Tying Your Self Worth As A Creator To How Many Followers, Notes, And Reblogs You Get Is Unhealthy

Tying your self worth as a creator to how many followers, notes, and reblogs you get is unhealthy

I really truly feel like we need to talk about this, especially as someone who has grown up as an artist online.

I’ve absorbed some unhealthy mindsets over the years and have since spent a long time unlearning them, this is definitely one of the most insidious ones.

It’s SO easy to get into a mindset that unless you get x number of notes on your work like all those other creators, what you make isn’t worth anything.

But the truly nasty part about this mindset is you never reach “x number”, because it always gets bigger!

100 notes, 500 notes, 1,000 notes, 10,000 notes… as soon as you get a single post that reaches one of your milestones - you want it to get bigger.

It’s not surprising i mean there’s entire video games where the only reward is the number getting bigger, there’s a sense of validation from seeing that number grow.

But the internet is fickle, you cannot predict what will be picked up and what won’t. This is important to remember, so much of it is based on chance and not on your personal skill.

Like, there’s a constant stream of new content being put up online every second. Having someone see your post at all is honestly amazing if you think about it.

Anyway, it’s so so easy and so unbelievably unhealthy to fall into a mindset of ‘nobody reblogs my work, I can’t create anything good’. But it’s just not true!

Your value as a creator is not determined by a number on your social media page.

It’s determined by you, and what you value in your work. For your own mental health, try not to focus on the numbers.

Focus on the people - your friends, that person who likes and reblogs everything you post, the people who wait excitedly for your next creation. They’re the ones who matter, not the number at the bottom.

It’s not easy, but the less you tie your self worth to a nebulous, unreachable number the better you’ll feel about your work.

Creating (Fictional) Medicine

This post is only going to be on creating medication & medical treatment; medical systems, while they will probably be covered in a later post, won’t be discussed during this one. Additionally, this post is going to go over medication that doesn’t involve magic.

Medicine is something often taken for granted in first-world countries, something we feel we always have. As a result, there are many writers — myself included for a while — that didn’t pay much attention to the idea of medicine in their world. So, we’re going to discuss medicine in this post, everything from creation to abilities to opinions to pricing.

Actually Creating a Medicine

Medication of any sort is obtained through science of some sort. Some of them are more or less “simple” to obtain, and others are much more complex. Usually, unless it’s a different type of treatment, medication is created through the combination of different chemicals to create a new, beneficial one.

Therefore, your world’s medical abilities are likely going to depend a whole lot on its scientific abilities. You’ll need people who know what they’re doing and have the ability to do it safely if you want your medication to be effective in a realistic setting. 

If the most experience the leading scientists have with medication is creating a pill to cure a headache, chances are they won’t have reached the level of medication that could cure permanent diseases or afflictions. (Unless there’s a different sort of “hierarchy” in your world where the more complex medications are easier to obtain, which is also a 100% valid path to take.)

So, let’s be honest here: I don’t know enough about medicine to give a run-down on how to create a medication from separate chemicals. However, I don’t have to; that’s your job as the author. Chances are if you’re reading this post, you’re doing world-building research, meaning everything happens at your fingertips. You get to choose how things combine, the exact ratios and what could go wrong if they’re just a fraction off.

Now, creating this medicine comes with a lot of different things to consider. You’ll need to know how to make it and how easily it’s made, which was covered a bit above. Consider also the name. Maybe it has a cool, scientific name, or a name like something you’re hear on commercials, or maybe it’s simply named after what it does. On the topic of your medicine’s function…

Abilities and Limits

Say it with me: medicine is not an automatic cure-all. Most medicines take a little while to work, and the majority of the time you’ll need more than one dose for it to be effective for an extended period of time. This is where we start fleshing it out a little more; we know what our medicine is made of and a bit of what it does, but we want to go more in-depth with that.

So, first of all, start with the main goal of the medicine. Is it meant to help with physical or mental afflictions? What is it supposed to do? Does it help people affected by just one affliction, or multiple within the same “family”? This is your time to choose who it affects, what it does, and how fast it generally starts working. Now is the time to flesh out everything a medicine would generally be advertised for.

Next, select its dangers. How large of a dose could be dangerous? (I would steer away from saying there’s not one here.) Is it addictive? What does it do to a person’s mindset or hormones? Would it be classified as a depressant or a stimulant, and why? How could it negatively affect anyone with a previous affliction? Would affect people who have heart or breathing issues, or are pregnant? These things are all incredibly important to know, especially because these people will likely be affected by the medication as well.

Pricing

This one goes hand-in-hand with the difficulty of its creation. The amount of labor it would take to get this medication will likely be directly proportional to its price. Here we need to keep in mind the idea of keeping the people who create the medicine happy. If they’re not getting paid enough, there’s a few things that might happen, including a workers’ strike and people just quitting. Both of these could be incredibly harmful to the people that would need the medicine because production would be down drastically, meaning there wouldn’t be as much to go around.

Next, consider commercialization. Big businesses will probably take any chance they can get to profit from the needs of their consumers. Think of supply and demand here; the more demand, the higher the price, and vice versa. The same would go for supply, where the less they have the more expensive it would be. You’ll also want to think of how long this certain medicine has been on the market; if it’s something that’s pretty much commonplace at this point, like ibuprofen in our world, the price is probably going to be more stable. The longer a medicine has been on the market, the more constant its pricing will probably be. These businesses have, by this point, already figured out what works and found the balance between sales and prices.

Administering

This section is going to be on the shorter side, but is important nonetheless. So, how do people take this medicine? Is it usually a pill or through a needle, or taken the same way as cough syrup? Can people administer it themselves or is the help of a professional necessary? Do people need a prescription to take it?

The Public Opinion

The way people see this medicine going to be pivotal in its creation. The public opinion is going to drastically affect the medicine’s pricing and reputation, so this is something you’ll need to know well.

Firstly, consider things that would affect a person’s thought process here. Consider pricing (it will be a bit of a loop), effectiveness, personal experience, and any memories that would relate to this medicine. If they needed this medicine when there was a strike going on — and therefore couldn’t get any — they’re probably not going to think very highly of the medicine or the company making it.

How well it’s known would also play a huge role in its reputation. The people you have that know about it, the more balanced and accurate the public’s opinion of it would likely be. Here you might want to think of ways people could discover this medicine so the company can get itself out there and grow.

And finally, think of how these opinions would affect the medicine’s sales. If nobody supports this company or trusts this medicine, it would be ridiculous for the company to try and sell it for a higher price. This is what I meant earlier by it being a bit of a loop; opinions and pricing affect each other directly with pretty much every product out there, not just medicine.

So, there’s a lot that would go into the creation of a medicine in your story. Of course, you don’t need to follow through with this entire process for every single medication — if any — that your story might mention.

Tl;dr — Medicine is something that should be fleshed out a whole lot if it’s going to play a major sort of role in your story. Think of things like its creation and the labor that goes into it, its purpose, what it can and can’t do, its pricing, how it’s applied, and what the public tends to think of it.

Writing horses in your WIP

We see them all the time - horses in fiction. And there is so much to learn about them that it can be a little overwhelming! But I work with horses a lot so I thought I’d be able to help some of you guys out by going through the basics you’ll need for writing. (by the way, I only ride English style. If somebody wants to do something similar for Western riding, by all means, fire away.)

Horses and ponies - whats the difference?

It’s the height. Horses and ponies are measured in hands - 1 hand = approx 4 inches. A pony is anything below 14.2hh,(hands), a horse is anything taller. Any pony smaller than 14hh would really only be suitable for children. A stockier 14.2hh could hold teens or small adults, but most teens and adults would probably ride horses. 16hh would be an average size.

Stallions, mares and geldings.

A Mare is a female horse. They can be quite moody sometimes - which they show by being uncooperative and putting their ears back. A Stallion is a male horse that has not been castrated. They can be very, very strong willed, and are typically not suitable for the novice rider. A gelding is a male horse that has been gelded/castrated, They often have a more relaxed, placid nature. A colt is a young male, and a filly is a young female. 

Breaking

Training a horse under saddle is called ‘Breaking.’ A horse is typically broken around ¾ years of age, once it has finished growing. Breaking correctly is a long and patient process - not something that your character can do in a few minutes.

Gaits

Horses have four gaits. Walk, trot, canter, and gallop - in that order of ascending speed. Nobody trots away from danger. if your characters are fleeing, they are in a flat out gallop.

The tack

For describing scenes - you’ll really only need to talk about the reins and the bit. Pressure on the reins (held by the rider) should slow the horse down. The horse feels this pressure acting through the bit. 

All you really need to worry about for the saddle are the stirrups, and the girth. The girth is holding the saddle on, and the feet go into the stirrups.

Learning to ride

Is difficult! Your character won’t be a pro withing a couple of days. Its hard on your legs, and learning to balance can be tricky too. Somebody who is very comfortable in the saddle is relaxed and secure, and able to deal with however the horse acts. The rising trot, when the rider goes ‘up and down’ in sync with the horses movement in the trot, can be particularly difficult.

Ability

The average gallop is around 45km/h. So, bear i mind that a horse cannot outrun a car or anything like that. Jumping ability varies - a heavier horse will struggle over a 90cm hedge, but a quality animal could easily pop 1.60m (but only with a good rider.)  If your character gallops the horse on hard ground, it could easily go lame - they aren’t invincible! 

Feeding

Horses don’t eat the same way as dogs or cats. They are grazers - meaning they need to eat little, and often. Your character giving them a Handel of oats once a day is really not going to keep them alive. They need forage - grass or hay - and a lot of it.

Portraying atmospheres

Showing how the horse is feeling can be a really great tool for expressing the ‘mood’ of a scene. 

Relaxed - A relaxed horse will have its ears back lazily, but not pinned against its head. It will likely doze off and close its eyes, maybe while resting a hind leg.

Alert - Horses are super smart animals, and many say that they have a sixth sense that lets them know when something is coming. An alert horse stands up straight, and has its ears pricked forward.

Upset - If something bad is happening, the horse won’t be in  good mood. It might pin its ears flat back against its skull, and bare its teeth. It will flick its tail irritably, and a horse will kick out or bite at something if its unhappy.

Horses as friends

Horses are deeply empathetic animals. They are herd animals too, and can form deep connections with their people. A horse who is fond of a person may whinny when they see them, and nuzzle their face and neck. A real trust can form between horse and rider. To show this as your story progresses, the horse will become pleased to be with the character, and the character’s nerves aboard the horse will begin to fade.

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If you have any more specific questions, feel free to message me. All of this is very basic, and I am more than happy to help some fellow writers. 

Happy writing, Aoife - @writingguardian

After a lifetime of being a writer, of sitting down to the blank page and making up words, I can now say, with definitive clarity, that writing is exhausting.

I think, because it’s an art and a craft, and we have this idea that it’s somehow a calling and “fun” and not “real” work, that it isn’t demanding or exhausting or draining.

I’ve been writing for 30 years, and while sometimes I’m on a roll and it all just flows naturally, the usual process is a struggle. And I can struggle in a million different ways on the same day. Even a day that flows can be filled with struggle before and/or after I hit that flow. 

Writing is real work. It is exhausting. It is draining. It is also rewarding. But that doesn’t mean that it doesn’t take a toll on you.

I’ve written nearly 20k words in a week, and I FEEL it. It has taken a huge amount of energy and focus, and was prepared for it.

You are not a machine. The words don’t come out of nowhere. Brain work is real work. It takes energy and focus and sometimes you have to fight yourself the whole way to get the words out. We might not be lifting I-beams and building houses, but we’re working. 

Please remember to take care of your body and your energy and your self. Take breaks. Give yourself credit for how far you’ve come, even if you don’t think it’s far enough. Count the times you are struggling to write as part of the work, not your failure… because this IS part of the process. Staring out the window is part of it. Walking around and getting a drink. Glaring at your work because it’s not going in the direction you want it to. ALL part of writing.

Writing is hard, and it’s not just about putting cool ideas down on the page. 

Source for more facts follow NowYouKno

A road has no special qualifiers. It connects point a to point b.

A street connects buildings together, usually in a city, usually east to west, opposite of avenue.

An avenue runs north south. Avenues and streets may be used interchangeably for directions, usually has median

A boulevard is a street with trees down the middle or on both sides

A lane is a narrow street usually lacking a median.

A drive is a private, winding road

A way is a small out of the way road

a court usually ends in a cul de sac or similar little loop

a plaza or square is usually a wide open space, but in modern definitons, one of the above probably fits better for a plaza as a road.

a terrace is a raised flat area around a building. When used for a road it probably better fits one of the above.

uk, a close is similar to a court, a short road serving a few houses, may have cul de sac

run is usually located near a stream or other small body of water

place is similar to a court, or close, usually a short skinny dead end road, with or without cul de sac, sometimes p shaped

bay is a small road where both ends link to the same connecting road

crescent is a windy s like shape, or just a crescent shape, for the record, above definition of bay was also given to me for crescent

a trail is usually in or near a wooded area

mews is an old british way of saying row of stables, more modernly seperate houses surrounding a courtyard

a highway is a major public road, usually connecting multiple cities

a motorway is similar to a highway, with the term more common in New Zealand, the UK, and Austrailia, no stopping, no pedestrian or animal traffic allowed

an interstate is a highway system connecting usually connecting multiple states, although some exist with no connections

a turnpike is part of a highway, and usully has a toll, often located close to a city or commercial are

a freeway is part of a highway with 2 or more lanes on each side, no tolls, sometimes termedexpressway, no intersections or cross streets.

a parkway is a major public road, usually decorated, sometimes part of a highway, has traffic lights.

a causeway combines roads and bridges, usually to cross a body of water

circuit and speedway are used interchangeably, usually refers to a racing course, practically probably something above.

as the name implies, garden is usually a well decorated small road, but probably better fits an above

a view is usually on a raised area of land, a hill or something similar.

byway is a minor road, usually a bit out of the way and not following main roads.

a cove is a narrow road, can be sheltered, usually near a larger body of water or mountains

a row is a street with a continuous line of close together houses on one or both sides, usually serving a specific function like a frat

a beltway is a highway surrounding an urban area

quay is a concrete platform running along water

crossing is where two roads meet

alley a narrow path or road between buildings, sometimes connects streets, not always driveable

point usually dead ends at a hill

pike usually a toll road

esplanade long open, level area, usually a walking path near the ocean

square open area where multiple streets meet, guess how its usually shaped.

landing usually near a dock or port, historically where boats drop goods.

walk historically a walking path or sidewalk, probably became a road later in its history

grove thickly sheltered by trees

copse a small grove

driveway almost always private, short, leading to a single residence or a few related ones

laneway uncommon, usually down a country road, itself a public road leading to multiple private driveways.

trace beaten path

circle usually circles around an area, but sometimes is like a “square”, an open place intersected by multiple roads.

channel usually near a water channel, the water itself connecting two larger bodies of water,

grange historically would have been a farmhouse or collection of houses on a farm, the road probably runs through what used to be a farm

park originally meaning an enclosed space, came to refer to an enclosed area of nature in a city, usually a well decorated road.

mill probably near an old flour mill or other mill.

spur similar to a byway, a smaller road branching off from a major road.

bypass passes around a populated area to divert traffic

roundabout or traffic circle circle around a traffic island with multiple connecting routes, a roundabout is usually smaller, with less room for crossing and passing, and safer

wynd a narrow lane between houses, similar to an alley, more common in UK

drive shortened form of driveway, not a driveway itself, usually in a neighborhood, connects several houses

parade wider than average road historically used as a parade ground.

terrace more common in uk, a row of houses.

chase on land historically used as private hunting grounds.

branch divides a road or area into multiple subdivisions.