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time to stop pretending i'm just here to read

@animatedamerican / animatedamerican.tumblr.com

Batya, also known as The Toon | born mid-1970s | she/her pronouns | Jewish Orthodox | New Yorker | filker | fanfic writer | foodie | cranky old fandom dowager countess (sort of like being a bitter old fandom queen only less so)
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[Tag Game] Writing Patterns

I was tagged by @astriiformes ! Rules: List the first line of your last 10 (posted) fics and see if there's a pattern.

I actually did something very like this in 2018, and I also did a similar one with last lines just about a month ago. In reverse chronological order, most recent first:

  1. I have a destiny with the Whispered One. (forgive us the days forgotten to fear, Critical Role Campaign 1)
  2. The word holy isn’t spoken much, in young Bren’s house. (Letters, Critical Role Campaign 2)
  3. “Friends” is a spell, so far as Essek knows. (Cantrip: Friends, Critical Role Campaign 2)
  4. The Emprise is locked in snow and ice, cold even by daylight. (black on white, crow in snow, Dragon Age: Inquisition)
  5. Isabela stretches her bare arms overhead and smiles like one of her knives, bright and sharp and promising trouble. (fly away you dainty dish, Dragon Age II)
  6. It's been years since you've thought much about the rosewood ring Morrigan gave you, during that tumultuous time you knew each other. (roam away my raven girl, Dragon Age: Origins)
  7. When Bren is three years old, his mother cuts his hair for the first time. (Candles, Critical Role Campaign 2)
  8. When she moves again, she shoves the flower into a pocket without really thinking. (un peu, beaucoup, Critical Role Campaign 2)
  9. When their reflections step out of the mirrors, each fixed on a single target, the fight begins before anyone can do more than cry out in shock -- certainly before anyone can study them closely. (till you face the looking-glass, Critical Role Campaign 2)
  10. The theory goes: in a sufficiently infinite universe -- for there are many different sizes of infinity, as the mathematicians know -- in a universe, as they say, of sufficient infiniteness, every being who has ever lived will somehow, somewhere, eventually meet every other. (a line to yourself or a place on the shelf, Tanakh / Hebrew Bible)

Let's see, patterns. I am amused to see that three of these in a row begin with "When," but I'm not sure that's much of a pattern ... I think all of these are in present tense, which certainly is. A good few are in media res, and the ones that aren't tend to be strong narrator voice setting the scene. That last one is actually the first line of an introductory section, while the story itself starts in media res with dialogue.

Can't think of anyone to tag, so please consider yourself tagged if we're mutuals and you want a reason to do this for yourself!

#writing#fanfic#memes#links#i made this!#(trackertag)
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Writing Game: Last Lines

I was tagged by @tanoraqui for this one! Last lines from the last 10 finished works I posted, not counting collaborations, starting with the most recent:

  1. Cassandra gives a brisk nod to her reflection in the mirror, and turns to head downstairs to welcome her guests into her home. (forgive us the days forgotten to fear, Critical Role Campaign 1)
  2. The stone he sets down carefully on top of the grave marker, among the handful of other little stones left there by other visitors, before he turns to go. (Letters, Critical Role Campaign 2)
  3. And he should stop there, he really should, but the next words are already coming out: Maybe you should try friends sometime. (Cantrip: Friends, Critical Role Campaign 2)
  4. “Maker help me,” she -- giggles, actually giggles -- “if Varric finds out, I’ll never hear the end of it.” (black on white, crow in snow, Dragon Age: Inquisition)
  5. The management here at the Hanged Man never takes noise complaints all that seriously, but still, you’re inclined to hope later that the room next door is empty. (fly away you dainty dish, Dragon Age II)
  6. “The smallest chance,” you repeat, and smile. “I’ll take it.” (roam away my raven girl, Dragon Age: Origins)
  7. “It’s the same day,” Caleb says, and doesn’t say anything else. (Candles, Critical Role Campaign 2)
  8. It stays there, forgotten. (un peu, beaucoup, Critical Role Campaign 2)
  9. Let’s go, is all Yasha answers. (till you face the looking-glass, Critical Role Campaign 2)
  10. A general murmur of agreement went up, and not even Dvora seemed inclined to argue. (a line to yourself or a place on the shelf, Tanakh / Hebrew Bible)

I feel like I can see some patterns here, but they're mostly things I already knew -- my tendency to use present tense for fic based on games, and second person for fic about video game protags specifically. I am not sure I could explain why sometimes my dialogue is marked by italics rather than in quotation marks.

Tagging @ruffboijuliaburnsides, @mithrilwren, @theragnarokd, and @scribefindegil, and also any other mutual who wants to do this!

#writing#fanfic#memes#links#(trackertag)
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reblogged
scribefindegil
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patricia-taxxon

nothing beats the feeling of finally checking out a classic piece of media you've heard about thousands of times & after you're done you're just like "damn, they weren't lying"

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patricia-taxxon

some of you have a very different definition of "classic" than me

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patricia-taxxon

by classic i mean like, a crystalized relic of the canon that is referenced so much by everyone that it stops feeling like a work of art & more like a figure of speech, the feeling im describing is of witnessing the crystallized meme become art again. its more than just finding out something "lives up to the hype" its actually having that century defining experience directly impact your soul when thus far it has only been an abstract point of reference

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animatedamerican

"witnessing the crystallized meme become art again" absolutely. This was my experience in watching Casablanca.

(Among many other things, I was floored by just realizing what "round up the usual suspects" actually means in context.)

#memes#art#and/or vice versa#(trackertag)
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Tagged by @krakenartificer!

Are you named after anyone: Yes! Two of my great-grandmothers.

When was the last time you cried: I believe it was a few days ago, under the influence of imagining fictional characters in sad situations.

Do you have kids: Alas no. I get to be Mom Friend to a good few younger people though, and also to help out my sister with her kids.

Do you use sarcasm a lot: Perish the thought. (That's a yes.)

What sports do you play/have played: I used to fence in college. I miss it greatly.

What’s the first thing you notice about people: Bold of you to assume I ever notice anything at all about people. (More seriously: probably their height/build and coloration, unless they're wearing something extremely striking and then it's that.)

What’s your eye color: Blue.

Scary movies or happy endings: I like both! But i do have a preference for, if not happy endings, hopeful endings.

Any special talents: I can vocally harmonize with songs I've never heard before.

Where were you born: Just outside Chicago.

What are your hobbies: Roleplaying games of various kinds, writing and singing filk music, writing and occasionally reading fanfic, attending fan-run SF/F conventions (though I haven't done very much of that since the pandemic started), cooking/baking ... probably some others that aren't occurring to me at the moment. Oh -- I dabble in bead and wire artwork, and occasionally in embroidery.

Do you have pets: Sadly no -- I used to keep cats, but I have friends who are allergic and could not visit me if my apartment had cats in it, and I love my friends marginally more than I love cats. The closest thing I have is a very friendly neighborhood cat who recognizes me and will come over for pets nine times out of ten.

How tall are you: 5'0"

Favorite subject in school: English, with runners-up philosophy and astronomy.

Dream job: Getting paid a living wage to run a household, since I have to run a household anyway.

If you would like to do this one, please consider yourself tagged!

#memes#about me
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rubynye
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nomettesbizzareadventure

Fanfic Writers: Director’s Cut

Reblog this if you want readers to come into your ask box and ask for the “director’s commentary” on a particular story, section of a story, or set of lines. 
Or, send in a ⭐star⭐  to have the author select a section they’ve been dying to talk about!
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dxmichelle

Brownie points if you ask a question about that fic, section etc rather than just let me ramble!

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animatedamerican

Please do! My fic's all at batyatoon over on AO3.

#fanfic#writing#memes#links#hit me!
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starfishlikestoread asked:

character ask meme: greg universe

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(from here!)

Oh, excellent choice. Let's see ...

Things I Have In Common With Greg Universe:

  1. Musicians!
  2. Contented with our life as it is, even though to some that contentment may look like laziness or lack of ambition. Good where we are.
  3. People turn to us for wisdom and emotional support, and we're never quite sure why but we do the best we can.

Things I Do Not Have In Common With Greg Universe:

  1. I have never been a professional musician.
  2. I have never been a parent.
  3. I have never been widowed.

So overall ... more personality similarities, fewer similarities in terms of life circumstances.

#memes#from the ask box#steven universe#greg universe#awesome dudes
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reblogged
krakenartificer
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librarianpirate

This is just to say

I have eaten

the spiders that were in my cave

and which you were probably counting for statistical purposes

Forgive me I am an outlier adn should not have been counted

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the-real-seebs

“Average poem parodied three times a year” factoid is actually statistical error. Average poem is parodied 0 times a year. This is Just To Say by William Carlos Williams, which is not a metaphor for Plato’s cave and is parodied over 10,000 times each day, is an outlier and should not have been counted.

#hee hee hee#oh tumblr#poetry#parody#when memes collide#memes#(trackertag)
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reblogged
captainlordauditor
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pussyhoundspock

i think all fictional couples should be evaluated by how funny an AITA reddit post about their first couple fight would be 

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animatedamerican

... Three fictional couples popped into my head immediately and I can't decide which would be funniest: Aral and Cordelia Vorkosigan, Fox and David Xanatos, or Silas and Delilah Briarwood.

#memes#sort of#being mean to the fictional people#hee hee hee#vorkosigan saga#disney's gargoyles#critical role#(trackertag)
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reblogged
astriiformes
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shadesfalcon

send an ask: get to know your author

1) is there a story you’re holding off on writing for some reason?

2) what work of yours, if any, are you the most embarrassed about existing?

3) what order do you write in? front of book to back? chronological? favorite scenes first? something else?

4) favorite character you’ve written

5) character you were most surprised to end up writing

6) something you would go back and change in your writing that it’s too late/complicated to change now

7) when asked, are you embarrassed or enthusiastic to tell people that you write?

8) favorite genre to write

9) what, if anything, do you do for inspiration?

10) write in silence or with background noise? with people or alone?

11) what aspect of your writing do you think has most improved since you started writing?

12) your weaknesses as an author

13) your strengths as an author

14) do you make playlists for your current wips?

15) why did you start writing?

16) are there any characters who haunt you?

17) if you could give your fledgling author self any advice, what would it be?

18) were there any works you read that affected you so much that it influenced your writing style? what were they?

19) when it comes to more complicated narratives, how do you keep track of outlines, characters, development, timeline, ect.?

20) do you write in long sit-down sessions or in little spurts?

21) what do you think when you read over your older work?

22) are there any subjects that make you uncomfortable to write?

23) any obscure life experiences that you feel have helped your writing?

24) have you ever become an expert on something you previously knew nothing about, in order to better a scene or a story?

25) copy/paste a few sentences or a short paragraph that you’re particularly proud of

#memes#writing#hit me!
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Anonymous asked:

42 35 and 12!

42. "Anywhere Away From Here" by Rag'n'Bone Man, P!nk

i overthink the obvious when I'm alone

35. "High & Lonesome" by Evans McRae (Tom McRae, Lowri Evans)

manhattan moving slow / reach down to the radio

12. "Jack of All Trades" by Yahzick

master of none but versed in a plethora of proficiencies

I’ve been trying to choose just one line per song, but there are so many great lines in that last one that I’m going to link to the complete lyrics.

#memes#from the ask box#links#musics
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Anonymous asked:

Multiples of 15?

Look, I am not doing math for this meme. Give me actual numbers and I'll be happy to give you the corresponding songs. Them's the rules.

#from the ask box#memes#sigh
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