#how to write your novel

[the960writers]

[the960writers]

If you look around in writing advice spaces, you'll see a lot of "how to outline", "here's how you plot a story", "planning and outlining". Sometimes it looks like that's the only and correct way of writing. Why? Because it's easy to give advice for. You can show templates and planning sheets, you can write a whole book of writing advice with a chapter by chapter plan.

But not every writer writes like that. Discovery writers don't plan like that, they discover the story as they write. A lot of discovery writers tell of times when they tried outlining, and lost the whole story because once the outline was written, they couldn't get themselves to actually write the story. As @sunfoxfic said: you can't un-plot the story.

I try to collect lots of advice on this blog and I'm always looking for advice for discovery writers (it's difficult! because giving advice to discover writers usually amounts to "just do what feels right") because there is not one correct way of writing. There's many and everyone has to find their own process, for fanfic and for original writing.

I really like what @sunfoxfic said up there, so I'm just going to add: Don't worry about the length. Not with chapters, not with the whole fic. A chapter is as long as it needs to be, and the same goes for the story. Just write what feels right, what keeps you motivated.

Do you have any advice and how to write a long fic?

I'll encourage long fic writers to add on in the notes, but as someone who tends to prefer short and medium-length fic, I'll tell you how I go about it.

Get a premise that you just absolutely love. You're going to be writing this thing for months, if not longer, so you want it to be something you're willing to spend a lot of time thinking about.

Embrace subplots. You'll have your main plotline that you want to see through from beginning to end, but you can also weave in some subplots here or there. The way I do this so that I don't get lost down a rabbit hole is that I always make sure that every chapter has at least 1 thing that moves the main plot forward and then if I want to spend 1-2K with some side characters doing something fun I can do that as well. Subplots can extend for the length of the full narrative, but they can also just last a chapter or three. If you're used to writing short fic, these might give you that familiar feeling of "completion"

A chapter is only as long as it needs to be. Don't get hung up on having a consistent chapter length. Don't get hung up on hitting some arbitrary number every time. Instead, figure out what the next part of your story needs to include and write however many words it takes to get that chunk across. Varying your chapter lengths is a normal thing to do and not something to stress about.

The next thing that I find important personally may or may not be relevant to you, but I find that I can't plot anything in much detail. If I get too into the nitty gritty with my plotting, it just feels like I've already written it. I need to keep it at the level of "And then A and B meet C and hijinks ensue." I can figure out the particular hijinks later. It's the characters meeting up that's the next important thing for me to figure out. Getting too far ahead of myself is a death knell for me in writing long fics, but there are other writers who swear by it. Test out different ways of approaching it and see what works for you.

As someone who tends to write more briefly, another feature that's common to longer fics is more extensive descriptions. People spend time painting visual pictures of the setting or the characters or the actions that are happening. Write the more bare-bones style that focuses more on dialogue (if you're like me) and then go back and read through what you've just written and see if there are opportunities to add in more detail. This can lead to some really interesting characterization choices and also help you out with worldbuilding.

When it comes to worldbuilding, you don't have to get it all on the page. You just need to share what's relevant for the reader in that moment and what is useful to lay out now so that it's already there in a future chapter. You can have an encyclopedic knowledge of how your world works in your head, but it's not actually necessary. No one is going to be quizzing you later - and if they do, you can always figure it out at that point.

Most important for me when I'm trying to get myself to the end of a longer fic, have a friend or a group of friends who are also into what you're writing - or at least willing to hear you get excited about it. Being able to get excited about your work is so important. It's like a bottle of water being handed to you on mile 10 of a marathon.

[realrosielol]

Open them Up !!

[xskyll]

After Rei is hospitalized, Endeavor realizes he needs someone to take care of Shouto. Also, the house needs cleaning. Fuyumi helps, but she can't drive or take Shouto to doctor's appointments or things like that. He especially wants someone who can drive to take care of him because he doesn't like the idea of people gawking at his scar on public transport and spreading gossip about what happened. So he decided to hire a nanny.

Meanwhile, Midoriya Hisashi has stopped sending money to his family. Inko wants a divorce, but he won't return to Japan, so it's a drawn-out legal process for the separation to happen, and the lawyer fees are costing money. Even once they're separated, she knows Hisashi won't pay child support. As long as he stays in America, it'll be next to impossible to hold him accountable. She needs money, so when she hears the Endeavor Agency is hiring, she applies, fully expecting not to get it. She does.

Option A: She can now afford her apartment, and she drives to work every day in time to take Shouto to school. However, Izuku has come home a few times now with burns. He lies and says there's a disgruntled salaryman on the train that singes people with his fire quirk when they don't give up their spot. Concerned, she starts driving him to school. This is easy because his school is on the way to Shouto's private school. The boys just have to ride together. For nine years, Shouto and Izuku share twenty-minutes a day together in the back of Inko's car, driving to and from school. They become hesitant friends, and by UA are both in love and both just as certain it's unrequited.

Option B: Endeavor wants a 24/7 nanny. If Inko agrees to move in, he'll allow her to bring her son with her. They'll even both get their own room, and he'll pay for their food, provided Inko does the shopping and cooking. And thus, Izuku finds himself living with Shouto when they're both six. They become hesitant friends, and by UA are both in love and both just as certain it's unrequited.

[silverwhittlingknife]

So you're a go to source for all things Dick&Tim bros and you tend to write primarily from Dick's POV. So, odd question, but if you were to summarize their relationship from his POV in FIVE panels which panels would you pick? Keeping in mind that one specific aspect of their relationship that you love needs to be clearly represented by each panel (loyalty, trust etc). I hope this is a fun challenge and not an annoying question so if you don't want to answer that's cool! Have a wonderful day!

No more talk. The same thoughts run through two minds... (SotB 29) / You're my equal. My closest ally. (RR 1) / I can't stop thinking how much I rely on him. (GoG 3)

25 Feelings Dick Has About Tim

This was such a kind ask & a cool challenge which I totally failed; here are TWENTY-five panels of Dick's POV on Tim sdfdsfds Look, I got carried away! Marcia and Cindy! The boys!!

OKAY SO BEFORE I GET TO THE PANELS A FEW NOTES:

WARNING THAT THERE ARE SOME NEGATIVE EMOTIONS IN HERE because I love conflict but but but you gotta remember those are not the final word!! They are complicated people and sometimes they get mad at each other BUT ultimately their relationship is so hugely important in both their lives & they love each other and rely on each other so much -!!! <3

Also I have CONCLUDING THOUGHTS at the end about what Dick's POV leaves out (mostly: a lot of Dick defending & protecting & supporting Tim, which Dick does instinctively but isn't very self-aware about most of the time)

I have loosely organized my list into 5^5 format (5 categories with 5 examples each!), so if you want to skip to a relevant one, here are the categories!!

Below the cut:

I hate him and find him infuriating (#1-5)

On second thought, he's endearing & fun (#6-10)

Grief is complicated & he's all tangled up in mine (#11-15)

I love him & think highly of him (#16-20)

I rely on him & though it's hard for me, I trust him (#21-25)

I hate him and find him infuriating (#1 - 5)

1) He thinks he’s so smart and can psychoanalyze me and Bruce, but he doesn’t know me at all, he should get lost (New Titans 61)

2) He thinks he’s so smart and can psychoanalyze Bruce but he doesn’t know Bruce at all, he should get lost (Gotham Knights 26)

3) He is so nosy about stuff that is MY business (Robin 0)

4) He sounds like an insincere suck-up half the time... but okay, fine, if you push him he's got a sense of humor about it (New Titans 65)

5) I'm sure he's a better vigilante than me. It's my fault for being a failure, but I resent him anyway. (Nightwing 9 - Dick's having a nightmare)

On second thought, he's kinda endearing (#6-10)

6) He worries too much and gets anxious so easily, but it makes him fun to tease (Robin 67)

7) I'm not that competitive - okay, so maybe I'm a little competitive, I gotta make sure he doesn't get a swelled head (Prodigal)

8) I'm supposed to be his favorite! It is not cool for him to be fanboying over my not-girlfriend's not-boyfriend!! (Birds of Prey 19)

9) We have fun together. I can kick back and relax when it's just the two of us. Plus I get to boss him around a bit. (Prodigal)

10) He’s always trying to reassure me, and I guess it's a little comforting, but also he doesn’t really get it. Or me. He makes excuses that he shouldn't, because he doesn't understand that I suck. (Nightwing 64)

Grief is complicated and he's all tangled up in mine (#11 - 15)

11) He reminds me of everything I try not to think about. Sometimes the memories are so strong it hurts to look at him. (Batman 441)

12) WHY IS HE BEING IMPOSSIBLE ALL OF A SUDDEN??? THIS IS SO FRUSTRATING (Nightwing 139)

13) We're the same. He says all the things I don't let myself think about. It's like arguing with myself. (Nightwing 139)

14) He thinks he gets to tell me what to do but he doesn’t, fuck him (Battle for the Cowl)

15) Life sucks, so what. I sucked it up so he should too (RR 1)

I love him and think highly of him (#16 - 20)

16) He’s the closest thing to a brother I’ll ever have.  If someone hurts him I will hurt them harder. (Nightwing 6)

17) I can't handle the idea of losing him. (Nightwing 97)

17) He’s so good and I’m not. I'm afraid I’m bad for him. (Nightwing 110)

18) He’s better than me, and it’s kind of a relief because I know no matter what he’ll be okay. (Gates of Gotham 3)

19) In my head he’s the responsible one.  (Gotham Knights 10)

I rely on him, and though it's hard for me, I trust him (#20-25)

20) I know I have to trust him but I'm afraid he'll make the wrong choices and get hurt (Nightwing 139)

21) I'm sure I know what he should do because I see myself in him - not that I can take my own advice, but he should (Blackest Night 3)

22) I trust him.  When I’m losing my grip on things, he pulls me back. (Gotham Knights 10)

23) I want him to trust me (Red Robin 12)

24) He can tell when I'm lying. Sometimes he sees my weaknesses better than I wish he did. (Detective Comics 874)

25) He’s always there when I need him. (Teen Titans / Outsiders Secret Files)

Final rambling thoughts:

TIM: Uhh, okay, so I'm just skimming this list - do you really trust me? you're not just saying that? - but anyway, I'm confused because you left some stuff out? Like some stuff that's kinda important? DICK: No? I think I got everything? TIM (starts counting on his fingers): The time I was having a bad day but then I called you. The time I got captured by Two-Face but then you saved me. The time I fell off a train but then you saved me. The time I fell off a building but then you saved me. The time I fell off a different building - DICK: I feel like you're trying to make some kind of point but I'm not sure what it could be.

SO THE THING IS, I put 25 panels in here and not a single one has Dick catching Tim when he’s falling!!! But I think that's a central motif of their relationship from Tim’s POV, not Dick’s. I love Dick, but in some ways I think he is spectacularly un-self-aware.

And I think he especially has a lot of blind spots about Tim. He kinda intermittently gets that Tim admires him, and he enjoys it in a playful I-get-to-boss-you-around way. But Dick tends to consistently underestimate all of his own good qualities & skills, and he meets Tim at a point in his life when he's especially down on himself & his abilities. And so he's unable to see his own influence on Tim, & therefore unable to fully understand a lot of Tim's priorities and loyalties and motivations, because you can't actually understand Tim without understanding Dick's impact on him. There's a fascinating moment in Bruce Wayne: Murderer when Dick's completely blindsided & upset to discover that Tim doesn't entirely trust Bruce, even though this has been a definitive fact of Tim's whole thing ever since he showed up with his Batman needs Robin theory, and Barbara has to actively remind Dick of the obvious-to-everyone-except-Dick fact that a lot of Tim's loyalty is to Dick, and Tim loves Bruce but feels free to be more wary of him. (And to give Bruce credit: this is not something he ever begrudges.) But anyway Babs points this out, and Dick manages to sorta process it for about five seconds, but he cannot actually accept it into his worldview so instead he discards it at the speed of light and goes off and has an argument with Tim instead sdfsfdsf

All of Dick's virtues - Dick's kindness at the circus and Dick's determination to fight through grief and Dick's rigid sense of morals and Dick's vigilante skills and every time Dick has ever backed Tim up or listened to him or protected him or saved him from something or just been casually kind to a stranger in Tim's presence etc etc etc - all these things loom really large in Tim's mental story of Who Dick Is, and What Dick And Tim's Relationship Is. Tim meets Dick before he meets Bruce, trusts Dick more than Bruce, aspires to be Robin instead of Batman. And so in Tim's default version of the story, Dick is the super-special and admirable hero and Tim is... nobody in particular, a tagalong outsider who's barely managing to be a hero, not part of Dick and Bruce's family and not part of their story, who, if he's VERY LUCKY and tries REALLY HARD, might be able to fight his way to proving himself and offering something to Dick that Dick will value, if Dick doesn't get fed up with him first.

But that's not Dick's version of the story!!!

Dick's version of the story is almost the exact opposite, a story where Dick's an outcast failure black sheep who's screwing up everything he tries, and meanwhile Tim is The Sudden New Perfect Robin Who's Better Than Me And Probably Bruce Loves Him More And Probably They Gossip About What A Loser I Am, mixed with a complicated edge of Tim Thinks He's So Smart But He Doesn't Know Me/Us At All. Dick gets much more attached to Tim over time, and Tim gets unnervingly better at the know-it-all psychoanalysis so then Dick gets to have complicated feelings about him being right instead of just annoyance at him for being wrong, plus Dick's relationship with Bruce improves a lot, so Tim stops feeling so threatening. But Dick never fundamentally changes his basic theory of their relationship in which Tim is highly impressive and capable, and Dick is not so much.

And so asking Dick about Tim is kinda like if you asked George Bailey to tell you about Harry Bailey in It's A Wonderful Life; like, you'll be there for five hours while he tells you how great Harry is, and how accomplished Harry is, and how he doesn't really get how or why Harry does the things he does, and maybe George does feel a little resentful or jealous sometimes, but that pales in comparison to all his admiration and trust for Harry who he loves so much, who's better than him in so many ways, and he's not gonna openly gripe but secretly he can't help but feel sometimes like he's such a failure in comparison to Harry, a perfect person who emerged fully formed from Zeus's head with all the virtues and also all the accomplishments, etc. etc. etc. --

-- and he will not actually remember the part where he changed and saved Harry's whole entire life unless you literally send him to an alternate timeline in order to force him to remember it. <3

[the960writers]

This happened to me.

I started writing with no knowledge of how to do anything. Then, after about five chapters of feral writing, I discovered the Brandon Sanderson lectures on youtube and suddenly I had an idea of how this works. But then, after inhaling all the writing advice I could get my eyes on, my writing started to feel stale. It lost some of that feral energy and became tame.

If I remember correctly, I actively tried to bring back some of that feral rawness in my writing by writing more and faster. I didn't make it so clean, I made myself write fast, and not polish and fiddle so much. In the end, I think what helped the most to make me feel comfortable in my writing voice was just writing, writing, and more writing. I experimented, I tried methods I had read about, changed tenses and POVs.

Developing one's own voice is a matter of quantity. Developing the craft is also a matter of quantity.

So, yeah, write more, write harder.

How can I free my mind from "rules"? I've been writing for a few years now and the more serious I got about it, the more I started looking up writing advice to help edit and make my work better. But when I compare my writing style now (post advice) to my early chapters (pre advice), it's so bland and has lost the spark that made my characters feel like real people. In new chapters they all sound the same because I'm writing with these "rules" in mind from the start.

Writing Feels Dull in Light of Learning "Writing Rules"

Remember: there are very few actual "rules" when it comes to writing. Most things outside of writing mechanics and industry standards is just advice built around "this is what we know works." It doesn't mean other things can't work, you just have to learn what works before you can do something different thoughtfully.

And when you can look at what you've already written and think, "Hmm... this is falling short of what I want it to be," that's because you're growing as a writer--and that's a good thing. And it's okay, because writing is a craft, and you get good at a craft with practice. Practice means you do a lot of rough work before you do better work. The great thing about writing is you can revise, and that's a big part of the process, even for seasoned writers. You take what you've learned and go back and apply it to what you've already written to make it better. That's how writing works!

So, no worries... you're absolutely on the right track!

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

I’ve been writing seriously for over 30 years and love to share what I’ve learned. Have a writing question? My inbox is always open!

♦ Questions that violate my ask policies will be deleted! ♦ Please see my master list of top posts before asking ♦ Learn more about WQA here

[writingwithfolklore]

How to Improve Your Writing

Writing can be done in an infinite amount of ways by an infinite amount of people in an infinite amount of styles. No, I don’t think the monkeys would have written Shakesphere. I think they eventually would have written something we’d refer to as Monkey-Sphere.

What I’m trying to say is that improving at writing is not a one-size-fits-all kind of process. There’s one important thing you need to consider if this is your goal:

What kind of writer do I want to be?

To improve at commercial fiction is going to look a whole lot different than improving at literary fiction. If you’re a bit lost here, check out my post: what kind of writer are you.

Once you have a solid idea of what kind of writer you are/you want to be, you can start focusing on the demands of your style.

Commercial Fiction

You are a writer who focuses on a snappy, engaging, fast-moving plot with fun and equally engaging characters. Think The Inheritance Games, The Maze Runner, Divergent, The Hunger Games.

To improve at writing commercial fiction, you’re going to focus on three things:

Your pacing

Your plot and its hook

Your characters

The expectations of your genre

Literary Fiction

You are a writer who focuses on beautiful language and challenging the reader, either how they think of themselves, or how they think of society (or both). You see your pieces as works of art that hold a greater meaning in society—they aren’t just entertainment. Think To Kill a Mockingbird, The Great Gatsby, The Secret History, Flowers for Algernon.

To improve here, you’re going to focus on these things:

Lyrical prose

Deep character development

Complex themes

Breaking from the “norm” or convention of novel writing

Understanding the world and society on a deep, educated level

Upmarket Fiction

Seen as the best of both worlds, you are a writer who has both the ear for lyrical, beautiful language and the instincts for an engaging plot and characters. Think Blood over Bright Haven, Gone Girl, The Time Traveler’s Wife, The Night Circus

You’re going to focus on these things:

Sensory/lyrical prose – vocabulary!

Character-driven plots with a sharp hook

A solid theme

Expectations of your genre

Taking these pointers, the best way to improve in your area of writing is to read in your area of writing. And read intentionally, really analyzing how other authors build their sentences, their plots, evolve their narratives, etc. Write down interesting word choices, lines you love, details about characters, themes (this is where an inspiration journal really comes in handy!)

Click on the links above to see my related posts!

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[marzipanandminutiae]

I saw a thread in a romance literature forum that was like "do you write mentions of female characters' body hair in period romance? or readers, do you know of any writers who do/do you imagine it when you read those books?" and the responses were wild

people were like "well I don't imagine them accidentally stepping in manure on the streets, or having rotted teeth from eating processed sugar without fluoride treatments, or dying slowly of consumption, so of COURSE I don't imagine women with armpit hair!!! it ruins the fantasy!!!"

like

those things are. not remotely equal my guy

(I can understand not mentioning it for Writing Flow Reasons. I write period fanfic a lot, and there's just very seldom a chance to organically mention body hair. I'm not going to be like "she put on her stockings over her HAIRY LEGS" in a dressing scene, for example, or "her ball gown shimmered like starlight as she whirled around the floor AND ALSO THE SHORT SLEEVES SHOWED HER UNDERARM HAIR WHICH SHE TOTALLY HAD." but. it's not on the same level as disgusting wasting diseases guys)

(that being said when reading my fanfic just assume Edith and Lucille have never shaved anything in their lives okay)

[aiscapades]

if the creators of these games you love so much can write and draw their own shit, SO CAN YOU.

get involved with others in your community and make shit together. stop with gen ai. there is no excuse.

[the960writers]

Seconding this. You have to find your own process and it may not be like anyone else's process.

There's lots and lots of advice going around for plotting and outlining your story before you start, because it's easy to write advice for that. You can give out beat sheets, you can have questionnaires, schedules, and forms. It's harder to write and find advice for pantsing/discovery writing. But that way of writing is just as valid.

Some authors even say that their process changes from book to book. I guess we can all just keep experimenting (I tried outlining and it killed the book, so I'm not doing that again).

heya! i was wondering if i could get a little advice

would you think it’s best to plan out your story before you begin or write as you go with a vague idea?

i keep flip flopping between the two aaa

hiiii i loveee writing questions!! 📝

it sounds like you’re wondering whether it’s best to be a pantser or a planner! there isn’t one right way to do it, and it’s super up to the individual and how you work!

the best advice i can give is to try a little bit both ways. write with planning it out a lot before, and write something else with only having a vague idea (it could just be a random writing prompt to get the creativity flowing without having to commit to a larger work). then think about how it feels: which one feels more organic to you and gives you more flow?

personally, I’m a mix of both but heavily slanted towards pantser. my oneshots and drabbles will be a vague idea with a core theme, then my series will be more planned (major plot points and arcs throughout the story that connect, crucial points, some general plotting of how I want a chapter to go or what vibes/theme i want it to have). then filling the space between those big plot points and connectors with more of a vague idea, seeing where the characters take me (with that golden thread of what critical point is next).

i’ve tried both ways, and i find meticulous plotting of every little thing ever to feel stifling, like I don’t have room to move or breathe. that feeling of restriction makes it so I don’t feel motivated to continue writing a chapter. some people have that same feeling when faced with only a vague idea, so it’s about writing to learn how you write. it’s a fun discovery process! you can find which way you lean towards and what balance you want of the two, if any.

hope that helps!! there’s no one right way, and there’s no true way to find it out until you experiment with the two and tune in to how it affects you and your creative process! 💕

[the960writers]

THE SIMPLEST WAY TO OUTLINE YOUR NOVEL (pantser-friendly!)

Abbie Emmons

Want to outline a novel without feeling overwhelmed? Maybe you’re a discovery writer or you just HATE PLOTTING and you want a simple, straightforward method of outlining that helps guide your story to success without taking all the joy out of the journey. If you can relate, today's video is for you!

A lot of writers ask me: “Abbie, What is your very first step to writing a new story?” “Do you create your characters first or do you outline your plot first?” “Do you fill out all your character profiles and scene cards before you begin?” “How long does my outline need to be?”

These are all great questions, and since my outlining process has evolved SO MUCH over the past few years, I thought now would be a perfect time to show you a behind-the-scenes look at my Preptober process. In this video, I'm going to share with you the very first steps I take when I set out to write a new story. These are the methods that I am currently using and would recommend to any writer who feels lost and overwhelmed when it comes time to outline.

[0m3n-0f-d3ath]

Little wip update

Trying to get more world building around the casino. Remembered it is a horror setting and sticking to it, having a blast writing about this guy. Lamo but he still doesn’t have a name smh

[beannoss]

Hi Bean!

I have a question for you! I have noticed in your writings that Twilight and Yor begin a romantic relationship after their secrets are revealed. Are you opposed to any romance between them before they find out? I assume if so, it’s because it’s morally questionable, though a lot of fans find romance before compelling as it raises the stakes considerably. I’m not suggesting one is right and the other is wrong, I’m just interested in your take on this! I love your writing! Thank you! 😊

Hello you! I'm always chuffed to see your name pop up 🫶😊!

Oh boy! Thank you for this ask — it's a big question but also I do have thoughts XD Sorry it's taken me a few days to get my ducks in a row!

I want to start, though, by emphasising that my thoughts and preferences here are exclusive to Spy x Family as a canon enterprise; they don't pertain to fanworks or other fan theories, I'm not out to yuck anyone's yum ✌️ ditto for even my own writing! You're right that I don't really have an interest in exploring that dynamic but I reserve the right to change my mind ;)!

[Reference herein to manga chapters not yet animated]

Right, so. There's lots of things I love about SxF, but one of the things that interested me early and keeps me engaged is that it operates under an interesting and complex morality. Spy work and contract killing are obviously an ethical minefield, and in the real world, generally to the bad. Within the world of SxF, Endo takes pains to write Twilight and Yor both firmly on the morally right side, even if Twilight’s tactics or Yor’s actions in a vacuum are frequently questionable. With Twilight especially it seems Twilight is currently (resisting) working through the impact and ethical implication of his actions on Anya. When it comes to Yor, I expect that’s where we’ll see him wrestle with similar questions through a romance lens. I think it was quite deliberate and important that Twilight specifically articulated that he’d been wondering if Yor had previous romantic relationships, and that it was now confirmed she hadn’t. As far as I can remember, it’s the only time he’s had that sort of reflection on Yor's life before the Forgers; I mention it because it mirrors times he’s reflected explicitly on Anya’s history and trauma and her needs as a child, with implication that his actions and motivations for adopting her could/probably will hurt her. I hazard that his observation about Yor will be similarly indicative of an arc down the line.

When it comes to canon, if the Yor x Twilight romance were to firm up while Yor still believes Twilight is Loid, I admit there’s a high chance I’d nope out. I want to emphasize firm up though… I tend to think Yor already has feelings for Loid (Twilight?) whether she’s fully aware of them or would necessarily articulate them as romantic (and I think this is being really interestingly conveyed and explored through her current feelings about kissing, though I may differ with some on how I think that may shake out). I also think there’s a… less high but not impossible chance that Twilight is aware he has or is developing feelings for Yor. I’ve argued before that he knows he has formed/is forming an attachment to her and that he knows he trusts her. I don’t think it’s too far from there to romantic feelings for Twilight: after all, attachment and trust (intimacy) are not things he's had in a long, long time. And given his current pseudo-short temper and general malaise comes out most with Anya, with Yor he’s been notably softer and more receptive. In my view, this is partially because so far he hasn't really done much that would really hurt Yor and nor has she done anything that would really hurt Twilight. So far, Twilight and Yor are on a fairly even footing.

This is a very long way of saying that I trend toward thinking we’ve got at least a few toes into the romance already.

The reasons I’d be a squicked by the firming up of the romance, pre-reveal, are related to its being morally questionable as you pointed out (I'll talk a bit more about that in a moment.) But it's also because I think it would undermine character arcs and dominant themes.

Twilight’s arc involves finding and forging a new pack, a new family. Somewhere safe and loving that he’s been denied essentially for his whole life (I don’t dispute that his mother loved him deeply and did her best to protect him: living with an abuser and then with her under war was never going to actually be or feel safe). A big part of this safety and love for Twilight is about being accepted, warts and all. Twilight started lying because he wasn’t accepted by his father as he was. There’s a fair bit to work through by way of accepting Twilight’s warts already — I think Yor will be fairly understanding as things currently stand, and that’s part of why they’re a good match. Their moral compasses, their sacrifices, how they see the world and how they want to try and make it better, align and/or resonate in foundational ways. However, given their current standing, pursuing deeper intimacy of a romantic/sexual relationship with Yor before reveals, I think would take it past the line. And particularly when considering Yor’s character arc.

Yor’s arc is also around finding love and security, but centred less around acceptance (although that obviously also explicitly features!) and more around self-worth and understanding her value. If the romance were to firm up pre-reveal, the false pretences are… I mean, to me, they lob a Molotov cocktail into that theme of self-worth and being valued, as she really would just be being used: the intimacy could never be real because Twilight is not Loid Forger. To expand a bit on an earlier point, perhaps ironically, Yor’s relationship with Loid is mostly on the up-and-up: they both know any marital connection they demonstrate is fake. They may be (are) friends, and also they’re under no illusions that it’s something of a tenuous friendship (at least for now). They co-parent Anya but are clear that this co-parenting comes with clear lines around and between their relationship otherwise. I want to tread mindfully here, because I also really like and appreciate aroace interpretations of Yor and Twilight and their relationship: I think this discussion around firming up their romance actually also holds true in the case of attempting to substantially deepen their platonic bond, pre-reveal. In the same ways, Twilight needing acceptance and Yor learning self-worth would be severely undermined by a pre-reveal apparent and false deepening of their commitment to one another.

On the point of it being morally questionable generally, yeah it is. I mean, look, it's fiction and they aren't real people who can be hurt by those actions. So in principle, Endo can write what story he wants, I wouldn't think it reflected poorly on him or anything like that. I just don't really want to read a story that goes to that place; it’s a squick. I'm sure this has been discussed before in fandom, but my read on the moral dubiety centres around the idea that it isn’t possible to actively choose or meaningfully consent to emotional or physical intimacy when one person is lying about who they are (and in this case, they're both lying about who they are... Although Twilight to a greater extent). This does tie back into SxF themes as well, as choice and consent are also… maybe not big themes of SxF exactly, but active choice and informed consent are things which have come up more than once (I have my thoughts as to why: for a character whose choices drive so much of the narrative, Twilight is actually also a character who’s shown to have little actual choice or control over much of his own life. Considering his motivations for a world where children don’t cry, imo valuing active choice and meaningful consent are important factors required for that world. And I also actually suspect the theme of choice will become more important the more we learn about Donovan, and his role as foil for Twilight.)

Also, honestly for me, it would be too close to a common trope in a lot of popular western fiction/media that I don’t like: a woman being taken advantage of by a man in some way, shape or form, and then through the magic of her non-specific womanness, forgiving him his gross transgressions under the thinnest of pretences. Particularly as Endo has already taken pains to sidestep that as a foundation of their arrangement. To be fair, I wouldn't be surprised that were Endo to take the pre-reveal romance path, it would be a deeper interpretation of that trope, but as with other sexist tropes utilised in pop fiction/media, I have to ask why the choice couldn’t have been for a more interesting path, rather than retreading that one. And particularly given everything he's established for Twilight and Yor: it goes against much of what Twilight stands for — and indeed goes against much of what he meaningfully brings in his current relationship with Yor, that of encouraging her, supporting her, and shoring up her thoughts, opinions and self-image, particularly when she voices upset or doubt about them. It also goes against much of what Yor stands for: while the power imbalance would lie firmly with Twilight, it remains true that Yor’s lies in an apparently deepening intimacy would also undermine the safety and security she ostensibly creates for Twilight. She also so obviously hates lying, the prospect of her keeping her secret into what she believed was a real relationship would wreck her. Doubly so, given the weight Yor puts on Loid's acknowledgement of who she is and what she believes: something she hangs her self-worth on, a recognition of her value. And I'd argue here that it would actually, conversely, be impossible for Loid Forger to acknowledge or accept Yor's truth: that's only something Twilight can do.

And so I guess there’s also just the bare fact following from the above that I think a pre-reveal firming up of their relationship is the less interesting choice for what is a major franchise that has otherwise done innovative things. Another reason I love SxF is that it subverts tropes and complicates cliches. One of which includes communication: for a pair who have crossed lines as a foundation of their relationship, Yor and Twilight actually do a lot of communicating. That’s a subversion of many heterosexual romantic tropes and norms, at least in a Western context, and, to put it sort of flippantly, it would bum me out if it failed at the final hurdle.

I just want to emphasise one more time, my opinions and preferences here are strictly related to Spy x Family in an official canon capacity, and nothing to do with fanworks or fan theories or what fans want to explore in whatever fashion. Part of my feelings here are also honestly because of the tone and pacing of SxF. I think it entirely possible to do interesting things with those tropes and actually think Endo is the type of writer I would trust to do so. But the way SxF is written by way of tone, pacing, narrative priorities and audience demand, I don't think even Endo would be able to do them within SxF in ways that wouldn't squick me out and make me lose love for Twilight, specifically, pretty entirely. I'd rather he just didn't 😂

Tl;dr: in canon exclusively I’m not into a firming up of their romantic relationship pre-reveal! Their situation is complicated enough as it is; give these goobers the love they want and can share with one another, kindly and gently, when the world has been neither kind nor gentle with them. In my view, it’s already primed in their character and thematic arcs 🫶

[myokk]

the oneshot I’m writing now is, I think, the weirdest, most self-indulgent thing in the world😭😆♥️ I’m having so much fun with it but…

I hope it all pulls together in the end but even if there is only one reader who loves it (me) I will be satisfied😌🫶🫶🫶

[fairgroundfreak]

writer's block so rancid, i'm genuinely considering praying to airplane and seeing what happens

[nibbelraz]

Falling back in love with your craft