jfictitional

i've seen it all through the yellow windows of the evening train

another Waits inspired Max painting, idk if it works without 9th & Hennepin playing in the background, so here you go

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Remember when I came up with "buttons" to explain executive dysfunction just because I had an argument with my partner about getting things done?

And like. The Jedi are a culture. They’re a religion.

You know that, right? You know that many cultures, including generally peaceful ones, have sacred weapons, right? You know that the bond between a Jedi and their crystal(s) is an extremely sacred thing that requires the consent of both parties and is integral to their way of life, right?

You know that lightsabers are not intended to be only for killing, right? That the first thing Luke learns to do with his lightsaber is to shield and defend? You know that a culture having sacred weapons doesn’t mean that they view killing as sacred, right?

I put special emphasis on "practiced for a number of reasons such as physical, mental and spiritual development; and the preservation of a nation's intangible cultural heritage" because that's exactly why the jedi have lightsaber combat: it's part of their culture, as essential to it as the Force, and it's a way to train and connect with themselves, each other, and the Force. plenty of martial arts use weapons like swords and staffs, and it's most notable on asian martial arts like kendo, which is literally what lightsaber combat in the movies was inspired on. the weapons don't mean they're more violent than unarmed martial arts, or that they are meant to kill. they're just a different style of martial art, much like music has so many different genres.

plus, lightsabers are extremely limited in range, they are obviously meant for defense over offense. they can only cut down people who get close enough to be within range of the blade, and even though they can deflect blaster shots they still need to have been shot at first. using a lightsaber to kill is easy. anyone who gets their hands on a lightsaber can do that. using a lightsaber to defend, to save lives? now that requires plenty of training, discipline and understanding of oneself and one's weapon. that's what lightsaber combat is. that's why jedi carry lightsabers.

Thank you for waiting for me. I had to. We're already married, aren't we?

This one hurt, her work had such a profound effect on my life, thoughts, and politics.

May her memory be a blessing

Some thoughts posted on our bsky yesterday that I think are relevant to share here as well. Please talk about the things you like!

If you've got a reddit account talk about games you like on r/rpg. They hate self promo over there but love hearing about new games.

Also QRT self promo posts with your own opinions / pitch.

alright, so

first thing is - read a lot of it. not necessarily the popular stuff, you can start with literotica and check out the best stories on there, but truth be told you can learn how not to write from bad smut too. think of the words/sentences that make you cringe, write them down, avoid in the future

then, focus on the language, don’t go for too anatomical or crude either, leave the filthier descriptions/slang words for playful foreplay/aftercare banter dialogue-heavy scenes or flirting. you can include those in dirty talk too, but not excessively, unless that’s the level of spice you’re aiming for

let’s say, when describing the act, I think cock/shaft reads better than dick, cu*t better that pussy or v*gina, thrusting/rutting > plowing, throbbing > pulsating, ass/inner muscle > anus (but that’s a personal preference)

always remember of the context and the time period your story is set in, so you apply the vocab accordingly. in my western fics I’d never go for modern slang or politically correct synonyms, because it just doesnt read well and ruins the mood. so in those a rump/backside sounds better than butt, warmth instead of c*nt, for instance.

if you’re not much experienced with sex in general, read on the mechanics. a man doesn’t release buckets of cum at once, a woman doesn’t normally come in 5 minutes or when experimentally touched by a virgin partner, sometimes sex is awkward, there’s always some fumbling to it, most of the time the receiving partner (of either sex) needs preparation to enjoy it, unless they’re already horny (but make sure to even hint at that) some positions don’t work as they seem to in porn (read on sensations that can come with each, they vary!), weird sounds too, and people rarely climax together (even though I’ve written scenes like that in my fluffier fics), and sex itself doesn’t last for hours. there’s also nothing cheaper than inexperienced characters acting like freaks in the sheets sex gods all of sudden.

how can I tell my spice is decent? When I’m done with it I let it stew for a few days until I get back to it and try to find at least one sentence that still makes me tingle (yes, trust your tingles!). if it’s there - means the reader will feel it, too, even if the rest doesn’t seem so anymore, that’s natural, it will feel flatter the more you read/edit it but remember that it’ll still be new for your readers so don’t get discouraged.

ᯓ★ Give your character a weird specific opinion about something meaningless. Do they think cereal is soup? Do they have FEELINGS about people who put pineapple on pizza? Do they fold or crumple toilet paper? These tiny details make them HUMAN.

ᯓ★ Flaws that actually inconvenience your character. Not "I'm too loyal" or "I care too much", give them REAL problems. They're passive aggressive. They hold grudges. They're cheap. They talk over people. They're judgmental. They can't admit they're wrong. Make them ANNOYING sometimes.

ᯓ★ Backstory is seasoning not the whole meal. Sprinkle it in. Your reader doesn't need a full paragraph explaining why your character is afraid of dogs in chapter one. Show them flinch when one barks. Mention it later. Let the reader PUT IT TOGETHER.

back then i made a bunch of these but by now i lost the pic and dont know how to find the original post anymore

so anyway here is the diagram for anyone else who is interested!!

this requires pretty big carboard pieces, if you have a really big box or something you can make it from one piece, but if you don't, you can also just make each of the pieces individually and then tape them together

and then in the end you put it together like this!!

and then when you make a bunch you can put them all next to each other and stack your books like crazy