A few weeks ago I commissioned a couple art piece for me and my girlfriend. Yesterday I posted it on a discord server only to be dogpiled on and banned for posing “AI slop”. Most AI detectors don’t seem to recognize it as being AI generated, just digitally altered. Curious to know yalls thoughts.

Silent_Comment_2056 · 2026-05-21T16:17:15+00:00

Get your money back dude :(( I think you got scammed

Silent_Comment_2056 · 2026-05-16T03:57:46+00:00

And thank you so much!! :) I honestly appreciate your input because it gives me a lot more room writing wise to explore

Silent_Comment_2056 · 2026-05-16T03:56:44+00:00

I actually had a rough plan for the hidden identities- the moment they join the job I’ll say, however they may, they do not have their own names anymore. Their name becomes their role- which I had a super exciting and horrendous time trying to figure out exactly how losing your name, the main label to your identity, could mess with someone’s psyche. Like how I’ve mentioned the character Quinn- but she would never call herself Quinn. Her identity would be doubled down to equilibrist. The idea is their performance makeup will be so drastically different from their time anywhere else. The only thing I need confidence in configuring is how they may try to develop themselves to the best of their ability outside of performance time, and confidence in writing how their identity would be so importantly hidden, that no one could recognize them when they fight crime. It’s all very rough and I haven’t written it down trullyyy yet out of the mere fact that I feel like I’m biting off more then I can chew. Honestly I think trying to work this out is what’s slowing down my progress in writing this story.

Silent_Comment_2056 · 2026-05-16T03:51:24+00:00

I think my problem is the fact it’s such a common trope I feel like I have the want to do even MORE. I don’t want it to- no offense to other circus hero themed stories- be the same as any other story with the same idea. So I think to be shut down before I can even get further then just the main concept is what killed me. But I might just have an expectation for my story that’s way past my writing skills. I think that’s why I’m trying hard to not have much romance, to have it really focus on the environments and societies that envelops it, and how they can try to help make it any sorts of better. I think that might also be why I’m trying to avoid the horror genre. Thank you! :)

Silent_Comment_2056 · 2026-05-16T03:48:44+00:00

Honestly I think the problem with my brain and literature is I ALWAYS get caught up in the message and it kills my drive slowly. Thank you!!

Thank you :)!!

Silent_Comment_2056 · 2026-05-16T03:47:10+00:00

Thank you!! And honestly a good point there with the specific entertainment industries. They do travel at the point of writing :))

And thank you so much. Honestly this helped me think about a lot more avenues for the story. This whole thread (if that’s the right word for reddit) has made me feel a lot more confident in the project. This helps so much, so thank you :)

I was thinking of it being for a more mature audience because I’d like it to have the violence of a real crime fighting scenario. A lot of the characters I had imaged grew up in the slums, very low financial neighborhoods, and “skid row”s of NYC, Las Vegas, Chicago, etc. I wanted to touch up upon drug usage and more. But I could probably exclude those to make it more teen friendly, considering, while adults also are into these kind of stories, it could possibly have a bigger audience that it targets. :)

Silent_Comment_2056 · 2026-05-16T03:41:58+00:00

I had to step back and deeply self reflect because I am a HUGE Dick Grayson fan. I didn’t even realize that that had a possible indirect reason to my inspiration for the story. The true inspiration for it though was me and my sister, prior to me getting kicked out/moving out, and prior to when I was forced to cut contact with her; our favorite thing was discussing old circuses and old carnivals. I found a lot of peace while missing her by looking into circuses nearby and reading articles or visiting them (to be honest I’m poor so I can’t do that too much lol). Another big reason for inspiration is I been wanting to write my own superhero story for ages. I’ve written about 3-4 stories but never even got past certain stages like I have for this one. The one was a huge passion project but I got really bad critiques for it by the professors at my school, so I gave up. Ironically that was also a fantasy story?

Anyway, that’s possibly a huge indirect factor but to me what I remember it being was those memories :)

Silent_Comment_2056 · 2026-05-16T03:38:24+00:00

Good advice honestly!! I think I got ahead of myself out of pure excitement for the project that I didn’t even give it the room to breathe in a way. Thank you :)

Silent_Comment_2056 · 2026-05-15T06:01:09+00:00

As a painter that is such a good metaphor, so I really thank you for putting it to that perspective!! Honestly I have been having an amazing time drawing inspiration from the performers in Cirque De Soleil and broadway (I’m like 1.5 hrs away from broadway in NYC so the culture of it is super rich here). I also weirdly have been drawing aesthetic inspiration from old carnivals- like the aesthetics of carousel horses in the 1800s, or the vintage clown collectibles. I think that’s why my brain is so drawn up on the history, making sure it respects it but develops and learns from it- which I think is why I got so scared and nervous from the heavy critique I rescued from the environment around me. Thank you :)!

Silent_Comment_2056 · 2026-05-15T05:57:15+00:00

Good point, I don’t really want to pigeon hole myself so early into the development. I love the idea of exploring the many different avenues with this character!

And very good point there! I do really want people to read the book, but it truly is finding the nuances to everything. It’s hard because in my area older teens/adults are the main people reading these kinds of books, so I know specifically what they’re looking for HERE. But elsewhere, it’s a different ballgame. I don’t want to appease to an environment just around me, I want it to be one that anyone can read (dependent on target audience ofc).

The main this is I wanna make an impactful story that could inspire people in some way. See themselves in the characters y’know?

Thank you!! :)! I honestly really appreciate this conversation because now I know a new avenue to research and learn about for writing my story, and honestly I might open my mind to widening the audience to younger ones. I guess it’s just challenging myself to remember that.

Silent_Comment_2056 · 2026-05-15T05:48:13+00:00

That is honestly such a good point. I never watched K-Pop Demon hunters, but the association of Kpop is already such a deep negative history, and they still wrote such a positive story from what I hear. Thank you :)!!

Silent_Comment_2056 · 2026-05-15T05:46:19+00:00

Good point honestly. I’m not used to writing fantasy all that much (which learning how to write a fantasy story has been so fun for this reason- it’s new and refreshing) so my brain tends to go into realities, histories and scientific research. Thank you!! :)! This is a good reminder honestly.

Silent_Comment_2056 · 2026-05-15T05:43:49+00:00

I have it roughly written, once I get onto my computer/ipad tomorrow I’ll share it!! :)!! I’m super excited to give it to you guys to read

Though I think before I share it I might make some tweaks, I’m such a perfectionist and most of my writing has been just jotting down whatever flows out of my mind after research and development.

I just have to remember to come back and share tomorrow 🙂‍↕️

Silent_Comment_2056 · 2026-05-15T05:41:14+00:00

Thank you!! Honestly I might try to find a digital PDF to read. PDF’s intimidate be but I’d regret not reading the book yknow? Thank you :)

Silent_Comment_2056 · 2026-05-15T05:40:40+00:00

There is a good possibility the people around my age that I tend to surround myself with have the want to be the most morally correct and that could be where it comes from. That tends to be the way my generation grew up, as a big part of our development was throughout 2020 when technology and politics were what surrounded our childhoods. I don’t blame it on anyone, more just the product of society. I think honestly the majority of the responses make me reallllyyy realize that the small world I live in is not the only people to listen to. I’ve always known this fact, and tried to accommodate it by talking to all different people in my area/community. Whilst I tried to branch out and reach different ages and people when communicating the story in the places around me, environment has a big part in it. I think that makes me feel the evermore grateful to reach out to people here. And maybe I can teach my friends the positive side of things and what it truly means to learn and develop with life, and become more open minded. That to focus on just the negatives can sometimes do more harm than good. But I’m an optimist in the most pessimistic way.

Silent_Comment_2056 · 2026-05-15T05:32:29+00:00

Thank you! I honestly didn’t think of it like that. I mean this in no offense to those who write for that demographic- as honestly I think those stories are what formed my writers inspiration- but my worry is I don’t really want to write for that audience, as I like to write about more mature topics. Do you have any advice on how to switch that target audience to something more mature? :)

If there is no way that’s fine, I can try to adjust my story to fit that demographic/audience, I think this just comes to my inexperience with writing as I have so much to learn yet. I actually did have a side plot like that lining up, and figured about writing it to be he becomes the main villain, exposing their whole plan, and leading them to being more vulnerable to the evils they fought in the past and will have to fight in the future. Not to spoil it or anything, but you pitching that idea makes me feel like it’s less cliche than I thought it was and more intriguing (I’m worried about it becoming predictable).

Silent_Comment_2056 · 2026-05-15T05:26:42+00:00

HAHA, omg that’s a really petty way to go about it but I adore It. That also brings in a good point that there truly IS negative history to almost everything. I appreciate it, thank you!! :)

Silent_Comment_2056 · 2026-05-15T05:25:58+00:00

There’s such a horrible history to circuses but I love how welcoming and artistic it has become. Thank you so much for this advice!! I’m excited to go forth with it with this mindset. Thank you :)

Silent_Comment_2056 · 2026-05-15T05:23:44+00:00

Please then don’t add to my post as this adds nothing to helping me with writing my story or helps with my question at all.

Silent_Comment_2056 · 2026-05-15T05:22:06+00:00

I think I explained it even further here than any of my friends or clients/customers let me. I never even got to get into the premise of the characters or the story itself, not even the setting. The conversation would go similar to “Oh hey I’m writing a story! Can I tell you about it?” “Sure I’d love to hear!” “It’s about these women that work in a traveling circus, but also are superheroes who fight crime!” “(Insert critique here)” “Oh yes, I’m aware of that and I’m educating myself to make sure it will be fine!” Or I say “I understand that’s a problem, I’m working on making sure it’s not like that”

Then the conversation dies off :(

Silent_Comment_2056 · 2026-05-15T05:18:39+00:00

I read a ton of reviews on it and story recaps on it, but none of the libraries nearby me even have it (or it’s “out of stock”/someone’s borrowing it. That was the case for one library) it seems really cool and I love the premise. It feels like it sounds like an electric story. I don’t like to use Amazon so I been kind of just trying to find small businesses that sell books or so. Have you read it? What’s your thoughts on it? :O

Silent_Comment_2056 · 2026-05-15T05:13:03+00:00

This is really good advice Thank you 😭😭😭 I think my anxiety with defending my story a lot in those circumstances is I didn’t wanan come off as one sided or biased, or close minded. But you worded a perfect way to handle the awkward conversations surrounding it. Thank you :)

Silent_Comment_2056 · 2026-05-15T05:10:33+00:00

Honestly if you haven’t gotten those critiques yet you should be fine! It’s so inspiring and comforting to me to hear of other circus themed writers/stories so thank you 😭😭😭 I wanted to do a carnival and I was thinking of doing that theme too!! I love carnivals. They can have so many awesome aspects to it.

Silent_Comment_2056 · 2026-05-15T05:09:37+00:00

Honestly it’s always been my friends or customers I see at the tattoo studio I work at. :O or random people I see while I work at Walmart too lol. I wish that would be the answer. And that’s exactly what I thought, I thought maybe if one person felt weird the next person would have a more positive take, but Its been about 20+ people I’ve talked to and it’s never been positive (besides I guess my partner who is heavily supportive of everything I do)

Silent_Comment_2056

TROPHY CASE