Jenson, Looking Away Because He’s Been That Person Before, Deeply In A Mutual Understanding Relationship

For your anonymous' information, The Borgia happens around 40 years later than the events at the start of Medici (namely, Cosimo is elected in the early 1930s, while Alexander VI is elected pope in 1492).

have you ever seen the borgias?? i was just wondering bc you're talking about medici and they're like set around the same time and have similar aesthetics

I did start watching it years ago but it didn’t hold my interest :/ Maybe if I give it a second try it would! 

Ha, I just sent @evilpixiea an ask about Rebirth, and came back to read this.

My problem is, I actually like New 52 Supes, but finding answers is not so easy! Haha how in the world did he go from leaping to flying??

I know he’s dead now.. but I liked it.

I’m gonna start into rebirth in 2018... does anyone even remember him?

Hi! I just finished reading the fourth part of your omegaverse series on ao3. It was soooooo good. Your characterizations are really realistic and I love the way you write. I've never been into the DCU fandom before, but after reading your fic, I've been sucked in! I'm not really sure where to start because there's so much. Could you possibly point me in a direction?

You have a few options.

First… comics.

If you’re looking for Batman a good beginner-friendly place to start would be Scott Snyder’s work on the New 52. It starts with Batman: The Court of Owls and continues with some other really good stories after that. You can buy it in trade paperback from any good comic book store or online. Also in the New 52 and by Scott Snyder is Superman: Unchained which is, likewise, a good comic for people just getting to know the universe and the characters.

In fact, while there is a lot of criticism of the New 52 one thing it did do well was make the universe accessible to new readers. I would also recommend Geoff John’s Aquaman and Brian Azzarello’s Wonder Woman (if you’re a fan of Greek Myth) from the New 52. Green Lantern was also amazing but might not be a great place for beginners.

A lot of Superbat fans started shipping with the Superman/Batman series by Jeph Loeb which I personally am not hugely into but because so many people in this fandom are I would still recommend it.

Stepping back a bit I also enjoyed the 90s Nightwing Series by Chuck Dixon and back even further the New Teen Titans by Marv Wolfman is absolute gold once you get over the way comics were written in the 80s.

There are a lot better comics than that but I am trying to think of stuff which inspired my writing which would be good for someone starting out.

If, though, you would rather not do comics there are other options.

Like the animated series and movies.

This is probably a good way to jump into the bat family as they have some simplified versions of famous bat stories. The best in my opinion is Batman: Under the Red Hood.

There is also a whole chain of movies with Bruce and Damian. I personally am on the fence about them as they are VERY simplified but they’re actually a pretty good place to start if you’re a bit confused as to how Damian fits into everything.

If you’re getting bored of movies and want something longer then the Justice League Animated Series is the place to be. That for me was really where I fell in love with the universe ad with Clark and Bruce. Yes, it’s a kid’s show, but I would highly recommend. It is also a really good place just to get to know other members of the DCU. The series eventually evolves into Justice League Unlimited which has a really diverse cast of characters… but it starts slow with just seven iconic heroes.

Finally you can always just read more fanfic.

Here are some of my favourite DC fanfic writers:

FabulaRasa

Skalidra

Mithen

BuckinghamAlice

ohmcgee

Plus there are heaps of others out there that I either can’t remember, can’t find, or haven’t discovered. If you hunt around I am sure you’ll be able to find some cool rec lists to hit up.

Otherwise, I am really glad you liked my work and thanks so much for leaving such a lovely message. It’s always a treat to come back from work to see another pair of thumb up aimed in my direction. <3

Writing Exercises for Stretching Your Style Muscles

There’s a lot of writing advice on the internet, and a lot of writing prompts, but something I see relatively little of is an idea of how to actually practice. 

The thing about learning a skill is that it requires practice – but practicing will only get you so far if you’re just doing the same thing over and over. you might get better at doing that specific thing, but it can seem really difficult to get over a specific hurdle to accomplish some new thing you’ve never tried. I think a really common frustration is wanting to do a thing, and knowing what your end goal looks like, but not knowing actually how to accomplish it. 

So that’s where practicing specific skills can really help you to feel more comfortable with your abilities. 

Here are some skills exercises I recommend experimenting with to gain proficiency and comfort in writing things. 

—–

Write the Same Scene from Multiple POVs 

Write a scene in 3rd person POV. Then go back and rewrite it from scratch in 1st person. Repeat for a 3rd person omniscient. Go deeper than just swapping out pronouns. Think: How does this scene change if I’m writing through the eyes of a single character vs over their shoulder? How does this scene change if I’m narrating the events through Character B instead of Character A? 

—-

Write a Scene in Present Tense

Present tense bumps up the immediacy level of whatever you’re writing. I think it also helps to break you from more passive sentence constructions. Try taking a scene you’ve written and rewrite it in present tense. Combine it with the above – try switching a 3rd person past to 1st person present, or even try writing in 2nd person. 

—–

Try Mimicking Another Writer’s Style 

Sit down with a piece of writing from an author you enjoy, and pay attention to the writing itself. Ignore the plot and characters and story elements – look at just the nuts and bolts of vocabulary choices and sentence construction. Try to pick it apart. Is there a specific way the author tends to use commas? Certain words, or types of words, that they use more often? Longer sentences or shorter ones? Longer paragraphs or short? How is white space handled? 

Study that and make yourself a little cheat sheet if that’s helpful to you. Then try writing a short piece – just a couple paragraphs, even – in their writing style. 

—-

Describe an Entire Scene Without Using Visual Description 

Imagine you’re writing a blind character, if it helps, or someone who’s been blindfolded. Describe a whole scene built entirely around the way things sound, smell, taste, feel. Try to make it clear what’s happening through description alone. 

—–

Eliminate All Words like “Thought” or “Felt” 

Write in deep-3rd or 1st person without any filter words. Make a character’s opinions and emotions obvious through the way things are being described without explicitly saying what they’re thinking or feeling. If you struggle with this, it might be easier to start in first person – write as a diary entry or even a Tumblr post from that person’s perspective – and then try it in 3rd person after you’ve had a bit of practice. 

——-

Set Yourself a Specific Goal, and Write a Drabble to Achieve it 

When I wrote “Happy Ending,” my entire goal was to write something that was highly descriptive in the most viscerally gross way possible. When I wrote “Mothman,” it was an exercise in writing something sexualized without explicitly being sexual, in the most disturbing way possible. 

This is an exercise in word choice. It’s an excuse to bust out your thesaurus, not to sound fancy, but to nail a specific meaning. It’s also an exercise in choosing what details to focus on and which to exclude. 

One way to approach this exercise is to describe something common and mundane that you’ve experienced, and write it in several different ways. Let’s say, eating a sandwich. How can you make eating a sandwich sound sexy? How can you make it sound disgusting? Which details do you focus on, and which do you omit? What words do you use to evoke the meaning you’re looking for? 

—————————————————————

I hope these writing exercises give you some inspiration on things to try out to flex your creative wings a bit! 

Saezuru Tori wa Habatakanai

I have just heard from my local Manga store that they have received my copies of volume 1 and 2 of Saezuru Tori wa Habatakanai (Twittering Birds Never Fly) in French translation! I must admit I have always preferred French over English translation, but had almost accepted that I would have to purchase the English translation as Taifu Comics (French translating house) have no distributor in Canada - or rather, a very quaint one. However, my patience has been rewarded and I will now own my very own copy of this masterpiece.

Ms Yoneda Kou truly has my admiration for a more realistic style, amazingly clean lines, and very realistic characterization.

A man who truly thinks and acts as a man will always have my preference. And not every story should start as non-consensual sex.

I feel like I’ve discovered the best thing, learned that it’s been going on for 4 years (albeit more) and it’s stopping before I get to understand it.

Wait. This is exactly what happened

BAHRAIN 2022 | Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz celebrating their 1-2 with Lewis Hamilton on the podium.

Carlos is pissed, but not at Charles

Charles has been demoted form “Leclerc” to “the Ferrari”

The proper podium celebration Nico 100% needed. SPRAY THAT MAN IN THE FACE YES BABY

Okay so first I was trying to see Gabi in that pool of people, couldn’t, and then I see this, see the way Nico is pulled almost possessively and kissed and wait is that Gabi?!? And went speechless.. 😶 .. thank you Gabi!!

@evilpixiea

I read this yesterday just before heading to the gym, and I wasn’t going to write anything and leave the ideas to my head, but then it stuck the whole time at the gym and still this morning... so here it very humbly is:

All I thought when I read this ask is: “Mana-sama.” Now few will know who Mana-sama is, but he is an important influencer in the early visual kei Japanese rock movement.

Not that The Trinity should dwell into androgynous visual Kei, but Mana-sama was the co-leader of his group, Malize Mizer, despite never speaking in public. In interviews, he would occasionally whisper to the ear of his lead vocalist who would then speak out his words, or more often than not, simply blink or tilt his head. Actually, he was awarded for many years the “best nails of Japan” award and his acceptance speech essentially consisted of him looking cold and giving looks to his interpreter, who would then speak his words.

So that’s how imagine The Batman in The Trinity band: the cold leader who never speaks in public. Occasionally smirks.

But physically, The Batman would obviously not be the originator of the Gothic Lolita. There, I imagine more the like of Toshiya, the bassist of the Jrock band Dir en Grey.

Cold, beautiful, angular and dark bassist of The Trinity. Dressed perfectly (see below) and dark makeup around the eyes. Astonishingly beautiful, but darkly so.

Clark would rather be the lead vocalist, perhaps occasionally dwelling in electric, or even more rarely, acoustic guitar. Bright, energetic, and oh so loved by the limelight. He is not the leader, not even the co-leader. But he speaks all the time to the press and he’s really who you have to ask if you actually want an answer.

(To be honest, maaaaybe a part of Gackt’s new, current persona matches Clark... but for the purpose of this post, since I am apparently on a visual kei reference mood, Gackt would fit the more masculine good looking lead vocalist type for sure)

And Diana? She’s at the drums of course! Beautiful, strong, powerful behind that elaborate piece of instrument. Her dark hair is all loose, curls flying around her face, held back by her golden tiara (what is it called, anyway?) while she executes that solo to perfection. She occasionally lends her voice to the lead vocalist, but mostly it’s all about how her arms move around creating those strong percussion sounds, muscle taunt, golden bands on them and at her wrists catching in the light. She’s also the co-leader. And in interview? Sometimes you’ll get a word out of her, and it’ll be strong and phylosophical, and probably too deep for most fans, who will love to analyze all she says post priori.

(I don’t know whose gif to add for this one.. sorry. EDIT: added a visual.. it’s probably a guy but.. heh. It’s visual kei. Meaning it is probably meant to look like a girl anyway)

If the trinity were a band, who would be the drummer, lead singer, and guitar/bass player? (Also, side thing that Bruce and Clark come off as players but are really hiding a secret relationship) (side-side thing that Diana's the only one who knows about it)

Haha! This ask made me so happy because… can you imagine the Trinity as a band? Seriously. They’re the most un-band-y people you will ever meet. The broody silent type that doesn’t like to be in the spotlight, the ultimate ‘dad’, and a warrior woman who (while a lover of music) is more of a wild dancer than anything else.

If they did somehow organise and take to the stage it would be a thing of… well… not quite beauty.

Especially as they enjoy very different music. Diana we know from the comics likes rock and roll. So she’s up there attacking her electric guitar like it’s strings are the strings of her bow.

Beside her Clark is trying for something slow and country on his normal guitar.

And there, pushed to the front with a I-don’t-want-to-be-here look on his face is Bruce… who can sing. He can sing well and will if he really has to. But, by god, he never thought he would be on stage let alone between these two manics.

Meanwhile the charities that convinced the Justice League to put forward and act look on in horror…

Still, no matter how bad the trio are they book out the venue every time they get on stage and donate all the money to charity. So no one can really complain that much.

I’m sorry, WHAT?!? This is GORGEOUS

Zhou Guanyu for CN Harper’s Bazaar 2025

Interview Translation

I finally had some time to translate the Yoneda Kou interview in the March issue of the magazine “Da Vinci” that came out last month. The issue focuses on introducing BL manga to male readers, and includes interviews with some other BL mangaka like Harada, Takarai Rihito, and Kumota Haruko as well.

Yoneda Kou – Her realistic portrayals of men receive attention even outside the genre of BL

“Saezuru tori wa habatakanai” is a BL manga about the lives of men on the dark side of society. Despite its genre and graphic sex scenes the series has an exceptional number of male supporters as well. Why is that? We’ve asked the author Yoneda Kou who recently started serializing another series called “OP – The Colorless Days of Yoake Itaru” in the seinen magazine “Evening”.

The setting is a well-known criminal organization, the Japanese Yakuza. In Saezuru tori wa habatakanai which tells the story of the shrewd wakagashira Yashiro and the ex-cop Doumeki who becomes his personal assistant / bodyguard, Yoneda Kou creates a dense picture of a male-dominated world wavering between chivalry and jealousy, conspiracies and sexual desire. Not only is the series immensely popular among BL readers, it also receives favorable ratings from outside the genre, having won prizes like the FRaU Manga Award and the SUGOI JAPAN Award. Even the author herself never expected such a response from Non-BL readers when she first started serializing her work. »It feels very odd to me, since I’m drawing with the intention of creating a straightforward BL story. Given Yashiro’s characterization as lewd and masochistic, I first thought that my manga wouldn’t even appeal to many BL readers. That’s why I simply feel happy that someone would go so far as recommend it to others.«

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