simonsquest

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Chapter 64 of The Requiem for Simon Belmont is now published on AO3.

CONTENT WARNINGS FOR THIS CHAPTER: mention of severed head

CHAPTER 64 SUMMARY: A family reunion.

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It's been awhile since I drew some Conan reference sketches.

Tagging in an abundance of caution. cw: anatomy sketches

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Today's the day - it's been a year since I shared the very first chapter of The Requiem for Simon Belmont on AO3.

I've been quite busy irl so I haven't had the opportunity to work on any of the wonderful suggestions to celebrate just yet. Hopefully I can make time, but my schedule is jam-packed for the next three weeks, hah... (thank you in advance for your patience re: chapter 64, too, as a result)

But for the moment, I'd love to take the opportunity to give my thanks to those of you who have been following along for such a long time. As much as it is a labor of love for me to produce a year's worth of chapters (63 as of this post, and over 400 pages on my word doc, lol), it's equally a significant milestone and testament for those of you who have continued to endure and support this work. I'm honoured that so many of you gave it a chance at all, and I'm grateful every day for the enthusiasm and kindness you've shown me over this year. It's no exaggeration when I say it really positively impacted my life, and granted me the opportunity to grow as a creative in various mediums.

So, thank you! :)

Here's to the remaining chapters ahead. I'm really giving it my all.

It'll be TRFSB's 1-year publishing anniversary on June 11th. :) I'd like to do something to celebrate it, and give thanks to those of you who have been following the journey for a whole year! Do you have any suggestions? Thanks in advance.

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Castlevania by immarart

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[ Castlevania ] "Awakening in the Moonlight"

P.S. New Alucard 'skin', hehe!

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2 and 14

2. talk about a notable time a narrative or character has looked you dead in the eyes and said “fuck your plan, here’s what we’re actually doing.” The argument between Simon and Laurent in chapter 57.

My goodness - Simon’s rage really pulled out some lines that I wasn’t intending him to use, and they almost felt too out of character. But it was supposed to be OOC, in a way - very much driven by self-loathing and shame and guilt and it all boiled over into this wonderful exchange that I really struggled to retort via Laurent’s lines, lol.

Similarly, an exchange to come between Claude and Laurent… like father, like son, I suppose… lmao (I’ll attach a hint of my barebones draft under the read more if you’re interested.)

14. what’s your worst writing habit?  My vocabulary is so incredibly limited, lol, and I do very little to challenge it. And because I write these chapters sequentially over the span of weeks, I don’t always notice until too late. If you read some of the chapters back-to-back, it becomes obvious that I use too many of the same expressions or words.

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1, 6, 9, 11, 17, 31, 58, be back for more

1. do you know how you want the story to end when you start, or are you just stumbling through the figurative wilderness hoping to find a road?

I’ve always known how I wanted the “true” ending of TRFSB to go down. I think I mentioned in a previous ask that it was originally going to be split into three different endings, depending on the reader’s choice. But there was one that really stood out to me. In the end, it will be that one true ending.

But it is just as much me stumbling through the figurative wilderness hoping to find a road to get me there, lol!

6. do you have any kind of consistent writing schedule or just hoping for the best?

I try to write a little each day after work. But that usually devolves to just thinking about it instead of writing it, especially contingent on my energy levels/how my work day went. At this point, I hope for the best, but I’m at the mercy of when inspiration strikes/my personal energy level. It’s been rough irl lately, but I would really love to go back to a more consistent schedule…

9. in an ideal world where you’re already super successful and published, would you want to see a tv or movie adaptation of your work? why or why not?

GOD. YES. PLEASE. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE I see TRFSB as a tv show, film, or even stage play in my mind. I feel like that’s reflected in how I write (present-tense, physical action-oriented, like an actor’s stage directions), for better or for worse. It’s a shame because I cannot storyboard to save my life but I really do see it through that sort of lens.

I would give anything to see it adapted as a 2d animation. I’d be happy with anything, even if it wasn’t perfect or exactly how I intended. I would just lose my marbles to see my beloved characters move and talk and fight and love and suffer and just thinking about the casting choices for their actors I sajfbsdjfnjsnfak. Bonus points if I could be creative director and have the say on those decisions… that would truly be a dream come true.

11. what’s something neat you’ve learned while doing research for something you were writing? also, how much do you worry about doing research in general?

I went down a rabbit hole with my partner trying to research the origin of “Ghulash” being the widely-accepted name in fandom for the town of Yomi. It puzzled me because in-game in both the original and localized languages it was “Yomi”, and even in the Nintendo Power map, too!

After a lot of digging and going through the wayback machine, my partner and I found the first online recorded use of the word “Ghulash” - in a walkthrough from 1997 (I think it was on GameFAQs?). It was the first walkthrough on the site for Simon’s Quest.

If my memory serves me correctly, it’s the same walkthrough that referred to Doina as “Fetra”, too.

We resolved it was derived from that. Neat, huh? :D

I worry about research and conveying accuracy more than I should tbh hahaha. I agonize over the details. I want it to be as faithful as possible to my utter detriment. I’m sure nobody is paying that close attention to the kind of things I agonize over, like how much time has passed between past chapters. :P

17. what is your favorite line you’ve ever written?

I really can’t think of one. I guess I’ll use this line, from chapters 30 and 51: The clock tower in the distance sounds its poignant toll under the glow of an ungodly blood-red moon.

31. tell us about one of your characters who’s an absolute joy to write

I miss Gabriel every day of my damn life, lmao. He was so effortless. So funny, so charming! I loved thinking about his physicality and role as mediator in this ever-darkening gloom of a plot.

And Mathieu, too - there were a lot of moments where it was just nice to cut through all of the weight with this young boy being wholesome and inquisitive and a bit naive.

Both characters really allowed the main cast to reveal unique parts of themselves and they’re vitally important.

58. what is the last thing that a fic made you google when you were writing it?

Judgment day. :^)

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For the ask game: 4 and 13 :)

4. what is the plot bunny you’ve been carrying for the longest? optional bonus question: do you ever wonder why you haven’t written it yet and experience deep existential dread? I’m happy to report that TRFSB is a plot bunny I’ve held onto for a long long time that I’m trying to see through to the end. I’ve probably been thinking about "Simon Belmont’s No Good Very Bad Day, Month, Year, Life" in some form or another for years. I’m not sure what inspired me to finally take the plunge, actually, haha!

13. talk about a writing experience that has pleasantly surprised you. It’s been cool to see my tone evolve over time. It’s a shame, in a way, that my older chapters are so lacklustre/simple by comparison. But I’ll try to focus instead on it being indicative of growth and finding my own style. :) So that’s pretty cool!

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5, 22, 44 :>

5. have you ever made a playlist about something you were writing as an elaborate means to procrastinate when you could have been actually writing and if yes drop a link, son YES! I have a 150+ track TRFSB-inspired playlist that I’ve been meaning to compile and share. I’ll try to do that this weekend if my schedule allows. It’s so great for daydreaming. :^)

22. describe your writing process from scratch to finish. Step 1 - daydream about the big, high-stakes moments Step 2 - jot down beats for the scenes that I’m daydreaming about (usually dialogue, or specific body language, just to get it on paper and capture the essence of what I want to evoke) Step 3 - agonize for months trying to make an entire story around the big, high-stakes moments in order to justify it being both Big and High-Stakes Step 4 - finally make a five-page outline too late into the process that I will inevitably tweak even though it’s supposed to be a source of truth Step 5 - cry, probably Step 6 - miss deadlines (very important to the process, you see) Step 7 - finally sit down and try to write the damn thing, headphones on, for a few hours Step 8 - think it’s absolute garbage, put it away for a few days b/c I can’t bear to look at it, truly feel like I’m in over my head and I’ve written myself into a corner and I cannot think of how to get over the hurdle Step 9 - come back to it begrudgingly because it needs to get done, only to realize it’s not that bad, and I choose to build off of it instead of re-writing from the beginning Step 10 - “finish” writing the chapter, but hold on publishing - I always go back to it the next day for final adjustments and fresh eyes Step 11 - read the finalized chapter aloud to my incredibly patient and wonderful partner Step 12 - they poke holes through my plot inconsistencies or areas that need clarification Step 13 - I spend the rest of the day trying to meet their feedback halfway because at this point I just want the chapter to be done so I can move onto the next Step 14 - more often than not, I just say “oh well, it’s good enough” and/or “they can’t all be ground-breaking” and publish anyway Step 15 - after publishing, refresh my AO3 and Tumblr like a madman in bated anticipation for my wonderful regulars to see the chapter and hope with all my heart that it’s been worth the wait

Alternatively: Step 1 - think about the blorbo in situations Step 2 - ??? Step 3 - profit

44. any writing advice you want to share? I’ll offer some advice that I don’t often follow, lol: allow yourself to read/consume/watch/listen to other content that’s outside of your project. Bonus points if it can be loosely related to your project. It’ll inspire you and challenge you to use new language, new approaches, new ideas. I don’t follow this advice as much as I should. (I can’t remember the last time I read a physical book… and I wouldn’t say the Worlds of Power Simon’s Quest book counts…)

But discovering the Jekyll and Hyde musical recently awakened some fierce inspiration in me. (Thanks again, Maria!)

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ask game for fanfic writers

do you know how you want the story to end when you start, or are you just stumbling through the figurative wilderness hoping to find a road?

talk about a notable time a narrative or character has looked you dead in the eyes and said “fuck your plan, here’s what we’re actually doing.”

on a scale of 1-10 how much do you enjoy incorporating romance into the average story?

what is the plot bunny you’ve been carrying for the longest? optional bonus question: do you ever wonder why you haven’t written it yet and experience deep existential dread?

have you ever made a playlist about something you were writing as an elaborate means to procrastinate when you could have been actually writing and if yes drop a link, son

do you have any kind of consistent writing schedule or just hoping for the best?

tell us about the plot of the first fanfic you ever wrote

what’s your relationship with constructive criticism and feedback like? do you seek it out? how well do you take it?

in an ideal world where you’re already super successful and published, would you want to see a tv or movie adaptation of your work? why or why not?

at what point in the process do you come up with titles, and how easy or hard is that for you?

what’s something neat you’ve learned while doing research for something you were writing? also, how much do you worry about doing research in general?

do you ever have trouble focusing on writing? how do you get around that? 

talk about a writing experience that has pleasantly surprised you.

what’s your worst writing habit? 

where do you share your writing?

where is your favorite place to write?

what is your favorite line you’ve ever written?

what is your most and least favorite part of writing?

what are some books or authors that influenced your style the most?

what is your favorite trope to write?

pick a writer to co-write a book with and tell us what you’d write about.

describe your writing process from scratch to finish.

how do you deal with writers block?

on average, how much writing do you get done in a day?

what’s your revision or rewriting process like?

do you like to write one-shots or series, and why?

do you share rough drafts or do you wait until it’s all polished? 28. And who do you share them with?

handwritten notes or typed notes?

give us a spoiler for one of your stories.

most inspirational quote you’ve ever read or heard that’s still important to you.

tell us about one of your characters who’s an absolute joy to write

do characters influence your writing style?

do you start with the characters or the plot when writing?

how do you name characters and places?

tell us about a character who’s very different than you who you love a whole lot

do you base your characters of real people or not? If so, tell us about one.

when creating characters, what comes first: appearance, backstory, motivation, personality, something else?

how many stories do you work on at one time?

are you an avid reader?

best piece of feedback you’ve ever gotten.

what is the weirdest story idea you’ve ever had.

describe the aesthetic of a story in 5 words.

how did writing change you?

any writing advice you want to share?

name three of your favorite fanfic writers.

what time are you the most productive when it comes to writing?

what story are you most proud of?

do you reread your own stories?

do you want to be published some day?

do you plan or do you write whatever comes to your mind?

share the synopsis of a story you work on that you haven’t published yet

how many unfinished ideas/stories are you working on at the same time?

when writing, do you have an outline? and do you stick to it?

what’s a common writing tip that you almost always follow?

do you have any abandoned WIP’s? What made you abandon them?

five years from now, where do you see yourself as a writer?

what is the last thing that a fic made you google when you were reading it?

what is the last thing that a fic made you google when you were writing it?

where is the most dangerous place that you’ve read fic?

where is the most dangerous place that you’ve written fic?

what was the first commercial property (book/movie/tv show/etc) that you realized was actually professional fanfiction?

what’s the weirdest reason you’ve ever shipped something?

what’s the best insult you’ve read in a fic?

what is your favourite title for a fic you’ve read? 

what is your favourite title for a fic you’ve written? 

when have you felt the most confident in your writing? 

when have you felt the least confident?

how long will you spend on a story or scene before you give up?

how do you write emotional scenes? do you ever feel what the characters feel?

are you very critical of your own writing? how much do you find yourself editing (either during the writing or after the fact)?

how do you balance writing and life? do you ever feel overwhelmed by the amount of writing you have to do?

what do you do if a scene gets too serious?

how do you visualize scenes? do you see it like a movie in your head, or do the words just flow?

are you a planner, pantser, or planster?

do you know how your story ends before you start writing?

what is one essential thing to remember when writing a villain? 

how do you write kissing scenes?

how do you choose where to end a chapter?

are you an over-writer, under-writer, or just-right-er?

do you try to put themes, motifs, messages, morals, etc in your writing? if so, how do you go about it?

if you could go back in time and give your younger self a piece of writing advice specific to you, what would it be?

“proper” punctuation or all lowercase?

less is more or more is more?

said: overused or underused?

what would be on a moodboard for your current wip(s)?

which season best matches the mood of your wip(s)?

does your writing style change depending on the genre you write?

if you could have another author write your wip for you (bc we all dream of this occasionally), who would it be?

sarcastic narrators: entertaining or overdone?

do you notice your own voice in your writing style?

how has your writing style changed over the years?

first, second, or third person?

do you hear other people’s writing styles when they talk?

do you prefer dialogue or description?

do you describe a character’s appearance all right away or in pieces?

romantic/social sideplots: interesting or irritating?

abstract or detailed romance scenes?

what don’t you like about your writing style?

was being a writer a dream of yours when you were little? or did it spring up when your older? or is it just a hobby? 

open question to the writer.

a compiled list of asks for me to reference. they are not my own. just some of my favorite questions i’ve picked out from a couple different lists. feel free to reblog and use too!!

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Castlevania 2: Simon’s Quest Article Nintendo Power, September/October 1988 issue.

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!!!

100 kudos! What an awesome milestone, especially as we're approaching the one-year anniversary! Thank you very, VERY much! :D

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It'll be TRFSB's 1-year publishing anniversary on June 11th. :) I'd like to do something to celebrate it, and give thanks to those of you who have been following the journey for a whole year! Do you have any suggestions? Thanks in advance.

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WIP

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Given that TRFSB is a Simon's Quest-centric fic, the whole thing is a game reference. But there may be some references from the game that aren't as obvious to a reader, but were intentional choices by me. I'll compile them here. :)

First, the map. All of the locations from the fic, and their placement in approximation to one another, is based entirely on the map from Nintendo Power. I've shared this once before in an older post when I was only 40 chapters in. I've since updated it below. This is the route Simon takes on his quest in the present-day chapters. :)

See more fun facts under the cut.

In Chapter 7, Aljiba, Simon is pulled into the water while crossing Yuba Lake, and emerges in Rover Mansion in the following chapter. This is a reference to kneeling with the blue crystal by the water to reveal the underwater path to Rover mansion.

In Chapter 16, Laruba, we're introduced to Simon's use of laurels as anti-poison. In-game, laurels grant temporary invincibility, and they're used to cross poisonous marshes.

Also in Chapter 16 - Vampira's face twisting is a reference to how her mask looks in-game.

In Chapter 28, Yomi, Simon hallucinates speaking to an elderly woman. Her dialogue is actually inspired by a Castlevania 2 romhack I played earlier last year. You can get this dialogue by speaking to her after collecting all of Dracula's parts. It really impacted me!

In Chapter 40, Ondol, Simon gets the Morning Star whip upgrade from a vampire hunter. In-game, he can get the Morning Star upgrade from a salesman within the same town.

In Chapter 48, Alba, the woman who approaches and "flirts" with Simon uses dialogue from the game.

In Chapter 52, The Dead River, Simon reveals the heart to the ferryman. In-game, you have to equip the heart before speaking to the ferryman in order to be taken to Brahm mansion.

In Chapter 55, this line of internal dialogue references the in-game track titled The Silence of the Daylight:

For the whip to resonate and draw Laurent to this holy place stirs a rage in him he didn’t think possible. What wretched foe dares to walk upon the graves of his respected ancestors? In the silence of the daylight, no less?

In Chapter 56, Brahm Mansion, Simon doesn't fight Death. In-game, you can just walk under him and not engage and still get Dracula's eye.

Additionally in Chapter 56, Simon gets the Golden Knife item - it's "dropped" beside him. That's a reference to Death dropping the same weapon if you *do* defeat him in-game.

In the fic, Simon uses a dagger to stab the orbs in the mansions. He uses single-use stakes in-game, and I opted for his dagger subweapon more for convenience/re-usability more than anything. But the stabbing is the same! :P

Simon's injury through his back is a direct reference to him getting his curse wound on his back from the Japanese manual. (I just took liberties with how brutal of an injury it was, hahaha.)

I'll add onto this as more potentially obscure references come up. :)