A friendship between heather and Billy would’ve been nice to see because Billy was so lonely
Yeses!!
They would've been best buds! They would be each other's "if i had to pick a guy/girl." They'd think each others' body is the most beautiful thing in the world, platonically. They would revel in the fact that they dont like each other like that but can still consider each others' bodies perfect. Heather would count her calories and Billy would tug at his scars but they'd look at each other and they'd see absolute perfection.
Heather would invite him over to her place when her father is at "work" and when her mom is drunk. They would gossip and do each other's hair and Billy would steal a piece of Heather's jewelry because he liked having something of hers with him. Heather would notice and purposefully leave out pieces she thinks he'd look good in. Billy would leave his books and magazines and crop tops that are too "gay" to keep at home in her room because no one ever checks. Heather gives him their spare key one night when he comes knocking on her window. Billy gets a drawer in her cupboard, labeled "capital H" for Hargrove but that could pass for Holloway.
They talk crushes. They talk Steve Harrington and Chrissy Cuningham. They would apply together for the public pool, arrange shits one after the other. They talk California and life after school. They talk rent and bills and money because Heather doesnt want to leach off her parents. Heather would tell Billy about fashion and the life she wants to lead. Billy would tell her about his childhood dream of being an author.
Hawkins High would think they're dating. They would lean ito it, be each other's beards. It gets Neil off Billy's back and makes Heather's mom smile so proud. It would make everyone at school jealous. Billy and Heather would shit-talk half the population of it during breaks. They would bicker and bitch-face at people as a hobby. Billy dead-eyeing the freshmen cracks Heather up. Heather's snark and won't-stand-for-this-shit attitude always has Billy grinning.
Heather would tug at his hair to get his attention, or when she's passing him in the halls, because it annoys him so much and to let him know she's there. Billy would leave "love notes" in her locker that are actually his gay-panick on a piece of paper scribbled during third period English where he sits two seats behind and one seat to the right of Harrington.
Personally straight ships are only fun when theyre merely straight-presenting. Yk when one or both of them are actually not straight and are queer as hell but because they're dating someone of the opposite sex we automatically assume its straight? It itches an itches idk how else to itch 🫢
Hey everyone! Just a few quick (realistic) reminders to start the week. And you might say "the fuck are you to go around giving advice like what the hell?" and to that I'll say you're totally right. But I've been having what at this point is a shitty month so I just wanted to try to, maybe, make others feel a bit better, at least regarding something I can talk about here. I still have a long way to go, so take it with a grain of salt. When I get into something I like analyzing it, and so here we are. These are all based in my own insecurities and feelings as someone who has been writing for just eight months (so I know fucking nothing about actually writing).
So, under the cut to not be as annoying, again, a few quick (realistic) reminders to start the week if you're… someone who writes:
- Your writing is not as bad as you think it is. It might not be mindblowing, but that's okay. What you see as bad is likely not really "bad" as much as it's "missing"; you have some vague idea of how it could have been better, you see the parts that you feel you half-assed, the parts you "settled for" because you "couldn't come up with something better". The reader doesn't. Writing is a skill, so as long as you keep using it it'll keep improving.
- Your OC is not as boring as you feel it is. It feels that way just because you know everything about them; there's no surprises in what you already know, but remember how you feel every time you come up with a new little canon fact about them? How cool you think it is? How well it suits them? Yeah, that's how other people feel when they learn about what to you is old news. They might be old but that doesn't mean they're boring.
- Your plot has worth. Maybe it's not perfect, it probably isn't, we all struggle with that, but it's not either perfect or shit. There is a middle, and as with your writing you're probably higher up than you think you are. You are telling a story. How many stories about something that happened at the supermarket have you heard throughout your life from different people? They're all people, they all went to a supermarket. Yes, and are all those stories the same? No, because they happened to different people in different days and different supermarkets. You have your own characters, and or your own day, and or your own supermarket.
This next one's especially for me. I hope I start following y own advice someday because it's good
- Focus on the people who encourage you, instead of on the people who don't. This has nothing to do with criticism; criticism should be considered unless it's hateful (not only because fuck people like that but also why would you follow the advice of someone hateful?). I'm just saying, don't give so much weight to the people who don't like your writing; don't let it affect you negatively more than the opinions of people who like what you do affect you positively. I know it can make you doubt yourself when you post something and it gets a certain kind of ignored, but shift focus to the people who cheers you on instead. Please, I beg you.
- If you find that you, yourself, often end up hating what you write, still write it. Write it, post it somewhere, and don't read it again. When you get someone saying that they love it, you'll hate it less. Trust me.
- Ask someone you trust to read over it, if you're doubting. I'm guilty of not doing this, I'll admit that (in my defense, when I started writing I never thought I'd publish it, and when I started publishing I didn't know anyone here. Now I wish I could be ahead enough to ask someone check it out), but do as I say and not as I do. It will calm your anxiety A LOT.
- Whatever comes to mind, write it down. This I do follow myself, and that's why I say it. I have notes that only have two lines of dialogue, or a brief description of someone waking up, or a little piece of narration that came to mind; it doesn't matter that they don't have a place yet, they probably will at some point, somewhere. I'm convinced I'm not special for this to be something that only happens to me, so trust me: sometimes those tiny phrases stand out and become one of your favorite bits. And you'll think "I wrote that with one eye open while I was falling asleep. And it's pretty good"; don't you want that? Would you rather "I thought of a nice little chat the other day but I can't remember it"?
- Maybe slightly contradictory after the last one, find a ritual to write. This is relative to how you typically write and might not apply to you, but it's worth giving it a go. If you can, find a place and make it your writing spot, have a specific playlist that you only use to write, have a cup of tea or coffee or chocolate or whatever you choose with you every time you start to write, pick a time of the day you're usually free at and sit down to write even if at first you don't manage to write anything. I could get more scientific with this, but the idea is: the brain learns. What this does is it cues your brain that "It's time to write!" and the more consistent you are the more used to it your brain will be and the less effort it'll require for you to get in the mood for writing. You'll get less anxious if you don't have much free time by knowing you have a designated period, and will help you focus. If you have a lot of free time it will stop you from going in and out of your doc constantly for hours while not doing anything else because you're "writing right now". This is not incompatible with the previous point: here is where you find a place for and/or flesh out those little ideas you put down so far.
These are the ones I can think of right now, but please add your own or argue any and all points if you want. Have a nice week!
And with my fingers tangled in your hair, your head tilted back and cradled in that self-same hand, I knew heaven. In that moment I felt a silent rapture in my chest, an ache so intensely painful that I knew my heart had broken. Your lips, the seat from which your love poured, parted. And eyes half shut drew all the golden light in the room to them. I knew providence then, I knew now the vision of Michelangelo as he sculpted Man. For you, @epiclifeinruins ❤
To be honest Billy didn’t add much to the series so I don’t think he’ll be in the animate spin off other than be mentioned
babes, sweets, darling..... I need this to be satire or only abt s2 or smt. Cus if its not ur just... wrong? Billy was integral to the s3 plot no questions asked and to Max's storyline in s4. He didnt add lot in s5 bc the writers were shit at their jobs and just wrote Max's grief and trauma out of the plot. And while I dont think its his only purpose or true to who he really is, he added a lot to the kids' plot by being an in-person human antagonist they couldn't fight head on. Oh and he was also an antagonist who had personal connections within the party, which demagorgans and demodogs and even henry never really did, causing even more story beats to follow. Not to mention the complexities of his and Max's relationship that had so much potential.
I dont think Billy's gonna show in the spine off, not because he wasn’t important to the story (bc he so fucking was) but because I dont have faith in the writer's to see his potential(like they didnt the first time). I don't think they'd do him justice even if they did write him in. If they wanted to do Any interesting character work for Max they'd Need Billy but again, I don't think they'll write him back in with any amount of care or decency
the song Boys Beware by Mad Tsai is So pre/early harringrove from Steve's POV coded. Like
tell me thats not the most early Harringrove Steve POV ever?? Like its got everything! Steve's insecurity of Billy up and leaving him one day?? Steve's mild disgust and weird jealousy of all the girls adoring Billy?? The boy from outta town?? "That boy might be the worst, but damn, he looks fine"???? Thats the part thats been tickling my brain for so long lol
On the complete and utter opposite end of the harringrove spectrum: Gentle by Lexi Jayde (this is letting my white girl music tastes show... i have a point to make tho shut up!)
Billy when things are starting to look serious. Billy because he's scared too and kind of used to things not lasting. Billy because this whole Feelings nonsense is not his domain and he's confused. Billy Hargrove at his most vulnerable I believe!
The harringrove boys having abandonment issues is so near and dear to me. Like they so would! Billy's mom walked out on him, Steve's parents are hardly around, of fucking course they'd be anxious yk? Idk i think im rambling anyway
