#inspo after a 3 year long creative block

[disengaged]

:) 1, 3, 13, 23?

1. favorite fic you wrote this year

poacher's pride, i think !! it came so naturally, & after ~5 months of fairly consistent writer's block, that was a huge relief. just that unparalleled feeling of creative catharsis yknow ....... also i just posted it 3 days ago, which means i haven't had time to grow ashamed and dissatisfied with it yet ;-)

3. favorite line/scene you wrote this year

answered this twice but i have so many SKJFNKSJDN my 3rd answer is this lil moment from holdfast (nsfw/rest of the Qs under the cut):

Lars tucks the blankets closer to herself, scowling. “But—”

She hears James’ curt huff of frustration in the dark. There’s a rustling from the other side of the room and then the sound of heavy footsteps stumbling through the mess, and then Lars’ mattress dips and the covers lift up, letting in a gust of cold air as James slides in behind her. Lars makes an undignified squawk — somewhere between a “hey” and a “get out” and a “what the fuck, man”.

“Shut up,” James mutters into her hair, and suddenly, Lars does.

Because that’s James’ strong arm hauling her in close, and James’ mosquito-bite tits pressed up against her bare back, and James’ long fingers skimming down over the swell of her stomach, over her underwear, pressing hard at the wet patch between her legs.

“F-Fuck,” Lars blurts out in surprise.

13. favorite writing song/artist/album of this year

i basically never listen to music while i write !! too distracting . but i guess the honour can go to White Pony by Deftones, cuz it was my inspo for passenger [eyes emoji]

23. fics you wanted to write but didn’t

answered! basically a bunch of drafts that i unintentionally left to gather dust :-/ feels bad man :-/

[roast-ifs]

Sorry if this is a bit odd, but how do you find the inspo/time to sit down and write? I want to write "normally" and create stories of my own but I struggle doing it alone (I learned to write through roleplay, replies going back and forth and such) ;; your story and how you write is something I enjoy so much so hearing your input would be awesome :D thank you!

Not odd at all! I learned a lot through roleplaying too and even when I was a kid writing linearly I still shared it with friends. Building/entering a community of other authors or people wanting to read and support your work helps A LOT. Writing really doesn’t have to be as lonesome as classic authors/media/whatevs makes it out to be! In fact, it shouldn’t! You can’t create inside a vacuum-sealed bubble.

A lot of the time I use to write is also bc I’m lucky and can write during my job if it’s slow. I also only work part-time, and school takes up a lot of time, sure, but not a full 8hrs/day. It also helps that my workplace shut down from March to July and now we’re shutting down again until the end of the year lol so this has been a very very unique year in terms of free-time :’D

As for inspo--other people! Other IF games have been a huge inspiration, the original spark for snv happened years ago after listening to a Kaleo song and badly misunderstanding some red dead redemption online access thing (idek what it was bc my internet was so slow I couldn’t properly play it). Consuming media gives you ideas, art and writing and anything creative is always born of that which is around us and that which we consume--whether its art, tv shows, if games, etc. So if you’re running low on inspo, go through some other author’s WIPS, peruse unsplash/pinterest, read a book, etc. etc.

Another tip, especially when you’re starting out (at least it worked for me lol) I set a time limit on how long I would worldbuild and story build before writing anything. I’d built the plot and story and world in a few months and made a deadline to when I would start writing because, for me, I get sucked into the worldbuilding and would never write a thing.

A lot of my past projects failed because of that, because I spent so long working on fleshing out every piece of detail that eventually I just didn’t want to write it anymore.

Second tip, and again, only if it works for you, I set myself a low manageable daily word count goal. Setting yourself up with large daily goals is a very quick and easy way to get disheartened and frustrated. My goal every day is to write 500 words, because that was a manageable goal for me that wouldn’t overwhelm me. And, usually, when I start writing with that goal in mind, I wind up writing more bc the biggest block to writing is the whole ‘getting started’ bit.

I’m also treating snv like the first draft it is. I proof read a little as I’m writing but there are a ton of edits I want to make and scenes I want to polish, but doing so on top of that 500 word count goal would exhaust me so I don’t. At least not yet. I’ll probably set aside a week or something for just editing but otherwise, once a scene is written, I don’t sweat it (or try not to lol!! Unless it’s really broken then I’d work on it) bc I know a lot of other authors struggle with this too. They agonize over scenes until they’ve been written to death. If you’re re-reading a scene over and over again you’re not going to see how to make it better.

Leave it alone, let it ferment, and come back to it later (much later in my case). Imo the best proof reading is when I’ve forgotten what I’ve written XD

TL;DR Don’t write alone! Alone is no fun! And you won’t be able to suss out problems/bounce ideas on your own.

Make small manageable goals, try not to spend too long on the planning stage (in fact, plan while you’re writing if you like. I’ve only got most of chp. 3 outlined and I didn’t even outline chp. 1 and 2)

Treat your drafts just as they are--like drafts! They don’t (and shouldn’t!) be perfect! If you’re agonizing over a scene, let it go, let it sit, come back to it later.

Know (or learn!) your limits, be kind to yourself, and find people who will support you and help you with feedback, brainstorm, and constructive criticism. :)

[banghwa]

hello!!! im not sure if this is welcomed, and if not, please feel free to delete it. im sorry for this;; but anyways whenever i have a massive creative burnout/block i just step away. i don't look at the thing im making or creating, i don't even try to think about it. i find that stepping away completely and not allowing myself to work on it until i want to or until the inspo or whatever hits me again helps me. other times, i find inspo in like everyday things. there was this time when i was at math class and the sweatshirt of the guy sitting in front of me inspired me because the text design was super cool. but anyways, i just try to step away completely and stop working on it and stop looking at it. im sure whatever you do will look fantastic; after all, your creations are all stunning and beautiful. thank you for your hard work!

hello yes omg of course it is welcome !!

hmmm i always think of doing that but whenever i do i end up not touching said thing for MONTHS sometimes....and it's weird bcs sometimes i will get inspo and then i open ps and i just. stare at it for like an hour before closing it up again like idk if it's a lack of inspiration or if im just having trouble translating that into a visual :(( i also just don't feel like i create enough to get to take long pauses like that, i barely posted once a month this year :((

i do rly like ur advice about opening up to where i can find inspiration though <3 i think i've been limiting myself a lot to behance and then getting frustrated when it doesn't look like the professionally designed inspo im drawing from 😭 it'd probably be easier to get inspired if i pushed myself to draw more from my day to day ! so tysm for that honey <3

thank u so so much for the advice dearest and for liking my creations despite everything :') i'll tru to do what i can with your insight, it truly means so so much mwah ilu <33

[hoochy-coo]

oooh! since devon was inspired to do her 21 outfits video from emma chamberlain's, what do you think of emma chamberlain's outfit video?

Ok, here we go (I’ve never watched one Emma Chamberlain video so I’m only finding out now that she’s got her own coffee brand???! Do people actually pay for it? And is it any good?!? Someone let me know pls):

Outfit 1: Zoe Kravtiz would wear this but the pants wouldn’t be draw-string. Details people! I say all of this but the babes at Fitzroy has run this outfit into the ground about 2 years ago. 

Outfit 2: I’m too old to find any merits in this fit but my friend’s sisters in middle school would totally wear this

Outfit 3: Kaia Gerber says she wants her whole look back. The colour blocking is honestly kinda cute but she also looks like a children’s toy so idk. I like the first bag for it, not the cheetah one. 

Outfit 4: Ok, I like this! I love myself a basic fit with a massive pop of colour and print. The sunglasses tie into it super well as well! 

Outfit 5: Switch out the pants and we’ve got a Princess D-inspired look here. I don’t love the shoes but I don’t hate it. The fit of the barbour jacket is actually really great on her - not too oversized but just big enough to sag a little. I can already tell by this outfit that she’s a Brandy Melville kinda gal. The LV bag really aged the look imo.

Outfit 6: This is the worst one so far. It looks like it came straight out of a 2000s Delias lookbook. Not a fan of those pants but props for having the confidence to rock ‘em!

Outfit 7: “I can already feel the judgment through the screen” Yeah, basically

Outfit 8: She looks like Stussy sponsors her, but I know for a fact those pants are from Holiday the Label. I mean it’s cute, but it’s been done.

Outfit 9: I feel like she could have gone full prep and done a ponytail with it. It’s cute - it’s like a relaxed approach to dressing like a Ralph Lauren model from the 90′s. Again, she looks like she shops from Brandy. 

Outfit 10: Throw that Von Dutch cap away and you’ve got a trendy outfit right there. Rue from Euphoria would wear this, half of LA would wear this. 

Outfit 11: This could have been a serve if she swapped that top out for something else. I love myself a colorful outfit but that print doesn’t go with the rusty palette she’s got going on with this outfit. 

Outfit 12: I was going to complain about the cow-printed purse (the other suitcase bag isn’t any better tbh) but I see the vision here, she’s trying to give us some lowkey western/cowgirl vibes. Find another bag, like a cute crossover or even the one from outfit 3, and throw on some chunky platform boots to really commit to the lewk, Emma!

Outfit 13: Kendall Jenner would wear this to go get coffee with Luka Sabbath and co. I hate it. 

Outfit 14: I can see myself loving every component of this outfit separately but when put together, it just doesn’t look right. I know I don’t need those platform knee-high boots from UNIF but my god, do I want it!

Outfit 15: There’s a weird 6-month cross-over style period between the end of the 80′s and the start of 90′s where people couldn’t quite commit to normcore and she’s channeling. I’d do a different shirt and keep everything else. This honestly could have been such a cool monochromatic look tbh. 

Outfit 16: NO. NO. NO. NOT A PAUL FRANK T-SHIRT OVER A LONG SLEEVE. I’M CRINGING AT MY 10-YEAR-OLD SELF BEING FORCED INTO THIS OUTFIT

Outfit 17: ...I don’t get it? Am I just getting too old to get it?

Outfit 18: Nothing special but it’s cute in a basic way, I guess?

Outfit 19: This is the part of 80s fashion that I can’t get with. I really do appreciate her matching the collar of that Heaven by Marc Jacobs baby tee with the jeans. That’s a cool idea but ditch the puffer, please?

Outfit 20: I see Hailey Bieber wearing this and getting dragged for it. So in saying that, I don’t like this outfit. I know patchwork jeans are coming back in trend but these ones look tacky tbh. 

Outfit 21: I’d be exhausted after all of that and change into something cozy too. 

In summary, I’m beginning to realize where all my friends’ little sisters and cousins are getting their style inspo from. I used to see them in outfits like 16 and 13 and be confused as to who/what they're trying to channel and why they’re doing it but I get it now. I think I’m too old to enjoy her sense of style but I actually do think that she’s got a really creative vision, she just doesn’t know how to execute it to its full capacity or without being too messy. I think with some time and a few trials and errors she could really be a solid dresser!

[marshunter06]

Duncan’s Good Reputation?

Inspo credit and mad love to @stuckupwindbag your post about Duncan’s first PO becoming a monk totally inspired this. Then it turned into a 5+1 cause I’m a sucker for those things.

One-

Oddly enough, Courtney first finds it through a letter. She hadn’t meant to be snooping, but with their relationship beginning again, trust was a touchy subject. She can just hear her mother’s voice- “once a cheater always a cheater hun, don’t ever forget that.'' To be fair, he left the open letter in plain view. It was just sitting on top of his kitchen counter close to where she placed her car keys. She was only looking for her keys when she accidently ended up glancing at the letter. It was handwritten. She would only skim it.

Duncan,

Nice to hear from you personally instead of through your new parole officer asking for advice. Glad to see that you’re out of trouble nowadays. I always knew you had a golden heart. Speaking of advice, I gave you some that I know you took- Congrats on the outcome - I finally did listen to my heart as well. After some traveling I found my place on a mountain on a little island. I’m finally at peace and I’m happy. Never thought I would say this, but thanks for getting in trouble all those years ago. I wouldn’t be on top of the world if it wasn’t for you.

Much love,

Your old PO

David, a newly devote Monk

“Hey Princess, did you find your keys?”

She jumps as the voice and moves as far away from the counter. If he noticed she was acting weird, he didn’t say anything about it. Instead, he picks up her keys then tosses it to her. He smiles as he sees the letter.

“Thanks… I guess I’ll see you tomorrow morning?”

“Is it cool if we meet for an early lunch instead? I gotta mail David back.”

“You mean brunch? Sure… who’s David again?”

“Brunch is for pansies. He’s my old parole officer. Dude just became a monk, go figure.”

Confusion was written all over her face as she chose to ignore his brunch statement. She waits to see if he’ll elaborate, and surprisingly, he does.

“We met the first time I got out of juvie, he was meant to be a mentor to me sorta. It didn’t work out that way. I kept getting into trouble and he tried to help, but he couldn’t because of protocol. I didn’t really care, but it bothered the hell out of him. Right before I left for Island, I told him to quit his job and do some soul searching since he was so unhappy. Besides, I figured I’d win and I wouldn’t need him anymore. Guess he finally found his calling.”

Duncan shrugs it off like it’s no big deal, but Courtney knows there’s more to the story he’s not telling her. She doesn’t push for the details, just happily accepts that he opened up about a piece of his past.

Two-

She almost loses it when she finds him repeatedly liking the same girl’s post on Instagram. She decides to get information before confronting him. When she finds out the girl was an ex she was ready to kill him, until she reads through the comments. The first picture is of a selfish of this gorgeous blonde with blue eyes. The caption read: Your fav girl is back, and this time with a new username!

duncansthename: with love huh?

ashwithlove: you know it dunkie (;

The second picture wasn’t any better. The same girl is smiling at the camera in a bikini at the beach. The caption read: Sun’s out so your fav hun’s out!

duncansthename: you’re not very creative Ash.

ashwithlove: did you even read your own @?

duncansthename: lol same old Ashley

ashwithlove: back at cha asshole (:

The third picture is when she became curious instead of just angry. Another selfie except this time her hair was considerably shorter. The caption read: New hair, who dis?

duncansthename: geez who hurt you babe?

ashwithlove: *rolls eyes* says the guy who broke up with me through a text.

duncansthename: we were 13! I said sorry already, besides you were going to do the same thing.

ashwithlove: I know, I’m just teasing (:

The fourth and final picture she comes across is what finally gives her all the pieces. Ashley was smiling with her eyes and both hands up pointing at a rainbow. The caption read: Never been happier in my life than right at this moment.

duncansthename: guessing it went well then, congrats Ash

ashwithlove: I owe it to you dunkie! Thanks to you, I can be ash with love <3

duncansthename: don’t get all soft on me now, I don’t do that shit

ashwithlove: sure tough guy, maybe I should message your princess (;

duncansthename: stay away from my girl, you live on the other side of the world now anyways

ashwithlove: no promises, besides the heart knows not distance only love

duncansthename: you’re unbelievable

ashwithlove: I learned from the best (;

“Pizza’s here if you’re ready for a break Princess.”

Even though she was no longer jealous, she still wanted to make sure her assumptions were correct.

“Duncan, who’s Ashley?”

He doesn’t even flinch, a good sign since he all but jumped away when she confronted him about Gwen way back.

“She’s an ex girlfriend of mine. My first girlfriend actually.”

“Oh…”

“Don’t worry Princess, I’m not carrying a torch for her. Besides, she has a girlfriend now.”

“You’re not just saying that right?”

“No? That’s a dumb thing to lie about. If you met her, you would know. She’d hit on you instantly.”

“But you just said she has a girlfriend.”

“Her girl would probably hit on you too. You’re fucking gorgeous Court.”

She feels her cheeks warm up at his compliment. She still wasn’t used to him being sweet again, so she shrugs it off.

“Stop changing the subject.”

“Just being honest. Anyways, you just reminded me to reply to her message.”

“You still message each other?”

“Every now and then… She says hi… shit and now she’s FaceTiming.”

“Dunkie! Let me talk to your princess! I know she’s there!”

“No! I always knew you would try and steal my girlfriend after having your heart broken by me.”

“As if. You were the one left heartbroken after I came out to you.”

“Yeah yeah, whatever.”

“Okay, but for real. Thanks dude! I can finally be me now. It’s officially! Your fav girl is out and proud! Mom took it better than I thought and she’s going to meet Dana on Monday!”

“Told you she would accept you. Your mom loves you.”

“I know, thanks for listening though.”

“Anything for my first girlfriend.”

“Careful, I might actually hold you to that! I gotta go, but double date soon?”

“You live in London!”

“So? Okay I really gotta go! Bye Dunkie! Tell your princess I said hi!”

Ashley hangs up on the call leaving Duncan slightly annoyed, but not really. He was about to apologize to Courtney, but she stops him. There was no need, besides the pizza was getting cold.

Three-

If being on a reality show taught Courtney anything was that she shouldn’t be surprised at anything. Still, she was caught off guard when she bumped into Chef Hatchet on her daily run through the park. She was even more thrown off when she sees that he’s not alone. He had six kids with him. He lets them take their hands off the walking rope as long as they promise to stay within the playground. The children all nodded yes then ran off towards the slides and swings.

“Courtney? Is that you?”

“Chef? What are you doing here?”

“Just taking the daycare kids on an outing. They’re repairing our playground, so I thought it would be nice to take the kids to the park.”

“Daycare kids?”

“Yeah! I’m a daycare teacher now.”

She must be in an alternate reality, there’s no way Chef Hatchet could be around children voluntarily. Especially with half the shit he helped pull on Total Drama, no sane person would hire the man.

“I can see you’re confused, but this is my true calling!”

“No offense Chef, but are you okay? Do I need to take you to the hospital?”

“I’m perfectly fine, Courtney. I thought Duncan would have told you already.”

“Duncan?”

“Yeah, he was the one to convince me I needed to do something different.”

“Wait, Duncan told you to quit and you actually listened?”

“He gives pretty good advice, that kid’s a good listener. I’ve never been happier.”

“What exactly did he say to you?”

“Just that even I deserve to be happy and to give it a chance.”

One of the kids starts crying and Chef is immediately on the move. It’s a strange sight, but Chef is extremely patient with the child and soon the little one is off running again. Who would have thought?

Four-

Courtney was ready to go grab her second cup of coffee when her phone buzzes. It was a text from Heather. She was going to ignore it until she saw that her boyfriend’s name was mentioned.

Heather: I just wanted to say I’m sorry. Pass that message to Duncan. He still has my number blocked.

Courtney: How do you even have my number? Also why were you texting Duncan?

Heather: Your boyfriend’s the one who gave it to me. Also that’s none of your business.

Courtney: You made it my business when you texted me. What did you do?

Heather: I didn’t do anything… okay fine I bitched him out for being nosy.

Courtney: Um… what?

Heather: He was butting in on my relationship with Alejandro again.

Courtney: Are you sure we're talking about the same Duncan?

Heather: Okay fine. I may have bothered him about my relationship.

Courtney: … and why would you do that?

Heather: He’s honest and he’s not afraid to tell it to my face even if he knows I’ll get angry.

Heather: Look, just tell him I’m sorry and that Alejandro and I are okay now.

Duncan picks her up after work and she immediately wants to bring up the messages. She waits until they’re back at her place to say anything.

“How was work Princess?”

“Fine… um… so Heather says she’s sorry?”

He raises an eyebrow at that. He wasn’t expecting that either apparently.

“I told her to only talk to you in case of emergencies. I should have never given her your number, sorry Court.”

“Normally I would be angry, but I’m just curious now.”

“Heather’s been picking fights with Alejandro because she’s afraid of commitment. She found out we got back together, so she asked me how we did it. I told her that she was being stupid and that he clearly loves her. Somehow I end up listening to her break up and get back together with him only to break up again. This was only last month too.”

“Well, I guess they’re back together again. She told me I should tell you that too. Is that why you blocked her? Cause she was being too annoying?”

“No. She obviously loves the guy, she just needed someone to slap some sense into her. I’m surprised she apologized though.”

“Me too, guess she’s really changed. Are you going to unblock her? I think she genuinely feels bad.”

“She should after what she said.”

Courtney waits patiently to see if he would tell her, and just like last time, he does. There were no secrets between the two. Duncan just had a bad habit of forgetting to tell her things that he didn’t think was important.

“She said some shit about you and I got pissed.”

“Typical. Well I don’t care what she thinks. I can’t believe she would talk about me and expect me to help her.”

Her phone buzzes and she can’t help but roll her eyes at the message. It was from Heather again, unbelievable.

Heather: By the way, you’re both invited to my engagement party.

Five-

Courtney learned long ago that she could only count on herself. She learned that the hard way after she started drifting apart from her sister and her parents were no help. Admittedly, part of it is her fault too. They were always interested in different things, it was hard to find common ground.

Things started to change on her birthday. She gets a call from Cate and maybe it’s because they’re older now, but they reconnect. She’s grateful that she at least has one family member she can count on.

The two sisters become inseparable and they tell each other everything. Today was no different.

“I can’t stand him sometimes, but I love him.”

“He’s a good guy Court. You know, I still haven’t thanked him yet.”

“Thank him for what?”

“For bringing us together.”

“What are you going on about Cate?”

“While mom and dad were going through their divorce he reached out to me and asked how I was doing. He told me that you didn’t take it very well and he suggested that we talk about it. I put it off for months. I didn’t know what to say, but then it was your birthday and I knew this was my chance to say something without it being totally awkward. Now here we are.”

“He did that?”

“He did. He really loves you big sis. You picked a good one.”

She smiles at that. It’s true. She didn’t fall for a bad boy after all.

A bonus-

She used to think he ruined her life, turns out he made it so much better. Well, until now.

She almost hangs up at him when she got the phone call. The only reason she didn’t is because her stupid heart told her she still loves him. She really should’ve expected this. He went to juvie, he had a record, why wouldn’t he end up in jail again?

“Princess are you still there?”

“You wanna tell me why you’re locked up? Again!”

“How was I supposed to know I wasn’t allowed to walk inside?”

“The door was locked and it was someone else’s home!”

“Well they need a better security system, that was way too easy.”

“I’m going to hang up on you.”

“Wait! I’m kidding. Sorry, can you please just come bail me out.”

“I’ll think about it.”

She hangs up the phone then screams into the closest throw pillow. It was supposed to be their date night and now her date was in jail. He is never going to hear the end of this once she bails him out. She was all dressed up and now she was going to waste it by going to a detention center.

She was still fuming as she gave the address to the Uber driver. She didn’t even notice that she had arrived until the driver told her so. Except she was definitely not where she needed to be. She was in a neighborhood with nice houses up and down the block. Duncan must’ve given her the address of the house he broke into instead. Great. She was just about to figure out how to call Duncan back when the phone rings again.

“Are you here yet Princess?”

“I thought you only get one phone call.”

“I took another guy’s turn. Where are you at?”

“I’m at the house you tried to break into. You gave me the wrong address!”

“Shit. Sorry, it’s right down the street. Just cut across the park and you should be there.”

“You’re in so much trouble when I get there!”

She had to take a deep breath and calm herself before she started walking. He is so lucky she loves him.

When she enters the park, bright lights catch her attention. She wants to look away, but the path is along the lights. She stops when she reaches the bridge. There he was standing in the middle smiling at her. She heads toward him already asking a bunch of questions, but he doesn’t answer any of it. Instead he pulls her close and kisses her. When her eyes open he’s kneeling on the ground with a ring.

“Courtney, I love you. You’re my favorite girl and I know that everything that happened in my past lead me to you. I know I can be myself around you and still be accepted. We have our ups and downs, and I know I don’t deserve you, but I love you. There’s no one else I can count on without fear of judgement. You’re my princess, marry me?”

“Yes! Of course it’s a yes! I love you too and that’s all that matters.”

She brings him up to kiss him again then he slips the ring on her finger. It fit perfectly.

“You know, you really had me worried.”

“I’m not dumb enough to get caught. I left that life behind me anyways.”

“No, not that. I was worried that you were going to lose your good reputation.”

“Did I scare you that badly? My reputation is anything but good Court.”

“Oh I don’t know Dunkie, I think there are a few people who would say otherwise.”

A/N- There probably could’ve been a better title... anyways, 5 times Courtney finds out Duncan changes someone’s life for the better and the one time he changes her life for the better. (Alternatively you can say that she changes his life for the bonus as well).

[she-who-the-river-could-not-hold]

Writing Process Tag Game

Tagged by the totally delightful @raven-reyes-of-sunshine thank you dear! 🖤

Answer 10 questions about your writing process, then tag 10 writers whose process you want to know more about. The point of this game is to have fun.

1. How do you get your story ideas? How do you know when something is worth writing and when it’s just a fleeting thought or fantasy? Tell us the origin story of one of your past or current WIPs.

I’m super inspired by movies, especially super genre ones. I actually used to never watch a lot of TV so a lot of my inspiration either comes from books or movies. But I’m also usually inspired by anything as cliche as it sounds!

If it’s worth writing it usually needs to be something I can see in my mind. Again with the movie stuff - I need to feel like I can watch it in my head and write it out. If I can’t see it, I don’t write it. But I usually also have too many ideas so I try to make sure I’m stoked enough to try to finish it.

I have three current WIPs - my Western one was initially inspired by The Magnificent Seven. My X-Files AU for Lumax has been bouncing around my head for a while and I’m finally getting that one written (the inspo is pretty obvious hahaha). And my Bellarke soulmark AU is inspired by all of the other awesome soulmate fics with a bit of inspo of my own relationship sprinkled in asfkdsjfklsdj.

2. What are your writing tools of choice? Are you picky? Do you have specific brands you like? If you have neuroses in this department, we want to hear about them.

I mainly just use Pages on my laptop and then will jot notes down on my phone if they hit me randomly! But I don’t have any particular feelings towards anything in particular. 

3. Where and when do you write? Morning? Dead of night? Your bedroom? The park? Paint us a picture of your usual surroundings when you sit down to write.

I tend to write whenever, but most often in the evenings! I usually sit at my counter in the kitchen and just write away, though if I have a slower day at work I’ll try to sneak in a little bit! Occasionally in my room but I spend most of my time at the counter.

4. Do you ever encounter writer’s block? If so, how do you overcome it? Any tips to pass on to other writers reading this?

Loooolll all of the time. It’s probably why I’ve written so many things, I’ll jump on something else when I feel like one project is just giving me fits. Since I only do this for fun, I let it ride out and either switch to gif making or a different fic! It’s not worth the frustration for me. Idk if that counts as a tip hahaha. Let yourself be stuck but then look for inspiration in other places to inspire you.

5. Do you outline? If no, why not? If yes, what kind of outlines do you make, and at what point in your writing process do you make them?

For multi-chapter fics I’ll outline. Usually some type of bulleted lists of the main plot points and action that need to happen, maybe some quotes I’ve already thought of. I’ve outlined a couple one shots before too but if they’re shorter I’ll let them flow as is. I really enjoy outlining at the start though because it helps me get in the mindset of the story and fully see it as I go. Also since I like to hop around while I write and not in order, it helps me figure out which scenes to work on while not messing up my earlier stuff.

6. When and how do you edit? After the first draft? During? Do you have a method, or is it kind of a free-for-all?

Mmmmmmmmm I don’t edit nearly enough. I’ll usually do one or two read throughs and then post it. I’m not as concerned about editing but I want to get a little better at it. 

7. Is there anything about your writing process that other people might consider to be unique or weird?

I think one time someone told me it was weird I wrote my endings early on in my work? I usually have an exact idea of how I want to end things so it’s something I write early on and struggle with the middle. 

8. Do you ever take breaks from writing? For how long do these breaks feel rejuvenating, or do they stress you out? Give us a sense of what life is like when you’re not writing.

The breaks usually are random and sporadic depending on my mood or if life and work are too much hahaha. I juggle a shit ton of things in my life and sometimes writing goes by the wayside since it’s just something I do for fun!

9. When do you first start writing? Why? What’s changed since then, if anything?

Oh man I don’t even remember. I’ve been writing for as long as I can remember. I would write all sorts of random stories, usually about witches or teenage girls who were spies. It’s probably from being an only child, all I did was make up stories. I co-wrote a book with a friend in seventh grade. And then in high school I took two semesters of creative writing. But once I got to college I stopped so it wasn’t until almost six years later I started writing again and that’s what you see here! 

10. Anything else you want to tell us about your writing process?

I guess for me the ideas are like mini movies or shows that play in my head and it’s my job to transcribe them for you. It’s why I love writing action and describing things, I want it to feel like you’re watching it play out in your head as well!

Tagging: @summer-in-hawkins, @el-and-hop, @formerlyjannafaye, @michael-hearteyes-wheeler, @the-most-beautiful-broom, @elizabthturner, @janes-mike