#love being a pantser sometimes

[clickerflight]

Clove: Part 21 - No Monologues

Bois.... there's more to this story than I thought there would be. We vibing but this is wild!

Masterlist - Part 20

Content: Werewolf whumpee, human whumper, vampire caretaker, exhaustion, strangulation, a rather quick and violent death

......................................................

Goldenrod was really struggling to stay on top of the pillar now. He was tired and shaky, his fingers trembling on the ritual knife as he tried to dodge and shield himself from the barrage of gravel Jack kept sending his way, hoping to knock him down. He was so scared. He just had to hang on till Ephraim got here. He had to. He didn’t think he could fight Jack again. He shouldn’t have swallowed any of Jack’s blood earlier. It was making Hyrum feel really sick and making the whole situation that much worse. 

The newest rock attack slowed to a stop, Jack panting below, still pacing back and forth. He was chewing on his thumbnail, looking up at the skies nervously over and over again. The fae queen had to know by now. Was she going to come here or was she setting up defenses against him? He didn’t have time. He really didn’t have time.

He chewed harder, running out of nail and just started in on the flesh of his thumb with his sharp teeth as he stared up at Hyrum, who watched with a numb sort of exhaustion in his eyes. That was good. Jack knew that look well. The pup wouldn’t be able to stay up there for long. 

Jack looked over at another pillar, spaced not that far away from Hyrum’s and stopped chewing on his thumb. If he couldn’t get Hyrum down with magic, he’d have to do it with force. 

So, the sorcerer started to climb a pillar, slowly and laboriously as he kept slipping down the smooth rock face. He nearly slid all the way to the bottom when he felt a stinging pain bite into his skull. He snarled as he realized Hyrum had chucked a rock at his head, and forced himself to climb higher. 

He scrambled onto the top, and without even so much as a moment to catch his breath, he turned and threw himself across the gap. 

Hyrum yelped, holding the blade up to try and defend himself, but Jack crashed into him, sending them both onto the gravel below. 

Hyrum was well protected by his being a werewolf, however that didn’t help with the way the crash had sent the wind right out of his lungs. 

Jack grabbed the knife from out of trembling fingers and grabbed Hyrum’s throat with the other hand. “Alright, pup. I hope you enjoyed all of that. A waste of time and energy if you ask me,” he said, picking Hyrum up as he gasped and scratched at Jack’s wrist. 

Vindictively, Jack slammed Hyrum into the altar, making the pup’s eyes go wide and dazed as his head smacked into the obsidian. 

Jack now took a moment to breathe, changing his grip on the knife and on Hyrum’s throat so he could try and get at his voice box. 

“I would tell you to hold still, but that would be a bit of a waste of breath, wouldn’t it,” Jack said as Hyrum seemed to come back to his senses, fear and helplessness flooding his face as he realized he just didn’t have the energy to fight back anymore. 

Jack allowed himself a moment to drink it in. How couldn’t he, really. The pup had always been so cute and desperate when he was scared. So perfectly defenseless. 

“I think I will miss you a little… not much, but a little,” Jack commented mostly to himself, flipping the knife one more time for good measure before leaning over Hyrum to make the first incision. 

He only got as far as touching the blade to the werewolf’s throat, Hyrum’s golden eyes squeezed shut with silent tears tracking down his dirty cheeks, when Jack was slammed to the side and into the ground. 

He scrabbled at the gravel, reaching for the knife he dropped, but a powerful hand closed on the back of his neck, the other grabbing the back of his clothing to throw him onto his back. 

Jack’s manic eyes landed on Ephraim, who stood clean and furious before him, lips drawn back to show his broken fang. 

Ephraim had felt his heart nearly fall out of his rib cage when he’d seen Jack leaning over Hyrum like that, but was glad to see the pup scramble off the altar, frozen in indecision between trying to get away and going to hug Ephraim. 

“Ephraim!” Jack said in a placating tone, trying to get himself sorted out to sit up. “So good to see you! I thought you’d be in the pits by- CKkk”

Ephraim stood on his throat, watching as the sorcerer tried to get Ephraim’s foot off. “I almost was,” he replied, leaning some weight on it. “Goodbye, Jack. Hope you  are remembered in tales for the truly terrible fate you are dealt in the afterlife. 

Jack shook his head, eyes wide as he struggled to speak. 

“Bck! N’v’r bck! Wi’ow m’!”

Ephraom threw back his head and laughed a truly cold laugh. “I don’t care. I have an in with the queen here. I’m not concerned about getting back.”

“D’nt tr’st-”

“Oh I know,” Ephraim said, leaning hard just to watch as the sorcerer’s face turned an odd shade of blue. “I won’t, trust you that.”

Jack, realizing he wouldn’t be able to talk his way out of this, tried to gather the last bits of strength he had after constantly attacking Hyrum and after the arduous journey here, but Ephraim lifted his foot and slammed it into the sorcerer’s throat, listening to the satisfying crack of his neck. 

Ephraim stood like that, breathing heavily before he looked back at Goldenrod. “Don’t watch.”

Goldenrod, eyes wide and teary, nodded and turned away as Ephraim knelt down, slowly cracking Jack open to pull out each and every organ he could get his hands on and destroy them, scattering them everywhere. As soon as he had reduced Jack to a smear that no magic would be able to bring him back from, Ephraim stood up, stepping out of the now deactivated ritual circle to wipe his hands off in the grass. 

He looked back to see Goldenrod curled on his side on the ground, face almost touching one of the pillars. 

He got up and walked to Goldenrod only to realize that his little boy was breathing slowly and calmly, so trusting in Ephraim to deal with the mess that he paid no heed to the noises and let sleep take him. 

Ephraim clicked his tongue. He wanted to take the moment to heart and relish in it, but they weren’t safe yet. They were still in the fae realm, and while the fae queen was soft on his fledgling and Benny would surely do anything for him to get in his good graces again, Ephraim didn’t think for even a moment that they were anywhere near close to safe. They weren’t going to be safe till they were all home and that entrance in the forest was sealed. 

Ephraim carefully scooped Goldenrod into his arms, lifting him. The werewolf woke enough to grab onto him before he fell asleep again, the fear and constant adrenaline too much for his little system. 

Ephraim didn’t spare the smears in the gravel behind him any heed as he stepped into the grass, walking back towards where the castle had been. He didn’t know if they would actually make it since traveling in the fae wilds had turned out to be strange, getting Ephraim to the ritual place much faster than he expected without even seeing the entrance to the fae realm once on the way here, but he was sure Benny would have someone come looking for him, and there were already fae scouts out looking for Jack.

He walked for about an hour, Goldenrod only stirring to snuggle closer, when he saw some of the fog clearing ahead and a fae walked out through it. It was the gauzy fae from before. Kortops. 

“What have you found, Vampire?” he called. 

“My pup,” Ephraim replied cautiously. “I’ve killed the sorcerer, though you may want to dispose of his remains somehow. I am concerned he knew a good deal of dark magic and might have some way to come back.”

“I will have someone look into it. I will walk you back, yes?”

Ephraim was conflicted. He wanted to demand to go home, but he wasn’t certain how the fae would react to that and there was a large part of him that wanted to convince Benny to come home. But if they stayed they wouldn’t be able to eat. And Goldenrod needed to eat. 

“We will walk back to the palace,” Ephraim said uneasily. “Tell me, is there food here that isn’t of the fae.”

Kortops laughed. “You think we will hold you here if you eat it?” 

“I believe it may weaken defenses more than anything else,” Ephraim said a little testily. “I would really prefer to keep my wits about me.”

Kortops looked like he almost wanted to be offended about that, his wings flicking, but he sighed. “You have caught us, vampire. We are to be only the best hosts, and we will provide you with completely unenchanted food.”

“Every time?” 

“Every time,” the fae promised with a roll of his eyes. 

Good. It seemed Ephraim had discovered another rule the fae have to live by. They are, first and foremost good hosts, and they had to be truthful in their dealings as such. 

Ephraim would need to think carefully over all of his requests to be sure to watch for loop holes, then, and no fae would get to talk to Hyrum even once without Ephraim being there. 

“Thank you,” Ephraim said. Manners were likely important in a place like this. “When we arrive at the castle, I would like good, unenchanted food and a safe and secure place to sleep with a promise that no fae or fae servant will disturb us as we sleep. We have had a long, long day.”

“Of course,” Kortops said, taking on a subservient, though distant tone now. “Anything else for you, my liege?”

“That will be all for tonight,” Ephraim replied, just as distantly. His thoughts were already on the idea of a warm, comfortable shower and then a warm, comfortable bed where he and Goldenrod could curl up and he could ensure that his pup was safe and still alive. 

The palace loomed up through the mists again and Kortops led him inside, relaying orders to the servants who led Ephraim to a room. 

After Ephraim had triple checked that they knew to bring unenchanted but good food, he turned to caring for Goldenrod, getting some warm water and soap from the bathroom to clean his wounds and scrapes. Goldenrod was somewhat awake for this, whining and crying a little about being disturbed, but his demeanor changed as he smelled food as the fae brought it in for them to eat. 

Soon enough, they were fed, cleaned, clothed and in bed, Goldenrod passed out without even managing to say goodnight, and Ephraim, a hand on the back of Goldenrod’s head, followed soon after. 

Part 22

Clove Taglist: @wolfeyedwitch @the-blind-one-speaks @whumpsday @extrabitterbrain @inkkswhumpandstuff

@honeycollectswhump @whump-blog-reblogs @pigeonwhumps @mj-or-say10 @percy-frayer

@currentlyinthesprial @scoundrelwithboba @whumps-and-bumps

[windfighter]

Acquiring the wrath of Titan

For the prompt "Something isn't right" from @whumppromptoftheday

--------

”Something isn’t right.”

Villain stopped at Hero’s words, the fire they were just about to blast fizzled out into thin air.

”What do you mean wrong?” they asked.

Hero lifted their sword higher. Held their shield tighter.

”Is this another of your tricks, Villain?” Hero asked.

Their eyes shot daggers and Villain glared back.

”I don’t even know what you’re talking about.”

The fire started at their hands again. Hero took a step closer, then backed off. Villain took a step forwards. The ground tilted. Villain stepped back. The ground was flat.

”Did you finally learn magic?” Villain grinned.

They’d been looking forward to that moment, when they could finally have a fair fight against Hero. Swords and shields did little against a magic wielder and was outright boring in the long run. And Hero was… Hero had potential. Villain would teach Hero themselves if they could spare the time. But between all the heroes attacking their subjects and all the kingdoms that could do with less land Villain really didn’t have much time for fun.

”Magic is the tool of the damned”, Hero said. ”What are you doing?”

”Being damned comes with a lot of benefits”, Villain purred.

Oh, it would be so much fun if they could get Hero to join them. Hero would fit perfect in their ranks, be a perfect little trophy partner. Villain’s body trembled and they shook their head. Hero took a step closer. Their face paled more and more with every step. Something was wrong.

The ground trembled in a way Villain hadn’t seen since school. The air almost boiled just above the ground, sweat ran down Hero’s face, down their neck. Villain felt the pull of gravity.

”Oh”, they said. ”I think we’re in trouble.”

Hero took another step. The ground crumbled under their feet. Villain called on the earth and the plants and thick vines wrapped around both them and Hero, pulled them away from the crumbling ground. It wasn’t Villain’s trick Hero had noticed. They covered Hero in vines, buried them from the eyes of the creature crawling through the crumbling ground.

”You’re looking absolutely stunning”, Villain said with their smoothest voice.

A Titan of the Earth. Big, strong and murderous. And Villain’s ex. Villain always fell for the wrong people.

”Still a master of gravity, I see”, Villain complimented.

More of an observation. Villain always felt that gravity was not to be manipulated. Titan came closer. She was at least three times taller than Villain. Probably three times stronger. And…

”Who were you flirting with?”

...jealous.

”Oh, no one important”, Villain tried. ”You know how it is. Every trick in the book.”

Although most of those tricks were ’stab them in the back’, another thing Villain didn’t feel was right. They might be a villain, but they had standards.

”Do you need help?” Titan asked. ”I can squish them for you. Like the bug they are.”

”A wonderful offer from a wonderful person”, Villain bowed. ”But they are my toy and I would like to play with them some more. They are no threat.”

Gravity shifted around them. Time disorted. Villain wasn’t sure how long they were staring into Titan’s eyes before Titan stepped to the side. Villain walked up to the vines that held Hero, summoned a flamming sword to their hand and opened a small hole in the vines.

”I need you to trust me”, they whispered through the opening.

Hero was beautifully furious. Villain had a trick up their sleeve. A magic they had practiced but never used.

”You’re a foul creature with dirty tricks”, Hero said. ”I will slay you with my own two hands.”

Hero really knew what to say to make Villain feel appreciated, but this was really not the time for that. Villain lifted their sword. Magic swirled in the air. Trembled. Hero’s eyes widened.

”What are you doing to me?” they asked.

”Trust me”, Villain repeated. ”I’ll be the last thing you’ll see.”

They thrusted the flaming swords through the vines, wrapped Hero in air and pulled them away. The vines burst into fire, screamed. Turned into ashes as Villain let the sword disappear for when they next would need it. They took a step back. Titan came closer, the ground shook with her every step. She picked the ashes up, spread them in the wind. It would fertilize the earth, help the plants grow.

”Thank you for distracting them for me”, Villain said. ”It made them easier to capture.”

Titan looked at them. Leaned down.

”You never cared about them?”

”Not even a bit”, Villain said and hoped they sounded convincing. ”There will never be anyone like you.”

It wasn’t a lie. The ground started boiling again.

”Then why did you leave?” Titan asked.

There were… many reasons. Most of all because it just didn’t work. Too many obstacles to overcome, their differences in morals. She didn’t want to hear that.

”You’re a goddess”, Villain said. ”And I’m a Villain.”

They called upon the air again, felt it pull at their body.

”Leaving is what we do.”

They’d be in soooo much trouble after this. Air pulled them apart, dragged them from Titan and carried them over the lands. Reassembled them in their castle. A sword pinned them to the wall. Hero.

”What. Did. You. Do.”

Well, at least they knew their teleportation magic worked.

[ahhhsami]

What writing tips would you give to beginner writers?

These are some general things I wished I had known when I started writing. Keep in mind that everyone is different, so these tips may not be as useful to you as it may be to someone else.

Tropes exist for a reason. If you have an idea, but see that there's already a fic with similar ideas, that's okay. Don't be discouraged. Tropes are loved because people want to read them and reread them. Plus your take will always be different from others because we all have different perspectives, writing styles, and ideas.

Write for the hell of it. If you have an idea, just write. It's okay if it's not good. It's okay if you never go back to it. The more you write, even if it's not to be shared, is good experience and can help you grow as a writer. Keep in mind though, that the more you post, the more feedback you receive which can help you improve greatly. It's always good to get constructive criticism from others. It's also okay to not be interested in constructive criticism. You'll still improve just by writing more.

Write for yourself. This might sound cliché, but it's true. Write what you want to and what you enjoy. Even if it's niche, that's okay since there will still be people interested in it. Interests are not exclusive and you may even be surprised that what you think is niche, might not be at all!

Schedules work for some and don't work for others. If you're a person that knows deadlines work for you and it won't hinder your creativity, then set a schedule for yourself. Set goals of writing a specific amount of words. Set dates when you'll post new chapters. BUT, it's also okay if schedules don't work for you. They personally don't work for me at all. Writing and sharing, especially when it comes to fanfiction is FREE. So don't feel obligated to get a chapter out by this time or that time. Creativity comes and goes, things in life happen, there's so many factors to posting, so don't feel pressured to do as others. Do what suits you! Some people can post every week, some can post every few months, some people need years and that's perfectly okay.

Don't base your success on hits/comments/kudos/etc. Some of the best stories I have ever read on AO3 have had low hits/comments/kudos. There are so many hidden gems out there. But do keep in mind that when you start writing and posting, these things may naturally be lower at the beginning. Over time, as you post more, people can become familiar with your style and what you write. On top of that, this feeds back to just writing. Writing more will improve your skills, which then will draw in more readers and also get them to stay or look at your other works.

Don't be scared to share and self-promote. When you start, it can be daunting to share what you've created. But we all had to start somewhere and if you asked me if I liked my first stories, it would be a hard no. What matters when I do look back at them, is that I see improvement. And as long as you keep working and enjoying the process, then improvement will definitely happen. Finally, when it comes to self-promoting, do it! Sometimes the only time I see a new story that I end up loving is because someone has promoted their own work. They're proud of it and I love to find new things that people were passionate about. I will also shamelessly recommend my own stories if needed. Just don't spam people 😂

Pantser, Plotter, or Plantser. These are three different ways of describing your writing style. Pantsers are more fluid and free with the way they write. Plotters lean toward more strict planning, relying on outlines and following a specific plan. Plantsers are a combination of the two. Try different styles and gradually you'll find what works best for you. I started out as a wildly free, honestly chaotic, Pantser but am very much a Plantser now. Writing styles can change over time, but just know that being comfortable with the style you're using is what's important.

Hopefully some of these things are helpful. They're somewhat vague and not all of them are strictly related to writing, but they are all things that I believe are important to know. These are also some things that can even be helpful to people who aren't new to writing. These are all things that I still follow and practice to this day too.

PS: I like to keep my asks/dms open for people looking for a second eye on their writing. If anyone is interested in having me read anything and share feedback, you're welcome to send me a message. My availability varies due to work, so you may not hear back from me right away though.

[writingquestionsanswered]

Anonymous asked: I struggle with motivation to write and figuring out what I want to happen in my story. I'm really good at picking out tropes, understanding character motivation, seeing where the story is going, recognising good writing, etc. I often have dreams that are full-fledged, complex stories, so I know the creativity is there. It's just, for some reason, when it's my intent to create, nothing happens. I get stuck thinking 'they'll see this coming' or 'this wouldn't work', and I can't figure out how I want it to go. So, I feel like I'm pretty good at stories... when I'm not trying? And i dont know how to do it without trying. I hope this makes sense lol

Struggling with Motivation and Direction

Being able to recognize good stories and dream up good story ideas is a great place to start, but there's more to writing a good story than ideas, tropes, and character motivation. Stories revolve around conflict (internal, external, or both) and the protagonist's pursuit of a goal that will resolve that conflict. Stories have structure... they go through specific phases (setup, rising action, falling action, denouement) and hit specific plot points (hook, inciting incident, midpoint, climax)... and sometimes more specific phases and plot points (there are all different theories on what those are). And through all of these phases and plot points, your character is growing and/or changing (and or changing the people/world around them) while in pursuit of their goal/resolution to the conflict.

There are some writers who can come up with an idea that instantly includes all of those important phases and plot points, and they can sit down over whatever period of time and almost effortlessly hammer out a first draft. However, that is not the case for most writers or most stories. Most stories require some level of plotting or planning ahead of time to work out what happens in all of those specific phases and plot points, and what the character has to do in order to resolve the conflict, and figure out how the resulting events cause your character to change and/or grow/and/or change the people/world around them. Some writers do the bare minimum amount of pre-planning, but then they push through that work as they write, figuring everything out as they go. It's anything but effortless. It's really hard work.

And the thing is, you will probably figure out that you're a planner--meaning that you generally need to put whatever amount of plotting/planning into a story before you write--or you're a pantser--meaning that you do a minimal amount of planning ahead of time but take the time as you're writing to figure things out. Or you may find it depends on the story you're writing. Either way, don't give up just because a story isn't naturally falling out of your fingertips onto the page. Stories are like lumps of clay that you want to turn into a beautiful sculpture. You're not going to pinch here, pull there, and voila. It takes a lot of time and effort to shape them into the thing you want them to be. And sure... there are sculptors who can sit down and create a gorgeous sculpture out of a lump of clay in mere moments, but for most it's not that easy. Same with writing.

So, don't give up. You're right where you need to be. Spend some more time learning about how stories work. (You can look through the posts on my Plot & Story Structure master list to start with.) Read a lot, and when you read, see if you can pick out the different story phases and plot points. Analyze stories you love to see how you work. Author K.M. Weiland has a story structure database that pulls apart popular stories and breaks them down into all those different pieces. There are also a lot of great videos on YouTube about story structure and plotting.

Ultimately, keep at it. You'll get there!!!

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

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

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[macabremoons]

writeblr (re)intro

𝖆𝖇𝖔𝖚𝖙 𝖒𝖊:

Moon ♡ She/her ♡ Blk ♡ EST ♡ Enjoyer of enemies to lovers

My favorite book is the wicked king by Holly Black. I love Holly Black's writing in general

I love making playlists

I'm a fanfic writer turned og writer (though sometimes I dip my toes back in)

I love video essays

𝖆𝖇𝖔𝖚𝖙 𝖒𝖞 𝖜𝖗𝖎𝖙𝖎𝖓𝖌:

Pantser! Though I do need a rough outline to make up things as I go.

I write mostly YA fantasy! I enjoy writing about the fae, vampires, and royalty, so these themes are usually in my writing lol

Love me a good morally grey female protagonist. I love writing black girl protagonists as well!

I write both romance and found family pretty evenly. They both mean a lot to me!! Not all of my wips have romance, but the ones that don't always have some sort of family theme

Love doing in-depth worldbuilding. I don't love writing it down, which just means I spam my friends with info LOL

𝖒𝖞 𝖕𝖗𝖔𝖏𝖊𝖈𝖙𝖘:

My wip masterlist is here! My current main project is Daycycle, which you can get the details of here: intro.

𝖜𝖗𝖎𝖙𝖎𝖓𝖌 𝖒𝖆𝖘𝖙𝖊𝖗𝖑𝖎𝖘𝖙:

Here!

𝖔𝖙𝖍𝖊𝖗:

Very ask and tag friendly! Hit me up if you wanna talk about my wips or just chat <3

I am hosting a writing group! For more information go here.

Open to reading other's wips as an alpha or beta reader (within reason ofc.) Just send me a message!

𝖘𝖔𝖈𝖎𝖆𝖑𝖘:

Wattpad: ♡

Ao3: ♡

[nanowrimo]

5 Tips for NaNoWriMo First-Timers

Feeling nervous as a new Wrimo? NaNo Guest Demi Michelle Schwartz has advice for you! Read on for tips on how to make sure your first attempt at Camp NaNoWriMo is a great one.

Have you heard about the NaNoWriMo or Camp NaNoWriMo buzz? Are you on the fence about taking the challenge for the first time? If yes, I’ve been in your shoes.

Last year, I got a new novel idea I was eager to write. I love challenges, and NaNoWriMo looked like the perfect time to draft my story. Still, being a first-timer gave me nervous butterflies. Little did I know I’d win my first NaNoWriMo with a finished draft at 73,000 words.

Whether you’re planning on participating in Camp or thinking ahead to November, I have five tips for you.

1. Plot and Research in Advance

First, I can confidently say I wouldn’t have been successful if I didn’t plot and research. Having a solid story idea from the start gave my writing direction each day.

If you’re a pantser, this may contrast with your process. Rather than completely plotting the novel, see if you can at least plan major beats or turning point scenes. That way, you’ll have plot points to write towards.

Also, doing research in advance reduces the amount of times you’ll have to pause to look something up. You may have to google information here and there, but a head start will make these internet-surfing adventures minimal.

2. Plan a Writing Schedule

Planning a writing schedule is key. For me, I’m most productive when I first wake up before I’m swamped by the day’s tasks. Also, I write well before bed, as long as I’m not too tired. Knowing when you write best will allow you to plug in time to work on your story.

Also, look at your calendar and plan accordingly. Part of my NaNoWriMo goal was writing every day, but I had to work around other commitments. Last November was a busy month for me in my songwriting career. So, I had to adjust my writing schedule during busy release and press days.

Having a plan for when you’d like to write and being aware of days you can fit in more time with your story will give your journey structure.

3. Remain Flexible

I can’t stress enough how important it is to remain flexible. No amount of planning can prepare you for curve balls or days you’re not in a creative mood.

If you go into NaNoWriMo thinking all your plans are set in stone, you may find yourself feeling anxious when something veers off course. Remaining flexible gives you room to adapt while staying on track.

4. Interact with the Community

NaNoWriMo has a special community. Whether you’re connecting with other writers on the website or on social media, everyone is so supportive.

There’s nothing better than participating in an event where writers are cheering each other on and sharing experiences. You may make friends and connect with critique partners and beta readers. Most of all, you’ll realize you’re not alone as you take the NaNoWriMo challenge.

5. Celebrate All Your Wins

Finally, celebrate all your wins. Recognize when you draft your first chapter. Give yourself a pat on the back when you hit a certain word count. If you’re doing a streak, feel proud for writing several days in a row.

Sometimes, as writers, we only focus on our end goal. It’s important to remember the small wins along the way play a role in reaching the desired result.

There you have it. Those tips allowed me to succeed during my first NaNoWriMo. There’s an international community of writers ready to welcome you, so get out there and become a Wrimo!

Demi Michelle Schwartz is an author from Pittsburgh, PA. She writes young adult fiction and enjoys the mystery, thriller, and fantasy genres. After earning BAs in Creative Writing and Music from Seton Hill University, she went on to pursue her MFA in Writing Popular Fiction at Seton Hill and graduated with her degree in June of 2022. When Demi isn’t working on her manuscripts, she’s busy chasing her other dream as an award-nominated songwriter and recording artist. Check out her website, Twitter, and Instagram! Photo by cottonbro studio from Pexels

[septembercfawkes]

How do you stay motivated writing your story? Whenever I want to write I just don't know how to start

Hey anon,

I'm obviously speaking from my own experience and POV, but to me, motivation doesn't mean much. It's there one day, and it's gone the next. For me, building habits and being disciplined is more useful. I set a predetermined time or day to write (others like to set a word count), and I sorta treat it like a job or a must-do. I'm scheduled to write, so I must work on my story. (With that said, if I'm working on it, and things really, really, aren't coming together, I will sometimes stop, because I may need a little bit of time away from it, or (as strange as it may sound) my subconscious needs to work on it a bit more first.). I love the idea of "trusting the process." I show up, and I trust the process, regardless of how I feel. Obviously it's super helpful if I feel really motivated. That's like the "cherry on top." If I do want to create a stronger sense of motivation, it's helpful for me to watch or read stories I love. It's also helpful to envision my completed project, and how I will feel when it is completed.

As for not knowing where to start . . . I don't know how long you have been writing, but part of it, I think, depends on learning what your own process is. I'm a planner/plotter, so I absolutely need to brainstorm ideas (even for individual scenes), and plan things out, first. I think about what the purpose of the scene is, what the plot elements are in it, and what the structure needs to be (I'm obviously a pretty technical person). Then I start with a draft . . . which I actually edit as I go--I can only write so much "crap" before I feel like it derails me, so I go back to the start of the scene and edit what I have, before writing the next several paragraphs. That's what I like to do.

For others, I'm sure it's very different. Some pantsers/discovery writers like to literally just start writing on the document, and they figure out the story as they go. I cannot do that! It doesn't work for me. For some, it does. For some, it works to do a writing sprint, where they just write as many words as they can in a story as fast as I can (that does not work for me).

Some like to write in "layers." For example, they write all the dialogue of a scene first, then come back and add the actions (blocking), then come back and add description . . . etc. I sort of do this, when I'm "editing as I go." I may literally write "[insert description of room]" at first, then go back to edit and put in a description.

So, those are my thoughts. I hope something in here helps. ☺️

[finalfrontierpublishing]

Process - or really Nic doing random shit and hoping it works

Recently, a few bookbinders have been describing their creative process and i love how aspirational and amazing they are. these people are amazing, my friends- they come up with so much cool shit in the setting of their home, with things they have on hand, and it shocks me at how great these bookbinders are. 

i think comparatively, my process is fairly simple (i.e. chaos gremlin), and I've decided I'd like to use a previous book i took process pics of as a general outline as to how i come up with what i want to do. 

My first step is usually to fixate on a particular design element and move on from there - this is usually a chapter font or an image header or a cover image i’m interested in using, and then moving on to putting things together to form something cohesive. most of the time i have to see how it’ll look visually before i can decide, which does make choosing design elements challenging and hence made me a little into a pantser (despite being an asshole who likes to measure things). half the time, i change things like endpapers or endbands or colour of bookcloth or even the whole freaking design right down to the wire because i just won’t know what will work until i can see it.

To make this a little fun for me, I'll outline the general stream of consciousness (let's face it, it’s not that much of a process, I just think things and sometimes a book happens) along with 45% of the foul language that accompanies it when I try new things with books.

(Please be aware that I am 90% made of foul language and i sometimes frequently blaspheme like a sailor)

See below for thought process, process pics and much swearing. 

Day 0 minus 14 - Ok, let's be smart about binderary, shall we? I have a week of leave in February, let's make it count... Proceeds to prepare 10 typesets with 2 ready-made ones and then an additional notebook for a total of 13 books for Binderary. Ooh boy. Yeah, that’s achievable. 

Day 1:

Attends queercore workshop at 0630am in the morning. Fuck, am I sleepy. Did I succeed in making a book? Not really. Okay, let’s fudge it. Converts glueless notebook with nice stitching into case bind. Convenient gift for mothers day - booyah, 1 gift done. 

Oh hey. I have a thing. What about the Oh Mercy // Oh Love book. Hmmm, I have a nice image for this that I didn't use for the typesetting. Wonder if I can stitch it.

20:00 hours: Oooh, Neenah Illusio Laser paper - it looks so shiny. And Metallic. Very circuit board-y. Just what i was going for. Is it a paper? Is it cloth? I have no fucking idea. Hope it takes foil alright.

20:30 hours: Ooh ok, success - Jesus that's a lot of holes to poke.

Day 2: 

Okay, procrastination. Gotta make a case. 

JEsus i hate the turn ins and THE SPINE DFJKLSDFKLJ;SDF;LKSDF paper why you gotta do me a dirty?! Stiff and crinkly!!!!

17:00 hours: okay, case is nearly doneish.

Time to use foil quill to outline the holes to give it that soldered look and then do all the hole pokery. Dinner first.

19:00 hours: Dinner sorted. But like you know, let’s do some hammering with an awl in an apartment complex and pray none of the neighbours complain.

Shit these holes are small.

22:30 hours: I might finish this by Christmas, maybe. 

JFC i am collapsing under my hubris. THE FACT I THOUGHT I COULD DO THIS. Oh god @&£#'€¥ what possessed me to try this - oh I know, I thought it would look cool (90% of why I do things when I make books).

Go easy on the thread - do not rip it through the space between two holes. JESUS FFFJB;N;KLGH CHRIST WHY.

Okay I can do this. I can do this. Stitches for 4 hours and nearly collapses.

Stitching is done!!!! Hmmm design looks a little plain. And awww shit you can't see any of the gold around the holes anymore. Okay let's try going over it in foil quill again.

00:30 hours: OH FUCK OH FUCK WHAT A FUCKING BAD IDEA.

Jesus djdjsbsbdjdsbdbddnc * MAKES MISTAKE and adds dot of gold on the side of a hole, plainly not in the hole*

Frantically googles ‘how to remove we r memory keepers heat reactive foil from paper’

Tries to remove it with an eraser and tape as per google recommendations- but removes a fuck ton of the green colouring on the bookcloth as well. JESUS.

I am ready for death.

Day 3:

10:30 hours: Okay I am ready for a new day. Am I really ready? Unclear. Time to weed the shit out a fucking complex design and go blind in the process.

12:30 hours: Ok fuck, that only took 2 hours.

But oh shit endbands and glueing of the spine. Time to do some glueing. At least it’s somewhat therapeutic. Jesus my endpapers and mull are still not on.

14:00 hours: On to the case it goes

14:30 hours: Time to do some HTV application

Fuck why isn't the HTV sticking JESUS cricut is an evil corporation out to take my money and yet I did not want to use Siser HTV today because I Was Not Ready for Death and Ruination. 

Proceeds to iron for the next 1 hour. 

16:00 hours: Fine it's finally fucking on?

Is the spine done? Hmmm. that little blemish isn’t covered. Should I cover it? Ugh. 

Cuts out little squares of gold foil - but it looks foul. Okay, nope, not good. 

Fuck I need a nap. Somewhere along the way, spouse comes home. Dog has been fed. My job is done. 

Naps for 3 hours just because.

20:00 hours: Okay moment of truth. Time to case in. Book is gonna be held together with glue and prayer. Shit why do the squares look so small- fuck it's because there's some stitching on the spine so I can't push the textblock all the way in. I DID NOT PLAN FOR THIS EVIDENTLY. please do not stick out please do not stick out please do not stick out

20:30 hours: hallelujah it is FINE - into the press of a million books it goes

So that was a wild ride-- i wish i could say i exaggerate, but this is how it is with me tryin’ to do a book especially when trying new things i haven’t previously done before. Will a book happen? Sometimes I don’t really know. 

[peachpety]

20 questions for fic writers

tagged 230943 years ago by @schmem14 [x] @vukovich [x] @mintawasalreadytaken [x]

check out fics from these lovely, brilliant, fantastic, stellar, amazing [*insert lady gaga meme here*] writers:

schmem14 [some truly wonderful & witty rarepair gems y'all] vukovich [off-the wall, peculiar delivered in amazing prose] mintaminta [insightful angst/dead dove & hot kinky smut]

tagging @mystickitten42 @citrusses @kittycargo @lumosatnight @xanthippe74 @rockingrobin69 @stavromulabetaaa @bubble-gumhead @porcelainheart3 @roseharpermaxwell @curlyy-hair-dont-care

me, myself & i

How many works do you have on AO3?

76 + 1 in anon, to be revealed soon!

What's your total AO3 wordcount?

149,896

What fandoms do you write for?

HP, with emphasis on Drarry.

What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

Come as You Are (3.8k) Sun Stroke (3.8k) Laundry Day (2.7k) 10 Easy Steps (1.8k) It's Called Fashion, Potter (2.1k)

Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

listen. yes. i try. and i am so far behind atm. honestly, i get the most wonderful comments from lovely readers. and i want them to know how appreciative i am that they took time to read(!) and let me know their thoughts(!!). even if it's just an emoji(!!!). i don't care, i love it.

What is a fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

if you read me, you know...i do not write angst. i have one (1) fic where i stepped out of my lane and wrote angst-lite. it's not even really angst, but more moody atmospheric. and interestingly enough, the most purple i've prosed. my beta was like, peach, what? the weed which strings the hangman's bag

What is a fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

pfft, all my fics have the happiest endings.

Do you get hate on fics?

nope. i did get hate on a supportive/love comment i left on a friend's fic once. that's, like, 7th circle of hell troll behavior to be hating on a comment.

Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

i do write smut, yes. my smut has been described as [insert various descriptors like "inferno", "blazing", "scorching", and lots of🔥] hot paired with soft/romantic/sweet. i.e. fluffy smut. smuff.

Do you write crossovers? What's the craziest one you've written?

nope. the closest i've come is inserting HP characters into a magical version of The Breakfast Club.

Have you ever had a fic stolen?

not that i'm aware of.

Have you ever had a fic translated?

not that i'm aware of, but i do have a blanket statement in my AO3 profile that allows it, so who knows?

Have you ever co-written a fic before?

nope.

What's your all-time favorite ship?

drarry, easily.

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

i have a fic inspired by a movie and idk if i'll ever get it written. I COULD mention my xmas advent fic from 2020 but i'm determined to finish it this year. DETERMINED. 🦔

What are your writing strengths?

i'm good at characterizations & writing banter. and i'm good at writing lean.

What are your writing weaknesses?

recently, i've had the immense pleasure of listening to my fics read aloud in published podfics. and let me say, this is a brilliant way to spot weaknesses. and while my banter may be good, sometimes i maybe inject too much action into my conversations. it disrupts the flow. also, long, plotty fics ellude me. i'm a pantser/gardner style writer and plotting/outlining makes me hyperventilate.

Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language for a fic?

yes, if used sparingly, and in such a way that i (as an english only speaker) can intuit what is being said. and also if translations are provided as a footnote. i've got a french-speaking Draco in my Dron fics [1] [2], where he lapses in the heat of passion.

First fandom you wrote for?

drarry, baby.

Favorite fic you've written?

if i may, i have two: Deadheading the Odd Dahlia, inspired by the incredible art of @beyondtheclose Birds Behaving Badly (my longest drarry to date! 10k!)

[dawnrider]

Woohooooo congratulations on 20 years of writing!!! ✧˖° ദ്ദി ˉ͈̀꒳ˉ͈́ )✧ I'm following A Silent Affair and can't wait for the next chapter (I'm millimillenary on AO3, I’ve commented a couple times, you know I'm loving it!!)!

I know you originally published the story a while back so I thought I'd ask (as someone who hasn’t read it before), what are some of the changes you make as you repost it? Are they all minor edits or is there anything a bit more substancial you'd like to change?

As for your other works, as time goes by, do you look at them any differently? I look at fics I've written 2-3 months ago and think "god, I should've done this completely different", focusing way more on editing than I do on the story layout, which is why they stay as WIPs and never get posted (҂ ꒦ິヮ꒦ິ) Any advice on how to break the never-ending editing cycle?

You are an inspiration! I hope one day I get to celebrate the same milestone as you are. Your writing makes me feel all the feels and I can’t thank you enough for that! 💕💕💕

Hello @heikeee!

For A Silent Affair, it's mostly been edits to the punctuation, a little bit to the formatting, and a few changes to sentence structures. And removing more than a few epithets. The plot has remained the same, though I added in a few more details about the world they exist in.

As to your question, I'm 💯a pantser. I don't plot out stories or make outlines. This has it's pros and cons, so I'm not saying one way is better than another. What I will say, is that I don't let myself edit too much. I look for typos, I read through for sentence structures and possibly add details, but for the most part, I play 52 card pick up: Throw everything down and see where they end up. I write out of order, I write scenes as I imagine them, and then I patchwork quilt them together later.

All that to say: Sometimes you just gotta let it go. If posting is your goal? Just do it. Rip the bandaid off, so to speak. The joke is that the fastest way to find any errors/typos is to post the chapter. 😂 But really, it doesn't matter. Don't worry about it being perfect. It's fanfiction, not your dissertation.

I'm sure you've heard it before but... THIS IS MEANT TO BE FUN.

I cannot emphasize that enough.

So have fun. Sometimes it's hard work. Sometimes it's frustrating. But ultimately, if you're not enjoying it, what's the point?

[duckprintspress]

Meet Aether Beyond the Binary Contributor Catherine E. Green

This is it: the final contributor spotlight for our crowdfunding anthology Aether Beyond the Binary, featuring 17 aetherpunk stories starring non-binary characters! Now, by going through the campaign updates, you can read biographies of all seventeen authors featured in this anthology and read excerpts from their works! We hope you’ll do so, and love what you read! We’ll be putting up a single post linking all the spotlights on Tuesday (January 23rd) so be on the lookout!

The crowdfunding campaign for Duck Prints Press’s next anthology Aether Beyond the Binaryends in 4 days and we are still $2,000 from our funding goal. We’d love your helping ensuring this project succeeds: so signal boost our posts or become a backer TODAY!

About Catherine: Catherine E. Green (pronouns: xe/xem/xyr or they/them/their) is an agender person, one who’s had an on-again, off-again love affair with writing. Xe began writing when xe was a wee thing, when xyr other major pastimes were playing xyr mother’s NES and roughhousing with the boys next door. It’s only in the past few years that they have begun writing consistently and publishing their writing, fanfiction and original writing alike, leading to their first published short story titled “Of Loops and Weaves.” 

Outside of writing, xe is a collector of books and sleep debt and an avid admirer of the cosmos. Playing video games, reading a variety of fiction genres (primarily fantasy, queer romance, and manga and graphic novels of all kinds), and working on wrangling their own personal data archiving projects occupy most of their free time. Xe is also proud to announce xyr graduation from a crocheting a single scarf to crocheting several scarves and other projects.

Links: Bluesky

This is Catherine’s first time contributing as a writer to a Duck Prints Press anthology, but xe were an editor on our anthology Aim For The Heart: Queer Fanworks Inspired by Alexandre Dumas’s “The Three Musketeers”, and xe are also an editor for Aether Beyond the Binary. Xyr short story Of Loops and Weaves is linked above.

An Interview with Catherine E. Green

How did you pick the name you create under?

Catherine is my meatspace name. The E. Green is an homage to my grandmother, who is herself a writer and poet and someone I look to for writing advice and inspiration. She was my first beta when I was first starting to write, and I cannot thank her enough for her loving support.

Are you a pantser, a planner, or a planster? What’s your process look like?

I’m somewhere in between a pantser and a planster. I usually go into writing something with some overarching idea (like a theme or a shape of a scene) and begin the actual act of writing with setting the scene. However, if the words aren’t coming, before I resolve to try again another day, I try writing something somewhere in the middle of the narrative – just to try to trick my brain into cooperating with me. This will sometimes lead to some internal consistencies in my writing (which one reason I love editing so much – love, love, love it), but it gets words on the page, which is often my biggest hurdle.

What do the phrases “writer’s block” or “art block” mean to you?

Writer’s block, to me, is when the filters my anxiety has built up in my mind sufficient block my creative output. It’s when I question every word I put on the page to the point where nothing I write feels worth keeping, much less moving on from. I don’t know that it’s ever something I’ll be able to work through, but I’m trying our being kinder with myself and addressing my mental health issues to see if both combined help reduce how long my writer’s block lasts for. Here’s hoping!

What are your favorite resources and tools for your craft? 

iPad with a magic keyboard, Google Docs, and either Notepad or some sticky notes for things I want to bear in mind while I’m writing. I’ve tried Scrivener and similar software, but I’ve never vibed with any of them.

What is your “dream project” – the thing you’d see as the culmination of your work as a creator?

I wrote a short story during my undergraduate studies that still have a fondness for to this day. It’s contemporary fantasy-type thing set in a lonely, not-quite-haunted cul-de-sac, where the lights and people seem to fade in and out of existence. It’s about identity, companionship among people who come from very different backgrounds, and the importance of language in how it shapes identity and relationships. I want to expand the work into a novel at some point, if I can, but we’ll see.

Tell us about your pet(s).

I have a 6-year-old tuxedo cat named Yennefer (yes, the reference). My brother and I adopted her a couple years ago from a small rural animal shelter. At the time, the shelter had given her the name Jennifer, so Yennefer was hardy a jump at all. And, goodness, does she have the personality to match. She’s my energetic boo-boo head, who likes to sleep on my bookshelves and knock over my coffee, and I love her to bits.

What’s the best advice you’ve ever received?

Try to write a little bit every day, even if it’s only a hundred words. The period of time when I was writing everyday was when I felt the best about my writing and when I felt like I was most capable shutting down the filters in my brain that make it difficult to write.

If you could give one piece of advice to a new creator who came to you for help, what would that advice be?

1) Read, read, read. Read a little bit of everything: fiction, non-fiction, fantasy, mystery, science fiction, history, etc. Read about writing. Read works by people whose style you vibe with and those by people whose style you don’t. Every bit of reading helps build a scaffold onto which you can hang your own ideas and words, and having a more stable scaffolding, and more stable foundation can only help your writing improve.

2) Learn how to talk about your writing, especially once you get to a point where you’re engaging the services of alphas, betas, and editors. The writer and the editor work best together when there can be open dialogue, and open dialogue is only possible when all parties involved can talk about the work in a productive way.

3) Figure out the kind of environment you work best in, whether that includes music or white noise or nothing, what kind of device you prefer typing on or if you prefer hand-writing, whether you work best in long stretches every so often or in short, frequent stretches, and so on. Try to craft your perfect writing space.

4) Writing is a skill one can work on improving over the course of an entire life. There is no end-point at which you are suddenly a good writer. Every word you write is a small step toward better your writing in one way or another, so try not to become too frustrated with yourself if you don’t feel like you’re improving. You are—I promise.

Catherine’s Contribution to Aether Beyond the Binary

Title: To Hold the World Close

Excerpt:

Very much unlike the typical saying “Sending along warm thoughts” and its various approximations, which often convey a rather intangible, often perfunctory, sentiment, Adrienne surrounds the swirling mass of fear, embarrassment, and grief with a warmth of xyr own. It’s the warmth of a community coming together to bring someone up from their knees; it’s the wondrous comfort of a light breeze and a spot of shade on an otherwise murderous hot summer day; it’s the pleasant touch of a loved one. I can’t be with you, my dear, not in person, but please take some measure of comfort from me, if you can, and seek out those who love you.

[sing-in-me-oh-muse]

Writer Highlight from Writers Sanctuary

Each month on Writers Sanctuary, a Discord server that nurtures writers of all kinds, highlights a writer and asks them questions about their writing process. This month's writer is Chai_ki!

@Chai_ki

Ao3 Profile: Chai_ki

Works:

Fervor Lullaby was fun to write and it honestly just flowed. I think that’s why I like it so much.

Can I Take Your Last Name was my first attempt at humor and I had a ton of fun writing it.

The Cadence of Leaves was my first multi-chapter fic and even though I haven’t posted in a while, I’m on track to finish it!

What is your writing process? How do you approach a fic or original work? (e.g. Are you a Pantser? Plotter? Do you focus on dialogue before description? etc.)

Pantser, now there's a great term! I would have to say that I am definitely more of a pantser but occasionally will try to plot. Most of the time I just write as things come and hope it all flows well. 😅A lot of my ideas come from music. I usually can imagine a scene in my head during a song and then that scene grows (if I'm lucky). Original works have been hard as I have a tendency to want to over-explain things and feel like I can't get the characters back stories across well enough. That's one of the reasons I love fan fiction, those reading already know the characters so I can just dive right into the story.

What was your first story and why did you finally decide to write?

Ooo this is hard. My first ever story was one about cats I think. It was in 1st or 2nd grade. I've had random other stories since then. My first Miraculous fic was titled "Affinity" and I first posted it on Amino. It's one I would like to rewrite (and finish) at some point, but I have a few other projects to finish first. I have always loved to write and as stated in answer 1, I struggle with over-explaining my characters. I fell in love with Miraculous and then found out there was this entire community of writers and realized I had found my version of heaven. That was in 2018 and since then writing for the fandom has been one of my most relaxing hobbies.

Where is your favorite place/time/conditions to write?

This one is easy, mostly. I can honestly write just about anywhere - so long as I don't have other responsibilities to attend to in the moment. I prefer to have music playing, usually it's songs that have inspired my current work, but I can write without it as well. So long as the ideas are flowing, I'm able to write!

What is your favorite pairing, platonic or romantic, and why?

Fandom specific would be the love square. I honestly can't really say why, I just know I adore them. I think a part of it is because I see bits of myself in each character, both in cannon and fanon. I also love the dynamic between Alya and Marinette. Alya reminds me of my best friend of 25 years in so many ways and I find I end up writing from personal experience with them. In terms of anything other than my own writing, I enjoy a variety of parings and ships and enjoy seeing how other creators bring them to life. (Not fandom specific I have a few parings that I'd consider an OTP, but that would make this answer way too long. 🤣)

Do you have any thematic elements you’re interested in or that consistently show up in your writing?

To be honest, I haven't thought much about themes in my writing. I suppose my main theme is cutesy love stories, friends being there for each other. Stuff like that. I'd love to get good at writing adventure or humor, but I'm not sure I'm there yet. I do have a WIP that is an adventure story. The prompt is a Goonies/National Treasure AU I was given in the MWG for December's event. I'm struggling with it, but I also enjoy the challenge. One of my favorite tropes is friends to lovers and I feel like I use that in every story I've posted so far.

How do you deal with writer's block?

Music. Just about everything comes back to music for me. Sometimes I get disheartened if I'm stuck but I've found that listening to music, be it a new song, band or old favorite always sparks something creative.

What do you do if you have too many ideas?

I feel as though that's a normal state of living for me. 😅At any given moment some idea for something is floating around in my mind. (Along with a constant radio of song.) If one idea really sparks an interest I will hyper fixate on it, otherwise they live in my head, rent free. Truthfully, I should be noting them down somewhere...

You said that Fervor Lullaby (which is adorable) was fun and easy to write because it "just flowed." How long did writing the one shot take in that flow tate, and have you ever been able to get back into it for any other pieces?

Thank you! 🥺 Fervor Lullaby took about 3 hours in total to write. I saw the prompt and the ideas just kept coming. Ironically this story didn't have a song to spark it though I found a very fitting one to go with it once it was done. Sadly, I haven't been able to get back that fast of a flow since then and IRL stuff has limited my writing time significantly over the last 6-ish months. I hope to get back into writing more now that things have slowed down a bit. Seeing other creators is always inspiring and I am grateful for the Miraculous community!

---

Join Writers Sanctuary today and sign up to be highlighted on Tumblr and the server!

[zanarkandfayth]

Thinking up ffxv headcanons about the boys writing fanfic instead of working on my own fic:

Gladio writes stuff like Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, he takes his favourite novels and then inserts something totally weird into it and somehow makes it work. He's a plantser, he comes up with basic ideas but wings most of the details and isn't afraid to go off-script. He finishes most of his fics, but there's a few left abandoned that he swears are just on hiatus. He has a regular readerbase and his fics get a decent amount of attention, but he isn't a BNF.

Prompto writes super indulgent self-insert fanfic for Assassin's Creed. Complete pantser, he starts writing the moment he gets an idea and doesn't plan a single thing in advance, and his plots suffer for it. He's constantly in the middle of no less than five fics at one time, and has a long history of abandoned fics on his account that make most readers hesitant to give him a chance. His fics mostly go unnoticed, except for that one that blew up early on and still has people begging him to finish, but he isn't in it for the attention anyways.

Noct isn't much of a writer, but he'll scribble out an unedited crack oneshot every once in a while based on outlandish conversations he and Prompto have while they game, posted immediately after writing, typos and all. They always get lots of comments and kudos despite the fact that he never responds to anyone. Noct's popularity annoys Ignis immensely, but his pride will never let him admit it.

Ignis writes ridiculously long epic-length fics that are all OC casts and super plotty and so AU they could almost be an original work, if he just changed the setting. He spends months outlining them beforehand and prewrites the entire fic and sends it through no less than two betas before he starts posting on a very precise schedule. They're well-written and engaging, but aren't very popular. Still, he has a small but dedicated and loyal readerbase who leave him thoughtful comments, and he always takes the time to respond in kind.

Regis and Clarus are both BNFs. They're well-known fandom olds and they write popular ships with popular tropes and everyone loves them, their fics are always popping up on rec lists and they have thousands of comments and kudos and multiple pieces of fanart per fic that readers have drawn for them. Clarus pestered Cor into being his beta when they started, wearing him down over a period of months, but Regis has always firmly been in the "no beta we die like men" camp, and sometimes it shows. But people overlook his occasional lazy grammar and spelling because he's one of the best smut writers in his fandom. He once left his AO3 account up on his laptop screen and Noct saw it and promptly went to go bleach his brain just from the tags alone.

[wanderingcas]

Hi Sam! I've always loved your writing and your ability to craft such amazing stories which is something I've always struggled with. Could you maybe share your process on how you plot things out? Thank you so much!!!!!

oh wow!! i'm really honored and don't even know what to say!! i have to warn you i don't really have a set process it's just me making things up and then scrambling later down the pike but i do have some things i sometimes follow:

get the idea

write down a wishlist of what sounds fun to write within this idea (this list will quickly be whittled down to like one or two things as the story progresses but it's nice to write it all out)

tell the story to myself in free hand, as in just write it out as if you're telling the story to a friend and don't worry about structure or if you can't think of a certain plot point, this is where you can put gaps of "i don't know what happens here but it'll lead to this", that sort of thing

(big thing to mention that at this point, anything you write down for ideas will be dramatically changed later as the characters come forth, and that's ok, that means your story is telling itself to you rather than the other way around and that's a good thing imo. when you've reached that sweet spot you're good to go)

start thinking of characters, how they'd interact with this world you've created. and if you made the character first, think of how they'd effect plot going forward

once you have a starting point, even if it's just an inciting incident, THEN you can start to form a very bare bones outline, if that's your thing. if outlines break you out in hives DONT do it, just go back to your stream of consciousness writing and clean that up, so that it resembles more of a novel treatment (more info on what this is here, it's used in scriptwriting mostly but i think it works amazingly for writing a novel too)

and then just write the first opening scenes, or any scene, and see where it goes!

like i mentioned before your story is gonna drastically change, and that's ok. in the current story i'm writing, my ending COMPLETELY changed in the last 2 weeks, after writing this story and being sure of it for literally months, and while that's scary that's also okay. it means that your story is developing and telling itself

i hope that helps and lemme know if you want to go into any of it! i think it's important to note that the process of story writing can be so different for each person, depending on if you're a plotter or pantser or a combination of both and you just gotta see what works for you by trial and error and go from there. if someone else's advice doesn't feel right to you then don't put it on; go find another outfit that feels right for you!

[gordopickett]

2 and 11 for the writer ask meme!

Thanks for the ask! 😊💙💙

2.     Are you a pantser or plotter? 100% plotter! I am a planner, through & through, in all walks of life. I always have an outline for my writing. With my original novels, I plan the entire novel in phase outline form (summaries of each scene/chapter), from start to finish, before I ever start writing on the novel itself. In fanfic, sometimes I plan a few scenes, and then write some, and then I plan a few more as they come to me. But in my original novels, like I said, I have to have the entire thing planned before I even begin writing.

11.  Books and/or authors who influenced you the most I tend to find inspiration in a lot of different places. I don't know that there's been any one specific author or book who has influenced me more than others. I just take tidbits here & there in different novels & writing styles. Certain things just click with me as I read various books/authors, and I find myself being influenced by loads of them. But I will say that the first book that really moved me was Lois Lowry's The Giver when I read that back in 7th grade in 1998. It was the first time I had ever been exposed to dystopian fiction, and it was so new (to me) & different from anything I'd ever read, that I just kind of fell in love with it.

[seeingteacupsindragons]

1, 2, 11, 16?

1. Do you listen to music when you write?

No. It's distracting.

2. Are you a pantser or plotter?

Pantser, but I've kind of verged into more of a flashlight writer lately, and I have been taking time to think through what I'm doing and what's happened and edit as I go more now. But you'll never catch me doing an outline or making any kind of useful notes for future plans; only freewriting ideas at myself.

11.  Books and/or authors who influenced you the most

Pretty sure I answered this one last time around, lol.

Roger Zelazny, for better or for worse. Probably for both, really. My dad owns every single book he wrote, and while I haven't read most of the novels, the short stories are really something. Every time I don't explain my exposition? That's his fault for sure.

The Night Room, by E.M. Goldman. The layers and little details just buried so far back is so intoxicating. I reread this one a lot as a kid realizing new things.

I talked here about YuuMori

Sarah Monette/Katherine Addison. I'm never, ever going to write like she does, but you can just. Tell she knows her shit. And the character voices are so distinct. And in The Goblin Emperor, it was...so....hopeful, for once. It had a happy ending around building bridges as a leader and wanting to be known for that. So I think the things I want to take are: writing about the things you know and love so that everyone knows you know your shit and love it, making every character voice sing, and just. Leaning into that philosophy in TGE.

A lot of stuff I read obsessively in middle school in Formative Years: A bunch of Star Wars EU/Legends books, the Fearless series, The Pendragon Adventures, Enchanted Forest, Pit Dragons...etc.

16. How many drafts do you need until you’re satisfied with a project?

This depends wildly on the project and how long it is, but generally at least three: The messy fuckup draft, the part where I clean up all the obvious stuff, and the draft after someone else looks at it and I fix it again. Sometimes that last step repeats a fair few times.

Cons of being a pantser.