shes_awesome | Member Posts

I’ve been diligently chipping away at gathering fics to rec this December, but hey, maybe more folks want to join in? And they’d need some time to prepare as well. So

rec_cember is now a thing. Hopefully having a bit of a community around it can encourage more people to join in. Maybe have a weekly check in post during the month as well. I am pondering and scheming and whatnot.

Come hang?

Current Music: Florence + The Machine - You Can Have It All

ysabetwordsmith

The Most Powerful Type of Worldbuilding by Curious Archive

I rarely link YouTube videos anymore, but this one had some good observations about "moldy worldbuilding" and how it shows the passage of time. So I'll throw out some ideas based on that.

( Read more... )

Current Mood: busy

fayanora

Came across this video about a post claiming there were no female authors before J. K. Rowling, and the resulting thread providing SO many examples of how wrong that claim is. Like to the point that science fiction, fantasy, and novels in general wouldn't exist without female authors. Also, a female author started the trend of letting children have books that are more than stories to convey morals.

My contribution to the comments:

Rowling wasn't even the first female author to write a series about a young child going to a school of witchcraft with an eccentric headmaster and a stern and irascible potions teacher, featuring a horrible, blond, wealthy, stuck-up antagonist student as the protagonist's foil.

She basically plagiarized "The Worst Witch" series by Jill Murphy, gender-bent a bunch of the most prominent characters (Miss Cackle into Dumbledore, Miss Hardbroom into Severus Snape, Ethel Hallow into Draco Malfoy, and Mildred Hubble into Neville Longbottom), turned the original protagonist Mildred Hubble (gender-bent) into a side character, and spliced in a plot about wizard Nazis while replacing the much more interesting Mildred Hubble with a British children's fiction cliche character of "the poor unlucky orphan." All while being racist, transphobic, whatever you call being racist against the Irish, antisemitic, ultimately making the statement of "slavery is actually good mmkay," and being a bad writer with plot holes you could pilot a 747 through with plenty of room to spare.

glinda

So my revised target for writing this year has been to start each new month with more words than I finished that month the previous year with. Largely due to the fic part of my writing brain having unlocked itself back in July I have been solidly making that target since then. This month however was always going to be a challenge because, well, last November I wrote nearly 13,000 words. However, while I did not come anywhere close to that I will be starting November with 6000 words more than I started last November with - which given that my monthly target is around 6300 words, feels true to target.

33609 / 75000 (44.81%)

Once again I'll be doing

mini_wrimo with a target of 250 words a day. (Signups are still open if you're doing a writing challenge this month and think it might be useful.) I'm also doing Nablopomo as usual, so between here, my film blog and my food blog I'm planning to blog every day. (We'll see!) I'm giving myself an overall target for this month of 10,000 words with a stretch goal of 15,000. Given that according to my spreadsheet my daily target for this month is 333 words a day (which has a pleasing ring to it) I should really have signed up for that, but that would require me remembering to put the figures in the spreadsheet before signing up and I did not do that. Also I know from experience that 250 words is sustainable over the month so why set myself up to fail?

385 / 10000 (3.85%)

Also, I am now on holiday from work for a fortnight. I very much need it. *basks*

Current Mood: determined

ysabetwordsmith

New study: Viewing art in galleries 'immediately' reduces cortisol levels, boosts health

“Our unique and original study provides compelling evidence that viewing art in a gallery is ‘good for you’ and helps to further our understanding of its fundamental benefits,” Dr. Tony Woods, the study’s senior author, said.

“In essence, art doesn’t just move us emotionally — it calms the body too.”

More specifically, cortisol levels — a key stress hormone in the human body — fell by an average of 22% in the gallery group, compared to just 8% in the control group.

( Read more... )

Current Mood: busy

ysabetwordsmith

Today is cloudy and cool.

I fed the birds. I've seen a few sparrows and house finches.

I put out water for the birds.

EDIT 11/1/25 -- I trimmed weeds from the daffodil bed.

EDIT 11/1/25 -- I spread the first bag of composted manure on the daffodil bed. It covered the far side and half the center.

EDIT 11/1/25 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.

EDIT 11/1/25 -- I spread the second bag of composted manure on the daffodil bed. So that's done, aside from raking up a pile of leaves to create the mulch cover for it. This concludes today's yardwork target. \o/

EDIT 11/1/25 -- I started trimming weeds from the tulip bed.

I am done for the night.

Current Mood: busy

sarcasticsra

( You're about to view content that the journal owner has advised should be viewed with discretion. )

purplecat

Head and shoulders photo of Christopher Eccleston. His head is shaven. He's grinning. He's wearing a black casual top.

ysabetwordsmith

Here is my card for the Fairy Tales and Fantasy Stories Bingo over in

allbingo. The fest runs from November 1-30. (See all my 2025 bingo cards.)

If you'd like to sponsor a particular square, especially if you have an idea for what character, series, or situation it would fit -- talk to me and we'll work something out. I've had a few requests for this and the results have been awesome so far. This is a good opportunity for those of you with favorites that don't always mesh well with the themes of my monthly projects. I may still post some of the fills for free, because I'm using this to attract new readers; but if it brings in money, that means I can do more of it. That's part of why I'm crossing some of the bingo prompts with other projects, such as the Poetry Fishbowl.

Underlined prompts have been filled.

FAIRY TALES BINGO CARD

Pixie	The Nightingale	The deeds of ordinary folks keep the darkness at bay. Small acts of kindness and love.	Vision	Castle
Glory	Hero	Elves	Journey	Enchanted
Music	Very little worth knowing is taught by fear.	WILD CARD	Golden Hair	Fairies
Fairy Ring	Solitude	Shadow	The Dark Tower	Twilight
Golem	Trickster	Once Upon a Time	I didn't want power. All I wanted was control. Over my life.	Magical Power

Current Mood: busy

ysabetwordsmith

People have expressed interest in deep topics, so this list focuses on philosophical questions.

How would the world change if there was an accurate measure of aptitude?

Little if any. Some types of aptitude can be tested pretty well. People often choose not to act on them. In fact, people often prefer the less accurate ones.

Current Mood: busy

scaramouche

I've made my way through two different versions of this post before discarding most of the content and starting over. What happened was, I finished watching Crime Scene Zero, had mostly negative reactions and wrote that up, then started rewatching Crime Scene from season 1 and realized that hey, season 1 was not that great either so my feelings must be biased due to nostalgia goggles, but then I went through my favourites of season 2 and recalibrated again so here we are.

My most recent simplified conclusion is that Crime Scene Zero was fine overall, as I really enjoyed two episodes, was mostly positive on one, and didn't like two. (For reasons to get into shortly.) This seemed like a bad ratio until I rewatched bits of seasons 1 and 2, and realized that because those seasons had 10 and 13 cases each, compared to Zero's 5 cases, they FELT better because there were more cases I enjoyed, when the actual ratio of % per season enjoyed is similar to Returns and Zero.

Important to note that BOOOOOO, Hong Jin-ho didn't come back AT ALL, for either Return or Zero. He was an original cast member! Jin-ho, why! He probably has reasons, but I am still sad. But to my surprise, he has been in multiple episodes of Running Man, which I stopped watching ages ago, so maybe I'll.... find those..... maybe. I would've thought that Running Man isn't his style, but what do I know about the vagaries of reality TV celebs.

( Haha I got thoughts. )

Current Mood: calm
Current Music: EXID - Ah Yeah

jjhunter

One Big Beautiful BS -
that the sludge of the past could ever be forever burned without consequence

Whose bones are they breaking today
drilling out the marrow of our good earth
emptying out communities to collapse in upon themselves?

perhaps they expect neighbors will be eating neighbors the very next day
all these hoarders so eager to end good governance by the people, for the people

( boys in masks waving guns )

___
Last edited: 01Nov25

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

ysabetwordsmith

Tonight we held our Samhain ritual, with a theme of Hekate. It rained a few days ago so we were able to light the bonfire. \o/ We had a really good time.

Current Mood: busy

ysabetwordsmith

Famous witch Patricia Crowther has crossed over.

And there is much rejoicing in the Summerland!

( Read more... )

Current Mood: pensive

ysabetwordsmith

Today is mostly sunny and mild.

I fed the birds. I've seen a mixed flock of sparrows and house finches. They drained the hopper feeder.

I put out water for the birds.

EDIT 10/31/25 -- I did a bit of work around the patio.

EDIT 10/31/25 -- I did more work around the patio.

EDIT 10/31/25 -- I did more work around the patio.

EDIT 10/31/25 -- We set up for our Samhain ritual.

A great horned owl is hoo-hooing outside. :D

I am done for the night.

Current Mood: busy

fayanora

Something that'll never get old for me is discoveries that highlight my tendency to accidentally stumble into something far more clever than I could consciously manage. That is, plot points or names or whatever else in the story that would make the reader think I'm extremely clever at writing, but it was a complete accident.

Today's example: I have a character who is a serial killer / hitman, but he is very charming and funny, and unlike most serial killers he doesn't kill women or children. His name is Orcus Oberst. Now, the Orcus part was intentional, Orcus being a god of the underworld and punisher of broken oaths, in Etruscan and Roman mythology. (Something that becomes a bit ironic at one point in the story.) But I have no idea where I came up with the surname Oberst. It just came to me, the way so many names and new words do, and I kept it because it sounded cool.

While watching a video by YouTuber "Quinn's Ideas" about vampires in science fiction, one of the blurbs of a book caught my attention. He had said "oberst." I looked up the word, which I had never thought to do before after giving Orcus his surname, and apparently it's a German military title. The context of this discovery was somebody running from a Nazi officer.

So the only issue with this is that Orcus absolutely hates fascists. And since "Orcus Oberst" is not his given name, I doubt he would choose a surname that he knew had connections to fascists. Though it is apparently an old title dating back into the feudal era, it's not exclusive to Germany, and does occur as a surname IRL.

So yeah, both his given name and his surname warn you he's dangerous, and only the given name was intentional on my part. Since my dad is a big WW2 history buff, I wonder if I heard the word from him at some point and my subconscious supplied the term as a surname when I was naming Orcus.

ysabetwordsmith

I saw this line elsenet and thought it would be fun to share here:

What day does the Christmas season begin?

( Read more... )

Current Mood: busy

beatrice_otter

For the

rarepairexchange I received a lovely Still Star-Crossed fic (that had good worldbuilding, good characterization, and excellent research backing it up):

you and you are heart in heart (2,289 words). Even now, two months after Paris’ defeat outside the walls of Verona, unrest still fermented. The peace treaty which had once hinged on Benvolio’s execution now hinged on Benvolio and Rosaline’s wedding.

And there was a lot of other good fic that you should check out. Here are some I liked:

Taking Chances Together (1254 words)
Fandom: Star Trek: The Original Series
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Spock/Nyota Uhura
Additional Tags: post s2e1 Amok Time, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence
Summary:

A musical collaboration turns into more...

In Splendid Sunshine Dressed (1868 words
Fandom: Casablanca (1942)
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Characters: Rick Blaine, Victor Laszlo (Casablanca), Ilsa Lund
Additional Tags: Post-Canon, Getting Together
Summary:

Rick is invited back into Ilsa's life... but what about her husband?

Here's to We (1233 words)
Fandom: MASH (TV)
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Lorraine Anderson/Margaret "Hot Lips" Houlihan
Additional Tags: Slice of Life, Friends to Lovers, Character Study, Epistolary, Margaret Backstory Typical Implied/Referenced Sexual Harassment, Episode Tag: s06e21 Temporary Duty, Episode Tag: s07e19 Hot Lips is Back In Town, 12x100
Summary:

Snapshots of Margaret and Lorraine's relationship from 1932-1952: growing up, growing apart, and finding their way back.

I Prayed For You (2445 words)
Fandom: MASH (TV)
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: B. J. Hunnicutt/Father Francis Mulcahy
Additional Tags: Developing Relationship
Summary:

Francis gave something away in hopes of comfort. BJ held that comfort close, even in the late hours.

Or Father Mulchay's trip takes a bit longer than predicted, long enough for some reflection on something developing. (For the 2025 RarePair Exchange!)

How the Halcyon Song Lingers (1348 words)
Fandom: Little Women (2019 Movie - Gerwig)
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Theodore "Laurie" Laurence/Amy March
Additional Tags: Post-Canon, Parenthood, Married Life, Fall Vibes, Domestic Fluff
Summary:

A glimpse of family life with the Laurences, as Amy and Laurie go for an autumn stroll with little Bess.

Heart's Got Everything to Do With It (6700 words)
Fandom: Tin Man (US TV 2007)
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Wyatt Cain/DG
Characters: DG (Tin Man), Wyatt Cain, Azkadellia (Tin Man), Jeb Cain
Additional Tags: Post-Canon, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, First Kiss, Queen DG
Summary:

It was like the Quest had never ended at all; DG had just run out of signposts to follow. Well, except maybe one....

Heart Murmur (2856 words)
Fandom: MASH (TV)
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Margaret "Hot Lips" Houlihan/Benjamin Franklin "Hawkeye" Pierce
Additional Tags: Post-Canon, Reunions, Cunnilingus, Hawkeye Pierce's canonical ED
Summary:

The woman who took the stage was a brunette, fading peroxide-blonde tips neatly tucked into a bun and graying at the temples. She looked better in a pantsuit than she ever had in fatigues, and she’d looked damn good in fatigues. Someone in the crowd wolf-whistled. She tapped her note cards to the podium with a glare that could jump start spontaneous combustion.

Margaret looked the same as ever, even brunette—like she was fully prepared to crush a man into dust for seeing her as less than she was.

The Broadwood Grand (4827 words)
Fandom: Sense and Sensibility - Jane Austen
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Colonel Brandon/Marianne Dashwood (Sense and Sensibility)
Additional Tags: Tags Contain Spoilers, Romance, Fluff, Marriage Proposal, Friendship/Love, Romantic Friendship, Love Confessions, Falling In Love, Piano, Family Fluff, POV Third Person Limited, Requited Love, Requited Unrequited Love, Present Tense, Regency Romance, Inspired by Jane Austen, Inspired by Music, Happy Ending, Extended Scene, Canon Compliant
Summary:

Marianne Dashwood’s heart is an ocean, deep and vast and rich with life. He has seen it shimmer with the sunlight of affection, roil with the storms of heartbreak, and reel into the calmness of acceptance; but the breeze will blow when it chooses to blow, and Brandon—ever ready with his sails—would wait forever for good winds.

One Kiss is All it Takes (1470 words)
Fandom: Star Wars Original Trilogy
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Lando Calrissian/Luke Skywalker
Additional Tags: Getting Together, First Kiss, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Post-Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back, Luke Skywalker Needs A Hug
Summary:

After what happened on Bespin, Lando visits Luke in the infirmary.

ysabetwordsmith

libraries as resistance

In a system that wants to dismantle education and undermine critical thought, libraries become sanctuaries of truth, radical hope, and quiet rebellion.

Generously stocked, freely accessible, public libraries are ideal.

However, if the government destroys them, we have another option: private libraries run by actual bookworms. A library can be stocked quite cheaply with used books, hence the Little Free Library movement and swap shelves. But if you have or can afford to rent or buy space in a building, then you can provide a bigger collection. A private library is not at the mercy of the government, and you are free to do things like ban censorship.

Current Mood: busy

ysabetwordsmith

Scientists discover a stunning new golden-tongued lizard in China

A new species of mountain lizard, Diploderma bifluviale, has been discovered in the upper Dadu River Valley of China. Its distinct traits and isolated habitat highlight the hidden biodiversity of the Hengduan Mountains.

Current Mood: busy

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She's Awesome

Member Posts

Do love me some recs.

Worldbuilding

Rowling's die-hard fans are fucking stupid

How is it November Already?

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'cause I've already tried being the good guy - 2025 Nate Ford ficmix

Random Doctor Who Picture

Fairy Tales and Fantasy Stories Bingo Card 11-1-25

Philosophical Questions: Accuracy

Crime Scene Zero

Poem: "One Big Beautiful BS"

Samhain

Moment of Silence: Patricia Crowther

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