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Maethinks - Blog Posts
You know the Grimm version of Snow White makes more sense than most versions if only because in that version Snow White was like 7 years old.
sometimes i love how funny i am
go check it out!!!
which one of u was going to tell me that tea tastes different if u put it in hot water?
BATBROS PHOTOCARDS 🦇
Here’s the designs for the photocards that are gonna be in my shop!
I decided to give them an idol vibe, since- yk they’re actual celebrities even in their civilian identities (jason not exactly but that’s irrelevant)
Anyways preorders opening soon!
ON FICTIONAL ESSAYS, AND WORLDBUILDING
I love writing. That is a truth; one that I will hold onto for probably my whole life.
I really do love writing, especially for my baby. It is a behemoth of a book that I’d started when I was 11, and continued adding onto it until I started actually writing it when I was 17. I have too many ideas—too many headcannons, too many bits of lore that I want to incorporate into my story.
Again, I think I need to reiterate—I really do love writing. That doesn’t mean I don’t get tired of it. I will go weeks, sometimes even months where I don’t want to even touch it. Where the thought of writing and seeing that cursor just … blink makes me shudder.
But just because I don’t want to write the story doesn’t mean I don’t want to continue with my lore.
Here is another thing about me: I love history. It was my favourite subject at school. I got an A* in it. I love how history is rich, how it’s a long, long story that is still continuing. I love thinking about how people felt. How a decision made hundreds of years ago (if not thousands!) impacts us today.
I also, secretly (guiltily) love essays. Oh, sure I complained about it with my friends whenever it got assigned. But doing the research, finding the right words to articulate your thoughts, being able to read back on your writing—sometimes even just formatting an essay—I really did love it.
And that brings us to the topic I wanted to start today.
Fictional essay writing.
When I can’t stand the thought of writing the actual story, I open a blank document and start writing an essay as though I’m a character in my book needing to write a history assignment. I add actual quotes (albeit fictional), use actual dates, even reference as though I’m the character.
It can be therapeutic sometimes. There’s no pressure to move the plot forward, no anxiety over pacing or character arcs. It’s world-building, but in a reflective way. A way that forces me to know the world I’ve created as deeply as the characters do. It makes me question my decisions, makes me stopper up plot holes.
Sometimes reading back my work—it reads as though a seasoned academic had written it. But they hadn’t—I wrote it. I wrote that battle, that political treaty, that royal lineage. It makes me strangely proud of myself; as though I’ve actually done the work to research and trawl through endless websites until I’ve snagged on one that actually fits my essay. As though I’ve spent hours agonising over it, and sending draft after draft to a professor.
It makes the world feel alive, like it’s breathing outside of the story I’m struggling to write.
And it’s funny, because half the time those essays never make it into the book. They’re tucked away in a folder no one but me will ever read. But I know they’re there. I can always re-read them when I feel the need to; when I’ve forgotten a simple fact, or a food or a certain dialect.
It really is very useful—and it helps that I love it.
some drawings of jason i did from twt<3333
some people think writers are so eloquent and good with words, but the reality is that we can sit there with our fingers on the keyboard going, “what’s the word for non-sunlight lighting? Like, fake lighting?” and for ten minutes, all our brain will supply is “unofficial”, and we know that’s not the right word, but it’s the only word we can come up with…until finally it’s like our face got smashed into a brick wall and we remember the word we want is “artificial”.
PRIMARY GOAL IN LIFE (UNRELATED TO STORY): Opening a café! He loves food puns so he would make a café for the sole fact that he could make a bunch of food-related puns.
Florence.... MY SHAYLAAA ILY SO MUCH....
Guys, I'm re-reading the outline for one of my books (my favourite book, that I've been writing for YEARS), and this is so funny to me.
'She smiles a strained smile, and goes to bed. The next morning she makes a plan where she decides to pretend to have a Talent, in plants. This is not a good plan.'
I LOVE IT, I LOVE MY PAST SELF
'Seeing one of his friends blinded as a teen. BIG contention in his relationship with Melisa for a while.'
HELLO??? HIS WIFE BLINDED HIS FRIEND?? WHEN WAS THIS??! Sometimes my characters literally jump out of the page what the hell...
Guys, I'm re-reading the outline for one of my books (my favourite book, that I've been writing for YEARS), and this is so funny to me.
'She smiles a strained smile, and goes to bed. The next morning she makes a plan where she decides to pretend to have a Talent, in plants. This is not a good plan.'
I LOVE IT, I LOVE MY PAST SELF
THIS IS LITERALLY THE NEXT CHAPTER:
'Paperwork. Complain about paperwork. Introduce the TRAITOR!'
Guys, I'm re-reading the outline for one of my books (my favourite book, that I've been writing for YEARS), and this is so funny to me.
'She smiles a strained smile, and goes to bed. The next morning she makes a plan where she decides to pretend to have a Talent, in plants. This is not a good plan.'
I LOVE IT, I LOVE MY PAST SELF
Guys, I'm re-reading the outline for one of my books (my favourite book, that I've been writing for YEARS), and this is so funny to me.
'She smiles a strained smile, and goes to bed. The next morning she makes a plan where she decides to pretend to have a Talent, in plants. This is not a good plan.'
I LOVE IT, I LOVE MY PAST SELF
Hi all! I’m doing a valentines discount, which will be available until the 12th February.
Want to commission a poem for your SO?
Want to confess to your crush?
Want a love letter written?
Then commission me!
I love reading an authors work, loving their writing, and seeing them do the same trope in MULTIPLE FANDOMS AGGGHHHHH I LOVE IT
One trope i absolutely love is the isekai/transmigration one and seeing it written beautifully, in MULTIPLE OF MY FANDOMS??!
thank you lord
guys i LOVEEEE PJO, but. if I see ONE MORE FIC of Annabeth & Percy calling each other “Wise Girl” & “Seaweed Brain” throughout the entire fic i’m going to commit myself to a mental hospital. PLEASE. THEY HAVE NAMES. USE THEM.
THIS IS A LIFE-OR-DEATH SITUATION! THEY DONT NEED CUTESY NICKNAMES ON THE FIELD.
I love Tim Drake, and I ALSO love Jason Todd, and I ALSO love Dick Grayson.
I also absolutely adore angst. Esp Tim Drake angst. Has me crying always.
ANYWAY my question here is: I know in a lot of fanfic, people demonise Dick for what he did to Tim (taking away Robin, trying to get him to a therapist, not believing him about Bruce etc). And I guess Jason is always there? In a majority of Tim angst I read, Jason is always forgiven, and is the best person ever, and they never have fights and they’re the best brothers ever.. and that makes me a little bit mad sometimes. Because HELLO, NO, Tim’s favourite Robin was DICK’s Robin NOT Jason’s.
Also, the Tower attack—I don’t care if you were under the influence of something, if you were manipulated or not, I would be absolutely terrified if you beat me up, and a few months/years later you’re sitting at the table having dinner. ABSOLUTELY NOT.
Please. Having Jason be Tim’s favourite brother is all well and good, but I’d love to see the FEAR Tim has when he sees him. The trauma response. I DONT want Tim to forgive him.
I think you can tell a LOT about a community/time era via books and arts. Especially unconventional media. We’re really deep into capitalist society, and you can ABSOLUTELY see it in fanfic and fanart, because why are some (most) fanfics i read about a person getting adopted by a rich person (coughcough DPXDC), and having their wellbeing taken care of? That sounds like a DREAM to me, and probably to a lot of people, so they try to find it in art and writing.
Maybe I’m wrong tho… you never know 🤷🏽♀️