#I'M BITING YOU BITING YOU BITING YOU (AFFECTIONATE)

[inexplicifics]

I’m also a writer, of both fanfics and works I hope to publish someday, and I was wondering if I could ask your advice. I have a number of larger projects that I want to undertake, but thinking about how long it’s going to take to finish them makes me anxious and then I won’t even start. You’re an incredible writer and you have so many finished works; how do you do it? What would you recommend for someone who feels incredibly daunted by the lengthy and disheartening process that is writing a novel or series?

Also thank you for your Accidental Warlord series; it brings me inexpressible joy every time I read it

Oooh okay this is a complicated one. Let's see.

First off, and this is hard: don't compare your output to other authors. I have what my friends affectionately refer to as Wordy Bitch Disease. I write a lot, I write fast, and I write clean enough copy that Rose isn't doing copyedits, she's doing plot and characterization fixes. I start a new WIP...pretty near daily some weeks, and they do not all get done. My WIPs list is frankly fucking terrifying. But it's important to note that I have been writing pretty consistently for twenty years at least, and I was not as fast, coherent, or skilled when I started. For that matter, when I'm tired or stressed or just feeling blah, sometimes the words don't come, and it's important not to beat yourself up about it when that happens.

Second bit of advice: start smaller. I really, really like flash fic challenges and themed prompt lists and tumblr ask memes, because they make me limit my story to what can be told in a few thousand words. That lets me improve my craft without getting bogged down in enormous plotlines. (Yes, sometimes the story still grows a plot. But it's less frequent.)

Third bit of advice: take little bites, and accept that it's going to take a long time and possibly several drafts. When I started MBTT, I genuinely thought it would be 50K. (I am bad at estimating finished lengths of stories.) But I still took it one chapter at a time, and tried to have each chapter be a coherent whole, a chunk of story that needed to be told. When I'm working on the AWAU, if I think about the whole overarching storyline too much, I get overwhelmed and have to go stick my head under a proverbial rock for a while. But one story is doable, most of the time. I've had to restart drafts for some stories two, three, four times to get the voice and style and plot to cooperate. Be willing to say, That's not working, and try something else, even if you're really fond of what you've written so far.

Fourth bit of advice: learn what style of planning works for you. Some people like to outline in great detail. Some people like a sketchy outline. Some people, like me, can't outline - it kills the story for me. The WIP I started this morning has a notes section for important characterization details and the single plot point "Bandits?" Anything more than that, and I won't write it, because in some sense I've already written it so why bother doing it again?

Fifth and final bit of advice, because this is getting long: if you can find a cheer-reader, cherish them. Having someone in the doc leaving comments or emoticons helps immensely with knowing how my readers will react and with keeping my own enthusiasm for a story stoked high, which vastly increases the likelihood of it getting finished.

Good luck! Be brave! Thank you for the compliments!

I hope to read your stories someday!

[mooncello]

Niall Appreciation Post

Niall Connelly is the best. Yes, I adore Dev. I talk about Dev a lot. But there's a million reasons why Dev loves Niall. He's the best.

Y'know how you wish certain characters could be real people? I wish that about Niall Connelly. Everyone should have a Niall in their life.

In advance of posting chapter 9 of more than a footnote (this Friday!), I want to nerd out a bit about my favorite nerd. 

But first: here is Niall's study playlist. Enjoy. 🩵

Niall Appreciation continues under the cut for length. Most of this is character stuff, not spoilers. But if you haven't read the fic yet, note there are some excerpts below.

Niall is such a nerd. footnote opens with Niall working on a trigonometry problem, an elective he takes because he loves math and angles. About halfway thru the fic, I had Dev call Niall "nerd" in an affectionate nickname kind of way, and it stuck.

“Hey,” I say, “stop stressing. You’ll be fine.” “Easy for you to say, nerd.” “You should give your brain a break,” Baz interjects. He caps his pen with a smooth click and slips the essay into his bag. “Cramming will only increase anxiety at this point. Decrease memory recall.” Dev’s face goes slack. “For real?” “You’ll be fine,” I repeat. “You’ve got this.” I smile at him, wide and drowsy, and flick my pencil on the tip of his nose. 

Niall loves architecture and wants to study it at university. He's a spatial thinker and loves geometry and design thinking and patterns.

The World of Mages is built upon words. I like building things with numbers. With tactile, solid materials. Patterns, angles, geometries. Where other students see opportunity in pop lyrics or Shakespeare, I see potential in space and shapes. I like that about me, despite sometimes feeling out of place at a school where you’re supposed to be obsessed with wands and words.

Niall is aspec. This has been an incredibly important part of his character from the very beginning. He's demi/gray ace, and I think he'd call himself demiromantic, too. He doesn't subscribe to relationship hierarchies or escalators. He loves Baz just as fiercely as Dev. Both those relationships are important to Niall. 

He's so pretty. And bony. All angles. I'll let Dev tell you:

His bony, gangly body makes me lose my fucking mind. I wanna bite every nub of bone, from his collarbones to his ankles and everything in between, and then suck kisses in those same places.

The half-moons of his eyelashes look dark against his pale milky skin, and his hair fluffs out around his head like a copper cloud.

Niall is flipping his pencil through his fingers, and I’m momentarily distracted by the knob of bone in his wrist. And the delicate webbing of his veins against pale skin. 

His coppery hair falls over his eyes as he bends over his notes, the cuffs of his Watford jumper pulled over his knuckles. The low lamplight along the study tables reflects a pale gold against his skin. He looks like one of those ancient scribes toiling away on the Book of Kells or some shit. Focused, illuminated, serious. Perfect.

And yet, despite being the very best friend in the world with a big beautiful brain and the biggest brownest eyes, he's got garbage self-esteem. He doesn't see himself as anything special.

So I'm very glad he has Dev to remind him that he's extraordinary.

Niall is pragmatic and rational. He keeps Dev grounded. (And Dev takes Niall on much-needed side quests.)

He's the king of sweatshirts. Dev likes to wear them. 

I stand and remove my jacket, dress shirt and trousers, and toss them on the ground by my dresser. Joggers go on. Then my favourite sweatshirt—soft and stretched out, with TOUCH GRASS printed across the chest. It used to be Niall’s. A charity shop find in Camden last summer. I kept stealing it to sleep in, and he eventually gave it to me so long as I promised to stop complaining about his morning alarm. The only downside to this exchange is that the sweatshirt no longer smells like him. And, y’know, the alarm thing still sucks, but, yeah, worth it.

Niall also likes oversized shirts, denim, soft sweaters, cozy joggers, and his sherpa-collar corduroy jacket. Natural fibers and lots of earth tones. He looks amazing in green, devastating in indigo blue.

His magic smells of forest and rain. 

Niall loves to read horror. Mysteries, too. (He likes to see if he can solve them before they're revealed.) In footnote, Dev enjoys manga, and Baz reads poetry. I like each of them having their own favorite genre. They're cute.

(For any superfans, footnote Niall and lost boys Niall have some points of connection. Both love video games, horror, and electronica.)

Niall may be rational, but he has a mischievous streak and doesn't have a problem with breaking certain rules. He's the one that started the trio's tradition of smuggling dessert onto the roof of Mummers, for example. He's also besties with a chaos demon. You just know the two of them got into so much mischief when they were 11. And 12. And—

One of my favorite Nialls is high Niall.

Niall is still looking at me. A soft smile takes possession of his mouth. “Your eyes are pretty.” My heart slams against my chest.  I know he doesn’t mean it like that. He’s hella high and just saying whatever comes to mind. He says it like any other kind of neutral observation. It rained last week. This hospital blanket is green. He won’t remember any of this in the morning.  I don’t have a chance to respond to his comment—or even breathe—before Niall follows up with, “And your hair is, like, those volcano rocks. The shiny dark kind. Ig…Ignatius.” “Igneous.” I’m not sure how I know that. His smile stretches wider. “Yeah, that.” His gaze returns to my hair. “Like obsidian. Volcanic glass.” He says the word again, stretching it out. “Glaaasss.”

But perhaps my favorite thing about Niall is that he sees to the heart of a person. He sees the heart of Dev, beneath the chaos and anger and irreverence.

Underneath all his swagger, he’s deeply good. And sincere. Annoyingly, he’s one of the most brilliant people I know; he just never applies himself. Says he’s already a disappointment to his family, and it’s easier to keep disappointing them than, I dunno, trying, I guess, which is utter bollocks. He’s so much better than the mould they cast for him. I wish he could see that.

And he sees Baz, as a best friend and a teenager:

Baz giggles at this, and he’s suddenly eighteen. Not the 40-year-old he holds himself to be so much of the time, stuffed with familial duty and self-loathing and enough existential angst to fill a philosophy textbook. Just a teenage boy who studies hard, loves poetry, and has a secret sweet tooth. “C’mon, let’s dance.” I stand and tug at his elbow. “No,” Baz whines. The song shifts, and the bright melancholy of The Cure fills the hall. My grip on his arm tightens. “Oh, come on. You love this shit.” He heaves a large sigh but he’s smiling again. “I do,” Baz says as he stands. Then he’s twisting his hips and lifting his arms above his head, eyes closed as he dissolves into the music. I grin and follow him to the dance floor. He’s such a dork.

He even sees Simon. Not as some heroic Chosen One or tragic story, but as the guy who just maybe loves his best friend.

To be loved is to be known. And Niall knows how to love. He does it selflessly. He does it with his whole heart.

I fucking adore him.

If you're still reading, you're a legend. And you probably adore Niall, too. Thanks for loving him. He deserves it.

technically this isn't a wipsday but I'm tagging y'all anyway:

@whatevertheweather @artsyunderstudy @cutestkilla @valeffelees @bookish-bogwitch

@drowninginships @rimeswithpurple @iamamythologicalcreature @leithillustration @alexalexinii

@fatalfangirl @larkral @orange-peony @hushed-chorus @run-for-chamo-miles

@brilla-brilla-estrellita @theimpossibledemon @fiend-for-culture @emeryhall @j-trow-95

@you-remind-me-of-the-babe @ileadacharmedlife @best--dress @confused-bi-queer @messofthejess

@roomwithanopenfire @shrekgogurt @stitchyqueer @monbons @youarenevertooold

@blackberrysummerblog @thewholelemon @skeedelvee

[savior-of-the-ink]

The Destiny community is so [ embarrassing | funny ] because we are supposedly millions of players, but basically everybody is acquainted with everybody. You can easily figure out friends' circles. The big shots of Tumblr all know each other and make constant shout-outs and back-and-forth of reblogs. I can recognize 70% of the users just by looking at people leaving kudos under certain fanfics. We all rely on Destiny Lore Vault or Esoterickk for cutscenes, dialogues and stuff. Can't not mention Byf. We could all frequent the same enclosed area and be able to figure out each other's online personas about 10 seconds in a conversation because it's always the same people.

Now I lowkey want to partake in a convention.

[immortanfuriosa]

this is the second ever fictional man who has changed my brain chemistry

[wispurring-moss]

i am so normal about him I Am So Normal About Him I AM SO NORMAL ABOUT HIM—!!!!!!;;;;;;;;;;;;;

[bumblingbabooshka]

Vulcans do the chirrup thing. Luring prey Instinct. And yet...It's mostly used for romance. Get Over Here - I'm Gonna GET You. [Patreon | Commissions]

[bugg-bonez]

"Pet play is weird and makes you a zoo"

haha yeah totally... It... It's so awful!!!

*hides collar frantically*

[sunsetcarnation264]

Okay so I'm going through the Layton anime for research purposes (well part of it anyways) and like. I can't.

LUKEEEEEEEY MY SOOOOOON HE'S SO HANDSOME! HE EVEN GOT A WIFE I'M SO HAPPY FOR HIM HE DESERVES THE WORLD AND TBH SO FAR SO DOES MARINA

[rubberduckyrye]

The three eternal moods of a Rye Bread

[rocksanddeadflowers]

What's one hobby you have that you'd recommend other people try?

Oh I have so many this is hard to answer.... I think maybe just simple hand sewing skills? Just because a lot of it is really easy once you get the hang of it, and it's incredibly useful and multi purpose. You can make new stuff or save your old favorite things! I love mending my clothes a lot (saves money in the long run and saves me the heart ache), and there's plenty of different kinds of hand sewing skills you can learn depending on what you need them for. I recently even learned scotch darning to save my favorite sweater!

(Sewing is probably my oldest hobby too? I remember being very little and denied real sewing needles so I made my own out of Christmas ornament hooks and fixed my brother's stuffies with them and made my stuffies clothes. I got my needles not long afterwards.)

I prefer visible mending for most of my things, but I practice making it unnoticeable too. I've fixed bedspreads, clothes, bags, and all sorts of things! I've also made new clothes and other trinkets out of scrap material, and decorated things too! (<- personally obsessed with patch work things lmao.)

Admittedly if you get into sewing as a major hobby a sewing machine is very helpful, but I still prefer hand sewing where I can bc I find the machine to be a little stressful. I usually use mine on bigger projects to save time, but I mainly hand sew.

Also I know you quilt so I dunno if that was the answer you were looking for lol... I don't know much about quilting but it is still sewing, and really cool to me. (Long arms look terrifying to me however.) But yeah knowing how to sew by hand is really helpful and fun! It's relaxing for me when I have the energy to focus and feels fulfilling. Even if it's not a good hobby for everyone, if it's a skill you're capable of learning, it's very useful.

[mrfoox]

Once I meet someone that's as obsessive and annoyingly affectionate as me... It'll be over

[forbodium]

i'm going to petsit at my aunt's house tonight and i'm so sad they declawed the youngest cat

[evanslittlecorner]

Pats you!!! It's okay mwah mwah <3 what matters is that you're having fun!

:D Thank you! I am having fun letting my ideas roll around my head. It's like a hampter on a fresh ice rink in there

Just, boink........................................boink

[muzzlemouths]

*bops up and down like a little freak(excitedly)*

YAY IM SO HAPPY TO SEE A POST THAT DIDNT SAY QUEUE, BECAUSE IT YOUUUU

OBLITERATES YOU MID-BOP

Chair u gotta know the temptation to reply to this ask with nothing but my queue tag was so so strong but i just couldn't do that to you

[the-state-of-georgia-official]

some people: Belgian Malinois are only for military usage, they bite too much, they're evil and dangerous.

me tonight with my malinois puppy: *kisses on forehead before she goes out for the last time for the night* goodniiiight :3 ohh you want another kiss? Mwah goodnighttt :3 oh you want more? Mwah kisses for puppy! Mwah kisses for puppy! Mwah kisses for puppy! Mwah kisses for puppy!!

[snail-day]

Satoru thinks he might actually be going insane.

Not in a funny way. Not in a "haha I'm so in love” way, no, like actual, clinical insanity.

Because you’re curled up in his lap again, cheek pressed against his chest, humming happily to yourself while scrolling through your phone with your legs draped over his thighs and he’s just… sitting there. Letting it happen. Pretending to watch the movie while his brain is trying to process the weight of your affection.

He doesn’t move. Barely breathes. If he breathes too hard, you might remember he’s just your roommate and move.

His hands are hovering like he doesn’t know where to put them. He wants to hold you so bad it physically hurts, but what if that’s weird? What if you’re just cold and he reads too much into it? What if you get up and say “God, Toru, you’re so clingy,” and then never touch him again?

So he just lets his fingers twitch uselessly against the couch cushion while you hum something under your breath and burrow deeper into him.

He’s so. Pathetic.

He lets you steal bites of his food. Lets you nap on his chest. Lets you crawl into his bed in the middle of the night with sleepy eyes and say “Nightmare,” expecting that to just explain everything. (It does.) He always opens the blankets and pulls you in, holds you until your breathing slows, until his heart stops threatening to burst through his chest.

He thinks you might be dating. Maybe. Possibly.

But you’ve never said anything.

And he doesn’t just want to assume.

What if this is just… how you are? Sweet. Clingy. Affectionate with everyone. What if you’re just playing house and he’s the idiot who fell in love with the fantasy?

God, he’s so embarrassing.

And then, you go and do something stupid. Like kiss his cheek when you get up. Like pout and say “Toru, come cuddle me,” attempting to guide him back to your room. Ignoring him when he tells you to stop being cute.

He doesn't follow. He just wants to ask.

To clarify.

Yet, anytime the words start to form his mouth goes dry. He stares at you. You glance over your shoulder, sipping from your cup. Waiting.

He opens his mouth.

And then closes it.

Because if he asks… if he really asks…what you are.

What would you even say?

And, can he even handle your answer?

------

Next Part: Wait, we're dating?