Sylvan

they/them, queer and disabled writer from the midwestern US

[sylvan-writes]

I've got this idea for a novel that I'm hoping to write and shop around, and since I haven't published anything other than fanfic in like a decade, I thought I would try to round up some more recent publishing creds -- and publishing creds under my preferred name -- so a few weeks ago when I saw a call for submissions for an online lit mag I impulsively wrote up a little story for it, and made a new email and Duotrope account, and sent it out, and it felt so good to be taking some positive steps forward on this project.

But ME/CFS is such a fuck-ass disease, and those few hours of thinking thoughts and feeling feelings have caused such a massive, debilitating crash that I am still mired in two weeks later: dizziness and weakness and crushing fatigue and nausea and insomnia and my whole body thrumming with pain. It is so hard not to see this disease as some kind of cosmic punishment, and hard not to think of my hopes of writing and publishing a novel as hopeless.

But I just got word that my short story was accepted, so maybe it was kinda sorta worth it? And this crash can't last forever... right? RIGHT?? And maybe I can still make novel-writing work if I plan and pace better.

(link to the short story coming soon, whenever it's actually published)

[sylvan-writes]

Making Friends

By Sylvan Mirus

Here it is!

[bruzum]

[lastvalyrian]

This is literally what people are talking about when they say AI will be used to mainstream widely held bigotry. LLMs are trained on frequency and probability -> straight relationships are more well represented in the dataset -> straight pronouns and terms become the "correct" normal.

This is a form of backdoor bigotry from both normative facts (there are more straight than gay relationships) and well represented bigoted beliefs (men are superior to women).

Combine this with the mass of people inclined to believe (and being encouraged to believe) that if AI says and does something it must be correct

[queerliblib]

me on my way to do hot girl shit*

*checking books out from Queer Liberation Library

[whitejenna]

I've got two audiobooks on hold from QLL that my local library didn't have. 😃

[queerliblib]

hooray! 🎉

our regular local public libraries do SO MUCH, they’re incredible! but they’re also working with limited budgets and can’t buy exclusively queer books like we can. love that we were able to expand your access

[haridraws]

anniversary drawing 🌼

near where I live, there’s a stretch of grass that’s always being stepped on and flowers mown down by the council - but the dandelions still thrive, and the buttercup comes back bright and resilient in the borders that can’t be reached or tamed.

However much money and effort goes into trying to erase trans people from public life, gender variation is a part of nature: you can’t get rid of us; we’ve always been here and always will be

[drchucktingle]

I LOVE BEING A WRITER IT IS COOL AND FUN

[maudit]

[profeminist]

RIP Marjane Satrapi, author of the amazing graphic novels Persepolis about living during the fundamentalist revolution in Iran in the 70’s and 80’s. She also created the animated movie based on the graphic novels, which is where these gifs come from.

Gifset source

[missbliss12]

Reblogging in honor of Marjane Satrapi, one of THE great graphic novelists. Her comic Persepolis was a crucial text for shaping my belief that comics can deeply explore identity, culture, politics, and history.

[rockshitty]

Yearning for what you can never have is beginner level. Real yearners know the good shit is what you could freely have if you allowed yourself to, but never will.

[lesbiansforboromir]

You actually cannot skip to being good at a creative endeavour that you haven't put much practice into. You cannot trick your way out of the 'knows that your work is not what you want it to be but don't know how to improve it' stage by planning or reading or talking about it really really hard. At some point you just have to craft through it until your brain finds it's own unique way back to the 'everything I make slaps' stage and be prepared to start the cycle all over again. You just have to make that project you're excited about slightly less good than you want it to be. (Says this standing in a pool of blood and covered in blood and also coughing up a little blood)

[lesbiansforboromir]

everyone stop reblogging this I hate to be reminded of my own good advice

[sylvan-writes]

I've been working on outlining and note taking and character studies and other worldbuilding stuff for this project for a few months now--on the side while I finished up a long fanfic--but today I officially started actually drafting this novel, which I've given the working title of "Wildflower Fever." I only managed about 300 words, but I am tired and in a flare and that is still 300 words that didn't exist before today. And it's nice coincidence to have started writing this super gay novel during Pride month.

[gatesofminrathous]

there will never be anything as funny as the mutual disbelief between long form and short form fic writers about each other's style.

short form writers look at people writing 100k+ fics as though this is some sort of talent given as part of a fae bargain, that the commitment required shows some sort of ungodly mental fortitude.

meanwhile long form writers look at people writing 1000 word one shots like god I would cut off my left nipple to be able to say anything concisely. i would love to play with multiple ideas. free me from the shackles of this child I have birthed. i love them but I now must take them to t-ball and doctor's appointments and they're going to destroy everything I own.

[uncahier]

[golongbyjoannanewsom]

obsessed w this person in the replies

[yeehawpim]

I can be the ship and its sailors

[yaoiblackmold]

Top 3 things people love insisting they don't have despite it being impossible

Pronouns

An accent

Bias

[unliikelylovers]

it’s been said before and it’s not even close to the worst thing but it sucks how our current robber barons are such philistines. like these guys aren’t even building libraries or concert halls. they can’t even pretend to enjoy art, and they don’t see any value in signaling that they appreciate art

[higglety]

this current batch of the fithy-rich is BORING. They're BORING. Oh you have a yacht that's bigger than anybody else's yacht but functionally no different from one of your fancy houses? BORING. You have yet another fast car? YAWN. You ate a burger but like, a special burger? whatever. FUND AN OPERA ABOUT ANOTHER RICH GUY YOU HATE, DIPSHITS. How about you put a concert hall with your name on it in every city in the US and fund their operations for the next decade, if you're so rich????? unless you're too poor to afford that????? How many people do you, personally, directly employ, and what are their salaries? Do you pay well enough to command the loyalty and willing service of any masters of their craft? It would be so easy to win the absolute love and adoration of the masses in this climate but no, they wanna build bunkers and play politics in order to save a few more miserable nickles.

[mikkeneko]

@capriceandwhimsy reminds me of your rabbit hole about yachts

[banchie]

i've been phasing the phrase 'google it' out of my vocabulary and going back to 'look it up'. fuck you youve lost your generic trademark privileges

[haridraws]

happy pride month to everyone - to other disabled people, to people who don’t fit into neat labels, to people made to feel they’re not queer ‘enough’. To people who get shit for being out & people who can never be out, i’m thinking of you all, i love you

[haridraws]

When I drew this, I wrote a blog alongside about the tension between being a ‘palatable’ trans or queer person vs genuinely being yourself, and why it means so much to me to tell queer stories - in the current climate, I think it feels more relevant than ever.

For this pride, I just unlocked it for anyone to read here.