#(its not really burnout its just. writers block i guess? can you even have that for an askblog?)

[posts-from-employee-427]

Do I even have an apartment to go to?

I swear I had memories of one. Did I make those up or???

Maybe I just. Need to ask him. It's a dangerous question but I'm really struggling right now to figure out what memories are real and which I made up. Happens after god-knows-how-long stuck in. All that.

[demonslayedher]

How you doing Buri Senpai !!

Personal question…. How do you manage to get out of your art/writing block/ burnout ? You are an incredible artist and writer and i wish to be like you someday❤️

(///￣ ￣///) Thank you, Anon. Like most other people who do any sort of creative work, I am constantly seeking validation. I don’t think that ever goes away. That is why I’ll give you the truth, I get a lot of happy chemicals from making KnY fanwork, at the expense of any other creative work I could be doing.

There’s lots and lots of discussion out there on what leads to creative burnout and how perfectionism kills success by preventing someone from even starting a project, and anyone who has ever worked hard on something only to feel it met with a disappointing response can tell you about the heartbreak of feeling like none of your efforts are worth anything. It’s very easy to say “write for you, draw what you want, fandom should be fun” but we all know that sometimes it’s not. That’s the best advice I think is out there, though, so I’m just going to expand a bit.

…I tried, but my answers all kept getting rambly. ლ(¯ロ¯"ლ)

The truth is that KnY is escapism for me and that is why I create so much of it!! For as long as I’m busy with this, and getting dopamine from making fanwork, my projects I’m willing to tell people about in real life are going to continue to get ignored! O ho ho! I fear failure!! I know they won’t be perfect and that is why I do not wish to create them in the first place! I do not wish to be judged as imperfect!!! Ohhh, ho ho ho ho! O-o-o-o-hhhhhh ho ho ho ho!

Ah. But that’s probably a big reason why I create so much KnY content: the stakes are lower than other things I might wish to accomplish. Since I don’t have any high expectations of my art anymore I can allow myself to relax with it and accept its wonkiness as part of it, if anything, that’s in the spirit of the original manga, right? Also, I’m practiced enough with my drawing that even though I don’t know proper drawing technique, I can intuitively go about bringing a lot of things from my head to paper, so that makes it something I do to relax.

While I have given myself permission to be lazy with art for the sake of enjoying it, I do still harbor the same childhood dream of getting published, even though my understanding of that now comes with vague knowledge of all the burn-outable activities that come with (self-promotion, blaaaaargh, please just let me live under a rock). Sometimes, when I realize just how high my KnY-related word count is, I get aggravated with myself for not having poured that power into my own original projects. But failure would feel so much higher with those, so I stick to what I know I can accomplish, as I lo-o-o-ve the feeling of accomplishing things.

But…

Well…

One of the best times I got that feeling was was when I sat down and actually wrote a few manga short stories, beginning to end, with no idea what I was doing. All it really took was a kick in the pants from someone holding me accountable. I had 55 books printed to basically give away to people. I had them all stacked up when they arrived and was stunned at how slim the spines were. All those hours, poured into that small a result, something that could be consumed and forgotten so easily?

But then again, I had something. Something complete, so that if the topic of OCs ever came up, I hand something to hand to someone, to say, “this.”

It was sometime after that when I crushed my first NaNoWriMo attempt by a long-shot (50,000 words? Pfffhaahahaha, when I’m prepared and have my schedule cleared for it, that’s nothing!), and even though that first novel objectively was terrible, it broke me in and made me realize that I could do it. I’ve written three more full drafts of other stories since then, though I was so frustrated with the overhaul second draft of one of them that I quit on it and then, uh, started watching KnY. Teh heh…

But I guess that really is the drive. To have something I can give to someone to say, “This. I have put my thoughts and feelings to form. It’s a form I can share now.” Sure, it’s really nice to imagine having a fandom following or striking it big with a hit or something, but it would never be enough validation, and that sounds like a sure way to get burnt out.

So even in fandom, even when I get other ideas of what might be fun (or just popular?) blog content, at some level I just want to say “I got this idea, I gave it form, please appreciate it.” And, as is the key to most forms of happiness, I’m really, really grateful for the people who bother to read my wordy work, who leave their thoughts, and who take my ideas and run with them and make new ideas from them. My fandom content isn’t made specifically for my own pleasure, I really, really do get joy out of other people finding joy in it, and satisfaction in knowing I put it into a form that can be enjoyed instead of just having it in my own head. It's like my relaxed attitude toward my drawing, though. In order to keep my fandom fun, I keep my expectations in check so that I can still relax and have fun with it. I don't get involved with things that require effort I don't feel like putting in, I don't hold myself responsible for giving anyone else fandom validation either, it's not a give and take economy of praise. When I want to praise you I will dump it on you and you will know it's from the heart. Keeping things relaxed requires boundaries and embracing one's own laziness, so that you can focus on what you really care about.

But the not-as-fun projects that come with high stakes, the ones that keep calling me… they’re out there, and I need to polish my rough areas to answer the call, someday.

I just fear what becoming my best self will entail.

[x-rainflame-x]

Hi there, I know I’m an anon but, can I ask you something? As in, for some advice?

So basically, I have been in a writer’s block for a long time (as in years) and I kept missing writing and feeling like a big part of myself was missing. In those years I had a lot going on in my life, and got an anxiety disorder. In these past months I joined a new fandom, and I’ve been reading lots of fics of it and having lots of ideas to write, most of which were exciting for me to have and think about, but anxiety has been taking its toll on me lately and I keep worrying about worse case scenarios such as, “would I end up burning out on this thing I like if I wrote fics for the main fandom I read fics of?” or “how do people even write I’d probably be the worst writer ever in the fandom compared to everyone else”. You’re a prolific writer so I was wondering, do you ever struggle with these things and have any advice on that? Is it possible to read and write fics for the same fandom and not burn out? Or to regain motivation and enthusiasm after comparing yourself to others? (Because I guess not comparing yourself to others eventually is probably, almost unavoidable). And… do you think the worst case scenarios that we writers fear will happen, end up happening? 😅

Sorry for the length, I really hope this ask is okay to send. Thanks a lot in advance, please take care and stay safe ❤️

You absolutely may! Sure, I can share my limited worldview, and hopefully it will give you some perspective :) A long ask demands a long response, so I have drafted, for your pleasure, a small essay xD

So as you ask this, it’s been almost a year since I‘ve updated either of my multichaps that I’ve got going. I’ve just watched season 2 of Tiger and Bunny and you caught me thinking up oneshot ideas for a fandom that I haven’t written for in roughly a decade three minutes before I saw this ask. Fandom devotion is fine, but not a requirement to write fic c: Burnout happens! It happens when you’ve got a lot going on in your personal/professional life, it happens when you find other hobbies you love, and it happens when you find other fandoms you enjoy.

The comparison game will sap your joy like you wouldn’t believe. There will always be someone better than you and there will always be someone worse, but no one will ever write what you write. They may write the same tropes and the same basic arcs, but no one will interpret that character or write that line in the exact same way you will. You have your own beautiful interpretation, your own unique take to bring to the table. Contentment is not a level you reach, but a daily practice. That doesn’t mean you’re not trying to get better and hone your craft, but it means you can be thankful for where you’re at while working to improve. When you get frustrated with your writing, understand that this just means you are growing and learning to see your own mistakes. It’s a sign of becoming a better writer. Take heart!

I’ve got dozens of fics under my belt, have had way more encouragement than negativity from the beautiful folks on the internet, and I still question my writing abilities every time I open that word doc. I guarantee you that the best writer you know has these thoughts too. Personally, I have to constantly remind myself that my worth does not come from my writing.

Will you be prolific? Will you be consistent? It’s possible, but it’s not a requirement! Will you love these characters and your fandom forever? Probably not, and that’s fine! It’s a hobby, not your life, and the moment it becomes your life I encourage you to step back and reevaluate why you’re here. We’re here for fun! We’re here to play and explore, to have adventures. We’re here to experience the world through someone else’s eyes and to take part in one of the oldest and most basic parts of humanity: telling stories.

What’s the worst thing that could happen if you just stopped updating? What’s the worst thing that could happen if you burned out on your fandom? The world will keep spinning. Someone will miss your updates, you might “miss” updating, someone might leave a demanding comment, but I guarantee it’s all survivable. At the end of the day though, only you can decide if it’s worth the risk.

Just be careful about where you are searching for your value, because I promise that nothing you find in fandom or in this silly world will satisfy. Worst case scenarios are unlikely, and yet, they happen all the time. But it will all come back to: why are you writing? If it’s because it brings you joy, then please write, because this world needs more joy.

So find your fandom friends and encouragers, find community. Brainstorm and role play. Write multichaps or flash fiction, write haiku or oneshots, write for one fandom or for a different fandom every Tuesday, throw out six chapters and never update again, but don’t forget to have fun 💜

[silvysartfulness]

I got tagged by @ameliarating and @veliseraptor to do this writer meme thing!

How many works do you have on AO3?

Six. I only started posting fic on AO3 last year. Before that, many long years ago, I used my own websites and LiveJounal.

What’s your total AO3 word count?

177481. The absolute majority of which is of course Heaven Has A Road.

How many fandoms have you written for and what are they?

On AO3, only The Untamed.

But before that, I've written for Disney Afternoon's Aladdin, Slayers, Kingdom Hearts, Assassin's Creed, and one-shot fics for my own original verses as well as my friends'.

What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

Heaven Has A Road But No One Walks It at 1194, unsurprisingly. It's my magnum opus on AO3.

Blanket Statement at 302. The first fic I wrote for the Untamed, and the first thing I posted on AO3 (Thank you, Lise, for holding my hand and walking me through it!)

And To Many More at 169

High Noon In Deserted City at 96, which is sort of funny, since it's just a picture and about 1000 words. But the premise is fun! Still hoping for some hungry writer to adopt it and write something for it. :)

Self-Inflicted at 75.

Which checks out, I guess – the longest fic with the most readers comes first, then the fluff, then the funny and finally the angsty and fucked up. XD

I still suspect The Plotbunny of Doom / The Renegades for Kingdom Hearts would score as my all time highest, though, if LJ likes and comments translated to the AO3 format. That fic took me and two friends three whole years to write together, was 104 chapters long and over 300k.

Do you respond to comments, why or why not?

I really try! Comments mean everything to me, and I want to reply to them all! But when I'm low on spoons (which is unfortunately often) I fall hopelessly behind, and then the catching up becomes an impossible-looking chore in and of itself.

I should really set some time aside every day to catch up on the last few chapters' worth of comments... I do love the interaction and discussion a good comment can spawn!

What’s the fic you’ve written with the angstiest ending?

Hm... I write a ton of angst, but only a few actually have sad endings. I'd say Eaten counts, as does Self-Inflicted, I guess. TPBoD had a very open ending that was still definitely on the somewhat hopeless side.

Do you write crossovers? If so, what is the craziest one you’ve written?

Mm, it's not usually my favourite genre (though I mean, the whole Kingdom Hearts verse is a crossover in and of itself) but it depends a lot on the source material. I guess TPBoD might soft-count, since we tossed in a bunch of non-canon references with all the world-jumping.

Have you ever received hate on a fic?

Not as such? Oh yeah, I do recall getting a very upset comment on a non-con fic I wrote back in the KH days, by someone who couldn't conceive how you could claim to love a character and then write such horrible things happening to them. But you get those occasionally. Look, crushing my favourite characters is therapy. Doesn't mean I don't love them.

The Russian fandom are loudly aggressive in their comments on some chapters of Heaven Has A Road, but that's more focused on the characters, not me personally.

On the whole, I've been pretty spared. But then, there's little point in sending hate; I just block.

Do you write smut? if so what kind?

Oh, absolutely. Haven't really gotten to that point in the posted chapters of Heaven Has A Road yet, but we're about to unleash it aplenty in the upcoming ones.

What kind? Most kinds, I guess? Soft and fluffy, aggressive and snarly, consensual, dubcon, non-con. Mostly mlm but I've written het, too. Can't remember if I've written wlw, but I've certainly headcanoned/drawn it. A bit of kink is nice.

I prefer focusing on the chemistry and sensations when I write porn, rather than detailed physical smacking and squelching and body fluids, but that's just my personal preference and writing style.

Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not that I know of? Not that I can remember? I have my art stolen regularly, and I've had my online identity stolen, but I don't think anyone's stolen anything I've written...

Have you ever had a fic translated?

Yes! Heaven Has A Road is being translated into Russian, and I'm insanely honoured and flattered!

Have you ever co-written a fic before?

Yes – TPBoD aka The Plot Bunny of Doom, aka The Renegades, for Kingdom Hearts. I wrote it over ten years ago together with a friend and my now wife. It was a monster of a fic, I think about 320k, and the fact that we were three people helping and pushing and encouraging each other really helped keep it going!

I don't know if I would have the focus for something like it now, but it was an amazing experience I'll always treasure.

What’s your all time favorite ship?

Oh man, that changes with each hyperfixation... I may have to say Marluxia/Vexen for Kingdom Hearts, simply because it's a ship that's been around in my life for so long. I still occasionally go back to read favourite bits of the fics I wrote for them, including TPBoD.

Currently it's SongXueXiao from The Untamed, of course, and a very strong contender overall! I've dabbled a bit in poly ships before, but this is the first time I have one as my main, and I'm love them.

What’s a WIP that you want to finish but don’t think you ever will?

Uh. I don’t really have any? Because of my burnout-brain, I can only really focus on one major project at a time, and that's currently heaven has A Road. And I'm really, really hoping I will be able to finish it!

It's all plotted out, I just need to write the stupid thing. Working on it.

What are your writing strengths?

Hm, I'd say that I've developed a voice/prose over the years that I'm actually quite happy with! And I'm good at conveying/invoking emotion, if going solely by how many people comment that I've made them cry. :D

I enjoy writing dialogue, and I love working with layers of symbolism.

What are your writing weaknesses?

The actual writing process. 🙄 I'm extremely uneven and unstructured in getting the actual words down. Also convoluted and inflated text at times - sometimes I write a lot of words without actually saying anything. And English is my second language, so just nailing the correct phrasing and grammar can be a headache at times.

What are your thoughts on writing dialogue in other languages in a fic?

If it impacts the plot – like the POV character not understanding it, then maybe. And using terms that can't be translated, absolutely! Other than that, there's little point in making a text harder for the reader to grasp by tossing in whole sections in another language for clout. Is my personal view, at least, of course other writers may disagree.

What was the first fandom you wrote for?

My first online fandom that I wrote fic for was Disney Afternoon's Aladdin show. Before that, I wrote original fic. And before that, before the internet was A Thing, I'd write and draw for stories that captivated me, just for my own entertainment. If you count that, I'd probably say Phantom of the Opera was my first – I had a whole ”everyone is a horse because that's what I know how to draw” AU when I was about 10 or so, that I'd draw lots of pictures for. When I was even younger, I used to make up stories for my younger brothers, based on movies and series we had watched together. I've always been a storyteller, one way or another, if only in my own head. I wouldn't know how not to.

What’s your favorite fic you’ve written?

I would have to say Heaven Has A Road, even though it's still unfinished. It's the first work of that sheer scope I have ever attempted by myself, and I'm honestly insanely proud of myself for what I have accomplished already!

Second would be TPBoD – The Renegades. Even though that was a shared effort, it's a very long fic that we managed to bring all the way to its intended conclusion, and I'm very proud of that, too!

Plus there are bits of both these fics I really like, and that I will go back and read for my own enjoyment occasionally.

tagging: @orodrethsgeek, @ebonykain, @fromaliminalspace, @chigrima, @soawen

[quiznakchronicle]

(1) Not for nothing but I dunno how I feel about all of this recent stuff. I mean yeah there are a butt ton of events being planned and released at once, some of them going on for as long as a month, others that are steeped in discourse while others are just responses to each other. I can even understand some content creators feeling overwhelmed. But lets be frank here. No one is forcing content creators like myself to take part in these events. We choose which events to take part in and when.

2) So if a creator is feeling overwhelmed then they need to cut back on the events they're taking part in and the amount of content they're creating. Creators dont need a week for that. Trust me I know it sucks to have to pick and choose between events when you dont have the time to do them all, but its a much more reasonable option then expecting everyone with an event idea to put off their ideas until next year just because other stuff is going on.

(3) I mean other fandoms do all this same stuff all the time. Prompt weeks, ship months, challengers, zines, big bangs, etc. They often have these events happening at the same time. But in the end content is still created and everyone in the fandom has more content and a better time because of it. I mean I love this blog but lets be real here. You are not going to be able to put every event on this blog the moment its announced.

4) I mean there have been several instances in the past where I've heard of events weeks before they ended up on your blog. This isn't a criticism, its an acknowledgement that you are only one person who cant be reasonably expected to handle the sheer workload of an entire fandoms event schedule. And inevitably there are going to be times when people do look at the schedule to find a time for an event and think they've found one. Except that there is already another event going on at that time-

-that you just haven't found the time to put in yet. Again, I understand the concerns of writer burnout but this is all getting ridiculous. Is it unfair that content creators will have to miss out on some events in favor of others? Yes. But it also not fair to claim that event planners are "overwhelming" creators. I'M a content creator. I've had to deal with multiple event overload. But it was my responsibility to deal with it. Not trying to be mean but if your a content creator and your

and your experienced burnout then you need to cut back on your schedule and TAKE A BREAK. Your health is more important than any event and your self imposed workload is something you have full power over. Only exceptions I can see aside from that would be commissions but thats clearly not what we're talking about here.

I see where you’re coming from, and having also discussed it with a few other people I’m realizing it may have been misguided to suggest blocking a week as a “rest period.” My role with this blog is supposed to be simply tracking events, and I kinda lost sight of that a bit. Like you say, no one is forced to participate in events, and people are free to drop out of stuff if they need to for their health and peace of mind. 

I think the concern I’ve been hearing from people is that so many of the events are so good and interesting that they want to participate in all of them and get upset/disappointed when they literally physically can’t. Or they do sign up for all the events and then they’re either kept ridiculously busy trying to juggle everything or they’re forced to drop out, which is both upsetting for the participant cause they feel guilty for “failing” and frustrating for the organizer cause they have to readjust their plans. Like you say it’s unfair to organizers to tell them “no you can’t do your event” or “you can only do it after X date” but the flipside of that coin is telling creators “here are (example) 5 events that are super cool and right up your alley but they’re all on top of each other so you can only do max 2 of them. Good luck and choose wisely.” I understand and agree that it's up to individual people to manage their schedules and their level of participation in fandom according to their other obligations like school and work, as well as their energy levels, and in that vein I’m gonna drop the whole idea of a fandom “rest week.” But I do also understand where people are coming from when they talk about feeling overwhelmed and burning out.

On the subject of months, I have to be honest with you I had never seen a month before in any other fandom, aside from the big general ones like inktober or nanowrimo or femslash February. I’ve since heard from a friend who explained how a month event was successfully organized in the Miraculous Ladybug fandom, but as I understand it the key difference there is they did it where every week had a theme, rather than every day having a prompt. So I’m not saying month events can’t be a viable concept, I’m saying the month events currently being planned in the fandom don’t strike me as a sustainable endeavour, taking into account how they’re set up, the discourse surrounding some of them turning people off, and all the other events already underway.

I don’t know, perhaps it’s because this is the first time I’ve paid such close attention to events in a fandom, but my impression has been that Voltron fandom has an abnormally high number of events. I know that other fandoms also do weeks and big bangs and zines and such, and I’m sure some of them overlap with each other, but do they also suffer from this situation where basically every week between now and March 2018 has anywhere from 2 to 40+ projects going on at once? This is actually a genuine question, I would really appreciate if someone could give me a sense of what the situation is in say the Steven Universe or Yuri on Ice fandoms, etc.

I guess what I’m trying to say is I’ll back off on the whole “imposing a rest week” idea and stick more to simply tracking events like I should’ve been all along, but I do still want to register my concern at the sheer number of events in this fandom.