#Thank you for the ask^^❤️💖💕💞

[strawowoberry]

any huge blaring tips for keeping motivation??

Your art is probs my fav in the fandom BTW!!

My main thing is my line art sucks to do much since it's like a long process or something about it, my main motivation for that is like, seeing how it ends up at the end lmao

[sugarpasteltmnt]

Hi, I'm someone who's interested in making a long-fic but just been struggling to do so. Alot of it just cause I really I'm not confident in my ability to write it well or that people will read it. Even though Neon Void was your first fic (I think) you managed to not only reach so many, but tell a story so deep and personal and moving that every time I re-read a snippet I find myself wanting to read a whole chapter.....and then the entire series.

If I can be so bold to ask, how did you do it? How did you take Neon Void and make it? What kept you from giving into the voices within and without that tell you to give up? How did you make sure the story was the best it could be. If you could go back, what would you do differently? What strategies would be best for someone who also wants to do a longfic?

Sorry if it's alot.

First, thank you so so much. It makes me super happy to hear that you thought it was moving and enjoy reading it!!

and don’t be sorry!! I’m super flattered that you wanted to ask me such a cool and thought provoking question!! Gunna hide most of this answer under a read-more as I get a little autobiographical, but in short:

You must be your own biggest fan

I’ll be honest— I had NO idea so many people would read my fic. The amount of positive feedback has blown me away and I couldn’t be more thankful for how nice the TMNT fandom has been to me (and my sister!!)

And you’re right! Neon Void WAS my first fic I ever published!! But I’ve been writing every day since I was a tween. I just love to write. But even then, I was nervous to post. No one except my closest friend had EVER read my writing before. I wasn’t sure if anyone would read it, or even like it since it was kind of a wacky premise.

But also in a way, it was okay if no one else read it, because I liked it. And that’s kind of the secret sauce to it all.

I have never, ever written anything this long before. Originally, TNV was going to be like, ten chapters max. I have no idea it would evolve into a nearly 30 chapter fic. And i think there were several factors that contributed to that.

First, I was utterly and totally obsessed with my own AU. When i started daydreaming about certain scenes over and over, i knew i had to write it. Being so invested in my own story was the biggest factor in actually finishing it. Which sounds so obvious, but the thing is I have a tendency to think of new AUs constantly. (Sometimes even daily.) The fact I kept revisiting this one was a sign that if i wanted to write it, now was the time.

Second, and this is piggybacking off of that last confession of always daydreaming new AUs, i knew i was on a personal timer. If i was going to do this, I had to make sure I did it. So i gave myself a goal of trying to post on a rough schedule to keep myself accountable.

(But remember!!!! It's just fanfiction!!! you never, ever have to put that kind of expectation on yourself! You don't need a posting schedule. You don't even need to finish. I personally pushed myself so hard to see it through because for years I told myself that if i was ever going to post fanfiction, i HAD to finish. It's okay if you don't!! I would never ask a writer or an artist to slog through something that doesn't bring them joy anymore. Because at the end of the day, fanfiction is meant to be fun!!)

BUT

Here's a bit of a confession. I didn't want to give up on it because it brought me a lot of joy during a rough year. I found myself sneaking on my phone at work to write a paragraph or two whenever I had the chance. I would think about it 24/7. I was in love with the story I was making up and looking forward to writing helped get through some not so Cowabunga times. I know posting your work is super intimidating-- and you might be tempted to stop-- but remember, if it makes you happy-- even for a while-- it's worth it. TNV was making my days a bit brighter even before I started posting it.

Which leads to my next confession-- and this is probably the biggest reason I was able to actually pull it off with a posting schedule:

I had already written 50%-60% of TNV before I even posted chapter 1.

And that was on purpose for several reasons. One, I was having so much fun planning easter eggs and planning long-term foreshadowing bits. Second, it was a test to see if this AU was really rotting my brain enough that I wanted to spend a lot of time writing it. By the time I had a lot written and scenes I was super eager to get to, I knew I wanted to post it. But having a bulk of it already written was a huge reassurance in trying to maintain my posting schedule. (But again, that was just my style! You can hit the ground running if you'd like, start and then pause for a while to figure things out-- whatever works best for you!!)

But even when i was insanely obsessed with my own AU, it still took a lot of time and energy to write. There will be times you will find yourself trudging through bridging scenes to get to the scenes you actually wanna write and it's sooooooooo haaaaaaaaard. BUT!!! It's worth it!!! Getting through it and seeing how it sets up the exciting part just right is soooooooo satisfying.

As for making sure the story was the best it could be??? I'm not sure!! Because there were definitely times I went whining to my sister and best friend about certain plot points or scenes, worried it wasn't good enough. There were a LOT of times a scene or idea just didn't feel right. Heck, a lot of chapters ended up in a different order than when I originally started writing!! The lesson I learned throughout the whole thing is that the original idea doesn't have to be absolute. Sometimes rearranging the scenes is just what you need!

But when i was REALLY struggling, I'd find myself referring back to the original source. It was what inspired a fanfic after all! Sometimes taking a step back and reevaluating each character's personality helped me shape the scene into something that felt better. Other times I had to step back and remind myself about what was actually important to the story. (Example: originally, I had no idea how to get Donnie to the hidden city by himself. At first I tried to think of some lore on the mask to give Donnie a reason to go investigating Void... but it didn't feel right. The mask wasn't important. Not even Void was the most important thing to Donnie at the time. Leo was. And that helped me sort of get rid of the loosey-goosey idea of giving a complicated back story to the mask that made the story feel muddled.)

But even then, I wasn't sure if certain moves were the best they could be! I was always worried (and continue to be) that I poured too much into descriptions, or spent too much time talking about emotions with too little action. Or that I overuse phrases. But so long as each chapter made me happy, I figured readers would enjoy them too.

If I could go back and do something different... I wouldn't have goofed with Leo's kraang parasite adaptation in Mad Dog Part 2: Prom. I was trying to make his parasite enter an obvious 'stage 2 boss battle' look, but later I realized I didn't like how I described it lol.

But!!! I will confess, I'm no saint-- when i started getting lovely comments, it helped pour gas on the fire to keep going. And that's why I'm so thankful for every comment or doodle or ask sent my way. You guys are amazing and helped me get the fire under my ass to keep going, even when things were really hard.

I know it sounds so corny and like a cop-out answer, but ultimately, it's YOUR personal investment in YOUR story that is the secret sauce!!! So long as your interested in it, it won't feel so impossible to write a long fic. There will be challenges (like there is with any project) but honestly?? If you're head over heels for your own story, it will be fun and fulfilling. Even if you don't finish-- so long as it made you happy, that's what matters the most. (Again, that's so cheesy... but just like Master Leonardo tells Leo, 'cheesiness makes the best pizza pies in life'.)

Thank you again so much for this fun ask-- and I believe in you! You've got this. Have fun, enjoy writing, and have confidence in your work, because it makes YOU happy, and that's the greatest thing a story could be.

[gigglesoup]

You are sculpted like an angel. And you are a blessing to our eyes. Your body is truly a gift to the world.

[brain-bumbler]

o/ hello I'm also on the psychonauts braintrain rn - a thought hit me while i was working on something else and that thought was "someone should get Raz (or maybe several of the Aquatos) a service dog." (Let's be real, even if the kid didn't arrive at Whispering Rock with trauma he's surely got it after everything else that's happened to him)

Maybe it's some kind of water dog, like a retriever? So if he accidentally into the water while he's working on something else the dog's there to help him get to shore again.

Or! Or or or it's some kinda big fluffy friend, like a newfoundland or a great pyranese, and either is or will be (imagine he gets it as a puppy) bigger than Raz himself!

imagine he talks to the pupper and talks out everything that happened to him over the course of the games, from his perspective.

I'm still early in my playthrough of Psychonauts 2 (I know what happens, no worries there) but the wiki says Raz himself has Zoolepathy - imagine him talking things through with his service dog and the dog talking back and helping him figure things out.

^^; sorry for kinda dropping all this in your inbox... hope you have a good New Year's!

AAAAAAAAAA I LOVE THIS Please drop everything into my inbox always!!! I will love you forever its like giving a food motivated zoo animal more treats i'm going crazy. throw those fish into my enclosure. This is a great idea! They could have a full service dog or an emotional support companion, both can be taught to perform helpful tasks! Since service dogs need certification and special training the breed can be pretty important to determine what services they can provide.

I adore New Foundlands! They're so, so sweet and are bred water dogs, so they're great for swimming! Bernese Mountain Dogs and Great Danes are other large breeds that also make good service dogs, and mixed breeds are lovely too!

A water dog would be so good for this family, especially if it can rescue drowning people. Imagine tala or queepie holding onto its fur when learning to swim 💞.

They could teach the dog tricks, of course they'd perform at the circus. A herding dog would also be fun. Guiding everyone back to camp, or finding Nona when she wanders off. Larger dogs can perform deep pressure therapy for people with anxiety and PTSD too!

This sweet pet would be so loved. Maybe the family meets them as a puppy at a shelter, and Augustus is remembering the orphanage he was briefly in. Need to stop him from adopting all the dogs there.

Gus needs a quiet moment to sort through his thoughts (have a panic attack) and the dog finds him and lays their head in his lap so he can pet their fur. Tala is scared of a thunderstorm, and the dog ends up curled beside her, soft grumbly snores soothing her to sleep. They fetch psi-cards for Raz, and Frazie and Dion are always competing over their affection with treats.

Amazing idea thank you for sharing with it!!!

[hetaliafandompositivity-archive]

I love @hetalia-fandom-positivity as I get to use their account as a follow list 😁❤️ this account is very sweet and I like seeing positivity as sometimes there can be too much fighting (not just in this fandom, but fandoms as a whole!). Thanks for running this! It’s inspiring me to maybe post my own art on Tumblr and try be a creator, not just enjoyer

♥♡∞:｡.｡ 　Positivity for me ( ˊᵕˋ )♡.°⑅ ｡･::･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆

(*ᴗ͈ˬᴗ͈)ꕤ*.ﾟ(҂ ꒦ິヮ꒦ິ)

[northern-passage]

your writing is so good im going insaneeeee. rattling the bars right now. describing tnp as an epic is so apt, theres a grandeur to the story and all its moving pieces. you really feel like something huge is sweeping you along. i find myself both mildly unnerved by and enchanted with the violence in your writing, both in the sense of how visceral your voice is and the brutality of the, well. violence. stuff i really just want to gnaw on like some creature. you really are doing sooo much with your craft always the punch the prose, the beats of the fight sequence with its push and pull (in and out of body experience, what’s happening to the mc and observation of what’s going on outside) that feels so fitting with the ocean elements. anyway. 🫵🫶

[inumbrapugnabimus-maybe]

HI EVIE

Just gotta say your art style is *chef’s kiss* PERFECTION. I love love LOVE everything about it. Especially how you draw hair. And the pastel colors you use. SO PRETTY

HI TRIN

anbdanjdwjjashdndnk thank you so much my friend!!!

[zukoandtheoc]

Hi! We haven't really talked in a while but it always makes me happy seeing the notifications from you when I check my activity feed in a "!! Friend !!" sort of way. I actually saw one right when I opened the app today which inspired me to send this. I hope you're having a good whatever time it is where you are, and that things are going well for you!!

[the-judicial-assistants-notebook]

thank you for the hmmk opinions...I hate hate hate the framing of the baker street fam as "homumiko dads and their kids :]" it undercuts the found family of it all iris and susato can be siblings without herlock being susato's dad too

I POST FOR THE HATERS!!!!!! 💯🔥😤✊🔥💯

So glad you enjoy my hmmk opinions, thank you for telling me 💖💘💓💗💗 Regrettably, I do think (S)Herlock should be some kind of a father figure to Susato, but that's because I'm biased towards him. His cringefail behaviour and soap-eating tendencies have captivated me 😔... But you know what? So valid for him to be cut from the picture. He's lied to her enough to warrant it. Forget (S)Holmes taking the kids in the divorce; Susato should take her sister in the parental disownment. You're so real for that.

[napping-sapphic]

<3 storm hugs 🫂 (if u want em)

Thank you for the storm hugs!!! 🫂🫂🫂😭😭❤️❤️❤️!!!!

[strawowoberry]

Is the trans flag there because Dib is trans in your AU?

Because yes supporting, and because yes he's trans, and because it's his room and I wanted to show it off and I believe he would have it hanged up lol

[condorclown]

Happy Valentine’s Day!! I’m going around my tumblr circle dropping cards into the mailboxes of everyone who makes me smile here <3 I made this one myself if you couldn’t tell from the watermarks hwjdiajkdjkaj!! There are NO good bird valentines around it’s a crime 😤 happy vday my friend! -Natasha 🩷

WAH……WAH……..WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH

[crystallizsch]

UWAAAAAAA just wait until I catch you!!! 🫵🫵🫵

I want to send you all the gratitude and love I feel for you!💕💞💕💞💕💞💕💞

Gngngnnnngnnnngnnnngnnng when I found out that the side account following me was actually you, I was so surprised???

Aaaand… your art is so cool and I love the relationship between Jamil and Yuusha (I hope I spelled that right, sorry if I didn’t). It’s so explosive, sweet, and subtle all at once.🐍💜💥🍭

Bro, you’re one of my most loyal followers words WTF??? aren’t strong enough to express how much I appreciate you.🫂💖💝💖💝💖💝

(When I think about how you took the time to slip your letter under my tree twice with such kind words for me, my heart still melts.⚰️💞)

Eeeuuuweuuuu I want to interact with youuuuu and also talk to youuuuuu!!❤️❤️❤️

(ask game: honest opinion about me but i can't respond)

[guckygarnes]

Hiii I think you're cool and I'm rooting for you and I want good things for you in life. No particular reason for sending this, was just seized with a sudden urge to do so. I hope you have a wonderful life, and I hope good things happen for you.

GUH???

[nanaminokanojo]

Stand behind me, I’ll fight off the disrespectful anons for you🤺(Btw, I absolutely positively love your work, keep it up beautiful🤭)

Hi, beautiful anon! Thanks soooo much for this. I really appreciate it! 💕 We're fighting together. 🤺

I am fine though. I just don't get how some people stalk the damn blog just to say useless things 🤣 I win here eithet way cause they got upset and they're hating even if they don't know me. Plus they read enough to make an observation. 😌💅 That's effort, time and passionate feelings on their dime. What have I got to lose?

But that aside, I really, really appreciate you liking my work. 😊❤️ It's an honor to share them with you.

[usersukuna]

🌷SEND THIS TO OTHER BLOGGERS YOU THINK ARE WONDERFUL. KEEP THE GAME GOING 💜🌼✨✨💗🧜💗