i insist that the loud noise is the one thing that separated vacuuming from being best sensory experience possible to the worst sensory experience possible. imagine vacuuming if it’s completely silent. it would be so much fun it feels like a beast on a leash swallowing up everything in its way indiscriminately it’s so awesome
the “humans are inherently selfish” fanclub can genuinely and in all honesty go to hell. i once came back from a school yard where the kids had heaped piles of leaves and cut wildflowers on a narrow strip of grass bc a bee had died. i actually want to cry.
when i was a child, my parents told me our houseplant would die of lack of sunlight. i was so young i don’t even remember this, but apparently, my response to this was starting to carry the plant around like an emotional support stuffed animal. whenever my family went outside i would hold the pot on my head to make it reach the sun better. i wasn’t in school yet, didn’t have any exposure to the lessons on caring they give in elementary, i don’t remember my thought process - but i can guess. kids integrally care about things, even tiny bugs and inanimate plants. humans care.
don’t let them beat it out of you
mother-entropy
as someone in my 40s, may i also add: if they beat it out of you? put in the work to relearn it until it’s a part of you again. a part you’re proud enough of that if someone tells you it’s dumb and you should stop, you can laugh and say “oh, no. no, i don’t believe i will.” and then keep on keepin’ on.
compassion can often be a skill that needs to be relearned. so relearn it and revel in it.
Don’t let your heart stay barren
Two days ago, my 3-year-old asked to hug a tree because it had just had branches trimmed off of it, and this precious child was concerned it needed to be comforted.
Remember when staff used never before seen moderation tools to thanos snap a blog and all its posts from existence, including reblogs, for insinuating a staff member may be a terf? And then never used that tool again to deal with the nazis and terfs and other hate groups infesting the place? Hmm <3
Remember when they introduced Blaze, promised that all submissions were moderated by staff members, then straight up Blazed people's suicide notes and hate speech?
even if you care deeply about some specific kind of suffering you do not have to fill your life with as many upsetting stories of that type of suffering as possible. that is just signing up to have a bad time.
does you absorbing this information help you benefit a cause? and even if you are benefitting a cause, are you doing something productive with more of these stories or are they just making you feel bad? are you taking more effective action or just getting overwhelmed with sadness? is surrounding yourself with stuff that upsets you helping you more than it hurts you?
disgusting!!! he values a piece of candy more than he values a dog's life!!! i'd like to see arbuckle allies try to defend this!
One time I tried to listen to a true crime podcast (I've never denied being an edgelord with a fascination for macabre shit) but I tapped out halfway through the first episode b/c the people on the serial killer podcast started talking about how being a goth is a sign that someone is probably a serial killer
"An unnatural interest in darkness and evil" Motherfucker that's what your podcast is
In case you think the writers on strike aren't making good use of their time, think no more!
Only click the read more if you're fully prepared. I'm taking no responsibility past this point.
Honestly I love ironically ugly clothes. Like. Hideous in a special way. If it’s not inherently hideous I’ll match it until it is.
Me, walking off a bus in a leather sports bra, body harness, mesh shirt, holographic skirt, over the knee striped socks, wedged high tops, and a cat purse: I am a beacon of sin and I Am Here!
You reblogged this and I’m sure you know I did that but I need you to know that I really did that.
im offended that yr trying to pass this off as ugly
randyraptor
sit down and think before you post
I find it personally offensive how many bad writers can get published so easily.
I used to find it reassuring, like, "Haha, wow, if THIS can get published..." but now I take it to mean "It doesn't matter if your book is good or not, all that matters is if you're in the right social circles (and you're not)"
As someone who used to acquire for an indie publisher ... it sucks on the other end, too. We don't WANT to work on shitty books with shitty writing. But bossman wants to make money, and shitty writer has marketing clout/knows the right people/is already published (even if it's only online/ebook).
I used to read the most AMAZING submissions I'd be forced to pass on. Like, there was one, a literary fantasy featuring a bi deaf protagonist who learns how to navigate a spectrum of relationships while discovering herself (I don't want to give too many details out of respect to the author/don't want her concept stolen) and I couldn't get it acquired no matter how thorough my proposal and marketing plan was because she was a debut author with fewer than 10k Twitter followers and we needed that advance money for another Fifty Shades knockoff (this was a few years ago lol).
BUT PLEASE DON'T LET THAT DISCOURAGE YOU! If you're a writer, and you're trying to get published, don't give up!! If your first novel isn't getting traction with either a house or agency, publish it yourself on amazon. Get that "debut" moniker away from your name. Prove you can sell your shit and keep working.
A good agent will work with you to come up with a marketing/publicity proposal. That will be huge in getting houses to notice your work - makes the acquisitions team's job easier as they can point to it and tell bossman "we have a plan". Look online for titles that have high ratings/are on the NYT list that can be compared to yours. That helps give acquisitions an idea of what they're getting into - and how to represent your book to their ED/publisher.
A good agent will also help you target editors/imprints whose lists match your book, increasing your odds of getting positive feedback or even constructive feedback. If I had a submission that just wasn't quite ready for publication, I'd give detailed notes of what I wanted and ask them to revise and resubmit.
Keep writing! Even if a book isn't picked up, start your next. It's so attractive to see an author with several unpublished works ready to be polished if you already like the work that's submitted. And more writing only refines your skills.
Yes, bad writers get published. And too many good writers, even when published, go unrecognized (if you like southern gothic fiction a la Where the Crawdads Sing, go read The Past is Never, which came out four months earlier and got NO national attention but is BEAUTIFUL). Be such a good writer that you break those odds.
Because you can. I've read your stuff on Tumblr. On Ao3. On Fanfiction.net. On Wattpad. You can do it.
This is actually practical advice; thank you.
Walking along the shore
- Always walk barefoot. Take off your shoes. The beach wants to read your soul.
- If you come across a starfish, tell him about your deepest desire. He will point you in the right direction.
- A dog might run up to you when you are all alone on the beach. Let him walk with you for a while.
- Sand is the combination of sea and land. In ancient times, the sea gods and land gods used to meet here. Sometimes they still do.
- Mermaids are real. You might not see them but they see you.
- If you see baby sea turtles hatch, keep your distance and keep an eye out for predators. Help them make it to the sea. You will receive a favor.
- If something is calling you from far out at sea, ignore it. Keep walking.
- The waves wash away bad feelings. Place both hands over your heart and put the feeling inside your hands. Carefully place it on the sand, close enough to the sea so the waves can reach it. The waves will grow stronger for a few minutes. Thank the waves.
- Pick up a shell and hold it close to your ear. Shell spirits love telling stories. Especially about Charles, a fisherman who has been living on his rowboat for over 70 years and has not set foot on land ever since. They love him.
- An island might appear out of nowhere and slowly grow closer. You are not imagining it.
- Heed the seagulls’ warning.
- Pick up some seaweed and bring it back home. It is a key ingredient in many potions.
I am currently rowing toward the island but the waves are growing more and more violent. Something does not want me near. - Bob
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STOP THINKING THERE IS A DEADLINE. THERE IS NO DEADLINE. TAKE A DEEP BREATH AND TAKE YOUR TIME.