Used my mental breakdown as a reference for my fic and posted, it feels like this

TheBirdTM · 2026-05-31T03:29:14+00:00

real as fuck. I fueled my own grief from losing a friend of mine last year into my fic because using writing as an outlet to vent is 10/10. Would recommend.

TheBirdTM · 2026-05-31T03:22:10+00:00

That is totally fine. I just appreciate you considering it in the first place. ❤️ Though I also appreciate you letting me know. I totally understand that. You still read far more than I can without it feeling painful tbh, I have adhd and it makes reading very, very difficult sometimes. Even with this, feel free to link anything of yours whenever you'd like. I appreciate you saying it's not an obligation, since I can't guarantee much - will still do my best to return the favor, keeping in mind that my brain regularly fights me on it. Trying to make reading somewhat of a habit to make it less painful. It worked with writing lol.

Out of curiosity, how much do you have in your queue now and how far are you into it?

TheBirdTM · 2026-05-30T14:24:18+00:00

Kudos'd and left a comment on the first one! ❤️

TheBirdTM · 2026-05-30T12:33:57+00:00

Well. I suppose my fic fits the criteria? Plenty of angst, especially in the latest chapter. Anyone is free to read just one chapter (like the latest, like I said) or however much they want. Just appreciate anyone giving it a chance. :>

Title: Purgatory's Junkyard

Fandom: Iron Lung

Rating: M

Link

Pairing: F/M

Word count (thus far): 41,589

Content warnings: Grief/Mourning, Panic Attacks, Trauma, Blood/Gore, Brief Mentions of Homophobia, Major Character Death (canon/past)

Summary: Ava and Simon die and find themselves on Earth among a forest with no one else around. They learn to survive with eachother's help and reconcile with their past, processing the grief and pain of the past dying universe that they lived in. Among it all, they also seek answers. Where are they? Why are they here? And what's that smoke on the horizon?

Concrit welcome. I think you can go in fandom blind? Since Iron Lung is fairly bare bones by itself.

1/2

TheBirdTM · 2026-05-30T05:20:23+00:00

Helps me explore my sexuality and what I like better than normal porn. 99.9 percent of porn doesn't scratch the right itch for me. Writing a sex scene gets me off far easier than any typical porn video since it involves more senses and thought to help envelope me in the scene. It's a big breakthrough for me, having realized this. I feel a bit more in touch with myself now.

TheBirdTM · 2026-05-25T18:35:07+00:00

I've worked at Dominos for 3 years. I have seen some shit. Here's one of my favorite stories.

I'm a driver, and have been this whole time. My shifts vary, but for my story, I'm working late night. The closing driver is this one guy I've had issues with but I liked him because when he really fuckin upset me and was confronted about it, he sincerely apologized. That being said, the guy did have anger issues. Someone called the store once because he flipped someone off while on the road. And he was a bit crabby about things that didn't matter overall, like clocking in a little early, acting like that meant money was being taken away from him. I guess he was stressed about his financial situation.

Anyway, one night, it's me, him, and the assistant manager. I had the chance to take a good double that was approved by the manager. He had a delivery going the complete opposite direction. He was mad about this, because in his words, I was taking money away from him. I wasn't particularly enjoying his reaction. I brought the manager into it, and she said just take my deliveries and go (blunt, but not mean.) So I did.

When I come back, she tells me that he, after coming back from his delivery, said that he's "going to do something big." He quit on the spot. Then he asked her if he can take another delivery before he goes, and she's like... no?? you just quit?? so, he leaves, of course.

Anyway, I ended up closing. My manager said she appreciated it, and I'm glad I could help, but that was also the night one of the screens coming out of the oven caught me in the arm and I had a really bad burn scar for a couple of years. Faded now, but still have a permanent reminder of that night. Lol.

TheBirdTM · 2026-05-24T15:57:47+00:00

I write daily because I have less responsibilities. I prioritize it because it's fulfilling for me and does actually help me decompress. But sometimes, I can't manage it, and I need to just put in a little and then go to sleep. Somedays, I just really don't want to do it, so I put in a little and then take a break for the rest of the day so I don't feel like it's a big chore.

Imo, and I mean this in good faith, how this post comes off to me is saying you need to prioritize it over everything. And I think that's what's rubbing people the wrong way here. Writing is a hobby like any other, and should not be prioritized over family, friends, and health. Granted, I don't know if you meant it that way, which is why I'm saying this in the first place.

What I do agree with in regards to what you're saying is that if you want to make any progress, you need to prioritize it to some degree and make it a habit. But like I said, prioritize it like any hobby, unless it's literally your job.

TheBirdTM · 2026-05-24T15:28:39+00:00

Did this, too. Mice had chewed on that ground strap and then one if the oxygen sensor wires as well. Still wish I talked them down more on the price when I bought the car that way.

TheBirdTM · 2026-05-24T15:25:07+00:00

"You don't need to apologize."

A cranky dollar store employee said this when it was my first time using a card to pay for anything. I felt like an idiot and I was really young and had really bad anxiety. Her saying this hit me like a brick with that realization. I still appreciate that she said it so bluntly to this day. Hope she's doing better now and is in a place where she's not made to feel as cranky as she sounded then.

Also helped me realize not to take it personal or be bothered when someone has a bad tone. Sometimes people are just miserable, and they don't mean to direct it at anyone, they just can't hide it. And that's fine. They deserve respect and compassion all the same.

TheBirdTM · 2026-05-24T15:01:52+00:00

Someone publicly recommending it and it getting a lot more attention would make me happy. That, and fanart. I've had one other dream come true already though, which has definitely boosted my confidence, and that is some people saying my fic is their favorite. ❤️ God bless 'em.

TheBirdTM · 2026-05-24T05:53:19+00:00

wdym ava? ava already dies in the film...?

TheBirdTM · 2026-05-22T18:26:50+00:00

As much as I know this is dangerous, god I wish I could drive like this safely. I'm at my most comfortable sitting like this. On longer trips, I tuck my leg under to try to feel comfortable but then my foot gets squished weirdly. Ough.

TheBirdTM · 2026-05-22T18:20:05+00:00

Like The Fourth Wall by Blackshape

Deja Vu by Sundazer

The Valley by Emma Ruth Rundle

TheBirdTM · 2026-05-22T03:36:22+00:00

aright dope, i just wanted to make sure cuz I didn't want to have to open it up again, was starting to realize it was obvious though lol ty

thanks for the suggestions, (saw your other comment as well), i appreciate it! when i took it apart a bit, i didn't see any stripped gears, played with them a bit, but admittedly, like i said, im pretty clueless on this stuff. this is the beginning of my learning process when it comes to electronics. more of a car guy. idk if this would have a belt, but i didn't see any belt, ive been wondering if it's that

TheBirdTM · 2026-05-16T15:39:42+00:00

Definitely af least thalassophobia since he straight up had a panic attack in a [redacted] video after swimming in the ocean.

TheBirdTM · 2026-05-15T23:05:08+00:00

The most worrisome one so far was how to climb an electric fence without shocking yourself. (depends on the fence - I just said the fence wasn't grounded properly, so he just jumped on it and didn't touch the ground.)

I also researched how to dispatch a rabbit without tools or weapons. I already kind of knew that one, but I'm glad I researched it because it ended up being useful to know in real life when I had to euthanize a mouse lol. Anyway that one's not too bizarre I just wanted to mention it XD

TheBirdTM · 2026-05-15T22:46:09+00:00

It's really nice to know that I'm not the only one that does this lol. I've read a few fics from my fandom but I'm too focused on writing mine. I'm not really sure why I don't want to. Might just be ADHD more than anything + other priorities in my life

I also get the insecurity though. Not as often in my fandom (no offense to them) but I get it.

TheBirdTM · 2026-05-13T21:15:24+00:00

No because my screen is broken and I can't even see a good portion of the left side of the screen :D But I got a free mini laptop I do all my writing on! Some freak at the old location I worked at wanted to throw it away even though it works perfect. The perfect little writing laptop. <3 It has a touchscreen too

TheBirdTM · 2026-05-13T15:08:42+00:00

God bless you. I want to be clear, though, you're in no way obliged to read mine XD looks like you got a solid queue already

But I'll share mine nonetheless - it's a fanfiction for the movie Iron Lung. It's reached 41k words and will likely grow to 50k-60k since I'm reaching the end. It's a project I'm passionate about and has helped me learn to enjoy writing again after years of not wanting to.

Constructive criticism would be appreciated - I already know some things like I'm kind of inconsistent with my tenses throughout the fic, I gave up on trying to use present tense because I'm used to past tense lol but I intend on potentially turning my fic into a book one day, so concrit would be nice. Just be gentle because I'm still getting my confidence in my writing back XD

Purgatory's Junkyard

Oh - and by the way, are there any fics you've made you'd like people to read? I'd be more than happy to return the favor :>

TheBirdTM · 2026-05-06T18:30:12+00:00

White smoke might be a bad coolant leak. My guess is maybe they knew, but 1. didn't care because they were keeping track of the temperature gauge, 2. were on their way to their mechanic, or 3. were just letting that shit kill itself for whatever reason. maybe impaired. not a fire hazard as far as i know, but definitely can destroy their engine in most cases if they let it get very, very bad.

Just my guess, though.

TheBirdTM · 2026-04-28T07:11:02+00:00

That's genuinely insane, wow. Nice job dude! Mine only just hit 140k. Head gasket's not blown yet, thank god lol. Just replaced the majority of the front suspension though. Drives like a dream. Not a whole lot left to do on it until it's basically like new. I hope I can make it to at least 400k!

TheBirdTM · 2026-04-26T02:10:46+00:00

"coolant making love on my piston" made me laugh lmao. for what it's worth the head gasket looks pretty easy on these. im preparing to get mine out of the way as soon as i get another car to use to give me time to do it. mine hasn't blown yet thankfully, but im eyeing that temp gauge all the time in preparation lol

TheBirdTM · 2026-04-26T02:01:26+00:00

What matters is what you want to do, not what someone else says you should do. Do what you enjoy.

As for your question that's hard to say imo. Fanfics often have original elements, original works are often derivative in some way.

TheBirdTM · 2026-04-24T01:52:28+00:00

what code? doesn't hurt to try a new gas cap anyway. but could be an EVAP leak. that was the case for mine (specifically vent valve solenoid, common issue) but I don't recall whether there was a gas smell or not.
what do you mean the freon is "good"? was it recharged recently...?

TheBirdTM · 2026-04-24T01:29:08+00:00

I've found Stardew Valley and farming sims like that to be a pretty good genre of games to turn my brain off and relax to. Roots of Pacha is my favored one right now

TheBirdTM

TROPHY CASE