#1) I was a young writer here. I did not know grammar. like. at all

[alexazucchie]

STH Rarepair Week 24 - Day 1 - First Encounter - Amy x Bark

HAHAHA I DID IT

I WROTE IT

FOR THE SWEETIES

Thanks to @sonicrarepairweek2024 for the event that got me writing in English for the first time in my life!! (And to The Art of Letting Go EP by ANA that bangs as hell and kept me alive through the writing process)(I found out this music randomly and it turned out to be great)

The IDW comic shows the first encounter of Amy and Bark (I guess? I read it like a year ago,,, but now I think it did), but I got the vibe and reimagined it. This entire event will be severely vibe-based because I’m still unaware of the most of the Sonic lore :D

Fic under the cut! TW: amateur writing and possible grammar mistakes (I’ll fix it tomorrow after a good sleep)

The sun pours its light down on hills. It’d be hot today if there wasn’t a chilly breeze.

Another gust drags an umbrella from Amy Rose’s hands and makes it float away. She, who’s been trying to set it up, lets out a cry and follows it, but fails to catch it. With her eyes fixed on the umbrella she doesn’t watch her way and almost trips—but bumps into someone soft. 

Amy looks up and sees a bear. He holds the umbrella awkwardly with both hands, like he doesn’t know what to do with it. 

Few moments past, he hands it over to Amy, murmuring, “Here it is, ma’am.” 

“Thank you!” she chirps. “You are so strong—would you please help me to get everything ready for a picnic?” 

Amy’s been waiting for Sonic and Tails. Three of them always have picnics on Sundays, but today they seem to be late.

“We haven’t met, but if you joined us, it’d be a great chance to get to know each other! I’m Amy Rose, and what’s your name?” Amy inquires when watching the bear set up the umbrella effortlessly. 

“Bark. Bark the Polar Bear,” he mumbles in reply. 

He has to go, actually, but he doesn’t know how to put it to not offend the young lady. He’s on a mission—Fang and Bean, need him to complete his part of their plan. How has he ever managed to appear in the girl’s way?.. He sighs into his scarf and kneels to help her.

But it feels nice to unroll the colorful blankets and fill them with all kinds of snacks while listening to Amy’s sweet rumbling. It feels much better than doing what they call mischief-making—as soon as Bark listened to the Hooligan’s plan for today, he didn’t like it, considering it nasty. The girl would be upset to know that he was a part  of something like that.

“Won’t you stick around? Are you sure?” Amy asks when they are done. 

Bark shakes his head and gets up. He is both flustered and strangely happy, and both of the feelings make him want to walk away. 

“Okay… Thank you for the help anyway! I’ll be looking forward to seeing you again!” 

Amy waves goodbye to Bark until he’s not in sight, and soon after that she turns around to Sonic’s loud greeting. 

“Sorry for the lag, Am—we’ve got in a fight with guys who call themselves the Hooligans. Luckily, something went wrong on their side, so we’re here alive and well.”

“I’m just happy to have you here! It’s a pity though that you didn’t see the guy that has just gone away… He was so nice and helped me!”

✨

Thank for reading this far! I’m a better writer, I promise, this piece is mid because I was focused on simply putting words together rather than making it good. But I hope it’s any good! Not too bad for the first time I think!

[cleverqueencommander]

Hello!

So, here are a few things I noticed, and some advice I can give. Remember that this is just what one person (me) thinks and, as you said, that's a draft so you know the final product will be different and some things won't apply.

First of all, you may want to think a bit more about what you wrote and what you want to achieve. Some themes are very delicate and must be treated in the right way, you need to know stuff very well to avoid portraying it in a potentially harmful way, or just writing something in bad taste. Warnings are important, but writing delicate issues in the right way is just as important. Someone may be okay with reading disturbing stuff, but it has to be done right, or it may harm even people who are prepared for it.

That said, the first thing that jumped to my eye in the draft is the way Anxelin is referred to as “the Goth girl“ which, written like that, it makes me think of a surname at best, a badly applied label at worst. Goth is a style, a lifestyle for some, but, even if it was her surname, thrown in like that it reduces the character to a stereotype, which is even worse if you consider the bit is in a third-person internal pov, which means the reader is inside the perspective of the main character even if the third person is used. I get the aim of this technique, this is my preferred way to write too because it allows the character's voice and thought process to show, but it’s dangerous to conflate the writer’s views and the character’s into one, which is the risk with this pov. You have to pick if you want the readers to witness the inside of the character’s mind or if they are supposed to follow your view of things. Therefore, “the Goth girl“ may work in the third person external pov, not in the internal one.

The next issue is the jump between past and present tense, but in a draft it may happen, as long as you decide what to do with it when you revise it.

Now, to the real problems. Anxelin doesn’t feel very Auradonian in this. Even if she was a rebel, which AKs are not quite allowed to be, from her speech I can’t imagine her as anything but a regular commoner teenager… which she isn’t, she’s a princess, she must have been taught a series of things and ingrained a certain way to think and speak. Even admitting Rapunzel and Eugene raised her in a more relaxed way (and from the way she thinks of them it doesn’t seem so), Auradon Prep must have had an influence on her behavioral and speech pattern.

The AKs, especially the noble ones, have two main issues very visible in canon: 1) they are tied to the shadows of their famous parents and the reputation that comes from it, hence under a lot of pressure due to expectations; 2) were raised somewhat together in a social structure that tends to level them, their personalities and behaviors, which means they more or less all think alike.

This Anxelin can move from those issues: 1) she wants to get out the shadow by contrast, but to do that and not be a carbon copy of her parents she’d have to not do what they do or did. Assuming they are fully into the role of good rulers who abide by the laws now, you have to remember Eugene used to be an outlaw while Rapunzel used to obey blindly Mother Gothel, so Anxelin is in a bit of a pinch: to act like her parents used to when young or how are they now? And given they used to be different, which young version of her parents she should emulate/contrast? The answer should be she has to find her own new thing, but there comes the trap: she lives in Auradon and attends Auradon Prep! And this is problem 2: she was raised with all the other AKs, in the same way, they had the same values and stories and education.

If so, why doesn’t she know why Grammar was named so? Grammar is grammar, it teaches you to speak and write correctly, an important skill for a future ruler/diplomat/noble and so forth. Unless she was put in the class for a specific reason: may it be that she usually doesn’t speak the common language of Auradon? Perhaps in Corona they have a specific dialect, but Auradon royals must know the common language so the class serves to eradicate the dialectal tendencies? That would lead to her thinking about how the establishment wants everyone to conform and maybe she could be against it and be angry about that and not the name of the subject?

Still speaking about Auradon Prep students, I observed the girls basically never wear pants, I'm not sure why, it's not openly criticized but it's an open contrast with the VKs style, to say, the only times in D1 we see Mal in skirts is from Family day on, hence when she's trying to conform. Anxelin wearing pants does have a kind of agenda? If so, how did she choose khaki pants of all things? Circling back to the goth style (if that was the intention), khakis are not part of the style, cargo pants usually are. It's a detail that shows a clash between two things you tried to establish, so pick one, or learn the terms you want to use if you plan to describe fashion and clothing in general.

A minor thing is why do you think Fairy Godmother would take the time (or have the time) to personally scold students who do a minor thing like using their phones in class? I believe teachers have enough power of their own (it's canon that Mr. Delay could threaten Evie with expulsion, without mentioning the headmistress!) and could decide to confiscate the phone or assign detention or whatever, which would be worse than a simple scolding.

It could be a nice detail to put in the name of a possible snitch, like Chad because they had a disagreement or an OC known to be particularly annoying and sticker to the rules, it'd add flavor and also would give depth to Anxelin's worry to be found out.

Those are things I could tell off top of my head, of course, there will be more to the actual story, you can try to use what I said to change or develop the draft and apply the same reasonings to the rest of what you want to write (or not, I'm not the boss of you LOL)

All in all, good luck and I wish you happy writing.

Woah, this is alot to stomach here.

[strawberrycamel]

Truth or Dare! 🍓 🕯️ 🛼❄️ (love, redriotinggg)

(Writers Truth & Dare Ask Game)

tysm for the ask! (love u red tyyy <33333)

🍓 how did you get into writing fanfiction? 

started out on FF.net writing Fairy Tail fanfiction! i don't remember quite exactly the 'how', but I read a story or two on FF and then just started to write my own stuff!

went from Fairy Tail -> Young Justice -> Ao3 -> My Hero -> (break) -> Danny Phantom -> One piece (tho i still write for DP tbh dkfjhgdfg) and here we are!

🕯️ on a scale from 1 to 10, how much do you enjoy editing? why is that?

1. hate it hate it hate it. hate it so damn much. worst thing in the world ever. most of the times i give up after cursory spelling and grammar edits bc i hate it so much. it's bc i reread my fic so many times in the process of writing it that having to do it again for actual proper editing after the 'draft' is done, just sucks so hard.

if i'm helping someone else edit though?? 10/10 very fun and love to help with it. sometimes when i've got friends with me helping me edit my own fics it's more bareable but yes. 1. editing my hated archnemesis.

🛼 describe your latest wip with five emojis

🚢🤥🍳🎩🐑

❄️ what's your dream theme/plot for a fic, and who would write it best?

oh god, i dont even know. there's so many good things i'd love.

probably like, a really painful sanuso whump fic, where Sanji's either hurt or otherwise unable to free himself from marines/bounty hunters, and Usopp has to go through so much shit to save him. then in the end having them being all soft and trying to comfort each other and the words aren't working all that well, but it doesn't matter because they're together, with their crew, on Sunny, something that reminds them that it's over and they're going to be fine. eventually.

who would write it best? man, if anyone wrote this at all i'd be so very excited. i looooove reading whump, but i always go at a glacial pace writing it.

[murphysreading]

Star Ratings, Social Media Links, and Other Review Notes

Find me on Twitter and on Reddit.

Here at Murphy's Reading, here's how I classify star ratings:

1 star: I don't recommend this book at all. Likely DNF. I had a lot of issues with the way the book was written. If it was on my bookshelf I'd donate it. If I paid money for it, I'd be miffed.

2 stars: I wouldn't read it again. There may be more potential, but it still needs a lot of work. Possibly DNF. Felt unsatisfied with the book when I finished it, and I'd donate the book the next time I cleaned out my bookshelf.

3 stars: I enjoyed the book. May read again, may not. Still issues, but the parts of the book I didn't like aren't that bad. I can understand why others may like this work more than I did. I likely felt a little unsatisfied with the book when I finished it. On a book-by-book basis, I may keep it or I may donate it.

4 stars: I'd recommend the book to friends and family, or like-minded readers. I'd definitely read it again. I was satisfied with the book when I finished it. I enjoyed it, but there's something about it that holds me back from enjoying it completely. It would stay on my bookshelf.

5 stars: I'd recommend this to everyone, friends and strangers alike. I consider this to be a really well-written book, and it likely emotionally impacted me. I'd be tempted to read it multiple times a year or get the urge to read it from the top again right after finishing. It's very unlikely I'd ever get rid of this book. I may put it in a section on my bookshelf with my other '5 stars' books so the ones that mean the most to me are kept together.

X.5: This means my feelings on a book are a mix of two different star ratings. The book may not fit neatly into one specific rating and will borrow elements from another star. This likely won't be common, but I'll articulate more on what gave it that rating when I'm reviewing the book.

-------

A few notes about my reviews:

I try to keep it spoiler-free outside of designated spoiler posts, but I'm not perfect! I may end up alluding to a twist. I'll try my hardest to avoid it while writing and editing posts but please keep that in mind when reading my reviews.

I'm reviewing books on my personal bookshelf first and foremost, so there may be books you don't have an interest in. I own a lot of books that aren't current mainstream favorites. That means nonfiction, classics, weird books I picked up from the shelves at dollar stores or the local thrift store, etc. I'll be reviewing those too. It's fine if you're not interested in those reviews, I promise I'll be back into YA/mainstream book reviews before you know it! You can give a like/retweet/reblog/upvote/whichever to support my reviews if you'd like, and I'll see you for the next review!

I'll likely comment on actual writing/grammar mechanics as well as just opinions on the plot. I'm a writer as well as a reader, and I'm very passionate about the English language and its literature. These are more there as tips for fellow writers, to help others avoid mistakes that may put a reader off.

I've been always reading SOMETHING pretty much constantly since I was very young. I may say certain twists were obvious when they weren't to you, or dislike certain plot devices that you liked. Don't take it personally! When you read this much it's very common that you can see plot points being set up, or get tired of certain elements. It matters more to me how the plot was executed and what the author chooses to do with it than if I was able to see twists or plotlines coming.

I always include page count and word count if possible. A sizeable chunk of my reading (both growing up and now!) was/is fanfiction, and I like being able to gauge how long a work will take me to read based on the word count. I include these numbers for those who also do this.

[ifyoulovemeletmebinge]

when the mutuals ask, I cannot deny.

@whats-bi-is-dean here it is https://archiveofourown.org/works/24046162#main

[isahorcrux]

london is lonely pt. 5 (a brief interlude from sirius black)

AN: Thank you all again for your lovely comments and support!  Here’s part 5.  I think I’m going to work on migrating this over to ao3, and will let you all know when that’s up and running. In the meantime, here’s part 5.  As always, this isn’t edited and I’m sure there’s a ton of spelling and grammar errors, because this isn’t about perfection, it’s about getting me out of my writer’s block.

Click here to start from the beginning: pt. 1 | pt. 2 | pt. 3 | pt.4

It was too good.  Honestly, Shakespeare couldn’t have thought this up.  Sirius couldn’t believe his luck when he’d spotted the girl Caradoc was bringing over was the girl he’d spotted at the car park the other day.  But then it turned out the car park girl and James were childhood friends?  Kismet!  Sirius wondered if Lily knew that the “James” that she’d texted was the same James in front of her.  He hoped not.  Then this whole thing would be over before it began seeing as James had gracefully bowed out of getting coffee with her not even an hour ago.  No, she couldn’t know, Sirius decided.  James was a decently common name and if she’d known it was him, she would have said who she was, seeing as they knew each other.  So, on with the plan.  He’d have to loop in Peter and Remus eventually, but for now this would have to be a solo mission.  Subtly was the key, after all.

Sirius knew what James had said earlier, about not being ready to get back out there, but Sirius thought that was frankly stupid.  James would avoid dating forever if he wasn’t pushed.  He’d thought Poppy Nichols was endgame after all.  Though, as Sirius watched James strike up a conversation with Lily, maybe this would be easier than he’d thought?

“Can I get you another drink, Evans?”

Fucking Caradoc.  Couldn’t he see the magic happening?  Sirius would have to get rid of him since Caradoc had clearly brought Lily over in hopes of taking her home later.  That wouldn’t do.  Sirius liked Caradoc well enough to hang out with him on weekends, but James was practically his brother.  And James needed this more. 

“I’d love a drink, Caradoc,” Sirius said, “Want to grab us another round?”

Caradoc rounded on Sirius.

“I just got the last round!”

“But you just offered to get Evans a drink!”

Sirius ignored Caradoc’s very pointed look.

“Fine, I’ll get this round.  But you’re coming with me.  No way can I carry six pints at once.”

And before Caradoc could protest, Sirius had seized him by the arm and started pulling him towards the bar.

“What are you playing at?”

“Don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“You just cock blocked me!”

“With who?”

Caradoc looked incredulous.

“With Lily, you muppet!”

“Oh!  I didn’t realize,” Sirius lied,  “I thought you were still seeing that equestrian bird. Sorry, mate.”

Caradoc huffed, “Ended things last week.  Couldn’t stand the smell.”

“Of the horses?”

“Nah, her perfume.  Too sweet.”

“Mmm…”

They’d reached the bar and Sirius went about flagging down Kevin.

“Six pints of Youngs, Kevin!”

“Actually, let’s just do five.”

Kevin nodded and began to fill five glasses.  Sirius turned back to Caradoc.

“Ending the night early, Dearborn?”

“Lily was drinking a gin and tonic.” 

Sirius made to get Kevin’s attention again.

“No, it’s alright.  I’ve got it,” Caradoc turned to Kevin now, “Can we get a Hendricks and tonic too?”

Kevin nodded and moved off to grab the gin.

“She seemed into me, right?”

“Evans?”

“Yeah,” Caradoc continued.

“Dunno, mate. Wasn’t really paying attention,” Sirius lied.

“What do you think the move is then?”

“With Evans?”

“Who else would I be talking about Sirius?”

“Ah, right.  I guess it depends what you want out of it I suppose.”

“Right, yeah.”

Sirius had to handle the next part of their conversation very carefully, which was not something he normally did with conversations, or anything quite frankly.   On the one hand, he didn’t want to encourage Caradoc to go after Lily.  But, on the other hand, he couldn’t be too obvious in steering him away from her.

“Have you even talked to her?”

“Of course I have.  How else would I have gotten her to come with me to the table?”

“Lasso, maybe?”

Caradoc rolled his eyes.

“You’re no help.”

Sirius shrugged as Kevin came back.  After Caradoc paid for Lily’s drink, the pair made their way back to the table, drinks in hand.  As they approached, Sirius noted how much closer Lily and James had gotten while they were gone.  Both of them were grinning like absolute idiots.  Sirius wished he could hold up a mirror to James and tell him, “see, there are other girls that make you laugh.”  Sirius then saw Lily reaching for James’ glasses and putting them on, presumably making fun of his terrible eyesight.  A classic move.  Sirius couldn’t believe his luck.  It didn’t look like he’d actually have to do anything, well aside from keeping Caradoc at bay.

“They look cozy.” Caradoc frowned.

“Probably just reminiscing about their old school days,” Sirius lied again.

Caradoc started to say something else, but Sirius was no longer paying attention.  James, the idiot, was holding out his phone for Lily to presumably put her number in.  No one else, but Sirius knew how potentially dangerous this was.  It was a problem he should have foresaw happening earlier, but perhaps because James hadn’t been in the habit of getting girls’ numbers Sirius forgotten. Regardless, the way Sirius saw it was, as soon as James found out Lily was car park girl and Lily found out James had rejected her, the game was over.  There are some things you couldn’t come back from and a previously rejected date was absolutely one of them.  They needed time to foster whatever this flirtation that was clearly happening before that bomb drop.  He had to do something rash, something bold, something unexpected, something…disastrous.

With several long strides, Sirius quickly made his way back to the table, cuddling the three pints he was holding into the crook of his arm, freeing up his right hand.  Within seconds, James’ phone was on the ground, the screen cracked beyond repair.

“Whoops!”

“Sirius, you prat!”

Sirius took this moment to set down the pints he was awkwardly cradling.  James reached for his phone and attempted to turn it on, though the screen remained dark.  

“Sorry, mate,” Sirius said, though he wasn’t really sorry at all.

“It’s alright,” though he looked a bit glum, looking between Lily and his phone, “Err, I guess I should just give you mine then?”

James held his hand out for Lily’s phone.  Fuck.

“Or,” Sirius jumped in, “Put your number in my phone, Evans.”

“That literally doesn’t make any sense, Padfoot.”

“Oh, are we all swapping numbers then?”

Caradoc was back.  He passed Remus one of the pints he was holding and handed Lily her drink. 

“You’re really determined to have me double parked all night, aren’t you?”

Caradoc laughed, “I’m a firm believer that no drink should ever be empty.”

“How very kind.”

“I’d like to think so,” 

“Anyway” Lily said, “I was just telling James I ought to head back to my friends.  They’ve all been wondering where I’ve gone off too.”

Lily stood up and gathered her drinks.

“Have them come join us,” Caradoc said, “We can find another table.”

“No really, I should head back.  It’s supposed to be a girls night.  Thank you though,” Lily smiled at the group, “It was nice to meet you all.  Nice catching up, Potter.”

“Yeah, nice seeing you Evans.”

And then she was off, making her way back into the pub.  The boys sat back down, passing around pints.

Caradoc took a swig of his drink, before he asked, “So, er, did anyone actually get her number?”

[davidfarland]

I’ve often said that there are ten thousand right ways to write a story. Unfortunately, there are a million wrong ways to do so. That’s why I’ve found when editing stories for anthologies or judging contests, about 90% of them don’t make the first cut. Here are some easy ways to avoid getting rejected.

1. Use proper grammar

If I see that you have a large number of typos, poor grammar, or incorrect punctuation on the first page of a manuscript, I will reject the story. (I lump all such errors into the category of “boogers.” This also includes things like coffee or cat pee stains on manuscripts.) I may forgive one mistake on a first page, or even two, but not three. Small errors suggest sloppy work throughout the tale.

2. Beware of starting your story with profanity, sex, or extreme violence

As an editor and writer, I want my books to appear in national markets. So I want librarians and school teachers to pick up the books and recommend them wholeheartedly. With rare exceptions, books that sell well tend to have something of a PG rating.

Recently I received a story that had a picture of the author attached. She was young. She was gorgeous. She had only three marijuana leaves covering her body. Don’t send me such pictures.

3. Do not write query letters that insult the editor

Letters that suggest that “My property is so much better than anything else you fools have published” will guarantee a rejection.

4. Don’t start off by telling your editor that you are planning a book/movie/video game empire

Some editors will reject a work specifically because it looks “too much like a movie.” I’ve received submissions that contain photos of every star that the author plans to use in his first movie, along with a breakdown of the 400-million dollar budget. I often get such packages with release forms attached, so that I have to promise not to steal the author’s ideas before I open it. I understand that the author is excited, but it really does look silly.

5. In your query letters, do not offer bribes to editors

I once had an editor friend who got a letter with a penny, an aspirin, and a condom in it. The young writer said, “There, I’ve offered you sex, drugs, and money—now will you accept my proposal?” The editor was not amused. On one or two occasions, I have heard of editors who actually were offered bribes, but the editors didn’t take them. However, that makes me wonder. If an editor did take a bribe, would he ever tell anyone? And how much do you need to offer an editor? They get paid less than church mice. Hmmm . . . maybe that explains some of those poor books I’ve seen. . .

6. Never put a cover illustration in with your manuscript

If you’re writing a fantasy, it is all right to put in a map, but make it a good one.

Now, you might say, “But what if I’m an illustrator too?” The truth is, even if you’re a professional illustrator, you don’t want to put on a cover. The book’s prose needs to stand on its own. When it is time to get artwork done, you can submit your artwork separately, but recognize that the art director for the publishing house will normally be very leery of using your art. I have seen only a couple of illustrator/writers who have ever pulled this off.

7. Format your manuscript properly

A lot of authors don’t bother to format their manuscripts properly. Years ago, I used to think: “Okay, so these writers are novices. They don’t know the rules. I’ll give them the benefit of the doubt.” But over time I learned that people who hadn’t learned to write in manuscript format usually had fatal flaws in their story. They hadn’t practiced the craft enough to become publishable. So when I see a manuscript that isn’t formatted properly, it raises a red flag.

8. Never start a book with a list

Whether that’s a list of twenty or thirty characters, or a list of every place in the book, or a dictionary of special terms. Your tale should instruct the reader well enough so that it can be enjoyed without those things.

9. Never try to sell a story based upon copyrighted material

For example, publishers must reject song lyrics every time, so don’t insert lyrics to recent songs. I’ve seen some great fan fiction. For example, in Writers of The Future a few years ago, I got a touching story about Gomer Pyle coming back from the war in Vietnam, but it can never be published in a major magazine. The same is true if you write a Star Trek, Star Wars, or Twilight story. Writing such stories is a waste of your time. Write your own fiction.

10. Don’t waste an editor’s time

Don’t send “true” stories to fiction markets. Don’t send your doctor’s thesis, or private letters telling the editor about your rough childhood. If my guidelines say that I want science fiction, don’t send me a mainstream story. If I tell you that my length limit is 7,000 words, don’t send me your novel. With Writers of the Future, we can’t have the author’s name on the manuscript. If you put them on, I must reject the manuscript, even if I love it.

Happy Writing!

David Farland

Kay Kenyon is an American science fiction and fantasy writer currently living in Wenatchee, Washington. She wrote “The Entire and the Rose” and “Dark Talents” book series.

David Farland will be hosting a Master Workshop for Fyrecon!

Making it Big as the Modern Writer: A Blueprint for Success

8 Hour Master Workshop for $179 (includes Whole Conference general admission to Fyrecon) Class is limited to 50 students January 15, 2022 at Fyrelite Winter 2022

[ruotsalainen-kettu]

So your character speaks a foreign language

A small guide for writers

Listen, I know how it is. Foreign languages are very tempting, and I'm the last to ridicule people for making mistakes in a language they don't really speak. If you just want to throw in a word or two for the lolz, this isn't for you.

Right, everyone who's still here, hi. Your character speaks a foreign languge that you do not speak (well), but you really want to make things believable? It's a bit fidgety, but possible. You'll have to keep a few things in mind though.

1. Context

Some questions you need to ask: What is the context this language is used in? How and from who did the speaker learn it? How is their relation to that language's community?

Does your story take place where this language is spoken? If so, be VERY careful. There's nothing more annoying than to read about a supposed native speaker with allegedly perfect everything who then promptly makes a grammar mistake.

It gets more interesting when we look at second-third etc generation speakers who only learned it from their parents. If there's no contact with the original language community, it will likely develop quite differently than the standard language. And of course it will be influenced by the languages around it. Sometimes the minorities languages die out, sometimes they become a sort of hybrid language. One interesting example is Texas German, which to a German native speaker is still intelligible but sounds quite odd since the English influence is so strong. If language plays an important role in your story, you need to know its history, or at least that of your character.

Example: Heisenberg from RE8. Though he has no accent, he's written as a native German speaker most of the time. His creations are called Soldat (literally just soldier. The man's not very creative.), which I believe even in-game is pluralized as "Soldats". The correct plural however is "Soldaten", since the s-plural isn't as ubiquitous in German as it is in English.

Assuming Heisenberg was any older than 10 years old when he left Germany, it's very unlikely he'd be making that sort of mistake. I don't suddenly say "Apfels" when speaking English when I know it's "Äpfel".

If he left Germany as a very young child, however, and then had absolutely no contact with a German-speaking population, the mistake is understandable, since kids forget languages real quick when they don't use them. (Why he would use German words instead of his new basically native language is another matter.)

2. Spelling and cases. No, most people will not notice if you misspelled a foreign word, but as a writer with access to the internet, that's plain embarrassing. For many European languages, Google Translate is actually really decent. And if you want to be super sure, check this out:

Not all languages have like two cases and one plural form for nouns, English just has a very simple structure. Want an example?

Der Soldat, dem Soldaten, den Soldaten, des Soldaten. Those are singular forms. How about the plural? Die Soldaten, den Soldaten, die Soldaten, der Soldaten

Some of these look the same, but they're not. And German is, with only 4 cases, a comparative lightweight. Try Russian or Finnish. Verbs also have declensions that exceed singular and plural and don't get me started on prepositions.

Again, all of this depends on the context of your language community. The Genitive and Accusative in German are falling out of favour in colloquial language, but a lot of English words are making an entrance in a slightly modified way. (E.g. toasten - literally just "to toast" with the standard verb ending.)

And for the love of Fuck don't make the mistake of "primitive people = primitive language". In actual real life the supposed "primitive" tribes have, up till today, languages with grammar so complex even Finnish has to sit down, all very carefully specialized to their living circumstances. Racist tropes are lazy writing.

Also, spelling changes just like vocabulary. In German, we had the last reform of standard German about 15 years ago, which changed mostly stuff like plural forms and whether or not to use ß or ss (the ß is a sharp s by the way. Please do not use it as a b.). Especially if you're working with a broad time line and supposedly historical written records, this can very easily trip you up.

3. Connotations

This one is arguably the hardest. Know what the difference between a butt dial and a booty call is?

Most of the time you'll see the connotation when looking at the possible translations of a word, but Wiktionary also helps since they often have a bunch of examples. When in doubt, best to ask a native speaker. (And hope their dialect matches what you're writing.) Also watch out for words that do not have a precise equivalent. Do I know what a vibe is? Absolutely. Can I explain it to someone in German? Nope. There's literally just no word for it, and even the concept can only be described as "this and that but a bit to the left". This can be fun if you want to build a conlang, or distinguish different groups of the same language community, since this is often location-based.

Again, this is for people who want to do worldbuilding, not dragging someone for a wrong word in a 2am one shot fanfic. Languages are alive, they're versatile and just plain fascinating, so don't treat them like legos that you can stack onto one another without changing them. Whatever you're building will come down, and fast.

Cheers, a bored language student.

[nanowrimo]

5 Tips for Fast Drafting from a New York Times Bestselling Author

NaNoWriMo is basically an exercise in fast drafting: getting as much of the first draft of the story as you can on the page as quickly as possible. Today, bestselling author J. Elle is here to share some pro tips for fast drafting: My first middle grade novel took me nine days to write. 

The first draft was about 40,000 words or so. And yes, it needed to be revised before it sold to a publisher. But the meat of the story was on the page in just over a week’s time. I’d never drafted anything quite that fast before. Within a single month I’d written an entire novel, revised it a couple times and readied it for sale. A few months later that novel sold at auction and will be on shelves May 2022. 

I still look back on this feat with a bit of shock and awe. To date I’ve sold five novels to major publishers, two young adult, two middle grade and one non fiction and my experience fast drafting has forever altered the way I approach writing. I should mention, fast drafting isn’t for everyone. Writing is such a personal thing and each storyteller has their own process, but in the event getting the first draft out is the biggest hurdle for you, like it is for me, I’m going to share five tips for knocking out that first draft in record time. 

1. Start with a SHORT story pitch.

Pitching a story in a few words is tough. But it’s a worthy effort and the best use of your time before you get any words on the page. Why? Because it helps you hone in on the core of your story and its hook. A good short pitch involves the character, their dilemma, and a hint of the stakes. In October of 2018 I pitched my YA debut novel in a tweet which then blew up. Not many words can fit in a tweet, but by choosing the right set of words, I was able to convey the heart of my story and it really resonated. (From that tweet, I signed with a literary agent and sold my debut novel to a Big 5 publisher in a six-figure-deal.) The biggest favor you can do for yourself is understand the story—its essence, its core—you’re trying to tell before you start drafting. And that’s hard. But the more you play around with creating a short pitch, you’ll begin to see a clear snapshot of what your book is going to be about. That’s your jumping off point. 

2. Expand your pitch into tent pole beats.

From your short pitch, spend some time deciding on what your major beats are. Now, yes this is a bit like outlining. And for you pantsers out there, I empathize with you. I was a pantser and still am in many ways. But I still do this step because this step ultimately saves me time. The beauty of fast drafting is that you know what you need to do when you sit down to type. So a lot of these steps are about doing pre-work so that when you sit down to type you’re not spinning your wheels to figure out what to type. Instead you’ll have a clear goal and you’ll be ready to execute it. Also, note that the goal isn’t to perfect each of these steps, but instead to try to do each step, to the best of your ability, and in a way that makes sense. 

I could write an entire piece on beat sheeting novels (which I love and do for all my books), but for the purposes here, I’ve organized the main things you want to know below in a series of questions. Simply answer each, make a chart if you like that sort of thing, and once you have each question filled out in a way that logically makes sense, move on to the next step. (NOTE: It’s a good idea to get feedback on this step if you have critique partners and fellow writers you trust.)  

Opening Scene - Who is the character before the world changes?

Inciting Incident - What happens that forces them to make a choice, changing their lives forever? What are they choosing between? 

“A” Plot - What is that choice they make? What are they pursuing or working toward? Finding information? Going on a quest? Uncovering the truth behind a murder?

Stakes - What are the stakes of the “A” plot? What’s at risk if they fail to accomplish whatever they’re pursuing? It should be something that personally affects them or someone / something they care about. 

“B” Plot / Character - Who or what is the theme of the story? What character in your story is going to embody that theme and play a key role in helping the main character change?

Midpoint - what happens in the middle of the book to change the character’s direction. Usually it’s some bit of new information or they realize things are not as they seem. 

Stakes Raise - How do the stakes (what’s at risk if they fail) raise after the middle of the book? 

Character Arc - what does your character believe about the world in the beginning of the book that by the book’s end they will no longer believe? (An extension of this question is: what things can happen in this character’s life to facilitate them incrementally learning this big truth? If you don’t know this question right off, that’s okay. But this is a question you want to go back to every now and again, even after you finish the first draft, to ensure your character is actively involved in a plot that is resulting in their change.)

Failure - How will your character fail big? This happens at about the 75% point of the book and it's the final moment of failure, usually, before they pick themselves up off the ground (figuratively or literally) and learn the lesson they’ve needed to learn. There forward they act on their new belief to the end of the book, demonstrating how they’re changed. 

If you’d like a more in depth look at how to beat sheet a novel, I strongly suggest reading Jessica Brody’s Save The Cat Writes A Novel. 

3. Flesh out your beats into a detailed synopsis. 

Now the fun part! This step is the most helpful thing you can do to enable yourself to fast draft. 

Write a mini version of your story, also known as a detailed synopsis. The key to writing synopses is not to worry about the voice, but instead what happens. Try to convey what happens and its impact on the character to show how the story moves from tent pole moment to tent pole moment (per the step above). This takes some trial and error and you may get annoyed with yourself because it’s not as easy as it seems. But, I’ve seen that if you can write a compelling and cohesive synopsis, the draft that you execute will be far stronger and more efficiently executed. 

Definitely get beta feedback on your synopsis from writing friends you trust. It’s worth going over this a few times to get it right. In terms of length, aim for 3-4 pages for a middle grade novel and 5-10 pages for a young adult or adult novel. These are just general guidelines. My latest YA novel required a fifteen page synopsis and I am very glad I did it because it conveys the tone, arc, and plot of the novel and the main plot threads quite well, which allowed me to draft the first 23,000 words of the story in five days. 

4. Summarize each scene. 

(Note: a chapter can have more than one scene.)

Okay, we’re getting really close to writing! Now that you have a mini version of your story, consider how you will break it up into scenes. This doesn't need to be perfect, but spend some time figuring how to stretch your synopsis into a full novel. Give each scene a short summary. Aim for a few sentences, no more than a paragraph, just so you know what needs to happen in that scene (or scenes). Do not skip this step. I repeat, do not skip this step. This step allows you to sit down and execute the scene without figuring out what to write. The “figuring out” part is where a lot of writers slow down. Do that in the summaries so when it’s time to draft you are ready to execute, not sort out details. 

5. Write with a goal in mind.

Plan your writing days. I’m not talking anything extensive here. Just grab your phone calendar or a post-it note and write down which days you want to do which scenes. Then on writing day re-read that summary and execute it. If you’ve done all the pre-work the words will fly from your fingers. Don’t worry about grammar, typos, reading back what you did. Insert fillers such as, “TITLE” or “NAME” for details you haven’t worked out yet. Just get the scene that you’ve summarized out. The goal is to finish the draft. After that is when you make sure it all works together through revisions and fill in the details. Right now the goal is finishing the draft. It literally just needs to exist! 

If you’ve done all five steps, pat yourself on the back because congrats, you’re ready to fast draft! Don’t hesitate to tag me on socials if you try this method out and it works for you. I’d love to hear how it goes!

J.Elle is the New York Times bestselling author of Wings of Ebony. Elle has a Bachelor’s of journalism and an MA in educational administration and human development.  She grew up in Texas, but has lived all over, from coast to coast which she credits as inspiration for her writing. These days the former educator can be found mentoring aspiring authors, binging reality TV, loving on her three littles, or cooking up something true to her Louisiana roots.

Website: WingsOfEbony.com

Twitter: @AuthorJ_Elle

Instagram: @AuthorJ.Elle

TikTok: @authorjelle

[kodyboye]

Reading book reviews isn't good for your mental health: An Author's Perspective

Hi,

My name's Kody, and, you guessed it: I'm an author. Generally speaking, I write young and new-adult fiction where young(er) people have to face tremendous odds (be they aliens, vampires, zombies, world-rending scenarios or even personal trials they face from within. It's a fun hobby I've been able to make into a somewhat-career (wherein I get paid for my work.) However, with all products, there comes the...

Customer reviews.

Now... I've heard it stated that reading book reviews is actually good for your development as an author. The thinking in some circles is that, if you can pick out common threads of complaints from readers, you might be able to improve upon your work.

But... here's the thing:

While there are well-intentioned reviews that point out various faults in books, there are also reviews that either:

Don't get your book

or

Are just straight-out mean.

For this post, I want to speak generally, and want to reduce including my own experiences on the matter. If they happen to bleed into the post, I'm intending for them to be used as examples of could bes rather than confirmations of what happens on a general basis.

From my experience of reading book reviews, I've come to find that there are a few types of readers. They usually fall into three categories:

Those that are easily pleased.

Those that are hard to please.

Those who are impossible to please.

Reviewers who are easily pleased tend to forgive certain things in works (spelling mistakes, grammar issues, etc.) Reviewers that are hard (or hard[er]) to please expect certain standards that they've come to anticipate (proper editing, storytelling, formatting.) Then there are reviewers that are impossible to please because they are just that: impossible to please.

Now, you might be wondering, Why include the last one? Isn't that a personal judgment?

Yes and no.

There is a common occurrence I've seen with some reviewers that leads me to believe that they just simply cannot be pleased. When I come across a review I feel falls into this bracket, I tend to look at their list of written reviews and see what they are reading, or if they like anything at all. And let me tell you: I have found readers who simply do. not. like. anything. they. read. Be it a perceived problem with a character, a scenario, or even a plot point, they will go out of their way to make their intent known. Most reviews like this will have maybe one 3-star out of the deluge of 2 and 1-star reviews (and even then, the 3-star review is not shining or middle-of-the-road.)

And here is where reviews can be damaging.

As writers, we grow close to our works. We start stories, nurture characters, see plots to fruition, and create worlds we hope others will enjoy. Releasing them into the wild is akin to walking over landmines that could or could not go off.

Which is where the danger of reading your own reviews comes in.

Looking at the top reviews of certain Big 5 (or is it 4 or 3 now?) publishers, you can generally sense that there will be a divide between readers and their opinions over a piece of work. Some will love it, others will like it, a few will hate it. But let me tell you: when you get a certain type of reader who really, truly not just hates, but abhors a book (for whatever reason,) they will spare no mercy in telling the reader what they think of it.

Even if that means attacking the author.

Now... personal attacks can come as a result of a variety of things—from an author/reader interaction, to a social issue that a reader conflicts with, or even a political one. However, when a reader wants to attack an author, they usually come with knives out.

Which is where the point of this post comes in:

I strongly caution writers not to read reviews of their work.

Why?

Beyond the aforementioned reasons, there are a few things that lead me to follow this practice:

1. The fact that reviews can affect your works-in-progress.

Reading reviews for a series that is in progress can be detrimental to the development of the plot of that series. One misconception on the author's part can lead to second thoughts, doubts, overthinking. I've even seen some authors go back and revise books already self-published in order to cater to the reader who was put off and/or offended by their work.

2. The fact that your work will not be for everyone.

Just like in real life: not everyone is going to like you. Likewise, not everyone is going to like your work (no matter how hard you work at it.) As a result of this, it should be noted that you could write the simplest story that is literally about a rabbit chasing another rabbit and someone will still get offended by it. Some readers, I've said, are impossible to please. Sometimes they don't understand where you were going with the plot, or don't realize their perception of the work doesn't align with your own. Sometimes, people just like to be nasty.

And finally, I should point out the most dangerous part of reading reviews:

3. The fact that reviews can damage your self-esteem.

There are writers who are so sensitive to the feelings of others that they simply cannot take criticism. I've come across this several times throughout my time as a writer, as a developmental editor, and as a reader. Some people are simply not able to handle the idea that not everyone will like their book, and as a result, reduce themselves to tears when it comes to reviews. I've even seen some writers close shop and stop writing forever.

With that being said, and with those points made, I will say that there is a shining kernel of truth throughout all of this:

If someone likes your work enough, they will let you know.

And while it is true that some readers will also go to lengths to point out how much they don't like your work (from nastygram emails to @ tags on social media,) I should note that, just recently, I received fan mail from a reader in India, who found one of my free books and took the time to write to me. They didn't have to do that, but they still did.

In the end, I think it's important to take away the fact that your writing is your own. If you feel your work can be improved with criticism, work to find a critique group or partner you feel can bring out the best in you. Don't depend on the internet to give you credit, props, or even accolades for writing a book. While people will like, and even love, your work, there are an equal amount who will dislike, or even hate, it.

The last thing I'd want to see is someone give up their joy of writing because of a bad review.

[alberivh]

diluc five feet apart AU

diluc x gn!reader

warning : major angst, major character death, sickness (cystic fibrosis).

summary : where diluc fells for you in an unexpected time and life. Where all he could do are loving you from afar and take care of you from apart. Cystic fibrosis is the cause of his suffering and regret for loving you, so, how will he manage to get out from this hell before both of your time ran out?

a/n : i have a really bad writer’s block right now so do excuse my poor grammar and wording. This was inspired by five feet apart, i really love this movie even though it was too painful for me to even watch since i’m fragile. I do not take all of the idea’s from the movie, but i do think the movie was a big part of this making. So Anyways, hope you enjoy this short writing.

work’s note : This work would probably has a sequel in the future. So make sure to kept updated by following my page! // @ alberivh work

“Goodnight diluc…”

It was 1 am, the nurses are probably asleep and diluc have probably finish preparing his bed after you ended the facetime. It’s an ordinary night for you and him as a cystic fibrosis patient. The facetime you just ended this time wasn’t that meaningful either ; especially because how you both did it every single night after his honest confession you always think as if it were the nicest dream you could ever pictured. The facetime were either just diluc listening to your rant about the breathing ventilator being such a pain in a butt or him complaining about having a really bitter medicine or a non-edible food, It’s either were full of laugh or just you being his personal medication schedule.

tomorrow will be like this again won’t it. Sighing wouldn’t work to regret your fate for living with this infection. Cystic fibrosis has changed your goal since you were a kid, not only goal..maybe everything. if it weren’t because of this infection, maybe he could reach me. it’s so exhausting to think about this everyday and every single night, so you let the sleep drown you to tomorrow. Only to reminded by the fact diluc might be gone before you do.

And As you predicted. Same as the next day, you both have a late night facetime ; which took diluc a while to answer since he was still figuring out this ‘puzzle’ kaeya has brought to visit him a while back.

“Diluc have you taken your medicines? Just to make sure you’ve already—”

“I haven’t got any new medicines, the left overs are too bitter, and those nurses probably want me to have the lungs transplant faster even though i don’t want it..such a pain in the ass..” , before you could continue your words, diluc told you everything. maybe it was his complaints to be reminded about his deadly infection. Diluc is probably exhausted, same as you. but we couldn’t just gave up..right?

Then silence came. forcing you to kept quiet before diluc start his words again. Maybe there’s a change from his words..right?

“love..could you please take the lungs transplant for me..?”

and in a sudden, he ask you the one thing you’ve never wanted to heard. How can he just let this opportunity slips for your sake? How can he just left you because he wants you to survive? How can he..?

“You’re joking aren’t you? It’s not funny, diluc.” ,

“I’m not, love…just- you know what, Please, take the lungs transplant in the behalf of me, my time is short. It’ll be not long for you to see me pass and i want you to live as long as you can.. since i know you can an—“

“You’re so selfish diluc. How many times should i told you that i’m also in pain..how many times i..i told you we’re in this together,,,just how…why..” his plea made your tears flow onto the sidebone of your cheeks. Dropping like it was meant to flow every seconds. He want you to live, yet you want him to be here as always. How selfish for a sinner to wish, especially as the likes of you both. How can we live? We’re dying diluc..

diluc couldn’t look at you, everytime he tries to turn his gaze onto you, he feel some sort of-regrets. All of the tears which flew from the side of your visions are because of his words. He thought, silently. ignoring your heavy sniffs. Maybe his wishes couldn’t be grant because everytime he dreams, he died. So he changed his mind and prepared the things he need to brought for ‘you’. He ended the facetime you two have did for about 5 minutes now. The shortest and the last record of facetime you’ll have with him.

“hey i’m coming in..” , a voice came from the edge of your room. It sounded so familiar and soothing, the same voice which always comfort you behind the nights you lived through.

“Why’d you came here, diluc..we couldn’t even met at the first place..”

“just unlocked the door love..please. No one would warned us again in another time so please-”

he begs and begs for your permission to unlocked the door. He patiently waits for your answer and action, even after you ignored him when he gave you his last plea. The mask he wears while waiting for you are the same mask he used when he first met you, it still smells like the old days, he said it himself.

“I’m not going to push you to open this door..but please let us meet again..even if this were going to be the last. I want us to reach each other.”

diluc sounds so crushed and apologetic. he still stays in front of your doorsteps even when he knew you wouldn’t answer him in the slightest. Still, he is waiting for you to reach him up. He’s tired yet he still manage to live and wait for you. Same as you who always been there with him, ever since the first day of his arrival.

he open his mouth again, trying to catch a breath before he yells about his plea again. Until he saw you in the back of the door and at the perfect time. Diluc look so concerned at this poin, why must you hide from him?

he stayed out 2 meters away from you, a not-so good attempt to keep his infection from you. until a gentle composure came to hold his waist, softly and mesmerizing. although, in a sudden of time, he almost fall out of balance because of you, your body were so frail for him to even feel anymore, it were drowning onto his body. You were hugging him, so tightly, like he would fade in the moment. see? I’m also dying diluc.

“heavens..you’re so- warm..” , he whispered. It’s the same voice and tone you’ve heard from him at your first arrival in this so-called hospital, you’ve never changed diluc. Wish we could stay like this-

“Forever..”

The warmth of your hug last for a good 30 seconds, Cough and mucus came onto your throat, reacting onto the fast-spread infection. it’s not even surprising for both of you and him to saw this prediction happens in a sudden. You know it would happened, he would also knew this would happened. Everything just goes the exact same way as how you planned it to be.

But diluc, why do you look so upset? I though you knew this would happen. Just why must you took pity on me.. you saw this, his face, his trembling structure, everything. You knew the fate you have chosen for the sake of your lover. this way, the infections are killing you instead of him. He needs the lungs transplant, he still has a family who cares about his sake, he needs to live longer.

you silently thought about your future with him. so beautiful. if you both were to escape from this hell since a young-born, You think he would propose to you and live with you in a big mansion his family ran out for generation. Like a fantasy of a protagonist. And A ran-away patient, dreaming to live their dream life with those who can’t reach them anymore. How Ironic.

“If…if it were because of me you died..i..i would never forgive the gods for having you love me..” , still holding onto your infected mucus at the corner of your lungs, you could feel your once-smooth-breathing turned to a sharp needle. which would only disturb your way of reaching him again and again. Have i told him how much i love him? Have i gave him everything he needs? Have i told him about my newest art? haha…god’s if my duty haven’t been fulfilled this time, please protect diluc for my sake. Please let diluc live.

“darling..i love you so much-so much..i could hardly even recognize your sight now, my time..is near love, so..please..please..let go..” you cough out every single thing that have been holding your words. Mucus, blood, sweats, even tears. He could finally hears your confession, but his tears are forming all of it’s chance down to his cheeks.

And in one last pushes of your overflowing breathing. You took his words as your last word.

“goodnight my love..”

His goodbyes and your last farewell. He has heard you again, for the last time and forever. He broke onto a forming dwell of heavy tears, still holding onto your lifeless body as if it were meant to be his nature to keep you safe in his arms. He’d wipe the infected mucus from the filthy floor, he’d also wiped the small droplet of blood in your hands, meaning to clean the dimmed sins from your ‘pure’ body. He carries your body in a bridal style as a form of happiness and to the messy bed, he let you rest peacefully. It’s a form of the repeatful end of life.

“sleep well my love..goodbye”

[kiingocreative]

Ready to edit, format, or publish your book? We offer editing and coaching services! Send a DM or go to https://kiingo.co/services

.

.

.

There are a lot of quotes out there about how, in order to write well, one has to also read extensively.

I’ll be entirely honest with you, a few years ago I thought that was bullocks. Back then, I was maddeningly naive and arrogant enough to think that my own writing skills and natural flairwere self-sufficient. I could write anything, anytime, regardless of how much I was reading. Needless to say, that was during a phase when I wasn’t reading allthat much.

In fact, at the time, I’d got into a habit of not reading anything whilst I was writing, convincing myself that it was an unnecessary distraction, and one that impeded on my abilities to increase my word count and build good storylines.

I realise now how this line of thinking was influenced by my young and highly inexperienced (and easily bruised)writer’s ego. It came, I feel, come from a place of insecurity, of trying to deny that I needed any external help to nourish my craft. Because if I wasn’t enough for the thing I felt I was born to do… what did that say about me?

My views on the matter have evolved quite a lot since then (thankfully!) and I’ve learnt that needing help and accepting situations in which my abilities alone aren’t sufficient isn’t as terrible a thing as I once thought.

Ever-expanding horizons.

I’ll come clean right away: I don’t always have the perfect balance between reading and writing (if anyone knows the secret to that, please let me know!) but I’m getting there.

What that’s done to my writing has been incredible, because it’s opened up my eyes to genres, writing styles, plots and characters I just couldn’t have come up with myself.

With every book I’ve read, I’ve expanded my horizons. It’s broken down the wall to that tiny box in which I used to do my writing. As with every new things I’ve ever encountered, experienced or done, it’s helped me improve in some way.

Everything we consume (whether it’s food, content or human interactions) affects us in some shape or form. If we give our minds the same food all the time (say, for instance, giving it only ideas and styles that come from inside your own head) then our outputs and the things we create are bound to remain constant (or… dare I say: stagnant?). It’s by giving our creative muscles something new to munch on that they’ll produce something new and exciting.

You’ve gotta keep up.

If you remain unconvinced, here are three of the many practical ways in which reading work other than your own can help you:

1. Keeping up with your grammar — reading is proven to have a direct impact on improving one’s grammar. In fact, after a long period of not reading in French, I noticed my French grammar degrading, even though it’s my mother tongue. Grammar is a tool, if you don’t sharpen it, it’ll become blunt. And reading someone else’s work will ensure you come across turns of phrases and grammatical constructs you might not be familiar with, or not use very often.

2. Keeping up with new words — reading is also a proven way to improve and increase your vocabulary. I’d like to think my vocabulary is pretty decent, and yet there isn’t a single book I read in which I don’t learn at least one new word! And there’s nothing I love better than having to Google a new word, because it reminds me of how much there is to explore and uncover out there.

3. Keeping those sparks a-comin’ — I’ve lost track of the number of times where reading someone else’s work has sparked an idea or two for a different story or project. It was reading Jessica Scurlock’s Counter Ops that an idea for a sequel to No Pain, No Game crept up. It was flicking through a screenplay for Fantastic Beasts that the original idea for The Dhawan Brothers came up. It was re-reading Harry Potter for the millionth time that a brand new plot started emerging… (stay tuned!)

4. Keeping up with the trends — almost as important as the rest is ensuring you stay abreast of what the trends are. Writers are spokespeople for what’s happening in the world, what’s shifting at the heart ofsociety, and what’s going on inour collective human experience. It’s your duty as a writer to stay relevant so that you can keep producing work that evolves with the times you live in.

And these are but a few examples. There are many, many more. Some more logistical, like discovering books that follow different formatting rules, and some less tangible, like stories that give you the ability to explore different styles, to immerse yourself in different eras, to travel to places you’ve never been to… all things that will ultimatelyenhance your writing.

The list goes on.

In short: If you’re a writer, reading shouldn’t be a should. It’s a must. Reading allows you to keep up. To stay attuned to everything that’s going on around you, by forcing you to take off your blinders once in a while.

Breathe in… Breathe out…

I recently came across this quote by American literacy expert and author Pam Ally, which says:

“Reading is like breathing in, writing is like breathing out.”

I couldn’t agree more. I no longer think of reading as an optional part of my writer’s life. Just like you can’t breathe out unless you’ve first breathed in, I believe that one can’t write well (or evenat all)if they don’t feed their system and creative machinery through extensive reading.

I love the idea of reading being what nurtures one’s writing. That it’s necessary to writing. That one doesn’t exist without the other. An endless loop, where theyflows effortlessly and seamlessly into each other.

Oh, self-doubt, thou heartless foe.

I do, however, think that with this concept comes a serious need to accept that a writer doesn’t have to be a self-sustaining one-man-band.

That it’s ok to need exterior assistance to generate or spark ideas. That it’s ok not to know everything and too always have much to learn. That allowing ourselves to get inspired by other people’s work is a sign of open-mindedness and not a weakness. That it doesn’t take anything away from our writing abilities; in fact, it’s a sign of maturity.

We need to know that we are enough as we are, that our writing is enough, and that none of it is incompatible with admitting we’ll forever be students of our craft.

The one thing that kept me from embracing the value of reading for my own writing was nothing more than ego disguised as self-doubt. It was that debilitating inner voice saying that, if I couldn’t be sufficient for my writing, then I wasn’t enough.

And not being enough is scary. It brings people’s guards up and, in my case, made me so stubborn I thought I didn’t need anyone… which in turn only blinded me to the myriad learning opportunities around me. I see that now, but I didn’t see it then.

It takes humility, acceptance and defiance to step up to that inner voice. That, in itself, is scary too. But what stands on the other side is a much more colourful path for our writing (and ourselves in general!).

Ain’t got no time?

Ok, ok, I can hear you say: ‘that’s all well and good… But who has time to read when you’re busy writing?’

If you’re writing, working, taking care of family, writing again, working again, making dinner, maintaining a social life, oh, and sleeping every once in a while… then where does reading fit in?

If you tell me you don’t have time to read, then I’ll tell you what I tell myself when I make that same comment to myself:

It’s not that you don’t have time to read. It’s that you’re not making time to read.

You have plenty of time, you simply chose to use it in certain ways, and reading may not always be the priority.

Can you look me in the eyes (figuratively of course, unless we’re neighbours!) and honestly tell me that you couldn’t spend half an hour less on [something] everyday and replace it with reading?

Forget thirty minutes, what about just ten minutes?

And feel free to find and replace [something] with just about anything.

If you still can’t quite figure out what that ‘something’could be, here’s a suggestion or two: binge watching Netflix, scrolling through Social Media, snacking, flicking through channels on the TV, mind-numbingly obsessing about what everyone is posting abouton Facebook, self-deprecatingabout how your life isn’t what you’d want it to be, bing watching Netflix again before diving back into Instagram...You get the gist.

Don’t wait to have time. You’re in charge. Make the time. No one will do it for you.

[larrysballetslippers]

Hey, I saw you write fictions. Could you help me understand how to go about writing fictions and what are the basic steps? I want to write a larry fiction but english isn't my first language and my vocabulary isn't advanced. I, however, do want to give a try maybe a short fiction. How do formulate a fiction? I have some ideas but I can't divide them into chapters and generate enough scenes. I have tried to write sometimes but it's always a dead end and I don't know to proceed.

Personally I like how read story where there's seeding in every chapter with some backstory which gradually gets revealed. I am into a/b/o phase right now and want to write a good story with basic yet great plotline which keep my readers hooked.

I have so many questions to ask. Sorry for this long ask and Thank you if you respond.

Hey sweetie. How do I say this without sounding self-deprecating? I'm still a beginner, I technically wrote two fics. I'm currently working on my first "advanced" fic, which means I'm still learning, A LOT. I can't really be a teacher right now, but I can give you some tips. I can help you with what I learned since I started writing and link some good blogs/posts. This is going to be long, so cut.

First, some tips.

1. There are so many superior writers out there, but everyone has to start somewhere.

You can't start writing with the idea you're the greatest writer on the planet. I wrote down my first story when I was eight. Did it have a good plot? No. Did it have well thought out characters? Absolutely not. Did I make a story inspired by my favourite superhero show? Yes. It was probably 300 words max and with horrible grammar. I'm a very imaginative person, so I make stories up in my head, but that was the first one I wrote down. I haven't written much since then, just some school projects and little things here and there. I only started really writing in April, I think. It was rough, but fun. It was a canon-compliant story, so it didn't need that much planning out, I thought. When I finished, I was so proud. Then I started my second fic and I realized my first wasn't the best. I was so sad when I read it back, disappointed it didn't turn out the way I had in mind. But I shook it off, realized it was my first fic, EVER. So I shouldn't put myself down. You have to start writing to get good, you can't expect to be Jane Austin without putting one word down. Don't COMPARE yourself to others.

2. Plot is never truly original.

Like music, there isn't somsthing like an original plot. Everything is taken from something else. Every plot in the world has taken inspiration from somewhere else. You can write an a/b/o fic with a spy theme, it's very clever, but not original. You've taken an a/b/o plot and combined it with a spy plot. Don't be afraid to write a cliche plot, it's about the way you write it. That's why no two fics are the same, the writer is different.

3. Find a beta you trust.

When I first started the first part of my fic (it was a series), I didn't know what a beta really did, so I asked someone to correct my grammar and that was that. In the second and third part of that fic I didn't even do that, I tried to correct everything myself. Part 4 of my series I asked a beta to help me, it was wonderful. It's the best part of my whole fic and I'm forever grateful for that beta. We weren't the best match, so we couldn't continue working together. The fic I'm writing now is much longer than anything I ever written, so I needed a good and available beta. I found one, the angel of all angels. You need to find someone that will help you with your story, but also encourage when you feel like complete trash. Believe me, you will. It's important you have someone to brainstorm with and laugh with over your your character's dumb jokes.

4. Your English is better than you think.

I'm not a native English speaker, shocker right? No, I'm joking, I'm not the best. BUT I'm understandable, right? That's important. You don't need to have fancy words to write a story. Use the words you know and if you want to improve your vocabulary, do that, with time. You don't need to be an native speaker in a day, it takes time. I'll link some good sites for vocabulary.

5. Read more fics

A good way to improve your vocabulary, read more fics. You clearly enjoy it, use it to improve yourself. Not only for vocabulary but for the plot, characterization, world-building, etc. Take in the things you want to remember, forget the rest.

6. Copy and paste

Maybe a bad thing to say, but copy and paste things you like. If there's a sentence in a fic or book you like, copy it. Of course, don't just paste it in your fic, but take inspiration out of it. Why do you like it so much? Why does it come over so good? Any words you want to use? Is the structure of the sentence appealing? Think about it, so you can improve your fic. Especially with areas you struggle with, take a look at other works.

7. Smut is scary, but don't be scared to try.

Is smut something you want to write? You don't have to, but if you want, don't be scared. As someone who wrote two smut scenes in her life, I'm struggling, but I'm trying. Take all the tips above this and just try. Things may go terribly wrong, but that's why you're practising.

8. Research research research!

Things like smut, fantasy, minority groups. You can't just write about it without any knowledge, research it. Articles, youtube videos, blogs on tumblr, etc. A simple kiss scene can be difficult if you have no knowledge about it, read people's first kiss stories or something like that. Want to try and write BDSM, read about it on a BDSM blog. Research the heck out of it.

9. Just to say it again. DON'T COMPARE YOURSELF WITH OTHERS.

Just to summarise, you're you, don't try to be someone else. You're writing style isn't worse than someone else's, it's just different. It makes your work recognisable, your text original, your hours of writing easier. Someone told me I can write young people really well, I owned it. Find what you're good at and own it.

Now that I have given you some important tips to start, I'll answer your question. How to go about writing fiction?

Everyone is different first of all, so please don't take my word for it. This is my routine, I just made up.

1. What do you want to write?

Is it your own idea, a prompt, a fic fest, an exchange?

2. What universe does take part in?

Does take place in the real world or a fantasy world? The past, present or future? Realistic or supernatural? Which country?

3. What is the goal?

Are they supposed to be lovers at the end? Do they have to defeat something/someone? A quest? Where do you want to end the story?

4. Where does it start?

Where does your story start? At the birth of your characters? In the future and you work your way back? In the middle? When your important characters meet each other for the first time?

5. What does it take to get from start to finish?

What happens in the story? What developments happen? Is it a road trip and your characters need to get closer, how do they do that?

6. What are some subplots you want to add?

Are there things that don't really matter for your goal, but you want to add? Friends to lovers but maybe they help someone's mom out one day.

7. Who are your characters?

Their personalities, appearances, quirks, relationships.

8. Who is the protagonist?

Who is the story about? Who is the main character?

9. In whose point of view is it?

Who is telling the story? You, the protagonist, the love interest, a random bystander, etc?

10. Outline.

Write down what you want to do with your story. Every scene needs to be written down. You can always change it of course.

11. Write, write and write.

Take all the tips and write.

I want to give you some links I always use. I will also recommend some blogs.

This tool lets you describe a concept and get back a list of words and phrases related to that concept: https://www.onelook.com/thesaurus/

This article about body language: https://www.writerswrite.co.za/cheat-sheets-for-writing-body-language/

This tumblr post about body language: https://badassunicorn2016.tumblr.com/post/145725344712/writing-tip-june-4th

This article for alternatives for 'said': https://owlcation.com/humanities/400-Alternative-words-for-said

This tumblr post about writing smut: https://larryficsvol28.tumblr.com/post/660062510531182592/smut-101-a-tutorial-for-beginners

This tumblr post about how to make smut sound sexy:https://larryficsvol28.tumblr.com/post/658604597068365824/making-smut-sound-sexy

This tumblr post about turning ideas into a story: https://larryficsvol28.tumblr.com/post/659430707796557824/i-get-lots-of-ideas-for-stories-which-are-just

I have some blogs you can follow that talk about writing.

This podcast blog @roseanddaggerpodcast

This blog has a podcast too and some good fic recs @allwaswell16

These writing blogs @ficsex @writingquestionsanswered @bhficfest https://wordsnstuffblog.com/

Some veterans writers and also have some good fic recs @twopoppies @justalarryblog @kingsofeverything @louandhazaf @hershelsue @lululawrence @pocketsunshineharry @fearlesslysweetcreature @indiaalphawhiskey

I hope I could help you a little. In some weird way I helped myself, hehe. I hope you can finally write the story you want. If you ever have any questions, just come by. I don't know if I can always help you, but I'll try!! Good luck!!

[perpetual-stories]

Inspirational Advise You Need To Hear: Writing Edition

This is going to be an inspirational post. I’ll be writing down advise that you didn’t know you needed to hear or you heard before but need to be reminded. This is advise I wish someone would have told me sooner, but of course it’s never to late to implement it and follow them.

1. It is never to late to start writing

I started writing when I was in elementary. The moment I had properly mastered reading I began to write. I had the pleasure to fall in love with a good book when I was three years old. Granted, I could not read what was in my hand, but the amount of care and respect I had for a book was beyond my understanding as a toddler. I just knew that a book was something I should care for and respect.

Don’t feel pressured or intimidated by the fact I started writing in elementary school, that’s not the point of what I am intending to do. I started young, but I could have well started in middle school, high school, or even this year. It’s never to late to start writing! Grab a pen or pencil and begin writing down your first idea! Many successful people start working towards their dream a little later in their lives, but they go for it! Don’t let age ever stop you from doing something.

2. No Idea is a Bad Idea

If you have an idea for a short story, or a novel go for it! Don’t think it’s a bad idea, or that no one will ever read it. Don’t shut yourself down before you even had a chance to write it down. A small idea can become the greatest thing for you. J.K Rowling had the idea for Harry Potter written on a napkin, and she kept at it; it eventually became one of the biggest franchises in the world. You can become the next big thing, but all you gotta do is write down that idea you think isn’t good. You could surprise yourself.

I’m going to be honest here and now. It’s hard to come by an original idea. It is, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try and write down your story. All the greatest things that ever happen are all inspired or based off of something else. If you’re story is inspired by another story or its similar to another one, write it down! Don’t ever think your story is not worth bringing it to life.

3. Write Whatever you Want

It’s your story, you can write it however you want. There are no write or wrong ways or writing a story, you just write. If you want to write a sequel or prequel to Víctor Hugo’s Les Miserables, go for it! No one is stopping you. If you want to reimagine Twilight but through Jacob’s perspective go ahead (of course you need to acquire the rights of the story and characters), but as a fanfic go right ahead! If all you want to do is write fan fictions about your celebrity crush then go for it! Don’t ever be embarrassed or writing what you want to write.

Hell, I am a 23 year old woman in a loving relationships and I still think about writing Yami Yugi fan fiction where I am the main love interest, or fan fiction about Tom Holland. I am not embarrassed, or ashamed that I think about writing that. It’s what I am interested and what I like.

Write about what you like, and what you love. Again, never let age or insecurities stop you from that.

4. Read, Read, Read, Watch, Watch, Watch

Don’t ever let someone tell you, “All you do is read, you’re so lame.” Or, “All you do is watch movies and tv shows, don’t you ever go outside?” Don’t EVER let anyone knock you down for those. What people don’t know is that as writers we have to read and watch tv shows to get understanding of how characters, writing, and worlds are created.

Books, tv shows and movies are different when it comes to writing style but it’s still writing nonetheless.

Books help us with understanding writing structures, grammar and character development (to name a few). Tv shows and movies also help with that, but also help the writers get a visual of characters and story line.

I personally enjoy reading and love watching plays. Playwrights often have the best characters because they create them very realistically. Playwrights are the best actors, and actors are the best playwrights. They go hand in hand. If I want to study characters and their development, I read a good play or watch a good play. Plays are very important, in understanding characters. I definitely recommend reading plays to get an understanding of human nature. If you need a list of play recommendations feel free to ask me :)

Great books, and shows, and movies have one thing in common - great writing. So don’t ever feel like you’re not doing anything or doing much by spending time doing one of the aforementioned. We are all great writers and we write at our own pace.

5. “Comparison is the thief of joy.” —Theodore Roosevelt

Don’t ever compare yourself to anyone else. I know it’s hard not to, but don’t. You make yourself feel bad. Everyone and anyone can be a great writer. It takes time and practice. Don’t think your writing will never be published, don’t ever think you don’t have the skills to finish a book.

All the great writers must have felt what we all feel. But they didn’t let that stop them. They wouldn’t have published their first book is they told themselves they would never be as great or successful as the writers before them. They wouldn’t have created the sequels to your favourite series if all they did was compare themselves to others.

Shakespeare didn’t get to where he was or be who he was if all he did was compare his writings to Aristotle. No, because he followed his passion he is known all over the world as a great playwright. Stephen King wouldn’t have written the greatest thrillers and horror stories if he compared himself to Edgar Allen Poe, and told himself he couldn’t do it. No, Stephen King made a name for himself and does horror just as did as Mr. Poe.

“Comparison is the thief of joy.” Don’t ever let anyone take what makes you happy away from you.

6. Ask for Help

It’s hard to do things on your own, but it’s not impossible.

Don’t be afraid to ask for help. Having a close group of friends or family who support you is the best thing you can have when creating a whole new world with characters, traditions, religions, etc.

If you’re writing a story about a Muslim community reach out! Ask the Muslim community or someone you know. If you don’t know anyone reach out online! Thanks to the Internet it’s very fast to acquire all kinds of information. Don’t write about what you think you know about something without being 100% certain of it, you don’t want to offend an entire community about anything or everything.

I am also here to help! If you’re too shy to reach out to someone for advise regarding writing, or need someone to proofread your work. I’m here for you! :)

There you have it folks! Inspirational advice you may or may not have needed :). I hope you all read these and few motivation begin to boil Inside you :)

If you found my advice inspirational and know other people should read it, please feel share to share, repost, or comment, or do whatever you have to do to help others hear this advice :)

[a-still-small-vox]

fanfic writer tag game

Tagged by @mathclasswarfare​. Thanks! :D

What’s your all-time favorite ship? I don’t have an all-time favourite ship that reigns over every fandom, but I do have an OTP within each of my fandoms. My top OTPs from each of my most-written fandoms are Prompto x Noctis (FFXV), Nepeta x Karkat (Homestuck), Nezumi x Shion (No. 6), and Ciara Tabris (female city elf archer) x Zevran Arainai (Dragon Age: Origins). How many works do you have on AO3? 142, although not all of those are fic. A few are translations or collabs.

What’s your total AO3 word count? 839,723 words. What are your top 5 fics by kudos? 1. You Know The Fic - A One Punch Man Saigenos fic which was a remix of a smut fic by Sandywolf. It somehow became insanely popular, with 1,609 kudos.

Saitama rescues a robot who turns out to be a pirated sex-robot. Then it falls in love with him. This is not what he needed in his life. (Or maybe it was.) Disclaimer: This is not your average smut fic. Come for the smut, get hooked by the comedy, stay for the feels. Trust me.

2. Her Own Beloved - A fun Miraculous Ladybug Adriette/Ladynoir reveal fic. Like YKTF, this one definitely got this popular because the fandom is freaking huge. It has 476 kudos, a big step down from YKTF. People did not stay with me after reading that fic.

Marinette has finally achieved her dream of moving in with her boyfriend Adrien Agreste. But something seems fishy in their relationship, and Marinette fears that Adrien could be preparing to break up with her. As usual, her problems have an unconventional solution.

3. Everything To Me - An FFXV Promptis soulmate AU, written for the Book Club Discord’s spring exchange in 2020. I think it got so popular because Mysteriousbean5 illustrated it as a gift for a different exchange. And the premise is a little more basic than some of my other FFXV works, so it has more universal appeal.

“So, I think we’re soulmates,” Noctis said.

4. Apartment-Warming - A One Punch Man Saigenos uh... adult fic. Its popularity is definitely due to riding on the coat-tails of You Know The Fic.

Saitama finally moves out of the Hero Association HQ and goes back to Z-City with Genos. They do some housewarming.

5. Fateswap - My No. 6 magnum opus. Of all the ones on this list, I think this one most deserves to be here.

Nezumi grows up in his village... sort of... while Shion is captured and taken to the Correctional Facility at a young age. How will events play out with the roles reversed? And what will happen to the third option?

Do you reply to comments, why or why not? I aspire to, but I prioritise longer/more meaningful comments, or ones with questions in them. It’s not that I don’t appreciate short comments - I do! I just don’t have much to say back aside from a standard, “Thanks for the comment; glad you enjoyed the fic” and I don’t like being so repetitive.

What’s the fic you’ve written with the angstiest ending? What Prompto Gave - In a motel room during the road trip one night, Noctis comes out as gay to Prompto. The problem: the terms of Noctis's marriage contract with Luna prevent him from taking any lovers. Despite believing himself to have no romantic feelings for Noctis, Prompto offers him the chance to experience intimacy with a man - himself.

The ending implies this will be the only time Noctis gets to honour his real sexuality, and also that Prompto might have feelings for Noctis neither of them will ever get to explore. I really wanted to wring out some reader tears with this one, which is very unusual for me.

What’s the fic you’ve written with the happiest ending? It’s impossible to pick just one. Almost all of my fics have happy endings, and I also write a lot of fix-its. Do you write crossovers? Not really. I will write fics that are inspired by another story, but not a straight up “characters from X world are put into Y world” story.

Have you ever received hate on a fic? No, although I have received some tiresome comments, such as rude grammar commentary. I welcome all comments, but those are the ones that made me roll my eyes.

Do you write smut? If so, what kind? Unfortunately, yes, lol. It’s always pretty vanilla. I find writing it boring, except as a manifestation of deep intimacy and love. So I guess the kind is “with feelings”.

Have you ever had a fic stolen? Yes. There was a website called ebooks-tree that once upon a time stole some of my Homestuck and No. 6 fics and was selling them to people, even though you can read them for free on AO3 =_=

As you can see, here are my fics Alliances and Ace Crackshot Harleys (now Feathers & Firearms) on their blasted webbed site. Fortunately this site is gone forever now.

Have you ever had a fic translated? Yes. I translated Eve’s Secret, one of my own No. 6 fics, to French, and my fic The Faithful Servant was translated to French in a trade with @riotbrrrd​.

Have you ever co-written a fic before? Yes. One of the No. 6 Discord’s Halloween events in 2018 was a round robin fic which ended up being called A Dark And Stormy Anniversary. I wrote 1/6 of it. I also have co-author credit on cry havok and kick up your heels, a fic that was written by @ninemoons42​, but planned and brainstormed by me as well.

What’s a WIP that you want to finish but don’t think you ever will? Luckily for you all, all of my published WIPs will one day be finished. Forever unfinished ones will never see the light of day. Of those, the one which I think had the most literary potential is a Kaworu x Shinji AU where Kaworu is a normal human boy with a terminal illness, who comes into Shinji’s life for the length of one summer. That could’ve been a real tear-jerker.

What are your writing strengths? I’m good at writing description, and also at designing and world-building AUs. I like to think I’m good at writing fix-its and romance as well.

What are your writing weaknesses? Action/adventure type stuff. I find writing fight scenes boring. I also don’t know how other people do this, but a lot of my characterisation is done on instinct alone, which makes writing distinctive voices for them difficult sometimes. I also don’t like writing long conversations very much.

What are your thoughts on writing dialogue in other languages in a fic? Well... I’ve done it before. I wrote all of France’s dialogue for my Hetalia France x England fic Harmony And Contrast in French. I would be happy to read more bilingual French & English fics. However, I think doing this alienates monolingual readers, so providing an all-one-language version is essential, which is what I did with Harmony & Contrast. There’s an all-English version bundled on the same posting as the English & French version.

What was the first fandom you wrote for? Homestuck, for which I have 25 works. It was my most prolific fandom until I got into FFXV, which has 38 works.

What’s your favorite fic you’ve written? Whichever fic I’ve written most recently tends to be my favourite. If I had to absolutely pick one, though, it would probably be Perchance To Wake. The version on AO3 is a wip, but I have the whole thing written already. It’s very personal to me, being about Noctis and Prompto’s journey with their respective chronic illnesses (although set on a backdrop of action, friendship, and romance!). I think it’s really well constructed, if I do say so myself.

I tag @riotbrrrd​, @ninemoons42​, @revasnaslan​, @yuneyn​.

No pressure to do the meme, just if you feel like it :)

[captain-ozone]

Fic Writer Review

Thank you for the tag, @flutteringdreams-matw​!! I loved reading your review, and I’m stoked to have the opportunity to fill this out myself, too!

1) How many works do you have on AO3?  46. And not all of them have been transferred over from FFN. There’s at least another dozen between multiple fandoms over there, lol. 

2. What’s your total AO3 word count? 656,571. My word. 

3. How many fandoms have you written for and what are they?  When one of your fandoms is DC Comics...Does that count as one or several? LOL. xD

There’s been Merlin, Danny Phantom, Batman (Comics), Young Justice (cartoon), Teen Titans (cartoon), Titans (TV Show), Smallville (TV show), The Justice League (movie), The Flash (Arrowverse TV Show), Miraculous Ladybug, Harry Potter, Rise of the Guardians, How to Train Your Dragon, Sword Art Online (anime), Blue Exorcist (anime), The Bright Sessions (podcast). Might be missing some.

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos? 1. Come Alive (Young Justice) 2. life, if well lived (Batman) 3. On Three (Miraculous Ladybug) 4. a million dreams (Batman) 5. Genesis (Danny Phantom)

@redriotted​ should be informed that my top two are fics she requested from me via prompts I’m sure neither of us expected I would ever fill. Love you, dear! I credit you for these fics!

5. Which of your fic do you want more attention for?  Difficult question for me to answer. I’ve been gifted with lovely feedback on most of my work. I guess if I were to choose one it would be Locking Up the Sun (Batman)? It’s a Fantasy AU. A fantastic exercise in world-building. I had so much fun with it that I’ve been playing with the idea of spinning bits of it into an original work.

6. Do you respond to comments, why or why not? YES. I try to respond to every review and comment I receive. I understand it takes a lot of time and energy for some people, but from the moment I posted my first Merlin fic in 2011, I needed to respond, even if with nothing more than a little thank you. And I’m not about to stop the habit. I met some of my dearest friends responding to reviews. I still meet wonderful people doing so. :) 7. What’s the fic you’ve written with the angstiest ending?  Uhhhh, I’m not sure? I guess it depends on perspective. Most of my fics end happily, or rather, I am quite heavy-handed on the comfort part of the Hurt/Comfort trope. I do bittersweet more often than I do angst. I wrote a Merlin AU inspired by The Picture of Dorian Gray about Uther Pendragon that was pretty angsty? Grief was another one, also in the Merlin fandom. I’m sure there were some in my FFN Merlin oneshot collection Rabbits and Bathroom Breaks that apply, but lord knows I hardly remember half of what I’ve posted in that monster. 

8. Do you write crossovers? Once. I wrote a Rise of the Guardians/Frozen crossover with an Elsa/Jack Frost pairing as a gift for a friend.  9. Have you ever received hate on a fic? Oh, of course. Who hasn’t? I’ve been cursed out more than once, too. It always stings, but it’s a matter of stepping back and asking myself: is this constructive? will this make me a better writer? Once you frame the comment/review that way, it’s a bit easier to see that it’s unproductive to linger on it for long. It’s someone’s personal preferences and/or beliefs not aligning with your own. Or someone who can’t quite distance themselves from fiction enough to realize you are not always what you write, nor are you a reflection of the characters/plot you’re writing about.

10. Do you write smut? if so what kind? Rarely, and only as crack or as a joke. Nothing I would ever share in public. RIP Uther Pendragon/Troll fic of circa 2013-2014. I do so wish I’d saved you somewhere safe. 11. Have you ever had a fic translated? Yes, but I have no idea where they are posted or in what language. Most of the requests came over FFN, so I’m sure they’re available somewhere. In some capacity. 

12. Have you ever co-written a fic before? Not quite. My friend and I wrote every other line of the aforementioned Uther/Troll fic in a chatroom, if that counts. 13. What’s your all time favorite ship? I’m far more interested in platonic/family relationships in pretty much every fandom I’m in. If I were to choose one? Adam Hayes/Caleb Michaels from The Bright Sessions. Or Barry Allen/Iris West in The Flash.

14. What’s a WIP that you want to finish but don’t think you ever will?  *eyes Shift warily*

I KID. I made a promise over half a decade ago, and I intend on keeping it.  In all seriousness: A Merlin time-travel fic I started ages upon ages ago. I hardly remember what the point of it was. There is a fun scene I’ve considered posting as a oneshot more than once over the years, though, just because it makes me laugh.

15. What are your writing strengths?  Dialogue, I think? I love it. 

16. What are your writing weaknesses? Imagery/action. Give me a single scene focused on a conversation between two hopeless individuals that need some TLC and let me forget about where they are sitting or if they are sitting at all or if there are things that need describing around them, please and thank you.  17. What are your thoughts on writing dialogue in other languages in a fic?  I’ve done it, in some capacity. I used my knowledge of Latin grammar from old high school classes to try to write spells for Merlin fics. I probably butchered quite a few, lol. I think it’s important to use language as accurately as possible, though, if it were to be used at all. Most of the time I take the lazy man’s route and use dialogue tags and italics, just so I can avoid making ignorant mistakes. As a reader, as long as I have translations in front of me, I’m golden.  18. What was the first fandom you wrote for? Merlin. I owe that fandom everything. 19. What’s your favorite fic you’ve written? Come Alive. I don’t know that I have ever had so much fun writing anything in my life. a million dreams (my Flying Grayson time travel tear-jerker) and Not a Bit (my MLB Brothers AU, inspired by the original PV) come in close second. I dig my family feels, obviously. 20. What fic are you most proud of?  Shift, my Danny Phantom AU, if only because it’s been seven years since I posted its first chapter. Writing it has felt like pulling teeth at certain points, but it has been with me for a long, long time. Rereading it is like looking at a time lapse of how I’ve developed as a writer, lol.  Heart of Gold (Merlin) is another. Before Shift, it was the longest fic I’d ever written, one, and it was my first time really developing an OC/attempting a redemption arc as well. It was far from a perfect fic, but boy did I feel like a queen when I finished it. I’m sure you might’ve done something like this at some point, @cdelphiki, but here you go! @breynekai-tfc, too! And anyone else who sees and wants to share, please do so!