Your question, on this fine Wednesday is....from my fiance.
How do you explain the erratic dispersion of biomes in your Minecraft headcanons? Are they as random as the game's mechanic or do you have a specific way of designating what biomes are where?
askthepumpkinheads says: I believe that there is a very faint sense of “magic” in the world, surrounding things like creation, generation, and crafting
In honor of Worldbuilding Wednesday we're going to start a thing.
What is this thing you ask?
Well, for those that are unfamiliar with Worldbuilding Wednesday on Tumblr let me explain. Worldbuilding Wednesday is a trend among writers, artists, and creators on Tumblr where the creator prompts people to ask them about their headcanons or worlds of their own original works. Worldbuilding itself (according to Wikipedia) is:
Worldbuilding is the process of constructing an imaginary world, sometimes associated with a whole fictional universe.
How does this apply to askblogs? Well, how developed is your idea of things in your ask blog? Do you know why Creepers leave behind gunpowder when they die? What about why Endermen get burned by water? Minecraft is a very open ended sort of game in a lot of ways and we're left to draw our own conclusions about many aspects of it! People tend to develop different ideas about why certain things in the game work the way they do, which is GREAT because it means there's plenty of variety and creative people in the fanbase.
So, what we're going to do here is encourage you to share your ideas! Each Wednesday there's going to be a Worldbuilding question regarding Minecraft for you guys to answer. As people answer, the post will be updated with what you responded with. This allows everyone to see different ideas and maybe end up collaborating together on concepts!
Have an idea that doesn't fit into the reply box? NEVER FEAR! Simply go to the submit page and submit a text post with the new "worldbuilding wednesday" tag. I'll make sure it shows up and is tagged appropriately!
Have a question YOU'D like to see show up on a Worldbuilding Wednesday? Submit it using the "worldbuilding wednesday" tag with the title "Question". I'll make sure it shows up!
Now I know, I know, your knee jerk reaction is going to be "BUT IT'S MY BLOG AND IT'S JUST FOR FUN WHY SHOULD I HAVE TO ACT PROFESSIONALLY?!?!?!?!?!" Let me explain.
There's an old adage that you've probably heard that goes "You catch more flies with honey than vinegar." So, what does that mean? Well, let's look at it this way.
Let's say someone is trying to sell you something. Let's say it's a book.
Now let's say that salesman comes up to you and says:
"YOU KNOW WHAT? YOU SHOULD FUCKING BUY THIS BOOK BECAUSE IT'S FUCKING INTERESTING. OH by the way, if you DON'T buy this book? You're a fucking moron and should just kill yourself."
You're most likely, not going to be interested in even remotely being around that person, let alone buying from them.
If the salesman comes up to you and says:
"Sir/Madam you look lovely today! How are you? Let me tell you a bit about this interesting book that I'm trying to sell. I bet it's right up your alley!"
You'd be more inclined to listen to them.
"How does this apply to ask blogs?" You're saying.
Because when you, as a mod, reply to your followers with bile or attitude? You turn folks away, you turn folks off, and you become less approachable. Why should your followers ask your characters questions if the mod has an atrocious personality? Why would you willingly put yourself in the line of fire to be sniped and snarked at?
The same thing goes for expressing one's opinion.
When someone talks in all caps, text talk, has numerous errors in their spelling, or overuses cursing it can cause others to have a lower opinion of you. Now I know, again, knee jerk reaction of "Well why the fuck should I care what they think??? >8["
Because. If people have that lower opinion of you? Chances are they're going to have a lower opinion of your opinions, thoughts, statements, and observations by association.
Approaching a discussion, argument, or hate with those sorts of replies can come back around to make you end up looking like the bad guy. You can basically talk yourself into a point where people will cease to listen to you because you come off as rude, inconsiderate, and ignorant.
Chances are some of you still are sitting back and thinking "My blog, my rules." and that is true. It is your blog and you have a right to express your opinion how you wish. But take into account that how you express your opinion can come back and negatively effect you. More than once on Tumblr I've seen young folks post a bile filled angry rant. When other users rain down hell on them they're left dumbfounded and saying "But that's just my opinion!!!". How one expresses their opinion is important!
So, how can you express yourself professionally?
1) How You Handle The Hate:
I know it's hard when someone comes down on you for something. Be it how you're running your blog, how you identify, how you presented an opinion, etc. But remember that flying off the handle doesn't help. It might make you feel better for a few minutes. It might get your adrenalin going and put you into the "IMMA FIGHT YO ASS" mode but at the end of the day? You just got mad over something someone said. So, when you get hate, take a look at it and take a step back to consider these things.
Is the hater making a valid point? If someone says you seem to get angry too much, if someone questions why you'd make a particular choice, if someone says your art could improve, if someone says you are taking something too personally, take a moment and think it over. Are you doing those things? Is what they're saying factual? Yes, do this even if they're saying it in the middle of rage and cursing.
Is the person obviously biased? If you have gay characters and someone is saying your characters are bad because they're gay then you have a good idea that they might be biased. If you have characters that are villains and someone is hating on them for being a villain then chances are they don't care for villains. But if the person is actually giving feedback? That's different, see bullet point one.
Is the person actually being mean? Now the reason I ask this one is because often times we have an initial "HOW DARE THEY?!" response when we get critique. It's something it takes time to grow out of and guess what? Not everyone does. I've seen critique labeled hate so many times in online art communities that it's pretty clear most people don't understand the difference. So, if someone is trying to give you feedback or information and they're not personally insulting you, take some time to read over it and consider it. You might not always be able to use it. But don't immediately label it hate and fly off the handle on them. That just makes you look like the jackass.
2) Fraternizing With Your Followers:
This one is kind of obvious, especially if you run an ask blog. Be social! That doesn't always mean you have to get out there and have everyone on Skype etc. (Though that doesn't hurt if you have the time!) If you do art, things like Livestream, JoinMe, etc are helpful. Drawing in online community boards, messaging people via fanmail, sitting down and talking to people over IM. These are all viable options. The idea behind an ask blog is to showcase your character and have them interact with others. But you don't have to limit your interactions to just your character! Talk to mods of other blogs, laugh, joke, be merry!
3) Be Respectful Of Others:
Yes, even if they're being an asshole.
Yes, even if they're an ignorant fuckwad.
Yes.
Does this mean bend over backwards, kiss their ass, and agree with them?
No, absolutely not. It merely means to acknowledge their opinion, no matter how backwards it may be and then express your own. For instance:
Let's say you get this message:
"I fucking hate your character! Your character is an asshole and is just worthless and you should stop writing for them."
Now you could respond with:
"I DID NOT NEED THIS FUCKING SHIT TODAY. FUCK YOU ANON, OKAY? I LIKE MY CHARACTER AND I'M NOT CHANGING HIM!!! DO THE FANDOM A FAVOR AND GO KILL YOURSELF. ALSO STAY THE FUCK OUT OF MY INBOX!!!"
Or, you could respond like this:
"Well, I'm sorry you feel that way Anon. But I like my character the way they are and I don't intend to change them without viable reason. If you really dislike the character, rather than expressing that you dislike them, you can either express to me the reasons why so I can get a better idea of how the character is affecting you. You can also Tumblr Savior or unfollow posts regarding said character."
Which one sounds more intelligent? Which person sounds more classy? Which one sounds more reasonable to deal with? If you just read the responses without seeing the anon hate, what would you think about the person that wrote them?
4) Ask Blog =/= Therapy Blog/Mouthpiece:
You ask blog is not your personal diary. It's supposed to be your character's personal diary! So if you had a really shitty day and you want to share it? Post it to your personal or if you need to post it to the ask blog (like say in events where it's going to mess up your posting schedule!) then post it behind a read more.
It is A-Okay to have times when you hate yourself. It is A-Okay to reach out for help. It is absolutely okay to have bad things happen in your life and need to talk about them! But if your ask blog is becoming 90% your problems and 10% your character then you need to look into making a separate blog for you!
Also, your character is not your soapbox. They are not your mouthpiece for you to use to discuss your own agendas. It's okay if your character shares an agenda with you. But when all of your characters are used to further your message without it being relevant to their story? That's when it's a problem.
It's a huge temptation Some of us have way more followers on our ask blogs than we do on our personals so we think "I should post my message there because those followers will pay attention to it!" That's okay for say signal boosting for commissions, helping others out, etc. But it becomes a problem when you use it to negative ends. Like in our next point.
5) Reacting Professionally: Don't Seek Out The Drama.
While something might offend you that's going on on the other side of the net, if you're not a part of it initially, stay out of it and keep your character out of it. By seeking out the drama, you are intentionally portraying yourself as someone who wants it to continue. And once that flag goes up, people will unfollow you, because they don't want it to continue.
If you do feel the need to weigh into the fray, keep it on topic! If someone is bitching because there are too many Endermen, don't make it about you "Well I LIKE Endermen so your opinion doesn't matter" or "Well I have an Endermen so you must HATE me too!" That's the biggest one. Don't make it all about you. Chances are, in most cases where you stumble across drama, you were not the target.
And if you were the target? See posts 1 and 3.
6) Take Responsibility For Your Actions:
Did you post something offensive and it came back to bite you in the ass? Did the fandom wail on you for posting something bad? Bite the bullet and acknowledge your problematic behavior.
Sometimes we make mistakes, sometimes we make bad decisions. Did you post a very racist or sexist image on your blog and now everyone is calling for your head on a pike? Well, you could laugh it off and accept that you're going to get a lot of unfollows and a bad rep or you can look at why this is a problem. Why is what you posted upsetting people? Look at their point of view and consider it. A lot of people try to be edgy to be funny but increasingly that becoming less acceptable among folks. Take these things into consideration before you post in the future. And if you fuck up? Acknowledge it, address your followers, and apologize for your actions. Don't try to hide it and sweep it under the rug. Don't just hold up your middle finger and scream back at them. Those things hurt no one but yourself in the long run.
7) Popularity: Get it out of your head.
This forces a black and white playing field that is nothing more than a facade. Every single person you speak to and every single person that speaks to you is another normal human being. They live a life right up your alley under different circumstances, and many are in different parts of their life experience. It doesn't matter how many followers they have compared to you. More importantly, their position doesn't matter. If someone under the 'Popular' veil comes to you, whether out of politeness or anger or spite, treat them as you would any other person anonymous or named. It's great they have something to say, but the only thing that deems them popular is that they have probably been in the fandom longer than you, have a skill level they worked for that is higher than yours, or they just happen to have a louder mouth than you. Regardless, it doesn't matter. Appreciate what they have to share, but never use it as a means to decide whether or not their message is 'worth it'. There are plenty of popular people to look up to, and just as many to avoid. Some popular folks are great people. Others are assholes. 'Popular' changes nothing. They experience the same things anyone else does. Do not be overwhelmed by the idea of being unpopular, because that status can change in a heartbeat. And for those that 'worship' Popular folks to the degree of agreeing (if not partaking in) "white knighting", get your head on straight and back out. Just because someone is popular doesn't mean they are always in the right. Don't believe me? Look at every industry on the planet. How much flack do celebrities get? How much praise do they get? How much trouble do they cause? If you can sneer at one celebrity because they support a certain religion while you praise another celebrity for how much of their money they're throwing out to people, then you already know exactly what I'm talking about.
8) Art Theft:
On occasion, there are times when folks starting up an ask blog or being a part of the fandom winds up having an issue of "art theft". Take this terminology with a grain of salt, and don't go over your head with it. If someone is using one of your images, engage them in conversation politely, asking why they chose to use your image and what the image is being used for. More often than not, there is never an actual case of art theft taking place. It is ignorance on behalf of the person who is using the art (in which case you should politely educate them as to why it's not okay to use images that you received no position for). Art theft is when someone is using and uploading your images, and actively taking responsibility of ownership. When they are putting copyright claims on your work, or when they tell someone "Yeah I made this", then that is an actual case of art theft. Again, engage them politely, because while they may be in the legal wrong, you can still wind up looking like an asshole based on how you present yourself and your case. Engage them, educate them, and find a compromise to the solution. There are plenty of proper methods to reporting and taking care of issues.
As a reminder to folks who say "Well, it's my blog!" and "It's just for fun!" Remember this old saying:
"It's all fun and games until someone gets hurt."
It's all fun and games until someone gets hurt or you get yourself hurt because of your actions. Emotions can run high in places like this. Keep that in mind. Learning these tactics can actually help you to prevent problems for yourself in the future.
And for those who are already engaging with most of these tactics: There are just some times when you have every right to say, "No." If someone insults you, tries to cause drama, tries to start anything, and tells you that you should quit, your character should die, or anything negatively said that may result in the deletion of your blog, just say "No." Because at the end of the day, this IS your blog. This may be for fun, this may be for work, this may be for exposure, it may be for your own personal therapy be it for yourself or for others. And with that, you never have to quit anything that is causing no harm directly to anyone else. Don't quit your art, don't delete your blog, and don't turn down any response you may get that can be replied to and land you in the positive light.
You guys go out there and you have a blast. Love what you do and do it with people you love. Don't let folks get you down. Don't get down on yourself! <3
Credits to Rattlecat for assisting in writing this up.
