Creators - Tumblr Posts
For those late to the party who want to know what the hell is going on with #OpenDnD, #StoptheSub, #DnDBegone etc, and why everyone is cancelling DnDBeyond subscriptions, I tried to do a crash course as succinctly as possible. OpenDnD.Games is a great resource for more in-depth details, and if you wish to do so, you can cancel your DnDBeyond subscription through this direct link (as there have been many reporting trouble in locating where to do so). Edit: Tweaked the very first detail below, as someone reminded me it was not a wholly accurate statement as I had initially written it. Apologies to everyone who already reblogged the first version of this :')
Hasbro acquired Wizards of the Coast (WotC) some time ago, but recently they got new leadership who said in an interview that they see D&D as "under-monetized". Hasbro is on the decline with finances, and WotC is its biggest cash cow. Why milk that cash cow through producing more content when you can instead revoke a legally irrevocable license that makes it impossible for 3rd party content creators to exist?
America loves a good monopoly. The old license that permitted the community to grow to what it is today was OGL1.0a, and without it, D&D would not be what it is right now, nor even close. They tried to shift to OGL1.1, a new license that is, in a word, PREDATORY. Horrific, nasty shit.
OGL1.1 was quietly sent to large creators to sign. It then got leaked. The community erupted. The backlash was loud and unanimous. WotC was radio silent for like two weeks. They finally gave a single-sentence "we'll explain soon" tweet on DnDBeyond's account. Then more silence.
A WotC employee reached out to large creators to blow the whistle on WotC. The source was verified, and they shared that WotC sees the community as an obstacle between them and their money, all they care about is bottom line, and they're delaying in hopes we forget and move on.
And also that they are mainly looking at DnDBeyond subscription cancelations to gauge the financial impact; they don't care about our sentiments, only our money. So everyone erupted into signal boosting for others to unsubscribe as the single and best way to make ourselves heard. Cue the mass unsubscribing.
Today (January 13th 2023), a shitty PR piece was posted on DnDBeyond full of blatant lies and, in my opinion, barely-contained saltiness. Right before that, though, OGL2.0 leaks came out; the tweaks they'd begrudgingly made following the backlash. 2.0 is basically just as bad as 1.1; they just spoke of it as being more changed than it was.
In other words, they keep bold-faced lying to a community of rules-lawyers who recreationally read fine print :)
Meanwhile, Paizo (creators of Pathfinder) has come to the rescue, vowing to release a truly open license that will allow everyone to continue pursuing the livelihoods they're passionate about; this is the Open RPG Creative License, or "ORC".
Canceling subscriptions immediately sends a potent message, even if you may have to resubscribe later for functionality in your games. You'll still have the remainder of your billing cycle to enjoy paid perks.
Everything's a little on fire, but I think we'll be okay ♥️
OGL1.0a was never meant to be revocable, as loudly stated in the past couple days by the very people who authored it. It is very likely that WotC is actually just bluffing and bullying, and is actually powerless to revoke it--something many lawyers more knowledgeable than myself seem to be suggesting. In which case, it is my greatest hope in all of this that 3rd party creators are able to continue doing what they love, with no further interruptions.
Remember: the majority of WotC and DnDBeyond employees feel the exact same way we do, but they don't have a choice. Hasbro is the enemy here. Be kind to each other, and know where blame should and should not be placed. If you want to stay up to speed, the account of @.DnD_Shorts seems to be a very active and informed voice, largely responsible for sharing the first leak. If Twitter makes you want to puke, I completely understand; DnD_Shorts also has a YouTube channel with frequent updates on the situation posted in video format.
It's cathartic to me to try to signal boost this stuff, and provide summaries that might help others stay informed. It helps me feel like I'm somehow able to affect these nasty things that are otherwise just inflicted onto lil guys in the community like myself.
However, this has been beyond exhausting and stressful. I'm going to start untangling myself and stepping back from posting about this issue so I can hopefully restore some of my own sanity.
It's been really crazy--in a good way--to see the power this community has when rallied together under a common threat. It makes me proud to be in that community.
At the end of the day, all TTRPGs are really just exercises in creativity and fun. The golden rule has always been and should always be that there is no right or wrong way to play, other than what suits you and those you play with. Likewise, no one should ever feel guilty or judged by others for playing one system over another. It's okay to like D&D5e despite all this. No matter how much they've tried, Wizards of the Coast cannot claim jurisdiction over the invaluable memories you've made, and what has become a creative outlet for countless people. Myself included.
Boycotting is a great way to be heard, since they only care about money. But continuing to use the content you have to play D&D5e is your prerogative, and hurts no one. Furthermore, it's also okay if you can't cancel your DnDBeyond subscription because you rely on it too heavily for your games. That doesn't make you a traitor. That doesn't estrange you from the community. DnDBeyond, at its core, is a great tool that is popular for a reason; it's the new leadership that is forcing it to become something it wasn't meant to be. One day, I hope to be able to resubscribe in good conscious, and I hope that day is soon.
To reiterate, if anyone's even read down this far... be kind to one another. Keep in mind that big enemies win when the party is divided. You can love or hate anything you want in the TTRPG sphere, but how you feel about it does not invalidate someone else feeling the opposite.
Be kind. Be patient. Be empathetic. We're already coming out on top.
(via https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9nbuZPhXW8c)
Please watch. The creators on Youtube trusted a bank with their hard earned money but were robbed in the end by said bank through a faulty investment.
yeah..this site isn't anything it used to be before.
hatred is thrown around like confetti, and it's no real surprise to know that creators are prioritising their real lives more, hence, the site is slowly dying. seriously, even i miss the times when it was lovlier, but however, i too know the burden you have to bear with yourself as a creator. i do not know what really do i wish to imply here, but i simply miss my mutuals and even non mutuals who made this site a better place.
Thank you. I needed this so much! ♡
If you're a creator and you needed to hear this today:
You have no idea how many people lurk on your work. No idea how many times people go back to revisit your work. How big they smile when they simply think about your work. How fast their heart beats, how excited they get when they see that you posted something.
People are shy with their feedback. Sometimes it’s because they’re simply shy. Other times it’s because they assume you already know how great and talented you are. Could be both.
My point is, even if you barely have any likes or reblogs, don’t get discouraged. You have a lot of silent fans, but they are still your fans. Keep on creating. Because there is always someone out there who will love what you have made.
:)
Since it's Indie Animation Day...
I figured I'd repost that list of other animation creators on YouTube that I shared last week, separate from it's original, weird context. I've also included several more entries based on suggestions in the comments. Thanks for the feedback! General Content Warning: Some of the below is not for kids, or contains violence or other subject matter some viewers might find distressing. Please use your adult discretion. Also, this is not a list of moral endorsements. I know some of these creators personally, but many of them I do not. While I have tried to make sure I'm not listing anyone who is a criminal or otherwise objectively harmful person, I don't have encyclopedic knowledge of every little internet drama that has gone down (and chances are I'm not super interested in hearing about it all because it's really difficult to tell fact from fiction from hyperbole around here).
Anyway, check out some Indie Animation:
Far-Fetched Worthikids Satina | Scumhouse Noodle and Bun Punch Punch Forever Ramshackle Noodle Papajoolia | Pipi Angel Hare | The East Patch Jonni Peppers Salad Fingers Monkey Wrench Studio Heartbreak Felix Colgrave JelloApocalypse Odd1sout (started indie, got picked up by Netflix) Allie Mehner JaidenAnimations Lumi and the Great Big Galaxy Cloudrise | The Worlds Divide Telepurte RubberRoss James Lee ENA Godspeed | Olan Rogers Ollie and Scoops Meat Canyon Port by the Sea Kekeflipnote Boxtown Kevin Temmer Weebl Joel Haver CircleToons Long Gone Gulch Atlas and the Stars Animist Skibidi Toilet A Fox in Space Alex Henderson Talon Toniko Pantoja Sr. Pelo Hullabaloo Kane Pixels (started indie, picked up by A24) Homestar Runner Fennah Gods' School Alan Becker Dungeon Flippers JazLyte Psychicpebbles (started indie, Smiling Friends picked up by AS) Piemations vewn Metal Family Dead Sound chluaid Jacknjellify Betsy Lee | No Evil My Pride Cranbersher GeoExe | Gwain Saga Horatio the Vampire Mech West Playground | Rodrigo Sousa The Brave Locomotive Finchwing (+ check out other Warrior Cats animators) Quazies SamBakZa Kamikaze: Trial by Fire Parasomnia
If you're a creator and you needed to hear this today:
You have no idea how many people lurk on your work. No idea how many times people go back to revisit your work. How big they smile when they simply think about your work. How fast their heart beats, how excited they get when they see that you posted something.
People are shy with their feedback. Sometimes it’s because they’re simply shy. Other times it’s because they assume you already know how great and talented you are. Could be both.
My point is, even if you barely have any likes or reblogs, don’t get discouraged. You have a lot of silent fans, but they are still your fans. Keep on creating. Because there is always someone out there who will love what you have made.
Written by James Miller of A Small Fiction.
Writing fanfic can be a lot like trying to make a recipe that you’ve seen all over social media. Sometimes, you try it and you kill it. Other times, not so much.
You see everyone is raving about how good this recipe is and how much they love this one particular ingredient (we’ll say cheese) that just really makes it amazing. So you think, I can do that, I’m great with cheese!
So, you start cooking. You measure everything just so. You even go a little hard on the cheese because, cheese. You are super proud of your dish. It looks delicious. You think it’s all kinds of tasty. It is, perhaps, the best thing you’ve ever made. You can’t wait to share it with everyone, because c’mon, everyone is raving about this thing and here it is! You made it! And it’s gonna be awesome.
You take it to a potluck with your friends and some people you don’t know. Your friends are like, yeah, this is great! Maybe a couple of people grab a bite, and one of them even tells you it’s pretty good. But there you are, at the end of the night, with your casserole dish still basically full and you’re wondering, what happened? You did everything right, so why didn’t everyone go crazy for it?
Posting a fic is very similar. You see the things people seem to love (a particular trope, for instance) and you give it a try. You think you’ve got all the elements and you put it together perfectly and you put it out there. And then you don’t get the response you were hoping for or expecting. But you used (1) one beloved trope + (2) two characters + a dash of canon + witty banter! Maybe you even sprinkled in a liberal helping of a fandom favorite dynamic. What happened?
Honestly, it’s kind of devastating when a fic flops. You wonder what you did wrong. What did you miss? You’ve seen other people do it and readers just ate it up, so it must be you, right? Are you not a good cook (writer)? Are people tired of trying your dishes (reading your fics)?
Yes, you should always cook (write) for yourself first. But when you decide to share something with other people who have similar tastes/interests, that’s an act of bravery. You’re putting yourself in a vulnerable position by putting this little piece of your heart, of something you love, out for people to see. Of course you want them to like it. You want them to think it’s a tasty treat (whether it be for your tastebuds or eyeballs). You want that pat on the back (kudo). It’s not greedy or inappropriate to crave validation and support.
Writing is a creative, personal process. A lot of writers are frothy little balls of anxiety.
If you’re a fan of someone or their work, let them know. Yes, comments are like crack and everyone wants them, but an emoji or a kudo is extremely gratifying as well. Reblog the snippets you enjoy. As a fan of something showing the creators you appreciate the time and effort and parts of their heart that they put into what they do matters so, so much.
To my favourite and lovely creators. This post is dedicated to you!
@bangtann-bangdamn @wordsturnintostories @kimnjss @bloomsuga @ktheist @v-hope @gukyi @jimlingss @justimajin
Sometimes I get discouraged as a creator. I read a fic that’s just so achingly beautiful that I think, “What’s the point of writing if I can’t write like this?” Or I see a stunning piece of art and I almost want to give up because I know I’ll never be that good.
The truth is, there will always be someone who’s better than me at something I want to be good at. And that’s okay. The things I do can still be valuable even if someone else does them better.
When I think about my favorite works and creators, I realize how different they all are. Maybe some of those creators worry that their work isn’t that good or get frustrated because they can’t create the way someone else creates. But I love them all in different ways for different reasons, and they are all wonderful.
It helps me to remember that my favorite creators also have favorite creators that they look up to and that even they have room for improvement and that even they have bad days or weeks or months when they flounder and don’t feel satisfied with what they create. Growth is not a linear process, and beauty is possible even in our ugliest periods of struggle.
There is no one writing or art style that is The Best™️, and talent/skill can manifest in different ways. Whether you try to mimic a style you admire or create something completely unique to you, your work will still have your fingerprints all over it, and they are good fingerprints, and they are yours and no one else’s, and your work will be valuable and beautiful because of them.
In the end, all that matters is that people enjoy what you created and, most importantly, that you as a creator found fulfillment in creating it. That’s the point of creating—to express yourself in a way only you can and to find meaning in that expression. Even if that meaning is just to unwind after a long day or enjoy some time thinking about your favorite characters or laugh at your own stupid joke.
I hope all you lovely creators know how much you are valued, even when you’re in a low. Putting something you made out there for the world to judge can be really scary, especially when you’re not feeling confident in the first place. But things don’t have to be perfect for people to love and enjoy them. And honestly, as an imperfect creator, I find it strangely encouraging when I spot flaws in something I admire. Because it reminds me that I’m not the only one who’s still growing. And if I can love a flawed piece of work that much, then other people can enjoy my flawed work too. We’re all works in progress, and we can create amazing things no matter where we are in our creative journey.
I guess what I’m really trying to say is …
@ creators: you’re doing amazing, sweetie 💖💖 Be proud, and don’t give up.
This is an amazing idea and similar to a TED talk I just watched.
What is the $10 Revolution?
The $10 Revolution is an idea to transform the relationship we have to online media. The idea is this:
Set aside $10 of your budget a month. Just $10.
Then use that $10 to directly support creators you enjoy in whatever way you see fit. Maybe that means donating $1 to 10 different creators’ Patreons. Maybe that means subscribing to someone on Twitch for $5 and using the rest as a direct donation. Maybe that means giving the entire $10 to your favorite creator, and letting everyone else go.
But imagine the change if everyone set aside $10 to support their favorite online creators. If everyone who watched that tiny YouTube channel supported with $1. If everyone who read your favorite webcomic gave $1 a month.
Suddenly, an artist who has 300 fans has a legitimate source of income.
A YouTube channel with only 1000 subscribers might be able to sustain itself.
And the reliance on the ad-free model of media, where creators have to make clickbait to even have a chance of being seen, starts to end.
The $10 Revolution is not an idea, but a call to action.
Set aside just $10 a month, and ask your friends to consider doing the same.
Let’s see what we can do.
#10DollarRevolution
I absolutely love your content but where can find more from other creators?
Some of the best inanimate blogs and blogs that sometimes write about inanimate scenarios sometimes or rarely here on tumblr are:
@southern-god1
@bizzhideaway
@baranchik3
@inanimatefan
@imsuitedforyou
@worldofdirtyimagination
https://thetfchangingroom.tumblr.com/
@maletfs
https://linxiaopei.tumblr.com/
Sylen's Mystical Menagerie and Potions emporium
PJ World of Transformation
@transformee
@cooperstfranch
@tfcaptions
@worldofdirtyimagination
@aandf21
https://sxssybaby-writing.tumblr.com/
https://0vorenation0.tumblr.com/
@brandedx2
Other external sources I like:
Cockatrices Story Index
The Dirty Spiders’s Stories
AlexDomPup Stories
Inanimate Paradise Discord Server
VoreNation Fantasy World Discord Server
Cock Transformation Discord Server
“Chronivac Version 4.0″ (TF in general, But there's many inanimate branches in there)
Coiledfist (Macrophilia website, but there's some great inanimate tf stories on it)
Shindan Inanimate Generator (check inanimate tag for other inanimate shindans)
https://unidentified-tf.github.io/TF-Generator/
https://bizzhideaway.home.blog/
https://mrcavanaughstories.wordpress.com/tag/inanimate-tf/
Doris commission (with alts!) for @big-fat-dynamo
- commission info -