#but I don’t know enough about Pinterest fandom to question that LMAO

[o-wild-west-wind]

i just saw one of your posts (the one abt how ppl saying izzy's death dosent make sense must not have seen the shakespeare post) on pinterest and i was like !!!! omg i know that person!! anyway have a good day

WHAT that’s so funny am I breaching containment?? This might be one of the instances where I lean more millenial than gen Z because I honestly didn’t know Pinterest was used for anything other than soup recipes and unaffordable decor inspo 😭 has this been a thing the whole time? what world lies beyond tumblr’s walls….

[kerosenecrushh]

20 questions for fic writers!

Tagged by @sensitiveheartless (kind of, they left it open at the end to anyone who wanted to do it)

1. How many works do you have on ao3?

40, as of today!

2. What's your total ao3 word count?

79,131

3. What fandoms do you write for?

Mainly Bungou Stray Dogs, but I occasionally write for My Hero Academia and Sk8 the Infinity as well.

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

tastes like candy

raw

Kinktober Day 4: Praise Kink

Kinktober Day 3: Dirty Talk

wanna get out of here?

5. Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

Yep, pretty much always! The only times I don’t are if someone leaves a one-word comment or I’m not sure how to respond lmao. I love when people show their appreciation for my writing, so I try to show that gratitude by replying!

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

I wouldn’t even necessarily classify it as angst, but the Fyolai Blood Play fic didn’t exactly end with aftercare and cuddles.

7. What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

Pretty much all my fics have happy endings. I hate sad endings with a burning passion, so as a treat to myself, I just don’t write them!

8. Do you get hate on fic?

I haven’t so far, thankfully! I have had people comment vague stuff about being “traumatized” by my work, but that’s mainly people who didn’t expect to find smut, I think.

9. Do you write smut?

Yepppp haha, in fact I’ve only recently branched out to writing SFW stuff.

10. Do you write crossovers?

I haven’t yet, but I wouldn’t rule it out for the future. I just haven’t felt inspired to write one so far.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

No, but I have seen a fic that HEAVILY borrowed from one of mine. It pissed me off a bit, but I’ve come to terms with the fact that these things happen.

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

I don’t think so. No one’s asked me if they could translate any of my fics, at least.

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

No, but I’m curious what that would be like. So far I’ve only ever worked alone in the writing process, so think it would be challenging to adjust to working alongside someone. Again, not something I’d rule out though!

14. What's your all-time favorite ship?

Man this is tough. Fun fact, I have a Pinterest board for ships with 26 subsections of specific ships, so there are plenty to choose from here. Soukoku and BakuDeku are ones I love to write and consume content for, but my favorite to actually write would probably be Ranpoe. They’re just so fluffy! I always feel better after writing a fic about them.

15. What's a WIP you want to finish but probably won't?

There’s this one idea I had based on a BSD theory that ended up being wrong. It would essentially be a long multi-chapter fic where abilities were written out of existence, so the story restarts at the beginning and the characters all eventually find each other, even without abilities or past memories pushing them together. So, for instance, Kunikida would still be a math teacher; Atsushi would never have been kicked out of the orphanage; Yosano would (interestingly enough) be working at a candy shop; and so on. I don’t know that I’ll ever get around to writing it, since it’ll take a TON of research on the canon materials. I’ve started the planning phase but it truly is a mammoth of a fic. Link to my theory if you’re interested in the details.

16. What are your writing strengths?

I think characterization is a strength of mine. I also typically have a first draft that’s like 95% ready to post, since I edit while writing. I usually do a quick read-through, change a word here or there, and post.

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

Non-character details (like setting). I get too caught up in the action! I can also be impatient with transitions between scenes, hence the massive amount of one-shots.

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic?

I’ve translated one word for a fic, but even that felt a bit cheesy when I did it. I try to avoid it, since there’s almost definitely native speakers out there cringing at literal translations and google translate errors in fics.

19. First fandom you wrote for?

The first one I wrote for was Bungou Stray Dogs, and that remains the one I write for the most!

20. Favorite fic you've written?

Kinktober Day 31. It’s embarrassing to admit, but I must have read it at least 5 times now. I’m really proud of how it turned out.

Following @sensitiveheartless’s example, I hereby tag anyone who sees this and wants to do it! Have fun!

[jello-fello]

For the ask meme- yes. The whole fucking alphabet. Any fandom of your choice for any of them -kipp

LMAO THE WHOLE THING? THIS SHOULDNT BE ALLOWED-

A - Your current OTP(s)/OT3(s)/OTX(s)

Honestly besides the Constant love for Mell and Kai, Ash and Eiji from banana fish, and Reki and Langa and Joe and Cherry from sk8 right now. Also i like Lawlight from specifically the 2015 death note tv drama. OH. AND ALSO. SEKI AND SHIMIZU FROM OYASUMI PUNPUN I LOVE THEM

(Side note ngl Detective Roberts and His Ex-Wife are v nice together i like them)

B - A pairing you initially didn’t consider but someone changed your mind

Ellspen from Self Aware. LIKE LISTEN. I KNOW I WRITE THE THING. BUT I NEVER CONSIDERED THAT UNTIL READERS STARTED SHIPPING IT

C - A ship you have never liked and probably never will (be nice)

Uhhh idk I never thought about it. Ig i’m not really a fan of Aizawa/All Might? that’s the first ship to come to mind. oh and also Hawks/Endeavor. not my cup o tea, never will be

D - A pairing you wish you liked but just can’t (again: be nice)

Any ship with Tanaka from haikyuu that Isnt him and kiyoko. like art of him and enoshita or him and noya are Cute, but i just dont ship it

E - Have you added anything cracky/hilarious to your fandom, if so, what

Does writing “Regenerate, Fate” count

I also have Goose Yagami meme and the yelling cat meme but it’s death note

F - What’s the longest you’ve ever been in a fandom

BNHA fandom has been since... november 2017ish

G - Do you remember your first OTP, if so who was in it

.........................................................................Klance.

H - What is your favorite source text for fandom stuff (e.g., tv shows, movies, books, anime, Western animation, etc.)

(ngl i dunno what this Means so sorry if my answer doesn’t make sense but-) I really like anime and animation, but also i really like comics and manga, more so now that im Making a comic

I - Has tumblr caused you to stop liking any fandoms, if so, which and why

I don’t think tumblr’s ever stopped making me like a fandom, but just like. stop going in tumblr’s tag for it. for example 15ish year old me was NOT ready to see the things in the undertale tag that i did. oh god the horrors.

J - Name a fandom you didn’t care/think about until you saw it all over tumblr

i dont think tumblrs ever led me to starting a show/getting into a fandom, but pinterest has. most of my fandoms have been through seeing random things on pinterest ngl

K -Say something nice about someone in any of your fandoms

Vigilantedekus is The Best and I Love Them

L - Say something genuinely nice about a character who isn’t one of your faves (chars you’re neutral on are fair game, as are chars you dislike)

Matsuda from death note might’ve been played as the “Funny because he keeps fuckin up” kinda chara, but i do like that he was the one to shoot light and that he had that kind of outburst about light’s dad. BUT ALSO MATSUDA’S THEORY IN THE END OF THE MANGA? RIGHTS.

M - Say something genuinely nice about a ship that you don’t ship (or its shippers, or anything related to you)

i dont have anything specific in mind, but all fandoms have DOPE artists

N - Name three things you wish you saw more or in your main fandom (or a fandom of choice)

head empty no thoughts

O - Choose a song at random, which ship or character does it remind you of

Right now “The mind electric” reminds me of Jamie from SA, “Butterfly’s Repose” reminds me of Mell And Kai

P - Invent a random AU for any fandom (we always need more ideas)

uh uh uh uh Self Aware but without Aviancorp. That’s the only difference. The au is just what kind of ripple effect it would have on everyone and their lives

Q - A ship you’ve abandoned and why

nothing’s coming to mind

R - A pairing you ship that you don’t think anyone else ships

Sobs. Seki and Shimizu from Goodnight Punpun. I only say them for this because theres So Little People who know them

S - Show us an example of your personal headcanon (prompts optional but encouraged)

Athen (my oc, Choosing(02)) wants to see hatsune miku because he uses a voicebank to speak and “! she sounds like me!” 

T - Do you have any hard and fast headcanons that you will die defending, about anything at all (gender identity, sexual or romantic orientation, extended family, sexual preferences like top/bottom/switch, relationship with poetry, seriously anything)

I’m going to do these with my OCs instead. because while im the author, they’re headcanons because most of them i cant Really make canon: 

Athen has a mothman pajama set. He and adam have matching “Humanfucker”/”Robofucker” shirts

athen Has seriously wondered if adam would leave him for mothman

athen gets a pet roomba named Hal

Jamie would be a good parent

Sam (one of the dead kids from Subject 402/SA-) would’ve been a soccer player if she lived

Letho (the Other dead kid) would’ve been an art student

if jordan(Kai) had a Normal Life and WASNT a human experiment, he wouldnt be very accomplished in school despite being a genius, he’d be kinda a delinquent and getting in trouble a lot

If mell had a younger sibling, people would probably think HE’S the youngest one. they would not believe he were older if they were close in age

U - 5 favorite characters from 5 different fandoms

Mob from Mob psycho

L and Light are tied

Aizawa and Shinsou and Deku are top faves ig

ash and eiji from banana fish. love them. AND SHORTER> LOVE HIM

i like punpun as a character but if i had the chance i would prolly throw hands

V - 3 OTPs from 3 different fandoms

Mell and Kai - Self Aware

Shindeku OR tododeku - bnha

(Letho and (Redacted)) - Self Aware (but like. the au if letho Lived)

Ash and Eiji - Banana Fish

W - 5 favorite ships and 5 kinks you like best for said ships

I think we all know my fave ships from this post so far. no need to do this question lmao

X - top 5-10 characters who are yoUR PRECIOUS BABIES AND YOU WILL DIE DEFENDING THEM

MOB. WOULD KILL FOR HIM BUT I KNOW HE WOULD BE :( AT ME FOR IT

ngl there aren’t many Precious Babies. like I’d say Hinata is a precious baby but haikyuu ends when he’s like fuckin 30 so what counts as a precious baby hmmm

Y - What are your secondhand fandoms (fandoms you aren’t in personally but are tangentially familiar with because your friends/people on your dash are in them)

my dash gets so much TMA

Z - Just ramble about something fan-related, go go go (prompts optional but encouraged)

this post is long enough,,,

[battleshell]

THE POSITIVE & NEGATIVE; Mun & Muse - Meme.

fill out & repost ♥ This meme definitely favors canons more, but I hope OC’s still can make it somehow work with their own lore, and lil’ fandom of friends & mutuals. Multi-Muses pick the muse you are the most invested in atm. tagged by: @dansiere whom im care tagging: extremely informative meme for ppl who have lots of cross-over interactions, i encourage u to steal it from me anyway BUT @sternenteile​ @twelvians​ @stellamris​ @grandtales​

My muse is:   canon / oc / au / canon-divergent / fandomless / complicated

Is your character popular in the fandom? YES / NO. [ he is a very, very minor NPC that i’ve essentially wrested from the game with my grubby hands; Gerson is a merchant NPC found in Waterfall, the third area of the game focused with water themes. he has less than 100 lines of dialogue (but jam-packed full of info) and doesn’t even have an overworld sprite. although noted to have a history with multiple major characters, it’s not often i’ve seen him be the main focus of any fanfics or art pieces. ]

Is your character considered hot™ in the fandom?  YES / NO / IDK. [ put that faaaaaaaar away from me please tyty ]

Is your character considered strong in the fandom?  YES / NO / IDK. [ i personally believe that Gerson is a strong and potentially powerful monster with fighting capability that could rival some of the stronger Monsters in the Underground due to his background as a fighter during the Human-Monster War, but since has waned in both reputation and fighting skill. we never fight him in game and as such, will never see how he compares numerically, but it’s clear from his dialogue that he knows how to fight professionally/cleverly and would have given a hard challenge. ]

Are they underrated?  YES / NO / IDK. [ i mentioned before that Gerson has ties with lots of major characters - I hardly see it being put into action or talked about! i also have a soft spot for elder/older characters in general since they seem to be overlooked in favor for younger characters that carry the action of plots - which I understand and totally get, but I still like to put these characters out there for the sake of it ]

Were they relevant for the main story?  YES / NO.

Were they relevant for the main character? YES / NO / THEY’RE THE PROTAG. [ he was a funny merchant dude that said “wahaha” a whole bunch of times and carried a magnifying glass; sure he and Frisk would have been good friends after the golden ending but most people have forgotten about their interaction with Gerson once out of Waterfall ]

Are they widely known in their world? YES / NO. [ as one of the older if not oldest Monsters in the Underground, or from his reputation as the “Hammer of Justice” from wartime. he is also a historian and is noted to have written a few of the books in the Librarby. definitely known in the Underground, but probably only in that community ]

How’s their reputation?  GOOD / BAD / NEUTRAL. [ as mentioned before, a benefactor to the community and maybe even a sagely figure. a source of wisdom (even if cheeky) and a person of stability ]

How strictly do you follow canon?  — ehhhhhhhhhh both extremely canon compliant and then hands off the wheel, let jesus drive me away~ i only have so much canon material to work with so i have milked as much as offered to me, then went off to forge my own path in order to patch up the missing holes then add a few sprinkles. the base of the character is all there, but if you really want to get invested with him (or me) then we have a lot to walk through.

SELL YOUR MUSE! Aka try to list everything, which makes your muse interesting in your opinion to make them spicy for your mutuals.  —  old tortoise (NOT TURTLE) guy sells knick-knacks and cracks jokes, knows everyone’s dirty secrets but thinks they’re just funny to think about them than use them. an elder in the community who has stories to tell and lessons to teach, who has lived through half of recorded history and now spends his time just trying to make things around him interesting. a war veteran who protects his community and understands the horror of the world, but keeps eyes looking into the future even in the face of grimness itself. plays the accordion and harmonica, could probably square dance if he knew what that was. will call you kiddo.

Now the OPPOSITE, list everything why your muse could not be so interesting (even if you may not agree, what does the fandom perhaps think?).  —  little to no motivation to find a passion for himself that would benefit or service just himself; his entire sense of worth comes from servicing others in some way (being a soldier and protecting people; recording history in order to teach future generations; maintaining a shop in order to literally service others) and lack of action due to decrepitude in old age. close-minded compared to other Monsters, as he doesn’t actually take to think of humans or outsiders kindly; judgmental to the point of being racist. proud and dislikes being one-upped that it could lead to pettiness, and despite his positive outlooks, very pessimistic worldview.

What inspired you to rp your muse?  —  funfact: Gerson is my first tumblr RP muse ever, and since i was worried about duplicate anxiety when i first started i specifically wrote him since he was a smaller character with less attention - i’ve since learned i have no anxiety about it so it’s no longer a problem, but what keeps me going today is the challenge of writing someone so different from me. the elder aesthetic along with homely, almost cottagecore kind of vibe is also appealing, and the humor that comes with gerson is a joy to write out.

What keeps your inspiration going?  —  reading literature, music, artwork, pinterest, replaying the game, and doing little hobbies that would embody the character (collecting or sewing, for example) are things i can do by myself, but with other people i have the most drive when i can have friendly and nonpersonal arguments/debates about character motives or about source material like what made a character act like this or that, or about really anything as long as it makes me seriously think about characters critically and force me to recognize flaws.

Some more personal questions for the mun.

Give your mutuals some insight about the way you are in some matters, which could lead them to get more comfortable with you or perhaps not.

Do you think you give your character justice?  YES / NO / I SINCERELY HOPE I DO? [ unfortunately i’m not a tortoise monster who lived for probably centuries if not decades older than myself, but i enjoy writing older characters and hope that other ppl see the potential gerson has like i do ]

Do you frequently write headcanons?  YES / NO / SORT OF? [ you know when you have a concept and in your own mind you can see it clearly, without fuzziness or confusion, but you can’t seem to put it clearly into words without it turning into an essay because you need to connect all the other points that’s in the single concept you envisioned? yea. ]

Do you sometimes write drabbles?  YES / NO [ bro i should.. ]

Do you think a lot about your Muse during the day? YES / NO [ hmu if you got pinterest and i’ll give u tons and tons of boards ]

Are you confident in your portrayal?  YES / NO / SORT OF? [ this is unfair to answer as (AFAIK) i am the only person writing Gerson in... any capacity. despite that i like to think i bring out the humorous side of him, and show ppl that he and other NPCs are tons of potentials and shouldn’t be overlooked because they aren’t popular ]

Are you confident in your writing?  YES / NO. [ i always believed my style and my skill in not only PSDs or aesthetics, but analysis or understanding was always a bit plain, without much flourish or complexity. while that is appealing on its own and has its own merits, i can’t help but feel i can always push myself to do a little more, add a little flavor, or paint an image that could only be done in writing. although i am doing enough to get the job done, i’m searching for a certain voice of writing that i like and want to integrate into creative writing in order to make it more personalized and more engaging. ]

Are you a sensitive person?  YES / NO. / SORTA. [ i despise pussyfooting and will often tell ppl straight up if i have a problem with them or something about them; straightforwardness, honesty, and integrity are some of my core values and that includes being harsh if it comes to it in order to keep order ]

Do you accept criticism well about your portrayal?  —  assuming it’s rooted in goodwill or from a point of analysis, absolutely! it’s one of the direct sources for growth and getting better at any craft, but as Tumblr loves to be.... jumpy, i’m always cautious when its not from someone i know.

Do you like questions, which help you explore your character?  —  YEA BUDDYYYYY

If someone disagrees to a headcanon of yours, do you want to know why?  —  absolutely, i thrive off friendly discourse as i mentioned.

If someone disagrees with your portrayal, how would you take it?  —  if we don’t discuss it as above, in lit any other case i’d say “well there are other blogs to follow” but since i’m like 99% sure i’m the only gerson blog that isn’t applicable lmao; the point still stands that everyone has the freedom to write a character as they wish. there are valid reasons to dislike a portayal but not a lot of valid reasons to attack someone for it - with the exception of ppl being gross. stop that, nasty.

If someone really hates your character, how do you take it?  —  strangely. it’s not my job to make people like a character, you either like them or not. if you dislike them for unreasonable points then, to leave in the previous response, “clowns will be clowns, no matter what you do. I just don’t get why you would follow someone if you hate their character to begin with.”

Are you okay with people pointing out your grammatical errors?  —  of course, as long as it’s polite and all that jazz!

Do you think you are easy going as a mun?   —  depends on the meaning - i like making new friends and i find it easy to talk to new people, be it about roleplay or other things like organizing video game play sessions. however, i also have on multiple occasions have approached ppl privately saying “this is annoying/this is problematic/this is inappropriate, stop” and been met with general disdain for voicing such so Who Knows..... (tm). at least on a private level. here, publicly, i’m pretty relaxed! memes and jokes are abound. as long as a person can be mature and responsible for their actions we can vibe, yo.

[flyingaltean]

The Thieves!

The Dream Thieves! I was quite confused, why thieves, plural, when it is only Ronan? But I proceeded to read without further question, lmao, and honestly I don’t remember that question until now. Turns out there are two thieves, ha!

The book is great! The reading experience is more fun than the first one, but probably it is because it’s the second book. When I read the first one, honestly I was filled with half doubtful and half anticipation, haha, because 1) I don’t grasp the story at first, and 2) but the fandom is, uh, big? But then I read further and I understand.

This second one is not coloured by a doubt, but rather, a question that is left from book one. And this second book also leaving another question. It is not strange, though, this is a series after all!

Let’s get into the commentary! When I read the first chapters, I was reminded of those writing tips in pinterest: ‘how to write an opening; write something that will grasp your audience’s attention!’ and thus we got Declan punched. I am not complaining, tho.

And Blue and Adam’s relationship! Honestly, when Blue kissed Gansey, I don’t really feel sad for Adam, hahaha. But maybe it was purposely set like that? Because as long as I remember, their relationship is not described that well? What I mean is the lack of their interaction, hahaha. I don’t know about you, but I think they are not acting like a couple enough. If they have a serious relationship at the first place. Plus, it is stated from the start that the endgame is Blue with Gansey. And Adam is not very lovable in this second book. I am not blaming him, hahaha, the energy is messing with him, and it strongly reminded me of horcruxes. So, I feel like the relationship can be written better, so that the reader will feel quite attached with Blue and Adam before moving to Blue and Gansey.

The Grey Man is, I don’t know, I don’t know how to feel about him. He is, grey, well, his name is symbolising his characterisation pretty accurate. I feel like there will be conflict about Blue’s father between Maura and Blue. But let’s just see later when I read the rest of the series. His conflict with his brother, tho, is ended very abruptly. He just shot his brother at the end of the story, and then it is done. It may be suggesting how we actually can deal with our problem quickly and effectively, and that actually the fear comes within, so the only thing that can defeat it is ourself. HAHAHA please ignore that. I’ve fed up by those symbolising stuff and shit.

And now, the Cabeswater. It is interesting how Adam finally get to control the energy. I like how he snapped at basically everyone when he still couldn’t understand what the energy wanted, hahaha. I mean, I like how it is described well about his confusion…. no, about his struggle in navigating the energy inside him. Like, he doesn’t randomly mastering the energy. It is realistic! Ah, that is the word I tried to remember.

When I was browsing through Raven Cycle tag in tumblr, I read a post about how the summary of the book is quite misleading, and I agree with that notion. It only summarises the main problem on that book, and not the bigger idea, which is the search of Glendower. And, for me, actually that is the interesting point! I want the adventure!

And lastly (before I fall asleep) about Ronan. I feel like I will get ‘the other side’ of Ronan in this book. Because on the first book, he is described as your usual misunderstood boy; violent, carefree, but still nice to his friends who actually understand him. I expect Ronan’s ‘nice side’ in this book, but I don’t think I get that feeling? I mean, yeah, sure, he is nice and shit sometimes, but it is also everything that we already know from the previous book. Well, aside from the new fact that he is gay, nothing else. But I think I get that hint from the book’s fanarts, hahahahahahha so that’s not a surprise.

I don’t dislike it, though. It is a nice feeling; you can be violent and nice at the same time, hahaha. Despite of his character, I feel like you can trust Ronan whole-heartedly. He genuinely scared when he broke Gansey’s Camaro, hahaha, and he managed to produce the exact match! Nice, Ronan. I look forward for your relationship with whoever your partner is, in the future!

Well, Maura is missing, and now I will proceed to book three!

visit my Goodreads!

[lilyevane]

can u give tips on how to make amazing edits like yours? because I really want to start making things but I'm not good at it and your really good at this :)

i’m literally. screaming. like this is one of the nicest messages i have ever received, even though i think that half of it is a lie! you’re so sweet omg! also i’m never the person to look to for tips because i always want to explain but don’t know how to explain, so this is probably gonna be a whole load of nonsense to you so sorry about that lmao!

okay so imho, the main part of making edits is to have a general (or even vague) idea of how your thing’s gonna turn out. even if you don’t that’s totally ok, but knowing roughly what you’re gonna end up with is good so you can work towards that!

having your edits look aesthetically pleasing is like one of the trends these days, and the good place to start for aesthetic and hq pictures is places like pinterest, weheartit etc.! all of these sites have amazing pictures you can use—my pinterest is here, feel free to check it out if you like!

i use photoshop cc to make my edits, but there are other amazing photo editors you can use if you’re unable to get ps! i used to use canva and pixlr before i started using ps, and seriously, both of them were amazing editors to use! - esp canva, because canva had all of these readymade templates, and everything you make looks effortlessly flawless when you use them! i still use canva for other stuff and it really is such a good graphic designing software!

people sometimes ask me where i get “ideas” from my edits, and it really shocked me because this was the kinda question i used to ask myself all the time. tbh, when i first got into tumblr and into edit-making, i would literally look at all of the amazing edits on my dash and just marvel at them, not knowing where they got their ideas from! this is always such a hard question because you can never really have a fixed answer. i take inspiration from other people’s edits often; i have an insp tag for when i like people’s edits a lot too! sometimes i’m just scrolling through pinterest and i’ll find this deadass gorgeous picture that i’ll literally force myself to use, and then i’ll end up working around it, putting random psds/filters on it to see how things look, adjusting the text across the canvas, and that’s how i create half the things i make tbh! 

the key is to trust yourself. please don’t say that you’re not good at making edits, you really are, you just need to start experimenting and find out for yourself! no one can be crappy at making their own creations, they just haven’t gained enough experience, so whenever you have free time, open the graphic designing software you use and just toy around with it, look at the different possibilities and what you can do with the different features—for example, you can find things/places much more easily once you’ve become comfortable with a new school/workplace etc!

i’ve been rambling for far too long, but legit, don’t ever be sad if you don’t like one of your edits. post it anyway, make sure to tag all the main tags for the fandom you’re posting it in (i track #userjilys, please tag me!), and even if it doesn’t get enough notes, it doesn’t matter. make and make and make and make, don’t stop believing in yourself! it took me awhile before my posts started getting notes, and at times i’d want to kill myself because i’d post something and 39483975 years later it’d still be stuck at one like!

continue unleashing your creativity for all the world to see—you might not like something you’ve created, but that’s probably because you’ve been staring and glaring at it a million times now! someone who will unexpectedly come across it on their dash will surely be blown away.

this got super long, but i hope this benefits you in any way, anon! feel free to come into my askbox whenever you like if you have anymore questions, i had so much fun answering this! have a lovely day ♥

[pathfindersemail]

14, 15, 27 for writer's ask

14. What does it take for you to be ready to write a book? (i.e. do you research? outline? make a playlist or pinterest board? wing it?)

I should clarify that I’ve never written a book (lmao I totally missed these questions when I reblogged this), but I have written 30-page articles, and I do have a 90-page thesis... so...

In terms of academic research, what I do is read two core texts. My field is a subset of 18th-century British literature with emphases on colonialism and animal trafficking. Any literary text (i.e. political pamphlets, castaway narratives, travelogues, novels, etc.) will serve. I tend to read another text that it is probably working against or referencing (any book will have that. I promise you). 

Afterwards, I type up key passages. These passages have to be things I don’t understand or things I disagree with. I try to re-formulate these passages into questions: i.e. what is the author arguing? What is the author trying to teach us about its topic? 

I then go to the library or some database and search books that have expounded on the questions I formulated. I usually take out 6 books per visit. Any one 30-page article will usually yield me at least 20 to 40 max books to reference (if not journals).

THEN, after I’ve amassed a separate set of notes (normally quotations I would like to cite on my paper) from these sources, I go back to the core texts and “closely read” them. Close reading mostly involves taking apart a certain passage, arguing what it means, and then bringing in existing discourse to the analysis I’ve made.

I do this over and over until I have a manuscript that can pass for a thesis (i.e. it has an argument and some evidence to back it up). Afterwards, I go back and “reverse outline” the damn thing. This step of the process involves seeing where connective tissues exist and bringing them out to make for smooth transitions between paragraphs. Much of the deletion happens in this stage too. If something doesn’t have a place in the outline, I get rid of it (I’ve deleted 3 pages of single spaced writing before. It destroyed me).

I rinse and repeat the writing and reverse outlining until I think it can form a cogent argument and is ready for proofreading. Then, voila. proofread about 50 more times until it can pass for an article.

Once this happens, I imagine my future book (if I become tenured faculty, I will need to publish a book in my field) will be a more cohesive work that connects several articles on the same topic.

I imagine I’d be as rigorous with publishing a book of fiction, but at the same time who knows if it’ll ever happen.

As for fanfic, I have a scrivener outline where I make notes for the sequence of events. Each note should carry: what is the purpose? What is this setting up? What mood am I evoking? Mind you, I’ve only done this for one fic. Most my other fics have been hashed up free-writes.

15. How do you deal with self-doubt when writing?

You get someone else to read your work.

I know that sounds blithe and shit, and it’s always going to be excruciating, but that’s the quickest way I’ve gotten over self-doubt. I mostly write articles and translations that an editor will either accept or reject, so you can imagine that at this point I’ve been desensitized to criticism and harsh rejection. 

For my work, I often have my boyfriend read my stuff, mostly because we’re in the same field and he knows how to poke at my writing. (He asks me shit like, “are you sure about that word choice?” “But isn’t this argument a bit of a red herring?” etc)

For fanfic, I have mutuals who are kind enough to feed me love and encouragement. Fanfic is a bit harder in terms of overcoming self-doubt. I am so used to getting some kind of reward in work and at school (via grades, publications, money etc.), but when it comes to fandom I am just like WHERE IS MY INSTANT GRATIFICATION?!

So yeah TLDR, get someone to read your shit and you will feel less shitty.

27. Every writer's least favorite question - where does your inspiration come from? Do you do certain things to make yourself more inspired? Is it easy for you to come up with story ideas?

I’m going to stick with just fanfiction for this question because I’ve never written original fiction, and I basically explained my nonfiction writing process in the first one.

“Inspiration” usually comes in the form of malaise or ennui. Like I will usually feel depressed, and I will have a need to write something to work it out. My fic Vignettes is basically a collection of my insecurities about my own relationship and self-worth projected on two video game characters. 

As for more conventional works like Canis Aureus, Redux! the overall inspiration for the thing was my driving need to write a backstory for Reyes and to have him as a squadmate. When I write each chapter, I don’t normally get inspired in a conscious way, but there are days when I am more productive. Usually quiet, a room of my own, and music will help with that. Or sometimes I probably watched a really cool action scene or read something gorgeous from the book I’m reading, and then I get worked up and want to write more for myself.

Otherwise, I time myself. I sit down on the computer and set a timer for two hours. Some days I get 10 pages from it. Other days I get zilch. 

Thanks for the ask nonny! 

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[amorremanet]

Hi there!! just wanted to drop in to say hello and that I absolutely adORE your playlists, they are practically perfect and just cause ~feelings~ :) I was hoping you could help me out w something... for your "I watch for the plot" playlist (amazing omg n the name, ha!) would you pls be able to tell me a song you'd pick for Jackson, and Parrish? you don't have to link Im just /dying/ to know what you think for them. thanks lovely xo

omg, thank you! I’m so glad that you enjoy the mixes (and the feelings! …because I’m of the same breed of writer as George RR Martin: too many ideas at one time and too much love for making people feel things, oops) — and I do actually have a few ideas about that question!

Jackson Whittemore: I actually skipped him when I originally made the, “I watch for the plot” mix because, at the time, I couldn’t think of a song for him. But now that a certain song is a thing that exists, I’m gonna say that Jackson gets, “Uptown Funk” (Mark Ronson & Bruno Mars) — because let’s be honest, he would totally kiss himself, he’s so pretty.

Also, I’m not classy enough to pass up giving him, “I’m too hot, hot damn / Make a dragon wanna retire man” when he was the show’s original kanima, and… y’know. Reptiles. Murder lizards. Et cetera. Shut up, Kassie, stop explaining the joke.

Seriously, it was a few months too late, and having it when I made that mix would’ve made my life so much easier. One reason why I made the all-80’s music mix was that I felt bad about leaving Jackson off the sexy mix, but the only thing I could think of for him was The Flying Lizards’ cover of “Money (That’s What I Want)” — which is only sexy to me because, thanks to the Charlie’s Angels movie, I still mentally associate it with Lucy Liu.

and Jordan Parrish: I was sure he was going to be my new, “I can’t think of a song for you” boy, because my first thought was, “Well, there’s ‘Don’t Tell Mama’ or ‘Mein Herr’ from Cabaret, but it’d require explaining ridiculous headcanons based on old RP’s, and it’s not really sexy exactly? Also, Jordaroo would hate either one because in said headcanons, he hates Cabaret. Also also, Camden Lahey probably wouldn’t share ‘Mein Herr’ very easily, not even with Jordan, while Pete definitely wouldn’t share it with either one of them.”

(……This Pete being one the characters from my novel, who kinda thinks of, “Mein Herr” as his song and anyone else who wants it can fight him for it [or more accurately, they can fight his taller, physically stronger best friend who actually knows how to throw a punch and would play Pete’s champion so he wouldn’t get himself hurt by fighting over that song].

Either way, definitely not Peter Hale, who I don’t imagine cares one way or the other about Cabaret or anything related to it, but would totally do something horrible to anyone who called him, “Pete.” Or anyone who cut him off in traffic, ordered the last blueberry muffin at Starbucks, or existed in a way that he found mildly vexing or inconvenient. But that’s not the point.)

So, then I had a different idea that I vetoed but will get back to in like five seconds, and although I decided against it for Jordan specifically, it did remind me of a great song for him. Namely: “Thick Thighs” (Willam Belli & Latrice Royale) (probably NSFW) — and I mean……… really?

It was over a year late to be on the original mix, buuuuut…… this is a link to a Google Image Search for “ryan kelley thighs,” one of the first hits on Google’s web search for that was a pinterest board called, “Ryan Kelley (those thighs for real though),” and I’m just gonna leave this here. Prosecution rests.

the song I vetoed: “Boy Is A Bottom” (Detox, Willam, & Vicki Vox) (definitely NSFW) — which?

……Okay, to explain? I only vetoed it for Jordaroo because it’s not fair to give it to him exclusively when it can and should be liberally applied to all of the Teen Wolf guys. I would say, “especially Derek, Scott, and Jackson,” but that’s just because I am personally biased in favor of Derek, Scott, and Jackson, and more so in favor of bottom!Derek, bottom!Scott, and bottom!Jackson.

Because, seriously? TW fandom can and has applied that song to pretty much every male character on the show ever, except for like… Agent Blobfish and Sheriff Stilinski, and shit, now that I’ve said that, someone is probably gonna go do it and I’m going to regret everything because I don’t much care for either of them and I don’t want to invite them to my sexy party.

But…… well. I guess as long as no one’s getting hurt at someone else’s sexy party, it’s none of my business whether or not the Sheriff and/or Agent Blobfish get(s) invited, so as long as whoever applies “Boy Is A Bottom” to them leaves me out of it? We’re cool.

…and the formatting is gonna annoy me if I end on an indented point, so as a bonus, here are two songs that I’m annoyed I didn’t think about giving Scott until after I’d already published the mix. On one hand, Bonnie Tyler’s “Holding Out For A Hero”, and on the other…… “Peanut Butter” by Rupaul and Big Freedia (idk if you’d call it NSFW or not, but there’s a lot of bouncing booty in colorful underwear).

Must be jelly ‘cause jam don’t shake, indeed, Scotty McHottie. You don’t say.

(also, omg, I wish I’d come up with, “I watch for the plot” on my own, but lmao, that’s been in fandom longer than I have, and I’ve been in one fandom or another since I was about 11-12. It’s fandom’s version of, “I read for the articles” and I love it so much XD)