Call Me Jelli

@call-me-jelli / call-me-jelli.tumblr.com

Reblogs and random stuff
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Reblogged
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A writer friend told me something that broke my heart a little bit today; they're going to quit publishing their fanfic.

My instant thought was that they had been trolled or attacked or that something terrible had happened in their life because this person is so passionate about their writing. It wasn't any of that. Engagement with their works has been going down, as it has for many of us. Comments are like gold dust a lot of the time, and just looking through the historical comment counts on old fics on ao3 demonstrates this trend very clearly. It was not simply the comments dropping off which caused them to decide to stop posting, however.

My friend came across a discord server for their fandom (I should point out here that their fandom interest and mine diverged a couple of years ago, we stay in touch but don't currently read each other's posts because I'm not into their fandom and they would rather gouge their eyes out with a wooden spoon than read anything Star Wars) and specifically to share fic in that fandom. They joined, because we all love a good fic rec, only to discover that their latest multichapter fic, which has almost no comments and very few kudos, is being hotly discussed in this server as one of the best stories ever. Not one of these people has bothered to say this to them on the fic. When they asked, none of participants could see the point in telling the author of the fic they apparently loved so much that they love it.

This discovery has absolutely destroyed my friend's love of sharing fic. They share because they love seeing other people's enjoyment, and fic writers do that through comments and kudos/reblogs/likes because we don't get paid. There is no literary critic writing a blog post/article about how amazing the story is for us to copy and keep/frame. There is no money from royalties. All we have are the words of the people reading our works.

Those people on that server could have taken five minutes of the time they spent gushing about how amazing my friend's story was to other people and used it to tell the one person guaranteed to want to hear that praise how much they loved it. They could have taken a moment to express their opinion to the person who spent hours upon hours plotting, writing, editing, and posting those chapters. Instead, they deprived my friend of thing that keeps them sharing their writing, and in the process have killed their love of it. My friend now feels used and unmotivated.

I won't be sharing a link to their fic, they said I could share their experience but not their identity. I know they plan to post one final chapter. I know they intend to express their hurt at being excluded from the praise for the thing they created, and I know they intend to announce that as a consequence they will not be posting for a long while, if at all.

So please, I beg you, don't hide your love of a story from the writer. It's just about the only thing we have.

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Reblogged dancinggrimm
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babe. I know we’re all going thru a lot rn but I just wanna give u the heads up that sesame streets future is in jeopardy. hbo has chosen not to renew it for new episodes (a series that has been going since 1969) and the residents of 123 Sesame Street no longer have a home :(

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n all seriousness sesame street is such an important piece of living media. it has been around for DECADES and from day 1 highlighted the importance of diversity empathy and education for children in a fun way. their mission statement is “Helping Kids Everywhere Grow Smarter, Stronger, and Kinder”. it’s been such an influence for so many people at a formative age. it’s creators made it w the intention that it could be a resource for underprivileged kids and help them prepare for kindergarten. thousands of people have learned english from our friends on sesame. pls (at media corporations) don’t let a beloved cultural phenomenon die

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My new year resolutions for this year are going to include: leave more comments on fanfics I like. I'm doing this because I know, as a creator, comments are a big part of the reason I keep writing. So next year (well, actually from now on, but it's almost the end of the year) I'm going to leave comments on what I like. This is the energy I'd love to receive as a creator, and so I'm going to match that energy and treat the writers of my favorite fics the way I want to be treated.

I'm sharing this because I'm hoping this will inspire others to make leaving comments about what they like more often as their resolution! If you like a fanfic you read, let the author know! You'll make their day!

#fanfic#new years resolution#fanfiction#let's all leave comments
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Reblogged dancinggrimm
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Could you maybe reblog this post if you think respecting trans peoples' names and identities is a basic right and not a political opinion?

No pressure. Just seeking some validation of my sentiment. Due to some. people

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everybody go home the best tag on this post just dropped

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Reblogged oockitty
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moved-to-korrigantsionnach-deac

I want a story about a king whose son is prophesied to kill him so the king is like “whatever what am I supposed to do, kill my own kid wtf is wrong with you” so he just raises him as normal, doesn’t even tell him about the prophecy, and instead of some convoluted twist of events that leads to the king’s murder the son grows up and when the king is very old and dying and in excruciating pain the kid is just like alright I'mma put him out of his misery.

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broliloquy

The king’s son becomes the new king, and is prophesied to defeat evil and bring an age of prosperity. His generals and knights all crack their knuckles but he pretty much ignores them and focuses on strengthening the infrastructure of his kingdom. Forty years later he is old and sick but still hearing his subjects’ grievances, and a general’s like “how will you defeat the prophesied evil now? You’re old and weak.” Another visitor, a teenager fresh out of the kingdom’s public education system, looks at the general like he is an ignoramus. The king eradicated poverty, housed the homeless, taught the ignorant, ended class exploitation by abolishing the nobility and imprisoning the corrupt, and established a highly respected guild of doctors that recently figured out how to cure the plague. There are no brigands because there is enough wealth for everyone to live comfortably; hiding in the woods and taking trinkets from people simply doesn’t make any sense for anyone but the desperate, and the people are not desperate. Evil is a weed, explains the teenager. It grows in cracked roads and crumbling houses and forgotten corners, rooted in indifference and watered by suffering. But the king demands that broken things be mended and suffering people be made well.

No evil lives in this kingdom, says the teenager. It starved to death before I was born.

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broliloquy

Every once in a while, when I’m feeling down, I go and look at the notes on this post and they make me feel a lot better. This is the energy I want to carry into 2018.

#story#it's 2020 now but who cares
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Reblogged
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swanjolras-blog-archive-deactiv

gosh but like we spent hundreds of years looking up at the stars and wondering “is there anybody out there” and hoping and guessing and imagining

because we as a species were so lonely and we wanted friends so bad, we wanted to meet other species and we wanted to talk to them and we wanted to learn from them and to stop being the only people in the universe

and we started realizing that things were maybe not going so good for us— we got scared that we were going to blow each other up, we got scared that we were going to break our planet permanently, we got scared that in a hundred years we were all going to be dead and gone and even if there were other people out there, we’d never get to meet them

and then

we built robots?

and we gave them names and we gave them brains made out of silicon and we pretended they were people and we told them hey you wanna go exploring, and of course they did, because we had made them in our own image

and maybe in a hundred years we won’t be around any more, maybe yeah the planet will be a mess and we’ll all be dead, and if other people come from the stars we won’t be around to meet them and say hi! how are you! we’re people, too! you’re not alone any more!, maybe we’ll be gone

but we built robots, who have beat-up hulls and metal brains, and who have names; and if the other people come and say, who were these people? what were they like?

the robots can say, when they made us, they called us discovery; they called us curiosity; they called us explorer; they called us spirit. they must have thought that was important.

and they told us to tell you hello.

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Reblogging again because I just love this

#curiosity#NASA#robot#sweet#sad
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Reblogged writing-prompt-s
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Advice for writing about small towns

So I come from a small (midwestern) town. And I mean - an actual small town (less than 1,500 population). I’ve lived in towns of under 500 population, and in towns of about 2,500 population, and in towns of 15k population, and in cities of 100k, and currently in a 700k city. 

So here’s some things about small towns you might not know if you’ve never lived in one:

  • If it’s got a population higher than 30 thousand, it’s not a small town. It’s just a town. Hell, I’d probably argue that if it has a population higher than 10 thousand it’s not small town, but I’m being generous. However the people in towns 30k–50k probably think they’re in a small town (they’re not).
  • The experience is vastly different depending on how far you are from a small-large city. And by that I mean - the people are vastly different. 
  • Are you less than 60min drive to a city of 80k+ population? the people are probably less likely to be farmers, more likely to work in said small-large city and commute (which doesn’t mean that everyone commutes or that no one is a farmer). The people probably lean slightly to the right of the closest city, but aren’t necessarily staunch conservatives. The town sizes probably bottom out around 2k min. 
  • Are you more than 2hrs drive from a city of 80k+ population? The town is more self-sufficient. Most work within their small town or a nearby small town. Depending on the terrain, more people are farmers. They’re probably mostly conservative, both socially and fiscally. The town sizes could be as small as 300 people.
  • The farther from the city, the more likely to be conservative, more likely to be farmers (depending on the terrain).
  • Population 15k+:
  • This town probably has a (singular) hospital, several doctor’s offices, probably a dozen department stores - and if it’s rural enough, probably a couple kinds of hardware/diy type stores (lowe’s, menard’s, home depot etc.)
  • There are several options for vets and at least one emergency vet 
  • 1-2 dozen hotels
  • If it’s got anything touristy, double the hotels (2-3 dozen) - touristy being water, especially large lakes, hiking trails, fesitvals, nearby ski resort - any thing that would draw people there on vacation, even if it’s only people from that region 
  • Also add a “down town” area - boutiques, nice restaurants, probably a theatre
  • It has at least 4 options of elementary schools, and 3 options each for middle and high schools. It might have a community college (but probably not). There are private or charter options, specifically for religious students
  • There are multiple denominations of churches (catholic, lutheran, baptist, episcopal etc). Depending on ethnic make-up, it may or may not have a synagogue. It probably won’t have a mosque.
  • If it’s in a rural-ish area (the closest towns are all smaller) it probably has some kind of shopping mall. If it’s the smaller town, it may not.
  • It’ll have several bars, probably clustered in a central location, with a few others a little farther out from that area. 
  • This town has a few coffee shops (3-10), but may or may not have an actual starbucks. At least one is a local place, at least one is a chain (starbucks, dunkin, biggby). 
  • People drive everywhere. There is a bus system, but only the “down town” area would have issues finding parking. Most businesses/hotels have their own parking lot.
  • Most people live in houses but there are a few (3-7) apartment complexes, most of which are several buildings
  • There will be lots of restaurants, mostly chains or small mom & pop places, with at least a couple niceish options
  • This town might even have its own airport, but likely only serves regional flights to “nearby” larger towns/cities. Regional means like, less than 2hr flights, so that’s probably a bigger distance than you’d think.
  • There are dozens of gas stations and at least a dozen fast food places
  • Is it on a freeway? increase the gas stations, fast food places, department stores etc. 
  • This town probably has a rec-type center with a community pool and courts and what not. There are several options of gyms.
  • Population 10k ish:
  • May or may not have a hospital - if it does, it’s small. A few doctor’s offices, a couple of department stores, at least one hardware/diy type
  • A few vets, may or may not have an emergency vet
  • a dozen or so hotels. again - double that if it’s got smth that would attract people, especially water.
  • may or may not have a “down town” area
  • 2-4 options at least of elementary, 2-3 options of middle and high school. No community college.
  • Still at least a few options of churches. Still might have a synagogue, still probably doesn’t have a mosque.
  • Probably doesn’t have a shopping mall, but might have a “business district - basically a few intersections with most of the stores, hotels, and restaurants.
  • Probably has at least two, maybe three coffee shops. At least one is a chain.
  • Probably doesn’t have its own bus system unless it’s near enough to a town of 15k+ or more - people drive everywhere. There’s plenty of parking.
  • Most people live in houses, but there are a couple of apartment complexes. Mostish of the houses have yards, but some might not.
  • A few options of restaurants, but maybe only 1-2 niceish places. A couple chain, a couple mom & pop. 
  • It would be strange for this town to have an airport. May have a landing strip at most, but unlikely.
  • There are probably half a dozen to a dozen gas stations. Several fast food places.
  • Is it on a freeway? increase the gas stations, fast food
  • This town might have a community rec center w/pool. Still a couple options of gyms.
  • Population 5k ish:
  • This town doesn’t have a hospital. It probably has 1-3 doctor’s offices. At least one department store
  • 2-3 vets, likely no emergency vet
  • 3-8 ish hotels or inns 
  • Might have a quaint but very small “down town” area
  • Likely only 2 options of schools, maybe only one high school. Possible to go to school with same people your whole life
  • 2-3 options for churches. Probably doesn’t have a synagogue unless there’s a large Jewish population 
  • There’s no shopping mall of any kind, but probably has an area where most of the businesses are - at most 2-3 intersections worth
  • Probably has a coffee shop or two, but might not. Could be a chain or a local - but probably a local.
  • There’s no bus system unless it’s near enough to a town of 15k+. People drive everywhere.
  • Most everyone lives in houses. Most if not all have yards. There might be 1-2 apartment complexes but maybe not.
  • There are a few restaurants - mix of chain and mom & pop places. Might have a nice restaurant, but only one.
  • There’s no airport.
  • There are probably 2-6 gas stations, maybe 1-2 fast food. 
  • Is it on a free way? increase the gas stations and fast food.
  • Likely does not have its own rec center/pool, but probably has 1-2 options of gyms.
  • Population under 2k ish:
  • No hospital. Probably has one doctor’s office, but might not if it’s close enough to a larger “small” town. No department stores, but probably at least one, maybe 2 decent grocery stores. Could be a local chain or a mom & pop.
  • Probably has a vet’s office, but just one. 
  • 1-2 inns/motels. If it’s an older town, it has like, a street that’s mostly made of older style buildings and is the “down town” - just a couple of blocks
  • Just one school system - elementary through high school. Everyone goes through the same school - you probably graduate with the same people you went to kindergarten with
  • 1-2 churches. Probably no synagogue
  • There is probably a generalish area where the store/post office/school/etc is, but those are probably just as surrounded by homes and yards as everything else.
  • This town probably doesn’t have a coffee shop, and if it does, it’s local, not a chain.
  • There’s no bus system unless it’s close enough to a town of 15k+. People drive.
  • There might be an apartment complex. Everything else is houses. The houses pretty much all have some kind of yard.
  • There are probably two restaurants, probably both local. Nothing fancy. 
  • No airport.
  • Probably 2ish gas stations.
  • Is it on a free way? add a gas station and a fast food restaurant.
  • There’s no rec center (unless maybe an outdoor like, field type rec center), but still likely has at least one gym.

I could keep going down but I think you get the idea. If you’re writing about an actual town, do research on its population. If you’re making up a town, think about what size you need it to be to have the things you want (or don’t want). 

If your “small town” has more than one hospital, it’s not a small town. If it’s got a population above 10k, there is definitely more than one (and likely, many) hotels. 

Is it near decent-sized water (largeish lake, ocean)? People probably have vacation homes there. That increases property value and tourism. Even if it’s not a like, nationally-known vacation spot, people within 100-200 miles could likely make weekend trips there.

Is it the largest town within 75-100 miles, even if it’s under 20k? it’s probably got more department stores and other such industry bc it’s serving a population greater than its own. if there are other towns nearby of equal-to-larger size, it might need less of those things.

#small towns#writing
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Reblogged fioredimarzoo
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vivere-est-ars

every woman on tumblr should have this on their dash

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impala-sonic-deductions

And every man

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Look how nobody’s yelling or arguing or making things into a competition. Look how this is to straight up educate people through a different perspective. Look how effective that makes the message.

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The last one really hit me. I never really thought about something like that could actually impact a woman’s life. Damn…

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akingofstars

But look at the body language! The dude shying away from the catcallers! This speaks volumes; head down, close the jacket, step out of the way. Its little things like that that most definitely point out the differences here that everybody faces

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Reblogged ravenshoard
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art is hard work, in case nobody’s told you today

Art is hard work, and it is often unreasonable to come home from your day job or your school or both and then sit down and expect yourself to be a creative font.

Art is hard work. If it’s especially hard for you today I want to remind you it’s not because you are lazy, but that art is hard work.

#food for thought
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Reblogged chellosity
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#infinity wars#infinity gauntlet#disney#shut up and take my money
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Reblogged joshpeck
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Mucad Ibrahim - 3

Abdullahi Dirie - 4

An unnamed 12 year old

Sayyad Milne - 14

Hamza Mustafa - 16

Talha Rashid - 21

Tariq Omar - 24

Ozair Kadir - 24

Ansi Alibava - 25

Syed Areeb Ahmed - 26

Ramiz Vora - 28

Farhaj Ahsan - 30

Mojammel Hoq - 30

Atta Elayyan - 33

Junaid Mortara - 35

Hussain Al-Umari - 36

Mohammed Omar Faruk - 36

Junaid Ismail - 36

Osama Adnan Abu Kwik - 37

Zeeshan Raza - 38

Kamel Darwish - 39

Haroon Mahmood - 40

Sohail Shahid - 40

Hosne Ara Parvin - 42

Syed Jahandad Ali - 43

Khaled Mustafa - 45

Mohammad Imran Khan - 47

Naeem Rashid - 50

Matiullah Safi - 55

Amjad Hamid -57

Lilik Abdul Hamid - 58

Arifbhai Mohamedali Vora - 58

Ghulam Hussain - 60s

Karam Bibi - 60s

Musa Vali Suleman Patel - 60

Abdelfattah Qasem - 60

Ashraf Ali - 61

Mohsin Al-Harbi - 63

Linda Armstrong - 65

Maheboob Khokhar - 65

Muhammed Abdusi Samad - 66

Ali Elmadani - 66

Munir Suleiman - 68

Ahmed Jamal al-Din Abdul Ghani - 68

Hussein Moustafa - 70

Abdukadir Elmi - 70

Haji-Daoud Nabi - 71

Musa Nur Awale - 77

Ashraf Al-Masri - unknown

Ashraf al-Morsi - unknown

Zakaria Bhuiyan - missing - unconfirmed

These are the names that should be on everyones dashboard right now. Not eggboy. Not the murderer. And certaintly not a Clinton.

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Thank you

#new zealand shooting#victims#rest in peace
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