Writing Is So Weird

writing is so weird

i have this project called wanderlust that's been going on for the last four years. what i find weird is that if asked, i wouldn't be able to describe government systems or different cultures or how magic influenced the technological advancements in the world. what can i describe? the smell of the wildgrass outside of one of the country's borders. the mood of the seas a few of my characters sail. the laughter of children as they're taught how to wield clunky wooden sticks like swords. i can hear the different accents of the characters, can visualize their faces at each moment in their lives, and i know exactly how they feel as their stories progress. it makes me a little sad sometimes, because i can't guarantee anyone will ever know this project like i do, and its so wonderful; i just want to share it with everyone. i didn't have a point to this post, i just wish i could flesh this project out enough to write it down, put it into words i can share. it means so much to me and i think i would die happy if even one person loved it half as much as i do.

The thing about jonmartin is that Martin wants to be a romantic, he loves poetry and probably watches romance but for him it is a fantasy, a silly game he plays. Martin is at his core very cynical. Things don't work out for him so he doesn't really belive in romance, it is a pretty dream but that's it. He is pratical and realist. Dating Jon he has to remind himself it is real and he actually struggles with romantic gestures, it is something he has to remind himself to do, to remind himself he can do even and honestly who even has the energy and what if Jon doesn't even like it?

Jon on the other hand wants to be cynical. His first coping mechanism was pretend the things he was afraid of weren't real and goddam if he isn't afraid of love. It didn't really work to him so far so it's easy to pretend he doesn't care. But he is a romantic at heart. He saw love and he read about it and he has enough evidence that it is undeniable. And to be honest Jon was always to much a bunch of mushy feelings hidden in a grumpy (and bitter and afraid) trench coat. Dating Martin he has to hold himself so he isn't too much. He plays the grumpy unromantic guy at first. But he just can't stop giving flowers and planing dates (this is the guy that saw a theme park on a fear domain and considered how he wanted to take Martin to a romantic ferris whell date [until he discovered Martin was afraid of them]) and making all the silly things one does when in love.

TR: Martin is deep down very cynical about love but wants to/pretends to be a romantic and Jon is deep down very romantic but wants to/pretends to be cynical about love.

silly sona drawing. he's so friend shaped.

✨ love your fandom asks ✨ 

Saw the opposite of this floating around and thought the reverse might be fun.

list 3 positive things about your current fandom(s)

a headcanon you weren't sure about at first but have come to like!

a character that fandom has helped you appreciate

say something nice about a ship you don't ship (it can be another ship in your fandom, a mutual's OTP, etc)

something you see in fics a lot and love

something you see in art a lot and love

your favorite tropes to read/write/draw

you hope more people will come to appreciate ___ (a ship, a trope, an episode, etc)

a ship that isn't your OTP but that you enjoy

a blog (mutual or one you follow) that has made your fandom experience brighter

if you're a writer or artist, what fic or piece of art are you proud of making?

compliment someone else in your fandom

your favorite type of fandom event (gift exchange, ship week, secret santa, prompt meme, etc)

the ship that always makes you smile

the character that always makes you smile

a tiny detail in canon that you want more people to appreciate

the thing in canon that everyone loves and that you also love

a fandom tag that you track

your current fandom(s)

your very first fandom!

a fandom you're not active in anymore but that you still really like

the fandom friend you've known the longest

the fandom you're curious about because of a mutual

how has fandom positively impacted your life?

a piece of advice for taking care of yourself in fandom spaces

I got my magnus archives dice set a few weeks ago and have been endlessly pondering some of the symbols on the big fears die. I heard that you were the one who designed the symbols, could we perhaps get a walkthrough of which symbols represent which fears? Just for some clarification :D

Oh fun! Happy to share.

So, I had to do these symbols in a way that was large and bold enough to be on a die, but distinct enough to identify. This sheet shows what’s what:

The above image has 3 columns and 5 rows with icons for the 15 fears. (Some are more thoughtful than others)

Row 1 - in the upper left is Extinction, shown as a robotic hand with a radioactive symbol on the palm. This is inspired by a combination of human and technology creating toxicity around them. To the right of Extinction is Stranger, shown as offset theater masks for the duplicity and carnival-vibe. In the upper right is the Web shown as a cobweb.

Row 2 - left is the End, shown a la a skull with a triangle cleaved in the center. I originally wanted to do something with tendrils out of it but it wasn’t clear enough to render right. The triangle is an artistic render of the death hazard. To the right of the End is the Vast shown as a triangle with a lighting bolt. This one was a little difficult as I wasn’t sure how to express Vast in a small space. So the lighting is supposed to evoke a dangerous sky, in a V made to form a triangle. Right on row 2 is the Spiral, shown as.. well, a spiral.

Row 3 - left is Desolation, a small flame engulfed in a larger flame, spreading. To its right is the Hunt which I originally had as a crosshairs target but Alex suggested going more primal, so we settled on teeth (I’m pretty happy with them) right on row 3 is the lonely, shown as a lighthouse.

Row 4 - left is the Dark with the classic closed eye in a filled circle. To the right of the Dark is the Corruption which is weirdly my favorite. It’s a bee but with a head with several growths. It’s a bit more abstract I guess but I was thinking of The Last of Us and the fungal zombification . The growths on the head are meant to be reaching out continuously in the hive mind. The right on row 4 is the buried, the shape inside is supposed to evoke closing in and down, collapsing

Row 5 - right is the slaughter, with a knife on a drum. I don’t know if I have to explain that. I wanted to do two knife drumsticks but they wouldn’t render on dice well. Center bottom is the Flesh shown as an anatomical heart with veins around it. This was another on I didn’t know what to do with at first and just drew a steak lol then Alex suggested a heart and it just made more sense. I think of it as the duality of Flesh as a visceral fear, but also an emotional one. The bottom right is an eye! Because… eyes.

There is also a rendered version of the web cassette on the set (not pictured)

I hope that helps and is interesting! And if you want a Magnus Dice set with the 15 fears I designed, check it out here: https://thedicedungeon.co.uk/products/themagnusarchives

The Dice Dungeon

The Magnus Archives - The Entities Limited Edition Dice Set

The Magnus Institute, London. An organisation dedicated to studying the esoteric and the weird. The Institute and its employees take care of

shipping characters

this might be a bit too controversial but i'm actually decently uncomfortable with shipping culture in fandoms. to clarify, im talking about when people ship characters not canonically (or HEAVILY implied) in a relationship. i'm aroace spec, and as i've learned more about myself and my relationship with different kinds of love, i've started questioning the appeal of shipping characters together, especially in media where romance isn't a focal point. to me, it just seems entirely unnecessary to ship characters sometimes. why do we have to invent new relationship dynamics for people when they can have perfectly good platonic relationships? why can't we look at two close, non-familial characters, and just appreciate their close friendship without immediately interpreting it as a "budding romance"? personally, i find it really nice to just analyze the existing relationships and leave them at what they are. all of this to say, i dont hate anyone who ships characters, and even though i dont necessarily LOVE shipping there are a few pairings i root for or speculate about. i'm also aware of how much shipping culture coexists with queer spaces (who find it hard to get representation in media bc society sucks and might use shipping as a means to get some of that representation). i just, idk, i wish people wouldn't be so intense about it sometimes. i really wish i saw more posts about the close friends just being close friends without adding romance to the mix.