the most universally sacred childhood experience for milllenials was listening to breakaway by kelly clarkson as we dramatically stared out the window during long car rides
girl in my class was like, what’s corporate social responsibility? ive never heard of it. we shouldnt talk about it in our presentation because no one else will know what it means.
Okay I have to say, the general advice I have just happened across (in an open fandom context) of ‘if your fic isn’t getting enough feedback’ maybe investigate what’s popular is…not my recommendation.
PLEASE write what makes you happy. Please, please do that. I’ve been in fandom for a stupid number of years and writing towards an audience has made me the most miserable, because the only thing I have to measure my ‘success’ on is statistics. I check the stats. I get emo over my fic versus other fics. I wonder why something I poured my heart an soul into doesn’t get the kudos other stuff might. WE ALL HAVE THIS.
Writing to an audience never works, because then all you have to go on is reception. Write for an audience of one, if you like someone to write towards. Revel in your ideas, cherish your creativity. Take risks. PLEASE take risks. Write your fucking hearts out. Kill off half of the main ship if you want to, make them feel pain, make them love, make them come out from the other side. Be fluffy, be flippant, be controversial, and let your own voice shine through in your stories instead of trying to adapt to a formula that’s been successful in the past. Please, don’t agonise too much over where writing what’s in your heart gets you, because it could be the story you tell hits one person right in the feels and it changes things for them.
If your entire writing process is feedback oriented, it’s bloody miserable and it leads to a bunch of fics that all have a similar focus. Write what you love. Please. I’m not just imparting worldly knowledge from a lecture theatre, because I have to tell myself this every single day, when I’m chasing a nebulous dream of trying to be a bright star. I have not always got this right, but I promise you, one hundred percent, those fics that I wrote for myself are the ones that, ultimately, made me the happiest.
Hey do y’all fucks remember two years ago when just before the election all these “don’t vote both parties are bad” or “vote independent!” Posts were going around and then Trump won and now two weeks before midterms there’s all these “don’t bother voting, revolution is the only way!” And “your vote isn’t gonna matter and is an ineffective way to protest” posts are going around? Yeah knock that shit right the fuck off, don’t fall for it and get your ass to the polls, we are not doing this again.
jinlinli 