#observe the world then write about it!!

[goshen-applecrumbledore]

You're writing is so fire, I think I need to kiss the pads of your fingers to have a drop of your skills with my senses.

I'm literally blushing lmfao

[ranticore]

how did you start writing books that had themes? i’ve been writing since i was 7 years old and i’ve always wanted to write a whole book one day, but i don’t feel like i write with enough intention for any of my stories to keep my interest long enough to write a novel. i love building worlds and characters, and i often understand the themes that i want to explore in a given piece, but i always feel like worldbuilding gets in the way of actually writing a plot or having something to say, or that i’m too interested in stuff that doesn’t matter as opposed to actually telling a story. that or i feel like my stuff is too derivative.

So I did the same as you from a very early age, a lot of writing that was kind of directionless, lacking overarching structures. I don't want to say it was immature but in the way of kids playing imagination games, it just kinda.. went on and on with no resolution just pure interaction where any random thing could happen because it seemed like the next step. But for that kind of writing, "the next step" was based off the one directly previous to it. To make the jump to what you describe as books with themes, "the next step" can't be based off the one directly previous to it. "The next step" has to be the extension of every single previous step, including the very first, because the entire story is built from the ground up to be a single unified whole.

I think the jump from the directionless writing to writing A Novel (with all attendant structural conventions - different to fanfic, tv writing, screenplays etc) is that the novel is approached holistically with every single event considered at the same time, instead of each little part examined as a discrete unit that links to the next at the end of the chapter/scene/etc.

What I did was write my entire series out - all three books - in rough draft format, changing it and retconning it freely as I went. the continuity in these drafts sucked and the themes are all over the place but when I was finished with these three book drafts I had every tool at my disposal. at the end of my book 3 rough draft I had worked out all my themes and my events sequence etc. which meant that when I went on to start writing what would become the final draft of stbh (complete rewrites from the ground up, no reusing rough draft prose), I knew from the very beginning exactly how the story would end and it gave me so much freedom and space to approach the full story as a whole, add foreshadowing that wasn't there before, coded hints to how the last book would end (nobody's spotted them yet... as far as I know), and so on

As for themes vs worldbuilding, and what details matter more, ultimately it's for you to decide what you want to focus on. But you also need to understand when a particular element needs to be cut to serve the narrative. If it's something you really really need to include, then you need to restructure the narrative around it (the rough draft -> rewritten first draft method helps a lot with this). There's plenty of plotlines I really liked which I axed in the end because, cool as they were, they broke the causal chain and therefore had to go.

When choosing themes you can approach it not as "what do I like" but "what do I want to say". This should clarify a lot of things. Sometimes what you want to say is "wouldn't that be fucked up or what", it isn't always some deep commentary on the world. For the imimata story I went at it with the initial core of "I am talking about dehumanisation, abuse, and celebrity culture". So I have to wrap my worldbuilding around that, rather than start without direction. The fact that the situation for imimata is so dire is a result of this theme. And so on.

Finally for worldbuilding it is possible to overdo it. I personally get turned off a story very quickly if I'm hit with eighteen walls of exposition and detail unrelated to characters, because I only want one thing and it's disgusting (character interaction), so I'm happy with a very loose canon setting. Not everyone's the same. When you do reveal world building details, link them to your theme. Let's say in Inver my theme was poverty and I want to talk about my worldbuilding around diets. I narrate that through a character who grew up in poverty reminiscing about having to go collect whelks in the bay mud. That teaches us about the physical geography of the city, what the view out to sea looks like, the coastal habitats, the types of food gathered by the poor, and also something about that character as well. Additionally, you might know one billion facts and figures about your setting but do your characters have that knowledge?

Also your own interests vs others' - write for yourself first or you'll be miserable. And if it's derivative or not - idk I mean I just avoid pulling inspiration without twisting it into what I want (and I also avoid pulling inspiration from ppl on my tumblr dash because that's how things get stale). I am a contrary bitch first and foremost and I approach a lot of stuff like "everyone's doing this? well I'm doing the opposite" ... ymmv

[ingravinoveritas]

why cant she just wish her husband a normal happy birthday like a normal human being

I wish I knew, Anon. There was the one story she posted this morning that I mentioned earlier, and then a dedicated post she made after that. Anna posted a story of her own not long after, and in all honesty, I find myself preferring what she posted. Here is a visual, for comparison:

There are several differences in these posts that stood out to me. The post on the right is normal, and also personal--it feels like something that close friends/people who know the person whose birthday it is would post. (It also looks like a gay couple finishing preparations for their kid's birthday party, but I digress...)

The post on the left is much more impersonal--referring to David as "DT," which is a nickname of his that's used by other people in the industry (though interestingly, Michael has never called him "DT." Not once. Only "David" or "Dai"). The caption ("Safety and sunshine") is taken from the episode of David's podcast where Georgia interviewed him, and the song ("Defying Gravity") was mentioned in the death podcast. The inclusion of those things is purposeful, and meant to make you think of these podcasts. As a result, it feels closer to a promo post (such as the ones David has done for his podcast over the last few months) instead of a personal birthday post.

Another birthday Insta story for comparison is this one from Jennie Fava, which is actually really lovely. The difference between this one and Georgia's is that while they both call him DT, Jennie's has that more personal feeling because the post/photo is tied to a memory that she has of David. Again, that feeling of something posted by someone who is a close friend and knows the person whose birthday it is:

Also, none of this is even touching on the look on David's face in the photo Georgia posted, or that the photo Anna posted was taken by Georgia at Lyra's birthday party last October, and that is now at least the fourth picture taken by Georgia where Michael looks Like That (the most recent being backstage at Inside No. 9 Stage/Fright only a few weeks ago). Not doing a "bit"...just making that specific expression. I also don't get the feeling that it's an accident that this is the first photo we've seen of David at that party, because there were no photos of him posted by Georgia then, to where a lot of fans wondered if he was even in attendance.

So yes, it looks as if Anna got the upper hand in birthday posts this time around. And as for why Georgia has and continues to make some really strange choices, I can't even begin to guess...

[stinkrascal]

im not actually retired from simblr, im sure i'll come back one day. this extended break has been much needed. but i miss it so much too. i think about this community every day :(

[salty-an-disco]

just had a realization as to why I find the Leave as Gods ending pretty chill and something I’d actually wouldn’t mind doing–

I’m nonbiney, xenogender, and relate more to abstract concepts than my own body, becoming a concept too great for anyone but yourselves and your literal soulmate to understand is literally my dream lmao.

[ipatrichor]

Yuushin (apocalypse!yuu) relationship chart

text version + additional commentary under the cut, tierlist maker here

Not platonic, not romantic, secret 3rd thing (weird): Ace, Deuce, and Malleus No one knows what's going on there, and pretty much no one wants to. At least they seem to be getting along? We're pretty sure the violence is playful and the gifts aren't intended for courting, but beyond that...

I want you to outlive me (pack): Grim, Jack, Epel, Ortho, and Sebek The first years are Yuushin's now. I don't care if you want them back, you should've been watching them better. They're learning knife tricks and how to stockpile food now.

Please ask me to kill for you: Riddle, Idia, Silver, and Lilia The feral teenager who tried to stab us is part of our found family now. Also they keep bringing us dead animals and looking sad when we don't eat them. Please advise.

I wouldn't share my food but I'd stab someone for you or whatever: Cater, Floyd, and Kalim Something like allies, maybe? Yuushin seems to find them a little annoying, but also offers violent assistance when something upsets them. Level of attachment unclear.

Is this what 'friendship' is like: Ramshackle ghosts, Trey, and Jade Some level of wariness observed during interaction. The discomfort seems mutual- are they picking up on each others' reactions or is something else going on?

Finally someone normal: Rook and Ruggie Not particularly close, but they seem to understand each other. If someone like Rook is considered normal in Yuushin's world... maybe let's not think too much about what that apocalypse is like.

Kind of a loser but otherwise okay: Crewel, Vargas, Sam, Leona, Jamil, and Cheka Not much understanding, but not much animosity either.

Let's not interact with each other: Trein and Lucius Less outright dislike, more... an acknowledgement that they have nothing in common and little to gain from each other. Who needs a fluffy creature other than Grim, anyway?

Touch what's mine one more time and we're gonna have a problem: Azul and Vil Actively hostile, but strangely respectful. Simultaneously holds a high regard for their abilities while viciously disliking (distrusting?) them as a person. Probably won't get violent unless provoked. Hopefully.

I am actively planning your demise: Crowley ...You know, there comes a point where it might be best to cut your losses. And maybe also invest in better locks for your office. Just a thought.

[metanarrates]

Saw your post about people not understand interpersonal harm in regards to the new girl post and I'm intrested in your views on it because I really do feel the fandom in general has a tendency of sorting characters into reductove boxes of victim and perpetrator when the reality of the system of power within deltarune is that often times characters will be both.

Take for example spamton, some people will talk about how he sucks and how they dont understand why anybody likes himw hile others talk about how he is a victim of circumstance and his suckage as one might say is simply an effect of that.

In comparison the reality is much more intresting, spamton is in a weaker position of power that leads to him to be taken advantage of, but his response to that is deciding the only way to nwver be victimised again is to become the victimiser (or become an enabler to other victimisers like in snowgrave)

Bro thinks he can win at capitalism, he thinks he's a temporarily embarrassed billionare, he thinks if he just becomes powerful enough no one can hurt him

(Its no coincidence to me that this is the view of other characters aswell, such as chara and susie)

What adds more complexity to this then, is not only can all characters be responsible for causing harm aswell as be harmed is that they can be that way regardless of action or inaction

As seen in the new girl post, susie is the one who took action that harmed kris, and noelle's inaction is what allowed kris to be harmed.

Regardles whether you take action or not youre still a participant in this system of power, and you are now unable to seperate yourself from it

Many people have come to conclusion that by playing this game, by our presence, by our *action*, in this game as the player we are causing harm, but reminder, if we give up, if we fall into *inaction* the world is blanketed in darkness

Some people only focus on the former and conclude that the only winning option is not to play, but as shown by the latter inaction will just lead to another loss

There is no winning within deltarune's systems of power, and i think thats the point

Anyway if i had infinite time i would like to make a youtube essay on the topic because man i feel like a lot of people ignore this aspect of deltarune, granted im not 100% confident in my conclusions here but i feel like im onto something

yeah! you totally get it! deltarune is a game that depicts entrenched systems of power and characters will react to the harm they recieve in those systems in various ways incl. hurting other people! there is no winning! and you've hit the nail on the head with spamton - it's honestly SO refreshing to see a nuanced opinion on his character because of what you've just described.

i think wrt the new girl post - a lot of people are also taking the interpersonal harm described as being serious & unrecoverable? like, oh, noelle is a bad person and irredeemable for watching it happen and not taking it that seriously, or toby fox is writing susie ooc for being mean to kris and then later becoming friends with them, and like...

it's a plot point. that susie is a character who acts like a bully out of demonstrably bad personal circumstances. she's heavily implied to be neglected to the point where she's food insecure. it seems like no adults are looking out for her. she picks on kris because she feels insecure by them seeming unintimidated by her. this is the beginning of her arc. she learns to be kinder afterwards. she is, like you described, acting within a world that has made her feel powerless and alone, and is trying to gain power in an immature and mean way so she won't be hurt anymore. it's not irredeemable behavior lol

and tbh. kris doesn't seem that bothered. that's not to say bullying is okay - it isn't - but i honestly feel the fan reaction is kind of overblown? noelle doesn't take it that seriously, imo, partly because kris doesn't seem to take it that seriously. there could be hidden complexities involved and maybe they are much more hurt than they let on, but I don't like the idea that this renders noelle and susie forever bad people? they're kids, they fuck up sometimes, and it seems like kris is pretty happy being susie's friend even after that. if there's lasting harm, I feel like the narrative is going to be able to unpack that. I don't understand the discourse most of the time here.

i guess sort of my end statement here is that a lot of fandom, esp in deltarune, tends to parse "interpersonal harm" as "always serious irrecoverable damage that forever victimizes the one harmed, never forgivable, never understandable as an action taken within a broader context of a character's circumstances, and never capable of being grown past" which is just ridiculous to me on multiple levels. we're talking about a high school bully saying rude things to another teenager, not about someone murdering someone else's dog or something like that. it's teen movie stuff. honestly the discussion is slightly embarrassing.

[crossbackpoke-check]

philadelphia where love goes to…..be reborn?? crazy stuff happening here!!

i-

yeah you know what, that narrative makes sense, continue 🤝 philly

[repurposedmeatlocker]

I gotta make a post about this. It will drive me insane otherwise. But I really REALLY like the way in which Beavis and Butt-Head incorporates the music video commentary segments within the context of the actual show.

On one hand, it is indeed a way for musicians and creators to be promoted, albeit in a satirical and tongue-in-cheek way, through the banter of two ignorant fifteen year old boys. But this does not mean these segments are floating around unrelated. Actually, the commentary segments are completely intwined within the world of the show. They are not just used as opportunities to make pop-culture references and trash the musicians, but as a jumping-off point for Beavis and Butt-Head to get into off-topic tangents. Ranging from simple questions to sparse recollections of their home-life. I can't say this definitely since I haven't exactly been keeping track, but it appears to me that most of the sparse information out there about their moms and family come from statements made during these segments. Then there are also all those moments during music videos where they aren't even paying attention to what is on-screen and instead are doing stuff like looking at magazines, trying to cook, fighting, falling asleep, etc.

This all is such an odd yet interesting window into their lives, and how much it revolves around their television. I don't think this is unintentional at all. The characters are first introduced in the pilot, as being parked in front of their TV getting off on a woman advertising exercise equipment. Mike Judge is indeed making some kind of commentary here regarding the modern dependence on TV and cable television (especially in the context of the 90s when the show came out). At the same time though, I don't feel like this is a completely mind-numbing experience in the case of Beavis and Butt-Head. In fact, I find their interaction with the programs on television extremely "active" whether it be actually constructing opinions about what they are watching (even if it rarely is more complex than 'this rules' or 'this sucks'), or deciding to do something based off of seeing it advertised or talked about on TV. When you think about it, most of the plots of the show use the television as a catalyst for the episode's plot, which just ties the TV to the show as a whole even more.

[wisteriagoesvroom]

y'all made new ao3s to post f1 rpf from? 🧍🏻‍♀️

[timeskip]

Writing OC content like If people don't understand that these fuckers are (at least slightly) unreliable narrators I will suffer just a little. I KNOW this is people's only window into their world. I KNOW people want to trust them because they see this world through scraps of content I write and thus they don't get the full picture and they may never fully see what I intend between the lines. HOWEVER. THEY ALL MAKE ASSUMPTIONS ABOUT EACH OTHER AND THEIR WORLD AND THAT'S HALF THE POINT AND SO I CANNOT SIMPLY HAVE THEM TELL THE TRUTH. I can try to allow it to get as close to the truth as they're willing or able to get, just so that people can understand what they're thinking, but. Truly. Unreasonable to believe they're anywhere near understanding anything about each other.

[jesuisgourde]

okay if im actually going to contact repeat fanzine and ask to write for them i should probably come up with some article ideas to give them

the problem is because it's domething i *should* do, my brain is so blank

my few vague ideas so far: a review/analysis of the new manics song dear stephen, a review/analysis of the song my bravest friend, a piece on songs that are specifically about richey as confirmed by the band and how the ways they talk about him lyrically has changed, a piece on the holy bible vs lifeblood vs futurology as the three sort of "industrial"/"prog" albums with a cold sound, thoughts on why certain less popular/underrated manics songs are actually very good

but i feel like i should have some more unique ones too idk

[darkpoisonouslove]

I just realized I have created two very interesting side characters... And I can't talk about them yet because it's spoilers. Not only that but I now want to explore them more in the story, which is just me asking for trouble. I don't need any more chapters but the antagonistic relationship between these two is actually comparable to the problems between Griffin and Valtor on a certain level so now I do feel compelled to at least think more in-depth about them.

[boygirlctommy]

finally making a story about a person whos obsessed with another person in their life to the point where they now have to learn how to be a person and figure out who they are when that other person isnt around

[blueish-bird]

spent a few hours writing a pretend video essay about the process/function of conservative media analysis with an extended portion about The Matrix life is good

[cranberry-queen]

Tips from a Beta Reading Writer

This one's for the scenes with multiple characters, and you're not sure how to keep everyone involved.

Writing group scenes is chaos. Someone’s talking, someone’s interrupting, someone’s zoning out thinking about breadsticks. And if you’re not careful, half your cast fades into the background like NPCs in a video game. I used to struggle with this so much—my characters would just exist in the scene without actually affecting it. But here’s what I've learned and have started implementing:

✨ Give everyone a job in the scene ���

Not their literal job—like, not everyone needs to be solving a crime or casting spells. I mean: Why are they in this moment? What’s their role in the conversation?

My favourite examples are:

The Driver: Moves the convo forward. They have an agenda, they’re pushing the action.

The Instigator: Pokes the bear. Asks the messy questions. Stirring the pot like a chef on a mission.

The Voice of Reason: "Guys, maybe we don’t commit arson today?"

The Distracted One: Completely in their own world. Tuning out, doodling on a napkin, thinking about their ex.

The Observer: Not saying much, but noticing everything. (Quiet characters still have presence!)

The Wild Card: Who knows what they’ll do? Certainly not them. Probably about to make things worse.

If a character has no function, they’ll disappear. Give them something—even if it’s just a side comment, a reaction, or stealing fries off someone’s plate. Keep them interesting, and your readers will stay interested too.