Creative Chat Thread

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Antivehicular: Dec 30, 2011; I wanna sing one for the cars
That are right now headed silent down the highway
And it's dark and there is nobody driving And something has got to give

I am considering revising something and shopping it around, and the very concept is terrifying, even though the stakes cannot possibly be lower. (The piece I want to clean up is a tiny bit of flash fiction from Thunderdome that I ended up liking, but I have almost no personal investment in it beyond its being my writing, which is apparently enough to make this scary.) I'm not always sure I have the nerve to be a writer.

I also can't plot for poo poo! I keep throwing around novel ideas, and every time I get about as far as a cast and scenario, and then I have almost nothing for the action. I'm starting to understand how people spin their wheels doing worldbuilding for years upon years.

Antivehicular fucked around with this message at 03:08 on Jun 22, 2018

# ¿ Jun 22, 2018 03:05

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# ¿ May 14, 2024 21:07

Antivehicular: Dec 30, 2011; I wanna sing one for the cars
That are right now headed silent down the highway
And it's dark and there is nobody driving And something has got to give

avshalemon posted:

absolutely. economic collapse will make it easier to be an artist, not harder - not because i won't be starving (i'll be starving) but because everybody else will be starving alongside me. lawyers, truck drivers, dentists, everyone. it will remove all thoughts of a lifestyle other than art and allow me to zero down on my true purpose, drawing dicks on every monument i see

I'm just imagining the Statue of Liberty scene from Planet of the Apes, except it's covered in lovingly-rendered phalluses, and Charlton Heston is openly weeping in joy at the craftsmanship on display, a level his decadent home time could never reach

# ¿ Jul 3, 2018 15:42

Antivehicular: Dec 30, 2011; I wanna sing one for the cars
That are right now headed silent down the highway
And it's dark and there is nobody driving And something has got to give

avshalemon posted:

picture the road, but as the dying dad and his son are enjoying a can of ice cold coca cola (tm) a caravan covered in brightly coloured dicks comes bouncing over the hill

"THROW ANOTHER TURTLE ON THE FIRE, GUYS LIKE ME ARE MAD FOR TURTLE MEAT! JAZZ POLIIIIIIIIIIICE"

Well, now I know what my next Apocalypse World character is going to be

# ¿ Jul 4, 2018 04:00

Antivehicular: Dec 30, 2011; I wanna sing one for the cars
That are right now headed silent down the highway
And it's dark and there is nobody driving And something has got to give

avshalemon posted:

don't doxx my dad

# ¿ Jul 9, 2018 00:59

Antivehicular: Dec 30, 2011; I wanna sing one for the cars
That are right now headed silent down the highway
And it's dark and there is nobody driving And something has got to give

Yeah, I object to the implication that there's only one "weird part of DeviantArt"

# ¿ Jul 11, 2018 16:01

Antivehicular: Dec 30, 2011; I wanna sing one for the cars
That are right now headed silent down the highway
And it's dark and there is nobody driving And something has got to give

avshalemon posted:

i want to do thunderdome but critiquing people makes me anxious

Participants aren't required to critique! Judges are, or are at least strongly encouraged to, but you're free to abdicate judging if you're not comfortable with it (or just not sign up to judge).

# ¿ Jul 31, 2018 15:42

Antivehicular: Dec 30, 2011; I wanna sing one for the cars
That are right now headed silent down the highway
And it's dark and there is nobody driving And something has got to give

Cane toads are definitely poisonous and are infamous for fatally poisoning pets that try to eat them. They're also like six inches long and crazy fat, and Wikipedia says they're the world's biggest toads, which I believe.

Basically, cane toads are one of God's most wretched creations, and I have a certain perverse respect for them, probably because I've never been on the same continent as one.

EDIT: poo poo, wait, Wikipedia says they range as far north as south Texas? BRB, buying shotgun to protect myself from cane toads

Antivehicular fucked around with this message at 07:27 on Jan 31, 2019

# ¿ Jan 31, 2019 07:23

Antivehicular: Dec 30, 2011; I wanna sing one for the cars
That are right now headed silent down the highway
And it's dark and there is nobody driving And something has got to give

Sharpest Crayon posted:

When I was a child at the zoo with a friend, we managed to pester the adults for a sweet refreshing glass of coke (soda being a rare treat). As we enjoyed our cold drinks on a warm day, one of the seagulls prowling the area for food to steal swooped down over us and planted a poop straight into the friend's glass of coke.

It was kind of amazing, but what a dick move.

This is a power move and deserves respect

# ¿ Mar 23, 2019 06:18

Antivehicular: Dec 30, 2011; I wanna sing one for the cars
That are right now headed silent down the highway
And it's dark and there is nobody driving And something has got to give

I'm never completely sure pelicans are real. They're just... what the hell is even going on there?

# ¿ Apr 8, 2019 00:13

Antivehicular: Dec 30, 2011; I wanna sing one for the cars
That are right now headed silent down the highway
And it's dark and there is nobody driving And something has got to give

If you like roleplaying games, Chuubo's Marvelous Wish-Granting Engine has a major plot thread that amounts to "the Sun was also a person, and she was murdered by her lover; the only reason anyone is still alive is that their child survived and is now the Sun in their mother's stead, in addition to being a teenager with a lot of personal issues to work through."

# ¿ Apr 30, 2019 00:56

Antivehicular: Dec 30, 2011; I wanna sing one for the cars
That are right now headed silent down the highway
And it's dark and there is nobody driving And something has got to give

Yeah, the emphasis in Chuubo's is much more on the cultural/psychological ramifications of "the Sun just got straight-up murdered a few years ago, and everyone saw it because the whole thing played out all over the sky, so that's great," as well as the metaphysical implications that this may have changed the nature of death, but not in a zombie-type way. I suspect the Fallen London/Sunless *s lore on sun-death is closer to your idea.

# ¿ Apr 30, 2019 02:16

Antivehicular: Dec 30, 2011; I wanna sing one for the cars
That are right now headed silent down the highway
And it's dark and there is nobody driving And something has got to give

Does anyone have advice for getting out of a creative slump? I'm in one right now -- still writing a bit, but poorly -- and trying to shake the "magic's gone, you will never write well again, you're in the back half of Flowers for Algernon" feeling.

# ¿ Apr 30, 2019 22:16

Antivehicular: Dec 30, 2011; I wanna sing one for the cars
That are right now headed silent down the highway
And it's dark and there is nobody driving And something has got to give

Yeah, the critique is pretty blunt, and there's an explicit "don't discuss/argue about crits in the TD thread, take it to the Fiction Advice thread or Discord" rule, if that's potentially a problem for you.

That said, a major virtue of TD is that participating regularly will get you to just practice writing and producing things, which is valuable if you have problems with the "just stop thinking and write already" part of the process. It's good training against perfectionism, and the variety of prompts can help you stretch your muscles in different tones and genres instead of focusing on one project endlessly. If you can handle the environment, it's a really good opportunity to practice and learn.

# ¿ May 14, 2019 21:16

Antivehicular: Dec 30, 2011; I wanna sing one for the cars
That are right now headed silent down the highway
And it's dark and there is nobody driving And something has got to give

sebmojo posted:

It's a lot nicer than it used to be haha.

This is true! I still think it's worth mentioning, because I think those used to very generous compliment-sandwich-style crits will find TD style an unpleasant surprise, but it's pretty much just frank assessment of a story's faults, not hyperbole and insults. Nobody's telling anyone to drink bleach these days.

# ¿ May 14, 2019 22:47

Antivehicular: Dec 30, 2011; I wanna sing one for the cars
That are right now headed silent down the highway
And it's dark and there is nobody driving And something has got to give

readingatwork posted:

- How does TD pick judges and how long is considered a fair amount of time to get crits done by?

The current TD system is that the winner of each round is head judge for the next (unless they abdicate/don't post a prompt within 24 hours). The head judge posts the prompt and chooses the other two judges, although in practice the other judges generally just volunteer in-thread. Ideal turn-around time for crits is within a week or two, although some of us are... pretty far behind on that.

# ¿ May 24, 2019 04:06

Antivehicular: Dec 30, 2011; I wanna sing one for the cars
That are right now headed silent down the highway
And it's dark and there is nobody driving And something has got to give

I've occasionally considered starting a lighter/more newbie-friendly version of Thunderdome for more novice (or more nervous) writers, so people who don't feel ready for TD could try out the format and build skills with their peers, along with learning to take and give honest criticism. (I've basically imagined the model being suggested for Artdome, where there'd be winners/HMs but no losers/DMs, to help make people who are nervous about shameatars or being publicly called out feel more comfortable.) I'm not sure we have the population to make it work, though, especially since a long-term goal would be for participants to "graduate" to competing in TD.

# ¿ May 24, 2019 09:29

Antivehicular: Dec 30, 2011; I wanna sing one for the cars
That are right now headed silent down the highway
And it's dark and there is nobody driving And something has got to give

I'm not remotely a visual-arts person, but that thread looks sweet and I hope it goes well!

# ¿ May 25, 2019 21:12

Antivehicular: Dec 30, 2011; I wanna sing one for the cars
That are right now headed silent down the highway
And it's dark and there is nobody driving And something has got to give

Vermain posted:

Man creates art with his brain, not his hands.

This reminds me of something I've been thinking about : what are good craft options for someone with mediocre manual dexterity? I want to take up some kind of physical craft again, but I have big ham hands and tend to do badly at anything requiring really fine dexterity. (I also get frustrated easily, but that I figure I just need to get over.)

# ¿ Jul 21, 2019 23:31

Antivehicular: Dec 30, 2011; I wanna sing one for the cars
That are right now headed silent down the highway
And it's dark and there is nobody driving And something has got to give

"What do you do?" is probably just intended as a friendly invitation to talk about your work, not actually complete ignorance, but I agree that your current presentation is a bit confusing. Even looking at your Instagram page, I'm not exactly sure what your focus is or how I'm intended to interact with it as a consumer.

# ¿ Aug 2, 2019 23:05

Antivehicular: Dec 30, 2011; I wanna sing one for the cars
That are right now headed silent down the highway
And it's dark and there is nobody driving And something has got to give

Yeah, I'm also in the "am I depressed because I'm crappy at creative stuff right now, or vice versa?" hole right now. Sucks a lot.

I'd be interested in a "let's learn/write poetry" thread; I haven't written any in years, so I'm rusty and probably also bad at it, but sometimes you have to learn by doing.

# ¿ Nov 12, 2019 23:29

Antivehicular: Dec 30, 2011; I wanna sing one for the cars
That are right now headed silent down the highway
And it's dark and there is nobody driving And something has got to give

I wrote a poem! I'm still freaking out a little about having used 6-syllable lines in a haiku, and in general I feel dumb about how accomplished I feel for writing all of nine lines of poetry, but I haven't done poetry in years and it's a nice feeling.

# ¿ Nov 21, 2019 00:01

Antivehicular: Dec 30, 2011; I wanna sing one for the cars
That are right now headed silent down the highway
And it's dark and there is nobody driving And something has got to give

Apologies in advance if this post comes off as self-pitying, but: what do people here do to push through creative plateaus?

For the past few months or so, I feel like my writing has been kind of stuck. Not in a writer's-block sense -- I can get ideas and write them -- but in the sense that things don't feel very inspired, and the final product is just kind of... okay. Writing isn't miserable or anything, but the experience and product just feel workmanlike, and it's discouraging to think that I'm just barfing out Okay Words and not writing anything of real value. I know the answer is probably that I'm just on a plateau at the moment and need to keep writing and pushing through it, but I'd appreciate some advice.

# ¿ Nov 26, 2019 09:14

Antivehicular: Dec 30, 2011; I wanna sing one for the cars
That are right now headed silent down the highway
And it's dark and there is nobody driving And something has got to give

Exmond posted:

I'm pretty sure you dislike me, but here are some words that I hope will help:

It sounds like you are stuck in a rut. I think writers live off of appreciation and hardship, so mix it up. I like SebMojo's idea, get drunk, write a crazy story just for your drunk friends. They will give you a different kind of appreciation.

You could also go down the hardship route, and aim to get published or get an award. I find it focuses me and makes the writing process more enjoyable but also opens up my mind on the difficulties in writing other fiction, which in turn makes me appreciate the writing process even more.

Personally, I think you are an amazing writer, and that you should be published if you aren't already.

Alternatively, if you are looking for inspiration, I would suggest going to either real-life writers meet up, and discussing your work, or expanding your learning opportunities: take classes, go to conferences, network.

If you want, you could also become a slush reader. That is a lot of work, but you can be a meaningful cog in the publication process, and you appreciate what goes into writing a story.

Finally, and the best thing I can recommend is to read your favorite story again. Turn off the critic, turn off whatever little nagging voice is in your head, and enjoy reading. Enjoy this moment, treasure it, and realize that your stories too, will bring that same moment to others.

I appreciate the advice. I've had a hard time working up the nerve to actually send things out, but I've been thinking of polishing* an old TD piece and shopping it around, so maybe I'll give that a shot.

* Gutting the clumsy central metaphor and rebuilding the rest, really, but "polishing" sounds nicer.

# ¿ Nov 26, 2019 23:51

Antivehicular: Dec 30, 2011; I wanna sing one for the cars
That are right now headed silent down the highway
And it's dark and there is nobody driving And something has got to give

Yeah, that sounds really great. However you feel about scented candles, you're helping that woman get her art out there to people who will appreciate and use it, as well as get her the funds to continue working. That's a really good thing you've done for her and for all the other artists you're helping.

# ¿ Dec 15, 2019 05:56

Antivehicular: Dec 30, 2011; I wanna sing one for the cars
That are right now headed silent down the highway
And it's dark and there is nobody driving And something has got to give

Yeah, with multiple readers, you're looking for trends. If one reader hates or is confused by something, you can think about it, but it may just be their taste; if a lot of your readers hate it or are confused by it, it probably needs to be fixed. Don't take every piece of advice, but look at what's working or isn't working for the group more broadly.

# ¿ Dec 17, 2019 04:45

Antivehicular: Dec 30, 2011; I wanna sing one for the cars
That are right now headed silent down the highway
And it's dark and there is nobody driving And something has got to give

I think I had an Usborne cartooning book as a kid? Don't remember the title, unfort, and I'm phone-posting, but it might be worth a look.

# ¿ Jan 7, 2020 05:44

Antivehicular: Dec 30, 2011; I wanna sing one for the cars
That are right now headed silent down the highway
And it's dark and there is nobody driving And something has got to give

That's lovely work! I agree that the coloring is really great.

# ¿ Feb 4, 2020 11:23

Antivehicular: Dec 30, 2011; I wanna sing one for the cars
That are right now headed silent down the highway
And it's dark and there is nobody driving And something has got to give

I submitted a story to a magazine for the first time. The stakes couldn't be lower -- it's a 250-word flash piece for an online zine that doesn't pay -- but I'm still insanely nervous!

# ¿ Feb 28, 2020 22:36

Antivehicular: Dec 30, 2011; I wanna sing one for the cars
That are right now headed silent down the highway
And it's dark and there is nobody driving And something has got to give

Chokes McGee posted:

I'm attempting to start an Etsy shop for weaving, and the SA ad I bought is probably the biggest driver of traffic, plus it got me a sale. Therefore, I have concluded more saturation/exposure is very good. Does anyone know if it's okay to advertise Etsy shops on SA-Mart? I've seen several offsite threads but nothing specifically Etsy related. (Refraining from dropping the link here, I don't want to violate forum rules plus I'm very sensitive to criticism )

In other news it's really neat to sell my hobby to people I don't know and I hope I do more of it in the future

I've definitely seen SA-Mart threads connected to Etsy stores! I think you'll be fine.

# ¿ Apr 30, 2020 06:56

Antivehicular: Dec 30, 2011; I wanna sing one for the cars
That are right now headed silent down the highway
And it's dark and there is nobody driving And something has got to give

I definitely want to know more about your terrarium builds! That's 100% art and 100% awesome.

# ¿ Aug 15, 2020 01:40

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# ¿ May 14, 2024 21:07

Antivehicular: Dec 30, 2011; I wanna sing one for the cars
That are right now headed silent down the highway
And it's dark and there is nobody driving And something has got to give

Collage owns; please post a thread

# ¿ Nov 24, 2021 22:37

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