god wishes he was as fruity as me

Do you ever abandon a piece you are working on, because you realize you don't actually know what to do with the story, and it's not vibing with you as much as you'd hoped?

If so, do you ever go back to those abandoned works later on to give them a second chance? Or do you prefer the 'no stepping in the same river twice' philosophy, and only ever move forward to work on new things?

I am dealing with this quandary right now, and would love to hear any advice you have on the subject :)

Thank you!

Thanks for asking about this, because it's a problem that seems to come up for a lot of people.

When I'm not working on something that's under contract, It's not at all uncommon that I get to a place with a piece of work in which it just doesn't seem to be advancing. (Or the outline I've written for it doesn't seem to be working out, or I'm missing something about the characters' interactions that is refusing to resolve.)

So I put whatever it is aside, along with (in the same zipped-up package) a text note with the project's vital stats: when it was started, when it got stuck, what seemed to be going wrong. I tag the package in a bunch of ways—genre, character names, year it was being worked on, medium, format, length—so I won't have trouble finding it again when I want it. And then I put it aside in a spot in my hard drive reserved for such projects, and move on to other work

What I may need to clarify here is that I've never, ever completely abandoned a project. Originally this came simply of a stubborn refusal to give up. (And I can get really stubborn sometimes. Ask @petermorwood.) But over years of experience I've found a better reason never to abandon a project: because you just cannot tell when it'll suddenly start working again.

Completely out of the blue, answers to unanswered questions will sometimes appear for projects that are literally decades old. I don't understand how the process works, so I have no intention of interfering with it by ever giving up on a project! Hope springs eternal, as the poet says. There's just no telling when even the most stubbornly stuck piece of work will suddenly suddenly sit up like Mushu in Mulan, shouting "HE LIVES!" And when something like that happens, assuming the current workload allows it, I go straight back to whatever it was and start work again. Life's too short to waste getting proud about this stuff. :)

Anyway: my recommendation is that you keep everything that's stuck (with notes on what happened, or failed to) and just... put it aside. And wait. Sometimes what needs to be done about one of these recalcitrant projects is... nothing.

Black Deaf Culture Through the Lens of History (BASL and ASL-centric)

Understanding Deaf Culture by Paddy Ladd (which can also be found on archive.org)

Many Ways to Be Deaf: International Variation in Deaf Communities

the British Deaf Association website

directory for Deaf Australia’s “Our Deaf Ways” video podcast (presented in Auslan with audio from an interpreter and accurate closed captioning for all episodes)

The Irish Deaf Community by Patrick A. Matthews

Breaking the Silence: The Education of the Deaf in Ireland, 1816-1996

the Canadian Deaf Culture Center website

History of Hawai'i Sign Language and Hawai'i Deaf People by Barbara Earth, with Linda Lambrecht

It's a toll free service with people who will help you find programs in your community to pay those bills, find food, and find housing! They will give you numbers to call so you can get help.

It is not 100% foolproof. Their job is to direct you to a program they believe will help your current issue, but it's still a step up from praying random strangers online will give you enough cash before a deadline! The added benefit of these community programs, which get funded by the local government most of the time, is if there are more people using them then they can get more money to help more people.

You're not taking resources from other people if you use your community services. Your taxes pay for them. Use them.

Dial 211 first to see if they can help, and if for some reason they can't, then make your donation posts!

I can't speak for all 211's but most should also have a website detailing all the agencies in their database. if you don't like phone calls, this can be something to reference instead.

If you don't have health insurance but you need to see a doctor, reference 211! We list clinics that provide free or discounted general care, vision, and dental services to low income households and people without insurance! Many hospitals also have financial aid policies that can severely reduce your bill if you had an expensive procedure!

If you're stuck in a dead end job or need educational resources reference 211! There are a lot of programs focused on providing basic adult education as well as trade skills or other high demand fields! State governments are generally more interested in funneling people into work than providing benefits, but you can still use this to your advantage especially if you have some form of disability but are still able to work. That includes if you're neurodiverse or have mental health issues! Most of these programs are extremely underutilized.

If you believe you qualify for public benefits but the bureaucracy of the process is in your way, reference 211! There are agencies specifically geared towards helping people obtain the benefits they qualify for- for free!

If you need help with your taxes-

If you need help finding a pro bono lawyer-

If you need help finding affordable housing/section 8 housing-

If you need help finding food pantries-

If you need help paying for your prescriptions-

If you need help obtaining disability aids or assistive technology-

If you need help finding transportation options-

If you need help following a natural or personal disaster (like a home fire)-

If you need help repairing a home you or your family owns or it needs modifications to be accessible-

If you need Queer resources-

Reference your 211!!!!!

I had no idea what 211 was before working for it but I wish I had. I've learned so much about what resources are actually available to the community even in a ho hum area of the country like my state. I've saved my partner literally thousands of dollars just from the medical resources I've gathered.

Not enough young people know about or utilize these services but they are there for you!

P. S.

Air fryer

One of those panini press grill things (not only can you make sandwiches but you can grill chicken and steak if you have an expensive model)

Rice cooker (not only good for rice but quinoa and any other grain, alternatively you could buy an Instapot)

Electric kettle (depends on how much tea you drink but it’s good for boiling water for cleaning and preheating water for pasta etc)

Kitchen appliances I would not recommend buying when you move out on your own:

Cleaning supplies. Most cut rate sponges, bleach sprays, Clorox wipe knock offs and cleaning chemicals get the job done just fine.

Food staples like pasta, canned vegetables, rice etc.

Here are some things you should never buy off brand/cheap:

Trash bags. I made the mistake of buying Dollar General brand ones and they ripped several times, sending garbage all over my yard while I tried to take the trash out. I had to double and sometimes triple bag which was not economical in the long run.

Toilet paper. The two and one ply stuff sucks. You you have to use much more than you would if you bought quality paper.

GO OUT BY YOURSELF

LEARN HOW TO NAVIGATE PUBLIC TRANSIT WITH NO SMART PHONE

TAKE ONLINE CLASSES

MAKE PEACE WITH DISAPPOINTING YOUR PARENTS

GO TO THERAPY IF POSSIBLE

FOLLOW AFTERCARE INSTRUCTIONS FOR NEW TATTOOS AND PIERCINGS

EAT A MEAL BEFORE DRINKING

DON'T MIX DRUGS

IT'S HARD TO BE YOURSELF WHEN YOU DON'T KNOW YOURSELF SO JUST KEEP TRYING NEW THINGS

THROW EVERYTHING AT THE WALL LIKE SPAGHETTI TO SEE WHAT STICKS

YOU WILL DISCOVER YOURSELF THE SAME WAY YOU DISCOVER NEW COFFEE SHOPS AND NEW BANDS

YOU WILL GET THERE

july 7th:

Eyad Sami, his wife Amal Mahmoud, and their four children (CHF6,180/CHF20,000) - @eyadeyadsblog, verified by @/90-ghost

The AlBalawi family of ten, including several children (multiple are sick) and two chronically ill members who need treatment (€8,186/€50,000) - @aboooodsblog, @albalawii, @bisanalbalawi, verified by @/90-ghost

Mohammed Hijazi and his elderly parents, one of whom is severely injured and needs surgery to restore his ability to walk (€1,728/€20,000) - @savemohammedfamily, verified by @/90-ghost

Ashraf Alanqar, his wife Widad Issa, and their little son Bakr (€3,934/€30,000) - @ashrafanqer, verified by @/90-ghost

Yousef (a toddler who needs lifesaving treatment for a blood disease) and his parents (€2,117/€25,000) - @dima96yousef, verified by @/90-ghost

Youssef Hilles's wife and five children, including his young son whom he's never gotten to meet in person (€3,446/€23,000) - @zeinyousef, #206 on @/el-shab-hussein and @/nabulsi's spreadsheet

Basel Ayyad and his family of eight, including his sick daughter who is losing her sight without treatment (CHF2,612/CHF60,000) - @basel-1995, #214 on @/nabulsi and @/el-shab-hussein's spreadsheet

Ramez Hilles and his family of ten, including several children (€853/€37,000) - @ramezderar, verified by @/90-ghost

Ghada Afifi (needs surgery for a heart condition) and her family ($1,720/$50,000) - @lifeasme24 on tiktok, verified by @/lieahsblog (reach out for more details)

Wafaa Alnhal's family of 15, including four children and a newborn (they've already lost multiple family members, including Wafaa's young niece) (€26,148/€50,000) - @wafs-posts, #171 on @/nabulsi and @/el-shab-hussein's spreadsheet

The Al Zaeem family of seven, including four children and their severely ill grandfather ($19,011 CAD/$50,000 CAD) - @yosofzaeem, @malkzaeem, verified by @/nabulsi

Widow Safaa Abubaker and her two little children (€868/€15,000) - @safaamo, verified by @/ibtisams

Ahmed Baalousha, his wife Islam, their three children (one a newborn, he suffers especially from malnutrition), and Ahmed's parents and sister (€14,769/€50,000) - @5735765, #234 on @/el-shab-hussein and @/nabulsi's spreadsheet

Muhammad Al-Habil, his wife, their three young children, and Muhammad's chronically ill parents (€8,850/€50,000) - @mohammedfamily11, verified by @/el-shab-hussein

Helping Siraj Abudayeh, his wife, and their three children to rebuild their beloved home ($4,081 CAD/$82,000 CAD) - @siraj2024, #219 on @/nabulsi and @/el-shab-hussein's spreadsheet

Evacuating Firas Muhaisen's family of six (including three children) and paying he and his sister's medical school fees (needed by next month) ($1,939 CAD/$82,000 CAD) - @firasmuhaisenn, @nisreenameen, @hashem-fromgaza, verified by @/90-ghost

Nael Khalid and family (unknown amount) - @islamgazaaccount2, verified by @/90-ghost

Fiancés Noor and Alaa (both have lost multiple family members already) (€2,823/€25,000) - @nouralaagaza, verified by @/ibtisams

Helping Mahmoud Abu Hamam and his family rebuild their house and their lives ($790/$25,000) - @ma7moudgaza2, #149 on @/el-shab-hussein and @/nabulsi's spreadsheet

not yet vetted:

Amjad Al-Shaltawi's family of 11, including several children and his wife Suha, who's lost her whole family (€658/€97,000) - @amjadshiltawu

Helping Hamed and his family to rebuild their home and livelihood (€643/€70,000) - @hamedkara

Most important: Spend the money you have on a motel. Churches probably will not actually help and shelters can be dangerous or turn you away. At a motel you have free breakfast, access to running water, and a lockable place to sleep. Do not waste money on a gym membership like the popular version of this post says to do, YMCA memberships are like $40.

2. Contact family and friends. Now is not the time to worry about being a burden. Your survival and safety comes first and that is all that matters, anyone worth having in your life will agree.

3. Start a gofundme. Even if someone can’t offer you a place to stay, they might be willing to toss out $5 so you can eat today.

4. Libraries have free wifi. Apply to any and all jobs you can think of if you aren’t already working.

5. Any home is a good home. Even if it’s a dingy apartment in a bad neighborhood. If its cheap and you can afford it, snatch it up. 

6. Pancake mix and peanut butter are filling, cheap, and last a long time.

spongebob: you don't like her policies?

I like to imagine this is how other Dwarves see him, a delicate pretty boy. It's just other races can't read Dwarf body language that well.

Then he's an elf and suddenly they see his mannerisms in a different light, but he's always been this way. They just didn't have Dwarf Goggles.

Specifically, in how other dwarves like Senshi's old mining party treat him. Even knowing Senshi was still a child, they still expected more "dwarvenly" behaviour from him than he exhibited.

The text tells us multiple times that Senshi isn't your typical dwarf. He doesn't have the usual dwarf skills and his interests are pretty unusual. It's hard to tell early on because the only other dwarf we see is Namari and she reads as pretty butch to us...but I think it's actually Senshi who moreso doesn't conform well to dwarf gender roles.

Sure, he might seem like a macho, stoic, spartan-living survivalist to us, but, I think, to other dwarves he's kind of an effeminate nature-loving hippy pretty-boy.

I think that his mannerisms get overlooked because he's a beefy guy with a big beard; but, if you look closely, he's always been prone to pretty poses:

And some of them aren't really that different from his elf-form poses...

(that first pose is actually in the manga but he's partially blocked by Laios so it wasn't as clear of a visual for this purpose)

Senshi has always had a bit of a flair for dramatic and emotive posing, it just becomes more evident when he is in elf form because of our own gender biases: to us, dwarves seem more masculine and elves seem more feminine or androgynous.

I think the biggest difference between elf-Senshi and dwarf-Senshi is that elf-Senshi doesn't know what to do with his long limbs and hair.

He is used to wearing a helmet all the time which keeps his hair in place, so he has to keep flipping his hair out of his face dramatically.

He keeps crossing his legs because I don't think his legs were long enough to really DO that before.

He also usually carries a big pack on his back and hanging onto the straps kept his hands busy. His pack is too heavy for him now so he isn't wearing it and keeps resting his hands on his upper arms or face instead.

He often touched his face or stroked his beard when he was in thought, but now he doesn't have a thick beard to stroke so he just looks like he's voguing

Ryoko Kui is a master at depicting the different the anatomies of the different races. Things like the length of characters' limbs inform how they have to carry themselves and that influences how they are perceived.

Senshi takes this lesson to heart.

i think it's 50/50 whether karen would refuse and plankton would cheat on her (again) in response, or karen would go "yeah sure" and immediately start dating women because she's too done with plankton to even pretend to be jealous anymore.