#ty for the ask💖💖💖

[junietuesday]

also. just choose a question you really want to answer and do it >:)

currently answering fic writer asks!

17. talk about your writing and editing process

ive been asking people this one since i think its interesting how it differs for everyone, so thought i’d answer it myself! basically i’ll get hit w a very loose concept, and depending on how casual it is or if i think i need to get my thoughts in order before writing, i’ll either jump straight into it or write a bullet point “outline”. basically just a super informal brainstorm, talking abt possibly the themes/ideas i want to explore, some events i might throw in and how best to order them, and/or if i already have a vivid picture of the sequence of events, then i’ll just straight up write it out, no grammar or anything, but w the dialogue i can already picture, explaining the thoughts that the character is having, occasionally depending on how clearly i can already imagine the scene, the “outline” isnt super far off from actual prose. i’ll put a picture from one of my docs at the end, but its all just super rambly talking myself through the thought process.

then the actual writing- i usually write everything in order, bc i need to know where the character’s head is at and what theyve already thought abt in the previous scenes. i’ll keep the ideas from my outline in mind if i made one, but i dont stick to it religiously or anything, usually just going w the flow of what feels right for the characters in the moment means i end up straying a lot from any specifics. “going w the flow of what feels right” is honestly how i get the initial draft done lol, just based on vibes. if the start of a fic just isnt feeling fun, its often bc i tried to start too early in the timeline and am just vamping w too much inner monologue- ive been trying to work on starting as “in media res” as possible, not just per fic but per scene, w only a paragraph or so max interlude before getting into actual events and dialogue. i try to really sprinkle in the introspection in between the action, and to stop overexplaining, i just say certain stuff without context but that the reader can read into and fill in all the blanks, instead of me spending ages rambling abt stuff the reader could figure out on their own. if i get stuck somewhere, i rely on that trick a lot of counting back like 5-10 sentences to see if you wrote yourself into a corner.

i dont really do formal “drafts”, bc i edit as i write. i hear so many people say not to do this bc it gets in the way of just getting words down, but if im going back and rereading what ive written so far to think abt what to write next, i cant rest if i see weird sentence/paragraph rhythms, repeated words, places w dialogue that either doesnt sound in-character or doesnt carry enough double meaning, lazy imagery, etc etc. editing is also fun for me, and easier than writing from scratch, so im still working on the fic but its giving me a break so i can get into writing the next part w more steam. though when i “finish” a fic, i will go over the whole thing again for one last flow check, bc when writing i dont usually read the whole thing start to finish, so i’ll rearrange stuff and not see how it affects the greater rhythm of the story until i reread it in full for the final check. then i’ll give it like overnight to clear my head, then do one last quick reread for anything glaring i missed after having stared at this fic for so long (it usually takes me Months to write even 1-2k word long fics💀). i start looking for a title when im pretty close to done, usually from poems/literature, but if its a more casual fic i’ll just take a word or phrase from the fic that relates to the story in multiple ways.

under a cut for length but heres some of my outline for my transfem hardwon fic. bc it has elements of both “brainstorming” and “writing out the events”

i think i may break this up into two chapters. or perhaps even three. but my problem was that i thought itd be weird to suddenly jump away from moonshine and the crick for one scene only to go back for the whole rest of the fic. but if i have ch1 be the intro, ch2 be hardwon maybe in irondeep visiting jaina and nerman and such and talk to jaina abt queerness after a confrontation w other dwarves, and then ch3 be coming back to the crick for the finale of him opening up to moonshine/the ending smut… i lowkey think this could work. still be a bit of a jump but separating them into chapters will at least mitigate some of that weirdness i hope. ch1 awakening, ch2 irondeep interlude, ch3 homecoming? idk i like homecoming for ch3 bc hes coming home to the crick and moonshine, also the play on words for the smut in his stump, also coming home to his body after discovering his gender. and i want ch1 to match but i want it to be like discovery but also hardwon repressing it. so a word that evokes that too.

i think i need one more scene in here kind of getting into a showcase of hardwon’s defensive masculinity? showcasing all the things i have hardwon contemplating in the finale bc it cant come out of left field in the last paragraphs of the fic. like the idea that hes like. hes “succeeded” at masculinity. he worked so hard his whole life to be exactly what society wants him to be. a cool buff stoic warrior. this was supposed to be what made him fit in, what made people like him. and maybe it didnt work back in irondeep when he was working in the mines, but he could rationalize that if he left, maybe then it’d work. and it honestly has protected him in a way. like on first glance no one gives him shit. if he were more femme than he probably wouldve gotten mocked. but like- exactly. he Was already getting mocked no matter what he does. and hes still not happy w himself.

so for irondeep first scene it has to maybe start w some introspection to bridge the timeskip but have to be an actual example i think. hardwon talking to someone else. maybe like random people he was at the dwarphanage with? random bronzebeard cousins? i need a reason for hardwon to be talking w these people, maybe its some kind of party? to feel like the feywild party he and moonshine were going to wasnt completely out of pocket

and then after this is the talking to jaina scene. maybe the morning after or smth. it needs to be the last scene that he opens up to jaina to lead into him having the courage to open up to moonshine more fully in the last chapter

also idk if i can fit it in but while i dont want to spend Too much time on bodily dysphoria i think i might throw in something abt hardwon never really feeling like his body was right, bc he was a human among dwarves, then a half-elf, something cobbled together always one of a kind and strange, so it surely means nothing that his face never felt like his, there was always that sense of disconnection, now that hes at the crick and known moonshine for so long he thought he’d be feeling better, but its a wound that still lingers

i think moonshine needs to confront it directly somehow. after all the only way he admitted his feelings for moonshine was after jaina prodded him a bunch. scene starts w some hardwon introspection to bridge the timeskip. maybe moonshine finds the hardwon portrait after the fact. or just says like “hey hardwon you know you can talk to me abt anything right?” hardwon is like omg this is so ominous. “um yeah totally. why?” moonshines just like “i guess youve just seemed kinda off lately”, maybe hes been a lot more closed off around her trying not to reveal anything, “and i know you like to keep those walls up, but… let me in every once in awhile, huh?” she asks quietly, “are you not happy living here?” and hardwon immediately goes “no no, its been amazing, i love it here. im happier than ive ever been.” in fact hes thinking like until he met moonshine he didnt even realize the extent of how deeply unhappy he was. like he was just surviving day to day back in irondeep before he left, and now that hes living here at the crick, the difference is like night and day, he still has bad days but its only now that he realizes his “good days” from before were still like so bad. he was so busy surviving before, unwilling to look too closely at himself for fear of just breaking down, and moonshine has opened up his world so much, that only now is he discovering new things he likes (like how much he loves crick food and culture) and new feelings abt himself (security in himself. belonging and family. in a sexual sense, things hes done w moonshine and also being bi lol). and this strange new thing he doesnt understand, now that his brain is letting things come to the surface he’d never had the space to process before.

so he says “its just me. im just figuring things out.” and moonshine goes “alright. i wont push, ik you need to figure things out for yourself sometimes. but…im here for you if you ever want it.” and hardwon is like what am i doing? what am i so afraid of? moonshine opened her home and her heart to him already. given him a special place in her life that she’s allowed to so few other people. she was there for him throughout their journey. if everything before hadnt pushed her away, if she really wants him here, asking her for help in understanding a weird feeling he has isnt going to be the thing that ruins their relationship. cant make this toooooo revelatory bc theres still the final scene but yknow. him cracking the wall a little. more abt him willing to let moonshine in a little but the finale is him accepting Himself after all the self-degrading language.

ends w hardwon admitting that he liked it when moonshine called him pretty. moonshine goes “oh is that it?” and hardwon frowns like its kinda a big deal, i was lowkey freaking out abt it… moonshine goes no no i just meant like. i can do that.

[choccy-milky]

sometimes you gotta lure your overly-studious ravenclaw gf into spending time with you 🥰 📚 ( from 'Every Teardrop is a Waterfall' by Kat_12739 on ao3, GO READ IT!!! the first story is about seb falling sick and still pushing himself/not admitting he's sick until he ends up in the hospital, the second story is about the birth of seb and clora's daughter and seb's reaction to clora almost dying in childbirth, and the third is about dealing with a fussy newborn lewis😭🥹THEY'RE SO GOOD AND SWEET AND SOMEWHAT SAD (not to mention beautifully written) so go check it out!!💖💖 )

[parksrway]

Bought some of your stickers a while ago and decorated my clip board with the little snails!!

OMG I haven't seen the sneik and snink stickers in ages,,,,

[ataleofcrowns]

Seriously, yours is the only IF I've read where a bunch of the options have like, two choices but it doesn't feel limiting as a player. How do you prioritize choices and get out of the mindset of looking at it from absolutely every angle?

Honestly, the reason I expect that it doesn't feel limiting is because I actually write a lot of branches and consequences tied to each choice. Having fewer choices = fewer variations to write = more time and effort that I can spend making them weigh heavier in the narrative instead. So the choices that I do include are typically intended to contribute either to the plot or the romance in certain ways: think public favored vs elite favored, and low romance vs high romance.

It's a bit of a game design choice. With AToC it means there will be long stretches every chapter where the only thing you do is read, which might make some people feel like they're just reading a novel instead of actually playing a game, and not everyone is into that. But the things you do read are in large part varying due to previous choices you've made, and those choices will then feel more impactful as a result.

In other games, the dev might choose to give you more options more frequently, which helps make the player feel more actively engaged. On the other hand, that also usually means those options won't have a lot of actual impact beyond flavor text as a result, so the narrative can end up feeling like it lacks in consequential decision-making.

Neither approach is wrong, it's just a matter of preference!

[tarta-de-limon]

It's too dangerous to go alone....take this

*hands you an itty bitty mini Damian filled with rage and bloodlust*

BABY SO SMOL 😭😭😭😭‼️😭‼️😭‼️😭‼️😭‼️😭‼️😭‼️ TYYYYYY!!!!! HE FITS PERFECTLY IN MY POCKET 🗣️💖🗣️💖🗣️💖💥‼️💥‼️💥‼️💥💖🗣️💥🗣️

[luckyashes-art]

hii :3 i love your au they’re so silly 🥺🥺 your artstyle is really cute i love your doodles

do you think we could get a werewolf shiho doodle. yknow. shiho being ouppy. I feel like she’d be excited about something but vehemently deny it yet is betrayed by her tail wagging or smth

[PJSK Monster AU]

It's honestly adorable how she loves bunnies 😭😭

[styllwaters]

do mixes between mismatched hosts and helmets happen? Are they’re knight Hybrids?,both genetically and by a host and helmet of mismatched species?

(Also are the different types sub species or they’re own?)

Mismatched helmets and hosts do exist! Here's an illustrated example featuring Zetze-ka, a background character for Vivere 44, and Nalka-Imesh, a fan character by @strangecritters.

(Full answer below)

Zetze-ka is a Knight living on the Ihmna Stretch near the border between Ferhaht and Kaat. Their host Zetzeragh is a mountain host of Ferhahti origin. Souwutka is a Kaata plains helmet who was given a mountain name by their Ferhahti Order. It is often the case that a hybrid assimilated Knight takes up residency with the Order of whatever subspecies their host is.

Nalka-Imesh is a Knight with an Aikka polar host and a Fejga mountain Helmet. The names of her host and helmet originate from their respective cultures; Nalka is a singular polar name, whilst Imeshaka is a traditional mountain name. She wears a neck brace to support the extra weight of her helmet (as is common for polar hosts with non-polar helmets).

Hybrids like these are uncommon, but not unheard of. Zetze-ka's host and helmet were assimilated as a symbol of alliance between a Kaata and Ferhahti Order, rather like a Marriage of State. Other times, when a Knight has given birth and there are no other newborn hosts/helmets in their own Order to assimilate with their children, an allied Order of a different subspecies may offer their own newborns. There are many more reasons why hybrids might occur.

And yes, there are genetic hybrids as well! However, all hybrids between Knight subspecies are either sterile or inviable. Mountain and plains Knights can produce hybrids, though they will be infertile. Polar knights cannot hybridise with any other subspecies.

Mountain, plains and polar varieties are all different species of Knight.

[weeklymindflayer]

R O T U N D B E A S T S <33

<3333 and they're as fashionable as possible‼️💖

This week's mindflayer is: Hatsune Miku 2024 birthday fig, flower edition

Fig the pose and outfit were referenced from:

[albaricomics]

I wanted show you my tnmn dooble 💥💥💥💥💥 (a little present for u <3)

AYEEEEEEE TYSM, THEY LOOK SO COOL!!!!

I love the details on clothing folds, and expressions are on top omgosh ✨✨✨

Also most accurate noses ever YASS!!

[maplespicetea]

ghhhrhgrhrhh

[boybun]

You reblogged something about putting boys in stocks and milking them and it awoke something feral in me. Now I wanna put you in a stockade, rip your shirt off to expose your nipples and hook you up to a milker to get a rhythm going, then pull your pants down to your ankles and get between your legs and suck your t-dick to see how long it'll take before I have a nice, newly broken, bunny for me to toy with.

Hope you have a good last day of edging!

ohhh my god 😵‍💫💕💕 ah, the days of edging was a bit ago anon, u might have seen an old post 🫣

but holy fuck 💕💕 my nipples always make me such a whiny slut, i need to get milked like this for real, and then sucked off too omg, it would probably actually break me 😵‍💫😵‍💫😵‍💫

[choccy-milky]

seb wants to be pet, too 😤💕 ((TYSM to @angel-fr0m-venus for asking how seb would react to clora petting all the cats around the school/hogsmeade BAHAHA. like a neglected puppy, thats how🐶))

[bbutterflies]

(sketch request) one Carapace showing off his music to Chat Noir please 🥺

they r also in love 🥰🥰🥰

[str4wberryswisherr]

May we get blessed with a picture of you tonight gorgeous 🥰

[luckyashes-art]

Yeah writing is definitely scary when you think you’re not good at it. As someone who’s not the greatest themselves, I promise you that people will enjoy your works! Even if it’s just one like or kudos, you positively impacted one person at least.

So write whatever the hell you want and people will be there!

Bed

TRUE 😢😢😢‼️‼️‼️

I feel like that point really stands when apparently in the past, I wrote a fic in 2 hours w/ no beta reading and it's like. My most liked fic OWJDKSJD

I guess I just fret over like, the contents of the story. It's like, I'll have this single or broad idea- And then I just have to figure out how to get to point A to point B 💀 all while holding myself to a certain standard and wanting to make sure it's captivating

GRRAAUGHH BUT I GOTTA SAY FUCK IT WE BALL!!

[tarta-de-limon]

It's always a good day when you post! You were my first art/batman related blog I followed when first getting into this media 😌🥲 thank you 🫵🏻 for being a real one 🫶🏻

OMGGG, THANKS TO YOU 😭👐‼️💖💖💖 I started posting without really thinking anyone at all would see my art, so receiving this type of ask always makes me feel so happy 😭👐‼️‼️‼️💖‼️💖‼️💖