#and i have so very many sk wips that i could have been working on

[itsactuallycorrine]

Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: From Dusk Till Dawn: The Series Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Richard Gecko & Seth Gecko, Kate Fuller & Richard Gecko, Kate Fuller/Seth Gecko Characters: Richard Gecko, Kate Fuller, Seth Gecko Additional Tags: POV Outsider, POV Richard Gecko, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, but otherwise canon compliant Summary:

Richie sees Kate's soulmark first, because Richie meets Kate first, and he recognizes it as a match to Seth's.

It changes nothing.

[backjustforberena]

you made a whole hc post about it!! ah this is so cool. a very solid yes to the whole thing. i think we’re definitely in a like mind about serra’s reaction and that whole process. from both the answer to my ask and the seperate post. i have nothing to say that you haven’t said BUT i do have this post i just saw which feels very berena: https://amarakaran.tumblr.com/post/695574270188929024/sk-lumen-a-lover-says-to-another-lover-youll

Thank you!!! To be honest, I could make a whole hc post about most things (currently contemplating one about cam's funeral shhhh), and it's nice that you reached out to say we're of similar minds. I sometimes worry I've got the whole thing wrong - but I suppose we are all allowed our own interpretation and so none of us can be wrong. Unless you are really wrong. ;)

A lover says to another lover, you’ll always have a home with me. I think that’s the best definition for love and friendship. People that become like a home, a place you can return to and feel safe in, a place you feel you always belong in.

This is amazing, thank you so much for sending it in. I've tried toying with this idea in various WIPs and metas, but I'm of the opinion that the 6-8 or however many months that Serena spends between quitting Holby and reuniting with Bernie... she gains a certain wanderlust. She likes to think she got it from Bernie - the appreciation for broader horizons, the appetite for adventures. That bravery that's always been there, that Bernie saw even before she did. But wherever she goes she's missing... something. She knows it's grief, knows herself well enough that it carries on.

She can't settle in Cornwall. So, Serena goes further afield. She's not entirely sure what she's looking for. The problem with suddenly feeling like she could do anything she wanted - that list she gave to Ric - is that she doesn't really yearn to do any of it. All her life, she's had a plan. Even when she was grieving Elinor. Now... now she doesn't know what she's doing. She does finally sell that leafy detached though. It feels like she should have done it years ago.

It's all to do with the future she aided in robbing from herself (the one with Bernie), but can't figure out what helps her soul more. To go to a place where she's not been before, nor has Bernie? Or a place where they'd visited together? Or somewhere she grieved for Elinor, that helped her then? Or maybe a place where Bernie had been, but she'd never set foot in? All combinations that she tries over the months. None of it quite works. All of it niggles, all of it feels like a stepping stone rather than anywhere she could truly settle. It doesn't feel like a home.

She goes to visit the NTC. A place she only saw briefly when Bernie gave her a tour during the one time she visited, right after it opened. Locums there, for a short contract, or something. Bernie is everywhere: the surgery Serena is doing is what Bernie would have been doing, she meets staff that knew Bernie (though IDK if she announces who she is/was!) but it still takes her a few days to spot a photograph on a wall -a picture of the grand opening, framed newspaper articles etc. A collection. A picture of Bernie she's not seen before. Quotes of her words. Bernie's everywhere, but it's not enough. She doesn't have any second thoughts about leaving when she's free to do so.

Serena is just starting to get to the point where she'll give up, return to England, find somewhere and call it a day. Dig her feet in. She goes to Spain, not looking for any work for once, just an extended holiday. A week or so into her stay... she gets the call.

[writingwithcolor]

Hello i have a question regarding a fantasy wip. The magic system i made says that everyone has a magical essence in them and if they practise hard they can harness it to become powerful and perform all kinds of magic. The elves in my wip live in a society strongly inspired by the ones seen in xianxia and wuxia novels. I have been debating having the elves actually use the words qi and cultivation and all the terminology that comes with it. Because for me problem lies in that although the magic flow in each person works similar to qi it has a different origin (i made my own deities as well and its related to them) furthermore iw ould have to think of what other people not living in their society would call it. For example, i have a human society inspired by the mughal empire. I feel like having them refer to magic as qi feels very weird but i also think finding their real world equivalent of it (if that even exists in hinduism, sikhism i’m still in the early parts of worldbuilding so i dont know). Do you think i should just not mention qi at all and have them all use original terminology eventhough people might notice the similarities or should i try to find fitting equivalent?

 Fantasy magic system similar to QI

Sikhs don’t practice magic and Sikh mysticism is somewhat closed.

Additionally, if the elves’ society is based on aspects of Sikhi, they would likely be oppressed under the Mughal inspired society - as Sikhs were oppressed by the Mughal Empire, particularly in the 1500’s - 1700’s, this is something to be handled carefully if the elves are inspired or somehow based in Sikhi.

- SK

Are the gods the same across the cultures? If so, I would definitely delve into the very different societies that emerged while still worshiping them. Take a current example: The Mahayana Buddhism that is practiced in India has distinctions from the Mahayana-based Zen Buddhism that is practiced in Japan, Thien Buddhism, which is practiced in Vietnam, which all have distinct differences from Theravada Buddhism and Vajrayana Buddhism. Each culture may have different names for the gods, for terms of religious practice, for any holy texts, etc.

Hinduism is not the only polytheistic religion in existence--rather, it is culturally polytheistic, with various schools of thought on pantheism, monism, monotheism, and atheism as well. I wouldn’t relate the designed deities specifically to Hinduism, especially if these gods take a direct influence from across spheres of influence. I would take the coding route, and either ensure the inspiration is clear and properly researched and implemented, or focus on looser connections. Many fantasy authors will use a pantheon of their own creation with influences from existing traditions, but differentiate them by declaring the magic concepts and how they affect the makeup of the world. This has its own drawbacks, but less than if you choose to design deities for a religion you’re unfamiliar with. 

How closely does this actually relate to xianxia and wuxia? This needs some more research into the cultures that these works are influenced by. If the concept works the same way mechanically, and is only differentiated by virtue of the origin from the created pantheon, then why the emphasis on the difference? I would introduce some differences into the magic system to make it clear that the concepts of qi and cultivation are inspirations, and come up with a different vocabulary that could then be related back to the pantheon that bestowed the magic upon the characters.

~ Abhaya

There are ways to plausibly create a story linking a magical concept inspired by qi to a South Asian setting. It requires a lot of historical research: think college student senior thesis level. 

How? The Silk Road and Buddhism

I’ll be discussing qi and analogous concepts, particularly their relationship with martial arts in the context of Asian history. Qi, particularly its application to traditional Eastern medicine and martial arts, draws a lot of influence from the synergy of Mahayana Buddhist principles and Chinese Daoism. In South Asia, the Sanskrit concept of prana similarly lends itself well to Ayurvedic medicine and South Asian martial arts. It’s a little obvious if one thinks about it in the context of the dominance of numerous Hindu traditions in the subcontinent for the majority of the region’s history. If you have stratified class systems tied to religious dogma (Caste) and you designate people as warriors (Kshatriya), they likely are learning martial art skills in a codified form (See the Charanavyuha).  Similarly, you will also have individuals with lower social status/ from marginalized regions who will develop their own form of martial arts to counter oppression and invasion (See Shastra Vidya and Kalari, respectively). 

In terms of well known Indian martial arts in the present, we’re mostly talking about Shastra Vidya, developed by the Sikhs in the 16th century CE and Kalari, from Kerala (11th century CE). Though Shastra Vidya is distinct to Sikhi, the preceding styles and influences for Shastra Vidya have been traced as far back as the 16th century BCE.

To what degree one credits South Asia with influencing Chinese martial arts depends on who you ask, their level of nationalism and which country they are from, but it is indisputable that Chinese and South Asian martial are linked via Buddhist influences that facilitated cultural exchange across South Asia, South East Asia, and East Asia for an 800 year period. Has anyone ever wondered why mudras (hand movements) used in classical Indian dance, Vajrayana Buddhism and Shaolin all look...pretty similar? (Northern Shaolin + Bharata Natyam here, and yes, I did). Buddhism, like Jainism and Sikhi, is as much a product of Hindu influences as it is its own religion. 

It spans over a millennium, but Buddhism is your link between Hinduism on one end, Mughals at the other, and Chinese martial arts somewhere in between. I’ll add the Mughals were a bloodthirsty lot, but they were also enthusiastic patrons of local culture, including martial arts. After all, it never hurts to have a group of highly trained warriors on your payroll. I might personally favor pulling more explicitly on the cosmopolitan aspects of Mughal governance for your Mughal coding, perhaps comparing their tactics with the Mongols for reference. There’s a world of difference between Kublai Khan or Akbar compared to Aurangzeb or Genghis Khan. I’ve outlined the broad strokes below in greater detail, but how you use this historical background effectively for your world-building, how you research, what reference books you choose and the care with which you select them: that’s all on you. You will need to use reputable scholarly resources in order to avoid the majority of New Age Appropriative Garbage that seems to jump out of google whenever one uses terms like qi or prana (See Disney’s Mulan remake and the cottage industry of alternative spiritual healers in the US). 

Over the years, I’ve noticed many Asian martial artists recognize the underlying philosophical concepts that different traditions share even if we are unaware of the history behind it all. Whether one calls it ki, qi, prana, whether we refer to the body’s energy centers as chakras, cakra, chakka or rin, many practitioners are drawing on shared complex histories, etiologies and pedagogies, albeit in ways that manifest specifically for each slice of place and time, shaped by a history of conflict and religion. 

I personally think a smart move on your part is not to ignore this shared history. Cultural diffusion doesn’t mean that everyone ends up with the same thing. Rather it means that the dimensions of a successful imported practice or concept take on characteristics shaped by unique, local cultural and political forces. With regards to terminology, see Mod Rina’s conlang guide for how to avoid using terms that outsiders often interpret like qi. You aren’t setting this story in the real world, so why use real cultural terms? 

To that end, I recommend the text show characters from different places, different ethnic groups, even different species all participating in a system that is shared, with differing terminology, applications and varying levels of mastery between individuals due to multiple aspects of life, rather than just how hard someone practices. Maybe humans have less access to your magic system because their lifestyle is distanced from the internal state that allows one to access their potential? Maybe the same can be true for elves that have strayed from these principles? I think you can do many fun things if you really treat your magic system like martial arts, where many of the limits are internal, rather than external. 

- Marika.

For the full story that Marika spent too much time on, see below the cut.

Our story starts with Ashoka Maurya in the 3rd century BCE and his conversion to Buddhism. Many desis are familiar with this part: king conquers, kills a lot of people, feels guilty, finds religion. Where things get interesting is Ashoka’s campaign to spread Buddhism via evangelism to Central Asia and South East Asia. Eventually (200 BCE to 400 CE), Buddhism becomes the defacto religion for many Central Asian kingdoms along the Silk Road and many South Asian monks make their way to monasteries founded in what is now Iran, Uzbekistan, and Afghanistan to assist with translations of Buddhist texts from Sanskrit into the local language. Cue the 5th century CE and the arrival of a Buddhist monk named Buddhabhadra/ Batuo (likely from Kashmir) to present-day Nanjing to work with Chinese monks to translate Buddhist texts from Sanskrit. Buddhabhadra would end his life in China as the first abbot of the Shaolin Monastery in present-day Henan Province.*

The patron saint of modern day Shaolin, so to speak, is Bodhidarma, a monk who arrived at the Shaolin Monastery in the 5th or 6th century CE. His ethnicity is uncertain, but he was either from Persia or India. The development of Shaolin martial arts is largely thought to have started at this point in time. The utility of the Silk Road for cultural exchange well until the Yuan Dynasty under the Mongols (See Kublai Khan), would continue to allow for proliferation of martial arts and the creation of new styles including the techniques and concepts (religious or otherwise) associated with them. Keep in mind, all of this is also happening against a backdrop of the constant warfare that has dominated Asian history through the modern era, increasing incentives for military leaders to actively support the creation of new forms of military technology, but also more effective armed combat.  For your purposes, the story concludes with the Mughals, the descendents of the Mongols, arriving in India during the 15th century CE. 

*The Shaolin Monastery would also be the birthplace of Chan/ Zen Buddhism and go on to influence tae kwon do, kendo, kyuudo and eventually karate via its influence on the Fujian White Crane style. 

[chierafied]

20 Questions: Writer’s Edition!

Thanks so much for the tag, @blitheringmcgonagall​ and @the-dream-team​! 💙💙💙 I was really hoping to get to do this one lol

***

How many works do you have on AO3

300 (though I’ve yet to post 8 fics from my backlog there)

What’s your total AO3 word count?

1 281 330

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

Three. SessKag (Inuyasha), Jily (Harry Potter) and IchiRuki (Bleach)

What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

If I did the REAL top 5 fics by Kudos it would be all SessKag and my answers overall are very SessKag heavy as is so I went with top 2 SessKag, top 2 Jily and top 1 IchiRuki instead.

1. Life After Loss

This was not the happily ever after Kagome had always dreamt about. This could not be happening to her, not after everything they had gone through... She never knew that her whole world could screech to a complete halt in a blink of an eye.

SessKag, M, Chapter Fic, 98k words

2. Stranger Than Fiction

The books have been all the craze recently, boasting an epic adventure set in the chaos of Sengoku Jidai. Kagome has steered clear from them; she has spent quite enough time dwelling in the past as is. However, when her roommate and a die-hard fan  of the book series laments the latest plot twist, Kagome realises that the accursed books might be hitting even closer to home than she ever suspected. 

SessKag, T, One Shot, 913 words

3. #Jily

Twitter seemed awash with the hashtag Jily. Lily blinked at in confusion, until she realised it was one of those silly couple monikers people had  bestowed on her and Potter. …Though there was a small dissenting crowd following a tweet from Potter’s bandmate Sirius Black: Jily? Hah! More like LAMES. 

Jily, G, One Shot, 2,991 words

4. Much Tweeting About Crushing

James has a hopeless crush on his neighbour and tweets about it, which is fine. Until Evans follows him. 

Jily, T, One Shot, 3,050 words

5. Miscalculation

Rukia planted her elbows on the table and steepled her fingers. “I want my brother to think we’re dating so I can get him off my back.” Ichigo scoffed at her. “That’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard.” 

IchiRuki, T, Two Shot, 1,820 words

Do you respond to comments, why or why not?

Yes and no? 😅 For a long time I had a policy that I’d reply to comments if I had something more to say than just “thanks”.

Nowadays I reply to nearly every comment I get on AO3. I feel if the people bother to take the time to comment, the least I can do is thank them and I’ve made some friends in the comment section along the years too. But all that said... since I went on my hiatus I haven’t really been replying to my comments on Dokuga much, the clunky reply system there makes it feel like a big hassle which makes it feel draining. 😅

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

Hmm, Probably either Foil (SK) or Vagary (SK)?

... And I just realised Vagary is another one I never posted on AO3 argh when will the backlog end???

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

Probably Life After Loss, all things considered. 💙

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

I’ve never written proper crossover, i.e. characters from different series interacting but I’ve written crossover fusions i.e. charas from series 1 in the setting of series 2, such as Disney AUs etc.

The craziest one would be probably the SessKag Star Wars AU because I’m not a Star Wars fan and know very little of it but it was requested so... 🙈

Have you ever received hate on a fic?

I got Anon hate at one point from an anti-shipper on my IchiRuki fic on FFnet, it was wild. 🤣

And maybe not as far as hate but the notorious plot twist on Chain of Love (SK) was very much criticised to the point where even years later when I got a comment notification for Chain I would inwardly flinch. 😅

Do you write smut? If so what kind?

I don’t.

I have written and will write a sex scene if the story requires it (most recently in Do I Remind You Of Somewhere You Wanna Be, SK). But they are never explicit in nature, I’m not naming genitals or anything lol. The thing is, if I have to write sex I want to keep it... tasteful, for the lack of a better word. So a term like smut, with connotation to dirtiness would never apply to my writing.

(Back in the day, because I don’t write explicit scenes I did not consider my sex scenes “lemons” either. Which is why I’m still cackling about the fact that Chain once won the 1st place award for a best lemon scene.)

Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Yes, I have. Chain was posted on Wattpad without my knowledge or permission. It is wild having to file a DMCA over a fanfic. 😂

Have you ever had a fic translated?

I have! Some of my SessKag one shots have been translated to Spanish, I believe!

Have you ever co-written a fic before?

I’ve tried, with a close IRL friend of mine, but as our attempts never got very far I wouldn’t say I really have. 😅

What’s your all time favorite ship?

Oof, that’s a tough one. Maybe IchiRuki?

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

Probably the Bodyguard AU (JL) and the Shotgun AU (JL)? I love both of these stories a lot but I’m very much in the beginning with them and both are ideas I’ve had for years yet have never really been able to actively work on?

What are your writing strengths?

Hmm. I feel my writing style leans towards short and simple so it’s easily approachable? I think I’m pretty good with dialogue. Sometimes, I can do a lot with very few words. And I think I’m fairly good at slipping in little details or giving a sense of backstory, even if it’s a short one shot?

What are your writing weaknesses?

I suffer from a perpetual lack of motivation that I try to combat with having a writing routine. I’m slow to update because unless I’m inspired which never happens or am on a deadline crunch I am perfectly comfortable just adding 300-500 words to my WIP and calling it a day. I loathe editing so I rarely do much else than a cursory proofread before posting.

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

My initial thought is why? 😂 I mean I guess I don’t mind but I feel using another language in the fic should be justified and done in moderation. Personally, I probably wouldn’t write dialogue in another language.

What was the first fandom you wrote for?

Okay so the first fic I ever actually wrote/published was a 2nd gen arranged marriage fic for The Belgariad and The Malloreon, my favourite book series growing up. The fic, which fizzled out after 2 or so chapters, was deleted years ago lol

SessKag came second. 😉

What’s your favorite fic you’ve written?

*vaguely gestures at the 300+ fics* It’s pretty much impossible to choose among my children but if you put a gun to my head I’ll say Life After Loss.

Tagging: @drosselmeyerwrites @mythicamagic @sagemcmae @stormielikeweather @wbficaholic

[velvetafterdark]

IMN - DC

I: Do you have a guilty pleasure in fic (reading or writing)?

Extended crushing/squashing, especially accidental (can you tell I like this bc of how many times poor bu/mblebe/e has been unintentionally crushed?) idk why (I know why: pressure therapy is comforting) but it's just...it's so good. Not many people write about this! Built For Comfort is the only chubformers fic I could find with this in it, which is a shame because of how many boxes it ticks. fat kink? pain play? forniphilia? humiliation? Bonus points for describing the sounds and feeling of being flattened.

M: Got any premises on the back burner that you'd care to share?

I have so much stuff I want to share, you don't even know. Honestly, it's a wonder I haven't just published my WIP document and spoiled everything.

To exercise some self control, I'll give one example: I'm planning something very special for Wh/eelja/ck's forgeday in Cargo Plane. Not to spoil, but we have been talking about getting him a cat lately, haven't we?

as for something not cargo plane related, I've been considering g1 sk/ysta/r stuckage (sky gets too big to fit through an escape route and gets cornered by the de/cepti/cons, star thinks he's cute all squishy and big), and maybe something for either w/f/c or cyb/erve/rse. Those all sound like a lot of fun, but Cargo Plane is a full time job, and I definitely feel most at home writing i/d/w1.

As for something that's been abandoned, this has been tumbling around in my head for a while, but I just can't make it work because...well, I'm sex-repulsed. There's a reason I never give full sex scenes XD;

My personal hc (and self-projection) is that W/heelj/ack is really scared of penetration. It could be from trauma, the sensation being too painful, idk. The point is he's scared of Sta/rscre/am's dick. If I didn't physically clam up at the idea of writing even intercrural, I'd write about them figuring out how to navigate this. But I am, so I guess I'll throw this idea to the wind XD;

N: Is there a fic you wish someone else would write (or finish) for you?

...welp, that solved itself nicely /j

[lonepiper5758]

Hello! "Shirt" for the files game :)

Hey Friend! Thanks for the ask. 😀 I don’t get many and I nearly fell over when I saw it in my inbox. ❤️

Here’s a snippet from ‘Shirt’ -a Very Stalled pre cannon Hawkeye at the academy. ********

It felt good, not holding back. To just let everything go and strike the bag with unrestrained force. Fists, knees, forearms and feet, she was enjoying the sensation of releasing energy with all her body. The heavy boxing bag shuddered and swayed with every blow.

Most days it seemed she spent so much energy on holding back. On covering up and being wary. As a sniper she was learning never to break cover, to be still. But she knew that tactic already.  Nobody could know what she carried every day. So every day she took cover behind clothing, behind very few friendships, behind time spent honing her skills.

Living in such close quarters with other cadets was more difficult than she had thought it would be.  And she knew it would be even harder when she was sent to the war zone.

She didn’t even think about her next strike.  She wasn’t thinking at all, just letting her body flow in a series of hits that didn’t need to be restrained.  It felt like cleaning out a space that was cluttered and her mind just drifted in the moment.

"Hello again Cadet Hawkeye.”

The greeting caught her off guard and she was nearly struck as the bag swung back towards her. She turned around to see who had called to her, and standing there in the middle of the gym was the tradesman, Andy.

"Hello," she said as she steadied the bag, breathing heavily.

“Hi,” he said again as he waved. “Nice to see you again.”

“Yes,” Hawkeye puffed, slightly surprised by his appearance there. “What are you doing here?”

"Checking the lights,” he replied as he gestured towards the ceiling.

Hawkeye nodded. “Ah. How long have you been here?” she asked feeling a little self-conscious that she had been being watched.

“A few minutes. You really don't go easy do you?"

Hawkeye’s sweat soaked shirt was starting to feel cool against her skin. She picked up her gym towel and dropped it across her shoulders. “I’m not sure there’s much point in going easy.”

******

I’ve no idea if I will ever finish this. Haha. I still like the idea but anytime I try and work with it, it feels really clunky.  I head cannon that Riza’s tattoo makes many things more complicated.

Thanks again for the ask.

Ask me about my wips! :)

[cometkov]

WRITER ASK TAG

tagged by @abalonetea

tagging @ephemeralseraph @i-rove-rock-n-roll @nanders-sk

what is your favourite type of character to write?

characters with flaws that are just really intense “good” traits. like, thinking of others? oh, that’s great! wait a second—being so selfless that they’re basically killing themselves to make sure another person is okay? even. better.

what is one theme in your WIP?

EDITH NOX: be curious. question everything and seek answers. make up your own mind, don’t let someone else tell you what you are.

DOWN TO EARTH: everyone has a story. we’re all just running away from our problems and we’re all breathless from the effort. maybe all we need is someone to stand in front of us and block our path. to cement our feet to the ground. to hold our hand as we turn to finally face the demons we’ve been trying to escape from for so long. and maybe, just maybe, it’s not so scary anymore that someone’s facing them with you.

what’s one physically unique character you have?

EDITH NOX: Noemi has large, black wings.

DOWN TO EARTH: Stellar has pink hair and sheer pink skin, both a very similar shade to bubblegum. Nova is the most physically unique since her race is ancient (even on a universal scale) so most species that evokes in her time are extinct or inhabit other parts of the universe. Nova has lavender skin and six arms. She has two large, completely black eyes in the same place humans do, but has an additional three in a semi circle on her forehead. each perceives a different wavelength of light (infrared, UV, and x-rays) while her two main eyes can see only visible light. also, she has fangs.

what public places inspire you?

cafes, bookstores, and sometimes just walking down random streets gets my creative juices flowing!!

do you share your writing with friends/family?

oh god, i could never.

favorite book to movie adaptation?

i don’t really like book to movie adaptations and haven't seen many for that exact reason. harry potter wasn’t bad, even if there were some parts that the movies completely overlooked

favourite villain trope?

villains that could have become heroes had the circumstances been slightly different.

out of context spoiler for your wip.

the eyes. pay attention to the eyes, the e y e s it’s all in the eyes.

what’s your least favourite kinds of characters to write?

ones who speak a language i don’t. sometimes it just feels awkward to use slang when i don’t know myself if it’s being used naturally.

what’s one of your famous author fantasies?

getting fanart sent to me. when katie made me THIS i was on cloud nine the rest of the day bc my work was worthy enough for her to put effort into creating something of her own based on something i did and HHHHHHHHH im sorry but it’s literally my dream.

[emjayrey]

questions questions questions

unofficial tagged by @authordai Thank you for leaving it open for all who wish to participate! I will do the same. To anyone who wants to do this, feel free! And tag me please. I’d love to see your answers. 

1. How did you start writing and why?

Well, like most writers... I’ve always really enjoyed reading and telling stories. It’s been a passion of mine for as long as I can remember. So, lo and behold, I decided to write my own stories. No grueling back story, no epiphany. Sorry. lol

2. What is your favorite line from your own work?

YES! So I have spent YEARS trying to write a certain someone’s love confession. I would get close, then look back on it and be like... no, that’s still not quite right. But finally... FINALLY... I have got it. And I’m so happy with it. It actually resulted with probably my favorite line in my whole WIP:

“You can’t tell me there isn’t something here worth risking everything for.”

3. Who is your writing idol and how have they influenced you?

Stephen King has always been my idol. I mean, he’s The King. I picked up my first SK book when I was probably a freshman or sophomore in high school. It was Needful Things. I remember thinking, “this is intense! This is amazing! I’ve never read anything so visual!” 

I also really like Rick Yancey. I just loved how he wrote Cassie’s character in The 5th Wave. He influenced me to make my main character as real and believable as possible. 

4. Which OC has the best family life, found or otherwise?

Oh boy. Neither of my main OCs had a very nice family life. I haven’t delved too deeply into it, but I’d like to say that Deacon, a main antagonist, had a great family life growing up. 

5. Which OC has the most satisfying ending to their story? 

Yikes... um. No one? But it’s a duology, so there is hope still.

6. If you’ve gotten feedback on your writing, who is your readers’ favorite character? If not, who do you think your readers will fall in love with?

I’ve never had any feedback on my WIP. But I’m madly in love with both my main OCs, Claire and Parker. She’s pessimistic, he’s optimistic. She’s like a brick wall when it comes to emotions while he wears his on his sleeve. They have a lot of differences, but they have both seen tragedy. They compliment each other nicely. I’ve had so much fun writing them and being tugged along on their roller coaster relationship.

I also really like Andi. She is a fun one. She’s very straightforward and swears like a sailor and I’ve always liked characters like that. 

7. Which tropes (e.g. friends to lovers, fake death, white-haired pretty boy) do you always find yourself wanting to write?

Well I’m a sucker for enemies to friends to lovers. It is what it is.

8. What goes through you’re head as you’re writing a scene?

Is this descriptive enough? What’s he doing with his hands? Did she put down that thing she picked up a few lines back? What are they feeling right now and how can I portray it without being too obvious? I can’t have her say that, she wouldn’t actually ever say that. Am I using too much or too little descriptive eye contact? 

I really just want to make things as believable as possible. lol

9. How specific is your idea of your characters’ appearance, usually? Have you drawn any of them before? (and if so, can we see it?)

I can’t draw people to save my life. I really wish I could, though. I can see them in my mind and I describe their appearance enough so that you can form your own image of them. That’s why I always hate when they turn books into movies because they never get the characters just right (an impossible feat). Damn you, why can’t you find a person who looks exactly what I conjured up in my mind?! 

10. What are you proudest of as a writer?

I’m stupidly proud that I finally got that aforementioned love confession just right. You have no idea how long I struggled with that, how many drafts I have of it that I liked, but just didn’t feel quite right. 

I also feel really proud when someone praises my work. Like I said, I’ve never had feedback on my WIP, but on a couple other things I’ve written. I just love to write and if I’m able to bring happiness to people with it, it’s just too much for my poor little heart to take. 

But I’m really proud that I’ve stuck with it. I get down on myself sometimes because I feel like it’s taken me way too GD long to write this WIP or that its word count isn’t sufficient, or whatever. But I still stick with it. SOMEDAY I WILL HAVE A FINISHED PRODUCT!