#dialogue is really easy for me to write okay. and the challenge of working with a program would keep me engaged

[leonardalphachurch]

there are a lot of stories i want to write but they take a lot of effort and so they’re really hard and then others stories that would take less effort but i also want to write them way less and so they’re also really hard and all that to say i am considering if i should make some of those latter stories into visual novel…

[naquey]

20 Qs for fic writers

(inspired by @icegirl2772's post)

How many works do you have on AO3?

29!

2. What's your total word count?

498,403

3. What fandoms do you write for?

Drake & Josh, Harry Potter, Big Time Rush (TV), Cobra Kai, Scream (Movies), Nanbaka, and Black Butler.

But if we're counting Quotev, the original site I used then there's FNAF, Creepypasta, and Eddsworld.

4. Top five fics by Kudos:

Entrusted To You, Uno's brother, Rumors (Adele sang it best), This Is Not Okay, What Is Wrong With Me?

5. Do you respond to comments?

Yes! I love talking to my readers (unless its a hate comment lol) and talking to my readers can help gain a different perspective.

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

Most of my works are one shots. I believe the angstiest ending is tied between Fame and Haunted. But technically Haunted was a scrapped scene that didn't make it into Fame.

7. What is the five you wrote with the happiest ending?

There's a lot of them... But if I have to choose then Drake Loves Marnie.

8. Do you get hate on fics?

Well no, not even when I was on Quotev. I did get my first hate comment which was really funny. I'm not saying I want more of them tbh, but I guess I just want more people to express their opinion lol.

9. Do you write smut?

Very RARELY. It only happens once in a blue moon because I'm either too intimidated to write it, or if I do write it I'm too intimidated to post it. Smut is so awkward to write and half the time I'm worried I'm writing it wrong lmao.

10. Craziest Crossover?

Well... I don't have many crossovers; I only have Drake & Josh with Big Time Rush, only because I wanted my OCs to interact. To be honest, I'm very picky when it comes to crossovers.

11. Have you ever had a fic translated?

No, but I can give it a shot if anyone wants any of them translated! Or if anyone would like to translate my fics/one-shots, feel free to do so as long as you credit me!

12. Have you ever cowritten a fic before?

Four times in the past. All of which nearly discouraged me from writing lmao. Not that I wouldn't want to cowrite a fic, but I would have to talk about it more with someone instead of just doing it.

13. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

God, I hope not. But I doubt anyone would let me know if I had one stolen tbh...

14. All-time favorite ship?

Uhh... Canon? Oc? Good question... I have far too many circulating in my head like a rotisserie chicken lmao. I can't choose. But currently, I'm thinking a lot about Kenonnie (Kendall Knight/Veronica Clark)

15. What's a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

My backroom novel idea. Like, I want to be able to traditionally (or independently) publish it. It's a horror book I'm very passionate about, but... I stopped writing at ch 3 because liminal spaces work best as a visual.

16. What are your writing strengths?

I genuinely have no idea, but if I had to guess it might be dialogue. I talk to myself in my room very frequently which... I guess helps with dialogue???

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

Oh, this one is easy! Spelling and grammar! I am fighting Grammarly on everything I'm writing because it's taking my personality out of my stories. But it keeps me from spelling words wrong.

18. Thoughts on dialogue in another language?

I'm more scared to do this wrong. I have a couple of characters that speak French, but I avoid using it to a degree because I can't fathom being disrespectful and accidentally getting someone's language wrong.

19. First fandom you ever wrote in?

Eddsworld...

20. Favorite fic you've written?

I love my children equally- kidding! As of right now, I am very biased towards Ghostwriter. It started as a challenge to write more than usual and it succeeded, it is currently my longest running fic.

Usually, I splice my fics up into ten-chapter arcs, but since Ghostwriter doesn't have a concrete ending, it reached over thirty chapters, lol. It's also the one I'm writing the most because my brain cannot process anything else. I'm laser-focused on BTR right now.

[liaromancewriter]

It Happened One Miami Night (3/?)

Series Premise: A work trip to Miami means finally accepting that some risks are worth taking. Or are they?

Fandom: Choices Book: Open Heart Pairing: Ethan Ramsey x F!MC (Cassie Valentine) Rating/Category: Teen. Angsty Fluff Words: 1,430

Series Masterlist

A/N: I live! Seriously, though, I've been really sick the last few days; today's the first day I've actually felt like writing. I also don't know where I'm going with this series except for this idea of filling in blanks for moments we didn't see. Pray that I figure it out before I start rambling.

Submission for @choicesaprilchallenge24; dialogue prompt "come on, it'll be fun"

She might have been invited (ordered, more like) under false pretenses, but that didn’t mean she was wasting this opportunity. Still in awe of hearing medical greats in person, Cassie Valentine put her hands together for the chorus of applause that followed Dr. Hadley’s fireside chat.

Ethan Ramsey, the epitome of medical excellence, was Cassie’s ultimate inspiration. Yet, Rebecca Hadley, with her profound knowledge and charisma, was a close second in Cassie’s admiration.

Cassie's eyes darted hopefully towards the front as the room began to clear. Her heart sank at seeing the long queue of Dr. Hadley’s admirers. Disappointment washed over her, but she was determined not to let this opportunity slip away. However, the organizers pulled Dr. Hadley away before she could step forward.

Cassie checked the event schedule on the conference app and figured she had enough time to grab some swag for Elijah before the next session. She still hadn’t heard from Ethan.

No! She wasn’t going to think about him. This time was for her.

Ethan was her attending, that’s it. No, he wasn’t Ethan. He was Dr. Ramsey. Cassie repeated this to herself, a mantra reminding her of her resolution to move on and break the spell he’d cast on her.

She thought this weekend was already proving challenging, recalling their conversation after the Nash debacle. They hadn’t even been to their suite yet or figured out how they were going to spend two nights in close quarters. Would he casually dismiss her from his presence then, too?

Shaking off the anxiety, she entered the exhibit hall and made a beeline for the first table. They gave out branded pens; they were nothing special, but her friend wasn’t picky. Besides, Elijah lost at least two pens daily and would use them all.

With her tote bag bulging, she was halfway down this row when she spied a booth handing out frisbees. She sped up, grabbing the last one as someone reached for it. Cassie turned sideways and found herself in a tug-of-war with another attendee.

“I was here first,” she tugged the plastic disk a little too forcefully.

“Debatable.” The man grinned charmingly before letting go. “But my mother raised a gentleman,” he glanced at her lanyard, “Cassie.”

“Thanks,” she stared at the name tag in her line of sight, “Evan. My compliments to your mother.”

“Wait till I tell her how her lessons on manners led me to my future wife.” The twinkle in his eyes told her he was joking.

“Wow, you’re easy,” Cassie quipped. “Beat a guy at the Swag Olympics, and his true intentions come out.”

His lips twisted in a half smile, and he eyed her tote. “First conference?”

“Is it that obvious?”

Evan laughed. “First-timers always grab too much stuff. Then, you realize you can’t possibly take it home in your carry-on and start throwing out perfectly good swag.”

That made her pause. The space in her luggage was indeed limited. Still, she promised Elijah goodies, and she would deliver them.

“It’ll be okay,” she shrugged, unconcerned.

“I heard Panacea’s giving out briefcases,” Evan said, stepping closer, just at the edge of her personal space. “I was just heading there.”

Cassie caught the unspoken invitation in his voice and the interested look in his eyes as he peered intently at her. She started to decline, not wanting another run-in with Declan Nash, when their phones pinged.

“Oh wow, I don’t believe it,” Evan exclaimed, staring at his phone. “They just added Dr. Ramsey to a panel. It starts in twenty minutes.”

He glanced at her over his phone’s screen, his eyes filled with eager excitement. “He’s amazing. Man, what I’d do to work with him. I tried matching at Edenbrook last year, but their residency is super competitive.”

“I know,” Cassie said quietly, but Evan didn’t hear her as he continued talking.

“…got into Grady, so not a total loss. How about you?”

“Edenbrook. First year, internal medicine.”

Evan’s eyes widened. “Have you met Ramsey, then? What’s he like? Are rounds with him a masterclass in diagnostic excellence?”

Cassie wasn’t sure how to respond. Was she supposed to tell a stranger that she had not only met Ethan but fallen hard for him? That when he focused those laser blue eyes on her, she melted, heat pooling in her belly, fingers itching to touch him everywhere?

Ethan was a complicated man who hid his emotions behind an austere exterior. But when he let his guard down and let her in, she fell through a rabbit hole, knowing her life would never be the same again.

“Rounds with him are intense,” was all Cassie said, keeping her expression neutral.

Ten minutes later, she reluctantly followed Evan into the ballroom where Ethan’s session was taking place. Despite the last-minute announcement, the room was almost full, with just a few empty seats scattered around the room.

“See? I told you the room would be packed early,” he said, scanning the space.

They shoehorned their way to the center of the room, hopping over bags and feet to park themselves on two chairs in a row of theater seating. Cassie almost tripped over the ankles of a woman who wasn’t keen to let them pass, but Evan helped keep her upright.

Cassie’s heart skipped a beat when she saw Ethan’s tall figure standing off to the side of the raised dais. He must’ve gone to the suite, for he was now wearing a blazer over the black shirt and gray slacks from this morning.

He hadn’t noticed her, and she doubted he would, given the size of the crowd. Still, she slumped slightly in her seat, practically hiding behind the person seated in the row before her.

“What are you doing tonight?”

She turned to face Evan, her brow raised in confusion.

“A few of us are getting together later,” he explained hurriedly. “It’s nothing fancy—cheap booze, music, dancing on the beach.”

“I don’t know,” she hesitated. “I’m here with my attending. He might need me for work.”

“All night?” Evan asked skeptically. “He doesn’t seriously expect you to be on call all weekend? Give the old man the slip and join us.”

When she still looked doubtful, he insisted, “Come on, it’ll be fun. Give me your number. I’ll text you the details.”

Cassie scoffed. “What makes you think you’ve earned my number?”

“My eternal optimism?”

“Nice try,” she rolled her eyes. “I’m on the conference app. Ping me the deets there. No promises.”

The emcee called the room to attention, and the commotion around them died down, replaced by excited anticipation. He introduced the session topic and speakers, reading a brief bio for each panelist.

Despite her earlier intention, Cassie straightened in her seat, unable to look away as Ethan joined his fellow panelists on the stage. As soon as the applause subsided, the moderator smoothly jumped into the discussion, throwing Ethan the first question.

Sprawled in a deep armchair, he held the microphone close to his lips, punctuating his point with a wave of his hand. He spoke eloquently, captivating everyone in the audience and the panel.

Cassie envied his effortless confidence and hoped that one day, she would be as secure in her abilities as a doctor.

She noticed how relaxed Ethan was now compared to earlier. He was in his element now, and it showed. Unlike the uncertainty of the situation with Naveen, sharing his opinions on managing medical resources during large-scale emergencies was easy.

Evan tried to engage her in conversation, leaning too close for comfort, but she ignored him beyond a quick nod. She hadn’t reflected on this topic before but found the discussion and subject area fascinating.

Cassie thought she knew Ethan’s career well, being his biggest fan and all. But she had no idea he’d volunteered in disaster zones during his residency and fellowship. Was there anything the man hadn’t done in the ten short years since he became a doctor?

And was he just as good in bed as he appeared out of it? The naughty voice broke through her thoughts, making her blush.

Cassie surreptitiously scanned faces around her to make sure no one had noticed her face turning red (or the way her skin flushed from the neck down as her breath hitched). It was damn inconvenient.

Listening to Ethan being, well, Ethan, was clearly turning her on.

So much for her resolution. All Ethan had to do was talk passionately about medicine, and she was ready to kiss his breath away.

The weekend just got a whole lot more complicated.

-------------

All Fics & Edits: @bluebelle08 @coffeeheartaddict2 @crazy-loca-blog @jerzwriter @lady-calypso

@mainstreetreader @peonierose @potionsprefect @queencarb @quixoticdreamer16

@justyourusualash @tessa-liam @trappedinfanfiction

Submissions: @choicesficwriterscreations @openheartfanfics

Ethan & Cassie only: @cariantha @custaroonie @youlookappropriate

[teamtakagi]

Skip to the Good Part #2

Thanks for the asks, @seizethemage-main and @so--whoonos!

One more to go after this.

Original Prompts here:

________

The Challenge: Voice (Writing in mainly dialogue):

The dog has the keys: Rook is in dire need of help, but the only person available is reluctant, scared, or ambivalent to giving aid. Write the dialogue of how Rook convinces them.

(Trying something different where it’s a monologue with all the action described off-screen. Not sure if it works, but it was an interesting exercise.)

I have to be the one talking to her? Gods, we’re really in trouble. 

Hey, hey you kid. Remember me? I gave you that little Griffon you’re holding. Yeah, that one with the bow around its neck. How would you like a whole ass– I mean, a whole family of ‘em?  With a Mama and a Papa, and two babies.

Oh, you drive a hard bargain. Five babies is a bit much… Three. Three baby griffons. Final deal. Interested? 

Okay, four. Four babies. Moss, stop laughing. This is serious Griffon business here. 

Here’s a baby. Papa’s next if you can do this reeally important thing for me. Now, you see that big shiny crystal laying over there? I need you to go get it. That’s right. Is it heavy? No? Good.

That’s right, just nice and easy. Put the crystal in the gap and — What? Why are you crying? What’s wrong? The big man with the sword? He looks mean?

Renny, for Maker’s sake, can you just turn the other direction and put the sword down? You’re about to make the kid cry. Look, she’s … greeat. Now she’s gone. Great job, Renny. Way to ruin it for the rest of us.

Oh, you’re back. You just wanted capes for the Griffons? Awesome, great. Now, just put the crystal in and twist the gap …. And…. we’re out. Thank the Maker.

Here, here’s all of my Griffons. Take them all. Oh, very nice, yes, the Mama looks nice in the cape with the flowers on it. Uh, listen, kid. You need to go home right now. Tell your parents ----

You already told them? Annnd they told the big, bearded man with the robes and the staff?

Fuck.

______

Rules for thee but not for me: Write the dialogue exchange between Rook and their mentor at the moment when Rook is forced to leave their faction. (What, if anything, has changed about their relationship by the end of the exchange?)

(I already wrote something similar here with the First Warden, so I deviated and did a conversation between Moss and Jerran instead).

Moss: You just had to do it, didn’t you? 

Jerran: *throwing stuff into a sack* Look, that village was going to get wiped out. You would have done the same.

Moss: *hesitates* 

Jerran: *stops and gets in Moss’s face* What changed, Moss? What happened to you? The Moss I knew would have fireballed that shrine, no problem.

Moss: *shoves him back* I didn’t change, Thorny. You did. You’ve always been a rebel, but now, you’re just goddamned reckless. You led the charge.

Jerran: I saved that village.

Moss: And abandoned your position. The officers had us there for a good reason, Thorne. You know we can’t see what they see.

Jerran: So sacrifice innocent people for the greater good? Fuck off. 

Guard: Thorne, you have 30 seconds left.

Jerran: *grabs his stuff*

Moss: This wasn’t about the village, was it? It was about her. You can’t let her memory cloud your judgement.

Jerran: *flips Moss the middle finger* Later, Moss.

[creampuffqueen]

I saw that post you reblogged about being open to followers asking about your fanfics, so I'm going to take you up on that. I wanted to ask if you have a favorite among the works you did for the Yangvik Week, but maybe that would be too unfair. So my question is: can you tell us what you, the author, like about each of those works specifically, or if you have a favorite line from them? (Bonus: was there a challenging part?) It's always so interesting to hear a writer be meta about their process! Thank you 🩵

Ahhh thank you so much for asking!!! You’re right, choosing a favorite would be very difficult and would probably end in like. A 3 or 4 way tie lol. But i would absolutely love to share my thoughts on my fics and some of the behind-the-scenes things about writing them!!

Gonna go ahead and put this under a cut because i have zero doubt it will get very long haha. Read on for even more yangvik ramblings :) 

Cover Story: 

The part about this fic that was the most fun to write and the part that was the most difficult to write happened to be the same thing - figuring out their secret mission. I truly have to give my props to f.c yee here; writing spy missions is not as easy at it seems! I had to figure out a realistic way to get Yangchen and Kavik alone in a room together, AND in a situation where their only way out was to kiss, without it feeling too contrived. Which meant I was having to think of backups for my backups. A lot of “okay, here’s a way they could get out - how can I make that way impossible?” I truly am quite proud of how it all turned out in the end!

Another favorite part was undoubtedly writing Kavik being absolutely head over heels the entire time. It was the first time I’d written from his perspective, and his head is quite fun to be in. His pining definitely created a few of my favorite lines from this one, such as “In this room full of beautiful things, she’s still the most captivating.” Or “The glow from the fire makes her gray eyes look like molten pools of silver. For a moment, Kavik nearly forgets where he is.”

Also, this entire interaction: ““I think we’re a bit past caring about how I feel about a plan; tell me what it is.”

“You need to kiss me.”

“What?!””

I made myself absolutely cackle with delight when I wrote it. It was so fun.

And then I’ve already shared in another post how I ended up entirely rewriting the entire kiss scene. It just wasn’t hitting in the way I wanted, and I’m much, much happier with how it turned out when I wrote it the second time.

I’ve also particularly enjoyed seeing peoples’ interpretations of this one! Some people think that Yangchen is totally oblivious to how hard Kavik is crushing, while others think she totally knows but is pretending not to. I won’t give an answer as to which is correct, because I think it adds a lot more to be ambiguous enough that it could go either way!

i can’t read your mind (though i’m trying all the time):

Little warning here because this fic is nsfw, so if you’re not comfortable with that topic of discussion feel free to hop ahead to the next section!

I think of all the fics i wrote for yangvik week, this one was the most challenging. I came up with the premise for this fic (yangvik bathtub sex) well before yangvik week, but planning out my fics for the event gave me the motivation to actually Write It. But even after decided I wanted to write it, I spent a lot of time waffling around with it, not totally sure how I wanted to take it. Add in at the time I was really struggling with my self confidence as a writer, and that led to me just being generally unhappy with the whole thing. 

What ended up happening was that I put it on the back burner for a bit, wrote some of my other fics for the event, and then came back to it. Having finished some other fics gave me the little boost I needed to push past the corner I’d stuck myself in (what felt like at the time endless dialogue) and finally write the whole thing. 

Random side tangent: i did not write my yangvik week fics in order lol. It ended up being Day 1-4-2-3-5-6

Anyway. Favorite bits? Quite a few haha

“Yangchen’s eyes don’t leave his, stormy gray meeting ocean blue. Kavik would drown in them if she’d let him.” <- I posted this one as a snippet but I still just love it so much. They’re so utterly whipped for each other it’s crazy.

““Kavik, I’m tired,” Yangchen breathes.

His lips still. “Do you want me to stop?”

A pause. Then, slowly, she drags their joined hands upwards until one of his palms is cupping her breast, showing him where she wants to be touched.

“No. Don’t stop.””

^ I had been planning out this specific bit pretty much since I got the idea for this fic. So I’d been hanging onto this for a few months. Finally getting to write it down was so incredibly satisfying. I HAVE to write my scenes in chronological order. Sometimes if I have ideas for single lines or specific words I want to use I’ll write them down just so I remember, but if it’s an entire exchange like this I force myself to wait for it.

I originally intended to write this fic going at an even slower pace, which looking back now is kinda crazy haha. It’s already got quite a slow buildup. But when I was writing I came to the conclusion that things needed to heat up at least a little bit, hence all the heavy making out that happens. 

“Seated above him, Yangchen has to look downwards in order to connect their gazes. A queen sitting on her throne.” <- I was very proud of this line and the imagery it evokes, and I was very glad to hear that others felt the same! I had several people point out just how much they liked this part, and it’s always very gratifying as a writer to hear that a scene created the feelings you were going for.

The premise of this fic is basically Yangchen going “I want that man on his knees and whimpering” and Kavik going “yes ma’am”

Another random fun fact: it’s a blink and you’ll miss it kinda mention, but the thing that brings them both over the edge during this is making eye contact with each other ;) 

And last but not least, I find it very funny that this fic is the most popular of my yangvik week fics, at least according to the stats on ao3. It has by far the most comments, kudos, and hits. By a long shot. 

Oh my god, you guys are so horny!!! (says the horny bitch who wrote the fic)

Anywayyyyyyy

i’m glad i get forever to see where you went:

So, although this fic was certainly the one with the darkest topic, I think I enjoyed writing it the most. It was an extremely cathartic write, and while I was writing it the words just seemed to flow nonstop. The whole fic came so easily to me, and with very little prior planning. Part of it might be that it was a very different writing style than what I usually use, with it being a more broad overview of an ongoing situation rather than one specific point in time. I really enjoy fics written in that style, and I was very excited to finally create one of my own!

Now for some random notes about the content of the fic itself. I don’t think I mentioned this in the end notes of the fic itself, but there is a reason that Yangchen and Kavik are living near the Eastern temple rather than the Western. In some random, older A:TLA media, it was said that Yangchen retired to the Eastern Air Temple, and she spent her last few years living in a hermitage near the temple. I suppose that narratively it makes more sense for her to live in the west, but I decided to go with it to sort of keep it ‘canon compliant’. I wonder if that will ever get retconned now that we have more content about Yangchen.

But I digress. A part I really enjoyed about this fic was being able to intersperse all the heavy moments with little tidbits that show just how much these two love each other. Even aside from the big, grand, devotion that they show, I also liked showing that they still flirt, they still banter, they still cuddle and watch the sunset together. Just casual moments of a long-time love. 

“Life continues on, though. The endless wheel of time won’t stop turning, even for the most powerful being in the world.” <- Very proud of this line. It just came to me right in the moment and it felt so perfect. 

“Perhaps a part of him is just hoping they’ll adjust. She’s still Yangchen, whip-smart and compassionate and always ready with a quick remark. She’s still every bit the woman he fell in love with, just a bit more forgetful these days. They’ll get through it, surely.” <- Again, very proud of this part. It accomplished several things I wanted to convey: showing the passage of time, as this isn’t something that just happens overnight. It’s a slow, progressive thing. Also adding in some more slightly positive views of Yangchen, as I’d just put her through a whole lot in the previous scenes and felt I needed to add a reminder that despite it all, she’s still Yangchen. And lastly, also adding in Kavik’s sense of desperation that things get better. Or, at least, that things don’t get any worse.

“He loves her, though. The world is always changing, and nothing is ever constant. The deepest truth that he knows in his life is this: He loves Yangchen with everything he has, for everything she is.

He loves her. He squeezes her hand while she sleeps, finally at peace for a change, and hopes that it’s enough.”

^ Yet another part I love. I just really loved my writing in this whole fic. I don’t really have much to add but I just had to put it here because I love it so so much.

Now, for the final scene. I was considering having this not be the last scene. I was going to make it worse. I had a few ideas, all incredibly angsty. Something like Yangchen getting hurt (working ideas were her leaving the fire on and forgetting about it or getting into a situation where she needed to bend a certain element but forgetting she could bend it) or her actually forgetting Kavik’s name for little bit. But in the end it didn’t feel right for the direction I wanted to take this. I wasn’t writing angst for angst’s sake. I didn’t want to end the fic on such a bitter note, on a feeling that all was lost for good. There needed to be some hope still left. Which is why I ended up going the direction I did with it. 

I was veryyyyyy proud of myself for the total genius moment I had in the final scene. Namely, Yangchen starting to return to herself when Kavik hands her the glider. It’s very subtle because in these kind of situations, it’s not like the person comes back to the present all at once. It’s very gradual. But, if you read closely, Yangchen begins to calm down when she gets the glider. Both because it’s something familiar and personal, and because it’s meant to mirror the scene in Legacy where Kavik originally hands her back her glider. Now, in order for this to happen, I had to backtrack very far to get this moment. Like; okay, Kavik hands Yangchen the staff and it helps. Why does he bring the staff with him? Oh, what if he’s using it as a cane! But wait, I never wrote him as needing a cane in previous scenes. Ah, he gets out of bed too fast and pinches a nerve in his back! (sorry Kavik).

And last but not least, the final scene, where Yangchen finally admits out loud how scared she is and she and Kavik both cry, probably has to be my favorite scene of this entire fic. Possibly one of my favorite scenes that I’ve ever written. It was so incredibly cathartic to write. I’m being completely truthful when I say I teared up while writing it. Yes, it was incredibly devastating, but very beautiful in its own way. It was just the culmination and release of all the heartbreak earlier in the fic, and gave way to the wonderful moment of Kavik promising to always be there for her, whether she remembers him or not, which is everything she needs to hear in that moment. I just really love it.

Breakfast and a Braid:

This one was pretty short and sweet so there isn’t a whole lot to say about it writing wise haha. I think the biggest challenge was getting them to the point where Kavik could talk about what he was doing while braiding her hair without the situation feeling too forced or awkward. I think I ended up doing okay, though!

Also while writing this and looking through the fic I realized that I mentioned the gong of Jonduri… the gong is in Taku. *facepalm* I’m gonna have to go fix that at some point. Whoops. 

When Yangchen says that she doesn’t remember breakfast being delivered, it’s meant to imply that she was sleeptalking again, the way she did to Boma at the beginning of Legacy. And I’m not sure why but I enjoy the way I wrote her waking up at the start of the fic. I think it’s just some funny imagery, of her startling awake and throwing her papers everywhere.

Another thing about the writing process of this one is that the part that goes “Tangles removed, Kavik draws his hands smoothly through her thick tresses. Yangchen nearly arches into his hand, like a cat-goose getting its back scratched. If she could purr she’d probably be doing it.” actually had a duplicate paragraph written a few paragraphs before it. I’m very glad I read through this one again, because that would have been awkward lol. I ended up liking the second use of it more, so I rewrote the paragraph earlier in the fic so I could keep it in this spot. Still not totally sure how I basically managed to copy an entire paragraph without realizing it!

“Still, she can’t resist reaching behind her to grab at his collar, dragging Kavik towards her for a proper kiss. He puts up no resistance, grinning softly as Yangchen presses their lips together.” <- and of course, writing kisses is one of my favorite things, so it’s no surprise that it’s one of my favorite lines in this fic :) 

Something Nice:

Not entirely sure why, but of the 6 fics that i posted for yangvik week, this is probably my least favorite 😭😭. Again, no idea why. Like i can’t even pinpoint what i don’t like about it, but whenever i compare it to the others i wrote i just feel. Kinda ‘eh’ about it.

I am however still patting myself on the back for the bit about the wool on the kuspuk being from Nujian’s older sister. I very clearly remember having this complete enigma while planning it out and being like ‘YES ITS PERFECT IM A GENIUS!!!’. So that’s definitely a positive.

Other positives include writing some team Yangchen shenanigans. I really love Yangchen’s team avatar in the books, and so whenever i can i try and include them in my writing, even if it’s just a little mention. But being able to include full on conversations in this fic was very fun.

Although I don’t feel completely satisfied with how this fic turned out (again, for reasons I’m honestly not quite sure of) I do still have a favorite line. That being “Even after she calms, a small part of her wants to stay there forever, held in the little bubble of Kavik’s embrace, safe from the needs of the world.”. I just loved showing how safe Yangchen feels when she’s with Kavik, and how she can just be herself around him. 

The other part i really enjoyed writing with this one was the PINING. Oh the pining. It’s always so delicious. And then the moment at the end where Jujinta interrupts them hehe. I’m definitely a sucker for the ‘moment interrupted’ trope… which i’m now realizing might be a bit obvious considering my other works… oh… oh dear…

darlin’, oh, you see i’ve never felt this way before:

Almost all of my writing is very ‘flying by the seat of my pants’ style as I very rarely go into anything with a concrete plan, but this one was EXTRA off the top of my head. I had a vague idea and a vibe to go off of when I started writing, and I’m pretty pleased with the results!

A few highlights of writing this include: contriving ways to get Kavik shirtless, letting the air nomads be the thirsty mouthpiece of the fandom, and pretending I’m back in middle school and turning absolutely everything into a ‘that’s what she said’ joke

I included this fun fact in the notes on the ao3 version but if you only read it on tumblr you might have missed it! When Kavik is playing the string game with the kids and he makes a shape called ‘the polecat-wolverine’ it is for multiple reasons. 1. ‘The wolverine’ is an actual shape that can be made during the real life string game that Inuit and other Indigenous groups play, and 2. The name ‘Kavik’ means wolverine! He was showing the kiddos how to make his name :) 

I also loved getting to include some more air nomad culture in my writing. The ‘holy day’ they are celebrating is completely made up, but loosely inspired by the Thai Buddhist festival of Songkran. As well, the nature of many of the conversations in this fic led me to basically do a deep dive into how i think the 4 nations view sex, desire, sexuality, etc. Which then led me to retroactively go in to throw in some demisexual Yangchen vibes, which is my personal headcanon of her sexuality.

I think the biggest challenges in writing this fic were, first of all, having little more than a vibe as my concept, and then also figuring out how to spin the ‘jealousy’ prompt into a way that I liked. I very much wanted to stay away from the usual interpretation of jealousy, as I simply don’t think it fits Yangchen and Kavik’s relationship with each other. So I did my best to show that Yangchen isn’t jealous of the other nuns because they’re ‘trying to steal her man’ or that she’s jealous and thinks Kavik will like another girl more than her or anything like that. She’s jealous because she already has to share so much of herself with the world, and doesn’t want to share what she has with Kavik as well. She isn’t at all threatened by other women appreciating his good looks, but she gets very bothered when the conversation starts veering towards more personal things about him. Hence why she stops the teenagers’ conversation when one of them mentions his ‘dreamy eyes’ when the other two had previously been saying far more suggestive things.   

Yet another challenging part of this write was when I decided I wanted to go down the love confession route. I wanted to make it clear that it WAS a love declaration, but without an ‘I love you’. Again, I feel very strongly that Yangchen and Kavik never fully define their relationship. It just… is. So it was a fun challenge to try and write something akin to a confession/declaration without going the typical route. I did consider having them say the Big L Word, but I couldn’t manage to fit it in where I mentioned it was the first time they said it, but at the same time didn’t make it this super huge deal. Of course they already know they love each other; they don’t need to be waxing poetic about it to make it clear, though. I’m pretty happy with what I managed instead!

There are so many standout lines in this one that i adore, but I think most of them come from the final part. I love a good ‘sleepy pillow talk in the morning after’ kind of vibe (in fact, I’ve been considering adding a part 2 to ‘the push' set the morning after) so it was lovely to get to include one here.

I’m very especially proud of the imagery right here: “Yangchen wakes up in shades, consciousness seeping into her bones with each exhale of breath. The pre-dawn light creeps through her window, casting the room in a soft, dreamlike haze.”

And again with this one: “He stretches, long and languid, yawning so widely that Yangchen can hear his jaw pop. His fingers tangle with those already on his cheek, bringing her hand to his mouth so he can begin to kiss his way up her arm, tracing the pattern of her tattoos.” (non-lip kisses my ABSOLUTE BELOVED).

“Rather than fall further into her trap, Kavik shuts her up by tackling her into the bed, making her shriek with laughter when his hands dig into her sides to tickle her mercilessly.” <- I really loved how I portrayed Yangchen in this whole part. She deserves to just let loose and be silly!!!!

“Avatar Yangchen belongs to the world before anything else. Yangchen will always be the Avatar; even in death her spirit will remain to continue the cycle. She holds the world’s biggest blessing and its heaviest burden. It will always have a claim over her.

But right here, her world is just this: the blue of Kavik’s eyes, the safety of his arms, and the love that she can feel pouring out of his very being.”

^ Made myself almost cry with the duality of it all. He’s literally her safe space. I’m never gonna feel normal about them.

This ended up getting… so long lol. If you stayed til the end, thank you very much! I hope you enjoyed getting some insight into my writing thoughts and parts I enjoyed about creating my fics! And again, thank you so much for the ask!!!

[carniferous]

hi dil <3 can i get 3, 5, & 15 for one act play?

helloooo lane !!

3: What’s your favorite line of narration?

interesting question for this fic that relies so heavily on dialogue... with all my fics the lines i like change from time to time but i am pretty proud of "If REGULUS wants to leave, there won’t be a better time." nothing like inserting subtle nods to canon in canon compliant fics... i think what i liked about it most when i wrote it is that as a stage-direction this is directly referring to the fact that the scene takes place at night and its dark so nobody is around to stop regulus. but if you read it as either an insight into barty's thoughts or a doylist nod to canon then it's obviously like. both barty and the narrative understanding that if regulus doesn't leave at that moment he's never going to

5: What part was hardest to write?

barty's monologue! the fic was my first attempt at writing barty + the bartylus dynamic came fairly easy to me bc i find it easy to ping characters off of regulus but it was more challenging to make barty stand alone

15: What did you learn from writing this fic?

oh so much actually. the playwriting form was so much fun to work with and so unlike anything i had attempted before and i'm really glad i did. overall i think it pushed me to be more ambitious with form in general (the fic being well-received helped with that. if nobody gafed i would've been like OKAY i'll just stick to prose ig). love this fandom so much bc there is so much room for creative exploration it's literally your kingdom.... i forget this sometimes but when i go back to this fic i remember

[epickiya722]

Hey, I hope you’re doing well. Ik we fic writers always complain about the lack of discussion surrounding our work so I thought I’d start asking questions to my peers.

Here we go:

I have a few questions about the Jin x Kenjaku fic you wrote:

1- How did you get the idea?

2- Did Jin’s characterisation cause you any problems since we don’t know much about him? How do you usually handle characters we don’t have much information about?

3- Can you detail your writing process a little bit for that one? Did you write it easily? Did it take a few days or more?

My last question is about writing in general. What do you like about writing Mirko?

Thank you in advance 💕

For anyone curious, this is the fic -> Blissfully Clueless

1 - Since I've been more "active" with JJK, I remember doing a reread and getting to chapter 143 and going "Oh, new fic idea" when I read the flashback scene. Wanted to try out an interpretation of how Jin's relationship with Kenjaku could have been like, you know? Simply was just writing it to be writing it! Honestly, I'm surprised I even wrote that fic because I didn't think would! Most of my fics are more comedic, but lately, I've been dipping into trying more styles.

2 - Ooh, so this plays into what I'll say later! It wasn't easy coming up with some kind of characterization for Jin, but at the same it was kind of easy. What made it difficult was that, yeah, we don't know much about Jin like that. Writing the fic, I questioned myself "how can I write this particular character without making feel too OOC, how to make a possible personality fit for this character"? Now what made it easy is that Jin doesn't have a lot to him in canon. Whenever I write characters who have little to nothing to them in canon, I think of them as empty or unfinished canvas. I have room to add colors to them, details that can bring them to life. Instead of a paintbrush, I'm using words. With characters like that, I'm able to let my imagination roam free because there are no limitations. If Jin had a lot more to him in canon, then it feel as if I have to take that and work with that. It's like "Well, he's like this in canon, so I can't mess up". I won't lie, sometimes I feel pressured to write a character aligned with canon personality because I feel like if I step just a little over the line, someone is going to get fussy about it. I mean, I understand that some people tend to write characters completely different just to bash that character in their fics or twist them in ways they see fit because they feel they have some authority over that character even though it's not theirs. But other times, there are those who do it as a creative choice, they're doing it to fit into an idea they have for a story. And it doesn't mean they really think of the character that way.

3 - That fic actually took a good twenty minutes or so! I needed a distraction that day and thus, that fic was born! Like a lot of my fics, I didn't plan that one. The idea came to me and I just wrote. As I wrote, that's when I question how I could possibly frame Jin's character. A challenge it was, but it was a fun one!

**

Oooh, to choose what I like writing when it comes to Miruko is giving her more depth. Okay, she has a personality in canon, but I just feel like she isn't just this "aggressive, angry rabbit woman" that some of the fandom sees her as. Now, unlike Jin, Miruko does have more backstory and screentime. In Vigilantes (BNHA Spin-off manga, it's great), she even has a whole flashback arc. So I have a little more to work with when it comes to her.

However, she is still just a minor character, so there is still not too much for her in canon. Even so, again, she's a canvas to me.

I actually have a lot of posts analyzing her character just from little information and her dialogue. I don't know how I do it, but I believe it comes from more how much I enjoy Miruko.

When writing her in fics, I don't want her to feel one-dimensional. Some of the fandom already do from canon which sucks. I'm about to sound salty, but it's just crazy to me that some fans will complain about aspects of female characters they find annoying and displeasing, but makes excuses for the male characters and admire them some those same aspects.

Some people will say the female characters barely got personality, but come on. Some of the male characters are bland as hell or has been done a thousand times before. It's not just the female characters, folks.

Anyways! I want readers to see that Miruko is capable of being sad, happy, tired... that she is capable of feeling, too. So I often think back to my posts about her and incorporate them in my fics. Or even vice versa. Sometimes, my fics inspire a post.

Sometimes, it can be a challenge, but not one I'll give up on because it's fun taking a line of dialogue and deciphering what it could mean for Miruko. I get enjoyment from looking at a scene and writing a post about it.

Gets the creativity flowing!

That's all I really can say for now. 💜

[syneilesis]

[fic] Not on my shift

Not on my shift

Ikemen Genjiden | Kitsuji Sueharu x Reader | T | 500 words ao3 link (later)

Your one and only job description is to protect Sueharu. Sueharu, however, wants to add a couple more.

A/N: For @cy-inky's one week challenge! I had fun writing this thank you for the event! For my first fic, it's a bodyguard AU with, of course of course, Sueharu from Ikegen. The prompt I chose for this is "You are legally obligated to keep holding me." Hope you enjoy! :)

Title is from a dialogue in the 1992 Bodyguard film LMAO SORRYNOTSORRY. Divider by @/saradika.

The explosion was within the realms of expectation, but it still caught you off guard. How lucky that you’d already exited the building—except it wasn’t enough: the small distance between you and the explosion had reached you and your boss.

It’s just your quick reflexes that prevented you both from getting flattened by concrete and debris.

You grabbed your boss and threw yourselves several meters further away, right behind a parked SUV, your body on top of him, acting as his shield. Around you: chaos—the sounds of screams and stomping, the smell of smoke, the crackle of the air, the rumble of the ground.

The warmth of a body underneath you.

You glanced down to check up on your boss. “You okay?”

A vibrant gaze looked back. And suddenly you’re very conscious about the lack of space between you two: your one hand cupping the back of his head, the other braced on the side, almost touching his splayed hair; chest to chest, legs tangled.

Sueharu said—murmured, really, “You are legally obligated to keep holding me.”

You tamped down the heat that crept up your cheeks. You tried very hard not to shift, not to give anything away. You knew what kind of a person your boss was. This was all duty, part of your job description. Nothing more. Nothing more.

“I am legally obligated to keep you alive,” you clapped back, then surveyed the area. When you deemed the area safe to move, you got up and offered your hand to Sueharu, who took it with a lingering touch.

You clasped your hands on your back immediately after.

Sueharu likewise observed the surroundings, serious and critical. Then he studied the SUV next to him. He tilted his head towards you, but remained his stare on the vehicle. “Can you work this?”

You didn’t need to think twice. “Yes.”

“Excellent. We’ll borrow this for a while to get to Yokohama to recoup.” For his next words there was a quick pause, but Sueharu soldiered on, “And then let me treat you to a lovely dinner for saving my life.”

You’re already in the middle of breaking in the car when you heard his offer, and you stumbled in your work, nearly knocking your fingers on your device. You shot him an incredulous look.

“You already pay me salary for protecting your life.”

“Ah, but that’s impersonal, isn’t it? I want to personally reward you with dinner—and perhaps after that, a promising night with only the two of us...?”

You whipped your head away. “Pass.”

But his offer—and his voice and his tone and his smile—lingered in your mind the entire drive. It didn’t help that he’d made himself comfortable in the passenger seat, where it’s easy to throw you curious and tempting glances.

When you reached Yokohama, Sueharu was quiet for all of five minutes before he asked you again: “Are you sure you want to refuse?”

You sighed and closed your eyes, conflicted.

[edwinisms]

why would you ask for fic recs if you’re just going to complain about how everyone writes dialogue lol. fanfiction is a work of love, and it is really brave for people to share their work with the world when there is comments like yours out there. it’s okay if you are particular about what you like, but this is probably something you’re going to have to curate on your own.

I didn’t mean for that post/those tags to come off like complaining at all– like I said in the tags, I haven’t read anything at all that I’d consider “bad”. I was more objectively talking about a challenge that just inevitably exists when writing these particular characters’ voices– they’re very distinct and representative of their respective times/backgrounds, and it’s easy to overplay or underplay aspects of them. that doesn’t mean everyone is “bad” at writing them, or that a bit of awkward dialogue makes an entire fic unreadable and unlikable.

also that post was primarily about ME and how I’M not totally confident in writing their voices because of the challenges I mentioned. every author I’ve read automatically has my respect because regardless of the challenge, they actually DID write something, and did it successfully enough for however many people (including myself) to read their work all the way through.

I gotta say it’s really fucking hard to critique any aspect of anything on here without someone assuming I mean that the entire work, or an entire body of work, or a writer (of fics, of the show, etc) as a person– is bad and I’m complaining about it. like dude everything’s got its challenges and everything’s got its flaws; if that fact overrode all the assets that make a piece of media likable, I wouldn’t have this blog, I wouldn’t touch ao3, and I wouldn’t be a film major.

[rebelcourtesan]

NaNoWriMo Tips and Tricks

It's finally here. National Novel Writing Month is upon us. A challenger for writers to write 50k words within 30 days. This will be my sixth time participating and I've won each time using these tricks and tips below.

Write what you love. Write a romance, if you like romance. Write horror if you like horror. Action thriller, mystery, drama, etc. If you write what you enjoy, you'll have more motivation to keep writing and be inspired.

What helps my creativity is music, especially ambience or original soundtracks from videogames or films. Try to match what you're trying to write. Use the soundtrack from the Notebook for romance scenes, listen to the soundtrack from Resident Evil games or Dead Space for horror or tense scenes. Music and sound can really pull you into creating a scene. I tend to use Spotify as there is less distraction compared to Youtube, but use Youtube if you need to.

Do not look at other people's progress. Some people will blow through Nanowrimo in a week's time. While that's awesome for anyone to complete NaNoWriMo so quickly, it can discourage someone who struggles with writing. If you're someone that can easily be dishearten, I suggest not looking at other people's progress and focus on your own.

DO NOT EDIT WHILE YOU WRITE!!!! Seriously, editing will seriously mess with your word count and should be saved after you reach your goal or completed your novel. It's time consuming and will chop words off your total. Trust me, your first draft WILL NOT be the final version of your novel before publishing. It WILL go through several versions and edits before you can submit it for publishing. So save yourself the headache and wait until after completion to start editing yourself. However, for the challenge, it's okay to go back and add a scene, dialogue, or details in order to add more words to your count.

Use the NaNoWriMo website to help track your progress. It has a handy graph that will tell you how many words you have to write each time to reach 50k by November 30th. The amount goes up and down as you write more or less. It's a really good way to track your progress and give motivation.

Try to build yourself a cushion of words each day. Chances are with work, family, and real life, you won't be able to hit your daily word goal. So when you are able to hit it in one day, try to keep writing so you can take it easy some days when you're busy.

I suggest using writing programs that can be used on your phone and computer. During a break or lunch at work, commuting, waiting for class to start, or having to wait in a long line somewhere, you can take our your phone and write a few words while you wait. GoogleDocs is a free online writing tool that auto-saves your work and can be freely access anywhere with internet connection. You can also use Micorsoft Word since it has a Onedrive cloud where you can access your work.

[nanowrimo]

Back to School: Interview with Virginia Pratt, Young Writers Program Educator

NaNoWriMo’s Young Writers Program helps over 85,000 kids, teens, teachers, and families set creative goals and tell stories they care about. We asked some of our amazing YWP educators to share how they take on the NaNoWriMo challenge in their classroom. Today’s advice comes from Virginia Pratt, who has been an educator for over 35 years.

Q: What grade/ age level do you work with? What type of NaNoWriMo group is it (whole class, club, homeschool, elective, etc.)?

A: I teach 4th/5th Grade gifted/talented ELA.

Q: How long have you been doing NaNoWriMo with your students?

A: 4 years (this will be year 5)

Q: How do you structure the entire project (for example, do you start prepping in October and write in November, do you have kids work on it all year, etc.)?

A: I use the month of October to prep. We do a reading/writing workshop, and I find that the materials are great for helping me work with the students on understanding literary elements as we read in October and prepare for the writing in November. As students are working on crafting their own characters, we are studying the arc of character in reading—seeing how different events impact them, how they change over time, what conflicts they face, etc. We do this with setting, with plot arc, etc.

Q: What does a normal NaNoWriMo day look like for your students?

A: In November, once we are writing the stories, kids have their independent writing time to work on their stories. I read their work and confer with them, and they also have writing partners with whom they meet during the week. As they encounter struggle—dialogue, for example—we have mini-lessons on those things and then students continue to move forward. While they only have 20 - 30 minutes of writing time during the day, many kids opt to write at night and in other "choice times".

Q: How do you set and manage word-count goals?

A: I give the kids an example of what different word counts look like, once typed. I tell them the length of some texts they are all familiar with. I tell them my work count, and explain that I write/type much more quickly than they do. When they make their goal, I let that stand unless they come to me later and say they want to change their goal. Changing a goal (either increasing or decreasing) is not ever an issue.

Q: How do you manage grading? Do you grade?

A: Grades come from what I see them doing as a result of our entire process. I take grades on their reading comprehension and understanding of literary elements, figurative language, etc. All of those things are positively impacted by their work actually manipulating them in their own writing. I do give a grade based on effort and growth, and the students have a rubric/checklist of things I am looking for in their writing. They all get good grades because they are working with me in conferences and they are motivated to participate.

Q: How do you approach revision/ publishing (if at all)?

A: We do some revision work—as kids bring up areas that are causing them difficulty - during November, but we save most of that work for the month of January and the "Now What?" phase.

Q: Any NaNoWriMo tips or tricks to share with other educators? Hard-won lessons? Ah-ha moments?

A: I think it is really important to be accepting of what the kids want to try to do. The way the program materials are set up, if a child tries to write a piece with little to no substance, it's easy for me to go back to the workbook and say, "Okay, but why is your character doing this?" "What made him/her act this way?" "What conflict is impacting your character? " They realize pretty quickly that they are missing a lot of key information that they NEED to make a good story.

If a kid wants to do a comic book or graphic novel, I find a way to let them do that. We use storyboards or software that helps them put that together, and then handle the word count manually.

My focus is on getting them excited to write, and having them actually do writing. We can polish and improve the work later, but just getting them to tell a story and take the risk to put it out there is the most important part.

Q: Have you ever run into resistance from your administration about doing NaNoWriMo, and if so, how did you manage it? What do you say to people who don’t see the point of having students write novels? 

A: I haven't had any issues. Generally if anyone does question what we are doing, they stop questioning when they see how engaged the kids are.

Q: What are the most meaningful things you or your students take away from the project? What's your best NaNoWriMo memory?

A: The best part for us is that there is a true sense of being part of a greater community of writers who are all struggling/working together to get closer to a dream of being a published writer. We watch some of the videos NaNoWriMo posts that are appropriate for 10-11 year-olds, and we've also used some video tape of some of the write-ins where a topic is given for everyone to write on for 10 minutes. If I select those carefully, they really open the kids up to a different way of thinking about their writing. The best memories are around those kids who are so proud of how much they've written, or if they've met their goal.

Q: Anything else you'd like to add?

A: For me, the whole thing is about feeling and acting like a writer. The kids don't know it's possible until we let them try. Some surprise themselves AND me with what they can do. Even those who don't start off thinking of themselves as writers come out understanding more about the process and seeing where some of their strengths lie. It gives them something to build on as they move on through school and are asked to write. It's important that NaNoWriMo represents a measure of success for every kid. That works wonders in helping them to take further steps as writers.

Virginia Pratt has been an educator for 35 years, and currently works with 4th and 5th grade students. An avid reader and notebooker, Dr. Pratt loves bringing an appreciation of story to her students and strives to help them to feel like successful readers and writers every day. Dr. Pratt loves music, roller coasters, and naps and enjoys spending time with her family and friends and traveling.

[vyuntspakhkite-l-darling]

Hmm. Gonna ramble a bit here because I have thoughts but don't know what to do with them. It's long so I'm putting it under the cut.

So I've been in a bit of a writing block and what usually gets me out of that is pinpointing a thing that I'm like 'whoa I want to do that too' and then working on it, and what's gotten me this time is character voice. Reading back though the (shamefully small) amount of writing I already have, I think I do fairly well with character voice in dialogue, but in the bulk of the writing it's kind of just me and how I would describe things. I think that's okay for the first draft and I'm going to keep kind of writing like that until I go back for a second draft, but I don't want to just not think about how I'm gonna do that yet.

Since Biting the Bullet is narrated from Arsioly's point of view, I need to make some decisions I've kind of been shying away from?

When I first made his character, one major thing about him was that he was a sociopath. Part of his story was that he kind of used an excuse of 'we're at war, we can't afford to hesitate,' etc etc to cover up his violent and uncaring tendencies. It's fine at first but there are a few situations where he accidentally reveals to other characters that he's not just doing this because he has to, but because he wants to, and he enjoys having an outlet for his anger. This is brought to his attention and he's defensive at first but his boyfriend talks some sense into him and blah blah he fixes him.

But now that I'm trying to decide if he's still going to be a sociopath, I'm kind of realizing a few things that I didn't consider before.

The first is that I feel like making him natually lack empathy will be too easy. I want this book to challenge some of the ways people, especially soldiers, are taught to think about killing and war, and if he already lacks empathy it might not be as impactful and definitely not as relatable. Because as much as I dislike war and the military and stuff it's not like everyone who fights for the military is a bad person, or at least I don't believe so. I think it's really hard to blame someone for doing bad things if they've been taught those things are good. I want to have Arsioly be an example of just a normal person, not some amazing guy that would never do anything wrong but just an average guy, who learns to stop viewing his enemies as people but instead as targets.

So there's that and also, I don't want Visralion to have to fix him. I mean, that's just a given, having people need to 'fix' their partners and be their moral compass and drag them kicking and screaming into the light just isn't my favorite thing and it won't have the emotional impact I'm looking for. Of course, Visralion will be there to support and talk to him still, but I'm going to make him less 'Arsioly's bitch' and really just be very independent. I feel like whenever I see a 'asshole guy x emotional guy' dynamic the more sensitive guy is really clingy and dependent and stuff and I really just don't want to have that. He's gonna be really in tune with his own emotions and I think the lack of power Arsioly has over him is going to be really good for both of them as characters. I'm honestly debating adding an extra plot thing where Arsioly makes the initial move on Visralion and gets rejected because Visra doesn't believe he sees him as an equal because of his more feminine nature and Arsi goes 'ouch my masculinity' and has to reevaluate his views on femininity. I'm even thinking that maybe they shouldn't officially get together until after they save Estera and that whole situation is what makes it really click for him how awful it is that imperialist men think they have absolute power over women.

Another thing I'm a little worried about is how, if I go that route, I might have to cut out the little plot thread that involves Arsioly being scared of intimacy because he's worried about his own nature and doesn't want to hurt Visralion by accident but if I make him more emotionally volatile and make overcorrecting things a thing he's constantly doing then it could work probably.

Or I could have the whole scard of intimacy thing happen after the Nyaschau situation-

No I'm gonna stop myself there oh no god no

[brown-little-robin]

Fic writers asks:

4. What detail in Strange Redemption are you really proud of?

5. What do you wish someone would ask you about Strange Redemption? Answer it now!

10. How do you decide what to write?

21. If you wrote a “missing scene” in Strange Redemption, what would it be?

24. Are there any easter eggs in Strange Redemption, and if so, what are they?

26. Would you rather write a fic that had no dialogue or one that was only dialogue?

42. Have you ever received a comment that particularly stood out to you for whatever reason?

45. What’s something you’ve improved on since you started writing fic?

Oh man, okay, let's see. Good questions!!

4. What detail in Strange Redemption are you really proud of?

The motif of hands (gentle hands), especially how Thad often has to do a double take when he sees his own hands. Being a clone is rough.

5. What do you wish someone would ask you about Strange Redemption? Answer it now!

A question I'd like to answer: how do you recommend reading Strange Redemption? The answer: at your own pace! I don't have any expectation that people will read it all in one go; it's already over 100,000 words long. I would ask that you pick it up like it's a novel, knowing it's not an easy read, and read it with grace for yourself if you can't do it all at once. The emotions can get overwhelming! I write and publish only one to two chapters per month; it's fine to stop and start, I promise.

10. How do you decide what to write?

Well, I start with daydreams, where I allow myself to be as stupid dramatic as I want. And then I figure out how to incorporate various scenes and plot points based on how they work with the meaning of Strange Redemption as a whole. I keep myself in careful balance between "the purpose of the story is CATHARSIS and so I'm going to be SELF-INDULGENT" and "but I want the story to have momentum and intentional pacing so I'm going to be very very careful about how I do things".

21. If you wrote a “missing scene” in Strange Redemption, what would it be?

I'd like to write some of Bart's POV! Maybe when Thad gets brought in to the watchtower with his peculiar sickness? But the main reason I haven't written Bart's POV as an excerpt yet is that... I'd have to write it. In words. And Bart doesn't think in words!

It could be a fun challenge to try to write him well, though!

24. Are there any easter eggs in Strange Redemption, and if so, what are they?

Oh, there's quite a few! I actually wish I'd written down each reference in Strange Redemption in the end notes; that would have been fun and explained a lot. But anyway, one that I can remember off the top of my head is in Open Ocean (chapter 26, I think?) when Wally West seizes Thad by the shirt and drags him out across the ocean. That's a reference to this panel of Wally and Thad, which lives in my head rent free:

26. Would you rather write a fic that had no dialogue or one that was only dialogue?

It would be easier for me to write a fic that was only dialogue. But I'd rather write a fic that had no dialogue just for the challenge!

42. Have you ever received a comment that particularly stood out to you for whatever reason?

There have been a lot of comments that particularly stood out to me! But here are the two that are the most present to me as I write:

"The presence of the fact that he was wretchedly and monstrously mistreated both actively in his development and passively in his deprivation haunts this story like a ghost even when you’re not addressing the theme specifically in a scene. It’s a remarkably skillful thing you do, actually. Like you’re playing many instruments at once in the telling of this story and the sorrowful minor-key cello theme is always running in the lower layers."

"NOT maudlin. The emotions are real and poignant. NOT rambling. Appropriately decelerated, because redemption doesn't happen overnight. NOT pointless. Growth and healing never are, and it's cathartic to read about."

—I have that last one saved in the "CORE IDEAS" section of the fic writing document, the one where I save the things that remind me why I'm writing.

45. What’s something you’ve improved on since you started writing fic?

Being comfortable with deleting and rewriting. I have SO many more deleted scenes from recent chapters than from the first ones. When I get stuck, just taking out the last three to five paragraphs and restarting with a different direction from there will get me unstuck.

Thanks for the ask! <3

[from-izzy]

can i ask something a bit deep if that's okay? i'll send it in separate messages, so feel free to ignore it if you're not up for it. it's about mental health and trying to write about it. dealing with mental health isn't easy, and with december coming up which is also my birthday month... it kind of makes me feel... yeah. anyway, i've always wanted to write about it as a way to cope and express myself, but it’s not easy. i want to write a comforting fic, but i feel like i don’t know how to. maybe it’s because i’m still figuring out my own struggles, or maybe i don’t have enough experience with others lol. how do you manage to write about it?

hi anon! 🫂 ofc it's okay, thank you so much for reaching out ❤️‍🩹

writing to understand yourself, writing to cope with life's challenges and/or writing to be more free are all beautiful reasons and ways to approach writing. i'm glad that you're interested in approaching writing in this way too 🫂 it's an art form! and even if i've been writing for some time and i do different types of art ranging from sewing to performing, every single piece is unique in its own way that it can be difficult to start.

when i write my fics, i quite literally start with dots points and list out a range of things that have impacted me whether it's positive or negative. this is also how I usually find out how i'm feeling with certain things or in general! most of the time, i don't want to say my struggles out loud but writing it down (even just a sentence!) is relieving.

usually after that, i start to see different ways that i can connect them together to make a story! if not, i leave it for a few minutes and come back later. sometimes it's helpful to find an idol that suits the prompt or an idol that i find great comfort in. it could act as a starting point as we guess how they would react in the story!!

after, i outline my main points in the story, this is how my wips look like:

1. scene one; light description

- "quote" "another quote"

- "quote by another person" dialogue tag/action

2. scene two; description

- "quote"

and i find this is a good way of breaking down not only your thoughts, but also breaking down the story so that it becomes more clear. when writing these kinds of fics, it's easy to feel overwhelmed with emotions so for me, clearly writing things out helps with that feeling.

and if i could give you advice (?), i'm not sure whether you're writing this and then publishing it on the internet but if you are:

write for yourself.

don't mind anything else. it's a comfort fic that you're writing based on YOUR experience, not others. people may hate. they may criticise. but in the end, they will never understand what you're going through (especially over the internet!) ❤️‍🩹 so if you ever get negative comments, please remind yourself who you're writing for 🫂 and, if you need support, i can try my best to 🫂

writing comfort fics is hard, there's no other way to say it. it's cringe (?) to say this but practice really makes it better. and confidence! confidence that after the story, despite what anyone thinks, as long as you're content, that's all that matters! finishing stories like these is a huge accomplishment!! and i hope you'll be able to feel the relaxing and slightly uncomfortable process as you resolve the inner (or external!) conflict, anon 🫂

thank you so much for this one, and i really hope i was able to help in any way 🫶 if it helps, you can claim an anon emoji so i know who you are for next time!! happy writing, don't push yourself too hard and i hope we'll be able to see your work soon!! 💗

[ceesimz]

Okay well for starters - GREAT to see you’re back, and on your own terms! I know we all would have happily waited for as long as it took, but I was still SO excited when I woke up and saw that you had posted!

Now, for the actual story! First off, thank you for posting it all in one part (you’re better than me fr), and WOW I just REALLY loved it! The argument broke my heart entirely for R, Alexia was just SERIOUSLY not thinking anything through, I mean my god!

I really, really enjoyed this idea of the analogy of R’s mental pain being shown within the injuries she sustained when using the punching bag. I had to sit there for a second when you drew that comparison because WHEW…genuinely just a phenomenal idea from a literary perspective.

I’m amazed by everything you write, and this was no difference in the slightest! You balanced dialogue with the characters thoughts and emotions exceptionally well, and it makes your stories easy to read and SO enjoyable. It’s an absolute honor to get to read your work, thank you so so much for sharing it with us!

So so blessed to be occupying the same little corner to the internet with someone as talented as you are! 🩵🩵

Oh man, where to even start with this!! This is so incredibly kind, my mind can't even comprehend it. Thank you for taking the time to write this, it means so much🧡

I was typing with anger in solidarity with R during the argument section, trust me. Funnily enough, that was also the part I wrote last. I couldn't have done it in two parts either, would have annoyed me too much hahaha!

Thank you for picking up on particular parts of the story, and for the very generous compliment of the overall structure. (Tangent warning) when I'm reading through my own writing, it find it so challenging to get a good sense of what the readers will feel because I feel absolutely nothing emotion-wise when reading my own stuff. Whereas when I read other people's stories, I'm overcome with all kinds of thoughts and feelings and that's what I kind of correlate the quality of writing with, how many different emotions and the intensity of them that the author makes me feel.

So before posting I get very nervous because I can't for the life of me gage the quality of my work and figure out if it's good enough before I let it out into the world, but then you came along and left this long, wholesome ask in my inbox and I'm just so happy now. It really made my day, because I've been an avid enjoyer of your stories for a while now and I, embarrassingly, still geek out when I see you and some of my other favourite writers reblog or like or do such things like this. It just really makes a difference and I'll remember this forever, it'll always be in the back of my mind when I'm writing!

Really, this has made the world of a difference, and I can't believe you took the time to write this to me. I'm so grateful, and I wish you nothing but the best! Thank you, thank you, thank you🧡

[daughterofhecata]

All the sevens (7, 17, 27, 37, 47, 57, 67) for the writer's ask thingy. Pretty please.🫣

[fic writer ask game]

7. How do you choose which POV to write from?

Mostly the POV is kinda inherent to the story I want to tell - like, the last things I posted, they always started from a specific idea that only works from one POV (ie. Skinny losing his mind seeing Justus in a suit; Ty having a major crush on Skinny) (well, okay, they *would* also work the other way around but that would be very different fics then). With like, the KJ ficlets it's a different story, there I usually use the POV that appeals to me more instinctively - sometimes I have to scrap a draft after 300 words because the story just doesn't work from that POV and start over from the/an other one.

17. What do you do when writing becomes difficult? (maybe a lack of inspiration or writers block)

Read read read. Fic, and the DDF books, but also completely unrelated stuff, just "consume" art and entertainment and wait for the inspiration to come back. But I also keep trying to write at the same time, not force it, but sit down every day and do *something* creative at least.

27. What is your most and least favorite part of writing?

Favourite part is definitely getting an idea down on paper and fleshed out and seeing it all come together. Taking the vibes/dialogue/etc and building a whole story around that. Least favourite is the "connective tissue", those 1-5 sentences missing between two finished bits that are absolutely needed to make the transition flow but do not want to be written and usually also aren't really interesting.

37. How do you choose where to end a chapter?

Instinct, mostly 🤷‍♂️ sometimes the story structure dictates them, sometimes I have a really nice mean cliffhanger, but usually I put chapter breaks where they "feel right".

47. How many times do you usually revise your fic/chapter before posting?

...maybe three, four times? idk, I give the finished thing probably two, maybe three once-overs, sometimes with changed font to make typos stand out more, but there is not heavy revision process.

57. Do you prefer editing as you write, or waiting until it’s finished? 

And this is kinda why there's no editing process, because I usually edit as I write, I keep rereading what I already wrote and then add to that, but also rephrase things or change details as I go. In longer things I currently put some things in square brackets and mark it yellow, if I'm unsure or can't find a word or something and if I'm not in the mood to continue writing I sometimes just have a go at those brackets for example.

67. Do you prefer prompts and challenges, or completely independent ideas?

Both has specific but very different merits. I enjoy prompts and challenges, for some things I don't usually do/wouldn't have thought of on my own, for playing around with drabbles and sometimes formats and styles, for running with an idea for as long as it holds and then just stopping. But independent ideas are usually what my heart is involved in, the stories I want to make *good* and satisfying and where I'm really working creatively, which is why I do sometimes refer to filling like Writer's Month or Whumptober prompts as "typing" rather than "writing", because there's little inspiration and work on my part necessary to bang out a few hundred words on a given prompt. On the other hand, those do help me keep in the habit of writing regularly and provide easy outlet for that.