kiefbowl:

adulthood is really just being responsible for a ton of pieces of paper that you don’t need that often but when you do need them you REALLY need them

Decades later still wishing I could master this!

fangirlunderground:

This will be my third Meta Monday on the topic of comments, but this time the focus is less on encouraging comments and more about discouraging them… the unsolicited critical ones, that is. 

And, I know, some fanfic readers hate the idea that you not only must leave comments, but that those comments must be positive. We’ve probably all seen well-intentioned posts asking questions like “how will the author improve?” when (I feel) the better question is “why do I think my feedback will help?”

Some authors welcome concrit, and that’s great! Those authors will make that very clear in their notes, and they’ll probably adore you for your thorough review! But, to everyone else, those helpful suggestions are coming from someone the author has no reason to trust, long after the story is finished, in a public space where everyone can see. At best, your feedback might be a nuisance, but at worst, you could undermine the writer’s confidence — a real person who’s age, experience, primary language, wellbeing, and circumstances you probably know nothing about — and turn them off writing for good.  

After all, the one thing that will always improve writing is practice. If the goal is really to help, isn’t encouragement the best way to go about it? 

Check out these posts for a much more in-depth take on this topic, and make sure to let them know you appreciate their thoughts with likes and reblogs! If you’re someone who is struggling with a negative comment on your writing, I have to recommend two pieces of advice I found on @ao3commentoftheday here and here. 💛

Fandom – Commenting vs. Criticism

5 reasons to ignore unsolicited “constructive” criticism by @gingertodgers, I keep seeing posts about how fanfic writers should be open to unsolicited criticism + how without it we’ll never improve, will eventually die from the lack of oxygen in our happy fandom bubbles, etc. Thing is, that’s bollocks. There is 1 (one) situation where you should listen to unsolicited “constructive” criticism and 5 reasons to ignore it. (Mirror Link)

Fanfic Etiquette by @starknjarvis27, […] You’re not a copy editor. Unless the writer asks for feedback, don’t waste a review nitpicking typos. This is free content, and you’re nobody. Either stop reading the fic or accept people make mistakes and move on. (Mirror Link)

Just don’t (criticize) by @porcupine-girl, […] I just passed by a post about how fic writers should welcome criticism in comments because friends who beta your fic aren’t experts. Setting aside the fact that I could easily have every fic beta’d by English PhDs and professional writers if I wanted (some fandoms are crawling with them)…. you know who really isn’t an expert, in my experience? Random assholes commenting on my fic. (Mirror Link)

So you’re thinking about leaving concrit on a fanfiction… by @dresupi, […] Wait WHAT? Dres…you’re telling me I shouldn’t alert this writer to their grave error in judgement (Or grammar, or characterization, or anything else I deem incorrect in this work they’ve posted out in public for everyone to see?) Yes, imaginary fic commenter. Yes, that’s exactly what I’m telling you. (Mirror Link)

To critique or not to critique (of the unsolicited kind) by @tarysande, […] Unsolicited criticism is not helpful. Maybe you just catch someone off-guard and startle them. At worst, you may totally shatter someone’s self-esteem while they are partaking in a hobby they 100% do for fun—and not in pursuit of some unattainable perfection. (Mirror Link)

[DISCUSSION] Unpopular Opinion – Reflections on a culture of nice in ficdom by @rashaka, @missdaviswrites​, @destinationtoast, et al. […] AO3 is not a workshop. People are not posting multiple drafts hoping to improve and revise. Trust me, even people posting WIPs as they write them are giving you the most polished version of each chapter they can. When they say, “Here is my very best effort. I hope you like it,” they don’t need to hear about what’s wrong with it, especially not in a public place where everyone else can see the criticism. Think of the works on AO3 as finished products, and save your criticism for other environments. (Mirror Link)

Unsolicited Opinions on Fic Criticism by @shinelikethunder​, […] You are not doing random authors a favor by informing them what’s “wrong” with their fic. If you choose to go that route, and to go there with someone who doesn’t have an explicit “con crit welcome” policy, you gotta operate under the assumption that unsolicited negative feedback is a squirm-inducing imposition you’re asking the author to tolerate. (Mirror Link)

Why shouldn’t anyone leave any kind of comments they like on a fic? by @ali-aliska​​ & @reioka​, […] You can leave whatever feedback you want, but why make it negative? Ask who’s benefiting from that because so far, it hasn’t been me. I have a lot of reasons for writing, but my main reason for sharing my work, aside from a communal experience of loving my faves? I’ll be completely honest, it is to get positive feedback that motivates me to write more. Why shouldn’t that be a valid reason? If everything was just about that ephemeral pleasure of creation via writing, I’d write, then close the word doc, move on, and never let my work see the light of day. (Mirror Link)

cycas:

heartofoshun:

dawnfelagund:

I see Fingon and Aredhel as having more in common than Turgon and Aredhel. Aredhel is a hunter. She loves adventure and befriends the sons of Fëanor who most share these proclivities. Likewise, I see Fingon as the more adventurous of the brothers. There is his epithet, of course: Fingon the Valiant. But there is also his deeds: his rescue of Maedhros, his triumphs in battle, and his occupation of northern lands close to Angband. He dies in a heroic attempt to defeat Morgoth.

Turgon doesn’t seem to have the same adventurous spirit. He walled himself into Gondolin at the first opportunity, only rarely went into battle, and didn’t do much for the defense of Beleriand. He dies inside his tower, during an invasion. He’s the foil to Fingon in many ways.

I have a hard time imagining Aredhel–herself adventurous and bold–choosing that kind of life. On my Aredhel character ask, @keiliss​ brought up the point that she may have gone with Turgon because he and Idril needed her support more. I think that’s a good possibility for why she initially went with Turgon. I still have trouble imagining her, long-term, choosing to voluntarily confine herself within a hidden city for … well, possibly forever. For hundreds of years, at least. She doesn’t strike me as a nurturing or selfless person who would see it as her duty or find joy in committing herself to the care of others for such a long duration. On the other hand, I can see her finding Fingon’s life to be appealing: the possibility of adventure and travel and the relative freedom of life in Hithlum versus Gondolin.

There’s also the fact that she seems to have a meaningful friendship with the sons of Fëanor, who maintained positive diplomatic relations with Fingon but were enemies of Turgon. In moving to Gondolin, she was unequivocally giving up that friendship for the foreseeable future.

I’d love to hear people who think that Turgon and Gondolin were a better fit than Fingon for Aredhel to explain why! 🙂

Never been able to explain why she went to Gondolin unless it was a sense of responsibility to Turgon and Idril. In any case, it cannot have been a natural fit for her.

I think she did it because she and Fingon irritated the fuck out of each other.  Yes, he and Aredhel are similar in character, but that SO does not make them naturally want to hang out together!  

I don’t think that Aredhel thought of a few hundred years as a particularly long time, either : she went with Turgon because Turgon was the patient cautious brother that she could outrage and shock, whereas Fingon was the irritating brother who always has to compete (and might win).   And she knew perfectly well that when she decided she’d had enough of Gondolin, she could walk out and Turgon would put up token resistance but not actually stop her.  As she did. 

Also, Gondolin was more conveniently situated for visiting Himlad than Hithlum, and was a safe distance from her father, who might actually try to tell her what to do and have to be listened to. 

I don’t think there’s any evidence that Turgon could prevent Aredhel from visiting the Sons of Feanor, and indeed, from the fact that she swanned confidently into their house, hung about for a bit, then instead of going on to Himring or Thargelion, decided to wander around the woods, I almost wonder if she’d done it before, or at least had exchanged letters with them.  She clearly knew exactly where she was going. 

That would make an interesting story. [I almost wonder if she’d done it before, or at least had exchanged letters with them.  She clearly knew exactly where she was going.]

youngman-willow:

I’ve seen a lot of different lists for inktober prompts this year, and I love how there’s so many options to choose from! So I thought I would make one too based on what I would like to see more of.

Happy October! ❤

I like this one too!

gotlostintheuniverse:

coffeebuddha:

wreathedinscales:

celean0:

cheekless0nion:

cocksmasher69:

spearmint-milkshake:

i just saw a fb post where a man was arguing with a woman about the best way to make macarons and he kept insisting that she was wrong, and then eventually he was like “I’ve never personally made macarons, but if you think about it what I’m saying makes sense, i’m simply stating the obvious. i’m sure there are plenty of youtube tutorials that would show you the same thing.” and the woman replied by linking him to her instagram business page and she makes fuckin macaron towers for parties for a living and i’ve been laughing about it for a solid 5 minutes.

Men automatically assume they’re more of an expert on something than any woman on account of their dicks. I’ve never met such an ignorant and narcissistic creature as a male

I’ll never forget a time when a fb friend of mine posted that she’s on her way to hospital to give birth. Women commented with “good luck” and other encouraging messages. A man’s comment was advice on how to give birth. 

You have got to be kidding me

So I was talking about Jekyll & Hyde (the book) at a writer’s museum while we were looking at an Robert Louis Stevenson exhibit. I was giving my take on Jekyll, and my brother tried to counter it. I countered back easily, and then he said “well I’ve never read the book”

My dude………..stop

my ex, whose baking experience was pretty much limited to frying premade biscuit dough in boy scouts to make ‘donuts’, would constantly try to correct me or give me advice on baking

i’m a fucking pastry chef

met a dude at a party who was talking about physics and asked if i’d ever listened to any online physics lectures bc he listened to all of this one series and they were so helpful and maybe i could learn some physics too

i have a degree in physics

and am a published coauthor in astrophysics

landscape-lunacy:

Pyrenees, Spain – by Max Rive

illuminabi:

You can really tell who’s never experienced poverty and food insecurity when it comes to discussions around food costs and how unhealthy food is cheaper. Some fucker always comes in with the price of like… lettuce or… apples. And it’s like yeah bitch but can you work an 11 hour shift after eating some salad and an apple!?! Find me something cheaper, and more filling than the broke ass staples of boxed mac and cheese, hot dogs, noodles, bread, beans, and rice. I’ll wait.

It also ignores the mental toll that poverty takes like maybe your home made veggie filled recipe isn’t crazy expensive but it also involves prep time and cooking time and organization in terms of fresh food that a lotta poor people can’t manage.

Not to mention if you can only afford to get to the store once every couple weeks via bus or cab then you can’t keep fresh veg on deck.

But ya know.. poor people are just dumb and lazy.