#adverbs my beloved <3

[morallygay]

Love using an adverb on an adverb. You’ll never catch me and my adadverbs alive

[springcatalyst]

My dearest, tell me about your conlang scripts, please❣

Yeassss thank you beloved I will now kill for you <3 Ask me to kill for you.

I truly do not know how long this is going to end up but I'm just gonna go for it.

Montaran

Montaran is fauns' native language: it is alphasyllabic (rather than alphabetic), made up of character 'blocks' that are themselves composed of syllabic components. It's based off a mix of Korean and Sanskrit (mostly Brahmi script).

⬆️ "This is an example sentence" written in Montaran. Pronounced "Bavna mōskadatōk nin."

Components are arranged in blocks of three max, with spaces between words. It's written and read top to bottom, left to right. In three-component characters (called full blocks or complete characters), the arrangement of the components tells you where the syllabic emphasis is.

Here's the same sentence but with the components split up. The first word bavna has it's emphasis on the syllable na, and you can tell by reading because it's alone, as opposed to the other two components, which share space on the top of the block. The second word, Mōskadatōk, has its emphasis on the first and fourth syllables mō and da- the ones that are alone in their vertical placement. For partial blocks, like the last word nin, you can't tell emphasis by reading it.

Montaran is an abugida, which means its alphasyllabary is made up of consonant letters and small, diacritic-like additions that determine vowel sounds. Consonants can exist alone, but vowels must be connected to a consonant.

Where vowels are connected to a consonant can vary- usually there is a standardized method, but handwriting can alter it.

Montaran doesn't use any articles or particles, is written subject-verb-object (though the verb to be is considered an implied verb and therefore not actually written or spoken in sentences which would need it in other languages). Adjectives and adverbs are placed before what they alter.

Homonic

Homonic is humans' native language. It's alphabetic, made up mostly of vowels. The consonants are just 6 'base' ones, the sound of which changes with the inclusion of diacritics. It's based off of mostly English and Japanese.

⬆️ "This is an example sentence" written in Homonic. Pronounced "Goa ja ikaruth zonosh hfow."

Likewise I had more explanation for those weird phonetics but once again I am going to joker out so what the fuck ever. The r is a tapped r though.

Consonants base form is considered the default, while the diacritics change what sound it makes. The handakuten indicates a harder sound (P to B, F to V, L to tapped R), the tilde indicates a softer sound (hard G to Y, L to R, F to a sort of harder H that's not quite an english H), and the dakuten indicates a much softer, sometimes voiceless sound (P to W, F to H, T to Th). I should say now that I wrote out the phonetics of these in a way they make sense to me, so they might seem like nonsense to you. Because I don't understand international phonetic alphabet. But I digress. Vowels are never given diacritics.

Homonic uses both articles and particles, but particles are mostly used for action and subject indication. It's written subject-object-verb: Adjectives go after the noun they alter, but adverbs go before the verb. It's written left to right.

Paitarō

Paitarō is ipotanes' native language. It's an abugida, but unlike Montaran, consonants cannot exist alone. Instead, letters in their 'default' state are assigned the inherent vowel a, and all alterations from that indicate different vowel sounds. It's based mostly on Ge'ez and Eastern Cree.

⬆️ "This is an example sentence" written in Paitarō . Pronounced "Roujih myudae ba raisakō louhayka".

Paitarō has a bunch of different versions of verbs depending on context. They have general vs current forms, constant vs transient, beginning vs ending, and some verbs have a gladly vs reluctantly form. I gave examples, but this is my third time trying to edit this and I can't be assed to write it all out again without becoming the joker.

Rotation and diacritics determine the vowel sound of a letter. It's very consistent, so while it looks like there are 8 million letters, really there's just 12 that are altered slightly for different forms. A clockwise rotation 90 degrees will always result in the vowel ay, an macron will always result in the vowel i, etc.

It's written left to right, subject-verb-object, and uses no particles (but does use articles). It's also one of the harder languages to learn from an outside perspective, because many of the vowels (particularly o, oo, ou, and ō) sound similar to the untrained ear.

Arbor

Arbor is satyrs' native language. It's alphabetic, and has the largest alphabet of any language, with 42 letters (Paitarō beats it only if you consider all rotations and diacritics separate letters, which I don't). It's based mostly on Russian and Japanese.

⬆️ "This is an example sentence" written in Arbor. Pronounced "Shleya bouk dzyañen aotal voh."

It's written right to left, verb-subject-object. It doesn't use articles, but does use particles, which make up far more of the grammatical structure than of any other language. Particles indicate time, possession, location, direction, vocatives, pragmatics, formality, connectives, and conjunctions. For example, in the above sentence, the particle voh indicates certainty- what is being said is fact- not up for debate.

Formality particles are something that is mostly unique to Arbor: Homonic uses some, but they are loanwords from Arbor, and not used near as often. The only circumstance in which a satyr would not use formality particles is when speaking to children (or if the speaker is a child). Because of this, for an adult to speak without these particles is perceived as immature or patronizing or both. There are generally four 'levels' of respectful particles: familiar (for friends and family), peers (for acquaintances and strangers), respect (for superiors or elders), and higher status (for governmental or religious leaders). There are also degrading particles that are only used explicitly as insults, but are naturally not used in everyday life.

There are no true diacritics in Arbor, similar letters (like eh, ih, and uh, or v and fh) are considered distinct, not the same letter but altered).

Shotali

Shotali is nightlings' native language. It's syllabic, written calligraphically from top to bottom. It's made up of common humanoid phonemes as well as a clicking sound that is unique to their physiology. It's mostly based off of Khoisan and Vulcan.

⬆️ "This is an example sentence" written in Shotali. Pronounced "Sikosha taori niloth zhoi."

Here's the same sentence twice, one with the letters and other aspects of the sentence pointed out. The letters are designed to run into one another, where one letter ends another begins. Words are separated by a small open circle at the beginning and end to make clear the joint between the two.

It uses only two diacritics: a handakuten and a macron. In natural Shotali, they are used sparingly, but their usage has since expanded to allow for other sounds to be transcribed into Shotali. The macron traditionally changes just a few letters from an i vowel sound to an e (ri->re, ni->ne, li->le), but now can also be found to alter any letter with an i to an e, even if it was not originally allowed. The handakuten, in natural Shotali, indicates a click, made as part of the syllable alongside the voiced pronunciation, and is not actually considered a diacritic in this form. It's present only on hard consonants (k, v, d). These consonants can be written/spoken without the click and therefore without the handakuten, but only in very specific words or it is incorrect. Some words only define meaning by the presence or absence of this click- this makes things tricky for any other species trying to learn/speak Shotali.

Now, though, the handakuten is also placed as a diacritic on some other letters- not to indicate a click, but to harden the sound (Th to T, P to B, Zh to Z, J to hard G). These characters are not included in the base alphabet as they are considered adopted characters, meant to transcribe sounds from other languages- Shotali has a lot of technically allowed ways to write/speak that arent included in the 'official' alphabet.

Only d, j and th (or t with a handakuten) can exist as a consonantal sound without a vowel, considered a whole syllable by themselves in Shotali. It's written verb-object-subject, and uses no articles or particles. Adverbs and adjectives go before the noun or verb they alter.

Bonus: Chimerae's sign-morse

The chimerae, which live in the depths of the ocean and thus do not interact with any other humanoid species, converse with a form of sign language that utilizes their bioluminescent abilities. It is untranscribable, and so doesn't have a proper name. It's made up of similar signs as that of shallower merfolk: large, slow movements of the hands and caudal fin, but is additionally altered by light. Light carries meaning in: where on the body it is located, how quick the flash is, and what physical sign it accompanies.

Chimeraes have two distinct dialects of this language: a distant and close dialect, both used in conjunction with each other depending on context. Because detail gets much harder to see at distance, and the deep sea is big, the type of sign-morse used when far away from your conversation partner is different than that which is used when you are right next to each other. The former is vaguer, but more obvious, while the latter is more intricate and specific.

[olderthannetfic]

Following on Gap Or Not Gap conversation:

Methinks part of the struggle is that, when writing is supposed to be a hobby, it's hard to see the point of struggling through the act of it, knowing you're not the very best you could (but it can feel like should) be, and all of it for… what? My own fics get positive feedback re the characters, writing, etc; betas are thumbs-up… but what jumps at me is how ridiculously iddy it all can be.

There's been improvement over the years too, both from a technical (punctuation, cohesiveness over longer and longer works) and more nebulous (imagery, for example? Probably. Hard to be objective on one's work, obviously) points of view .

But… all of that, for what? Writing advice is practice, practice, practice; write in the morning, write in the evening, write every day; it's keep an eye on grammar and keep an eye on adverbs (might be caricaturing here;-). Copy a style, use prompts, try new things, aren't you loving it? Aren't you?

It's all about getting better, and at the same time, you're exhorted to not worry about improvement, and focus your writing on your own pleasure and enjoyment. For now at least, that spark is gone; whether it's 'Art and Creation, Behold! (insert cake/more cake metaphor, which has never convinced me of anything but it's beloved)' or 'Not Art but good healthy fun :3 look how not neurotic this ficcer is!'

Are we supposed to want to improve, or are we supposed to put that thought away? Are we supposed to call it art because it's creative, or not art because it's too much pressure? We're supposed to enjoy feedback (it's connection!) but not too much (obnoxious neediness!); we're supposed to write for ourselves but sharing is important.

Yeah, yeah, there's no rule, you do you etc. But where is enjoyment? What happens, when it's more hassle than not? How do you make it fun again? Should you? There's this emphasis on being creative in one way or another, and the contradictory imperatives of It Must Be Fun and You Should Want To Improve, of This Is Real Art and This Is Just Slapped On The Page Lol.

So for me, for now, the spark is gone, and it feels empty, like there's nothing left in me to give anymore.

--

If it's not fun, don't bother.

I didn't consciously practice. I just did Yuletide for over 20 years and then noticed I was good enough that practicing now felt worth it.

[gay-impressionist]

i love how the french oral language takes a noun and runs away with it to create verbs and adverbs ("mitonner", "malaisance", etc.)

incorrect french as slang my beloved <3

[borealopelta]

10 questions for 10 writers

the beloved @arokel tagged me aaages ago and i'm finally doing it yayyy!

1. Is writing a hobby or a way of life?

a hobby i think. i do write a lot and it's a big part of my life but i wouldn't define myself as a writer you know? i'm just someone who writes :)

2. A journal full of notes or a clean completed manuscript?

journal full of notes!! i usually get tiny snippets of Disjointed Scenes stuck in my head and i recently realised that if i wrote them out i could. come back to them later if i wanted instead of forgetting them like a cool person. so i'm doing that in my notes app for now. but theoretically i'm all for a clean manuscript i'm literally incapable of writing a fic out of order aside from my little notes

3. Who or what inspired your writing?

honestly this question is stumping me a little. i don't know? i've been writing and telling stories from a very young age and i never had Big Inspirations. i do have people who influence my style (see the three authors i mention in question 8....holy shit to be able to write like that) but inspiration? idk i don't think i'm even getting what kind of inspiration this is asking about.

4. Which is worse: Someone you ‘idolize’ reading your first draft or listening to you sing?

Definitely singing. i don't mind people i look up to reading my stuff! even if it could be improved!! but singing for an audience is horrible :)

5. Has writing from someone else’s POV changed your perspective?

i'm a very emotional person and experience everything all the time except for when i shut off and stop feeling at all for a bit. the latter is a rare occurrence and i'm generally all about emotions so writing my favourite oc who operates on a Very low emotional spectrum was (is) a really interesting experience. i have to put a lot of thought into how bella sees the world but i Love the way his brain works so he's always worth the effort and i'm thankful to him for showing me something new

6. Tumblr, AO3, LiveJournal, or FFN?

no wattpad....how quickly forget our dark history. anyway yeah it's ao3!!! i Love the way ao3 works i did Not learn to navigate FFN well enough (not for lack of trying btw) to ever really use it

7. AO3 word count? And are you satisfied with it?

137,805. i'm a notorious fic deleter so it's not representative of the amount i've written over the years but. yeah! i'm happy with that. i obviously want to write more but word count is one of the stats i care least about

8. What movie/book gripped you irrevocably?

for books it's either the hungarian selection aka Verhovina madarai by Bodor Ádám and Termőtestek by Sepsi László - two novels i think about literally all the time - or Tell Them of Battles, Kings, and Elephants by Mathias Énard which i keep recommending to LITERALLY everyone because it's so beautiful. btw read tell them of battles kings and elephants by mathias énard it's so beautiful. for movies i guess dead poets society? aesthetically & also its message is so beautiful and i love a robin williams film

9. What’s the highest compliment you could ever be given, and have you been given it?

i don't know!!! any compliment makes me happy. but i love hearing that people came back to reread multiple times. like omg!! welcome back i'm so glad my sillies are in your brain

10. What defines your writing style?

i like to think my descriptions are pretty definitive, i loooooove stacking adjectives and adverbs and stuff with hyphens and commas and ands and other verbal connective tissue i love describing things in very specific ways and i think my writing also has a unique rhythm because of how hungarian works and how that translates to english. but that's just inside my brain idk!! my writing might be the most generic shit to everyone else :]

[kaibacorpintern]

13 14 and 38?

13. What’s the best writing advice you’ve ever come across?

As always: write the thing that you want to read!!

And: "a beginning writer should be drunk on words," which I understood as "indulge in maximalist excesses of style," in the sense that at one point, I did not deny myself a single simile or metaphor or fancy turn-of-phrase. Language is fun. Language is infinite. There are so many words and ideas available to us, ugly and beautiful and simple and complex. Open the floodgates.

A supplement to this is the idea that you have to write badly before you can write well, which I think is extremely true - you have to go fucking wild in the Google doc and test things out to see what works and what doesn't, and continually learn from yourself as you write: why does this satisfy me? why does this NOT satisfy me?

AND honestly I do believe that reading well leads to writing well - reading omnivorously, studying how stories and sentences are put together, looking at all the different ways people have used language and the potential OF language to convey emotions and ideas and actions in ever-changing ways, etc. Sometimes I write with a stack of books next to me so I can flip through them for inspiration - I wrote "One Good Movie Kiss" holding "If Beale Street Could Talk" and "Blood Meridian" in my lap like beloved kittens...

14. What’s the worst writing advice you’ve ever come across?

Almost all of the fussy little rules (don't use adverbs! use these words instead of "said!" etc.) pretty much go in one ear and out the other, if only for the way that they try to control the organic flow and development of style. All of these things can be used and made into art in the hands of a good writer.

38. Talk about a review that made your day.

Yes! this one on Conditional Contrapositive Converse Inverse:

I'm dying over the over-calculated interactions, and Mokuba's deep reading of Seto's moods; it's tragic and loyal in that uncomfortable in-between of codependent love and resentment. It feels so honest and free of judgment in your words.

I feel I could annotate this fic the same way an archaeologist lovingly moves earth with a trowel and a brush, and find treasure.

This review means a lot to me because Reviewer made me feel like I really achieved what I was aiming for - a nuanced portrait of a very complicated, often unhappy and difficult relationship (possibly my favorite relationship in the entire series) - and I was so happy to receive it <3

[writtenbyevie]

Evie love how are you doing? ❤️ For the ao3 wrapped: 27, 29, and 30 are the ones I’m super curious about!!! Big love you <3

my beloved julie hello 💖!! I am doing well!! I always love seeing your name in my notifications. Instant joy 💫 anywho how are you✨?

27. what do you listen to while writing?

It depends on the scene! I have to be careful listening to songs with lyrics, as I can find them distracting. Like I can't hear my own thoughts over the vocalist? I'll also get caught up trying to write to rhythm of the music. (That being said I listen to music a lot BEFORE I write as source of inspiration/set the vibe)

I really enjoy listening to ambient/atmospheric songs. Here are a few!

snowfall

S T A Y

meditation

Forever

bella's lullaby (the twilight renaissance is upon us BABY)

Some other great instrumental songs are Arrival of the Binds and Transformation by the London Orchestra, anything by Emma Louise but especially 17 Hours, Atlas Eyes, and Stainache (she's a singer but very soft) Wind by Prm, The Smallest Piece from Beasts of No Nation, Turning Page by Daniel Jang, Wanderlust by AK, Discovery by AK, Cristofori's Dream by David Lanz, and Hijo De la Luna by Olga Benito to name a few!

29. favorite line/passage you wrote this year?

Well first I want to thank you Jules for this question, as it forces me to self-reflect in a POSTIVE way, which I think all of us writers could do more of. Be proud of your work!! Anywho here a few lines I loved :)

from star-stitched:

This quote describes both Kiyoomi's and my relationship with OCD so it has a lot of personal meaning for me :')

 “It’s fine,” Motoya assures. “Do your stuff.” I know you want to, being the unspoken thing. 

And yet. 

And yet, Kiyoomi never wants to. But he always does. A marionette with his strings wrapped around his throat. Bound by Bad Thoughts. Strangled by the fabric of who he is. Kiyoomi never wants to, but he always does. 

I also liked this description of Kiyoomi thinking Atsumu is about to touch him after a successful service ace (they're thirteen during this)!

Bad Habits, Bad Thoughts, Bad Days. A malady melody in a relentless crescendo. A desperate chant of,

don’t touch me don’t touch me don’t touch me don’t touch me don’t touch me don’t—

I won’t.

Miya steers clear of Kiyoomi and drops down onto the ground in front of his spewing bag. A sudden caesura. The closing of a conductor’s fist. Kiyoomi’s worries tucked away in the bed of his palm. It leaves him almost dizzy. To be well within someone’s reach, only for them to take nothing but his breath. Hold it for him in their hand. 

from earth and moon

both of these quotes I like in terms of their prose and what they represent thematically! This one pertains to what Suna sees as the inevitability of Osamu leaving him due to outside forces.

Osamu kisses him back like he’s crafting rice, wrapping hands, looking at stars. He kisses Rin like he’s an open wound and he knows. (Rin should stop acting as if he doesn’t.) He kisses Rin like they have time. 

They don't. Not really. Not even the rain can make Rin forget that now.

Now.

Now, Rin thinks of gravity. Gravity, the pinnacle force, which tethers together the earth and moon. Gravity which can tug on time and space like Osamu does with Rin’s hair to kiss his neck. (He does). Gravity which can pull a moment away from the greedy hands of memory. Gravity which can make something last.

Rin knows forever is too much to ask of anything, of anyone. But could he at least ask for this moment to last? Stretch it out like Osamu’s back in the grass. Cup it like his face in the morning. Hold it like his body in bed. Could Rin at least ask for this moment to last? Please? For now?

Now?

No.

I enjoy this next one as it represents the motif of cyclical universes! Sue me I’m a slut of adjectives and adverbs (context they're watching a documentary together)

Rin watches the slide of the screen's prismatic light over Osamu’s enraptured expression. Empyrean ivories, astral blues, elysian reds. Osamu, in celestial technicolor. Rin watches the world end and begin again on Osamu’s face. Infinity becomes briefly human.

Anywho, if you liked those quotes then it'd mean the world if you checked out those stories :)

30. biggest surprise while writing this year?

Probably how much I missed it! While I've been writing since I was a wee lass, I only wrote original works and primarily focused on scripts from high school onwards. In college, I hardly wrote for fun at all, since I just didn't have time.

BUT I started writing regularly again in September of 2021 after discovering fanfic and I remembered how much I loved writing in general, but especially narratively. I've re-fallen in love with words and the wonders they can do :)

[cee-grice]

Happy Storyteller Saturday, Cee! I hope you’re having a good weekend💜

This week's question is: What is a popular reductive writing 'rule' that you just love to break? I mean things like 'no head hopping' but see: Dune, or 'avoid filler words and run-on sentences', but The Lord of the Rings wouldn't be the same without them.

heyy Sam, thanks for the ask!!<3

oh I love breaking writing rules:DD my most grievous offense is probably the 'avoid adverbs' one hahaha:DD idk this girlie just loves adverbs<33 they're a valid part of language, why must we abuse them so?? :((

ok no but seriously, I think adverbs definitely have their time and place. like, you cannot tell me I could just replace 'he said softly' with 'he murmured'. like, please, look at these lines, and tell me the 'he murmured' one reads better:

"I think we've both had enough," he said softly.

"I think we've both had enough," he murmured.

yeah, sure, maybe I can imagine the physical sound better with the second one, but the emotion in 'softly'??? god strike me dead. maybe I'm the crazy one here but idk adverbs just carry more emotion for me than 'stronger verbs'. again, I don't overuse them, but I don't actively avoid or recoil at the sight of them either. 'Agonizingly', 'achingly', 'dreadfully', 'surely', 'softly', 'gently', 'oddly' and many others my beloved<333

[wordweavewonder]

English Related-Peeves: Do they matter?

This or these? Alright or all right? Could of or could've? These are some words that will make our heads hurt as it seems they have the same meaning and both are correct but you're wrong, they have different meanings, structures, and pronunciations but who made these words? Who cares right, what's important is that let's break some English related-peeves we continue to use as we think it was correct all the time, all right, let's wrap up first.

In the English world making a mistake is not a Hindrance to being nonefficient in the language but it serves as a reminder that we need to learn more about this crazy yet amazing language, yes crazy, because this language has various elements that make it easy to understand yet make it hard to learn.

As a student, sometimes I just said whatever in my mind that led to some grammatical incorrect or used some phrases that were not correct but no one cared, except for our English teacher of course. I live in a household that came like this "As long as the people around us understand what we're saying then what the means of correct grammar, right?" But I beg to disagree, I don't want to be trapped in this kind of English world and we should not have normalized it and it may result that we may unconsciously turn the wrong phrases to the right one and vice versa.

So now let's break down some pet peeves in our beloved English language I know we are all using this language that seems right but trust me, it's not.

1. "Alright vs All right"

Sounds the same, and almost the same spelling; one is with a single letter l, and the other with the double L. But they differ in formality, the "All right" is always seen in formal writing such as essays, novels, speeches, and such while on the other hand the "Alright" has this casual aura that we can use in our daily communication like "Alright. I passed it today". Most people prefer the standard over the non-standard but most people use the non-standard as people are not serious all the time. The form alright is a one-word spelling of the phrase all right that made its first appearance in the 1880s. Alright is commonly used in written dialogue and informal writing, but all right is the only acceptable form in edited writing. Basically, it is not all right to use alright in standard English. (2015, N. A)

2. Nonetheless and Nevertheless

Although, the two words are almost spelled similarly and express contradiction they differ in the scenarios. According to(Grammarly blog, n.a) Nonetheless should be used to express contrast to something that happened or was said, and nevertheless is used to mean “despite facts or time.” both words have formality attributes that can be used in letters, essays, etc. Example: "Our science project is very hard to accomplish; nevertheless, we're able to pass it on time" " I was so confused if I would buy this cute pendant; nonetheless, I will buy four, for me and for my friends"

3." Then" vs " Than"

Then is something to use to contrast something and it also serves as a preposition, meaning that is used to connect nouns or pronouns to a verb or adverb to make the sentence correct.

Example:

"We, human beings are smarter than all living things on the earth. " While the " Then" functions as an adverb and is used relating to time for instance, "Since then, I become more mature and do the things he loved, so he will come back to me" the function of them here is involving the time as it expresses how he/she will change on that day until his love one came back.

4." I could care less"

A phrase that we always hear on the television as we watch telenovelas, we think it is right well it is because it means no one cares but again because we have standard English this phrase became wrong and the right one is " Couldn't care less" that can use in formal writing. Moreover, when using I could care less phrase they do care as it appears there is something that they less care about.

5. The I and me

The two classic words make millions of people even I, use them sometimes incorrectly in the sentence. According to Mr. Google, they differ in how they use sentences, I is subjective, which means it is only used when the speaker is the subject of the sentence while Me is objective means the speaker is the one who receives the action.

Example:

"I ate some cookies before bedtime"

"In my dreams, the giant cookies are trying to eat me"

[prettyiwa]

22, 29 and 35!! <3

22. How organized are you with your writing? Describe to me your organized method, if it exists. What tools do you use?

It varies, but very organized with my outlines, very disorganized with my notes. I've been trying to get better about it and have a journal for research notes and another for outlines and basic brainstorming. When doing smth that requires more effort (long fics, my beloved), I'll create a skeleton outline and expand upon each major point I've written. If I can't do that, then that point gets removed or changed until I can. I'll typically have the story mapped out before I start it to help nail down the idea that "all roads lead to Rome."

29. Where do you draw your inspiration? What do you do when the inspiration well runs dry?

I've never hit the bottom of my inspiration well and I hope I never will. Uh. I get it from everywhere. Snippets of conversations I hear/have, poetry & lines from literature (more the emotions evoked), specific sensations (e.g. the way the grass grows wet sometime around 3 AM and how it flavors the air; the sounds of the ocean crashing against the cliff side and how it changes over the course of a day), dreams, etc. I tend to write them down if they still "itch" after a couple hours and I use that if I'm feeling stuck.

35. What's your favorite writing rule to smash into smithereens?

Mostly adverbs. Yeah, you're supposed to allow room for interpretation, but sometimes I need the scene to come across in a very specific way. (I actually had to look up some writing rules to be able to answer this and this is the one I go against most consistently)

[coquelicoq]

For the letter ask, can you do the letter M?

i love magnets because of that tumblr post that says no one really understands magnetism. i don't know if that's true, but it reminds me of one of my favorite things about science, which is the awareness that we only know a fraction of what there is to know. (my other favorite thing is about science is the curiosity and drive to know more than we do currently.) magnets are also fun because of the whole "opposites attract" thing, which is a cliche for a reason. also i love magnets because they allow me to stick my siblings' photos and the art they drew for me when they were little to my fridge <3

i love my tag #me when i discovered narwhals and hope to have many more opportunities to use it in the future.

i love malaphors and mondegreens and memes. i love the way our brains connect things to make new things, often on accident, and i love it when the new things are funny.

i love the moon. oh, how i love the moon. i love how lonely she is and yet how every time i look at her i know someone else is looking at her too. i love that there's just this huge body that appears in the sky every few weeks, wherever i am, and she's been doing that for eons. like, there's nothing else i can see from inside of my house that is that ancient. there's nothing else i can see on a regular basis that i know billions and billions of other people have also seen. i love how she's not visible all the time so that when she is, i still feel excited about it. i love that she can't see me back and that she doesn't care about me or about anything at all. i love my playlist of songs about the moon. i love using she/her pronouns for the moon. i love how she protects us from asteroids! when i think about the tides i get incredibly fucked up about it. we're a system! we affect each other!!!!!

speaking of. i love mutualism and mutual aid. i love that we want to help. i love that we want to be helped. i love that we want to be part of something bigger than ourselves. i love that we want to belong and to contribute.

i love it when things are meta, by which i mean i love it when things are self-referential. i love it the way i love autology, when something is an example of what it describes. i also love what tumblr calls meta, fan analysis of shows and books and whatnot, but who doesn't??

i love math. i love that math is systematic and reliable but i also love it for the exact opposite reason...i love math because it's so complex, because it's so unfinished, because it's so unpredictable. because what it's describing is complex and unfinished and unpredictable! i love the t-shirts my friends and i made in math club in high school (i, my imaginary friend) and these very bad math pickup lines i made to impress a beloved mutual.

i love mortality. i love knowing that i am mortal. i love knowing that existence is change, that things come to an end, that entropy is natural.

i love that mourning and morning are homonyms. i love that life goes on but i am changed. i love the things in life that are cyclical, that remind me that i'm part of the great turning of all things.

i love the word maybe. i love that it's a verb phrase turned into an adverb. i love the hope inherent in it. i love that you never know. you never know.

[zartophski]

54 and 69!

Hi Echo <3 <3 <3

54. What is a common writing tip that you almost always follow?

Mmmm, I don't actively try to follow certain rules when I write. I know I get annoyed when I use the same word too many times too close together, even if I feel like it's the best word to use. And I guess the idea that "said" is overused, especially when paired with an adverb. I still use it all the time, and adverbs my beloved <3 but if I catch myself using it "too many times" (whatever that arbitrary number is) I'll go back and either take out some dialogue tags or come up with other words to use.

69. How do you write emotional scenes? Do you ever feel what the characters feel?

If I write it well, yeah I definitely feel their emotions. I know it's good when I'm unconsciously making the corresponding facial expression when I reread it jfghds. I listen to music when I write (mostly game OSTs) and sometimes I'll try and grab a song to fit the vibe, but to be honest, I've definitely written an emotional scene while Sooga, Right Hand of the Inverted Eye: Phase Two was playing in the background gfdsghh.

At a certain point in writing, the background music and noise and world kinda fade away, and I put myself in whatever moment I'm writing. It's a movie in my head. I'm the director but I'm also the actor who's pulling their own emotions forward and aligning them with the character's experiences. There are bits of me in my writing, including some of the more emotionally heavy scenes. hjghsdj maybe that's the common writing tip I follow, pull from your own experiences to create something that is unique to you.

[eijispumpkin]

11, 18, 19, 25, 35 (i'm spamming bc ILY AND I WANT TO HEAR YOU TALK <3)

11. Do you tend to write long or short sentences?

i like to mix it up!!! i def have a tendency to be long-winded and rambly when i speak, and im sure that translates to a degree to my writing voices, but i also try to temper it by using short simple sentences to contrast and keep the reader's attention!

18. Which writing 'rules' do you regularly break?

anyone who says "said is dead" is personally asking to meet me in the pit. also, adverbs aren't evil, the key is to know when theyre veering into "telling instead of showing" vs when theyre simply making ur sentences more concise. also i know lots of grammar rules and i make the conscious choice to break them all the time <3 character voices suffer when u dont let urself use sentence fragments. (that said though i will die before i suffer thru something with improper punctuation.)

19. How do you feel about 'show don't tell'?

overall i find it a solid rule of thumb, though ofc there are times when any rule is better off broken!!

25. Do you use foreshadowing?

GOD YES i LOVE foreshadowing. foreshadowing and metaphors that don't make sense until a second read-through my BELOVEDS.

35. Do you tend to over/under tag your stories?

probably undertag if anything. i think i strike a pretty decent balance personally but i def err on the side of less tags than more. walls of tags make my eyes glaze over and i hate to see them kjdhfjkd

fanfic writing - let's get technical!

[iamkatehardy]

At Last (Kray Twins x Reader) - Chapter 2

Warnings: Swearing, Mentions of violence

Author’s Notes: I’m Sorry it took me so long to update, I promise I’ll try to do it more frequently, and spice things up in Chapter 3!

Your feedback is always appreciated, whatever your opinion is <3

You can find Chapter 1 in my Masterlist ❤️

You had been working on Esmeralda’s Barn for some time. The Krays were more than just your bosses; the employers-employee relationship was quickly replaced by a warm-hearted one. Little did they know when they hired you that it would be a hell of a ride.

Before your Première on the club’s stage, you refused to stop working on the bar; you wanted to perform the tasks you were originally hired to, until the minute you’d receive their definitive order to stop and become exclusively a singer.

Reggie had told you an infinite amount of times that it was completely ok if you decided to engage in your rehearsals only and leave the bar, but you politely declined hid offer every single time, you wanted to prove your value on stage first. Besides that, working cleared your mind from your problems, and spending more time in the club meant you were safer.

After long hours of work in the bar, and putting everything in place for the next night, you’d finally rehearse. You’d spend hours on end composing and arranging songs meticulously, until your fingers were sore, your voice showed some hoarseness or your eyes were so puffy you couldn’t keep them open any longer.

Reggie’s marriage was definitely on the rocks, so he spent a lot of time on the club as well. Sometimes neither of you left until the sun was up. He spent most of his time alone in his office, upset with the situation and with himself, wondering where he went wrong with Frances. Before his sadness and rage consumed him from within, he’d come to sit at his usual table with a drink on his hand, to watch your performance, trying to set aside his problems for a while. You knew what it meant when Reggie’s bright eyes turned red, and you knew he didn’t deserve any of that, considering what you knew from his way of being.

One day you just couldn’t take it anymore, he had been too amiable and considerate with you for you to stand to see him that miserable. You came down the stage and reached out for him, putting your cold hands on his shoulder.

“I know I have no right to intrude in your life like this… But I really can’t help it; I absolutely loathe seeing you like that, Reggie…”

“And I can’t help feeling like this (Y/N). You don’t know the weight of a failed marriage…”

“Actually, I do, more than I’d like to…” – You rubbed his shoulders softly. – “And if you want to cry, or talk, you don’t have to do it on alone, I am here to dry your eyes…”

He looked up at you in surprise, and then hugged you by the waist, laying his head on your stomach; you ran your fingers through his slightly messy hair, protectively, as he just let tears flow freely.

You wouldn’t mind spending hours comforting him, if that would have any results. You had no idea why would a relationship with a man like Reggie be doomed; all you could see in him so far was only good.

Your instinct to protect the twins, perhaps because they protected you as well was something else. You treated Ron with endless love and patience, as if he was an adult-sized baby , which seemed to work, because he actually listened to your advice and became very fond of you. With Reggie it was different, you adored him from the depths of your heart, and you had started to develop feelings for him; the more you tried to avoid it, the more it grew inside you. His friendship was probably all you were going to get from him, and though it wasn’t nearly what you wanted, having him near and being gifted by his smile would have to be enough.

The day you’d officially make your debut in the Esmeralda’s Barn finally arrived, and a mixed of different feelings washed over you. You were nervous, excited, frightened, happy and a bunch of other things, all in equal proportions. As you sat in the dressing room, getting ready, you thought about singing for Reggie, the very thought of him made you unwind. Sometimes you wondered if he had the ability to read minds, because he had just showed up behind you; you saw his reflection in the mirror.

“How sneaky, Mr. Kray! I didn’t hear you coming in.” – You laughed, putting your earrings on, observing him through the mirror.

“Well, that was my goal. I wanted to surprise you.” – He stepped closed.

“Or causing me a heart attack maybe…” – You glared at him and then shrugged, giggling and turning on your chair to face him.

“I just wanted to wish you good luck, though I’ve been told many times that talented people, like yourself, don’t really need it my dear.” – He delivered you a gorgeous bouquet, with about a dozen delicate scarlet roses.

“Oh, thank you Reggie, you’re such a sweet! How did you know they were my favorite?” – You touched them carefully, smiling excited.- “My suspicions are now confirmed, you read minds! They are beautiful!”

“Not nearly as beautiful as you are.” – He smiled, taking your hand and kissing it gently, then planting a kiss on your forehead, letting his lips rest there for some seconds. – “You’ll sweep people off their feet!”

“Always so charming…” – A blush crept up your cheeks and you put the flowers in a vase with water.

“I better go now; I really want a front-row seat.” – He winked and then left.

“Oh Dear Lord, why do you do this to me?!” – You looked up at the heavens, asking for help. – “I’m married; HE’S married and loves his wife so much… Just, no.” – You slapped yourself lightly, to wake yourself up from your fantasies. After taking a sip of a drink that Teddy brought you earlier, you inhaled sharply, before going on stage.

The moment had come, this as your final test before the club’s birthday. Everyone had high expectations on you, and you didn’t want to let them down, especially the twins.

Fighting your demons, you faced the crowd, swallowing hard; Reggie gave you a warm reassuring smile; Ron gave you a nod, his own way of trying to raise your spirits; and Teddy, being his usual crazy self, clapped enthusiastically. Their support meant a lot.

From the moment the first note of the song was played, everything faded from your mind, the good, the bad, everything. Well, everything but a special someone. For a moment in time, there were only you, the melody and the words that slowly wrapped and mended your soul, just the kind of therapy you needed. Just you, and the love coming out of your lips on the form of a song. Your performance didn’t let any of your friends down, neither the people in the club, who gave you a standing ovation. You felt absolutely overwhelmed by their positive reaction and courtly bowed. You didn’t even think of the unwanted attention this night could bring you.

Ron immediately got up, coming forward and offering you his arm. You smiled, linking your arm on his and walked with him to the table, in order to celebrate your success.

“Do you think you could teach me how to sing? I’d like that.” – He looked at you with curious eyes.

“We can arrange that, yes.” – You smiled and rubbed your thumb on his cheek.

“That was fucking amazing.” – Teddy clapped and gave you a sly smile. – “Come on, today is the day, say it!”

“Yes, it was amazing indeed.” – You chuckled.

“ Ah ah ah ah ah! No, you forgot that magical adverb of intensity: fucking amazing.” – He made his priority since day one to make you say or do something that wasn’t lady like, so he was dying to hear you swearing.

“You’ll never give up, will you? Cheeky little thing.” – You rolled your eyes biting your lower lip. “Fine. It was fucking amazing, and I fucking loved it.” – You shrugged and laughed.

After some drinking and mingling, someone brushed past you, but you couldn’t see his face, just feel a familiar smell. You felt a chill down your spine, a crippling bad feeling, but the night was going so great you decided to ignore it. It was probably just your anxiety kicking in.

Reggie mingled with some clients for a while, but he was dying to talk to you, so he came to hug you, whispering in your ear.

“I am in awe (Y/N).” – His warm breath in your ear made you close your eyes for a second. – “Absolutely thrilling, love. What you did back there was pure magic, and t just confirmed my huge will of having you performing on the club’s birthday, and all the upcoming nights, for the matter. If you don’t get better proposals, which after tonight is a strong possibility.”  - He kissed the top of your head and then held your hands on his, caressing them.

“Your offer is the only one I’ll be considering and accepting, I like it here very much, thank you for the vote of trust.”  - You raised his hands to your lips and kissed them softly.

After socializing with them for a while, you started getting tired, so you headed to the dressing room. Arriving there you noticed another bouquet lying in the dressing table. The white Lilies resembled the ones you used to have in your house, the ones your husband always brought you, to compensate you for the harsh beatings. There was a card, a black R written on the front, you thought maybe it was Ron’s, to convince you about the singing classes, so you smiled and grabbed the card. When you opened it, you completely froze.

“I’m thrilled to see you again, my beloved wife. Knowing that you are, and will always be, mine, makes me the happiest man on Earth. We’ll be together soon; Together until death do us part. – Raymond”

It could have been a bad joke, but no one knew about Raymond, and it was his handwriting. You dropped the card and looked all around you, grabbing a silver letter opener in case he was around, and you started hyperventilating. The thought of him being there, where you thought you were safe, completely freaked you out, and his final words in the card didn’t help.

Reggie noticed your absence, so he came to check on you. Seeing you absolutely in shock, he got worried sick. He approached slowly and took the letter opener out of your hand.

“(Y/N)?” – He caressed your arm gently.

“He’s going to kill me.” – Your eyes were wide, your face showing pure horror, tears streaming helplessly down your cheeks, a lump in your throat. You couldn’t even make a sound.

Reggie didn’t understand, you hadn’t talked to him about Raymond.

“He… He was here, he’ll come after me.” – You stuttered, looking around.

“Who was here, darling?” – He wrapped his arms around you, and tried to understand the motive for so much distress. You held on to him for dear life.

“My husband. This time he’ll kill me” – You sobbed.

Reggie was confused when you mentioned a husband, you never did before. He covered your salty cheeks with kisses.

“No one will hurt you (Y/N), I would never allow such a thing, yeah?”

“You don’t understand, he was here, in this room…” – You picked the card and shower him.

He analyzed the card, rubbing a thumb across his lips, in deep thought.

“It won’t happen again…” – He lifted his eyes to you. – “I promise you, I’ll be alert and no one will hurt you. I am here for you, always.” – He enveloped you in his arms again, bathing you with his warmth and his comforting smell, his arms protective when wrapped around the vulnerable woman in front of him. – “Listen, you are one of the most delicate, yet powerful woman I’ve met. You deserve to be unconcerned and happy, and I’ll take care of that, yeah darling?"

“No… He just won’t stop, no matter what. He loves to see me terrified; he loves to have me begging, while he’s beating the shit out of me. The terror and despair feed him.Believe me, I’ve learned the hard way that next time that possessive psychopath won’t stop until he kills me, you read what he wrote. He thinks I’m one of his belongings, one he vents his anger on, when things don’t go as planned, until he snaps and ends my life.” – You laid your head in his chest, sighing, desperate.

The bruises on your face and wrists on the very first day you met were now explained. His blood was boiling, at the thought of someone hurting you that way.

“Trust me (Y/N), I won’t let anything happen to you, ever again. I’ll be watching you the whole time in here, I’ll be taking you home myself, I’ll stay with you if needed… Whatever will make you feel better, love.” – He stroked your hair, and he made you forget about the world outside, as you melted in his arms.

The following days were everything but easy, the thought of Raymond being around, or coming after you were daunting. There was a maniac waiting to strike and you didn’t know if you, or Reggie, could do anything to help it. It made you feel uneasy.

Reggie informed Ron about the situation, honestly he thought your husband deserved whatever Ron-style treatment his brother would give your him ,if he caught him anywhere near you.

He took care of you himself though, always aware, and ready to bail you out of any harmful situation. You complicated his mission, because you insisted you’d keep living your normal life, working and singing as usual.

This whole situation made Reggie forget about his own problems, his main concern was now his need to ensure you were safe, he couldn’t quite put his finger why, but right now you came first.

[maireyart]

A few thoughts on Russian nicknames

1. Yes, Russians use them a lot, but only in deeply established relationships.   If Victor and Yuuri are not in an established relationship, Victor bombarding him with zolotse&solnyshko is a little strange and too extra even for him XD If you want to use those in a fic, make sure the situation is appropriate.

2. As long as they’re speaking in English, I think Victor would in fact use English nicknames like ‘Love’ or ‘my dear Yuuri’ or something else that fits his characterisation in your fic! It’s hard to switch between languages quicky (“english-english-solnyshko-english-english”), because the pronounciation differs A LOT and your tongue is going to fail you if you’re not a genius of articulation. xD  It’s not only the pronounciation that makes switching difficult, especially in the same sentence, but the process of thinking. When I start speaking in English, I also think in English, and when I think in English, no Russian words pop up in my head. Russian just disappears, and it takes an effort to switch back. It’s much easier to stick to one language in your speech. And there are enough sweet words in English which Victor could express his huge love with :) So instead of “english-english-lyubimiy-english-english” he would 100% say “english-english-my love-english-english”.

3. If Victor decides to use a Russian word or a phrase, I don’t think it would be in vain. Quite the contrary, actually: it would be intimate, sacramental even, it would express something that English can’t convey for him.  He would make a pause and say it softly, slowly, right in Yuuri’s ear, so that Yuuri could understand it without knowing the translation and feel the vibes with his skin and heart, you know? I imagine English is an everyday means of communication for them used in all kinds of situations, but Russian or Japanese are only for special occasions to express very special emotions. You should avoid inserting these languages randomly in the dialogues.

It seems that these two words - zolotse and solnyshko - are the favorites of the English fandom. At least I have seen them more often than other Russian words on AO3. Zolotse means gold, and solnyshko means sunshine (literally: sun), both nouns contain suffixes of endearment  and sound cute (in Russian not only personal names, but also most nouns, adjectives and adverbs can have “cute” derivatives). Victor might use them, why not, if the author sees him using such words. But you’d almost never encounter those in Russian fics… I think Victor is less sweet in Russian fics in general. For some reason there are many fics exploring his “dark Russian side” and his flaws, and honestly it’s not my cup of tea xD But even in fluffy fics he doesn’t use such words much as compared to English fics. Here is a little list of what I have seen Russian authors using: Moy Yuuri (my Yuuri) - мой Юри Miliy (dear, sweet) - милый (may be used as an adj or noun) Lyubimiy (beloved, my love) - любимый (may be used as an adj or noun) Moya radost (my joy) - моя радость Solnyshko (lit: sun; sunshine) - солнышко Lapochka (cutie) - лапочка The first three tender ways of addressing are the most neutral and fit all situations, but the last three may be too cheesy, banal even. Or may not. It depends on the situation and the context, on the talent of an author. In my own 78k Russian fic I used only “moy Yuuri” and “miliy Yuuri”. 

These nicknames are very common in Russian, but it’s a very creative language and due to those endearment suffixes technically any noun or adjective you want can turn into a sweet nickname. I rather think Victor would use the creative ones, something unusual but meaningful!

Sometimes unexpected pet names are awesome if there is some explanation behind it. For example, in Blackbird Victor calls Yuuri moya iskorka (my sparklet), and it is so so so good in that story, so right! This is just genius! Not cheesy or strange, but very romantic, 100% believable and full of meaning! I was extremely delighted to encounter that one! ♡ But if you want something like that, you totally shouldn’t use Google Translate xD You need somebody to explain to you all connotations of the word you want to use. The vibes of this word in the Russian language.

I personally also like the word “rodnoy” - it is “dear” with a family feel to it. It sounds like “you’re my family” or “my soul mate”. Like “you’re in my blood/soul”. It’s more than just emotions, it’s some deeper connection that is beyond them. But it’s not an easy one to pull off in a text. This must be a serious text, then this word, whispered by Victor, would become pure magic. And I also like “svet ochei moih” (literally “the light of my eyes”, in other words “you who makes my eyes shine”). This is an old Russian way to address a beloved man, very sublime, poetic, archaic, and MUCH harder to pull off. But it’s… beautiful… It's like Yuzuru Hanyu's "Notte Stellata", if that makes sense! TBC ♡

[reedreadsgreek]

3 John, 1–4

1 Ὁ πρεσβύτερος Γαΐῳ τῷ ἀγαπητῷ, ὃν ἐγὼ ἀγαπῶ ἐν ἀληθείᾳ. 

2 Ἀγαπητέ, περὶ πάντων εὔχομαί σε εὐοδοῦσθαι καὶ ὑγιαίνειν, καθὼς εὐοδοῦταί σου ἡ ψυχή. 3 ἐχάρην γὰρ λίαν ἐρχομένων ἀδελφῶν καὶ μαρτυρούντων σου τῇ ἀληθείᾳ, καθὼς σὺ ἐν ἀληθείᾳ περιπατεῖς. 4 μειζοτέραν τούτων οὐκ ἔχω χαράν, ἵνα ἀκούω τὰ ἐμὰ τέκνα ἐν ἀληθείᾳ περιπατοῦντα.

My translation: 

1 The elder to Gaius the loved one, whom I love in truth.

2 Loved one, concerning all things I ask you to be put on the right path and to be healthy, just as your soul is put on the right path. 3 For I rejoiced exceedingly while brothers were coming and testifying of your truth, just as you are walking in truth. 4 I do not have joy greater than these things, that I might hear my children walking in truth. 

Notes:

1:1 

ὁ πρεσβύτερος is a pendant nominative, or could be taken as the subject of an implied verb γράφω. 

Γαΐῳ (“Gaius”) is a dative of recipient. The articular adjective τῷ ἀγαπητῷ is attributive with Γαΐῳ (“the beloved Gaius”, NRSV, NASB; “my dear friend Gaius”, NIV, HCSB). 

The antecedent of the relative pronoun ὃν is Γαΐῳ. ὃν is the direct object of the present ἀγαπῶ (from ἀγαπάω) and ἐγὼ the emphatic subject. The verb is modified by the prepositional phrase ἐν ἀληθείᾳ (cf. 2 John 1), which is probably not equivalent to the adverb “truly” but refers to the community of God’s truth (CEV: “I love you because we follow the truth”). 

1:2 

ἀγαπητέ is substantival and vocative, from the adjective ἀγαπητός. 

εὔχομαι (7x) is, “I wish” (BDAG); most translations, “I pray” (cf. προσεύχομαι). 

The prepositional phrase περὶ πάντων (lit. “concerning all things”; NASB: “in all respects”; HCSB: “in every way”) modifies not εὔχομαι but the first or perhaps both infinitives below. 

εὐοδόω (4x), from εὐ + ὁδός, is literally in the passive, “I am put on the right path”, i.e., “having a prosperous journey”; eventually the ‘journey’ part faded from the meaning. BDAG: “I prosper, succeed”; NRSV, NIV, NET: “go well with”. The present passive infinitive εὐοδοῦσθαι indicates purpose with εὔχομαι above; σε is the accusative subject of the infinitive. Most translations render εὐοδόω as a subjunctive and take πάντων as the subject (“I pray that all may go well with you”, NRSV, NIV, NET). 

ὑγιαίνω (12x), is literally, “I am sound”; BDAG: “I am healthy”, from ὑγιής (12x) “healthy”. The present infinitive ὑγιαίνειν also indicates purpose with εὔχομαι above. 

Most translations take the adverb καθὼς in its normal comparative sense, taking Gaius’s spiritual health as a fact and praying that his physical health might be equally good. However, the same adverb in the next verse functions to introduces indirect discourse after a verb of speech, and thus may possibly here be effectively giving a third item of prayer after the two infinitives above. 

The subject of the present passive εὐοδοῦταί (from εὐοδόω; see above) is ἡ ψυχή; σου is possessive. 

1:3 

The 2nd aorist passive ἐχάρην (from χαίρω) is modified by the adverb λίαν (“exceedingly, very”; see note on 2 John 4). For the passive-voice, see note on 2 John 4. 

The present participles ἐρχομένων (from ἔρχομαι) and μαρτυρούντων (from μαρτυρέω) function as a genitive absolute with the genitive ἀδελφῶν. The present-tense indicates contemporanteous time (“While brothers came and bore witness”), or perhaps is iterative, referring to various brothers. After μαρτυρέω, the dative (τῇ ἀληθείᾳ) indicates the thing testified about. Translations make sense of σου τῇ ἀληθείᾳ (lit. “your truth”, NASB, NET) variously; BDAG: “the truth of your way of life”; NRSV, NIV, HCSB: “your faithfulness to the truth”. 

BDAG says καθὼς here introduces indirect discourse after a verb of speech (NASB, NRSV, NIV, HCSB: “how”). σὺ is the subject of the present περιπατεῖς (from περιπατέω), which is modified by the locative prepositional phrase ἐν ἀληθείᾳ. 

1:4 

μειζοτέραν is the comparative form of μέγας; τούτων is a genitive of comparison (“greater than these things”). μειζοτέραν is attributive with χαράν, which is the direct object of the negated present οὐκ ἔχω (“I have no greater joy”). 

The ἵνα clause is epexegetical of τούτων. The plural τούτων, pointing to a singular fact, may be due to an implied noun such as, “these sorts of reports”. 

The direct object of ἀκούω (pres. subj. after ἵνα) is τὰ τέκνα, modified by attributive possessive pronoun ἐμὰ. The present participle περιπατοῦντα is the complement to τὰ τέκνα in a double accusative construction after a verb of perception. The locative prepositional phrase ἐν ἀληθείᾳ modifies the participle.