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So sweet

When you made a new friend cuz you’re both anxious messes.

When I saw that door opening scene in TADC, and it reminded me of that scene in Courage the Cowardly Dog where Courage was opening doors and each doors had weird stuff behind it that traumatized the poor boi.

I have seen so many fanarts of Pomni and Kobeni but none with Courage who was one of the OG anxious cinnamon rolls.

This is my favorite type of yandere, soft himbos

Another of my Yan boys!! This is Teddy, your absolutely adorable pizza delivery boy! (the last picture is his most recent example c: and a commission I’m fond of <3) He knew Y/N back in HS however was known as the silent “muscle” of a delinquent group resulting in a eventual break down and expulsion from school. Afterwards he was aimless till getting a job from his grandfather at a family friends pizza place where he soon became #1 Pizza Boy set to inherit the place when the owner passes (they have no children of their own and Teddy as grown to love the place) Teddy is a orphan (one parent died, the other abandoned) and growing up he has grown what appears at first to be a split personality named Ted. However this is actually a parasite of otherwordly beings that got stuck in his head and now gives him bad bad thoughts.  While Ted is the loud obnoxious type, Teddy is rather silent especially when around Y/N which flusters him to mute levels. But he would do anything you ask of him, being a big Himbo of sorts and refuses to let anyone else deliver pizza to you. Fun Facts: * 6′7″ and BIG BULK MUSCLE (he was chubbier younger but still rather big).  * Around 27-30yrs Old * H I M B O* Parasite Personality is called TED and a indicator hes the one in control is Teddys eyes opening * Trying to be a better person for Y/N due to the shame of what happen in HS* Went to Juvie for a year due to the HS Incident * Loves affection and will absolutely melt and maybe cry to a sincere hug* Somehow never tires of eating Pizza * Absolute Disney Fanatic and loves the classic movies, knows all the songs by heart (and can sing rather well but hes very shy) * While he seems rather sweet and gentle around Y/N hes not so much with others when Y/N isn’t looking, and will take no shit from people scamming him at work or rude customers. 

🥹..I like this

What I’d give for one of the Cinderella remakes to go into how when you’re in an isolated and abusive situation, sometimes you need to be saved and you’re not weak if you can’t escape by yourself

I’ve never been a fan of bad faith reinterpretations of fairy tales, especially ones which flatten the originals into “princesses is saved by a prince and nothing else”, to then go #girlboss. The princess can save herself because she’s a strong female character! (Implying if you’re in a bad situation, it’s because you’re not strong enough to get out)

Lily of the Valley and Cigarette Butts

Summary: LORE Rekindled Oneshot, canon complacent, takes place after ep 70, in which a confused Minthe opens the door to none other than Persephone.

Word Count: 2.9K

Warnings: swearing, references to violence, lots of smoking A/N: So, I’ve never posted fanfiction before, but I’m a huge fan of @genericpuff’s LORE Rekindled series and while showering, this oneshot popped into my head. And it hasn’t left. So after a lot of editing and rereads, here it is. I have never smoked a cigarette in my life so everything in this is an educated guess. I hope I did these awesome characters justice. @1theneighborhoodcoffeeaddict1

Minthe angerly paced the length of the swimming pool, wet red hair swinging behind her. He was late. Hades’s little family reunion, which usually took three or four hours, had him gone for ten. She slowly inhaled a searing breath of nicotine before putting out the stub against an expensive flower pot. 

What the fuck could he be doing? Was Zeus keeping him out there? Sometimes he brought the king of the gods home, smelling like wine and ozone, too ashamed to crawl back to his palace. She’d have to avoid her favorite living room if that’s who Hades returned with, lest she be accosted by Zeus. At least Hades didn’t bring his sister-in-law around anymore. When he’d invited her over that rainy night, she’d finally told him how much it hurt that he constantly invited that bitch into their home. And Hades had listened. Baby steps. 

Minthe’s fingers shook lifting the lighter to her mouth. Her reflection in the pool water was nothing but a smudge of frantic red, framed by cream pink flowers. 

Without thinking, Minthe spun around and lifted the lighter to the potted plants. Of course her fucking boyfriend put pink flowers where he relieved all his stress. Her fucking boyfriend, not Kore, Persephone, whatever. Hades was her boyfriend. 

She couldn’t have him.

The flowers smoldered, red flames tall in the air. For one glorious moment, the toxicity and violence of the action lifted her up to an ambrosial high-and she didn’t even do that shit. Then like a meteor, she landed back in reality and the gravity of her consequences tugged the skin tight around her bones. 

Hades was going to yell at her. Minthe clenched a cigarette tight in her finger. She would yell back. Her teeth practically bit into the end of it. He would ask her why. The heat burned her mouth. She would ask him why he’d been late. Her lungs choked on the toxic smoke. He’d tell her to answer his question.Minthe sputtered on the exhale. She’d tell him to go to hell. Tears pricked at the corner of her eyes. He’d say he always already there. 

It would be the stupid argument to end all stupid arguments, even worst than the time he’d dumped her over a tube of lipstick. And just like that, Minthe could see the ashes of her relationship slipping through her fingers like burning flower petals. 

This is your fault. The voice sounded like Hera’s, predicting the words the goddess would hiss next time they met. You could’ve waited. He wouldn’t have yelled if you had just waited. 

She didn’t need the queen of the gods rubbing in her mistakes like she was a steak on Tartarus’ Tavern. Minthe took another long drag of her cigarette, and briefly, everything seemed quiet. But another voice joined, smooth and sweet-

I would’ve waited.

The cigarette landed on the tile with a wet splat. Minthe dragged her ash covered fingers through her hair, the wisps of a scream escaping through clenched teeth. These moments made her feel like a bomb. Each new voice criticizing her-from the rulers of this very realm to judgey Fatesbook users-was like another spark to the fuse. Eventually, one would catch. 

Minthe would look like a complete bitch. Everyone would leave her. She’d be left behind to slowly pick up the pieces of herself and an apology for shit she didn’t do would be expected in three to five business days. 

When did her life get so predictable?

When the knock came, Minthe ignored it. Hades always came through the garage. It was probably just some sleazy minor deity, come to shake a business deal out of the god of wealth. She’d leave them to their own impatience. 

It wasn’t until Cerberus bolted past her for the door that Minthe got up to let him in. Worry twisted her empty stomach. If he wasn’t letting himself in, something bad must’ve happened. The triple heads of anxiety, regret, and defensiveness reared within her. 

Cerberus whined, pushing his noses against the base of the entrance. Minthe gave him a soothing pat before opening the door. She expected to see Hades, bruised and bloody. 

She did not expect to see Persephone on the door step, clad in a beautiful white dress with delicate butterflies perched in her hair.  

Minthe immediately moved to close the door, sure this was a nightmare. To her horror, Cerberus pushed the door open with one head and greeted Persephone with his other two. 

Persephone softly cooed to the dog, scratching behind his ears, while Minthe stood there in shock. Anger was forming like lightning in her blood. Professional relationship her ass, Persephone was on Hades’s doorstep, dressed to the nines, while petting his dog like she’d known Cerberus his entire life. This was clearly not the first time she’d stopped by, judging from the way Cerberus eagerly leaned into her touch. 

Panic overtook every emotion in her body. The cold, cruel realization that she was being replaced froze her in place. After everything she’d done, all that she had put in and worked on, and she was losing to a saccharine pink, organic sugar, goddess of gardens.  

No. No, she wouldn’t be replaced. She had done too much for that son of a bitch to be pushed aside for Persephone.

“Hades isn’t home.” Minthe said slowly, lacing each word with venom. “You missed him.”

“I know.” Her voice was annoyingly perfect, just like everything about her. Somewhere between godly loud and mortal high. A stupid combination of good attributes. “I came to pick something up.”

Yeah fucking right. Minthe had to bite the inside of her cheek to keep the words from escaping. “What are you looking for?”

“My mother’s brooch.”

“Why would Hades have your mother’s brooch?” Minthe tried not to seethe but honestly. They’d known each other for a few months and he was holding on to her family heirlooms? Hades could be intense but she’d never seen him be so invested. It pissed her off. 

“I was wearing it the day of my interview.” Persephone replied, eyes finally lifting to meet her own. “I lost it during my foray into Tower Four.”

Oh. That’s why she was here. Despite the truce they’d made, Persephone obviously had her doubts with Minthe, just like she had for her. Only she didn’t have a good lie for showing up to her house with an excuse to snoop. 

Minthe stood back, opening the door for Persephone to step through. “I suppose you don’t want my directions.” She bit out. 

“No, I don’t.” Persephone admitted, briefly cocking her head to study Hades’s grand atrium. It was certainly a sight to behold with its carved marble and pristine tiles but surely nothing that a goddess like her hadn’t seen before. “He said he brought it into the lounge.”

Minthe followed Persephone with no amount of subtly. She paid her no mind, only looking in her direction when Cerberus brushed against her legs. Her eyes widened at the sight of a burning pot of plants but Minthe hissed, “Don’t even think about it,” before she could remark. Wisely, Persephone didn’t. 

Minthe scrutinized her, trying to understand what the hell Hades saw in her. A goddess with large tits and an acceptable face, there were hundreds of those. There had to be something past looks that drew him in-right? Persephone’s pink hair was longer than usual, almost to her feet and tinged with a green that was clearly magic, not box dye. “You might want to get a hair cut before work tomorrow.”

“It doesn’t matter. Tomorrow’s my last day.”

The words came with such finality that Minthe had to wait to make sure they were real. Hard working, humble, studious Persephone was quitting her first non-nepotism job? She had to tamp down a few overly excited questions as Persephone explained. Though Minthe didn’t miss the way her dirt covered fingers curled into fists.

“Hera invited me to her home to do some gardening today,” Of course Persephone was chummy with Hera. Why the hell shouldn’t she be? “But some uninvited, very intoxicated guests showed up.” 

“Hades and his brothers.” 

Persephone snorted. They were walking side by side through the dark halls but Minthe could see the frustration and rage lining the goddess’s features. She didn’t want to admit that she hadn’t been this afraid since they striked their truce, blood red eyes glaring down at her. 

“Poseidon and Zeus had to carry him between themselves. Dio knocked him unconscious.”

Dionysus as well. Was there anyone in the Olympian family not eating out of this woman’s very palm? Hermes had lied to her, her best friend and boyfriend were the twins, and even Hecate defended her. Persephone was just that damn perfect. 

Minthe bit back her own jabs to ask, “Why the hell did Dionysus knock my boyfriend unconscious?” She wasn’t going to drink wine for the next ten years out of spite. 

“I don’t know. He was pretty disoriented when he woke up and we didn’t get to talk much during dinner because Hera and Zeus were-”

“Arguing?”

“Zeus said one thing about the food and Hera took it personally.”

Minthe rolled her eyes. “Not a fan.”

“He’s my creator.” Minthe felt herself go into cardiac arrest. But Persephone winked in what she could only guess was an attempt to be reassuring. “But I wasn’t impressed either. For a king, he’s terrible at first impressions.”

“He’s also bad at talking to anyone he doesn’t want to fuck.” Minthe muttered. Persephone looked like she was wanted to smile through her disgust. 

“I went to the garden to escape them and Hades followed.” Persephone paused in the entrance of the lounge. She seemed to be staring at the stuffed chimera head on the wall. “I asked him why he’s been giving me the cold shoulder at work.”

Minthe had been wondering that too though she’d chalked it up to Hades getting his shit together, taking the hint on how much it bothered her, or both. “What did he say?”

“That he wanted to be professional.” 

Thank Gaea, he was listening. Persephone settled into one of the arm chairs, the crystalline flower brooch clutched in her fingers. Minthe hovered over her shoulder, impatience tainting her voice. “And?”

“I broke down by telling him that I’ve been stressed out by work and not having the brooch all week. Hades told me he was sorry.” Of course, both things Minthe had done to try and get Persephone out of Underworld Co had brought them closer together. “But then I told him about my friend Alex blocking and ghosting me and he got this . . . I’ve never seen that look on him before.” 

Minthe’s curiosity was morbidly piqued. A deep instinct told her what the god of the dead had done, as he loved to do, but another wanted to know exactly what her boyfriend had done to scare her off. “What did he say?”

Persephone was quiet for a long time before she spoke. It was only because Minthe was intimately familiar with the sound that she recognized the goddess was holding back tears. “Hades ripped out Alex’s left eye.” 

This time the words flew out of her mouth without forethought. “What the fuck?”

A quiet sob broke out of Persephone. Through  pink, shimmering tears, she told Minthe the story from the morning after the Panatheana to Persephone’s reaction just hours ago. Which was to bury Hades with a newly grown tree and storm out without another word. 

“I wasn’t leaving without my brooch.” Persephone finished, shoulders slumped. “I’m taking this, turning in my badges tomorrow, and I’ll never be in your life again.” 

It sounded like an apology which pissed Minthe off. She didn’t need sympathy. “Don’t sound so sentimental, Pinkie.” 

Persephone crossed her arms, sniffing softly. “I thought he was my friend.” 

No, no, they were not doing this. They were not going to braid each other’s hair and bitch over boyfriends when Minthe still had one. Hades and her were miserable together. There was no one else for them. If Persephone couldn’t handle a little darkness, she could leave. Nobody was keeping her here. 

“And now?” Minthe needed to hear, for her own reassurance. 

“A part of me still cares for him.” 

Well of course she did. This was lollipop sweet Persephone.  “And the other part?” 

“Wants to punch him in the face again.” 

“Again?” 

Persephone nodded down the hall. “I reacted a little strongly to his presence when I first woke up here.” 

Minthe smiled bitterly. “I won’t stop you.” 

Persephone smiled back, fingers reaching out to squeeze her shoulder. Minthe jerked back and Persephone smiled apologetically. “Thank you, Minthe. This month has probably been really hard for you. You’re such a patient person.” 

She blinked. She didn’t get thanked often and she shook off the warm feeling of appreciation that surged through her at the praise. Minthe had to be the one person who was immune to her charms. “You’re welcome, Persephone.” 

The goddess stared blankly at her. “Kore.” 

“What?” 

“You can call me Kore.” 

One non-hostile conversation had apparently leveled Minthe up to being able to call her the maiden instead of the bringer of death. “Do you want me to call you a psychopomp?” 

“No, I’ll fly home.” Right. Gods didn’t need transportation, they were transportation. As Kore got up, Cerberus happily trailing behind her, she turned around. “I understand if it’s personal, but I am the daughter of Demeter and she taught me to never come in empty handed . . . But I did. Is there anything I can give you in return for welcoming me into your home?” 

Minthe had never been a stickler for tradition but she couldn’t really object to a goddess. “Well, what were you thinking of?” 

“Those flowers?” Kore adjusted the brooch on the collar of her dress. “It’ll only take a second, I swear.” 

Minthe found herself agreeing, telling herself it was only because it was better to erase the problem, even if it was Kore doing’s. But she’d underestimated how much of a mess she left. Shame licked a hot streak up her neck and arms as Kore took in the cigarette butts and lighters. Of course, she didn’t say anything. She was Kore. Minthe reminded herself that that was a bad thing. 

The flowers were still smoldering and with a wiggle of her fingers, the rest of the flowers wilted. 

“Some flower goddess.” 

“For something to grow healthily again, you have to get rid of it’s toxic roots.” Kore smiled, her rosy skin glowing with power. “If I simply made it grow again, it’d wilt again after a few weeks.” 

The petals and stems melted into the dirt, leaving a glowing sheen over the soil. Kore gave a soft hum and new flowers emerged, bright pink and shimmering with life. Kore was smiling to herself proudly and Minthe had to admit, her powers were kind of cool. She was hardworking and intelligent, and if tomorrow was her last day . . . Well, maybe she could enable her computer program again. 

Minthe watched Kore fade into the sky, trails of magic fluttering behind her. Cerberus whined pathetically after her. Minthe scratched between his ears, rolling her eyes. So easily attached. 

Hades still wasn’t home so Minthe busied herself. He wasn’t going to be back for a while if the god of madness and Persephone had gotten to him. She sweeped away the ash and butts and made herself dinner, Cerberus circling her the entire time at the smell. When she sat down to eat, she didn’t pull out her phone and mindlessly scroll Fatesbook. Minthe tried to follow the advice those hippies shilled out of ‘living in the moment’-appreciating the fruits of her labor and the sweet taste of victory. Kore was finally leaving her life at the cost of some photographer’s eye. 

Minthe cringed at the thought. Despite the farce she put on for Kore, violence unsettled her. It was too close to home, the brutal power of the gods that could end her life in a snap. Hera’s face came too mind much too quickly. But Hades could never scare her. She knew him like the back of her hand and a temper was one of the flaws that she’d come to love him for. It was something they had in common. But where Hades had the power to take it out on others physically, she had to settle for subtle digs and schemes. 

Miserable together she thought, wiping her lips with the napkin. That’s the way we want it to be. 

Sitting at the edge of the pool, a glass of water in her hand and some book she hadn’t opened in forever, Minthe felt … Happy. A rarity for her. And when she saw the clusters of new pink flowers behind her, she surprised herself by picking one. Just a small one and her long red tresses hid it well. 

But it was there nonetheless. A little bit of Kore to accompany her as she got ready for the night. Her compliment still buzzed pleasantly beneath her skin, and she was torn between letting it stay or beating it away with a stick. The goddess was leaving, she couldn’t hurt her anymore. And she’d been … Nice, even considering everything Minthe had done. Even she could appreciate such saint like grace. 

A dark voice spoke in her head, a defensive mechanism after so many years alone. She’s just pretending. There are no perfect people. 

Minthe quelled the voice by telling it to fuck off and let her sleep. And she did. Better than she had in a while. 

The flower was still lush with life when she woke up. New soil would keep it like that for a long time. 

Sketch help

fat bodies tutorial!

ALRIGHT SO my pal @kalreyno wanted help with drawing fat characters and as a fat artist i felt like i could give a bit of helpful insight on that. there’s also been a lot of complaining about “boo hoo fat characters are hard to draw so i can’t include them in my work Ever” goin on lately so if that’s your case then this is for you too!! and also just for anyone who would like help with fat bodies in general, ofc. anyway, let’s get this show on the road!!

let’s start with some common misconceptions. these are the two main attempts at chubby bodies i run into, so i’ll focus on them. 

the Anime Chubby i see everywhere, and it’s just……so wrong in many ways. first of all, there is almost no additional body fat compared to your average thin character - except for where it’s added in “attractive” places (breasts, hips, thighs). the breasts are way too perky, and don’t have the realistic shape fat would give them (though how to draw accurate breasts is another tutorial all on its own lmao). there is still a thigh gap, which usually only happens in very thin people, and bones are still visible on the surface of the skin, which also rarely happens in fat people.

the Michelin Man is better in some ways, but still not that great. it’s a slightly better attempt, but basically all that’s done there is taking a thin character and blowing them up, while giving no thought to fat distribution. the thigh gap is usually still present, and they look a lot more hard than soft - and fat is very soft and pliable.

here’s a chart on how fat usually distributes (if you can’t read my messy writing, “1. next to no fat, 2. moderate amount, 3. most of the fat distribution”). basically, the more muscle an area has, the more prone it is to develop fat, such as the abdomen, thighs, and upper arms. it’s important to note that fat sits on top of muscle, and that it does distribute in different levels, and not evenly across the body as shown in the Michelin Man. 

now, here’s an accurate fat body with all of that kept in mind!! notice how the fat isn’t only kept to aesthetically pleasing areas, and how it sits realistically on the character’s body. their breasts sag a lot more, which happens even in thin people with larger breasts, and the nipples are pointing more downwards than straight out. there is no thigh gap in sight, there are no bones in sight, and most importantly, they have fat rolls, which are very important in drawing a convincing fat character!! as far as i know i’ve never met a single person with no rolls at all, and everyone has them, whether thin or fat - they’re just more prominent and more consistently present in fat people. pay close attention to where they are and how they’re shaped.

here are a couple of drawings showing how fat is affected when sitting vs stretching. as seen in the first, the fat specifically on the stomach is distributed a lot more evenly and stretched out, so it becomes “flatter”. the love handles are still pretty visible, though, as well as the fat on the thighs and arms. the breasts are raised with the shoulders, and the fat on the shoulders and near the neck forms rolls as it’s being pushed together. 

in the second, there is a lot less room for distribution, so the fat is all pushed together. the breasts sag and the stomach forms rolls and spills into the lap. a good analogy for the way fat works is to liken it to a water balloon, and thinking of how its shape would change when resting flat on a surface, hanging off of a ledge, held upright, etc.

here are a few extra tips i find a lot of people miss!

first on the top is the hip/pubic region. the first circle is showing the way the bellybutton is folded in fat people, as opposed to stretched out in thinner people. the second is the stomach fat spilling over onto the pubic region and creating a separation in the two areas, which is something that’s missing in a lot of art. in addition, the pubic mound also gains fat, making it round as seen in the profile drawing i did up there (i’ve heard people refer to it as fupa?). the last in the hip region is the lack of a thigh gap. i can’t stress this enough!!!! if you’re trying to draw a convincing fat character, make sure their thighs are pretty much always touching!! for reference, mine literally don’t separate until my feet are about 2ft from each other.

the bottom right is showing the double chin, which a lot of people are afraid to draw!! fat does distribute itself here too, and there’s nothing wrong with it, so don’t feel like you shouldn’t give fat characters a double chin in your work for fear of it looking like a caricature.

in the bottom middle, it’s showing how fat affects different types of breasts with the presence of more or less breast tissue. 

lastly, at the very right are stretch marks with their usual locations and directions, which i also can’t stress enough!!!!! i sometimes forget to add them honestly, but they’re so important in accurately portraying fat characters, as they literally come from the skin being stretched from fat being gained (and they’re also just rlly neat lookin like why wouldn’t you lmao). some people have less and some people have more, feel free to experiment with them!

the last thing is body types!! there isn’t one single way for a person to be fat, so feel free to experiment with shapes once you’ve learned the basics!! 

so there you have it, a tutorial on how to draw chubs!! now go forth and make some accurate fanart or some rad fat characters, because the world could always use more of both. hmu if you have any questions or concerns, and thanks for reading!!

EDIT: someone pointed out the bad wording in the tutorial. thank you for bringing it to my attention and sorry for offending anybody. i’ve updated the tut, so please reblog this one!

This is REALLY cute, I saw this on X, I find this concept really adorable

Writing tips

How I learned to write smarter, not harder

(aka, how to write when you're hella ADHD lol)

A reader commented on my current long fic asking how I write so well. I replied with an essay of my honestly pretty non-standard writing advice (that they probably didn't actually want lol) Now I'm gonna share it with you guys and hopefully there's a few of you out there who will benefit from my past mistakes and find some useful advice in here. XD Since I started doing this stuff, which are all pretty easy changes to absorb into your process if you want to try them, I now almost never get writer's block.

The text of the original reply is indented, and I've added some additional commentary to expand upon and clarify some of the concepts.

As for writing well, I usually attribute it to the fact that I spent roughly four years in my late teens/early 20s writing text roleplay with a friend for hours every single day. Aside from the constant practice that provided, having a live audience immediately reacting to everything I wrote made me think a lot about how to make as many sentences as possible have maximum impact so that I could get that kind of fun reaction. (Which is another reason why comments like yours are so valuable to fanfic writers! <3) The other factors that have improved my writing are thus: 1. Writing nonlinearly. I used to write a whole story in order, from the first sentence onward. If there was a part I was excited to write, I slogged through everything to get there, thinking that it would be my reward once I finished everything that led up to that. It never worked. XD It was miserable. By the time I got to the part I wanted to write, I had beaten the scene to death in my head imagining all the ways I could write it, and it a) no longer interested me and b) could not live up to my expectations because I couldn't remember all my ideas I'd had for writing it. The scene came out mediocre and so did everything leading up to it. Since then, I learned through working on VN writing (I co-own a game studio and we have some visual novels that I write for) that I don't have to write linearly. If I'm inspired to write a scene, I just write it immediately. It usually comes out pretty good even in a first draft! But then I also have it for if I get more ideas for that scene later, and I can just edit them in. The scenes come out MUCH stronger because of this. And you know what else I discovered? Those scenes I slogged through before weren't scenes I had no inspiration for, I just didn't have any inspiration for them in that moment! I can't tell you how many times there was a scene I had no interest in writing, and then a week later I'd get struck by the perfect inspiration for it! Those are scenes I would have done a very mediocre job on, and now they can be some of the most powerful scenes because I gave them time to marinate. Inspiration isn't always linear, so writing doesn't have to be either!

Some people are the type that joyfully write linearly. I have a friend like this--she picks up the characters and just continues playing out the next scene. Her story progresses through the entire day-by-day lives of the characters; it never timeskips more than a few hours. She started writing and posting just eight months ago, she's about an eighth of the way through her planned fic timeline, and the content she has so far posted to AO3 for it is already 450,000 words long. But most of us are normal humans. We're not, for the most part, wired to create linearly. We consume linearly, we experience linearly, so we assume we must also create linearly. But actually, a lot of us really suffer from trying to force ourselves to create this way, and we might not even realize it. If you're the kind of person who thinks you need to carrot-on-a-stick yourself into writing by saving the fun part for when you finally write everything that happens before it: Stop. You're probably not a linear writer. You're making yourself suffer for no reason and your writing is probably suffering for it. At least give nonlinear writing a try before you assume you can't write if you're not baiting or forcing yourself into it!! Remember: Writing is fun. You do this because it's fun, because it's your hobby. If you're miserable 80% of the time you're doing it, you're probably doing it wrong!

2. Rereading my own work. I used to hate reading my own work. I wouldn't even edit it usually. I would write it and slap it online and try not to look at it again. XD Writing nonlinearly forced me to start rereading because I needed to make sure scenes connected together naturally and it also made it easier to get into the headspace of the story to keep writing and fill in the blanks and get new inspiration. Doing this built the editing process into my writing process--I would read a scene to get back in the headspace, dislike what I had written, and just clean it up on the fly. I still never ever sit down to 'edit' my work. I just reread it to prep for writing and it ends up editing itself. Many many scenes in this fic I have read probably a dozen times or more! (And now, I can actually reread my own work for enjoyment!) Another thing I found from doing this that it became easy to see patterns and themes in my work and strengthen them. Foreshadowing became easy. Setting up for jokes or plot points became easy. I didn't have to plan out my story in advance or write an outline, because the scenes themselves because a sort of living outline on their own. (Yes, despite all the foreshadowing and recurring thematic elements and secret hidden meanings sprinkled throughout this story, it actually never had an outline or a plan for any of that. It's all a natural byproduct of writing nonlinearly and rereading.)

Unpopular writing opinion time: You don't need to make a detailed outline.

Some people thrive on having an outline and planning out every detail before they sit down to write. But I know for a lot of us, we don't know how to write an outline or how to use it once we've written it. The idea of making one is daunting, and the advice that it's the only way to write or beat writer's block is demoralizing. So let me explain how I approach "outlining" which isn't really outlining at all.

I write in a Notion table, where every scene is a separate table entry and the scene is written in the page inside that entry. I do this because it makes writing nonlinearly VASTLY more intuitive and straightforward than writing in a single document. (If you're familiar with Notion, this probably makes perfect sense to you. If you're not, imagine something a little like a more contained Google Sheets, but every row has a title cell that opens into a unique Google Doc when you click on it. And it's not as slow and clunky as the Google suite lol) When I sit down to begin a new fic idea, I make a quick entry in the table for every scene I already know I'll want or need, with the entries titled with a couple words or a sentence that describes what will be in that scene so I'll remember it later. Basically, it's the most absolute bare-bones skeleton of what I vaguely know will probably happen in the story.

Then I start writing, wherever I want in the list. As I write, ideas for new scenes and new connections and themes will emerge over time, and I'll just slot them in between the original entries wherever they naturally fit, rearranging as necessary, so that I won't forget about them later when I'm ready to write them. As an example, my current long fic started with a list of roughly 35 scenes that I knew I wanted or needed, for a fic that will probably be around 100k words (which I didn't know at the time haha). As of this writing, it has expanded to 129 scenes. And since I write them directly in the page entries for the table, the fic is actually its own outline, without any additional effort on my part. As I said in the comment reply--a living outline!

This also made it easier to let go of the notion that I had to write something exactly right the first time. (People always say you should do this, but how many of us do? It's harder than it sounds! I didn't want to commit to editing later! I didn't want to reread my work! XD) I know I'm going to edit it naturally anyway, so I can feel okay giving myself permission to just write it approximately right and I can fix it later. And what I found from that was that sometimes what I believed was kind of meh when I wrote it was actually totally fine when I read it later! Sometimes the internal critic is actually wrong. 3. Marinating in the headspace of the story. For the first two months I worked on [fic], I did not consume any media other than [fandom the fic is in]. I didn't watch, read, or play anything else. Not even mobile games. (And there wasn't really much fan content for [fandom] to consume either. Still isn't, really. XD) This basically forced me to treat writing my story as my only source of entertainment, and kept me from getting distracted or inspired to write other ideas and abandon this one.

As an aside, I don't think this is a necessary step for writing, but if you really want to be productive in a short burst, I do highly recommend going on a media consumption hiatus. Not forever, obviously! Consuming media is a valuable tool for new inspiration, and reading other's work (both good and bad, as long as you think critically to identify the differences!) is an invaluable resource for improving your writing.

When I write, I usually lay down, close my eyes, and play the scene I'm interested in writing in my head. I even take a ten-minute nap now and then during this process. (I find being in a state of partial drowsiness, but not outright sleepiness, makes writing easier and better. Sleep helps the brain process and make connections!) Then I roll over to the laptop next to me and type up whatever I felt like worked for the scene. This may mean I write half a sentence at a time between intervals of closed-eye-time XD

People always say if you're stuck, you need to outline.

What they actually mean by that (whether they realize it or not) is that if you're stuck, you need to brainstorm. You need to marinate. You don't need to plan what you're doing, you just need to give yourself time to think about it!

What's another framing for brainstorming for your fic? Fantasizing about it! Planning is work, but fantasizing isn't.

You're already fantasizing about it, right? That's why you're writing it. Just direct that effort toward the scenes you're trying to write next! Close your eyes, lay back, and fantasize what the characters do and how they react.

And then quickly note down your inspirations so you don't forget, haha.

And if a scene is so boring to you that even fantasizing about it sucks--it's probably a bad scene.

If it's boring to write, it's going to be boring to read. Ask yourself why you wanted that scene. Is it even necessary? Can you cut it? Can you replace it with a different scene that serves the same purpose but approaches the problem from a different angle? If you can't remove the troublesome scene, what can you change about it that would make it interesting or exciting for you to write?

And I can't write sitting up to save my damn life. It's like my brain just stops working if I have to sit in a chair and stare at a computer screen. I need to be able to lie down, even if I don't use it! Talking walks and swinging in a hammock are also fantastic places to get scene ideas worked out, because the rhythmic motion also helps our brain process. It's just a little harder to work on a laptop in those scenarios. XD

In conclusion: Writing nonlinearly is an amazing tool for kicking writer's block to the curb. There's almost always some scene you'll want to write. If there isn't, you need to re-read or marinate.

Or you need to use the bathroom, eat something, or sleep. XD Seriously, if you're that stuck, assess your current physical condition. You might just be unable to focus because you're uncomfortable and you haven't realized it yet.

Anyway! I hope that was helpful, or at least interesting! XD Sorry again for the text wall. (I think this is the longest comment reply I've ever written!)

And same to you guys on tumblr--I hope this was helpful or at least interesting. XD Reblogs appreciated if so! (Maybe it'll help someone else!)

Kittens, Cats, Fur babies HOORAY. 😻😊🥹😁

Sunshine in Hell - Shaun's Cat Family

You know, after my last post, I got to thinking that Shaun definitely grew up in a house with cats. I have no doubts Leticia would've gotten herself at least one black cat to complete her witchy ensemble at some point, and Antwon is definitely a cat guy.

Baby Moon Pie might be Shaun's first furbaby, but he had himself a fair amount of fursiblings over the years. They may or may not be referenced in Sunshine in Hell, but it brought a smile to my face coming up with a few furry family members for Shaun. I figured someone else might find my funny feline indulgence entertaining as well, so I decided to make it into a ramble.

Yes, this is just a blatant excuse to play around with cat ideas and characters. I make no apologies for my undying love of cute kitties.

Duchess Dahlia Briar Binx the Second was the first in her line to greet Shaun upon his grand arrival, as he was born long after Duchess Dahlia Briar Binx the First sadly passed. She was an elegant, classy lady who upheld her title with grace. She was patient with baby Shaun and even treated him like her own kitten, often grooming him when they snuggled. Though she wasn't able to keep up with his high energy most of the time once he started walking.

Duchess Dahlia Briar Binx the Third arrived years later around when Shaun was in his teens. She didn't try to match the class and grace of her predecessor bestowed with the honored title, but she left a mark with her spunk and attitude. Despite being a tripod with only one back leg, she loved to show off her excellent sense of balance by perching high on ledges no one thought she could reach.

Her favorite game to play with Shaun was fetch, and no matter what sort of tricky throw he tried to stump her with, she always managed to retrieve whatever he tossed away, even if he didn't necessarily mean for her to bring it back. It was often a challenge trying to throw away peanut butter cup wrappers with this cunning duchess always on the prowl for a good game.

Ichabod was a sphinx with a few funny quirks. He was around during Shaun's young childhood to young adulthood. He claimed one of Shaun's beloved childhood stuffed animals as his own and would often walk around the house holding it in his mouth while making muffled meows. He would often spontaneously get the zoomies, scampering away for no reason known to anyone but him.

Ichabod got the affectionate nickname of "Thing" by Antwon due to his lack of fur and kooky personality reminding Antwon of the disembodied hand from the Adams Family. Shaun being young and just starting to read, mistook the reference his dad was making. This led to him calling Ichabod "Thing 1" and Duchess Dahlia Briar Binx the Second "Thing 2."

Fortunately the Duchess was in good humor about the association and allowed Shaun the Seuss-inspired nickname. Though she never deigned to answer to it, or to any name really.

Commander Salem came along around when Shaun was in middle school. He was a bit more standoffish, but a fighter who lived up to his bestowed rank. He was formerly black cat who earned his white streaks and patches through surviving three brushes with cancer and kicking its ass each time. He terrorized any stray or intruder that dared to come too close to his home or family.

When one of the neighbors decided to let their dog run wild, Commander Salem ran it off when it invaded their yard and tried to bite young Shaun. Antwon and Lecitia made sure to reward the commander with extra treats that night for his bravery, and Shaun made him a little gold medal with crayons and construction paper. The medal, sadly, didn't survive too long, as the commander also had a habit of chewing on paper and cardboard.

Gossamer, a chubby and lazy white cat with some gray blotches, earned himself the most nicknames of all the cats, which was a feat in and of itself. Gossy, Glossy, Goose, Goosey, Goosey Loosey, Golly Gosh, God Damn Unit, and Popcorn Paws were just a few of such titles bestowed upon this messy boy. While all of the cats earned a silly nickname or two, none could match his impressive collection of titles.

When Gossamer was not being lazy, he was living up to his nickname of Goose by being quite the terror. On many a lovely day, he could be quite a terrible Goose. (Yes, I had to throw in an Untitled Goose Game reference with that nickname.) Most messes in the house were the result of him getting his sticky popcorn paws into food he wasn't supposed to be eating or shoving stuff off of ledges to make room for him to sprawl.

Sadly, much like Shaun's human family, most of his feline family members are no longer around in the present day, though they all lived long and happy lives with him and his parents.

After Antwon and Leticia passed, their surviving furbabies went to family friends to take care of. Shaun would have taken in his furry siblings if he had the means to do so, but he was a broke college student at the time.

Duchess Dahlia Briar Binx the Third is the last of Shaun's fuzzy siblings alive and kicking in the present day. Shaun debated for the longest time if he should request her current owners give her back to him once he was settled into his own place. In the end, couldn't bring himself to uproot her life again during her golden years when she had bonded with her new family and new home.

Fortunately the duchess' owners servants allow Shaun to visit her whenever he wants for snuggles and a game of fetch or two. Being such close friends of Leticia and Antwon for many years before their passing, they also make sure to share a new story or two about them that Shaun hasn't heard yet. The visits are a bit bittersweet, but they remind Shaun of his life before the accident and help him feel just that little bit closer to his late parents.

Shaun also made sure to introduce Duchess Dahlia Briar Binx the Third to her new little niece, Moon Pie. After a bit of raised hackles and cautious sniffs, the duchess graciously approved of the new addition to their family. Moon Pie warmed up to the duchess immediately and it wasn't long before they were snuggling together during their first visit.

On that cute note, I think I'll wrap things up here, as that's about all the cat character ideas I have. For now. Maybe I'll have the urge to give Moon Pie a sibling sometime, or at least a friend or two. I know I want to give Alice at least one kitten eventually.

I hope you enjoyed this silly little self-indulgent post about getting to know some of Shaun's funny feline family!

@channydraws @earthgirlaesthetic @sai-of-the-7-stars @cheriihoney @illary-kore @okamiliqueur @kurokrisps

Watercolor Flower

I wanted to try something different from my usually palette of Melancholic blues.

Red spider Lily