u/ChemistryIll5766

Hello Everyone!

I am a budding writer currently working on a children's book following the story of shinto shrine Kami (obviously I'm mindful of giving too much away online!) My story is heavily inspired by a real practicing collection of shrines in Kyoto that I had the amazing opportunity to visit. I have been doing my research surrounding customs and want to be culturally sensitive with these subjects. Although the story follows animal Kami, the themes/purpose surrounding their shrines, abilities and customs are routed and reality and shinto shrine traditions.

This sound silly but I even watched an anime related to shrines to see what is considered appropriate in terms of representation in pop culture.

I myself am not Japanese, but was very moved by my experience there and believe that my story is sincere and respectful to the culture. Does anyone have advice or tips on how I can write respectfully or maybe even ways to engage in a dialogue with members of a community to make sure my writing is sensitive and authentic?

Hello Everyone!

I am a budding writer currently working on a children's book following the story of shinto shrine Kami (obviously I'm mindful of giving too much away online!) My story is heavily inspired by a real practicing collection of shrines in Kyoto that I had the amazing opportunity to visit. I have been doing my research surrounding customs and want to be culturally sensitive with these subjects. Although the story follows animal Kami, the themes/purpose surrounding their shrines, abilities and customs are routed and reality and shinto shrine traditions.

This sound silly but I even watched an anime related to shrines to see what is considered appropriate in terms of representation in pop culture.

I myself am not Japanese, but was very moved by my experience there and believe that my story is sincere and respectful to the culture. Does anyone have advice or tips on how I can write respectfully or maybe even ways to engage in a dialogue with members of a community to make sure my writing is sensitive and authentic?

To whom it may concern,

I write this as a plea of desperation, mere weeks before my 25th birthday.

The humble pumpkin was added to Minecraft in Java Edition Alpha v1.2.0 in 2010, and my nine-year-old self was delighted. As the years passed, more craftable items emerged from our orange friend. And yet, even then, I began to feel the cold fingers of existential dread tugging at my child-sized Creeper attire.

For although we were able to create soups and stews of many kinds, the transcendental ecstasy of pumpkin soup remained forever barred from my grasp.

For years, my tiny child mind, unburdened by the knowledge of dev teams, update cycles, and feature prioritisation, persevered. I tried a pumpkin and a bowl. I tried milk, pumpkin, and a bowl. I even turned to pumpkin seeds in a futile attempt to craft this long-denied delicacy.

But no.

Although the pumpkin was right there, the opportunity ripe, and my heart hopeful, pumpkin soup remained uncraftable.

Now I build temples and empires. I have seen civilisations rise and fall. I have watched dimensions appear out of thin air. I have sat in hobbit holes, witch’s hovels, and pristine cherry blossom cottages. Yet through it all, Steve has never once raised to his lips the wholesome, life-altering comfort of pumpkin soup.

And so I carry an emptiness. A quiet ache. The knowledge that my Minecraft experience has never reached its full potential for true, wholesome coziness.

Minecraft Dev Team, if you exist, somewhere in your sacred order of developers: I have lived in a pumpkin-soupless purgatory for over fifteen years.

As my brain reaches full maturation at the age of 25, I ask now, with the faint light of hope flickering within me:

Please.

Add pumpkin soup to Minecraft.