writing-lily

[writing-lily]

First, regarding your question on the appeal:

I can't speak for everyone, as I'm not active in many servers to begin with. However, I think the initial appeal is that chance to peek beyond the curtain, see an author in action behind the scenes. To get more direct engagement with the author as well, in ways that feel more personal than through comment threads.

Then there's the appeal of having a line of easy communication with others who also like fic, something I know I personally have difficulty finding in person. Depending on the server, of course, but many are places where you can talk about fic you like, fic you're writing, or other matters. And not only does it provide a place to soundboard off others, but you might find yourself developing friendships with folks.

I personally would be a very extreme example of this, given I ended up meeting my current partner through one such discord server. Love finds a way, I guess haha.

What these servers are like:

Again, I can't speak for all of them, but the main fanfic discord server that I'm active in was originally made by an author on AO3 who wanted to create a space fostering an open dialogue between them and their readers, and also give opportunities for sneak peaks of their fic or ideas for a story before posting an update.

A good majority of folks are silent lurkers, there for little morsel tidbits the author shares or just to get early notice when a new chapter is uploaded.

Then there's the active members. The server isn't active 24/7, as we have folks of many ages, job statuses, or nationality, but there are times where the beehive gets disturbed so-to-speak, and really comes alive. Most recently this happened when DA:V was finally released.

Nearly four years after it was made, this server has evolved from its origins of just a place for fans of the author to get sneak peeks. Now, there's a wide list of different channels in our sever, like hmmm. Subforums, perhaps? That's the best way I can try and parallel it to with something more "dinosaur"

We've got artists posting their works in the art channel, video game enthusiasts chattering in the games channel, a channel to vent and seek advice, to name a few. We have channels to talk about all the different fic we've read, sharing them for those interested. such as your own, on occasion

Several of the active members also write their own fic, and new channels were made for folks to brainstorm, ask for advice, request critique, talk their processes out, and more. It's gotten to the point that Z(the author who made the server) even ended up making a collection on AO3 that folks from the server can add their fic to!

Thankfully, this particular server isn't as violently active as a big-time twitch chat. It's mostly super laid-back, but it has its moments from time to time. When people do get enthusiastic, it can a tad overwhelming for some ppl.

But!! You can mute whole servers or individual channels whenever you want. I don't usually mute the whole server, but sometimes I'll temporarily mute specific chats when they get into topics I'm not familiar with lol. (sorry friends, no matter how much you talk ASOIAF/HOTD I'll never comprehend it)

I hope this satisfied your curiosity at least a little!

If you have any further questions, I'm down to answer! Sorry this was so wordy, I've been on a writing binge today and its infected me LOL

Heck, if you want I can even give you a link to the main discord I'm in so you can see for yourself. There's never any pressure to chat though, if you just want to be a passive observer.

Again, all up to you. But I hope this was a good explanation of why some folks like myself join fic discords.

I am old and require assistance.

Originally a reply, but I’m so curious.

I require young people, or at least people who are not so dinosaur-coded as I.

The existence of discord servers discussing my work at all is bewildering - I am too old to comprehend this new and mysterious type of fandom where people interact with fanworks in shadowed coteries. Cloisters? Cells?

What is the appeal? In my day, you invaded the replies to the fic in ever nesting comments that became headache-inducing to untangle, but you also copy/pasted some of the really good discourse into a word doc. Or your livejournal.

There are several fics where I am an avid, nigh-on-feral commenter. The communication is surely part of the point of posting fanfiction at all, or else you’d just keep it in your docs forever. Is this out of fashion?

What are these servers like? Is it like a giant room where lots of folk are shouting, the way twitch chat makes me…well, twitch? Or is it like an exclusive book club where you share fics and leave cheese emojis that pair with your selection?

[writing-lily]

Trampolining off of my previous post here,

I made a rough visual of the schedule all Slytherin First-Years received in my fic.

I imagine that Snape hand-writes each unique schedule and then just uses copying charms to make the quantity he needs for each. So the handwriting on this is not accurate based on how I imagine his penmanship looks but it'll have to do.

[Image ID:] A simple depiction of the Slytherin first-year class schedule. Black pseudo-cursive font on slightly aged looking parchment paper with a folded crease down the middle, hamburger style, It's split into three sections of writing, as follows:

Mealtimes

Applicable every day, times do not change

Breakfast at 7:00am-9:00am Lunch at 12:30pm-2:00pm Dinner from 6:00pm-8:00pm

Orientation Week

Applicable only the first week of classes

Wednesday History of Magic 11:00am - 12:30pm Astronomy 11:00pm - 1:00am Thursday Transfiguration 9:30am - 11:00am Defense Against the Dark Arts 2:15 pm - 3:45 pm Charms 4:15pm - 5:45pm Friday Potions 9:00am - 11:00am Flying 2:15pm - 4:15pm Herbology 4:30pm - 5:30pm

Regular Schedule

Monday History of Magic 11:00am - 12:30pm Defense Against the Dark Arts 2:15 pm - 3:45 pm Herbology 4:30pm - 5:30pm Tuesday Transfiguration 9:30am - 11:00am Charms 4:15pm - 5:45pm Wednesday History of Magic 11:00am - 12:30pm Defense Against the Dark Arts 2:15 pm - 3:45 pm Herbology 4:30pm - 5:30pm Astronomy 11:00pm - 1:00am Thursday Transfiguration 9:30am - 11:00am Charms 4:15pm - 5:45pm Friday Potions 9:00am - 11:00am Flying 2:15pm - 4:15pm Herbology 4:30pm - 5:30pm

[/End Image ID]

[writing-lily]

TWOM Tidbits

So I just finished a bit ago the rough draft for my next chapter of TWOM. Nearly half of it had been written over the course of two days on a beach. Honestly I could have written more on the beach if not for a few factors:

I was driving to the beach each day, this took 2 hours one-way unless I took the ferry in which case it took anywhere from 2-3 hours depending on ferry wait times. So I was in the car for more than eight hours in two days.

I was arriving several hours before high tide, and since this was a beach where you can park your car on it, I kept having to get out of the back (where I was writing, facing the ocean) and pulling my car forwards as the tide rolled in.

By the nature of beaches including air filled with very fine sand, I elected to leave my laptop at home. As a result, since I still needed to be able to read my fic's outline, I had to make my actual rough draft on paper. I also sometimes paused to draw out ideas for the fic. This slowed down my ability to write just a tad lmao. Case in point, see below for two examples:

[Image ID:] Two pictures of an open binder of papers. Both images follow the same layout, the right pages in each image have paragraphs of rough draft content written on them, while the left have a blurb "IDEAS: Magic depletion causes you to start feeling cold bc magic is warm since its a form of energy" and a drawing of the top view of the Slytherin Common room in the first image and a drawing of the fireplace in the common room in the second image. [/End Image ID]

I finished up digitalizing those notes today before taking the time to finish the chapter and then move on to drafting the next.

All in all, it's been a productive weekend indeed. Productive, and a vibe. I really enjoyed myself and plan to try and do more writing outside of the house, I think it would be a lovely experience to try next with a library, coffee shop, or even a park!

[writing-lily]

TWOM Tidbits

I think its so funny that when I started outlining the rest of Harris' first-year that it went from just basic plot point notes at the start to full on word-for-word dialogue getting planned out at the end. I am not good at sticking to the basics LMAO.

To be fair though, that's what I love about outlining my ideas in the first place. I can be as light on the detail as possible or as in-depth as my mind wishes, which means I can ensure my ideas are written down before I forget and give myself the ability to skip ahead if I can't figure out the specifics for any particular moment.

Plus, because it's an outline, there isn't the pressure to make sure things are perfect! I can write points like:

The VERY Start

SI dies

SI wakes up

SI connects the dots (I’m HP, in a HP Canon-Divergent AU, etc)

On the train to Hogwarts - flashback to Pre-Hogwarts Childhood

Hogwarts Letter Childhood (7/24)  -> August 30 (day before Sep. 1(sunday), aka when they take train to hogwarts)

End flashback, Train time

and that's good enough! I can go back and add more detail if I'm inspired later, or I can just use it as a good starting point when I finally get to drafting. Conversely, I can also write points like this:

The ride takes them through a tunnel in the cliff side that the castle rested on, obscured from vision by a thick curtain of ivy.

The tunnel is dark but slightly lit by occasional candles, along a very thin ledge. Harris wonders how they’re maintained and then guesses that with the size of the ledge, perhaps it was house elves

They arrive at an underground harbor, and everyone gets off the boats onto the rocky/pebbly shore. The boats, upon being emptied of students, row themselves over to what appeared to be a set of docks specifically for their storage outside for the rest of the year.

They’re lead through another tunnel through the rocky underground, the ground slightly slippery so a few students stumble or almost slip. Eventually they arrive out in the main courtyard of the school, in front of the grand main doors to the school.

And that's also just fine! On one hand it's less drafting I'd have to do when I finally get to writing the chapter, but also because it's an outline again I don't feel the pressure to ensure everything flows perfectly so I can do full blurbs like that or I can put in tidbits I'm inspired to write without worrying about connectors.

Anyways first year is going to be interesting, a lot of exposition this year giving you more perspective on both Harris and the world he's in and how it's different from canon or where I've developed it further.

[writing-lily]

Ok so instead of working on the outline like I should have I first spent my day working on completing the time table for Hogwarts First-Year Students in my fic, To the Well Organized Mind. Was this necessary? My brain sure thought it was. My thought process was that the classes at Hogwarts are similar in style scheduling-wise to how it was like at my university.

I will have to develop a calendar for the six other years at some point but right now? Not gonna let myself go down that rabbit hole. I already took enough time out of my day to make this, post it, and all that jazz.

[Image ID:] An agenda-style depiction of the first-year hogwarts students class schedule, covering days Monday through Friday, from 7:00am up until 1:00am.

Meals each day occur at the same time, with Breakfast at 7:00am-9:00am, Lunch at 12:30pm-2:00pm, and Dinner from 6:00pm-8:00pm.

Herbology is the only class occurring thrice a week, for one hour on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Gryffindors and Hufflepuffs attend from 11:30am-12:30pm, while Slytherins and Ravenclaws are from 4:30pm-5:30pm.

History of Magic takes place at the same time as Herbology, except only occurs twice a week for an hour and a half on Mondays and Wednesdays. Slytherins and Ravenclaws attend from 11:00am-12:30pm while Gryffindors and Hufflepuffs are from 4:00pm-5:45pm.

Defense Against the Dark Arts is a unique class, occurring from 2:15pm-3:45pm. Gryffindors and Slytherins have the class on Mondays and Wednesdays while Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs have it on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

Astronomy occurs every Wednesday from 11:00pm until 1:00am for all first-years. It's the one full-year class that exists.

Charms takes place for an hour and a half every Tuesday and Thursday. Gryffindors and Ravenclaws have it from 9:30am-11:00am while Slytherins and Hufflepuffs attend from 4:15pm-5:45pm.

Transfiguration takes place at the same time as Charms, with the house timing switched. So Gryffindors and Ravenclaws attend from 4:15pm-5:45pm, and Slytherins and Hufflepuffs attend from 9:30am-11:00am.

Potions lessons occur for 2 hours every Friday. Gryffindors and Slytherins attend from 9:00am-11:00am, while Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs have the class from 2:15pm-4:15pm.

Flying lessons occur for two hours every Friday for the first month of classes. Gryffindors and Slytherins have the class from 2:15pm-4:15pm, while Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs attend from 9:00am-11:00am. [/End Image ID]

As a closing note, I tried my best to make it so that while two of the houses were in one class, the other two were in another so that they had near-identical schedules in terms of how their days look in an agenda. It did take a bit of finagling to square things out until I was happy. I referenced the books for inspiration but went with what felt right as needed.

[writing-lily]

So I kinda made a google doc to essentially keep a cliff notes version of my fic.

This was initially just for my own benefit (once it gets longer, going back and finding specific things might be tedious when I don't know when things take place). However, I realized with how I made it, it could also be fun for my readers to peek at if they so desire, so I've provided multiple links to the doc for all to view.

Please see below if you're curious! And let me know if you have any questions/comments/feedback/etc.

[writing-lily]

Um. Hi! Welcome to my blog!

No idea how you found it, but you're welcome all the same!

My name is GracefulLily, but you can just call me Lily. I'm a wannabe author on AO3. She/they pronouns are the game, and I am over the age of 25.

My involvement in fandoms are loose, and by that I mean I'm in a couple of discords for fanfiction and exclusively interact through fanfic otherwise. I'm a big fan of SI and OC-Insert fics, especially when shoving them at various potential dad figures in the form of fictional men. It's a thing, I have no shame in it.

A non-exhaustive list of my fandoms:

Ghost Hunt (Underrated anime, needs more love tbh)

MXTX works (SVSSS, MDZS, and TGCF)

Hoyoverse Games (Genshin Impact and Honkai: Star Rail)

Dragon Age Series

Star Wars (Prequel Trilogy, Original Trilogy, Jedi Apprentice books, and The Mandalorian mostly)

Danny Phantom

Batman

BNHA/MHA

Hannibal (NBC TV series)

Percy Jackson

I made this blog with the hopes of getting myself more enthusiastic with fanfic or fandom stuff, please do not hesitate to reach out to me through my asks, whether to talk fic ideas, ask me questions, and more!