I Feel This In My BONES - Tumblr Posts

I'm just thinking about troll academia and the sheer amount of humor potential.

Mspa Reader gets an invitation from Galekh to come with him to an academic conference he's going to be presenting at and they're all excited for it and honestly a little nervous. They've never been to a conference before and it sounds very fancy and kinda intimidating. They aren't even super familiar with the topic he's talking about is. It's fine, he provides them with a "brief" summary and they are nothing if not supportive and have never let a lack of previous knowledge stop them from doing anything before.

It starts out normal.

Or at least maybe what they might consider normal, they've never been to a conference before on any planet and it seems like a lot of looking at posters and listening to Galekh's thoughts on them, avoiding looking at horse themed decor, and getting free stationary. Lots of pens.

All in all? Nice night.

And then comes the presentation portion and they give Galekh a final pep talk, extremely confident in his abilities and saying as much to him. He thanks them and directs them to where their seat is, handing them what kind of looks like... a ticket? They go to where people are filing in and they have a good seat in one of those booths in the balcony area and look down and see what should have been their first indication that this was not in fact going to be a "normal one."

Galekh stands at an ornate podium before an audience. There is a large display screen behind him showing the first slide of his presentation. This is more or less what they pictured in their head. Minus the fact that the podium is in the corner of a square ring, still just as fancy, made up of what looks like museum rope. And they have the dawning realization that Alternia has turned academic presentations into a fucking contact sport.

The presentation begins and they're on the edge of their seat waiting for shit to go down. It goes as expected, he does well, and is of course very thorough. He takes questions at the end and they're wondering if maybe they just misunderstood some aesthetic choices or something when another indigo, voices that he takes issue with a few of his sources.

Galekh steps away from the podium and states he is ready to defend his argument. The other indigo enters the ring. Fisticuffs ensue. And while fight was expected at that point, what threw them for a goddamn loop was the fact that the two were verbally going at it as well the entirely time, making claims and rebuttals just as ruthless as the physical one occurring concurrently. Eventually it ends with Galekh being the only one still standing and asking if anyone else had any additional concerns regarding his presentation. Upon hearing silence, he thanks the audience, receives a fucking golf clap that sounds way too polite for what just happened, and steps down from the podium to return to his seat. The other indigo drags himself out of the ring.

Galekh comes back, slightly disheveled, but overall, very satisfied with how things went and proud of his ability to defend his points. Mspar congratulates him saying they always knew he was going to do great. And also asks if that's what the whole night is going to be like. They're only slightly relieved to find out that isn't the case.

There's a break for lunch.

Kipps: Get your fucking teammate bitch!

Lockwood: It don’t bite.

Kipps: Yes it do!

Lucy: *currently going apeshit*

💁‍♀️

she was always wandering and looking for forgiveness for things that don't need to be forgiven; her existence.

I made a little zine!

You can download and print it yourself here

I am a good person. I am a powerful person, I don't believe in evil. I think that evil is an idea created by others to avoid dealing with their own nature. I understand my own nature, good and evil have nothing to do with it.

Being in Fandom is so weird as an aroace

Allos be like "she could F me" "I wanna marry him!" "Oh they are so hot"

And I'm like "that's my dad, that's my other dad, that's my older brother, that's my mom, that's my sister..." like a little kid playing house

[Yes the dads are gay for each other <3]

autistic folks when their routine gets disrupted, and they don't get alone time when they're supposed to get alone time

I am in no way the best writer, but I try to improve every day and hope that I can give my stories the storytelling and writing they deserve.

WHY IS WRITING IS SO FUCKING HARD?

Ten types of fuckery that stop you from writing the thing:

1. Imposter syndrome

You think you're not good enough or everyone else is better than you and you're just winging it AKA ye olde imposter syndrome bullshit. Yeah nah you're fine. No really, you're exactly where you need to be right now, and you'll keep getting better and better so long as you don't stop. Chances are, if you're filled with doubt about your abilities it means you've actually improved to the point where you can really start to understand what makes good writing. It means you know where you wanna end up and goshdarn it you're gonna get there.

Read this: 4 tips to kick imposter syndrome in the face and also genitals

And also this: How to silence the inner critic

2. Fear of rejection and/or failure

Yeah, us too. It fuckin sucks. BUT. Not all rejections are equal. And rejection is a necessary part of the process. Sometimes it takes a rejection to realise that a story isn't ready. Sometimes a rejection is entirely subjective and has ZERO reflection on the quality of your work. But shying away from the very idea of possibly maybe hypothetically getting rejected is only going to hold you back from even trying. And knowing why you got rejected and how to learn from it is one of the most valuable writing skills.

Read this: The different types of rejection (and how to deal with 'em)

Then read this: How to cope with rejection

And also this: Writing lessons from Groundhog Day

3. Not enough planning / too much planning

Leaping into a new story with nothing but a glimmer of an idea is exciting as heck (and can sometimes be a great way to begin) but at some point you're gonna need some sort of outline or plan to keep you on track. HOWEVER. Planning your story to within an inch of its life can also sometimes be a hindrance - leaving you stuck in the hypothetical stage of the process where your story doesn't quite exist yet (and therefore avoiding the prospect of it sucking). The sweet spot is in the middle. Having just enough of a plan to know where tf you're going, but enough freedom and flexibility to let the story lead the way...

Read this: Planning vs pantsing

Then read this: Five plotting techniques

And also this: The perils of overplanning

4. Your WIP just isn't working

Sometimes things just fall flat. Sometimes you work on the same story for yeeeeears and then it just kinda... dies. Sometimes you have the best plans (see above) and the best intentions and things still don't work out. Sometimes it's just time to move on. And sometimes it's not! Sometimes a story can be revived, fixed or changed. Sometimes you just need time. Sometimes YOU'RE the one that's changed and this isn't the story you need to be writing right now. Many variables. Muchly personal. Read the things below for more advice cos this is a big question:

Read this: What to do when your WIP isn't working

And also this: Give it space - how to grow a story in your head

Or how about this? Editing 101

5. You keep deprioritising it

Ah the irony of writing being the thing you love/want to do most of all AND YET the thing you procrastinate over and avoid and shove to the very bottom of your to-do list all the freakin' time. Maybe it's the comodification of art destroying our freedom to create without pressure. Maybe it's late capitalism sucking up all our available time and energy. Maybe it's a lack of self-belief subconsciously telling us our 'little hobby' doesn't really matter. Maybe it's maybelline. Whatever it is, you have the power to reclaim and revalue your writing. To say, "I'm a fucking writer, goddamnit!" and mean it. To ringfence your creative time so nothing and nobody gets to interrupt it. To do that thing you love.

Read this: Prioritise your writing

Read this: How to write in 30 second bursts

6. Shiny Thing Syndrome

You know that feeling when you're just getting stuck into a writing project and then — SQUIRREL! — you get distracted by another, better, more shiny writing project? Or maybe you're deep in the editing phase and your current WIP just isn't feeling very shiny at all and pretty much ANYTHING seems more exciting? Or you simply can't decide which of the many squirrelly writing ideas to actually start? You, fine writerperson, may be suffering from Shiny Thing Syndrome (STS). But fear not! There are a few ways to combat it, depending on the cause, and most of them involve embracing the squirrel-brain and injecting a bit of fun into your writing, like so:

Read this: Shiny thing syndrome - a writer's malady

Aaaand read this: Get excited about your writing again

And also this: Write like a kid

7. Perfectionism/self-sabotage

Look. Writing is scary as shit. What if someone READS it? What if they don't like it? What if they see into your soul and gain a deeper understanding of you through your words? Writing your truth, being vulnerable, smearing your heart juice all over the page? No thank you. But also, that's where the good shit is, so actually yes please. Just make sure you smear responsibly. And rest assured, even the most 'successful' and experienced writers ALSO feel like this sometimes, so you're in good company. It's just part of the art, bruh.

Read this: Why writing is scary (and why that's a good thing)

Read this: Beginning a story - what stops us starting?

And also this: Get out of your own way

8. The dreaded blank page

Oh godddd the blank page. It should be an exciting palimseset of possibility but is somehow also the most terrifying thing known to humankind. You wanna write something but where to start? HOW to start? You type that first line and immediately delete it. You watch the cursor blinking at you—taunting you—until you just give up and shut your laptop again. It's probably tied up with a bunch of things we've already covered so far: perfectionism, imposter syndrome, fear of failure, maybe a lack of planning or faith in your story or whatever. But it doesn't have to be this way. A blank page IS exciting and full of possibility. We just have to get over ourselves and learn to embrace the unknown...

Read this: Don't fear the blank page

And also this: The moaning method

9. Not enough time/energy/motivation/gnuuuughh

Dude, same x 1000. But you don't have to get up at 5am, do hot yoga, drink a kale smoothie and write a thousand words before sunrise to be a Proper Writer. You don't even have to write every day. But what you can do is hack your writing brain and figure out when, where, how, and why you write most effectively. Then tweak your schedule, your habits, and your attitude to ensure you're making the most of your time. Productivity is a big ol' lie but finding the secret to getting in your own personal writing zone is actual MAGIC.

Read this: Maximise your writing time

And also this: Get in the writing zone

And also unto this: The Writers' HQ Guide to Productivity

10. You're just fucken stuck

Got the writing morbs? In need of some literary sudafed? Stuck as a pig in a poke? Writing is a whole puzzle of a process—and to be honest that's what makes it so fun and exciting and addictive, because your writing brain is hardwired to both create AND solve the wordy puzzles within your story. Sometimes the answer is time. Sometimes it's a second opinion or a fresh eye. Sometimes a totally different approach or just a hefty kick up the bum. But whatever the problem, there IS a solution. You just gotta keep going and trust that you'll find it...

Read this: Troubleshoot your writing - why are you stuck?

And also this: Break through the writing blockage

And also also this: Write yourself into a pit (and then dig your way out again)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Alright, that's it for today. Now go write, you flithy animals.

(And if we missed anything, stick a question in our ask box or check out the rest of our shit here)