#like fanfic can be hard work

[not-poignant]

random genuine question. how do you write a book? I've written multiple fanfics successfully and want to be a full time author nothing too crazy but just enough to make a good living. But I'm finding myself stuck when it comes to executing my original ideas. I plan them out well but when it comes to the acts/chapters and actually writing I can't seem to pull the trigger. I understand it takes time and I may just be overthinking but still I'm worried I won't be able to execute.

Hi anon,

You are probably better off asking someone who writes books for a living, because I definitely don't, and when I did publish two novels, they have never done as well as my serials (and writing a serial is very different - for me at least - to writing a book). Like, they did moderately well, but I consider myself a professional serial writer and not a novelist, and those two things are 100% not the same thing. (Which is also maybe where you're struggling.

Writing fanfics successfully can often have zero bearing on whether you can (or want to) write a novel. Writing one is not writing the other! The processes are totally different, unless you were just writing novels and splitting them up into serial chapters and then, well, you wouldn't be here asking this question sdalkfjad)

There are some great novel-writing books out there, and many can be requested through libraries, and many of their authors have blogs or similar where they teach many of their techniques online. There are so many different ways of structuring a novel (and it can change depending on your genre, and I don't know what your genre is either!) I can't recommend any personally, because I don't read them, because I don't really write novels.

When it comes to actually sitting down and actually writing anything of length though, it's sometimes down to asking yourself a few things:

What feelings are happening in you that hold you back? Are you afraid it won't be good? (In which case there's no way but through, anon, you have to write some bad writing in order to get to the good writing, it's a mandatory part of the practice - a garden needs shit/manure in order to grow, lol).

Are you bored because you planned it all out? (In which case you may need to look into writing novels without plotting them first).

Are you more excited for future chapters instead of present chapters? (Write out of order! And make the present chapters shorter).

Are you more interested in fanfiction's regular feedback from readers? (In which case consider creating a reader group for your original writing, or finding a really good beta who can give you that feedback). (I can't get dopamine from writing novels, so I don't write them, I just find the process boring in a way that's pretty intolerable to me).

Is the novel too huge of a road into meeting your characters and setting/s in prose? (Consider writing small oneshots for your characters and world first. Consider writing side characters in the world in a 2-3k fic. Treat it like responding to a fanfiction challenge. It can often make access to the world a little easier).

Is something about the story actually broken? Do you need to go back to the drawing board re: the strengths of the characters?

Learn how to fall in love with your characters the way you've fallen in love with fanfic characters. If they're not strong enough to earn that 'love'/'obsession' - make them stronger. (Although, frankly, sometimes you can only learn that love by writing them. Think of it this way: When you start writing fanfiction, you've already invested hours of time into learning the characters and their depth. You need to invest at least the same amount into your own characters and their stories before you might stumble across that same love).

Outside of that you can apply any number of techniques to novel writing, but ultimately, a lot of it is sitting down and just writing (sometimes pretty terribly) and learning how to overcome writer's block and understanding why it's happening for you.

For me, I learned that the cons of writing novels just didn't outweigh the pros. The lack of dopamine feedback re: readers doesn't play well with my unmedicated ADHD brain, which means writing to no feedback at all tends to leave me extremely unmotivated. And fitting the novel formula re: story lengths ultimately just didn't work with me either, most of my long stories naturally hit or exceed the 250k mark, which is fine for serials, but not fine for most novels outside of epic fantasy or hard science fiction.

So I would also recommend sitting down and asking yourself what did fanfiction give you that made you able to write it? And what do you need novel writing to give you, to make you able to write it? Likewise, ask yourself - do you want to write original novels? Or original serials? There's a good market for both now, and novels =/= serials. Like, they are naturally written in different ways!

Do you think you would struggle to write an original serial the same way that you're struggling with novels? All of these things are important to ask yourself.

But ultimately, just... I hate to say it, but sometimes you have to force yourself through the struggle, and write stuff while groaning because you know it's bad, to get to the other side. It's like learning any new skill - and fanfiction writing does not naturally lend itself to writing novels with everyone! You are learning a brand new skill!! Just because I know how to draw with pencils doesn't mean I know how to paint with watercolours, and I may be even more intimidated to learn watercolours because I know now how long it took to get the hang of fanfiction. Sometimes you just have to actually sit yourself down and be like 'okay I have to get real good at being real bad at something for a little while, even if I hate it.'

Chances are it won't be as bad as you think anyway, and then even if it is, well that's a normal part of writing a novel. That's why the first draft is the first draft, and not the final product. :)

[nattikay]

friendly reminder that Neteyam is a well-adjusted kid who has a good relationship with his parents, that he tries his darnedest to be a good warrior because he genuinely looks up to his dad and wants to be like him, and that the idea that Jake and Neytiri are "forcing" him to be perfect, that they "stole his childhood" or that he's "not allowed" to be a kid, etc. are all pure fanfiction with little to no evidence in canon thanks bye

[firesmokeandashes]

All the fanfic readers/writers, after finding out they can't read their before-bed fanfics, and escape reality for a little bit, because ao3 is down:

[ao3-crack]

(x)

[factorialsotherfandoms]

"Do you think Philza's okay?"

Fit rolls over to look at Pac, his roommate staring up at the ceiling. He reaches over, cautiously offering his hand. Pac, of course, takes it just as hesitantly.

"Cell's back, maybe after you, and you're worried about Phil?" Okay, so Fit is worried too, but his point is well made. Pac had only told him some of the situation, in whispered tones and terrified whimpers a few hours ago, and he was worrying about someone who was at least safe?

Pac turns his head, and looks Fit dead in the eye. "You're with me. I know you won't let anyone hurt me. But who's with him?"

"He's safe enough," Fit says. "Physically at least."

"He just didn't seem, ah," Pac struggles with his words for a moment. "Well?"

"It's not really my place to say," he replies. "But he's Philza. He'll be fine."

"Will he?" Pac asks, fretting already. "If the Federation is inside his head, making him see things..."

It's a worry Fit has too, one he really doesn't want to think about. He wants to pretend that his old friend is fine, that going and murdering blazes and magma cubes will have fixed everything. He needs to believe it, because the alternative... The alternative is there's nothing he can do.

"Do you really believe him?" Pac asks. "That there was a book there."

"Yes."

"Why?"

Fit sighs, and sits up. He turns on the lamp and stretches, looking around his room of missing texture flooring and ugly walls - the safest place he could think to bring Pac when he heard the news.

"It's not the first time," Fit says. "Phil... He swears it was a dream, that he was just sleeping. He wasn't. Tubbo and me? We checked every corner of his house. He wasn't there. Then he takes us to where he thought he was taken and he swears there's nothing weird about it? But it's full of parrots - they shouldn't have spawned there. Tubbo even found an avocado sapling."

"Philza has a lot of avocados," Pac agrees. "You think the Federation took him?"

"I'm not sure, it's not their usual behaviour," Fit frowns. "But I don't know who else it would be?"

"The codes?"

"Maybe." Fit cracks his head to the side. "But I know Phil. Whatever he saw? It terrified him. And anything that scares Philza Minecraft is nothing you ever want to see."

"Should we ask him if we can visit?" Pac has a calculating look on his face. "I can cry scared all over again, I just need to remember why. And his bunker is very safe. They might look for me in your house, but they'd never think of his."

"Why? Is my company not good enough for you?" Fit is mostly teasing.

Mostly.

"No! No, no, no," Pac waves his hands in a desperate attempt to be understood. "I just... I'm worried, you know?"

"Yeah..." Fit sighs. "Yeah, I'm worried too... I'll ask him."

Pac nods, and Fit types.

You whisper to Ph1LzA: Can I bring Pac over? We might need to stay the night.

Ph1LzA whispers to you: sure mate

Ph1LzA whispers to you: is everything okay?

You whisper to Ph1LzA: We'll explain when we get there

That's the end of that; Fit shows his communicator to Pac, who agrees.

"I'm not really faking the tears," Pac promises, already tearing up. "I just don't think about it, and then it isn't real."

Pac's not the only one acting like that, Fit presumes; Philza's constant denials even with evidence in front of him... Whatever the fuck happened in that forest, it's nothing good. Something so terrible believing his memory is at fault is somehow better.

"To Phil and Missa," Fit reminds Pac, not really needing it.

They warp together, and at the same time.

---

Philza is waiting at the top of the hatch when the pair arrive. To most people he would look entirely normal, but Fit can see the way his eyes flitter as he waves. Pac waves back, while Fit gives his traditional "oi!!!"

Philza laughs, and leads them down into the basement.

"What's up?" he asks the two of them. "Need more toast or something? I thought you were both asleep."

"No, um," Fit looks to Pac, realising they didn't quite work out what to say.

"Bagi told me more about the murders," is what Pac says, his voice dropping very quiet as he does. "She thinks... We think someone from my past is on the island."

"Shit," Philza closes his eyes for a moment. "How bad is it?"

"Last time I saw him," Pac's pace picks up; Fit squeezes his shoulder as he sees panic come in. "Last time... He nearly killed me. And the messages..." Pac grabs the hand on his shoulder and squeezes it back. "Some of them might be addressed to me."

Philza doesn't ask questions, he just glances around his children's bedroom, then looks at Fit. Fit meets his eyes.

Philza sighs, and caves.

"Alright," he says. "Do you want to sleep in Chayanne's room? I can adjust the door to just the three of us, Missa, and my eggs for now."

Fit knows it isn't for Pac's sake that Philza is changing the doors, he knows it for sure.

They get their beds set up, tucked behind the chests where a casual observer cannot see. Philza doesn't have a bed, but Fit makes them for him and Pac, placing them tucked away.

"Would you stay with us?" Fit asks, before his old friend can slip away.

Philza looks genuinely surprised by the request, "why, mate? I'll just be in the eggs' room."

"Safety in numbers, right?" Pac asks, glancing between the two. "I would... Feel safer if you were here too."

Fit knows its a manipulation tactic to convince Philza to stay, to make sure the old crow is not alone. It still rings so very true - and so very against everything ingrained within Fit's soul.

It's fine. For a few nights he can manage it, if its what his two closest friends need.

"Alright," Philza hesitates, but comes over and sits on the edge of Pac's bed. He takes off his backpack, and leans his scythe just in reach. Pac and Fit take the opportunity to remove their prosthetics, hastily reattached to travel over here, and stretch.

When Philza stands again, both of them can see how unstable he looks.

"Let's push our beds together," Fit says. "If we put Pac between us, there isn't an angle they can get him from."

Philza looks at Fit, and knows exactly what he's doing. Still, Philza crafts up a third bed, and squishes it between the two.

He nearly falls as he walks around to do it; Fit catches him, helps him steady, but is brushed off before he can say a word.

"Alright," Philza says. "Pac in the middle then. You won't get too warm, will you?"

"I'm Brazilian," Pac says. "It's always too cold here now Mike is gone."

They both see how heavily Philza drops to the bed, curling himself back to Pac and defensively ready. Fit, on his side, curls close to Pac - his one arm over him.

It's not really a surprise how quickly Pac falls asleep, with the sheer trauma and strain of the day on his back. He quickly falls into dreams, and Fit can only hope they are kind.

"Phil," he asks, once he knows Pac is asleep. "Won't you sleep?"

"You needed a guard," Philza says.

"You know we don't. You and I? We'll wake if anything so much as tests the hatch."

It's true, and they both know it.

Philza, however, doesn't speak.

At least, not for a long time; Fit considers conversation a lost cause and is about to give up and call this good enough when he hears Philza again, voice broken just like it was in the garden.

"If I sleep, will I wake?" is what Philza asks, whispered almost silently. "How will I know when the world is real again? What will I see this time?"

"I'll make sure you wake up," Fit promises, because he can. "And I'll do something to make you absolutely certain its really me."

"Promise?"

Philza sounds so weak, so small like this. Fit... Fit cannot stand it, not at all. He reaches a little further, and manages to put his hand on Phil's shoulder.

Philza's own hand reaches over, clinging to it.

"I promise," Fit says. "We'll wake you if we leave. We won't let anything weird happen, its just sleep."

Philza turns, and his eyes do not seem to trust Fit. But they are also exhausted, and desperate, and terrified.

"Go to sleep, Phil. I won't until you do."

"I'm sorry," Philza whispers, sounding absolutely broken. "Thank you. Both of you. I know... I'm sorry."

Fit squeezes his shoulder again.

"It'll be alright," Fit replies. "I've got you. I've got both of you. It's going to be okay."

Nothing else is said before they eventually fall asleep.

[stiffyck]

are you guys tired after liking a post? is reblogging it too much work? poor you.

[flecks-of-stardust]

wholeheartedly and with as much gentleness as possible, i truly think there needs to be more discussion about downpour in the community as it is now. for a variety of reasons.

[overthinkinglotr]

oh wow, great to find someone else enjoying Fairmeadow!! amazing art, and I've loved the worldbuilding/designs for Goma and the orcs.

Yay another Fairmeadow fan! A friend recently recommended it to me and I now recommend it to anyone else looking for good thoughtful fantasy webcomics that play with the genre's conventions. :3 Here's the pitch for the other people reading this post who haven't read Fairmeadow yet: "An orcish warrior joins an isolated pacifist commune-- can she learn to live alongside those she swore to fight?"

Goma, a wayward Orcish soldier, finds herself in Fairmeadow, a commune of pacifists deep in the Cascadian wilderness. Isolation has allowed the commune to thrive in the shadow of a century-long war, but Goma’s arrival brings troubling reminders of the world outside to those who have settled there in search of respite.  Fairmeadow’s enigmatic leader, Sanctuary, finds his utopian vision challenged as he struggles to keep the peace. Their self-sufficiency exists on thin margins - margins that threaten to break if Goma cannot learn to live alongside those who she has sworn to fight.  Fairmeadow is a post-epic fantasy drama inspired by the counter-cultural movements of the late 60’s, the landscapes of the Pacific Northwest, and tabletop RPG’s. It’s about the collision of idealism against pragmatism, reckoning with the consequences of dropping out, and trying to make its readers want to go on a hike.

It also has gorgeous art, especially the landscapes/backgrounds! I've noticed a lot of webcomic artists are either good at drawing expressive characters or expressive backgrounds, but this artist is great at both. The worldbuilding is conveyed pretty subtly/naturally through dialogue, and the good writing in combination with the beautiful detailed background illustrations really helps sell the story's fantasy world as a 'real' place. It's also pretty queer, though it's far more focused on 'the emotional and societal consequences of war' than on romance. tl;dr: I know half of all fantasy webcomics try to do a 'what if the monsters/orcs were Sympathetic" storyline, but this is genuinely one of the best-written examples of that!

[kawaiikissable]

Pink

"She guessed my favorite color first try. But between you and me... I didn't even have a favorite color until she yelled out 'Yellow!' She was excited and smiling like a little kid. So I told her she was right, and I haven't seen yellow the same since. It's in everything. I could probably live in it now."

Word Count: 3,772 Archive Warnings: No archive warnings apply Rating:  GA Pairing(s): Chrissy Cunningham/Eddie Munson Character(s): Chrissy Cunningham, Laura Cunningham, Phillip Cunningham, Chrissy Cunningham's Brother, Eddie Munson Tags:  Inspired by Roleplay/Roleplay Adaptation, Sappy, Falling In Love, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Chrissy Cunningham Lives, POV Chrissy Cunningham, Chrissy Cunningham Loves Eddie Munson, Chrissy Cunningham is a Sweetheart

Summary: Love has always been such a strange thing in Chrissy's life. Her parents seemed to be in love, but they fought all the time. If that was what love was, how could she explain what she felt for Eddie? Was she in love with Eddie Munson? How do you know what love even means?

Fic by @kawaiikissable

[youchangedmedestiel]

Since summer is short and goes by quickly, I'm considering posting two chapters a week for my WIP.

I hope you don't mind. Well, in any case it's more content for you. I hope to be able to keep the pace though but if I don't do that it'll be over towards the end of September and it's not really summer anymore. At least in my mind. I'm putting pressure on myself, but I'd really like to get it done before school starts or something like that.

I'll keep you posted about any update anyway.

My offer still stands if some people are interested in me doing a tag list. You can dm me or tell me in the comments or send me an ask.

[skania]

The way Kishi makes a fool of Kakashi here though.

By this point, she has outright admitted that there’s absolutely nothing she can do for Sasuke, so those words are moot.

Kakashi also says that her feelings for Sasuke have “changed” and that they’re “on a whole different level”, yet her behavior is exactly the same from when she was twelve.

Kishi could’ve chosen so many ways to show actual progression to back Kakashi up, but he chose not to.

Not to mention, Kishi has Sasuke himself expose the clownery chapters later 🤡

Then we have Kakashi preaching about how she supposedly didn’t “want” nor “try” to make Sasuke hers —

Only for Kishi to confirm in the Gaiden that she chased after Sasuke even after Sasuke was saved by Naruto. So she very much wanted and tried to make him hers (🤡) and her novel (for those who take them into account) only makes it worse because it shows she wouldn’t take no for an answer.

But the worst offender is the fact that Kishi has Kakashi say that you don’t need a reason to love someone, because what undoes Sasuke in the end is understanding the reason Naruto goes so far for him.

So Kishi really grabbed Kakashi and made the poor man spout a bunch of non-sense to save-face since SS was going to be canon, but it’s obvious that not even Kishi himself believed any of it 🤡

[bluewindfall]

Chapters: 2/? Fandom: Ao no Exorcist | Blue Exorcist Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Okumura Rin & Okumura Yukio Characters: Okumura Yukio, Okumura Rin Additional Tags: Post-Canon, Mystery, Aged-Up Character(s), major spoilers for chapter 139 and 140 of the manga, Canon-Typical Violence, Canonical Character Death, descriptions of blood and violence, Time Travel, Character Death, Murder, Slice of Life, sort of a case fic, with angst, Fluff, hand wavy space time whatever, food and other love languages, and a hopeful ending Summary:

A cold case Shiro once investigated is assigned to Rin nearly twenty years later. The toll of missing exorcists is rising, yet it’s a case ridden with corruption and unspoken secrets.

An unidentified, high-level demon appears at the airport— wielding a sword Yukio knows.

He sinks to one knee, leaning close enough for a few strands of his bangs to graze Yukio’s forehead. There is no warmth in his eyes, yet the lack of it is haunting. 

 “Two years is a long time. A lot can change.”

[hecatesbroom]

We all know that most fics tend to get more kudos than comments, right? Way more. But I've been scrolling through my ao3 stats lately and noticed something that took me by surprise: my fics tend to get more bookmarks than comments too.

Which— okay. I'm not complaining. I really really appreciate the fact that people love my fics enough to bookmark them: they want to return to this piece of writing! I feel honoured whenever I see that number go up by 1, because who would've thought??

But there are so so so many people who apparently love my stuff enough to bookmark it without leaving a single "hey! I loved this!"

The lack of interaction genuinely makes me feel a little sad? I love that people bookmark my fics, seriously. I get that people don't have a lot to say. I'm a pretty verbose person myself and even I had to develop a sort of formula for commenting. But even a simple "this was great!" or "I really loved [insert line]" can mean a lot to a writer.

Maybe you feel like your opinion isn't worth much, or who would like to hear your words anyway? but I can assure you that for every name I've seen on my fics (either in the kudos or in bookmarks) I've been so incredibly curious about the person behind it. I want to know about you! What did you like? What made you click that bookmark button? Who knows — I might think of that thing you said when I'm writing my next thing, and write an extra little bit with you in the back of my mind. It's happened before!

And it means a writer doesn't end up looking at stats like this:

You write something, you spend hours of free time on it, you work up the courage to publish it online, and then people read it and clearly love it — and most of them never reach out to tell you.

[good-beanswrites]

Added my Double drabble to Lights, Camera, Sing Your Sins! I snuck it into chapter 2 so I figured I'd make a quick post with it here :)

“Hey, stop bumping me.”

“You’re bumping me – I can’t see!”

“Just scooch over.”

“My toes!”

Mikoto looked back at the group of prisoners huddled around him, packed tightly so that they could peer over his shoulder at the monitors. His hand paused from where it had been sweeping the stylus around, rearranging his latest creation.

“It’s not that exciting guys,” he laughed. “Let me at least show you some of the finished pieces, I’m sure this is boring…” 

Not that the other pictures were that exciting, either. He pulled up the other frames he’d been busy editing. There came a chorus of oohs and ahhs, but Mikoto knew it was just out of obligation. He flicked through a few of them as quickly as he could.

It was the type of art he loved to do (with some input from Red now and then) but it didn’t really suit any of the other prisoners’ tastes. He’d heard enough questions about his field to know it wasn’t all that impressive to most people. 

Sure enough, Kazui squinted at the screen. “You made all these?” he asked. “Like, you drew them?”

“Er…in a way. I drew some of the elements, and had to do some work to make the effects look right. And the color coordination takes time too.” He scratched the back of his head. “I know it doesn’t look like much…”

When he glanced over, though, Kazui’s expression was one of awe. “No, no, you’re very talented!”

Haruka’s finger tapped the screen. “Can you go back to that one?”

Mikoto clicked back to a photo of himself sitting on one of the train benches. It was meant to depict Red, made abundantly clear by the blood spatter, colored eyes, and savior label that had been placed with much deliberation. Blue had insisted on it, though Red only agreed with the addition of quotations. Their guilty verdict had been crushing for both of them (though not wholly unexpected), so it was important to show all sides of them, now.

Although it had been one of his favorites when working on it, he suddenly wondered if his personal flair had gotten out of hand. It was hardly distinguishable as the original shot, with too many textures and additions obscuring everything.

Fuuta whistled. “Man, that looks sick. You should have done my video…”

“Mine too!” Mahiru said. “I love the bright colors you’re using in all of these. And the paper and ink just looks so crafty!”

Kotoko leaned in to get a better look. “I really like the focus on the eyes here.” 

“O-oh, thanks!” He could feel his chin lift at the commentary. “I got the idea a bit ago… it’s kind of a running thing now? I drew some of them here –” he scrolled though a few frames. “And a scribble over the face here to keep the theme going. Little ones here, a string of them like this. Heh, I drew about a thousand different eye designs to get any actually liked. Then I have these big ones, see? I’m debating on including a blue version, too, but maybe I’m going overboard. I think Jackalope might have a heart attack, seeing all this crap.” 

“He’ll get over it.” Yuno answered his joking smile with a genuine one. “I’m so glad you’re having fun with these. It’s all very… you.”

Mikoto’s gaze fell onto the last frame he’d pulled up: another messy one of Red filled with pink and blue, with the text save you repeated nearby.

“It’s both of us.”

[pama-saga]

I have to tell y'all, if you make fanart I will appreciate it forever, even if it's a damn scribble or if the character is 50 gazillion degrees different I will still enjoy it

[ssreeder]

This is about the Pinterest art,

It wasn’t that one, but it was just from liab (presumably these: the first time sokka talks to zuko when he’s on suppressants, prince dishwasher, and zuko saying goodbye to sokka at the last zhao capture)

( https://pin.it/21GXoifJO )

(Idk if that works so I tried to describe it)

it unfortunately is most likely repost tho sorry 😕

Yes! I have seen that Pinterest post before with all the “wallpapers” (aka: stolen art)

that AMAZING ART is by the wonderful @15w11h2o

I love this art so much! If you wanna show the actual artist some love reblog it from them and gush in their tags <3