Tumblr is just a community developing a new dialect in record time
The fact that in mere months “I’m bald” became an actual way of saying “None of the above” is insane. It’s insane.
[Picture ID: a screenshot of a tumblr reply that reads, for everyone confused, it was from @/sesamie for a post about if your hair was a different color when you were younger. the last option was “I don’t know / I’m bald / any other miscellaneous infinitely nuanced answer” which was making fun of people who complained about polls not having a dozen incredibly niche options. /End ID.]
the whole point of a zine is that it’s cheap to produce, amateur and homemade. if you’re being asked to apply to participate in a print project, it is not a zine. if the final product is being printed and bound professionally, it is not a zine. if you are being asked to enter into any kind of licensing agreement more complex than “my work can be reproduced as part of this publication” it is not a zine. nine times put of ten if the final product costs more than $5 you have left zine country. im so serious about this.
this isn’t snobby gatekeeping or imaginary semantic problems or whatever, this is an issue that has come up irl at cons and zine fairs local to me and which keeps coming up online. people who show up to trade fairs selling professionally printed $15 anthologies as ‘zines’ have a direct impact on the people trying to sell their $3 chapbooks at the next table over. submission based kickstarter projects that bill themselves as 'zines’ exploit the connotations of amateur, punk production values to induce creators to work for less and eschew formal guarantees and protections they are entitled to.
my favorite zines have all been $1 or free and printed on highlighter paper. i used to pick em up from a book store in chelsea that sold predominantly self published work, and had sections for zines. Some were about how to eat cheap in the city when most of your paycheck went to rent, others were talking about the best drag performances in town, and plenty of DIY stuff. all of them had the same unique quality: nobody but the author and their collaborators could’ve made this, and they wanted to make it easily accessible to the community
i kinda hate that the word that was used for extremely personal and cheap works is applied to essentially art books of your favorite anime OTP
hi! sorry, real quick:
grab a piece of paper and fold it in half like a book
write “im indifferent to zines” on the cover
write “i’ve never been able to buy one” on the first page
write “and i’ll never be in one” on the second page
write “just want to be a hater today” on the back
congrats you’re in a zine! if you like you can photocopy it and sell it to art students, fellow haters, or anyone with a sense of humour. I’ll buy one.
ive been saying this since 2015! all my illustrator friends kept submitting to them (and gettin in which i was proud of) but they… werent zines. they were like massive books with grandiose color schemes and gilded bossing. i couldnt afford them even. zines are oft free or traded and they arent about how pretty a picture you can make.
the first zine idea i found was in a book i checked out from the library (id never remember what it was. it was about cartooning i think and had a section about chibi style lol) that had a little section on taking one sheet of paper, marking it into eighths, cutting a line in the center of the page and folding it over for a quick eight pages. like this
this makes printing soooo easy too. id love to see these floating around places
So I scrolled past this post and was thinking the same thought I always do when I see people talking about zines, which is basically ‘zines are so cool, I’ve never made one because I don’t think I have anything interesting to say in one, but I should make a zine someday if I ever have creative energy again’ and then it gets added to my ever growing mental list of things I want to do but don’t end up doing (I have spent the last several years struggling so hard with my depression that I can’t seam to create anything at all)
And then I thought, hey I have a piece of paper by my desk I should at least follow that diagram and fold it, that way I’m halfway there even if it’s blank and sits on my desk for months, and then 5 minutes later I had this:
Now I’m just holding this little thing I’ve made in my hands and I love it so much
So thank you to this post for inspiring me to make something today! Even if it’s just a simple silly little thing I’m going to treasure it
Amazing! Not only did I not know to correct pronunciation of 'zine’, but I also had no idea that they connect black history, political activism, the origins of the Kirk/Spock ship, and feminism. Such a powerful force in history these little homemade magazines.
bruce springsteen in his big booming concert voice: MCDONALDS!!!!!!!!!!! CAN I GET A DOUBLE CHEESEBURGER??????? (pause for cheers and applause) I SAID. CAN YOU GET ME. A DOUBLE. CHEESEBURGERRRRRR?????????
the whole point of a zine is that it’s cheap to produce, amateur and homemade. if you’re being asked to apply to participate in a print project, it is not a zine. if the final product is being printed and bound professionally, it is not a zine. if you are being asked to enter into any kind of licensing agreement more complex than “my work can be reproduced as part of this publication” it is not a zine. nine times put of ten if the final product costs more than $5 you have left zine country. im so serious about this.
this isn’t snobby gatekeeping or imaginary semantic problems or whatever, this is an issue that has come up irl at cons and zine fairs local to me and which keeps coming up online. people who show up to trade fairs selling professionally printed $15 anthologies as ‘zines’ have a direct impact on the people trying to sell their $3 chapbooks at the next table over. submission based kickstarter projects that bill themselves as 'zines’ exploit the connotations of amateur, punk production values to induce creators to work for less and eschew formal guarantees and protections they are entitled to.
my favorite zines have all been $1 or free and printed on highlighter paper. i used to pick em up from a book store in chelsea that sold predominantly self published work, and had sections for zines. Some were about how to eat cheap in the city when most of your paycheck went to rent, others were talking about the best drag performances in town, and plenty of DIY stuff. all of them had the same unique quality: nobody but the author and their collaborators could’ve made this, and they wanted to make it easily accessible to the community
i kinda hate that the word that was used for extremely personal and cheap works is applied to essentially art books of your favorite anime OTP
hi! sorry, real quick:
grab a piece of paper and fold it in half like a book
write “im indifferent to zines” on the cover
write “i’ve never been able to buy one” on the first page
write “and i’ll never be in one” on the second page
write “just want to be a hater today” on the back
congrats you’re in a zine! if you like you can photocopy it and sell it to art students, fellow haters, or anyone with a sense of humour. I’ll buy one.
ive been saying this since 2015! all my illustrator friends kept submitting to them (and gettin in which i was proud of) but they… werent zines. they were like massive books with grandiose color schemes and gilded bossing. i couldnt afford them even. zines are oft free or traded and they arent about how pretty a picture you can make.
the first zine idea i found was in a book i checked out from the library (id never remember what it was. it was about cartooning i think and had a section about chibi style lol) that had a little section on taking one sheet of paper, marking it into eighths, cutting a line in the center of the page and folding it over for a quick eight pages. like this
this makes printing soooo easy too. id love to see these floating around places
So I scrolled past this post and was thinking the same thought I always do when I see people talking about zines, which is basically ‘zines are so cool, I’ve never made one because I don’t think I have anything interesting to say in one, but I should make a zine someday if I ever have creative energy again’ and then it gets added to my ever growing mental list of things I want to do but don’t end up doing (I have spent the last several years struggling so hard with my depression that I can’t seam to create anything at all)
And then I thought, hey I have a piece of paper by my desk I should at least follow that diagram and fold it, that way I’m halfway there even if it’s blank and sits on my desk for months, and then 5 minutes later I had this:
Now I’m just holding this little thing I’ve made in my hands and I love it so much
So thank you to this post for inspiring me to make something today! Even if it’s just a simple silly little thing I’m going to treasure it
Amazing! Not only did I not know to correct pronunciation of 'zine’, but I also had no idea that they connect black history, political activism, the origins of the Kirk/Spock ship, and feminism. Such a powerful force in history these little homemade magazines.
“No lives will be lost. Not when they’ve just begun to breathe. You have a choice to make, He of Pestilence— abandon this people for the sake of your own cowardice, or continue your life without learning alongside me what the wrath of Death looks like when called down upon the head of one man.”
maids are soooo uppity nowadays 🙄 i ask her for 100 grapes and she starts with this backtalk about “but your highness last time you ate so many grapes at once you got a tummy ache” as if she knows better than me??? when im literally a princess
um maid. could you come urgently. i need my tummy rubbed. a tummy ache again, yes. from the grapes, yes.
maids are soooo uppity nowadays 🙄 i ask her for 100 grapes and she starts with this backtalk about “but your highness last time you ate so many grapes at once you got a tummy ache” as if she knows better than me??? when im literally a princess
um maid. could you come urgently. i need my tummy rubbed. a tummy ache again, yes. from the grapes, yes.
“faulty accelerator pedal” here means that the cheap plastic dressed to look like a fancy futuristic metal to cover up the cheap plastic pedal thats like an inch wide was cheaply glued on, so it would slip and jam itself into a cheap plastic nook below the dashboard, pinning the cheap pedal to the cheap metal so that the cheap engine would be at full power btw
she was going to call me a bitch (playful) and i saw her gears turning like no but he’s trans i need to call him the male equivalent. and then say fag and look so so surprised at the word that came out of her own mouth. it was like watching someone fail a disco elysium skill check irl
AUTHORITY- One of your sons is being annoying to the other. Make it clear that you think this is unfair.
YOU - “Stop being a b–”
REACTION SPEED [Challenging: Success] - Wait a minute.
DRAMA - Sire, the word you’re about to use is historically feminine! Applying it to your transgender child is tantamount to misgendering him.
1. [Suggestion - Legendary 14] Think of a masculine equivalent to “bitch.”
When i learned of the GOAT i was still single. It fascinated and amused me. Then I dated and eventually married a Swedish guy and now i live in Sweden! Close enough to go see the goat irl.
[Image description: Gävlebocken rendered in a cute cartoon style sitting in a chair and holding a warm drink in a mug in his left forehoof. A fire rages around him like in KC Green’s iconic ‘This Is Fine’ meme, and three jackdaws are snacking on the straw that makes up his horns. End description.]
billie joe armstrong is like…the definition of chaotic good. a prime example of this is the fact that one time at a green day concert this guy in the pit was harassing a young girl so billie stopped the show to help her. however, his way of doing so was to jump into the audience, dropkick the guy directly in the face, and then fight him in a crowd of screaming fans
This is missing the best part - when he saw the guy, he tried to be like “Dude, stop” and when the man didn’t stop pushing the girl around he screamed “Fine! You wanna fight? I’ll fucking fight you, then!” and leapt directly into the crowd
There’s a reason Green Day was my favourite band in high school, and Billie Joe Armstrong is it.
If you need a simple way to make your characters feel pain, here are some ideas:
1. Sprained Ankle
A common injury that can severely limit mobility. This is useful because your characters will have to experience a mild struggle and adapt their plans to their new lack of mobiliy. Perfect to add tension to a chase scene.
2. Rib Contusion
A painful bruise on the ribs can make breathing difficult, helping you sneak in those ragged wheezes during a fight scene. Could also be used for something sport-related! It’s impactful enough to leave a lingering pain but not enough to hinder their overall movement.
3. Concussions
This common brain injury can lead to confusion, dizziness, and mood swings, affecting a character’s judgment heavily. It can also cause mild amnesia.
I enjoy using concussions when you need another character to subtly take over the fight/scene, it’s an easy way to switch POVs. You could also use it if you need a ‘cute’ recovery moment with A and B.
4. Fractured Finger
A broken finger can complicate tasks that require fine motor skills. This would be perfect for characters like artists, writers, etc. Or, a fighter who brushes it off as nothing till they try to throw a punch and are hit with pain.
5. Road Rash
Road rash is an abrasion caused by friction. Aka scraping skin. The raw, painful sting resulting from a fall can be a quick but effective way to add pain to your writing. Tip: it’s great if you need a mild injury for a child.
6. Shoulder Dislocation
This injury can be excruciating and often leads to an inability to use one arm, forcing characters to confront their limitations while adding urgency to their situation. Good for torture scenes.
7. Deep Laceration
A deep laceration is a cut that requires stitches. As someone who got stitches as a kid, they really aren’t that bad! A 2-3 inch wound (in length) provides just enough pain and blood to add that dramatic flair to your writing while not severely deterring your character.
This is also a great wound to look back on since it often scars. Note: the deeper and wider the cut the worse your character’s condition. Don’t give them a 5 inch deep gash and call that mild.
8. Burns
Whether from fire, chemicals, or hot surfaces, burns can cause intense suffering and lingering trauma. Like the previous injury, the lasting physical and emotional trauma of a burn is a great wound for characters to look back on.
This can create ongoing pain and restrict movement, offering a window to force your character to lean on another. Note: I personally use muscle related injuries when I want to focus more on the pain and sprains to focus on a lack of mobility.
10. Tendonitis
Inflammation of a tendon can cause chronic pain and limit a character’s ability to perform tasks they usually take for granted. When exploring tendonitis make sure you research well as this can easily turn into a more severe injury.
This is a quick, brief list of ideas to provide writers inspiration. Since it is a shorter blog, I have not covered the injuries in detail. This is inspiration, not a thorough guide. Happy writing! :)
Looking For More Writing Tips And Tricks?
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