Nothing to see here, folks

I like cats and comic books. Sometimes I write stuff, but this is now more of a personal blog than a fandom/writing blog; I have a sideblog for that. If I follow you out of the blue, you probably interacted with one of my sideblogs and I decided you seemed cool. Or I ran across your blog and also thought you seemed cool. Please don't follow if you're under 18.

[talewt]

I went to an author talk at a library recently, and at one point someone asked whether it was difficult finding a publisher, and her reaction was so funny. She was like oh, I have the most annoying publishing story because everyone always talks about getting all these rejection letters, and my novel went straight to auction. It wasn't hard at all.

Like, a little part of her wanted her writer street cred, lol. It must be so awkward to be chatting with other authors and that's your publishing story.

[haveyoureadthisbook-poll]

Have you read The Truth About Forever by Sarah Dessen (2004)?

yes

no

I didn't finish it

I've never heard of it

Remaining time: 6 days 19 hours

[talewt]

Be hard to top this band name origin story, I think.

[twwings]

a writer looking appraisingly at a bunch of tropes, and instead of "fuck, marry, kill," it's "use, avert, subvert"

[happymiffy]

[talewt]

.

You know, someone said to me today, "You're not on the spectrum, are you?" Which is a weird thing to ask, and not really anyone's business, and it's not like I've been diagnosed (though let's be real, I definitely have something going on), so I said not that I know of. 'Cause whatever, man, let's see where this goes, I assume you're asking for ableist and negative reasons so I'll play it by ear. And she's like oh thank g-d, 'cause it turns out she wants to complain about someone who said that to her and explained what it means. And the complaint was definitely ableist.

[best-of-inspirobot]

[tearlessrain]

this is in perfect iambic meter and sounds like the first line of a weird poem

[tearlessrain]

Rule #2

Don’t ever hug a lobster when you see one on the street,

For decorum is essential when a lobster you must greet.

You may comment on the weather, compliment his choice of hat,

But crustaceans like their space if one should stop them for a chat.

Don’t ever hug a lobster when you’re strolling down the coast,

Simply nod and give a greeting, or a handshake at the most,

For a lobster’s first priority is formal social graces,

And one seemes over-familiar if a lobster one embraces.

Don’t ever hug a lobster when you meet one in the sea,

For a lobster’s spines and chitin make it difficult, you see,

And he might become self-conscious if you bring that fact to light,

So don’t ever hug a lobster, simply put, it’s impolite.

[acanthostega-lover6003]

People who knit, how do you typically count rows?

Stitch markers

Pen/pencil and paper

Row counter device

Row counter app

I don’t count rows/just by measuring/reading my knitting

Other

I don’t knit/results

Remaining time: 3 days 17 hours

[talewt]

Finally noticing that I am so much more charming and socially adept than I give myself credit for.

Or maybe I'm just over thirty and, like, no longer bothered by things that I used to worry about.

[dk-thrive]

I don't want a heavenly body, but a body of dung and dirt. A bruise-able body. Any form the shape of yearn. Give me fur and snout. Hunger and burn. Bone, fin or wing. All I need is a heart for breaking. Just a mouth to open and taste the rain.

— Joy Sullivan, from "On Days I Hate My Body, I Remember Redwoods" in "For Traveling West (Dial Press Trade Paperback, April 9, 2024)

[emmaknitsanyways]

Sweater pattern!

I knit this sweater top down with raglan increases in the round. There are increases on the top of the sleeves to give it the volume with a ribbed cuff to give it a balloon shape. The neckband is added at the end by picking up the neckband stitches. I did knit this to be slightly cropped, so finish the hem where you feel comfortable. This pattern was made for my size. My chest is 35”, and the sweater measures 39” around the chest. It’s my first time making a pattern, so I’m not confident enough to suggest how to alter this for different sizes! I’ll update this as I learn more.

Keep reading

[ao3commentoftheday]

I absolutely 100% without question believe in the power of betas, and I advocate for getting one as much as possible, and I think they are amazing. The only problem is dealing with beta feedback without crushing despair and endless self-doubt. How the heck do I take critique gracefully and build something better without lying face down on the floor for three days first? (PS you are amazing, thank you!)

If this is your actual reaction to critique and not hyperbole to get your point across, you might want to read up on Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria and see if that’s something you’d like to talk about with your doctor. This level of a reaction to beta comments feels extreme and might be a sign of something else going on, whether that’s RSD or something else. 

If that’s just hyperbole and you feel a sense of disappointment or dejection as a result of hearing critique then you might just need to talk to your beta reader about how you want that critique to come at you. Do you want a negative to be balanced out with a positive? Do you want a critique to come with a plan for how to fix the problem? Do you want it phrased as a question rather than as a statement?

We all have preferences when it comes to receiving feedback, and we all respond differently to different styles. If you’re receiving feedback in a form that doesn’t work for you, then try a different form and see if that works better. 

Another thing that’s important to remember is that these comments are not about you as a person, they’re about your writing. The person who is giving you this feedback is invested in making your writing better. They want you to succeed and they want you to tell the best version of your story possible, and their focus is on helping you do that. 

Nothing that we write is ever going to be perfect, and a first draft is even rougher. There’s no shame at all in needing to improve. If there’s nothing to work on, then there’s nothing to learn. Accepting critique means accepting an opportunity to do better next time, to learn a new technique or concept. Doing something badly means that you’re doing something that’s hard for you, and it’s only by working beyond our capabilities that we can improve. 

Be proud of your mistakes. They prove that you’re willing to take a risk. You’re striving and reaching and pushing yourself to do more. Keep reaching, anon. You’ll get there. 💕

[lorei-writes]

Hmm... Anon, I wonder, how strongly are you attached to the idea of being a "good writer"?

We often find that the things which hurt us the most are directly tied into our identity. If that is the case, then a critique of our work is no longer just that, but becomes a personal attack. It threatens the core of what we believe ourselves to be, which in turn may feel like "the end of the world". In a way, it truly contradicts something we consider a fundamental truth, the foundations of what we are. However, it is just the pain of bruised ego.

My advice would be to look into yourself. There's nothing shameful about it feeling this way. The question is: is that useful for you? Does it help you? Or does it cause you hurt and impede your growth?

Personally, I find that the more invested I am in the action ("writing") rather than being something ("I am a writer"), the easier it is for me to be detached and calm. It may sound counter-intuitive, but I think getting rid of the "I am a good writer" identity and the "I want to be a good writer" attachment is what made me a better writer. It removed the drive to be good and allowed me to just be, examine my work without any sense of failure, and discuss it with other people.

Of course, you still need some "chemistry" with your beta-reader, especially in regards to the plot itself. Outline what you're looking for in feedback and specify your boundaries. If you can't handle hearing about everything at once, tell them "I want to focus on xxx only" and specify whether (and how) you'd prefer for any other issues to be brought up. However, don't make them responsible for managing your feelings.

The point of setting boundaries isn't to prevent the situations in which you may feel hurt from occurring completely. It is to bring down their intensity to a level you can safely manage on your own. "Make sure the author never feels bad" and "be honest with the author about the issues in their workshop" are two distinct goals which, in certain situations, may contradict each other. If you can't handle feedback, you have to be aware that people will stop giving you their genuine thoughts and will focus on appeasing you instead.

Is that a bad thing? A good thing? I don't know. Some of us write with a drive for mastery, some of us do it just for fun, and neither of those is any better than the other. Just... It all depends on what your goal is.

[cuzosu-blog]

So! As a beta, one thing I find is that even really emotionally sensitive writers have an easier time with betas who will mind their manners. By which I mean not being harsh or demanding with their commentary and corrections, and if possible also explaining why they're suggesting what they are.

I am bitchy in many situations; betaing I try very hard not to be bitchy, because you never know what someone else is going through, and there are days when I can't take criticism either.

But so many betas think their task is just to improve the document; they don't think about how they affect the author. That is a problem, unfortunately, which can only be solved by flat out asking the beta, if the beta can do that honest self assessment. Some can't.

You could also ask other people in the community about their betas, and go from there.

[talewt]

Clap for me like Tinkerbell that I may drag myself to work this weekend without collapsing into a puddle of goo from Stupid Fucking Back Disorder.

[animatejournal]

Duck Amuck | Director: Chuck Jones | Studio: Warner Bros. | USA, 1953

[darkwee009]

NOT ME YOU SLOP ARTIST

This is a close up? A CLOSE UP YA JERK! A CLOSEUP!

Alright, let’s get this picture started! (The End) NO NOOOOO!

[bunjywunjy]

[drgaellon]

One of the defining moments of animation history.

“Ain’t I a stinker?”

[amandalasubfosaanaso]

In Babylon 5, didn’t one of the non-humans think Daffy was the god of frustration?

[seasonallydefective]

Holy shit, this is nearly 70 years old. This would have been right on the heels of color television being commercially available to the public.

[bigahhhhhhhh]

@amayatepes look at this

[amayatepes]

LMAO

[mister-christmas]

Huh. That’s just a whole ass Daffy Duck cartoon.

[lew-basnight]

Everything about this cartoon is top-notch. The timing, the animation (watch Daffy’s different walks) the art; this is a treasure

[fudemushi]

If you met someone with the same last name as you, how surprised would you be?

Not at all, it's very common

A little surprised, but wouldn't immediately assume a connection

I would be surprised and assume there was some relation

I would be very surprised that I *hadn't* met this person, we must be related

Does anyone else with this last name even exist?

Voting ended onJun 3

[lamignonette]

[lizardtakesflight]

I looked this up, and it looks like that bottom image is AI generated. However, lots of people went ahead and charted it out, because while it's not going to look exactly like the bottom, it is doable. That's what the top pic is.

I'll link a Russian Youtuber who did a pretty good video, but ends up as a component, not a full shawl or scarf. Since it was originally AI, I think it would take a lot more planning for it to be a single piece, but I'm pretty sure you're not going to get that original image.

The chart pictured above is pretty much the same as hers, too, but hers is color coded to show rows better (source).

[crapbirdphotography]

Almost good photo of a canadian goose