#bellarke fic writer awards

[bellarkeficawards]

Final Round Voting is Open!

Voting in the Final round for the Bellarke Fic Writer Awards 2020 is now open.

This poll will close on October 24 at 11:59PM UTC. 

Winners will be announced on October 27 at 11:59PM UTC.

You MUST select the fic you want to win! See all the finalists eligible for voting in this Google Doc.

Before you vote, read the about the rules here!

Then…

VOTE IN THE FINAL ROUND BELOW!

Link: https://forms.gle/fcWCYmrA9pVssent5

If you are having trouble with the link, copy and paste into your preferred browser.

[dayo488]

Oh my goodness everyone! Congratulations to all who won a BFWA!! Seriously that is an amazing acheivement and you should be SO proud of yourselves! 

So many beautiful fics and beautiful people nominated throughout and I am so honored to call some of you my friends.  You’ve all worked so hard and spent many hours writing, editing, posting, stressing, thinking, outlining, brainstorming, staring at blank pages...etc. It’s not easy, but your dedication and love for this fandom shines through and is greatly appreciated.

Congratulations lovelies! You all (those who won, who were nominated, and even those who weren’t nominated) deserve the stars 🌟✨

[infp-with-all-the-feelings]

One last BFSN

I'm a pretty sentimental person, and though I haven't been involved in this fandom for very long (only months?) I'm incredibly grateful for those I've interacted with and gotten to know! I always expected to just linger on the edges and not actually try to be involved, and honestly, it was nights like BFSN and BWC that made me think "man, these people are having so much fun and actually forming friendships! Maybe I should try it out!" And then I still didn't for a while longer haha, but I'm so glad that I finally stepped out of my comfort zone and did.

This season really went in ways we never expected, but if nothing else, we get to give Bellarke the ending they truly deserve -- over and over again! And in so many different worlds!! Thank you fic writers for your time and energy that you put into crafting such wonderful stories for our favorite characters! (Oh and don't forget to vote in the @bellarkeficawards people!! And donate/request to @t100fic-for-blm!!)

I'm not sad this season is coming to an end, which is weird to say. But I am sad that I only had a few months with all of you. While I'm not leaving, I expect some of you may move on to bigger or better things and, if that's the case, may you only look back on this little fam and remember the joy and support and love you experienced. Because that's been my favorite part of this fam -- you guys have gone above and beyond what I ever expected. So thank you, truly.

Bellarke is ours, forever.

Much love, Bellarke fam✌🏻

Tagged tonight by some of the kindest and most gentle souls I've come to know: @pendragaryen @bookwormforalways @kylie-in-the-sky @gansxythethird @wonderingwhyy @igotbellarkeforthat

Tagging/ sending love and hugs: @otp-armada @slick-as-hell @pawprinterfanfic @burninghoneyatdusk @changingthefairy-tale @nakey-cats-take-bathsss @poppykru @ruggedmurphy @katersann @carrieeve @edgelessness @angstybleuskies @together-is-my-favourite-place @eyessharpweaponshot @communicationnskills @elora-lane @animmortalist @thefangirlingbarista​

[kombellarke]

A Love Letter to Fandom

I am so, so grateful to this beautiful Bellarke family. You are the kindest, strongest, most supportive fandom I have had the pleasure of being welcomed into. The world has not been kind to us, but we have helped each other through to the other side. 

I am honored that my fics have made it to the final round in the Bellarke Fic Writer Awards. Thank you for reading and going along for the rides with me. Thank you for being patient with updates and sending sweet messages to check in. 

I mean it, when I say I don’t regret joining the 100 fandom. The ending and Bellamy’s loss will always hurt, but I have been surrounded by talent and appreciation in this corner of the fandom. 

If I may quote the queen Taylor Swift: hell was the journey but it brought me heaven. 

Love you all. ❤️

[pawprinterfanfic]

Bellarke Fic Writer Awards

I just wanted to say a very quick thank you to everyone who nominated me and my fics in the @bellarkeficawards this year! I am speechless. To be nominated at all is such an honour, but to be nominated 45 TIMES?? There’s no words to describe how that makes me feel; just know that I’m humbled, and touched, and filled with so much love and gratitude towards this fandom. 

This year has been rough for the fandom, but I’m so happy that I found a community here and I’m able to share things I write and scream about Bellarke in general with you all. Sappy, yes, but it’s the truth.

Thank you to whoever nominated me. I’m so happy that people read and enjoy what I write, never mind nominate it! Thank you!!!!

If you can, be sure to take some time to vote! This is a great way to show your love to your favourite fics and also to celebrate fandom and spread some love. This is a ton of fun for us fanfic writers, and it always leaves me feeling extra loved and inspired.

I’ve listed all the categories I’m nominated in below. Voting is open for one more hour.

Paint me in Trust

Best Alternate Universe Fic (More than 10,000 Words)

Best Angst Fic (More than 10,000 Words)

Best Romance Fic (More than 10,000 Words)

Best Smut Fic (More than 10,000 Words)

Best Fantasy AU

Best Fusion/Crossover AU

Best Mutual Pining Fic

Best Slow Burn Fic

Best Enemies to Lovers Fic

Best Found Family Fic

Best Sharing a Bed Fic

A Fic I Could Re-Read 101 Times (and Still Love It!)

If I Had to Convince Someone to Ship Bellarke, I Would Send Them *This* Fic

Most Original Idea

Most Memorable Fic

Most Well-Written Fic

Best Worldbuilding

When the Wolves Come Home

Best Alternate Universe Fic (WIP)

Best Angst Fic (WIP)

Best Romance Fic (WIP)

Best Fantasy AU

Best Fusion/Crossover AU

Best Slow Burn Fic

Best Enemies to Lovers Fic

Most Original Idea

Best Worldbuilding

a castle in the clouds

Best Alternate Universe Fic (More than 10,000 Words)

Best Romance Fic (More than 10,000 Words)

Best Fantasy AU

Best Fusion/Crossover AU

Best Sharing a Bed Fic

hold on i still want you (come back i still need you)

Best Angst Fic (More than 10,000 Words)

Best Modern AU

Best Friends to Lovers Fic

Best Worldbuilding

simmer, simmer, simmer

Best Canon Fic (More than 10,000 Words)

Best Season 7/Post Series Spec

miserable and magical at the same time

Best Alternate Universe Fic (Less than 10,000 Words)

Best Romance Fic (Less than 10,000 Words)

we're gladiators (we fight for ourselves)

Best Parenthood Fic

Writer

Best Seasoned Writer

Best Alternate Universe Writer

Best Angst Writer

Creator

Best Fanart to Accompany a Fic

Bellamy and Clarke in the stars by @goddess-clarke for When the Wolves Come Home written by @pawprinterfanfic [not my fan art but it’s for my fic so I’m going to hype it up!!!]

Bellamy with wings by @pawprinterfanfic for Glass Heart Hymn written by @important-metaphors

[burninghoneyatdusk]

Just trying to put together my voting list for @bellarkeficawards and every mention of soul fate determination has me drowning in feels again 🥺

[gansxythethird]

I don’t make many posts because not a lot of people follow me on here, but I just wanted to say thank you for those who nominated me for Bellarke Fic Writer Awards! ♥ I’ve only recently started writing, so I never expected to get a single nomination, let alone six!! I almost cried last night when I saw somebody nominated me for the best emerging writer category! I’m so thrilled to be nominated among some of my faves! It’s such an honor!!

[t100fic-for-blm]

For Black History Month we're highlighting our talented black creators. This is the wonderful Kara @queenemori​. Enjoy part 1 of our interview with her about her creations, her creative process and fandom.

Check out Kara’s AO3!

Wanna Prompt Kara? Click here. 1. How and when did you become involved in t100 fandom?

So I actually started out watching the show more casually in 2017. I binged two seasons with my friend while I was visiting her for a weekend, then put it down for a very long time. Cut to 2019 when I wasn’t really watching anything and I noticed a gifset of Murphy and Emori from 3x05 on Tumblr and I said “That guy’s still alive? And he’s got a girlfriend?” So I started watching again mainly because I was shook he’d survived. I caught up in time to watch season 6 as it aired. As I was catching up, I also started reading fanfic, mainly Bellarke and a couple Murven things since that’s what I came across. And I got the idea for You’re Already Breaking My Heart, my To All the Boys AU, which I thought of before I picked which ship I would do, so fun fact, it was almost Murven! I got a lot of positive feedback on that story, and it even got nominated in that year’s iteration of the Bellarke Fic Awards and I had a few other story ideas so I figured it might be fun to stick around.

2. What is the best part of being a part of t100 fandom?

I’ve met so many amazing writers! I have written for other fandoms before, but I kind of just wrote a couple things and then left, which is honestly what I thought I’d do with this fandom too. But all my writer friends I’ve made have been so supportive and nice, especially as I branch out and write for lots of different ships. And it’s been fun to just talk about our projects and bounce ideas off of each other.

3. What was your favorite episode of t100?

Your favorite season? Fave episode hands down 4x07 Gimme Shelter. And my fave season is season 2!

4. Who is your favorite character on t100?

If it is not already rather obvious, it’s Emori lol. Though, Murphy is like a close second or more like 1.5 because I love them both a great deal and I’m indecisive.

5. What’s your favorite character headcanon?

I like to think of headcanons for Spacekru’s time on the Ring. Emori didn’t used to be much of a hugger before she ended up on the Ring, but I kind of imagine that she and Bellamy used to just hang out and talk to each other, especially when he was sad. And one day as they’re getting up to leave he hugs her and I think the only person she’s ever hugged at this point is Murphy so she doesn’t know what to make of it at first? But then she hugs Raven when Raven seems a little stressed and it seems to calm her down so then she’s like, “Oh is this something that makes people feel better?” So then Emori is known as the person in the group who will give out hugs when people need them. She likes being able to cheer people up.

[goddess-aelin]

Happy Last BFSN EVER!

As many of you know, I actually haven’t been watching the show....at all. It really is a dumpster fire (or should I say DUMBster fire ha) where nothing makes sense. I’m SO incredibly mad at the worst creator ever and his trusty sidekick, kimshum. I’m so sad that this is the way that the last season went. First we get absolutely no promos, we get no Bellamy in said promos, we have SO much drama with rumors and accusations, then Bellamy dies with absolutely no drama, no sendoff, no SENSE! I haven’t watched that scene and I don’t plan on doing so any time soon unless things change drastically tonight. I hope you guys who are still watching enjoy it and know how truly strong you are. Because after certain things have come to light, I don’t want to give Jroth any satisfaction. The one good thing that will come out of this is that we get to watch his career flush down the toilet. If there is no payoff tonight, this will literally go down as one of the worst show endings ever. And ya know what? Jroth deserves that title due to his pettiness and actual gaslighting of the Bellarke fandom (and yes, we can safely say that after how things progressed and then all of a sudden regressed, and him telling us that we are misinterpreting what we are seeing right in front of our eyes.) 

Update on my life- I’m in art school now! I’m so excited and I’ve been loving it so far. I’ve been so busy that I’ve barely had time to enjoy really anything but at least school has been fun so far! The above pic is just something I was playing around with one night.  

I also was nominated a few times for the Bellarke fanfic awards as a creator! I was nominated for best art to accompany a fanfic ( @pawprinterfanfic ‘s AMAZING fic, When the Wolves Come Home,) and best fanartist! I appreciate the nominations! I want to take this last little bit of time to tell you guys how much I appreciate and love you guys. I’ve made so many amazing friends and met so many awesome people over the years and for that I am so grateful. I’m not sure how active I’ll be on here in the Bellarke fandom specifically but I’m sure you’ll catch me reblogging and raving about Lucifer and the Witcher in the future. Big thanks to the Bellarke fanfic writers who single-handedly saved the hearts of the fandom. You guys are heroes.

Special shoutout tags to my loves, @griffinnblake @queenstephaniaa @pawprinterfanfic @foreverandalwayscrysis and @talistheintrovert who I consider the truest of the true and best of the best of friends. I love fangirling with you guys and know that when something goes down, you guys will always be there to listen to my screaming and ranting. :)

also tagging all of my other fandom friends: @clarkgriffon @clarkeindra @poppykru @queenemori @queenofthewallflowers @broashwhat @mobi-on-a-mission @sparklyfairymira @aainiouu @andthelightbulbclicks @craniumhurricane @carrieeve @ruggedmurphy @useyourtelescope @eyessharpweaponshot @important-metaphors @hellyeahbellarke @animmortalist  @bellamyblakru @burninghoneyatdusk @underbellamy @nakey-cats-take-bathsss @together-is-my-favourite-place @natassakar @astridandoddsandends @shaeheda @lizzybizzyo @icantloseyou-too @famousflowermagazine @as-inevitable-as-morning @captainwilldameron @chasethesun18 @lesbellamy @swainlake @harpermiller @katkomskaikru @johnmurphysass @charmainediyoza @braveprincess @nvermindiseeyou​ @lameblake​ @angelbellamy​ @loveisalwayswise​ @chants-de-lune​ @thelittlefanpire​ @youleftme-clarke​ @eternal-bellamy-blake​ 

I’m totally sure that I’m forgetting people so if I did, sorry! Consider yourself tagged :)

[mylifeiskara]

Happy BFSN!

I was tagged by @bookwormforalways and @poppykru.

The above photo is a screenshot from a text conversation with my friend and casual t100 viewer @imunbreakabledude after last week’s ep because this is how we feel. If you want to hear about how we feel about other TV, we’ve started a podcast where we talk about TV pilots! We’ve had two episodes so far, and if you DM me, I’d be happy to link you to it if you want to listen to two aspiring screenwriters talk about TV!

Though I’m watching this show until the bitter end (for the Memori, I can’t quit them) I will be appropriately snarky about it afterwards with my discord peeps.

I’ll also be turning to fanfic, and I’m still working on my very angsty Memori actor au and I’ve got some fun prompts in the works for @t100fic-for-blm as well as the Bellarke Emma au I keep promising people I’m working on, but I swear I’m working on the outline. And thanks to everyone who nominated me and my fics in the Bellarke Fic Writer Awards! I’m honored and shook to be included in the ranks with such legends and talented people. Be sure to vote and show your faves some love!

Tagging: @animmortalist @changingthefairy-tale @mobi-on-a-mission @burninghoneyatdusk @nakey-cats-take-bathsss @hellyeahbellarkee @franklyineedcoffee @sparklyfairymira @bellamyfknblake @broashwhat

[bellarkeficawards]

Round 2 Winners

Congratulations to our Round 2 Winners, who can be found in this Google Doc.

Along with the above winners, the following categories will become available to vote in Round 3:

Best Social Media AU

Best Soulmates Fic

Best Fanartist

Best Fic Moodboard Creator

Best Fanart to Accompany a Fic

ROUND 3 DETAILS:

Voting period: September 30 at 11:59PM UTC - October 6 at 11:59PM UTC

You can select up to three (3) fics in each category to move onto the next round

Round 3 Winners announced: October 8 at 11:59PM UTC

Top six (6) fics in each category will move onto Semi-Final Round

If you want to look ahead and see the details for the Semi-Final Round and the Final Round of voting, see this post.

[bookwormforalways]

“after every storm comes a rainbow...” 

💛 happy bfsn, my friends. 

what a terrible, devastating, and difficult week this has been. none of us expected to see what we saw in last week’s episode. It was heartbreaking, and I hated to see my favourite character erased in such a cruel and callous way, from a show I’ve been watching for over six years. 💔

*sighs* I admit, I will watch the last episodes (tho, I will watch a pirated stream, so they get no views from me), because I’ve invested in the first 97% of this show, and I need to see this through. that being said, I have zero hope for this show to redeem itself - there is no hope after Clarke’s incredibly ooc moment, and without Bellamy, the heart of the show. 

BUT this awful storm of a show will come to an end, and after the storm comes a rainbow (see above pics of a gorgeous rainbow I saw a few weeks ago). the 100 characters, Bellamy & Clarke, and Bellarke as a whole, belong to us now - the fans, the writers, the creators, and the readers. their story doesn’t end here. No, we will write them in a thousand different universes and give them millions of happy endings. 

I know I will be turning to fanfiction to cope with this loss, and I am so grateful that our fandom is full of incredible writers and creators. the Bellarke Fic Writers Awards are currently taking place, and I am absolutely honoured to be nominated a few categories - honestly, it’s made my year, so a big thank you to those who nominated my fics! Please go check out the massive list of nominated fics, read them, and vote for your favourites!

tagging some of the wonderful people I’ve met through this fandom & sending big hugs to you all! 💜 @infp-with-all-the-feelings | @burninghoneyatdusk | @queenemori | @carrieeve | @changingthefairy-tale | @igotbellarkeforthat | @kylie-in-the-sky | @together-is-my-favourite-place | @thefangirlingbarista | @natassakar | @immortalpramheda | @dayo488 | & so many more (my mind is blanking rn)

[excuseyouclarke]

The Buoyant Heart Epilogue is now up!

Bellamy had been sick since the day he was born, his heart too weak to let him live a long life. He never imagined they’d actually find him a donor, or the dreams of the crash and blonde girl that would haunt him after.

He didn’t expect to be so enchanted by the donors daughter, or get involved with the dark secrets she carries with her.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/20629997/chapters/64284505

I know how disappointing last nights episode was, and I was hesitant about posting this today, but I felt we could all do with a happy ending, so have some softness and closure ❤️

I am so honoured for this story to be nominated in the Best Romance (WIP) category in the Bellarke Fic Awards! Just the thought that this story touched someone enough that they put it up for an award means the world to me, so thank you so much!

Now this is over, it is the perfect time to remind you I am still participating in the @t100fic-for-blm along with many other unbelievably talented writers, please check them out for an amazing cause!

[kinetic-elaboration]

100 Days of Writing: Day Forty

I’m getting really lazy about this lol. Today’s entry: the answers to a few random questions that have spoken to me, from days I skipped.

Project courtesy of @the-wip-project​. Tagging fellow participants @she-who-the-river-could-not-hold​, @thelittlefanpire​, @hopskipaway​, @easilydistractedbyfanfic​, @dylanobrienisbatman​ @fontainebleau22.

This got VERY verbose, sorry....!

*

Day 34: Do you prefer to write fluff or angst?

Funny story. I once had a fic nominated in the Best Angst Category in a fandom fic awards event. The nomination was, of course, flattering, but also really confusing, because I didn’t think the fic was particularly angsty. It wasn’t super fluffy either. It...just was? It was a basic strangers-to-lovers modern AU somewhere in the 7k range, and the main ship was endgame. There was a period where half of the main ship was dating someone else, but that was mostly mentioned in passing during a time skip; most of the actual content was the endgame couple talking/flirting/pining, and, again, they did get together in the end.

The nomination made me reconsider what I think ‘fluff’ and ‘angst’ are and what my relationships are to the genres. I feel like a lot of my work is neither.

Some types of stories are obviously one or the other. MCD and/or illness is angst. Hurt/comfort is angst. Romantic stories where the characters don’t end up together are, generally, angst. Romantic stories where the characters DO end up together but only after considerable obstacles can be angst, also--which might have been the rationale behind nominating the above fic in ‘angst’ although, again, it was only 7k. It’s one thing to have a 300k+ story where the main characters pine for each other, wallow in their feelings, fight, feel jealousy, etc, and the finally kiss in the final chapter--I’ve done that, too. A shorter story is a different beast.

Fluff, to me, is a genre of stories without (significant) conflict. The point is you feel good reading them. Romantic stories with established couples, or first date stories, are fluff. Slice of life or ‘curtain’ fic is fluff. Holiday fic with a found family feel is fluff.

I’ve written some stories that clearly fall into one of these two genres, sometimes because the challenge I’m doing or request I’m fulfilling calls for it, and sometimes because I need a palette cleanser after writing the opposite type of fic.

Another place I’ve thought about genre is with Troped, but I don’t always feel confident in the stories I’ve written there, in terms of theme. The very, very first round had a Fluff theme but I wasn’t sure if my story was fluffy (I’m still not). It had a happy ending and the final scene was decidedly cute, but the characters came from angsty backgrounds, and some of the early scenes had, imo, a melancholy feel. Then one of the 2020 Madness rounds had an Angst theme. I tried to fit my entry into that genre by giving it a general feeling of helplessness and an ambiguous, dreary ending. I think it was angsty, but it wasn’t as... hardcore angsty? as some of the other entries. I also picked the theme “angst” for one of my Choice fics and that one was decidedly angsty, both in the specific-trope sense--it dealt with the aftermath of a major character death--and in the more general ‘mood’ sense. The main relationship wasn’t repaired at the end, and the ending was ambiguous.

I feel like for every fic I’ve written that’s decidedly fluffy or decidedly angsty, and I could give examples of both, I’ve written one or more that isn’t really either. Again, most of the time, unless I have a specific reason to think ‘time to write angst’ or ‘time to write fluff,’ I don’t go into an idea thinking it should be one or the other. I usually have a mood I want, but it might not be simple to categorize.

ALL that said... I think if I had to pick one, it would be angst. I don’t like truly unhappy endings, but I’ve done a decent number of ambiguous endings. It’s also easier for me to think of stories I’ve written that I think are fairly categorized as angst than stories that are clearly fluff. Third, I love writing about pining, and longing, and missing, and needing, and these are not ‘fluffy’ feelings. But most importantly, like I said, I think ‘fluff’ is a type of story that has minimal-to-zero conflict in it and I actually find those VERY hard to write. Maybe We Will is probably the fluffiest thing I’ve written (4k of a first date at a carnival) and my biggest challenge was figuring out: what are these people going to DO?

This isn’t an insult to fluff at all. Fluff writers have a real talent for creating a pleasant narrative, and I like reading outright fluff more than reading outright angst. But for me, there is a lot more flexibility outside of fluff, whether or not the resulting narrative is truly “angsty” or not. It might not have the primary goal of making you feel sad, but it probably doesn’t have the primary goal of making you feel happy either.

*

Day 37: Post your favorite line of dialogue that you’ve written recently. 

Skimmed the Sleeping Beauty AU for this one. As soon as I’m asked to think about dialogue I like, I wonder if I’ve ever written good dialogue in my life! Lol. You think about it too much and it all sounds fake. Here’s an exchange I think is pretty good (perhaps just in comparison to a lot of the Really Rough Writing that surrounds it...).

"That sounded like it went pretty well," she says, as she balances awkwardly against the wall, pulling on her boots. "From what I could hear."

Bellamy shrugs. He's scanning the crowd, glancing over at her impatiently when she stumbles, trying to tie her laces without bothering to kneel. "Roma doesn't ask a lot of questions."

Clarke snorts. "Yes, she does. What you really mean is, she asks a lot of questions, then gets distracted whenever you turn on the charm."

"Yeah, sure. My well-known charm."

Clarke lets her foot fall heavily to the ground again, straightens up and pushes her hair back from her face. "If you weren't flirting and being charming, what were you doing?"

Bellamy hesitates, a light, embarrassed pink spreading across his cheeks, and Clarke rises up on her toes triumphantly, trying to lean into his space. "I should have gotten more ration points," he says, barely more than a grumble, and Clarke laughs and pulls her hat down over her head. Then she picks up the jacket, slips it on, and steps purposefully in front of him.

"How do I look?"

Day 38: What comes first, plot or characters?

Well, I write fanfiction, so I feel like this is a tricky question to define. My current fandom does have a lot of characters though, so it is possible to have a general idea of a plot but not know who to put in it. That’s happened to me on a few occasions I think, but generally speaking... I think the two come simultaneously?

When I’m writing for Troped, it’s easier to start with the plot because certain elements of the challenge suggest (or require) a plot but never the characters to go in it. So sometimes I do work from plot --> characters there. It’s usually pretty seamless in that the plot-idea usually comes with at least some idea of the characters, but sometimes there’s ambiguity--for example, deciding to include Bellamy in Mad Women when he wasn’t initially supposed to be in it, which ended up changing/defining the story quite a bit. Another example is Mountain Lion Mean, where I knew right away what the general plot would be but waffled a bit about precisely which characters would be in it and to what degree.

Other challenges often define the characters first and so then by definition that’s where I start. For example, a Bellarke challenge obviously requires you to write about Bellarke, but depending on the other rules, the plot may come entirely from each individual writer without any additional prompting.

If it’s a wholly original/spontaneous idea.... it either is necessarily about plot and characters at once (ex: AU where X character is in Y place or examination of Z ship in a modern AU) or it comes as nothing but Mood. That mood might have elements of plot and bits of character but the best way I can describe it is that I develop both at once. For example, my Southern Gothic AU came to me as certain elements--a character who does X, a relationship with Y feel, Z ship--and I’m working on combining all of those into a narrative. Or, as another example, I currently have a vague desire to write something with a Slow Summer Vibe but I have no idea what it will be about or who will be in it.

But again, it’s often “I want to write an angsty Jonty AU” or “hmm what about a Bravenlarke fic particularly about being in a poly relationship” or “this song makes me picture Bellarke at the beach; let’s write that”--ideas that essentially capture both character and plot at once.

I don’t know if I’m doing a good job of describing this but I write so much for challenges and events that I don’t have a huge pool of data for ‘spontaneous ideas’ to analyze.

*

Day 40: How do you start a new story?

I feel like I kind of already answered this in the last question. The very first step is an Idea, obviously. That would either come, in part, from the challenge or event I’m participating in or the request I’m filling, or it arrives by itself from some bit of inspiration: a song, a thought about a certain character or relationship, a mood I’m feeling and want to capture, etc.

But I feel like this question is about what happens with the idea.

Most (though not all) of the time, I start with a process of brainstorming and outlining. I’ve talked about this elsewhere, but I start by just sitting down with a notebook and writing down my thoughts, in a conversational style--basically like these posts. I write down any images I have, any plot points that have already come to me, etc. Everything I know. Then I brainstorm some more elements, filling in all the stuff I don’t know. Then I distill the plot down to discrete plot points: an outline of the whole fic in order. What needs to happen and in what order? The outline is generally organized by scene, though it’s flexible: sometimes scenes can be combined; sometimes they need to be split. Sometimes I need to re-evaluate the outline later, but most stories are simple enough that this initial outline works for the whole writing process.

I always write in order. I cannot write out of order. I need to immerse myself in the narrative and that means that events follow logically from each other. Also, sometimes what I come up with in the moment in scene 1 can change what I want to happen in scene 5--not so drastically that I’m re-writing the outline, but drastically enough that I would have to rewrite scene 5 if it were already done. That’s too complicated for me. I think there are probably advantages, in terms of amount of fun to be had, as well as in capturing ideas before they disappear from your brain, in writing scenes as the spirit moves you rather than in order, but I just can’t do it. That’s not how my mind works.

In order to start a fic, or even a new scene, I need to know HOW it starts and some idea of how I will describe that opening image/event/whatever. I often practice this for days before I actually write. For example, I’m going to write another Sleeping Beauty scene soon and I know it starts with Clarke hearing conversation behind her, so I’ve been practicing what that dialogue might be and how I might describe her listening while looking at something else. When I have a strong sense of the opening and a decent sense of the rest--what needs to happen to move along the plot--I just start writing. I do most of my writing as sprints.

Sometimes I write without an outline, and it’s basically the same process as the last paragraph, except I only have the opening and a vague sense of what’s to come. I don’t do that often anymore. But I started a couple outline-less fics last summer when I was just desperate to break my block and didn’t really feel like planning and stuff. I just wanted to get words on a page. Thus I have a couple WIPs that are about 1,200 words long and then just abruptly reach a cliff’s edge and stop!! I don’t know if I’ll outline or not before I return to them but right now I’m thinking not.

[burninghoneyatdusk]

So trying to vote for the fics. Had a quick question. When it say only submit the form once. Does that mean you can’t vote for multiple rounds?

Hi, is this about @bellarkeficawards? I’m not an admin for that & don’t have any behind-the-scenes involvement so I’d ask them directly if you have questions.

However, if I understand your question, you can certainly vote in every round, you can just only vote once per round. That’s so there’s no cheating by having the same person vote over and over again in a single round. So each round, you vote/submit for the form once.