reminder that 30 isn’t old, it’s very normal to not accomplish everything in your 20s, and that it is never too late to learn that thing you’ve always wanted to learn. you’re always growing. that’s a good thing.
Who the hell accomplishes everything in their 20s? Who made that a thing?
I was 48 when I started my apprenticeship to become a tattoo artist. I was 50 when I married the love of my life.
You’ve got time.
I needed this right now. I’ve got time!!!
I didn’t get my first book published until I was 38. At 53, I’m about to sign a contract for my tenth. You have time.
Thank you for this.
I once read an article about a 85 year old asian woman teaching herself Java and programming her own mobile apps for elderly people
just because there /are/ some teenage stars like famous singers or actors who are popular and rich although they aren’t even 18 yet doesn’t mean everyone has to manage to pull their shit together at a certain age
there are people who start building their own business in their mid-60s after they retired from their regular job and then finally have time to do what they always dreamed of
I am pretty annoyed it’s so common for people to tell women to “not let men get a rise out of you” when they purposefully try to annoy you or upset you it’s like Literally never in my life have I heard people tell men to just stop bothering women.
Once you realise that a game’s worth is not in its perfection, but in your ownenjoyment level, then you’re going to have a lot more fun playing video games
An interesting parallel that just occurred to me; Oglethorpe in the finale talking about civilization being defined by what it excludes, and Max saying to Anne “there is nothing important that does not include you”. I’ve always felt like that line to Anne was one of those things that had extra layers of meaning. Like, on one level, there is nothing important for Max personally that does not include Anne. But also, on a meta level, that there should be nothing important in life; no society, no story, no version of history; that does not include people like Anne(and like Max and like Flint etc.). And this comes right on the heels of Max rejecting the idea of marrying a man to further her position in civilization. So basically, Oglethorpe was full of shit and the writers absolutely knew it and intended that.
i re-watched the first episode of black sails last night and i can’t stop thinking about how anne is introduced; it’s night and she literally steps out from behind jack and her hat is obscuring her face and her shoulders are hunched…but then in the final scenes of the finale she’s standing tall in the sun and you can see her whole face and her eyes are so bright and she gets the last line of dialogue, calling on the crew to ready the ship to sail away. and just…thinking about how her character arc was centered around grappling with past trauma and realizing that she’s deserving of love & care……
one of the things black sails is about is revolution and you have a full spectrum of takes on it from marginalized characters, the most validated of all seems to be flint’s final position merely because he went through every other one, you saw him go through every other one, from julius’s ‘the world can’t be rushed’ prospective to eleanor’s preservation to max’s infiltration of the system, he was someone shrugging and addressing only the surface problems, then someone in power trying to change things from within, then someone nurturing an isolated micro society outside of civilization, then someone diplomatically seeking resolution with civilization, then someone murdering everything that moves and misuses power, and then, finally, someone ready to fight to bring down an unfair system and remake it anew
Fic writers wonder why people don’t review. They honestly can’t understand the silence. Writers assume that readers:
usually have something to add/criticize/say
know how to articulate their own thoughts/feelings
withhold feedback because they’re lazy or apathetic
don’t appreciate how much time/effort/energy goes into writing
On the flip-side, readers assume that:
the writer already knows how ‘good’ their work is
someone else will review because this fic is ‘obviously’ awesome
if a fic is already ‘popular,’ their feedback won’t matter
if they comment, they ‘must’ leave an awesome, insightful, detailed comment that 100% reflects their love for a fic
since words aren’t adequate, it’s better to stfu and just click the kudos button/favotite/bookmark
None of these assumptions are accurate.
The reality is that:
there is no reason for a writer to post their work except to get feedback that validates their vision, helps them improve and/or gives them an outsider perspective/interpretation of their work (which can be absolutely mind-blowing)
like, you can and should write for yourself, but if that’s 100% the case, every good fic would be wasting away in a private word document
‘readers’ are not always ‘writers’
‘writers’ can naturally put their ideas and emotions into words
‘readers’ usually don’t know what to say, which words to use to express themselves, and belittle the importance of their perspective
many ‘readers’ don’t write, so they can’t empathize with the struggle of writing a fic for a silent but attentive audience
Basically, readers don’t understand writers and vice-versa. Both parties are wired differently. Readers who also write are more likely to review because they empathize with both sides of the equation.
The Solution
Writers
Be patient, understanding, and persistent
Appreciate those who do review
Don’t get bitter, discontinue a beloved story, or assume the worst of your readers
Realize that everyone is really trying their best
Readers
Be patient, supportive, honest, and empathetic
Realize that there’s no minimum! Even two words (like ‘good work!’) can have a huge impact
Review Templates
Things to say when you’re tongue-tied:
Verbs
I liked the part where/when…
I wonder why…
I smiled/laughed when…
I was confused when…
I think that…
I predict…
I was sad/happy/angry/[other emotion] when…
Nouns
[character] did/said/felt/will do [this thing]
because… (if applicable)
[insert plot point/event]
Example: I think that [this guy] ran away from [his friend] because he was trying to protect him.
And that’s it. You don’t have to say anything else. One sentence is more than enough, but you’ll notice that once you get started, you’ll have a lot to say- so say it!
Author’s style
Your writing is:
Detailed/descriptive
Vivid
Concise (to the point)
Funny
Serious
Surreal
Unique
Compelling
Provocative
Leaves me wondering about a lot of things, and I’m curious about what happens next
Confused me a little at times (talk about what confused you! The author will be more than happy to clear things up!)
Do’s and Don’ts
Don’t
Worry about grammar/typos in your review
Suggest a direction for the story (most writers know what they’re doing and you just gotta trust them)
Think that clicking the kudos button is all you can do! Your opinion is important!
Tell the author to do more of [this] and less of [that]
Ask them to update without leaving any other feedback
Do
Leave short comments if you can’t think of anything else to say (“I like this” is more than acceptable, seriously)
Inform the author of typos (be specific)- many fics are un-beta’d. The writer will appreciate your attention to detail.
Express your own perspective even if it isn’t ‘correct-’ I think [character] did this because she was jealous, which explains why…
Understand that your unique interpretation of motives/symbolism/foreshadowing/anything is extremely valuable
Be honest, but diplomatic
Bookmark/rec works if you enjoy them, esp to help lesser-known writers
You can copy/paste from this post into your reviews. It’s hard to find the right words sometimes, but for writers, anything is better than silence.
Flint, who had to deal with Alfred Hamilton, disgusting lieutenants, condescending captains while in the Navy, Captain Hume, Peter Ashe and his jury of more condescending white men, Hornigold, Dusfresne after the mutiny, Woodes Rogers, Vane trying to depose him to get Billy, Singleton, all the pirates (some probably similar to the one who kept loosing his gold and almost drove Jack crazy) that he didn’t even trust enough to make One good (well one decision that went his way at least) decision without being manipulated into it, saying that ‘we cannot be so poorly made as that’ still blows my mind
Meg's Mumbles 