#love all of the art and fanfiction going around that's helping us all process

[crookshanks23]

Newest episode thoughts incoming.

So I actually got to do the live listen this time, since I'm off for summer break. I'll get to do two or three more throughout July, which is exciting. But I kind of wish that I hadn't had all of the extra distractions. I usually crawl into bed at the end of my work day after dinner and listen without anything else going on.

On to the episode:

First of all, Willy controlling the other dads with the collars is still blowing my mind. It makes sense that he would mimic that from season 1, but it also feels a little bit out of nowhere. We haven't seen or heard from the kiddads since "The Staircase", so it feels a bit out of left field.

And boy do I want to hear that fight and know more about how that went down. Willy overpowered all four of them? I mean, sure, he's a powerful dude, but it still blows me away.

After the opening and understanding that Terry Jr is being controlled, there's mostly just a lot of planning of how they're going to get into this other building with the Papa John people (why are they back??? They weren't in the city before - what the heck is the anchor that's in there???) before we get to the crazy ending that has my brain reeling.

It's a bit of a crazy plan, and it doesn't go well. At the end of all of this, they still haven't gotten into the place they need to get, Grant has killed Terry, and the party is split. Taylor, normal, and Link are all on the ground, and Hermie and Terri are still on the roof. And the Black Parade, which had decided that Terry was their leader, is now leaderless again.

And what was Nick doing this whole time??? Hopefully some awesome subterfuge that helps them all out next time.

The last time somebody (Tony Pepperoni) died on the show, they did a time jump. We can't do that here. (Please don't do that here). That means these teens just don't get any time to process what they just witnessed. Heck, technically the boys on the ground didn't see anything. They just would have heard the gunshot.

While there is a big part of me that wants Normal to cast Revivify, one, he can't exactly do that from his position on the ground, and two, I do kind of want this death to matter narratively. It feels like if he were to cast it, the death would have no weight. I guess that's a problem with the rules of D&D in general.

I don't know where this is headed, and I don't know how they're going to get the next anchor. This one should be the last one, right? Does that mean we're in the end game? Numbers-wise, if they were planning for this season to be as long as the first, we'd only be about halfway there.

Is Willy going to see Terri as she is right now? He still didn't want Terry Jr (or the other dads, presumably) to hurt her. Huh. That's making me realize a couple of things: 1. Willy knows that she didn't actually kill the other teens. Otherwise, how would he know to tell the kiddads to shoot them? So, 2. That means he knows that Scary lied to him and still doesn't want to hurt her. He needs her for something. I've been assuming that he plans to sacrifice her (or some equivalent), so my guess is that explains why he wouldn't be upset by her betrayal.

This episode has truly blown my mind. So many twists and turns with this one. I am excited to see what happens next.

[topazadine]

Writing Post Masterlist

All my posts about writing - plus some I absolutely loved by other writers.

Masterlists by Other People (all good)

"Writing Tips Masterpost" by @deception-united - Deception-United has an incredibly wealth of resources available, far more comprehensive and detailed than mine. Go check it out!

"WQA Post Master Lists" by @writingquestionsanswered - Another fantastic and wonderfully comprehensive resource that covers damn near everything you need to know about writing. Genuinely one of the best free resources on writing that you could find on the internet.

General Advice for a Happy Writing Life

"The Myth of the Martyr Artist" - An incredibly important post, perhaps my most important one ever, that discusses why mental illness is a burden, not a benefit. I have no idea why this even needs to be said, but it does, apparently.

"Advice to Beginner Writers: The Good, the Bad, and the Unpleasant" - How long it takes to become a good writer, what to focus on when learning, and why fanfic is such a useful tool.

"Mindset Shifts: Fanfiction -> Original Fiction" - What fanfic writers should know about deciding to take on original characters and stories.

"Defeating Protracted Writer's Block" - What to do when you find it impossible to write for days, weeks, or months at a time.

"Five Common Anxieties of Newbie Writers, Demystified" - Explorations of five mindsets that can set younger writers back as they learn their craft, including overcompetitiveness, overdescribing, and fearing they're "too old."

"Good Motivations for Continuing to Write" - Why it is crucial to have a passion for writing beyond fame and fortune.

"Extremely controversial writing opinions that will make you mad (but I'm going to say them anyway)" - Things you really don't want to hear, but need to be said. A bit of tough love, including the insignificance of ideas, the cold hard truth about how non-writers react to your writing, and the essentiality of having a well-rounded life.

"Why Mindfulness Is a Key Practice for Writers" - On the need to slow down and let our brain rest - plus some options that are categorically not sitting there in dead silence (boring).

"Writing When Happy" - Wherein I hijack someone's question to discuss the Myth of the Martyr Artist, why we might self-limit because of it, and how to do the impossible: write when we're happy.

"The Neurodivergent Writer’s Guide to Fun and Productivity" by @bookishdiplodocus - Excellent advice on how enjoying the process and reminding yourself that writing is supposed to be fun can help you stay motivated and productive, even when your brain is not cooperating.

"The Glorification of Self-Deprecation in Art/Writing Spaces" by @nicolkoutoulakiauthor - I've discussed before how crucial it is to have a healthy self-esteem when writing, but Nicol does it even better here. Nicol also includes some excellent reframing tactics so you can stay motivated.

Generalish Writing Advice (multifactorial)

"'How Do I Start Writing?'" (Or; A Psychoanalysis of Newbie Writer Fears) - Inspired by the dozens of Reddit posts that ask this exact same thing, often with useless responses. So why do people ask this? I offer my theory.

"How to improve your writing style : a 5-steps guide" by @writer-logbook - Especially great information on why reading widely is so helpful for your craft!

"Some Writing Advice" by @whispers-whump - Especially great discussion of why you shouldn't write what you mean.

"Practical Writing Advice Part 2" by @so-many-ocs - Does what it says on the tin. Simple, easy-to-follow advice that can break you out of writer's block.

"25 Prose Tips for Writers" by @thewriteadviceforwriters - I absolutely love the emphasis on sound and harmony here. As someone whose entire book series revolves around the magic of poetry, of course I think this is incredibly important advice!

"Pacing and Show Don't Tell" by @mylordshesacactus - Two for one deal! First, learn more about why pacing is important; then, look at some examples of the classic advice "show, don't tell." The post does a great job on breaking down what show don't tell actually means and what is not a violation of this guideline so that newer writers aren't confused.

Writing tools

"How to Build a Sustainable Writing Habit Through SCIENCE (Fuck Off, NaNoWriMo)" - Why NaNoWriMo doesn't actually motivate young writers and how to do better through a spreadsheet (yes, really, a spreadsheet). It also explains the importance of intrinsic motivation!

"'I've Outlined Too Much and Now I Can't Write!' (Or: the Double Outline Method for Overanxious Plotters)" - Some of us tend to go absolutely ham on our outlines, to the point where they're practically their own books. But then we also tend to not actually do the writing attached to said outline. Does this mean outlining is useless? Of course not. My method lets you have your outline and eat it too. (.... Wait.)

Worldbuilding

"Stop Making Everything So Damn Complicated!" - Why fantasy (and scifi) does not need to be dizzyingly intricate to be enjoyable.

"Grounded vs. Airy Fantasy" by @aethersea - Excellent breakdown of different levels of groundedness in fantasy and why it's important to understand your own approach.

"Fantasy Guide to Building a Culture" by @inky-duchess - Thorough and methodical analysis of what can create a compelling fantasy culture, including those things that many fail to think about when writing.

"Writing tip - Research" by @pygmi-cygni - Fantastic assessment of the importance of research, including for fantasy stories. As Pygmi-Cygni said, a lot of people claim that they don't need to do any research for fantasy novels, which isn't true! Any parallels to IRL need to be realistic, or you will lose credibility.

Plotting

"How to Find a Plot When All You Have is Characters and Setting" by @rheas-chaos-motivation - This is a common problem for many writers, when you have cool characters or an intriguing setting. This short post can help you kickstart your ideas for how to create an intriguing plot that has built-in tension.

Description

"Remembering Perspective When Writing Descriptions" - Key factors to think about when describing other characters or settings from your POV.

"Description, Momentum, and Tension; Or, How Not to Bore a Reader" - Why, when, and where to put description so that people don't skip over it. Hopefully.

"Writing Notes: Seasons" - Each season has both benefits and downsides. In this post, we look at the negatives and positive aspects of each so you can decide how a particular season may strengthen your themes - plus some descriptions to help inspire you.

"How to Write Smut?" by @unfriendlywriter - Wonderful examples of how to write heartstopping smut.

"How to pull off descriptions" by @fictionstudent - Fictionstudent has a ton of great posts, both about film analysis and about the art of writing. I especially liked this one because it discusses how important perspective is for descriptions and the importance of filling in the details as a character would rather than just throwing it all at the reader at one time.

"How to avoid White Room Syndrome" by @writerthreads - Fantastic and focused advice on how to ensure you're offering readers just enough setting to help them envision the world.

Characterization

"Writing Relatable Characters; Or, Using Human Failures to Your Advantage" - Explaining how you can use character flaws and human needs to create a relatable character. Also explains the basic development of a plot, which is about equilibrium.

"How NOT to Write a Character" - Wherein I give you some examples of annoying characters we want to punt off a cliff so you can watch yourself.

"Writing Strong Female Characters" - Why you should give your female characters a secret goal, as well as how to avoid common 'strong female' stereotypes.

"Writing Compelling Trauma in Fiction: Dos and Don'ts" - How to avoid melodrama and create intriguing emotional wounds for characters.

"Quality Assurance Checks for Character Development" - Thought exercises that can help you differentiate characters, prune down unnecessary characters, develop true chemistry between LI and MC, and avoid having too many POVs.

"Developing Character Agency (Or; Cutting the Plot Strings)" - A discussion of character agency and how to ensure your characters are not bound by the narrative.

"Writing Notes: Thought Distortions" by @literaryvein-reblogs - Some psychological concepts you can use in your writing to add depth to characters.

"Questions about your character’s perspective on love and relationships" by @luna-azzurra - Excellent questions that can help you delve into your character's attachment style, what baggage they may bring to a current relationship, and how to create conflict through mentality.

"How to Write a Confession of Love," also by luna-azzurra - Perfect discussion of how to create tension, the utility of setting, not making it perfect, and including the other character's response.

Revisions

"Common Writing Issues that Reduce Readability" - Examples of fixes for four common issues: double describing, long sentences, overexplaining, and head hopping.

"Differential Diagnosis When Your Writing Is Getting Worse" by @ariaste - Fantastic explanation by a professional writer about why you might feel like your writing is getting worse and what to do about it.

"How to Make Your Writing Less Stiff Part 3" by @physalian - Physalian's whole blog has some excellent advice, so definitely give it a look!

"How to Improve Your Writing" - Also by literaryvein-reblogs, this offers some excellent exercises to help with sentence-level issues, such as modifiers, parallelism, and details.

Publishing

"How to promote your book online : a discussion about social media (and few tips)" by writer-logbook - Great tips about how to get more interest in your book. I especially enjoyed the emphasis on patience and consistency. Writer-logbook has some excellent info overall about the nitty-gritty of writing, so I definitely recommend poring through their blog in general. (That's why they're included here twice!)

Specific Research Advice

"Assassination Methods Through the Decades: A Writer’s Handbook" by @hayatheauthor - A thorough review of different assassination methods, including a section discussing common assassination methods by region!

"How to Write Someone in a Wheelchair" - A group effort! This is a reblog chain discussing body language in manual wheelchairs, the mechanics of power wheelchairs, wheelchair propulsion methods, and a reminder that just because someone is in a wheelchair doesn't mean they can't walk short distances.

"Writing Research Notes: Caves" - Oh caves how I love them. Caves. Let me tell you about them if you want to write about caves. Blessed.

"Writing Research Notes: Horses" - A beginner's guide to horse mindsets, whether horses like working, approaching horses, how to ride, and tips on training.

"Writing Research Notes: Bipolar Disorder" - Written by me, a writer with bipolar disorder! This shares basic facts about bipolar, offers a list of symptoms you can use, and cautions you against spreading misinformation through poor characterization or myths.

"Stop Doing This in Injury Fics!" by @pygmi-says-hi - Discusses some common errors when writing whump/angst. The fever part was especially helpful for me!

"Writing US Military Characters" by @lookbluesoup - An explanation of the habits and mentality of US military characters. Many of these were quite helpful for my fantasy military characters, so you can get a lot of mileage out of these for soldiers in other militaries too!

Little Funsies

"What Painting Style Is Your Writing?" - A short exploration of different writing styles to help you better understand your own approach.

I'll be adding onto this as I continue to scroll through my old likes and, of course, as I find more resources.

[koimethehorizon]

Fionna and Cake theory: Simon the Artist

Nothing like a good old creative panic attack.

Fionna and Cake good. Haven’t been excited about a show like this in a long time, though it being a part of Adventure Time does help quite a bit. I was holding on to some cautious optimism for the show when it was announced as yet another big IP series covering the multiverse (still waiting to groan at THAT scene where Prismo has to explain to us about there being infinite universes), but as usual, Adventure Time’s crew continues to surprise me with its creativity, humor, and thematic resonance.

The most striking part about Fionna and Cake so far is just how deliberately the show wants us to differentiate it from the original Adventure Time.

We’re getting shots where Simon pops an artery from his arm, a theme song that explicitly talks about suicidal ideation, discussions of rent and financial problems, and curses no longer disguised with AT’s usual dialogue. Adventure Time has always had violence, thematic density, and juvenile rating pushers, but they were always reserved at small points. Meanwhile, these are factors that are just casually shown and discussed in Fionna and Cake every 3 minutes or so. This is not an all-ages miniseries, it’s for young adults. (hint: this will be relevant later)

Let’s get right into it. This is much less a speculative lore theory and more on what thematic direction the story may be going.

Before we do, let’s get this out of the way first. This theory assumes that the current Fionna and Cake world is all a part of Simon’s head and not merely a separate multiverse, which… I’m certain is fact for the following reasons.

The immediately obvious piece is that Fionna and Cake was always the Ice King’s fanfiction. Now if you’re versed in AT’s continuity you’re probably going to be asking about the red light in Fionna and Cake + Fionna and… I’ve no answer for it unfortunately. It’ll probably be relevant later in the series and possibly age this post like milk but for now, we’re not here to focus on the how, but the why.

Second is that the intro and the ending of Ep 2 literally show Fionna’s world spilling right out of Simon’s head like an animated world out of a frozen brain. If that isn’t clear enough-

Didn't realize this until writing, but these glasses are just plastic made to look like Betty's

There’s no other explanation for this other than that this world is artificial or influenced by Simon in some sense. Fionna even specifies that the statue went under renovation 12 years ago, but nobody seems to know who it is. Considering how Finn looks in the episode, it’s likely that it’s been that long since Betty’s sacrifice in the finale.

With that out of the way, here it goes.

The reason Fionna and Cake exist in the first place is because the creators found Natasha Allegri’s genderswap designs charming and wanted an in-universe reason to use them the Ice King wanted to create trashy, wish fulfillment through art. It was a phase.

Definitely changed that image for publishing.

Simon can argue if they’re good or bad but it’s undeniably his art. It’s not just a portfolio he left behind in a closet, it’s an experience that was shared with a larger audience.

And even if wasn’t liked at first, the citizens of Ooo seemed to have come around to it. And some of them love it!

Whether Simon likes it or not, he has a fan base that is so endeared to the story he made all those years ago that they demand he makes more. Why let a good story, loved by many, go to rest when you still have some life and creativity left in you?

Can't move on in more ways than one.

Except, the problem is that Simon isn’t Ice King anymore. He’s aged out of it.

His real passion is history, he's an adult who who finds passion in the mundane and antiques from the past. And frankly, there isn’t much room for wish-fulfillment and fantasy anymore. Simon has responsibilities. He has a job and a daughter in a world that is moving faster than he can process.

And where Ice King wrote about looking for love, Simon has already had it.

And lost it. His mind isn’t focused on the rosiness of finding new love, it’s grieving the one he already thought was the one.

Wasn't he supposed to be good with kids?

Despite his new life experiences, all his peers seem to want from him is to make more of what they’re familiar with.

A story made from wants and wishes that he doesn’t even have anymore.

A story that was literally made by someone else at a different time. It’s a fiction he cannot connect to anymore, art that he’s embarrassed by. Yet also jealous of. Because at one point, the body Simon used to be in understood what exactly was missing from his life and could express that easily.

Seeing it again is like experiencing a retrospection of a cringey loser you don’t want to imagine having ever been. It’s not you anymore, and you don’t want to be reminded of that.

Because despite him having a new creative passion, no one seems to care about that. All they want is Fionna and Cake. And what is more lonely than other people misunderstanding what you’re trying to express?

If I failed to make it clear somehow, my theory is that: Simon’s relationship with Fionna and Cake is a metaphor for creators growing out of their art. And this new Fionna and Cake world is still comfort art born out of Simon’s current desires and perceptions.

The snippet subtitles this “child holding a phone”. I guess I’m wrong. Essay over.

Episode 1 and 2 both have direct parallels with each other. They’re both about a protagonist who are feeling displaced from their world, living a phase of losing a significant other, leaving a thankless job, wearing a mask of stability in front of the people they care for, seeking a guru at the heart of the forest, and concluding that they no longer belong in their current world.

But more importantly, Fionna and Cake (the characters, the world, and the show) are no longer for an all-ages crowd. Fionna and Cake now feature young adults, curses, gore, alcohol, partial nudity, financial issues, morning routines, mid-life crisis, and overt suicidal ideation. These are the feelings that Simon relates to and possibly desires to express through art. Thus, his story and our new miniseries have warped that way.

Am I overthinking this? No. How dare you assume that.

Is equating the unconscious writings of his dementia-ridden self to Simon as his younger self seem a bit odd? ….Kinda. Again, it’s not the how but the why that matters in this case. I'm NOT crazy, I have proof that there is some acknowledgment of this directly in the show.

Rewatch the bar scene and apply this reading of the episode to what Simon says there:

“Your old stuff, Fionna and Cake, honest to glob my man, is an inspiration to me.”

“My old stuff, I don’t really want to talk about my old stuff…”

“Why not? You should be proud! You wrote an entire extended universe in a fugue state if you think about it.”

"Simon cringes"

If you have ever shared art with a group of people in the past, you’ve had this conversation.

Not likely, not possibly, no perhapses. You HAVE.

And Fionna and Cake being an epilogue to a massive award-winning, near-decade-spanning, cultural sensation 5 years after it ended, might result in its creators feeling very retrospective about what audiences want from them now.

And how difficult it’s going to be to tell new experiences and tones from what’s come before. Also, come on. “Extended Universe?” That doesn’t sound like Fionna and Cake. That sounds a lot like something else.

Again, seems bad with this kid.

One of the more profound shots in the main trailer for the show features the inconspicuously Finn-like kid crouching at her Fionna and Cake book in Simon’s trash. I believe this character is going to have a major role in two ways. Convincing Simon to be proud of what he’s accomplished and/or embracing that Simon wants to move away from his original work in order to create something new, or perhaps more likely, reinvent Fionna and Cake into what Simon relates to now.

We’ll just have to see what Simon thinks of his new Fionna next week.

PS. Talking as a fan now, WHAT IS UP WITH THE 1000+ TREEHOUSE IN THE INTRO?!!! ARE WE REVISITING THIS TIMELINE AGAIN?

SOMEONE TELL ME NOW!!!

[thecoffeelorian]

Fandom Friday--The Fanart Edition

06/14/2024

Hello again, everyone…and welcome back to another Fandom Friday.

The purpose of these entries, if you have not yet heard it, is to bring more visibility to art and stories that might otherwise go unnoticed on the Tumblr timeline, as well as to help the creators of such fanworks achieve more followers in the process.

Today is also the day where I feel as though I should make an important announcement, because it deals with future installments of this series and I don't want anybody to be surprised/shocked...:

Since the 10-link limit was starting to hold me back a bit too much, if not also cause me to only add art links when I really wanted to include fanfiction links as well...I'm going to start doing a total of 7 links for each medium in two separate entries, as I feel that I won't be leaving as many writers or artists out this way.

And so, without further delay...here are the fanart recommendations for this week!

THE CLONE WARS

The Clone Wars Fanart--By @gorlicberd:

The Clone Wars Fanart--By @dessinatsunset:

TALES OF THE JEDI

Tales Of The Jedi Fanart--By @thessbread:

THE BAD BATCH

The Bad Batch Fanart--By @kzya111:

The Bad Batch Fanart--By @bitterfishiesstuff:

The Bad Batch Fanart--By @doodlingfoolishness:

CROSSING THE FANDOM STREAMS

Star Wars Rebels/Jurassic Park--By @swordbladeknight7:

In conclusion, as part of my mission to poke around the Star Wars fandom and, on Friday every week, highlight those artists who might otherwise go unnoticed…I hope you will check out the links I have included for yourselves and like, comment on, and reblog them, as well as also giving the artists a few more followers to their Tumblr pages.

Please also like and reblog this latest installment so that these links can be spread around to as many other fans as possible, just in case not all of them can tune in at the same time.

An additional thank you goes to @djarrex for making the divider I used earlier in this post, but still want to give credit for.

And finally, so that I do not forget...this post will be continued in its second half: the Fanfiction Edition. Thank you, good morning, and I'll see you in the next post!

The No Pressure Tag List: @musicalselaw @gun-roswell @callsign-denmark @melymigo @saphiranishimurashan

@theosb0rnway @hastalavistabyebye @vaderkin-is-a-lightning-rod @vincili @tlmtwelve

@bbtechsimp @thatflatfrog @algo-o-nada @ankossss @tazmbc1

@yeehawgeek @tech-aficionado @exquisitesarcasm @korribanarchive @msknight10

@sharpasanaro @that-gay-jedi @badbatchposts @quietgingerfangirl @sunshinechildskywalker

@universitysunflowers @littlefeatherr @riverside-of-neverland @pastasmoothie @cyberscorch

@ilovemedia @cinnamonsugar-pretzel @brownielocks69 @here-comes-the-moose @skellymom

@lilithastar @maxims-multifandom-corner @serinzatravel-blog @rott1ngbra1n @snap-my-kneecaps and anybody else who might be on the lookout for new and interesting works around the fandom.

[slaviclore]

cheatsheet to your slav folkloric downfall

Since several people had questions about the lore that inspired this poll, I'll jot some notes down about what I was thinking. All of these have long and complex tradition that can't possibly fit in a tumblr post, but there's tons of great content on tumblr alone, so pls feel free to scroll through my tags for more info (you may like "demons", "witches", or "original art" for contemporary interpretations of the lore...) or use this post as a springboard for more research.

Because much of Slavic folklore was passed down orally and not written down, and because it covers a wide geographical range and is told in different languages, there are many versions of common stories, tropes, characters, etc.

***

Baba Yaga is a witch, super popular, tons of great lore about her, historical and contemporary. She was never just one single entity, but rather a version of herself in many different stories (more like fanfiction than like canon). Her character is inherently unpredictable, existing outside our societal rules and moral compass, and the variability in lore makes her even more impossible to predict. A young woman named Vasilisa did manage to perform all of Baba Yaga's tasks to her instruction, but not without her own magical help. Sometimes Baba Yaga is helpful and reasonable, and sometimes she will just casually eat you like a handful of berries. You never know what you're going to get.

The fern flower is a beautiful mythical flower that offers its holder immense knowledge and magic. It blooms very briefly only once a year during Noc Kupały (in Polish, the EN is Kupala Night). If you want to find it, you'll probably grab your boyfriend (gender neutral) around dusk and poke around your local woods for a while before giving up and just making out and then meeting up with your friends afterwards like "did you find it?" "no we didn't find it :( did you find it?" "nooo :(". Really, this is about seducing the boy you like, since you probably need magic just to see the flower anyway. If you do manage to find it and pick it, tons of greedy demons will appear and chase you to attempt to take it from you (and your life). You have to outrun or outsmart the demons. The demons may be metaphors for the corrupting forces of great power.

There are tons of ways to get lost in the woods. Some people help themselves by tying ribbons to trees as they go, but anything can spook you -- you can run into a demon, a werewolf, a ghost, a witch, a cat, anything -- and if you have to run away, you will most likely lose your way in the process. More specifically, if you have annoyed a leshy (a forest spirit/god-type thing who protects nature), he will use magic to confuse you, and even if you're very good at Not Getting Lost In The Woods, you're kind of screwed. You think YOU won't piss off the Leshy? Oops you just stepped on his favorite beetle -- screwed. Leshy can be placated with offerings of food and drink, but sometimes he needs something bigger...

There are actually lots of hot girls who live in lakes, much to the delight of about 20% of you, but probably the most common are the rusalki -- dead girls who experienced some tragedy in life, probably ending in drowning, and are now exacting revenge on the living, especially men. They will seduce you, take you into the water, and drown you with their hair, or possibly tickle you to death. Baby marry me, amirite? The original rusalka lore was probably nicer to them, treating them more like water spirits than vengeful ghosts. Rusalki are not mermaids and appear as women with legs. We do have mermaids, but usually these are river or sea beings -- the most famous is probably Syrenka Warszawska (the Warsaw Mermaid) who lives in the river Wisła and will not attempt to kill you unless you're trying to invade Warsaw, but also she's a warrior queen and you have no shot.

Slavic mythological entities love riddles, and if you're good at riddles you are really going to help yourself, but you don't want to get into that situation unless you have no other choice. A common demon you meet on the side of the road will probably not give you a hard one, but Poludnica (the Slovak name) will find you at high noon while you're working hard in the fields and the sun's been beating down on your head since dawn and you're feeling woozy and dehydrated, and she'll give you the hardest riddle you've ever heard, and you're going to blow it, and she's going to cut off your head with her scythe or give you heat stroke. If it's any consolation, she may be hot (pun intended). Pro tip: you may also wield riddles to your advantage. Demons are as egoistic as you are and can be enticed into solving your riddle. If you stump them, you may assure your safe getaway.

Human characters in Slavic lore tend to be young and naive, representing the listener of the tale, since they can't use magic or navigate the world they are entering. Knowledge and magic are two sides of the same coin, so if you want to survive, you will need to gain some wisdom (learning some riddles will help). Being nice is not good enough, but! If by being nice you manage to seduce someone who has access to knowledge and magic, or get adopted by a bored witch with an axe to grind, you'll really help yourself out.

The path to the endless dead wood is guarded by a giant magical cat, whose name I never knew but have recently learned that the Russians call him Baiyun (latinized name, obvi). If you ask Vasilisa, she'll tell you that sometimes he lives with Baba Yaga, but generally he hangs out on the boundary to some other dimension. Probably, if you go to meet the cat, it's because somebody sent you there to get rid of you, so if you survive the cat, whoever is trying to kill you will probably keep trying so fyi. Baiyun will purr or tell a tale in such a soothing way that you fall asleep, and then he'll eat you. If you manage not to fall asleep, you may attempt to catch him and earn magic. But probably you're cat food.

***

There you have it. If you learned your story differently, let me know! And if you're ever lost in a Slavic forest, you can put your clothes on inside out and maybe that'll break the magic. Good luck.

[incongruence-osaf]

EXCITING NEWS, SECRETS SHARED

Hello!! It is time for me to officially post the first two chapters of my first ever multi-chapter fanfiction story, The Incongruence of Stars and Flowers!!!

So far the word count has reached over 8,000 words, roughly 21 pages at 1.15 spacing (including the current WIP of Chapter Three). This was a huge challenge for me that I am so glad to have started. I'd been keeping this (mostly) a secret for many months during a collaborative creative process.

It started when I saw an application for Sonic Big Bang 2024 zine on Tumblr. Around 300 participants of fellow writers, artists and readers were sorted into secret groups of 2-4ish for developing writing and artwork surrounding story submissions! I had the pleasure of being paired with wonderful artists who made beautiful sketches, concept art, and illustrations based on my writing, linked here: @major-wren (ART) (ART) and @pastelspindash (ART)

Go check out their awesome art (and writing) as well as all the other amazing creatives featured in the zine on the official blog page @sthbigbang! My awesome and very helpful beta readers were/are @starredfishing (Tumblr) and @zaffretension (Instagram) who gave me excellent advice about dialogue, pacing, and plot. THANK YOU!!!

And also a big THANK YOU to the moderators of this expansive event for keeping it running so smoothly, for organizing everything, and for encouraging all of us in one of the most supportive and energizing creative environments I've ever been apart of!!! I have talked to many cool and talented people and I love the community that we have all been growing as a massive group.

I am excited to continue the adventure of learning, reading, and writing to see where this adventure goes with familiar characters. If you are too, I hope you enjoy <3

Without further ado, below is the summary for The Incongruence of Stars and Flowers.

This alternate universe combines the vibrant world and history of Sonic the Hedgehog with our very own, resulting in a version of Planet Mobius that’s both familiar and distant. Yet, this altered reality is neither idealized nor greater than the sum of its parts. 

Anthropomorphic beings, humans, and animals of Mobius are struggling to rebuild their cityscapes, ecosystems, communities, and personal lives in the wake of the cumulative devastation of the Perfect Chaos Flood and the Black Arms Invasion. Shadow the Hedgehog takes a leave of absence from G.U.N. to temporarily settle down in Station Square, laying low after the world-shattering encounter with his alien DNA donor Black Doom. While the cityfolk around him undergo the growing pains of instability, nonconformity, sociological upheaval, and corruption, so too does the alien hybrid. With the support of unyielding friendship in aloof activist Sonic the Hedgehog and cultured confidante Rouge the Bat, Shadow coasts in this new life chapter while feeling profound pulls to unravel memories surrounding his loving creator, Professor Gerald Robotnik and solve mysteries within his environment, mind, and body.

Past and present perspectives interweave to show slices of unordinary lives, drawing from early-to-mid 2000s culture shifts/natural disasters/political tensions, U.S. and European history, and various fields of science as inspiration for this multi-chapter science-fiction drama mystery.

PROMINENT CHARACTERS: 

Shadow the Hedgehog, Sonic the Hedgehog, Rouge the Bat, Professor Gerald Robotnik, Maria Robotnik, Black Doom(?), Commander Abraham Tower, Helen (from Sonic X)?, and new original character(s)

Body dysmorphia and dysphoria, racism/speciesism, internalized xenophobia, mentions and possible depictions of police violence, generational trauma, trauma and imagery from medicalized settings, processing grief

TRIGGER WARNINGS:

CHAPTER ONE HERE

[blu3-j]

I gave in. I'm doing it. I'm writing the fanfiction. Here you go, besties!

Reader X Barnaby and Wally

Good Afternoon Rests

Platonic or romantic?: You can read it however you like! I don't blame you for either.

Tw: none!

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

It had been a good few months since you had "moved" to the neighborhood Home. "Moved" as in you woke up one morning in a house within the neighborhood with no explanation as to how you got there from your apartment back in your old world. As it turned out, humans didn't exist here, as did living puppets in your world. The crew had been quite surprised upon meeting their new neighbor. They didn't have a single clue as to what you were! Not even Frank had any ideas. He scoured relentlessly through Howdy's book selection and through his own book collection (despite his entire collection being all about bugs) and never found a thing about these so called "humans."

You did things they could never even fathom: eating, drinking, being in water without having to deal with barely being able to move due to the water-soaked stuffing, even breathing. Well some ideas were more common than others. Despite not needing to eat and keeping food around more as more of a fun activity to make or as art, they knew that there are puppets out there that could eat if the wanted to, like Wally. But they were fascinated nonetheless. And teeth were a rare thing to see on puppets. There were puppets out there that had a few teeth, like buck-teeth or fangs. Never before had they seen as many teeth in one person's mouth as you did.

Even though they didn't quite understand how you worked, where you came from, and what exactly you are, they still welcomed you with bright smiles and open arms.

"Welcome home!"

Currently, you were hanging out with Wally and Barnaby. The two best buds had invited you to a small hangout. Barnaby wanted to test a few new jokes and funny stories, and Wally wanted to practice his art skills by painting the two of you together.

Wally was still getting used to the more stiff and solid silhouette you had compared to the puppets. Unlike you, they didn't have any skeletal structure, so often times their bodies could squish and flail anywhere and anyhow they wanted, so long as their felt didn't rip in the process. Wally loved the practice he got from attempting to paint or draw you. Had had an excuse to take in all of your looks without making you uncomfortable! Oh, how he hated that it made you feel as such! He felt so guilty when you finally explained to him how his staring made you feel. You were just so interesting, and he wanted you to know you had his full attention! He couldn't help himself. Asking you to be his muse also gave him a chance to get to know you more personally, and how he just loved hearing your stories of your world while he painted you. It was so fascinating! And your voice, oh how he could listen to it all day. It was his favorite sound, afterall.

Meanwhile, Barnaby loved joking around with everyone, but he knew he would get the most reaction out of you. He had to admit, he found it endearing how much your eyes could sparkle and light up with joy! And he could tell what kind of mood you were in so much easier with just a small wrinkle on your face, or how much you squished or scrunched your face up with joy or disgust. While puppets could express their emotions just as well as anybody else could, you had the ability to add onto that! You didn't have as many limits as some puppets did (like Frank being unable to smile or Wally being unable to frown) and some of your human features just added more. (Like your eyes being wet all the time so they could shine more.) It meant all the world to him and more when he got you to laugh.

It was a warm sunny day, and you and Barnaby had taken shelter in the shade under a beautiful large tree. Wally was sat in front of the two of you, the canvas sitting on its easel blocking him from you view until he occasionally peaked out to get a better look at his best friends. Barnaby glanced down to you at his side and smirked.

"Hey, Y/N," he started. Wally peaked over from behind his canvas upon hearing the large dog's voice. You looked up to Barnaby and smiled, quick to catch onto his tone of voice. He always had this certain tone of voice when he was about to crack a joke. Like a cool chill breeze before a heat wave. "What do you call a well-balanced horse?" You felt a small cheesy grin make its way on your face.

"What?" You asked, feeling like a giddy child waiting for an answer. You could barely hold back your giggles when you saw Barnaby's smirk turn into a wide grin. He waited a few moments, checking to make sure the two of you were looking at him before he continued, letting his voice fall flat.

"Stable." Wally threw his head back a little and laughed, that monotone laugh of his mixing with your giggles and echoing through the nearby area.

After his laughter died down, Wally managed out a "Oh, Barnaby!" His eyes widened a little as he pulled his paintbrush away from the canvas. "Oh, that reminds me, Barnaby..." He continued, his voice soon drowned out to you.

You had let your mind wander and your gaze to the sky. The clouds were so fluffy today. The tree you all had been sat around was blooming and full of flowers. It was a beautiful day. And here you were with two of your best friends. A content sigh escaped your lips. It was such a nice day, and it was comforting to be around your friends. Who accepted every part of you, who comforted you when you became homesick, who took the time out of their day to something as peaceful as this with you. You felt your body relax, and you closed your eyes. Maybe a nap won't be so bad.

The two best buds had been carried away in their conversation, unknown to your sleeping figure. That was, until Barnaby felt a small weight against his side. Wally's gaze followed Barnaby's. Both of them chuckled. You had explained to them before the importance of sleep to humans, and what falling asleep in the middle of the day could mean. While puppets did need sleep, they often wouldn't fall asleep in the middle of the day, even if they tried. They just were never in need of it. It was so endearing to them when you were found sleeping in the middle of a nearby meadow or up in a tree in the middle of the day.

As your mind traveled further into unconsciousness, two voices warmly called out to you. A final caring message before everything went dark on this warm dreamy afternoon.

"Sweet dreams, Y/N."

[duckprintspress]

“He Bears the Cape of Stars” and “She Wears the Midnight Crown” Books and Merchandise Now on Sale!

Duck Prints Press’s anthologies He Bears the Cape of Stars and She Wears the Midnight Crown, featuring 34 stories by 34 authors exploring the potential for mlm and wlw relationships growing and changing during unusual masquerades, are now available! From science fiction to fantasy to modern to historical, these anthologies take the reader to many different settings, with larger-than-life characters exploring the world around them, the people they meet, and themselves! The casts are as diverse as Pride itself, and whether they’re looking for love, a second chance, a companion, or a friend, these books have a little bit of everything!

HE BEARS THE CAPE OF STARS, featuring 17 mlm stories, is available for sale on:

The Duck Prints Press Website | Barnes and Noble | Kobo

SHE WEARS THE MIDNIGHT CROWN, featuring 17 wlw stories, is available for sale on:

The Duck Prints Press Website | Barnes and Noble | Kobo

…and many other major e-book sales platforms! And you can request your library purchase it through the e-book lending program of their choice!

AND THAT’S NOT ALL!

Extra merchandise from the masquerade anthologies crowdfunding campaign is now on sale too! Did you miss the campaign? Are you dying for an amazing tote bag, a gorgeous bookmark, an aromatic candle, a glossy sticker or two, a new patch, or some lovely queer art for your walls? You can get this merch, and lots of merch from our past campaigns, from our website NOW!

She Wears the Midnight Crown merchandise: art print | bookmark | dux sticker

He Bears the Cape of Stars merchandise: art print | bookmark | dux sticker

Other campaign merchandise: chibi masquerade patch | scented candle | tote bag

Was there campaign merch you wanted that’s not available on our store? We have very limited quantities left of our enamel pins, and we have a whole heck of a lot of seconds (as in, damaged copies) of the print books! If your interested, feel free to drop us a line on any of our social media platforms or at info at duckprintspress dot com – we’d be delighted to hook you up!

Come now to the Duck Prints Press website and GET YOUR BOOK ON! You’re not going to want to miss these amazing collections or any of the gorgeous merch!

(and if you can help us spread the word by sharing this post, we’d appreciate it a lot, too!)

Who we are: Duck Prints Press LLC is an independent publisher based in New York State. Our founding vision is to help fanfiction authors navigate the complex process of bringing their original works from first draft to print, culminating in publishing their work under our imprint. We are particularly dedicated to working with queer authors and publishing stories featuring characters from across the LGBTQIA+ spectrum. Love what we do? Want to make sure you don’t miss the announcement for future giveaways? Sign up for our monthly newsletter and get previews, behind-the-scenes information, coupons, and more!

Want to support the Press, read about us behind-the-scenes, learn about what’s coming down the pipeline, get exclusive teasers, claim free stories, and get backer-exclusive extras when you support our crowdfunding campaigns? Back us on Patreon or ko-fi monthly!

[ravenpuff88]

The Stars in Your Eyes

Amit Thakkar x Female!MC

Warnings: Excessive nerdy astronomy talk, MC being a bit insecure, small existential crisis (definitely not inspired by personal experience😅), ultra fluffiness

Word Count: 1831

Synopsis: While spending time stargazing, the pair find themselves not just admiring the stars. (You might even call them star-crossed lovers…hehe I know it's cheesy af)

Essentially an adorable love confession between two friends. (I didn’t have a specific time in mind for when this takes place, but for reference let’s just say it’s been at least around a year since the events of the game)

Author’s Note: This is my very first attempt at writing fanfiction so any and all feedback is greatly appreciated! I’ll admit that this is a little self-indulgent as I myself love looking at and talking about Astronomy and have developed quite a soft spot for our boy Amit. Though I hope even the non-star lovers can still enjoy this! :)

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

“And that one there is Sirius.”

“The dog?” Squinting her eyes and adjusting her telescope, she tried to make out the constellation Amit had pointed at. As much as she enjoyed gazing at and observing the various stars and astronomical objects in the sky, she internally chuckled at her lack of skill when it came to effectively using a telescope.

“A little to the left… here, let me…” Amit gently placed his hand over hers as he guided her to the correct spot. Adjusting it one more time, she sees the unmistakable bright collection of stars. Smiling, she looks over to Amit who’s still staring up at the night sky.

Tonight had fortunately been a particularly clear one, allowing her to soak in the image of her moonlit friend. She admired the small smile on his lips and the way his eyes longingly gazed up at the sky, the stars twinkling reflection in them. Despite the late-night chill, she felt her face grow warm when he turned back to look at her. Quickly averting her eyes back to the telescope, she feigned being in the process of looking for another constellation.

“Thank you by the way,” she whispers, not quite having the courage to meet his eyes just yet. “For agreeing to meet me tonight. You’ve been a tremendous help, and not just in Astronomy, but in all my classes.”

The corners of his mouth turn up. “You are most welcome. It is a pleasure to be able to help you.” He watches as she gazes at him from the corner of her eyes, her face still against the telescope.

“I only wish I could offer you more help of my own. You’re one of my closest friends and have done so much to help me without so much as asking for anything in return.” A small sigh leaves her lips as she pulls away from the telescope to finally face him.

Amit turns his head slightly in confusion as she gives him a half-hearted smile. “And you are one of my closest friends,” he states. “I truly do not mind going out of my way to help you. Especially after all you’ve done for me and everyone else for that matter,” he chuckles, reminiscing on the year she had arrived and when they first met.

She too smiles at the memory. “I suppose I mean I wish I could provide more academic assistance to you as you so often do to me,” she murmurs.

“Need I remind you who is still currently the Crossed Wands Champion? You often forget that I am not nearly as gifted as you when it comes to dueling.” Taking a step towards her, he makes sure her eyes meet his as he smiles at her. “You’re the first and only person I ever ask to help with my Defense Against the Dark Arts assignments for a reason. And not just because you’re my closest friend in that class.”

Sheepishly bowing her head a little, she does her best to continue looking into his deep brown eyes. “Well… thank you.”

“Don’t sell yourself short. Trust me, you are an amazing witch with and without my help,” Amit said as he placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder.

The two exchanged a soft smile as both pairs of eyes slowly drifted back up to the twinkling sky. Neither spoke for a while, the only noise being the occasional cricket chirp or the distant sound of a broom flying by. The lack of conversation isn’t uncomfortable though as both are content just being in the other’s presence.

She’s the first to break the silence, however. “There are… so many stars,” she chuckles. “Not to point out the obvious or anything, but it’s crazy when you really think about how…  insignificant we are in the grand scheme of the universe.” Amit hums in acknowledgment as the two continue staring at the endless void that sparkles above them.

“I mean… the universe already is unfathomably vast and coupled with the fact that it’s constantly expanding…” she takes a breath, shaking her head. “It's just unimaginable. We’re essentially a tiny speck, no even less than that, floating along through the infinite cosmos.”

A beat of silence passed through them and Amit took the moment to turn his gaze toward her. She was still craning her neck to look up, seemingly bewitched by the thousands of lights glittering in the sky. Her mouth was slightly open and her eyes slightly glossy. She might have been standing right next to him, but the far-off look in her eyes told Amit her mind was miles away. His own eyes softened at the sight before him.

The light reflected from the moon bathed her in a light blue hue, highlighting her beautiful hair, her slightly creased forehead, and rather adorable eyebrows furrowed in concentration. Amit then felt his eyes wander down to her lips. When she wasn’t speaking they formed a small yet sad smile. She suddenly stopped to look at him.

Amit felt his face heat up as he briefly looked away, slightly embarrassed at being caught staring at her. When he looked back she was looking expectantly up at him, as if waiting for a response.

“Oh, I am terribly sorry, did you say something?” A faint blush dusted his cheeks as he internally cursed himself for not paying attention to what she was saying.

“No worries,” she giggled, amused by his shy and apologetic nature. “I was just saying, do you ever feel… overwhelmed by the thought of everything? Of how meaningless it sometimes feels to even be here?” She looked back up. “I mean it’s utterly breathtaking don’t get me wrong. I love that I’m able to admire such beauty from right here but sometimes I think… if we’re so immensely small it’s honestly frightening to think about the impact of our very existence and how at the end of the day…” she paused, taking a deep breath. “Does it even matter? What’s the point of it all?”

She risks another glance at Amit and is met with his eyes staring intriguingly at her own. The corners of his mouth twitch slightly as he processes what she had just said. Conversations such as this one were reminders to him of one of the many reasons he cherished her and their interactions together. Perhaps something as deep as the questions she had asked him would be alarming to some, and while he wasn’t exactly expecting those words, Amit lives for moments like these. Times where he knows he’s not alone in his endless questioning of any and all things. And that she’s comfortable enough with him to have the courage to ask.

“I won’t pretend like I know the answer any more than you do,” he says softly, taking a step toward her. “But I will say this: whether or not our purpose-our very reason for existence has any significance beyond that of simply living a fulfilling life… I believe that, at the very least, there is something to be said about the impact we all make on ourselves and others.”

Amit takes another step closer to her, the pair’s eyes locked onto the other as the space between them nearly disappears. “While I hardly believe in luck, I do think that each one of us is lucky to be alive and here today. I think I am incredibly lucky to be where I am and at this very specific time since if I wasn’t, I wouldn’t know all the people I know now. I…” Taking her hand, Amit gently places his forehead against hers as he closes his eyes for a moment, savoring how close the two are.

“I wouldn’t know you.” Opening his eyes, he’s met with her incredibly bright ones. “I wouldn’t know what it’s like to see you every day. To hear your laughter echo across the halls. I wouldn’t know the warm fuzzy feeling I get whenever you ask me for help. How easy and intellectually stimulating our conversations are.” Seeing her eyes practically sparkle before him, Amit lifts his other hand and softly cups her cheek, relishing in the tiny gasp that slips past her lips.

“I wouldn’t know how beautiful your eyes are, how they shine brighter than any star.” Amit feels himself swimming in those gorgeous eyes. He’s drowning and has no intention of ever coming up for air. At last, his gaze drifts from her stunning eyes down to her lips once more. Looking back up, he searches her face for any signs of discomfort. “May I…” he whispers, hesitating slightly. “May I kiss you?”

Still utterly entranced by his words and the way he gazes down at her, it takes her a second to process his request. But only another moment passes before she nods her head. “Please…”

A small relieved sigh leaves Amit’s mouth as he slowly leans his head down to hers. He stops just short of her lips, feeling her breath against his face as he looks at her one more time, wordlessly asking permission just once more.

She smiles softly at his consideration and takes the opportunity to move forward herself to gently press her lips against his. Though slightly awkward at first, the kiss is delicate as the two begin to move their lips in unison.

As a steady rhythm is built, Amit gradually moves his hand from her cheek to the back of her neck, lightly pushing her further into him. With his other hand still connected with hers, he moves to lovingly intertwine their fingers while she finds purchase in lightly gripping the front of his robes.

He feels a soft groan leave his mouth when he feels the delicate trace of her tongue against his bottom lip. But before he can indulge any further, he feels her pull away for a breath, much to his dismay.

“Wow,” she gasped. She took in Amit’s flushed face and imagined she was in a similar state. As the two caught their breaths they locked eyes once more, smiling at each other before erupting into a fit of giggles.

“I love you,” She breathed in between laughs. Though when Amit suddenly went silent she feared she had just scared him off. “I…I mean…” she stuttered.

“Do you mean it?” he asked softly.

She chanced looking at him again, searching for anything in his eyes telling her she should deny it. But she was met with nothing but two deep pools of exquisite brown eyes. His eyes. The ones that seemed to look into her very soul. The ones that even now, were filled with nothing but sincerity.

“Yes.”

His eyes practically lit up at her confession. Placing his hands on her hips he effectively lifted her and spun her around, cherishing in her laughter echoing through the night. Setting her back down he moved both of his hands to her face.

“I love you too, my little star.”

[souliebird]

hey ! i have a question. it’s about writing fan fiction. i wanted to know, what entails the process of writing? i know everyone’s process is different, but i’ve been meaning to give it a try and i just don’t know where to start, and frankly i don’t have any idea what beta read is or what makes a draft or how to even do it, because i have the ideas and everything but i just don’t know how to do it. do i just open a word document and start? and then what? you are one of my favorite authors and i’m really interested. hope u can answer. thanks !!!

Hi there!

I absolutely love this question and I am going to go a little ham with it, so I apologize.

Writing, like all art forms, takes practice and you have to start with the basics. You can’t expect you’re going to be amazingly happy with your results the first few times, but know you are starting your foundation and as you continue, you’ll learn your style and tricks of the trade.

Now, how to start as a new writer with fanfiction. Fics are a great place to start because we all know the characters and setting and you don’t need to build up the world – you can just go right into the action. A good place to start practicing is a very simple scene, nothing dramatic.  I’m going to use a lot of Drawing analogies, because it might help explain the process easier.

Think of this scene as your warm up sketch. This is just to get your mind going. It does not need to mean anything, you don’t need to share it, it’s just practice. Think of Character A going into a coffee shop to order their morning coffee – they go in, order, wait, get their coffee, and leave. That is a few paragraphs, right?

A good way to start this scene for a new writer would be break into simple actions, like it is a script, so you know what you want. These do not need to be full sentences. It doesn’t need to be poetic. Bare bottom actions to know what you want to happen. You can make it like the following or do bullet points! However you want, you can change it up as well. Nothing is ever set in stone.

Character A: Enters coffee shop. Browse Menu. Pick Coffee. Go to barista.

Barista: “Hi, what can I get you?”

Character A: Orders Coffee. Pays. Go to waiting counter. Waits. Gets coffee. Leaves.

Now we can turn that into sentences. They do not need to be great sentences – again just the bare bones. 

Character A enters Coffee Shop and looks to the menu. After looking over the options, they decide on a latte. They go up to the counter and the Barista says, “Hi, what can I get you?”

“A latte,” Character A says.

The Barista rings them up and they pay. Character A moves to the waiting area. The Barista makes their coffee and brings it to the counter. Character A takes the coffee and leaves.

Now that you have your scene and the foundation, you can build on that.  The actions are very straightforward and a bit boring to read – so lets make it interesting. One of those ways is to break up the beats of the story.  The sentences are all about the same length and tone, and that gets monotonous to read. A good way to change that is to add adjectives and break up sentence length.

Character A runs into the Coffee Shop and hurriedly looks to the menu. They decide on a latte. They go up to the counter and the Barista says, “Hi, what can I get you?”

“A latte,” Character A says instantly.

The Barista rings them up and they pay. Character A quickly moves to the waiting area. The Barista makes their coffee and brings it to the counter. Character A takes the coffee and rushes out.

Those little changes make the scene a little more interesting. A good way to practice is to take that basic scene and rewrite a few times in different tones. Is the character rushing? Are they taking their time? Is it a rainy day? Is it overly hot? You don’t need to explain why they are that way – it doesn’t matter right now. The point is to practice changing things around and finding flow.

It is important to note you always what to Show and not Tell your readers. This means you want to show with the characters actions how they are feeling, not tell us.

Character A is angry. They entered the coffee shop and look at the menu.

Boring.

Character A stomped into the coffee shop and glared at the menu.

Engaging – we can tell the character is upset.

Once you feel comfortable with that, you can move on to your “under drawing”.

Again, a small scene. Maybe add a second character?

A good way to know what this is is to watch a show and see how they do shorter scenes, especially if you can find something similar. There’s tons of scenes of people going into coffee shops.

Take the same steps and just add a little more detail. Build on what you have a play around. It doesn’t need to be perfect. Focus on word flow instead of words – this isn’t the point to get flowery, yet.

A good tip for translating what you see in your head to words is to find a movie that has a novelization. Disney movies are good for this, as the novelizations tend to be shorter. You can watch the scene, then turn around and see how it looks on paper. You learn how actual actions can be translated into words. You can even practice doing just that! Watch a scene from a show or movie, then try to translate it into words the best you can.

But for starting to write, this is what I suggest. Practicing small scenes and getting comfortable with that. Then you can start refining. This is when you break out the thesaurus if you think you used ‘says’ too many times. This is where you add details like what kind of coffee shop they are in, or describe what the barista looks like.

Stories are just scenes on scenes on scenes. Some scenes are longer, some are shorter, but they can all start in that basic script form.

There’s a lot more to it, of course, like POVs and tenses and narration, but it can all be boiled down to the basics.

As for betas and things like that – it is basically an editor. Someone who reads the work after you’ve written a little bit and looks for grammar, spelling, and if they story makes sense. Sometimes we get in our heads and we know what we are talking about, but we haven’t made it very clear to the reader. I personally do not use a beta. I run my work through two different software to check for spelling and grammar. I also edit as I go, using exactly what I said above.

I write out the basic scene then go back in and edit it to be more refined and I do it in small chunks, usually when a scene changes from introspective to action.  

For drafts – this is basically the above bare bones story. First draft is what you have after you’ve done your ‘script’ portion. A good tool as you learn is to have the Draft be in one word document, then keep all your edits in a separate document so you can see the changes you’ve made.  You can just copy and paste the story into different docs as you make big changes. If you get a beta, keep a copy of their notes and make the changes they suggest (IF YOU AGREE WITH THEM, BETAS ARE NOT ALWAYS CORRECT).

 

I hope this is helpful to you. I come from a screen writing background so this is my process. I am sure other writers have different methods! This just happens to be mine. Every writer is different but the basics tend to always be the same.  Please feel free to even take the basic scene I wrote above and play with it.

A few more things I recommend as a starting writer – pick up some children’s novels from the library. Like the very first chapter books and flip through a few to see how things are structured.

Remember, writing is an art and you won’t automatically be good at it. It does take practice, like anything else.

Visual artist use reference – writers can too.

Sometimes visual artists will trace a hand so they can better learn how to better draw it.

Writers can copy a paragraph and reword it to learn flow. As long as you are practicing and not claiming it as your own.

The most important thing is to have fun! It is supposed to be fun, you are sharing a piece of yourself with the world. Learning is fun! 

[realitymirage]

Heya there!

Hello and welcome to Undertale: Reality Mirage! I'm happy you found this place... And I sure hope you enjoy your stay!

Now, I'm sure you're veeeeery confused... But not to worry! Your good friend Cicada will help you!

Let's start with the basics...

What is Undertale: Reality Mirage?

Undertale: Reality Mirage is a silly little AU of mine that follows one basic rule...

Every single Undertale AU is created by Frisk writing fanfiction!

Yup, you read that right! Our favorite little ambassador is now a pre-teen and does what most pre-teens do, writing fanfiction of their favorite people, of course! And since their favorite people are the monsters they saved… That becomes the subject of their writing!

And, with the assistance of their beta reader Chara and account manager Gaster, the three enjoy watching Frisk’s fanfiction play out through the use of Gaster’s newest creation, the ‘World Builder’! It takes the plot of Frisk’s stories and turns them into movies, so to speak.

Jokes aside, Undertale: Reality Mirage is a silly idea I came up with one day, the idea in mind is that Frisk writes fanfiction with Chara and Gaster, and they watch it like a movie. 

There would be multiple ‘worlds’ for them to ‘watch’, each being my own take on a popular Undertale AU, such as Underswap, Storyshift, etc.

I plan on each ‘world’ to be a sprite comic, with the events leading up to and ending being in standard writing form.

What is the first ‘world’?

The first ‘world’ that I am working on is my take on Underswap. I do not have a name for it yet other than Underswap, sadly, but I do plan on updating the name soon!

So far, I’m still in the process of outlining the lore and characters and trust me, that is a lot of work to be done. However, I’m not giving up yet! I like to think I’m making good progress!

I will not be releasing anything relating to Underswap yet, as that is where most of the spoilers relating to this AU are. After all, you’re gonna find out everything about Undertale: Reality Mirage really quickly when it releases! I have no issues with sharing stuff like that.

Who is working on this?

So far, just me!

I’m Cicadawing! But you can call me just Cicada or Wispy, I don’t really mind!

I haven’t been in the Undertale fandom for long, but that doesn’t mean I’m not used to writing or making Undertale AUs! I’ve always been fascinated by the thought of taking characters people know and love and changing them around… Making them different in either easy-to-notice or hard-to-see changes.

My favorite Undertale AU is probably either Fellswap or Swapfell and the main AUs they’re from, like Underswap and Underfell! The vibes of them are just perfect…

My art skills are alright too, not the worst, but I wouldn’t call myself the best, you know? When I get enough art done, I’ll be sure to post previews! Anything to keep you all interested, haha!

My pronouns are he/him and I'm a minor, so please be wary of that!

I want to help!

Really? Already…? You haven’t seen anything… I haven’t even posted anything other than this so far!

Once again, jokes aside… I appreciate it, but as said before, not much is set in stone yet. I only have the basic concept of Underswap done… only Asgore’s character reference is fully complete!

In short, thank you for your enthusiasm, but I’m not accepting members of a team yet! Use that excitement you have to share this AU, that’ll help motivate me to keep going!

Oh, and… Sorry if this seems like I’m assuming people want to join. That’s not it, I just want to get all my question bases covered, so to speak!

Wait… Gaster?! Sans?! Papyrus?! Genocide AU?!?!?!?111

Haha… No. This isn’t a genocide AU at all.

In this AU, Gaster is a ghost that only Frisk and Chara can see. Frisk didn’t kill anyone during their journey since they did the pacifist route to achieve this ending.

And Sans, Papyrus, and all the other characters in Undertale aren’t really going to be present at all. After all, Undertale: Reality Mirage focuses on the friendship of Chara, Frisk, and Gaster, not anyone else.

That doesn’t mean you won’t be able to see your favorite characters, though. They might show up sometimes, but they aren’t going to be the main focus or anything.

But that doesn’t mean you won’t be able to see your favorite characters! After all, this is all about seeing the differences in characterization depending on what AU they’re from! 

I’m confused… What’s a ‘world’? Is Reality Mirage your take on Underswap…?

Apologies for the confusion! Allow me to clear some things up.

Reality Mirage is not my take on Underswap. However, they are related. 

Reality Mirage can be thought of as a folder of sorts. Inside the ‘folder’ are the ‘worlds’. My take on Underswap is one of them. It can be thought of as an AU within an AU.

I have a question that wasn’t answered here! What should I do?

I will leave the ask box open for questions! I will respond as soon as I can unless I consider those questions to be spoilers! Otherwise, count on your questions being answered!

[spookymultimedia]

Helpless To Defy His Fate: The Sountrack

Here's the music that inspired each chapter of my fanfiction, songs that go nicely with what I've written and a look into my creative process while writing

Chapter 1

El Tango De Roxane from Moulin Rouge

I'm not a fan of this musical or the canon story behind this song but I know I'm not alone in this attachment to this song. This song gave me a vision of Nandor betrayed by Guillermo by his act of violence. He's devastated. I was specifically inspired by the tiktok videos that combine Roxanne and the Plauges from The Prince of Egypt. At this point, the story in my head was like this opera style drama that's full of love, loss and pain. Nandor is the one who's heart is crying.

The Ballad of Jane Doe from Ride The Cyclone

I wanted to capture feeling this song gave more than the actual story in this song. I thought about Laszlo and his feelings of betrayal as he's quickly dying. He doesn't have time to process that he's dying. It's tragic. It really is an unfair death. I guess the Fall Fair Suite fits too but this song was a bigger influence

Bright Eyes by Art Garfunkel

This is one of the songs that I think fits Nandor's grief. He's struggling to process the fact Laszlo is dead and that Guillermo killed him.

CH 2

Sad Song by We The Kings

This captures Nadja's grief perfectly. The entire song is how she feels about Laszlo dying. At this point in writing this fic was an exploration of grief and how each of these characters would experience it. I didn't have a Nandermo arc in mind quite yet. I didn't expect this fic to be longer than two chapters. It's was a impulsive idea I wanted to write down. I wanted to write drama and angst for no reason but catharsis and enjoyment.

My Immortal by Evenessance

This was something I listened to while I was writing and thinking about Colin's Grief. He used to comfort Laszlo and learning about Laszlo's abusive home when he was young concerned him. Laszlo grieved him once and now Colin is grieving him. It's ironic. Also I was somewhat influenced by BCR's love for Evenessence and Papa Roach.

Look Who's Inside Again by Bo Burnam

This one was a huge influence on how I wrote Colin Robinson in this fanfiction. Laszlo was someone who gave Colin Robinson friendship when he was desperate to be understood and tired of being forgotten. He was happy and confident. When the one person that understood Colin better than anyone else in his life died he felt alone and insecure again. He struggled to reach out to the people around him and feel into a severe depression that kept him in his bed with no one to feed on but the cruelty of the internet. Colin Robinson is generally the comic relied character. "It's hard to be funny while stuck in a room". He usually enjoys telling his friends dumb jokes but now he's struggling to feel any joy at all. Draining online was a treat but in this situation it made him feel worse and left him feeling like shit

Chapter 3

Flying Dreams from The Secret of NIMH

Chapter 3 was just a sickfick/hurt&comfort I just wanted to write something nice and wholesome and cuddly after all the pain and truama that happened in the previous chapters. This chapter is the calm before the storm in a way. The scene where Nandor is helping Colin Robinson drink its tea was directly inspired by that scene in Secret of Nimh. There's a big emphasis on familial and platonic affection and love in the second half of this chapter.

That's the only song I had in mind for this chapter. The rest was just character interaction with my OC Desdemona. She wasn't originally going to be in this chapter but I really liked the idea of Nandor speaking to it. I think in a less grim timeline they would fuck at least once lol. There's so much grief going around I needed to put Desdemona in this fic, she eats that energy up. I'm glad I decided to it really helped me get a strong sense of its character.

Chapter 4

Bohemian Rapsody by Queen

I had this song already in mind while I was working on chapter 3. I knew I wanted to write Guillermo into this fever dream of guilt and self loathing. I wanted to go into the uncanny territory of weirdness. The part in his dream where Nadja kills Guillermo is directly inspired by an alternate ending proposed by @/ednacrabapple in which Nandor teaches Nadja to swordfight ti kill Guillermo. The twist would be she wouldn't be able to do it and suddenly Nandor gets the confidence to kill him. The lyrics that that inspired me the most where these:

I see a little silhouetto of a man,

Scaramouch, Scaramouch, will you do the Fandango!

Thunderbolts and lightning, very, very frightening me

He's just a poor boy from a poor family,

Spare him his life from this monstrosity

Beelzebub has a devil put aside for me, for me,

For meee

So you think you can stop me and spit in my eye

So you think you can love me and leave me to die

Oh, baby, can't do this to me, baby,

Just gotta get out, just gotta get right outta here

Also in the beginning we see the death from Guillermo's perspective. "Momma, life has just begun but now I've gone and thrown it all away." Guillermo is new to being a vampire and now that's been completely ruined by his murderous tendencies.

No Way Out from Brother Bear

This is one of the movies I took inspiration from for this fanfiction. I wanted to find stories that had similar stories of murder, guilt and forgiveness. I needed to make sure it was obvious that Guillermo lives in guilt and fear. Everyone else has a warped perception of him and believe he's killing for fun. I needed write the opposing perspective in this story.

Oh Miss Believer by Twenty One Pilots

There were three songs that inspired how I wrote nandermo in this chapter. This song is a love letter to Guillermo. Guillermo is scared and helpless. He's in a deep depression and struggling to carry on. Nandor is scared for Guillermo's life and while he addresses that Guillermo has done terrible things he wants to protect him some how. This chapter is when you start to see that Nandor and Guillermo are psychically linked to each other in a very literaral sense. They can feel and read each other's thoughts without knowing they are. They know the worst is yet to come and they're fearful.

Talking to Moon by Bruno Mars

This describes Nandor's feelings. He wants Guillermo badly against the better judgment of everyone else around him.

Aftermath by Lifehouse

Throughout the story Nandor and Nadja grow closer as lovers. Their feelings and actions change into something romantic. They're both traumatized and as a result hold onto each other because they're scared of losing one another. Despite the grief they feel warmth with one another.

Wisdom of Snow by Trans Siberian Orchestra

This song is from the album The Lost Christmas Eve and acts as the contemplative buffer between the old man's confrontation with his past and his emotional breakthrough. This chapter is foreboding and foreshadows what the next few chapters have in store. This song is also what I titled chapter 4. It wad a last minute decision I made while trying to come up with a good title that wasn't stale.

Chapter 5

Hayloft by Mother Mother

The idea that Sean should hunt down Guillermo to kill him as revenge was inspired by a conversation I had with @/2offayyo-kzt. Sean is angry and grieved his lover Laszlo was killed unfairly. He believes murder is the answer.

An eye for an eye, a leg for a leg

A shot in the heart doesn't make it unbreak

She really didn't wanna make it messy

She really, really didn't, but the girl gone cray

Christmas (baby please come home)

I never planned for Simon to be in this fic but I started to think about how Simon would react to Laszlo's absence. It was a joke idea and then I thought a brief moment of comedy in this fic was what the story needed. While I was brainstorming I had found this tiktok and got this idea. I thought it would be fun to write Simon being trapped in this cheery environment while his heart has just been shattered to pieces. It's painfully ironic. Unlike the other songs in this soundtrack this one is diagetic. It's both taunting Simon and describes his feelings. He's desperate to see Laszlo again and he wants Laszlo to be home again more than anything.

Cause I remember when you were here

And all the fun we had last year

This line is in reference to Go Flip Yourself

The song repeats over and over "baby please come home" which is how desperate Simon is to be with Laszlo again.

Story of My Life by One Direction

This was a very risky decision I made while writing this fic. To me in only felt natural that Nadja would go through some kind of emotional journey during this time of grief. I just really wanted to write the moment that Nadja's ghost dissappears. It's like self reflection. This song is Nadja's first step into accepting Laszlo is gone. She begins to acknowledge the happy moments she had with Laszlo.

Sugarcloud from Ride The Cyclone

Nadja and her ghost have alot in common but I suspect there's dissonance when it comes to Laszlo. Nadja doll never got to meet Laszlo and doesn't quite understand what Nadja sees in him. She didn't get to experience falling in love with Laszlo. Nadja's ghost is under the impression that her life was a waste and her legacy is dependent on what she's known as in the vampire world. Nadja is obsessed with her reputation and strives for success to the point she neglects her own joy and falls into burnout. As Nadja recalls her life spent with Laszlo they both come to the realization that she doesn't need to prove her existence to anyone. Just being alive is enough and not having a grand legacy doesn't make her worthless. She'd undead but it still applies lol.

The way I see it Nadja became one with her ghost. She's no longer haunted by her childhood or insecurities. She's finally made peace with her truamas and allowing herself to rest. The reason she's taking up a small hobby earlier in the chapter is because she's trying to learn how to relax and just do something because it's fun and not to be good at it.

Chapter 6

One of Us from The Lion King 2

Months before I decided to write this fanfic I was already obsessed with the idea of the three vampire from the 2014 movie passing judgement to Guillermo. They would struggle to feel any compassion for him and only feel fear and hate for something dangerous they can't understand. I would listen to this imagining the potential conflict between the the three vampires and the main characters in the series on the topic of Guillermo. I always envisioned Nandor being the Nala sitting on the sidelines with everyone against his plea to spare Guillermo. Most characters see Guillermo as a threat and feel hurt by him. I specifically feel that this line fits Simon.

Someone once lied to us

Now we're not so blind!

& by Tally Hall

Guillermo has to face vampiric law and its very vicious and cruel. There's lots of tension and a significant lack of understanding.

When the golden rule and the jungle meet

There'll be nothing to love and there'll be no one to beat.

Oh, the things we know, the things we don't

Oh, the things we think, we can, will and won't

[CW: flashing in clip ] Hungover in the City of Dust by Autoheart

I'll be honest while I was writing the last two of this fic I wasn't in the best state mentally and at the time I'm writing this I don't feel any better. I let that feeling inspire how I wrote Guillermo. It was like a strange form of catharsis projecting all my hopeless thoughts and frustrations onto Guillermo. Guillermo is having the worst night of his life and he's barely keeping it together.

The Trial by Pink Floyd

While the title of this chapter is accurate to what happens its also referring to this song. Guillermo is in a cage being accused of his crimes but he's also at war with his own self loathing. Viago is this symbol of vampiric class and acts downright patronizing to him.

Hells Comin With Me

Simon wasn't supposed to return but I grew to love the idea that it was Simon who told the Vampiric Council about Guillermo crimes and arrest him. I wanted to play into the fact that Simon is a character that tends to return when we least expect it in canon. Now he's back and full of righteous anger.

I am the righteous hand of God

And I am the devil that you forgot

While I was writing this fic I was fleshing out my headcannons for Simon since he's a half baked character at the moment. I got this idea that Simon had this catholic past when he was alive and it sticks with him a bit as a vampire. One way is his shape-shifting abilities, when under high stress or anger, forms into something others would compare to a biblically accurate angel. It's something that would deeply scare Guillermo, who already has religious truama.

SURPRISE! A DELETED SCENE! :D

Bloom from Joseph King of Dreams

This was deleted due to pacing issues and it just felt out of place. This would take place after the trial with Guillermo telling The Barron everything. The Barron feels sorrowful yet sympathetic. He's not proud of who had been in the past and for thinking he was above all of mankind. He had changed and he believes Guillermo can grow from this too.

You've seen the damage words can do

When full of thoughtless pride

Now heed the wiser voice in you

That calls to be your guide

One Normal Night from The Addams Family the musical

I'm not a huge fan of this musical. I feel like it misses the point of The Addams Family, which is radical acceptance in a conservative society. However I do love the artists and editors who show their favorite characters experiencing a traumatic night where stuff just keeps happening to them. I think Guillermo is in a similar situation in this fic

While My Guitar Gently Weeps by The Beatles

I don't think the men who are The Beatles are good people. I think I owe my love for their songs to the obscure movie Cirque Du Soleil. There's a handful of artistic and abstract interpretations of their songs. In this movie this song is visualized as a widow who lost her husband to war. I bring this up as it was inspiration for writing Nandor's grief for Laszlo. Their relationship soured and Nandor will never have closure with Laszlo. He regrets that he didn't appreciate Laszlo enough while he had him. He also wonders if things would be different if he expressed his love for Guillermo sooner.

Chapter 7

Runs in the Family by Amanda Palmer

This was another part I projected myself into. Guillermo hates who his family is. He's a Van Helsing and no matter how much he denys it or tries to hide it, it will always come back to him.

I cannot, I cannot, I cannot run from my family

They're hiding inside of me, corpses on ice

Guillermo has ran from many things in his life. He's ran from his sexuality and the catholic church but it's always there to haunt him. He's quite literally become a criminal on the run and he's not proud of it.

Mary, have mercy, now look what I've done

But don't blame me because I can't help where I come from

And running is something that we've always done well

And mostly I can't even tell what I'm running from

Grenade by Bruno Mars

Nandor has this unconditional love for Guillermo and while he struggles to vocalize or or express it in a productive way he does cause him to do pretty stupid things. Nandor would literally die for him. Guillermo does feel the same but he's a coward. Besides neither of them could communicate.

Lullaby for a Princess by ponyphonic

Guillermo and Nandor are doomed, in this timeline at least. Nandor doesn't appreciate Guillermo. Nandor didn't support him when he wasn't given any respect. No matter how much Guillermo demand to become a vampire, he refuses to turn him in fear of the consequences but mostly because of his pride. So Guillermo took things into his own hands and became a vampire without him. Guillermo refused to listen to Laszlo's criticism and it resulted in something Guillermo regrets. Nandor knows their relationship us doomed but he still wishes him well as they're forced apart.

The years now before us

Fearful and unknown

I never imagined

I'd face them on my own

May these thousand winters

Swiftly pass, I pray

I love you, I miss you

All these miles away

Everything I do, I do it for You

I remember this song from the movie Robin Hood. I don't remember much of the movie but I remember how the song made me feel. It was like this knight in shinning armor kind of song where you fantasize about rescuing someone you adore or the person rescuing you. I associate alot of 80s dad rock with Nandor. It's romantic and its the ideal type of romance Nandor desires.

The Best of Friends from The Fox and The Hound

Before I really had a clear idea of the conclusion I wanted for this movie, I watched two movies for inspiration. I watched Brother Bear and The Fox and The Hound. The latter was the direct inspiration for the conclusion. I think Guillermo and Nandor are similar to Todd and Cooper. Guillermo is the troublesome fox who keeps causing trouble and accidental harm. Nandor wants to love Guillermo and defend him but he knows they should be enemies and their relationship might be impossible to have without issues.

When these moments have passed

Will that friendship last

Who can't say there's a way

Oh, I hope

I hope it never ends

'Cause you're the best of friends

The scene where Cooper stands in front of Todd to protect him is a touching scene. There's not really a solid answer to the issue. They all go their separate ways and decide to give up the chase. The rabid warewolf is a parallel to the bear Todd fights and Sean parallels Amos Slade who's mind is set on revenge. Nandor's eyes are based on how Cooper stares at his master, pleading for mercy. Nandor's eyes are full of emotion and it works to my advantage for this fanfiction. Sean gives up and chooses peace. Nandor and Guillermo separate on good terms but they will never forget their friendship.

[sanversandfriends]

Sanvers fans know her from her amazing contributions of art and fic to the Big Bang, but @morganastorm24 is also a multi-talented writer and artist for multiple ships in the DC universe. She also has love of everything Lois Lane. In honor of the Planet's star reporter, we've asked her to share a glimpse into her writing process. Thanks, Morgana!

Tell us a little about yourself. How did you get started writing fic? Have you written for other fandoms? What are your favorite tropes?  

I've been writing for as long as I can remember - even longer according to my mum. I've always loved creating stories and would sit with my teddies and toy horses, reading them stories (even before I could read, because that's what pictures are for, right? Telling a thousand words and all that). For my 6th or 7th birthday, I apparently asked for a "really nice writing set and an even nicer book to write in". I was given a ring binder with plastic pockets, a notebook and a pencil case full of stationery. I still have that ring binder to this day, though it's not filled with all my random childish scribbles like it once was. 

I started writing fanfiction not long after Star Wars: Attack of the Clones came out. That's the earliest fanfic I can remember writing, anyway. I wrote Anakin and Padme's adventures after they got married, and then when rumours started flying about what was going to happen in Episode 3, I wrote my very first "fix it fic" by finding a way to keep Padme alive (as I couldn't bear the thought of my favourite character dying). Most of those very early fics never left the pages of the notebooks they were scrawled in and nobody else ever saw them (thank god!), but it wasn't until I started reading fanfiction online that I realised I could actually do that too - share my ideas with the world. I dabbled a little in fanfic for the tv show Casualty (a British medical drama), had more success with Doctor Who, wrote some more Star Wars, then Merlin and eventually (and most recently) Supergirl (with a dash of other DC). 

What were your inspirations for this particular story? What was it about this/these ships that grabbed you?

This fic was born of a single image - namely Chyler first revealing that she was going to wear a black and blue super suit and become Supergirl for one episode. That image alone was enough to get my mind racing with possibilities and ideas of how it might come to pass. I have to be honest and say I stopped watching the show after the Crisis stuff, so I've never actually seen her episode as Supergirl, but maybe that's a good thing? At least this way I know that my version of her is different and unique.

I am and always will be a huge Sanvers stan, but there's something so appealing about AgentCorp as well, and the show really dropped the ball when they wouldn't let Alex and Lena be together. They're an interesting and dynamic pairing - they share interests, are both huge science nerds and yet so completely different that its great fun writing them both together.

As for Lois and Kara - that one literally came out of nowhere and took me by surprise. I'd never intended for it to happen, and yet now that it has, I'm wondering why I never thought of it sooner!

Has the time spent away from your story changed your outlook or approach to any of the storylines or themes? Have you had any new inspirations or breakthroughs/revelations in the meantime? 

Absolutely. I got to a point with the fic where it had grown stale, and I was constantly hitting up against a wall with no idea how to get around it, or to power through it. So, I walked away from the fic and decided to focus on other WIPs and new creations instead. Coming back to it now, I've been able to see everything with fresh eyes, and I can see not only where I was going wrong before, but also a way to fix it. Changing the villain, adding characters, getting rid of redundant plot threads and adding more relevant pieces has really helped to get this work to a place where finally, I can see the finish line and I know I'm going to make it. That's a huge relief, considering where I was 2 years ago when I first started writing it.

Any advice for new or aspiring fic writers?

Never give up. No matter how hard it might be, just put words on a page. It doesn't matter how rubbish they are, as my BFF always says, "You can't edit a blank page." Let yourself suck, let yourself write horrendously. It's all good practice. Even if those words never leave your notebook or the document on your computer, they've taught you something, they've helped you to improve, so be proud of them.

Writing is also a bit like a painting. Not even Da Vinci or Van Gogh sat at his easel and created a masterpiece on his first try. There's the initial sketches to plan out the idea. That's your plot or summary. Then you add basic blocks of colours. That's your first draft. From then on, you work away slowly, adding details, shading, contouring...those are your second, third, fourth drafts. Keep revising and editing as much as you need - there's no right or wrong number of times you should be doing it. Because each time you do, you're adding more detail to your masterpiece. And what you end up with is a work of art.

One final piece of advice... writing is not a solo event. All those times a writer is depicted sitting along, tapping away at a keyboard or scribbling in a notebook, it's so misleading. Get yourself a writing buddy. DKGwrites and I are best friends, we met through fanfiction (and I'm eternally grateful for that everyday). We have regular writing sessions together, and ok it's 90% messing around, distracting one another, talking utter nonsense or throwing random videos and links to each other, but that 10% when we do actually behave and get down to the task at hand, it's so much more fun writing together than it ever is when we try to write alone. Silliness aside, we help one another, bounce ideas off one another, motivate and encourage one another, and it's the best thing ever. So find yourself a writing buddy, and have a blast!

If you were going to promote this fic with a single line, what would it be? 

What if Supergirl was a badass redhead called Alex Danvers?

We'll have more about her artwork in the coming weeks, but in the meantime, check out her work on A03!

[hua-fei-hua]

Hi Huaaaaaaa I'm in your askbox :3

10, 19, 23, 45 for the Fanfiction Questions, I simply must know

hiii naviiiiii we are hanging out on my blog :33

totally forgot i rb'd those things hehe but anyway~

10.  Is there a fandom you read fic from but don’t write in?

at first glance, my thought was no, bc i don't really fandom-ize every bit of media i absorb, just a few special ones (i can be normal about things!! for real (not clickbait)!!!)

that said, there are a few fandoms i've read fic for that i've never written for! going all the way back to my roots, i read so much mlp fic, n although i technically wanted to write mlp fic back in the day (n have like. two paragraphs of an ancient pitch rotting in my gdocs), i never really committed to it.

nat made me read some pokespe fics too back in the day, so i've read a couple of those too despite never really reading a ton of the manga. one pokespe author also recommended some kingdom hearts fic that i ended up reading, despite having never played kh or knowing anything about it really!

i also used to read a lot of miraculous ladybug fic (once in a blue moon i'll also get update emails for some of them c':), n although i had some ideas for mlb fic, i never wrote any of them.

i think the most recent fandoms i've read but never written for have been the adventure zone (balance), since i'd read taz fic as it crossed my dash after i listened to the podcast, and princess tutu, bc i had a mutual who got into it, so i started w/their fic after i watched the anime, then poked around the archive a bit hehe

19. Is there a ship which you wished you could get behind, but you just don’t feel them?

hmmm i'm honestly kind of a "once a hater, always a hater" kind of person, so it's kind of hard for me to think of a ship that i see around, know the basic appeal of, but don't really Understand in a way that makes me more proactive or picky w/seeing them portrayed.

that said, i would love to read some kokosara meta that elaborates on how a relationship btwn them would further kokomi's character, why sara is the only character who would be able to push her in that particular direction

23. Name a fic you’ve written that you’re especially fond of & explain why you like it.

oooo that's tough, since i'm very fond of p much all my fics for various different reasons, even if i don't think their writing is particularly up to my standards anymore.

like, even tho jjk was technically a while ago for me now, i'm still obsessed w/the idea of a constellation au (zenith); and the diner at the end of the night is still easily one of the most well-written high-energy comedies i've ever pulled off.

it's also really hard to pick out of my genshin fics which one holds the most specialest place in my heart bc most of them hold niches in my heart!!!

typically, though, i pick disjunct bc during the writing process, it was the first time where i really felt allowed to give a character Mixed Race Struggles(tm) wholesale w/o feeling like i was just making them mixed for the sake of it. i'm also really happy with the way it ended up resonating w/people on a core level, and the experience of artist-viewer connection n just having an Art Moment(tm) that resulted!!

45. What is your all time favourite fanfic?

i used to say A Miscellaneous Tale of Night and Day, which is The 200k word pokespe fic nat made me read when we were in high school that hasn't updated since 2012 that has effectively inoculated me against "abandoned fanfiction sadness", and the plot n premise are still a ton of fun, but i've been rereading it a bit as of late, and you can feel the early 2010s casual transphobia and misogyny in it lol. i'd say that it helped shape my comedic tastes/ability to just write self-indulgently, so for that, i'd categorize it under "influential fics"

honestly my favorite fics tend to be long multichapters, but there are honestly so few that line up with my tastes and have an ending in genshin, n i didn't read enough in jjk to have any longfics to really be fondly subscribed to. thinking about it, i genuinely think my fave fics are just the ones nat n i make up together over discord until five in the morning LMAO

in terms of fics that exist(ed, at least at one point), i'd say the now-deleted snk fic tower of babel would probably qualify as one of my all-time faves, n i can say that's not just the nostalgia glasses bc i do still have a copy on my hard drive lol. the premise is that five girls, each hiding their own secrets from each other or the world, end up renting one apartment together, n they learn to trust each other enough to communicate n rely on one another. there's also a bit of romance happening in the bg, but it's not the biggest aspect of the fic, n i really liked that!!! also the way it dropped the title in the end, basically stating its main theme as "it's a lot easier to fix your problems if you communicate abt it" CHANGED MY LIFE the first time i read it lol

ANYWAY YEAH that's all of them hehe thanks for the ask~

fanfiction questions

[thecoffeelorian]

Hello again, everyone...and welcome back to another Fandom Friday.

The purpose of these entries, if you have not yet heard it, is to bring more visibility to art and stories that might otherwise go unnoticed on the Tumblr timeline, as well as to help the creators of such fanworks achieve more followers in the process.

As of the first day of this month, it is also officially MERMAY, so until June rolls around, you just might be seeing a lot more ocean-themed creations around here, with my dashboard being no exception.

And so, on that particular note, here are my picks of the week!

GENERAL STAR WARS

Star Wars Fanart--By @thepatchycat :

Star Wars Fanart--By @s-pirth-lemonade:

THE PREQUELS

The Prequels Fanart--By @friskynotebook:

THE CLONE WARS

The Clone Wars Fanart--By @mandalorianbrainweasel:

The Clone Wars Fanart--By @0vvl404:

THE BAD BATCH

The Bad Batch Fanfiction--By @reader6898:

The Bad Batch Fanfiction--By @the-bi-space-ace:

JEDI FALLEN ORDER

Jedi: Fallen Order Fanart--By @ziemniorrysuje:

THE ASCENDANCY TRILOGY

The Ascendancy Fanart--By @gia-batmm-crickle22:

THE SEQUELS

The Sequels Fanart--By @daalphawolfe13:

In conclusion, as part of my mission to poke around the Star Wars fandom and, on Friday every week, highlight those artists and writers who might otherwise go unnoticed…I hope you will check out the links I have included for yourselves and like, comment on, and reblog them, as well as also giving the artists and writers a few more followers to their Tumblr pages.

Please also like and reblog this latest installment so that these links can be spread around to as many other fans as possible, just in case not all of them can tune in at the same time.

An additional thank you goes to @djarrex for making the divider I used earlier in this post, but still want to give credit for.

And finally, so that I do not forget…thank you to my friends, thank you to this fandom, good morning, and good luck.

No-Pressure Tag List: @gun-roswell @callsign-denmark @theosb0rnway @melymigo @saphiranishimurashan

@ilovemedia @brownielocks69 @here-comes-the-moose @skellymom @lilithastar

@ankossss @sharpasanaro @serinzatravel-blog @yeehawgeek @ray-rook

@algo-o-nada @rott1ngbra1n @smw-on-kamino @cinnamonsugar-pretzel @snap-my-kneecaps

@vaderkin-is-a-lightning-rod @maxims-multifandom-corner and anybody else who might be on the lookout for new and interesting works around the fandom.

[esta-elavaris]

Do you have any advice for someone trying out writing for the first time? No matter if it’s fanfiction or an original work is there something you would suggest or a mantra you try to go by? Or maybe advice you would have told your younger self?

I started stupidly young (like I decided when I was nine that I wanted to be an author) so I can't specifically remember what worked for me when I started, but I still have a few things that I think/hope will be helpful! There was a period around 2017-2019 where I wrote an abysmally small amount because of shitty mental health and then I revamped/reclaimed my writing habit at the very beginning of 2020 and there are a few things that were helpful there.

This book is very, very good (The War of Art by Steven Pressfield, if the link doesn't work) to the point where I literally buy it as a gift constantly for creative folk in my life. It's a very quick read, I reread it often, and it frames procrastination and that sort of self-conscious anxiety that makes writing difficult at times in a really new and clever way. The author has done a few podcast appearances if the book isn't something you can access.

Another person who I've found really inspiring/motivational is David Goggins - his stuff is more overtly tailored towards physical exercise and that sort of realm, but what he says can absolutely be applied to creativity, too, but he's a bit more of a divisive figure - some people love him and his brand of encouragement, others despise it. He has a couple of very good books, a tonne of podcast appearances, and he posts smaller clips on IG. Personally, I adore it, he's one of my favourite humans.

At the heart it's all about not letting the shit your mind tells you impact what you actually do, and a massive part of writing (at least for my anxious self) is ignoring that voice in the back of your mind screaming that every sentence/paragraph/chapter is hot shit and you should just quit. So I don't really have specific mantras, just stuff by those guys as well as a few different songs that hype me up.

In terms of specific advice, the game changer for me was deciding to write every single day as a rule. It's the best thing I ever did for my writing. The original plan was to only do it for the entire year of 2020 to get back into good habits, but then that year ended and I haven't stopped yet, with no plans to do so - I'm literally on my 1200th+ consecutive day right now. It's tough for the first few months, especially when you're getting used to consciously making time for it (I've literally written on my phone at bus stops, or when everybody else has gone to bed at a sleepover/party, the works to maintain the streak), but eventually it becomes second nature. Not every day can be good and groundbreaking, but you have to get through the mediocre days to earn the great ones and writing as much as possible sort of streamlines that process. Creativity is like a muscle in that regard, the more you use it and the more you show up, the more it'll show up for you.

Kind of linked to that last point, I'd also recommend working on a couple of different things at once. That way if you're stuck on one project, you can switch to the other - and by the time you get stuck on the other one, you'll probably be ready to go back to the first one. It's a good way to keep writing and keep yourself in the habit of writing even if you're taking a break from one specific thing. I could never just work on one thing 24/7 because I'd end up getting painfully bored and it would show in the project.

ALSO final bit of technical advice - the pomodoro technique is great for this sort of thing. There are plenty of YouTube videos that do the timing for you if you search for stuff like "study with me pomodoro" etc. and it frames things in a much more doable light. It breaks down your time into 25 minute chunks of work, and then rests in-between, so working on a project no longer feels like "man I need to write a whole chapter", it's just "I need to write for 25 minutes".

Finally, books in general are your best friend. Not just for inspiration, but because they can really help with insecurity. If I think I use too many dashes as punctuation, I pick up a few books and go hunting for them and see I don't use a stupidly higher amount than some of my favourite authors. If you look at books as a writer, you can find paragraphs that exist just to get the characters from point A to point B without containing any groundbreaking bits of literary prose. The sort of stuff you don't usually notice if you're just reading as a reader.

You can even find passages you don't personally like but that don't ultimately detract from the book being good (or if it does in your opinion, you can probably then find droves of people online who ADORE the book and think it's perfect, which is a good reminder of how subjective this whole thing is - I love reading negative reviews of my favourite books for that reason, it's a good reminder that there's no pleasing EVERYBODY so there's no point in trying) just to counteract any perfectionist tendencies.

Essentially, write as much as possible, read as much as possible, and have fun doing it. The only thing I'd really tell my younger self is to keep going for it, and to never quit.

This is a whole ass essay now, sorry about that -- if there's anything specifically that I didn't talk about, feel free to lmk. And thank you for asking! I'm majorly flattered that you'd want my advice on the topic 💜 good luck!