u/Calm_Corner_1391

I'm making a 3D animated short film with a single character and no spoken words. I got my initial idea back in August, and I started storyboarding, making assets, etc. Then in December, I realized my story was seriously lacking in emotion and impact, so I started rewriting.

Six months later, I have almost 200 pages of fragmented ideas, and the story has gone through so many iterations that it's completely different from the original now. I really like these more recent ideas I've had, but nothing is coming together into a full story. I could have made an entire short film in the time I've been indecisive over this one. I'm getting discouraged.

How do I get out of this cycle and start actually putting together a story? I have individual little moments figured out, but I have no idea how to start the film, how to get the character to the point where they figure out the key piece of information, how they use that, and where they go from there.

I've always hated my birth name since I was a little kid. Hearing or seeing my birth name brought me this sort of unease that I just couldn't shake off. Like people knowing and using my name felt like a blatant invasion of my privacy. The same feeling as being physically touched where/when you're really not comfortable.

I chose my new name about a year ago and it felt fine for a while, until the name became too "me," and this name is uncomfortable too now. I chose another new name, but the same thing seems to be happening with this name, and I'm not even using it in my wider circles yet.

Does anyone else get this? How can I actually be comfortable with a name?

I'm a 19 year old trans guy and I'm living with my dad. Not only is he unsupportive and deadnames me constantly, but he's also just incredibly... discouraging, if that's the right word. Constantly drinking alcohol and talking about how much better the world would be if everyone just died. Complaining about his marriage and his family. I understand his frustration because it's coming from a valid place, but all he ever talks about is how miserable his life is and how I should be more happy. All that comes out of his mouth is criticism and self-pity.

I'm aware that he needs help, but I've tried and I just can't keep dealing with it. It's not my responsibility to be my dad's therapist, and it's exhausting. I don't really have friends, I'm out of school, and I'm not in contact with any extended family so he's pretty much the only person I see regularly, and I've kind of gone LC with him too.

I'm trying to move out, but I need to find a job to afford a place to live independently. I graduated postsecondary in October, and I'm looking for a job specifically in the industry I went to school for, but there's not much. On top of that, with me being trans, I don't know what name to put on my resume. My deadname isn't an option because seeing it on paper literally brings back traumatic flashbacks (I wish I was exaggerating), and I haven't decided on a new name yet. That's an entirely different story on its own.

I dunno what I'm even asking for advice on. What do I do? How do I deal with living with a parent who only ever criticizes me and everyone else in the world? How do I become more independent? How do I deal with getting jobs when I don't know what my own name is?