#I guess I've gotten a bit braver and more graphic but eh not that much I'd have to waste a whole answer on that :p

[i-can-even-burn-salad]

Writer Q&A

I was tagged by @clairelsonao3 and I think I'll leave it an open tag, because it's a whole lot of questions and I am tired and can't think.

What is your absolute all-time favorite idea you’ve ever had?

What if I started writing in English?

More under the cut, template at the end.

Is there a question you’ve been asked in the past that really stands out to you, and you still think about sometimes?

Ok so. Kinda two. One was basically "but does he have to be gay?" about a side character (Cedric) who just arrived with packed bags and a husband. It annoyed me so much, I made sure there wasn't a single confirmed straight char in the next book.

The other was also about Glass Shards, the first version of which was very similar to the current one, including the two scenes of SA. Which got basically a concerned "do you want to say anything with that?"

Which yes. I had a lot of frustrations back then, but not like that. And I get the question for the SA. No one asks me about the childhood trauma or any of the other shit. The possibility of people jumping to conclusions is always at the back of my mind when I think about sharing what I write.

What is your favorite part of being a writer? What parts could you take or leave?

Creating something. Just. I made something. I can hold it. I can share it. It exists, and it will not un-exist.

Fuck editing, though, I don't like it, and fuck worrying about putting it out there.

What is your greatest motivation to write/create?

The story I want to tell does not exist, so I need to write it.

What is the best piece of advice you’ve ever read or been given as a writer?

Not a piece, but a very dear friend once went through the trouble of leaving so. many. line. edits. on two of my chapters when I had just started out writing in English. I truly believe that has done more for my style than all the "don't use adverbs! :)" — "don't listen to them! >:(" posts ever could.

Half of those edits could probably be summarized as "please remove this and" 🤣 I like to think I've since gotten better at uh, balancing sentence structure and length 😬

What do you wish you knew when you were first starting out writing?

I think I answered something similar to this before, and it boils down to... I don't know. I think my progression was fine. There's no glaring problem that could have been fixed by a glorious piece of knowledge. Yes, I "wasted" years of my life trying to worldbuild, but I don't think I would have been ready to write a story I was happy with anyway, so whatever.

Without the hundreds of books I've read, without the roleplays I did, without the friends I found, without the games I played, I would not be where I am today, and I like where I am today. The time I spent experimenting, and the time I spent away from writing, doing other things I enjoyed, was not wasted.

What is your favorite story you’ve written to completion? Link it if you’d like and can!

Should I cheat and count the Glass Shard saga as one? I mean technically it starts at Nuisance and ends at Fancy Boots :)

I only wish I were done editing already, I know the first chapters especially can be better. But alas, it asked for story, not prose :p

Which of your characters would you say has the most controversial mindset? Why do you say so, and how do you personally feel about their ideals?

I mean, if we leave the bad guys out of this (I am sure hoping no one here agrees with Ed! 😂), Cedric is fun in fiction, but I actually do not think a murdery criminal is a good role model, no matter how kind he is to people he likes.

If you, when you first started writing, met you now, what would younger you think?

"Whoa, cool. Can I read that?"

Is there a question you’ve been asked in the past that really stands out to you, and you still think about sometimes?

What is your favorite part of being a writer? What parts could you take or leave?

What is your greatest motivation to write/create?

What is the best piece of advice you’ve ever read or been given as a writer?

What do you wish you knew when you were first starting out writing?

What is your favorite story you’ve written to completion? Link it if you’d like and can!

Which of your characters would you say has the most controversial mindset? Why do you say so, and how do you personally feel about their ideals?

If you, when you first started writing, met you now, what would younger you think?