It's like sonic phosphorescence

there’s smaller creators on YT who are making really interesting videos rn. i want to highlight a few!

Chronicles of Noria. Noria- why did you have to make each of the companion videos this good?? it’s hard out here for bisexual disasters. Her playthrough is up on PSitsNoria for those more interested in gameplay.

Lorekeeper Sanctum. This channel is so soothing for my adhd hyper fixations. In-depth dives into game lore with an almost asmr vibe. Right now this includes an incredible series on each of the Evanuris with background and theories.

Redbeardflynn is making stuff about reasons we can be excited about the game- some of which we already know, some of which we don’t. Seems chill, has a skeleton- I’m getting Mystery Science Theater from this one.

It's been long enough now that I don't think there's any reason not to give the frank answer to this question.

I did consider it. I had a plot worked out. Unfortunately these things aren't always (or often) up to us.

The initial contract was for two books.

Around the time the first book was coming out, I wrote this incredibly mild feminist piece in the New Statesman about the gender discrepancy in bookshop displays and how it made me feel.

And then a certain prominent bookshop chain threatened me. It let my publicist know it didn't want me in its shops to promote my book, because it didn't know what I might do. And then, it decided not to carry the second book, which basically guaranteed it would not sell well.

Maybe those things are unrelated, but it certainly didn't feel like it. My agent and publisher largely abandoned me, (it didn't help at all that my initial editor, who loved the book, had sadly been away with cancer for much of this period) and as sales were obviously disappointing, there was no question of a new contract for a third book. And that's why I haven't published a book since. Aside from the direct damage to my career, the emotional impact was such that I think I'm only over it now. It made it so much worse that when you have a book coming out, you have to be positive about it in public pretty much no matter what is actually happening. It feels like gaslighting yourself. Now, when I talk about this, even people I consider close friends who knew me at the time tell me they had no idea.

I quite recently had a dream in which I was talking to a fellow woman writer I won't name who has been through somewhat similar shit, and heard myself saying, "It's taken a long time, but I think I've healed."

Four hours in he breaks down and says "okay so, this would all point to actual pop rock artist Lestat De Lioncourt being a real vampire, and Kate pointed out he was playing in my town a couple weeks from when we were covering all this. So I called and asked him for an interview to see if I couldnt get a better feel for what was going on"

Be a constant part of their life. Show up for birthdays and holidays. Babysit. Go on outings with the family.

Listen to them starting when they're young. Show an interest in what they have to say, even if it's incomprehensible toddler ramblings, or a ten minute monologue about Paw Patrol. Let them show you their favorite toys. Get excited if they show you art or crafts, and if they give you one, treat it like a museum piece.

Treat them like a person. Respect their preferences and bodily autonomy (no demanding hugs). Don't make fun of them or embarrass them. Engage in actual conversation.

Set respectful boundaries, but give them room to explore.

Be willing to intervene if another adult is making their life unnecessarily difficult or if other kids are bothering them.

Respect the rules and boundaries their parents have set. Yeah, it's easy to win kudos with kids by letting them have fun that their parents won't, and yeah, the fact that this isn't actually your kid means you can be more relaxed in some areas, and have different rules at your house than at home. But most of the time, you will be supporting your siblings in raising their kid, so like. Be respectful of that too.

Don't be a snitch if you don't have to. If you catch the kids playing a forbidden game, or teasing one of the niblings at Thanksgiving dinner, you don't need to make it a big production. Be the adult and handle the situation, then let it go.

Keep confidence. Goes along with the previous one, but for older kids. If a kid or teen comes to you with a concern or looking for advice, respect their privacy. Don't tell your sibling about it unless the kid gives you permission to.

Accept the fact that teenagers are contrary little shits who usually think grown ups are the most embarrassing entities in existence. They may not want to hang out with you. They may find it embarrassing if you share their interests.

Remember that even if you end up being the kid's friend, you are still also one of their adults. You have responsibilities to a kid if you want to be a big part of their life, in a way you wouldn't automatically have with another adult.