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[writingonesdreams]

Okay finding the right book to read is an art and skill of it's own, since there are just so many out there, there is very little time and your mood is different every day. Here are some things that work for me (got a list of 30 books right now that I'm reading that sound so exciting I can't decide what to read first).

Finding the right book can take some time. I write up elements that would interest me (like political fantasy or enemies to lovers or rivalry in sports etc) and then do a long research into lists and recommendations with them until I find a book premise that really fires me up.

Reviews are a great way to get a taste for the book and to get you inspired. I often get hyped for a book from a long complimenting review.

When I find a book that sounds up my alley logically but doesn't get me involved emotionally I look at the list of similar books to find something that would.

Best 100 lists of anything are great ways to start. You either find something gripping or get a good basis for list of similar books in the right direction.

Set up 10 books and read the first chapter. There will be one or two that will intrigue you to keep going. Go with those. If it doesn't work, find another 10 and repeat. After 40 books I usually start to collect a pile (in worst case).

It's great to make to read lists according to genres and categories that sounds interesting for the future that you won't read right away. This saved my life so many times - suddenly I get into mood for a very specific book premise that my brain fishes from my memory and I jump at it like a starved cat.

Reading lists are awesome but it's also great to jump over books and go with whatever fires you up today. Don't let the order hold you back. Each day's mood might inspire you for a a totally differnt book and it's great for reading experience to just go with the impulse.

Honestly I also enjoy the process of finding the right book very much XD

[n5fw]

[shokou-deactivated20241015]

s p e c i a l g r a d e — 特級 —

[sugarcoated-izmi69]

金平糖銀河

[kitsunemiya]

the keepers of one for all’s secret

[invmaki]

It died again. But that was not a problem.

[choujinx]

chainsaw man (2018-2020) by fujimoto tatsuki

[hawt-me33]

Coming into a fandom late

[baxterdamus-deactivated20130513]

Coming into a fandom early and watching it become an angry clusterfuck

[valorious]

Being in a dormant fandom that suddenly comes alive again after a new book/movie

[leatherpatches-deactivated20150]

Don’t forget about those who come in the midst of a fandom war. 

[fauxmoux]

Accuracy at its best

[street-of-mercy]

Being in a fandom and not even knowing there’s a war going on…

[my-reylo]

all of this shit…lol

[nerdsagainstfandomracism]

When You’re Not In The Fandom But You’re Nosy AF

[not-so-secret-nerd]

When you get into a fandom only to discover it’s dead

[jupiter235]

This gets better every time I see it. 

[sageblackrose95]

@fuboos-mess

[inverted-mind-inc-sideblog-deac]

Being in a dead fandom…

[illogicalarchive]

Or being in such a tiny fandom that it feels like youre the only one

[erilias]

The accuracy hurts.

[fanfic-yes-please]

Being in a fandom that had a shit ending.

[it-is-bugs]

When you’ve been fangirling long enough, you’ve experienced all of the above.

[sweetferalbaby]

Being in a fandom meant for kids.

[teaganvamp]

This just gets better..

[hamboj2]

@mi-kleos

[thatcrazysonicchick]

When you realize that joining the fandom has ruined you

[knightofbloodcancer]

Fandom hell in general

[morathavictoria]

Yes.

[marvelanimelover]

This^^^ just… ALL OF THIS.

[stop-talking-babe-deactivated20]

Being in so many fandoms that you don’t even know what’s going on

[raise-cain-archived]

THIS IS THE SKULDUGGERY FUCKING PLEASANT FANDOM IN ONE POST!!

[crochanblackbeak]

Trying to recruit people to your fandom

[kateriverameliawolfe]

Annnnnnndddd it’s back

[ishipwhatiship247]

Being in a fandom which has so many antis

[ravenhilarious]

I’ve probably reblogged this before, but that was before these great additions.

[swanqueen-author]

Being in a fandom that actually works together

[commanderunhingedmongoose]

Why is this so true? All of it.

[pillowprincesslexa]

being in a fanbase but all your mutuals suddenly turn into Kpop blogs

[hangingfire]

I always enjoy it when a good post comes around again and has been improved by the reblogs like the years for a fine wine.

[priory-of-stars]

Being in a fandom when shit goes down and everyone has different opinions

[marianagmt]

When you are in a fandom and don’t care for others people opinion…..even if they are right…(believe me, I have met several of those)

[batbyte-alghul]

Being in a fandom you never meant to join

[tirnel-sutcliff-spears]

I love this. and it’s gotten better

[cartoonjessie]

After abandoning a fandom you’re still a little bit emotionally invested in….

[brit-is-bookish]

All of these are me. Lol

[thehikingastronomer]

Being in a fandom on Tumblr

[julietsemophase]

And it reached its epic conclusion

[tokyoproxy]

by: Minoru Hanada ❦🎐

[elysion-e-side]

[villainsandvictimsalliance]

Toga, Shigaraki and Dabi rarely complain when they're in pain or cry, and the three of them often laugh maniacally to show they're hurting.

This representation is freaking important when you realize that people normally doesn't show sympathy with certain characters unless they're crying. It means that, by being unable to cry, Toga, Shigaraki and Dabi have some real problems connecting with others. Their humanity is denied and they've seen as monsters.

Also, keep in mind that not everyone who are suffering cry or try to destroy themselves. Anger issues, demanding justice, screaming to make sure people hear you... those are also things someone can do because they've been abused or they've been traumatized. They're also victims, persons seeking for help, but it's easier to make them into demons or villains than acknowledging the fact that society has failed them.

[sohotmousho-blog]

日々を積み重ねて

pile up the days

2021.05

[writingdotcoffee]

#196: The Shiny Object Syndrome

You’re working on a story, minding your own business, and out of nowhere, an idea appears in your head. Not just an ordinary idea — a brilliant idea.

The story you’re working on right now has been a real pain. It’s taking forever to write. There’s a plot hole that you don’t know how to fix yet. Merely re-reading a passage from it makes you feel physically ill.

This new idea, though! This one definitely wouldn’t have any of the problems that you’re dealing with right now. You could probably write it a lot faster as well. Why waste time on an inferior story that’s clearly not going anywhere? Maybe you should start working on the new one instead…

It’s a Trap!

When working on a project, the middle is always the worst. You’re finding all sorts of issues that you don’t know how to resolve yet. You look at what you wrote and are absolutely terrified by how much revision you’ll need to do. It’s not fun.

Starting a new project is loads of fun. You’re excited about the idea. Things are moving fast. And most importantly, you haven’t found any issues with it yet.

Fast forward a few weeks into the new story, things have slowed down considerably. You either ran into the same problems or different ones that are just as annoying. But then you get another idea that just blows this one out of the water…

The More You Write, the More Ideas You’ll Have

This happens to me all the time. I get my best ideas when I’m working on something else. It makes sense — the brain is creatively engaged. All sorts of things come out of it.

The trick is to stay calm, write these ideas down, and don’t act on them until you finish the current project. It’s an unfair comparison — a brand new idea always seems better than the one you currently have. The current idea probably seemed just as brilliant before you started working on it. The only way to find out if an idea is worth anything is to see it through.

Imagine that this happens at work. You come up with an idea and pitch it to your boss. Your boss likes it too, and she trusts you, so she lets you work on it.

A few weeks later, you come back to her.

‘Actually, I don’t like working on this anymore. I’m not sure if it’ll work. It’s weird,’ you say. ‘But you won’t believe this other idea I had. IT WILL BLOW YOUR MIND.’

Making a mistake is one thing. When something doesn’t work out, you learn your lessons and move on. In that case, your boss would look at the work you did and give you credit for trying. Not everything works out. But giving up mid-way through a project for a random reason?

When to Quit?

It’s hard to tell when to stay the course and when to quit. The answer always depends on the situation.

As a writer, you’ll grow the most when you finish a story. Then you’ll see how each of your ideas worked out. You can ask others for feedback. When you abandon your stories too early you miss out on many important lessons.

Should you finish every project that you start? I don’t think so. When you’re 3,000 words into a 150,000-word novel, getting cold feet already — that’s a sign.

But before you decide to abandon ship, take an honest look back. How many stories have you finished recently? How many have you abandoned? Maybe this should be the one that you drag over the finish line. You don’t have to publish it. But give the story a chance. It might surprise you.

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Past Editions

#195: Where Do You Get Your Ideas From?, May 2021

#194: Your Inner Critic is Wrong, May 2021

#193: Overnight Success… 10 Years in the Making, May 20201

#192: Why Write?, April 2021

#191: The Best Writing Quotes From the Past Year, April 2021

[writingdotcoffee]

In case you missed this week’s post!

[kurageneric]

[choccatto]

monoshin my beloved 💜💖💛

[elliejoys]

“It can’t end, until I tell you how I feel… Maybe I’m just a nuisance to you, and maybe there’s someone else in your heart. But I like you.”