#my metaphor and descriptions are amazing thank you

[junos-office-drama]

Love that fic, but having trouble expressing that love in a comment? Worried that you're leaving the same comments over and over?

Here are 40 comment ideas!

Keyboard Smash. Bonus points for a mix of uppercase and lowercase. End with a brief compliment: "Love it!" "So good!" "Amazing!" "This is my everything!"

Emoji string. Go as long as you feel appropriate. Throw in some 🔥 for good measure.

Quote a phrase, sentence, or passage that resonated with you, and explain why. "I love this description." "This is such beautiful language." "This metaphor is so brilliant." "This is the perfect way to describe [character/thing]."

Ask the author what inspired them to write such an incredible story. (Most authors dream of these types of comments.)

Share how the fic made you feel as you read it. Were you scared for a character? Were you cheering on your favorite? Did that smut make you all hot and bothered?

Thank the author. Bonus if you can thank them for something specific: Sharing this amazing work, introducing this awesome character, creating this cool AU, etc.

Identify your favorite character in the fic, and explain why they're your favorite.

Any indication that you're so in love with a work you literally want to eat it. My personal favorite that I've received is "I want to shove this in my mouth like an entire oreo," but "I want to print this out and stuff it in my face" and "This fic is like an amazing five-course meal, every bite is delicious!" are also winners.

For a multi-chapter fic, any version of "Wow, this keeps getting better and better!" This can really help keep an author motivated, especially if they've been focused on one longfic for a while. Longfics tend to have diminishing engagement over time, so commenting on later chapters is especially meaningful.

Tell the author that something in their fic is your "emotional support [thing]." Bob is my emotional support character, this is my emotional support fic, etc.

Tag it as if it were a social post, with all the hashtags it makes you think of. #myfavoritefic #incrediblewriting #truelove

Did you do something maybe a little dumb while reading the fic? Stay up all night reading? Nearly walk into a wall because you were reading while walking? Show up late to class because you couldn't put it down? Share your dumb thing!

Make predictions on what you think will happen next, and explain why. End your comment with something along the lines of "I can't wait to find out if I'm right or wrong!" Note: Be sure to phrase your comment as to what you predict will happen, not what you think SHOULD happen.

Did the fic make you discover a new side or facet to a character? Talk about that. "I never noticed how [trait] [character] is until I read your work!" Example: "I never noticed how creative Eric was until you brought it out in this fic, but it's absolutely true!"

Have you re-read a work (especially multiple times)? "I'm re-reading this for the third time because I love it so much."

"This is my second kudos!" Repeat as many times as you want. Third, fourth, fortieth, it's all good.

Are you a new subscriber? "Loved this so much that I subscribed!"

Are you an existing subscriber? "Every time I see an update in my inbox, I get so excited and rush to read it!"

Is there an Original Character (OC) in the fic? Ask about the OC! Ask what inspired the author to create the OC. Ask for more information about the OC's background. Ask if the OC is based on any particular character or idea. Ask how they came up with the name, and if it has any special meaning. Seriously, just ask the author about their original creation.

Tell the author how attached you're growing to their story or their characters.

"It was so [emotion] when [character] did [thing]." For example, "It was so scary when Eddie charged off on his own, I was so worried for his safety!"

Having a tough time in the real world? Let the author know if their fic or characters are a much-needed bright spot in your day.

Is the fic something you normally don't read? "Normally I'm not into [thing], but this fic is so good it's changed my mind!"

Did the author portray a complex topic well, with understanding and nuance? For example: surviving domestic abuse, coming out in a non-supportive environment, dealing with trauma, etc. Tell the author! "I can really tell you did your research. You handled [topic] so well!"

Can you personally relate to a scenario or a character in the fic? Did it touch you on a personal level? Say so!

Is it an older story? COMMENT ON THE OLDER STORY! Tell the author that it still has meaning and relevance, and that readers are still enjoying it today.

Does the fic present a pairing (or relationship) you never considered or never liked before, but now you adore? "This fic has made [pairing] my new favorite ship!" or "I was never really into [relationship] before, but this fic is so well done, I've fallen in love with them!"

A string of heart emojis (or the simple <3 ). As many as you feel appropriate. (One is appropriate. So is one hundred. You decide!) Make a rainbow if you want! ❤️🧡💛💚💙💜

Did the fic make you look at the source material in a new way? Share. "I never noticed [thing] about [source material], but your writing really brought it out!"

Screaming about the pain and agony you're in, especially on whump, hurt/comfort, hurt/no comfort, and similar fics. Some authors are sadists. Let them know you're suffering (in that "oh hell it's so good it hurts" kind of way).

For chapters that end on a cliffhanger: Any screaming about how much the suspense is killing you and you can't wait for the next chapter. (Just remember not to demand the next chapter. "I'm so excited for the next chapter" = good / "You have to update right now or else" = bad.)

Is the fic now part of your official headcanon, right along with the source material? "From now own, this is as official canon to me as the original [book/show/movie]!"

Is the fic's title obvious, or is it a little mysterious? Ask if there's a secret meaning behind the title, or how the author decided on the title.

Ask the author if they have a favorite character, scene, chapter, etc. Depending on the fandom, this can be very specific (favorite weapon, attack, transformation, vehicle, horse, monster, etc.).

Is it smut? Did it make you hot? Trust me, smut authors want to know.

"This [chapter/fic] was so good, I feel like I need a smoke after it."

Is there a mystery that's absolutely boggling your brain? Share your theories! (YES: "Oh, what if Prince Smidgeon is actually killer?"). Just remember to never cross the line into telling the author what to do (NO: "You should make it so Prince Smidgeon is the killer.")

"I wish I could give you a kudos for each word in this [fic/chapter], it's just that good!"

Do you like making art? Ask the author if you can make fanart of their fic!

IF, and ONLY IF, the author has very clearly requested concrit (constructive criticism), then role up your sleeves and get to work putting together truly helpful, supportive criticism. Get started with this guide here.

Do you have other suggestions for this list?

Reblog with your favorite comments to give or receive!

(Tumblr insists on re-starting the list at 1 after the cut and I have no idea how to fix it??? It really is 40, I promise.)

[merakiui]

MERA, THAT NEW TREY FIC HAS TICKLED MY BRAIN SO GOOD LIKE AAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!! ヾ(≧▽≦*)oヾ(≧▽≦*)oヾ(≧▽≦*)o

Surreal horror has always been one of my favorite types of horror because of the unsettling atmosphere and the reality-bending and you wrote it so well! You did amazing when you wrote the dream sequences in DRU, and now to actually read a whole dang fic with the theme?? With Trey of all people???? OTZ OTZ OTZ You've unlocked so many new possibilities with his Doodle Suit, truly the Gaslighting King of all time 👑👑👑

AND THE SYMBOLISM!!!!! please please please please ramble about them if you want-- I'm having so much fun rereading this fic again and again. The Violet Butterwort caught my attention cause isn't that a carnivorous plant? 👀👀 Trapping insects in its leaves like a certain grass-haired man??? 👀👀👀

Anyway, all I'm saying is, Trey is not the only chef around cause you definitely COOKED with this one 🔥🔥✨✨

( ≧ᗜ≦) AAAAA OMG OMG THANK YOUUUUUU!!!!!! ✨ ✨

I'm so happy it tickled your brain! I adore surreal horror in film and writing. There's just so much potential for the craziest of things to happen! Dream sequences or sequences that feel like dreams are some of my favorite things to write. The ones in DRU are also just as surreal. <3 I originally wanted to write this concept with Jade (Kalim was second on my list), but I decided upon Trey in the end because I think he suits the surreal horror vibes so well! Doodle Suit + the power of seamless gaslighting........ what a terrifying combination.

I wanted the story to feel obscure and almost like a trip with the imagery and descriptions. Sort of like the vibes in Alice in Wonderland. Just,,,,, utterly bonkers.

👀 you are very right about the butterwort hehehe!!! As for other symbolisms/details, these are the main ones in the story! I left out some of the symbolisms of various lines or words because that would make for such a long analysis of my own work. ^^;;;

It is under the cut due to length (forgive me)! A warning for mentions of sexual assault and drugging!

✧ the binary can be translated into messages. :)

✧ the feeling of itchiness - feeling as if you don't fit in your body after it's been violated. Feeling like something (trauma/blocked memories) is beneath your skin and you can't get it out no matter what you do. Also, itchy as in discomfort.

✧ grass - this is meant to be Trey. It's how Reader views him throughout the story.

✧ violet butterwort - as you noted, it's a carnivorous plant that traps insects! It's also a symbol of resilience and a common charm used to ward off supernatural evils.

✧ birthday cake with 20 candles - the plot is that Reader and Trey are/were in a relationship and on Reader's twentieth birthday Trey drugged their tea (chamomile) and had his way with them when they were half-conscious. Thus, Reader was never able to indulge in their birthday cake because Trey took it all. Cake can also be a metaphor for Reader's body.

✧ the line "it will take twenty more..." is in reference to the healing process and how it's going to take Reader time to heal from everything.

✧ xylophone chimes/broken glass - the juxtaposition of something sweet-sounding with something jarring.

✧ the white rabbit - a sense of innocence/comfort lost.

✧ "Soups are easy to eat. Easy to slip special sentiments in." - a reference to drugging.

✧ "Soup is what becomes of your brain when your body is too itchy." - disassociation during something traumatic (in this case, sexual assault).

✧ the hedge maze that never has a true exit - the feeling of being lost and trapped and never having a real escape.

✧ the grass bow around the white rabbit's neck - the obsessive and unhealthy hold Trey has on Reader. How he can't let them go.

✧ static - lots of noise and amidst the noise there's Trey, whose own voice is sometimes static and other times soothing enough to cut through the static.

✧ the sequence of "it's here and then there and then here again..." - an allusion to the Cheshire Cat from Alice in Wonderland when he's giving Alice directions, but they're all over the place.

✧ every time the grass whispers or speaks - things Trey told Reader when he assaulted them.

✧ "In and out. Out and in. In and out. Out. Out. Out. Incessant itchiness. Get it out." - double meaning for breathing but also the act of sex (thrusting).

✧ the questioning of "that didn't just happen, did it?" - how Reader feels in the aftermath. But also just a general question in response to gaslighting. A consistent questioning of one's reality.

✧ Reader's association of the word "gross" with cake (especially birthday/confetti cake) - it ties into the above and also the part in the story about favorite foods and memories.

✧ teeth falling out - usually, in dream interpretation, this symbolizes a recent loss or mourning of something lost.

✧ hyperdontia - the horror of having a mouth and a voice but never being able to use it because it's so clogged with teeth, so no one will ever listen to or hear the things Reader desperately wants and needs to say.

✧ Frozen Charlotte dolls - Victorian era dolls that could float in the bath. They were also baked into cakes. They're called Frozen Charlottes based on a folk ballad called "Fair Charlotte," which tells the tale of a young girl (Charlotte) on her way to a ball with her lover (Charlie). It's dreadfully cold out, but she frets over the fact that wearing a coat will prevent everyone from seeing her pretty dress. She freezes to death on her way to the ball and arrives in her carriage as a frozen corpse. I think these dolls are fascinating and so cute, so I just wanted to compare teeth to Frozen Charlottes. The description of having a dozen tiny dolls stuck in your throat made for unpleasant imagery, so I wanted to write it!

✧ "A black rabbit blinks up at you with its milky-white eyes. Its nose twitches. Once. Twice. Thrice. A loud gust slithers through the field in which you currently observe, surrounded by decaying greenery and wilted wildflowers. They sprawl endlessly, clawing at the horizon beyond with broken fingers. You watch monochrome tones sway, dried petals flaking off like scabs against a battered, bloodless sky." - this is the same paragraph as seen in the beginning, only certain details have been changed. It's a hint at some sort of cycle that Reader's just only beginning to see. Idyllic beauty is no longer so blinding now that Reader sees what they didn't notice before.

[cantareincminor]

Tribute to a DBZ author

In the early 2000s, I got into fanfiction through DBZ. At the time FFN may not even have been active yet. AO3 didn't exist. One of the most popular authors at the time was Lisalu. She wrote several epics that were widely agreed upon to be the crown jewels of the Vegeta/Bulma pairing: A Glad Day, World Enough and Time, and The Red Dragon Tetralogy. She was a master of worldbuilding and character development and redemption arcs. She wove together her own multiverse as the heroes across each timeline prepared to fight for the continued existence of the universe against a space-time-devouring enemy. And just as the conflict was kicking into high gear in the 4th story within the Red Dragon Tetralogy, she stopped writing in the fandom. She never came back to DBZ and moved on to Lord of the Rings, where she wrote another amazing epic called the Price of Freedom.

As a young reader back then, I was devastated that my favorite fic series of all time was left on a cliffhanger. I had written a few emails to her (back when fan interaction happened over email or in forums) praising her work and letting her know how much I looked up to her as a writer, and asking for her advice on how to write better. I felt very frustrated with my own writing. I thought I had a clear line of sight into what I wanted my writing to be (basically anything like Lisalu's caliber) and yet I could not produce it for the life of me when I sat down to actually write. I had all these ideas for multichapter fics that always sputtered out when I lost inspiration or hit a roadblock. In hindsight I should not have expected any different of myself. I was only a teenager. Lisalu kindly wrote back and encouraged me. She told me the only way to get better is to read a lot, and write a lot. Keep writing.

While I feel less shy about my involvement in fandom these days, I still feel self-conscious sometimes when people ask me who my favorite authors are. I wish I could say something fancy like Cormac McCarthy or Marilynne Robinson. But undoubtedly Lisalu is one of the first authors to pop into my mind, and that's only her DBZ alias. I don't know her real name, where she is right now, what she's been up to all these years, or if she's become a published author of original fiction (I hope she has). But if I could talk to her today I would thank her for her incredible contribution to the DBZ fandom and how she inspired countless young fans like me to keep trying and improving at our craft. Teenage me had never imagined that one day I would have written a 30 chapter Mozenrath fic in the Aladdin fandom (and ended it on a cliffhanger too, unfortunately...maybe one day!) or that now I am close to completing a 50+ chapter Spy x Family fic. Even all these years later, Lisalu's influence persists in my descriptive style, dialogue, and themes. The themes of revenge and forgiveness and slaying one's metaphorical dragon have never left my imagination.

On the small chance Lisalu is able to see this post one day, thank you from the bottom of my heart!

[lo-sulci]

What are heaven will be mine & coquette dragoon?

oh my goodness, thank you for asking!! the short answer: they are incredibly good visual novels that I highly recommend, especially if you're a fan of mecha, sci-fi, great world building, yuri, and generally just amazing art created by transfems

long answer:

heaven will be mine (aside from being where I got my url) is the second VN made by worst girls games, best known for their first outing, we know the devil (also an absolutely amazing game). hwbm tends to ask a bit more from the reader than its predecessor- while wktd almost exclusively featured three characters and dealt with rather plainly stated themes of alienation, loneliness, and religious trauma, hwbm presents a setting cloaked in metaphor where human will literally shapes the universe and psychic mech pilots read spacetime like a narrative.

the cast is bigger, with the three routes allowing insight into each of the three main girls in addition to members of the factions they belong to, all in service of a beautiful story about queer people connecting with each other and finding/making their place in a world that would want to deny them their happiness (and a lot of other things, but I'm simplifying some here). begging to be replayed over and over, i've had different characters and details stick out every time ive played through the game, while also gaining a deeper understanding of and appreciation for hwbm's characters and setting. I've loved hwbm and wktd for years and expect I will for years and years to come, which, incidentally, is why I got a pair of tattoos based on these games LMAO. in other words: they're fucking fantastic and hit like few other things out there, imo

coquette dragoon is one of those other things, because holy shit does it excel at hitting incredibly specific and relatable emotional beats that are liable to absolutely tear you apart. created by ivy burgeroise, who (by her own fantastic description) makes art for sad perverts, coquette takes place during a seemingly endless war between the lilac fleet and the duchy of lucia, two spacefaring societies inhabited by animal people who have very differing opinions on magic.

focusing (so far) on xiomara rosales of the lilac and lady honey rose of the duchy, coquette explores painfully human stories from both sides of the war. (to that point, I'd be remiss if I didn't advise you to look out for the content warnings- coquette gets into some very heavy stuff and speaks about it very frankly and honestly, which is to its credit imo but i also understand that that is not something that everyone is in a space to deal with.) more than anything else, I feel, coquette is a work that puts words to feelings that you'd never before been able to describe, and, through the vulnerability of its author in making something so emotionally honest, makes me want to be more openly and happily myself. all of this in a story that examines war, exploitation, and the societal structures that prop them up, among many, many, many other things. I could keep talking in circles gushing about it, because I am so so obsessed with what's been released so far and so indescribably excited to see how it progresses in the future, but to keep myself from going on for too too long i'll cap this off with a tweet about coquette that i frequently think of and is one of the best recommendations I can offer:

OH and also coquette has wibbleburger, which, as we all know, is your favorite

[bonesandthebees]

Hi Bee! You seem to read a lot of books, and I've been trying to get back into reading books rather than fanfiction as of late (which is going good atm). I used to read a lot of actual books when I was younger, but once I was a pre teen I'd discovered fic and had trouble reading actual books unless I had to for school lol. Anyway, my question is do you have any book recs? While for right now, it is going well, I only have two books I'm planning on reading after I finish the two I'm reading simultaneously right now. So it'd be nice to have some more for once I finish those as well. :D

Another reason for my wanting to get back into reading actual types of books is studying a more formal written literature to improve my writing, and to observe what author's do with their writing style that I'd want to incorporate in my own writing. If you have any tips for studying/observing, I'd also love some of those.

While this doesn't really have to do with the whole book thing, I just wanna say that you definitely inspired me to want to write more. Most of your titles always sound so cool and make me wanna read anything of yours solely based off them, and your plot, descriptiveness, metaphors, Greek mythology references, and so many other little things about it make it so enjoyable to read and something I'd strive to be within my own writing. A little silly, I know, considering it's MCYT fic, but your writing is genuinely so cool.

That's all I wanted to say, bye bye.

this is so kind thank you!! it seriously makes me so happy anytime someone tells me my silly fic writing inspired them to start/improve their own writing. writing is such a beautiful art but it's also a skill you have to put so much time into. you're off to an amazing start already with recognizing that you have to read published novels to improve your writing. it seriously helps so much.

I can definitely give you some recs! I'll put them under a read more, but since you asked for tips when reading novels:

try to pay attention to things you like and don't like about the author's writing style. like if you're reading a novel and there's a line of description that's particularly gorgeous or sets a scene super well, consider annotating the book with a pen or highlighter or if you don't own the book itself, copy down the line/paragraph somewhere (notebook, notes app, smth like that) to refer back to later. or if you find yourself super immersed in a conversation going on between two characters, take a step back to notice how the author writes out the conversation. is there a lot of physical description of what the characters are doing while they speak that lets you picture th escene easily? or is the dialogue rapid fire back and forth which forces you to just be sucked into it? what about it do you like?

or, on the contrary, if you find yourself struggling to enjoy a book try to notice what about the writing style is pulling you away. is there too much flowery description that makes you want to skip ahead? is there too much exposition so you feel like you're just getting an infodump instead of a narrative? take stock of what your own thoughts are as you read and then try to figure out why that is.

also, a tip I heard once is that you can always try to emulate a specific style. if you want to improve your writing and you just read a book with a writing style you really want, maybe try and write a random scene in that same style. it doesn't have to be anything original or even good, no one ever has to see it, it can just be for your own practice. just keep the book beside you and try to pick out what makes the writing style distinct, and try to emulate that. not saying you have to adopt that style, but just trying out a new style can give you some variation to help you develop/improve your own.

okay now book recs time, this'll get long so putting it below

now you didn't specify what kinds of books you like to read so I'm going to just throw in a few from a few different genres I've read. most of these are books I've recced here on my blog before but they're all a bit scattered so I'll rec them again. now, I mostly read fantasy or historical fiction because I just like those genres but I'll try to include some variety here

Genre: Fantasy (Typical Medieval)

The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon

one of my all time favorite novels. incredibly expansive fantasy worldbuilding that draws from a variety of cultures that's not exclusive to just europe. of course there's one country that's fantasy england, but you also have countries that take inspiration from asia, africa, and the middle east. you follow several characters that vary in age, race, gender, sexuality, etc. and they're all wonderfully fleshed out and fascinating. the story itself is also just fantastic and the world really swallows you whole. there's also a prequel to this called A Day of Fallen Night that I actually think I liked a bit more than Priory, but I'd recommend reading Priory first because it's easier to get into the world through that one whereas ADOFN is a bit more dense.

Genre: Fantasy (Apocalyptic? Sci fi? Kind of?)

The Fifth Season by NK Jemisin

similar to priory, the fifth season is a masterclass in worldbuilding and creating interesting worlds. that's where the similarities end though. technically speaking The Fifth Season is a fantasy and not a sci fi, although it feels more like sci fi to me tonally. The Fifth Season explores a world that is so regularly tormented by apocalyptic natural disasters that everything is formed around survival and it makes for such an interesting culture. the story also does an incredibly interesting and unique thing with POV that I rarely see in novels so that's also super fascinating to dig into for writing study. currently reading the sequel to this one and I love it so far.

Genre: Historical Fiction

Hild by Nicola Griffith

alright if you really wanna stretch some writing/reading muscles this is definitely a book you can try out. but be warned, it is dense. I'm a fairly fast reader and it took me so much longer to read this than I was expecting just because of how dense the writing is. this story takes place in 7th century Anglo-Saxon Britain so there's a lot of Old English words thrown in, and while there's a glossary at the back it doesn't cover everything. this is a really interesting novel though that dives deep into the time period and the specific life of one girl as she grows up at the heart of the political machinations of the Anglo-Saxon kings. really great if you're like me and think learning a lot about what life was like in this time period is super fun, but I could see it being a drag for people not super into history like that. I still think it's a really good story though on its own, especially with how the main character is characterized as she grows up, and how it represents all the politics going on at this time

Genre: Satire/Dystopian Fiction

Chain Gang All-Stars by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah

I'm including this because I'm trying to give you a bit of genre variety. If you want to read an adult dystopian book for our modern day this is definitely an excellent one to pick up. warning, it's incredibly effective as a dystopian novel because all I felt was dread and fear after finishing it. it takes place in the near future where the prison industrial complex has been combined with the entertainment industry. prisoners who are serving a sentence of either 25+ years or life are given the option to compete in televised gladiator style death matches. if they survive 3 years, they'll be released. the novel is incredibly on the nose and not subtle whatsoever about it's criticisms of capitalism and racism, especially the racism that the prison industrial complex is built on. the horrifying thing about reading it is how easily I could see this becoming a reality, especially the brand sponsorships. it made me want to laugh and cry at the same time because of how ridiculous but realistic it was.

Genre: Mystery/Thriller

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

And here we have my all time favorite novel. this novel is a great example of unreliable narrator and how to tell a story two different ways. if you don't know the twist for this already, go into it blind, I promise it'll be more fun that way. the premise of the story seems simple—the morning of their 5th anniversary, a man's wife goes missing and the story follows his attempts to find her. but it gets way messier than that. this novel is an excellent example of how to characterize horrible people and still make them enjoyable to read about. also, if you're like me and enjoy media about two shitty people having an unhealthy and fucked up relationship, you'll adore this.

Okay that's a lot so I'll stop there for now, but feel free to pop into my inbox if you want anymore recs! especially if there's a specific genre you're looking for. if I've read anything that fits what you're looking for I'd be happy to throw it your way!

[naffeclipse]

*Arrives at Internet Explorer Speed*

Hey guys! Those new chapter of Lack of Light, am I right??!

FDKHKFGH Sorry I needed to make a silly entrance back in your inbox Naff XD

But aaaaaa I finally came back to read these and I'm here with a brand new comment!! For the two chapters I was missing no less! :D

So let's get to it!

Ok so first off I don't know if I'm just looking too much into it but I read this line: "You rely on your eyes to adjust to the darkness" from th first paragraph and it just felt significant to the rest of the chapter, you know? Very literal but metaphorical at the same time!

And oooh something I definitely have to praise in this is the amazing description of the anguish through all the physical sensations that the reader is going through. I think I've mentioned before that when I read reader inserts I don't truly put my real self in the story but rather try to imagine it through the main characters eyes, but wow did I feel this one. The way you detail all those physical effects that anxiety has on the body, beautifully described through images and comparisons, just made it seem so very real. I basically could almost feel them myself, just remembering times when I had definitely experienced something similar, even if the causes were different! I will always applaud your descriptions, Naff! Makes me want to take notes!

And AAAAAAA I gotta say that I absolutely love how just, hrrrr, I'm struggling to find the words to describe it, but I would say how there's a clear parallel between what both Reader and Eclipse are going through?

Because ok, first of all, is the matter of hiding right? Reader seems to be trying to hide (kind of like Eclipse does his true self), but through a mask instead of blindness. Even through previous encounters they have tried to present themselves a very specific way. The unshakable one. Unaffected by everything, at least in a way that goes beyond mild funny venting. And it feels like something they force themselves to do in their daily life, beyond the forest. It's just they're so used to doing it, that it became a part of how they perceive themselves and failing to do so feels to them like they're showing a part of themselves that is intolerable. And aaaaa then Eclipse also because clearly he must have enough experience having met other humans to know that even those that dared stay after learning of his presence ran away after seeing him. So both hide and hide while they wish for more and hate themselves for it, and might even think they don't deserve it.

(Sidenote: I love this description: "The mysterious being who exists in pure darkness, cast by the sun and the moon." Obviously because it references his name (be it a solar or lunar eclipse), but also because it reminds of his strange nature. Because an Eclipse is an event! A phenomenon that is not exactly a natural object, but something that can only be seen under the right conditions!)

And oooh speaking about Eclipse and hiding, I just love the contrast between Eclipse's darkness coming from being unseen vs the darkness born from emptiness. Because Reader so far hasn't been daring at all in pushing to see him, because they fear the latter. Eclipse's nature is intimidating, and it's often said that we fear not the darkness itself, but what we might find in it. But here it's the contrary! Both Reader and Eclipse fear that potential emptiness. They have found company in each other thanks to the darkness, but should something go wrong (pushing too much or scaring the other one away), they would find themselves staring into the void and nothing else.)

And that exactly leads into the doubts about what the other thinks once they've revealed themselves! And it's so interesting how they fear so intensely that the "flaw" they see in themselves, which are kinda opposite, is what will make the other regret meeting them. Like for Reader is that vulnerability, that inability to be perfect about everything that hits them in their daily life and dealing easily with it. They fear their "weakness" will disgust a great being as Eclipse. And for Eclipse is fearing that his form, great, strange, intimidating, monstrous, is what will leave him without his dear one. His very nature enough to drive them away. When in reality, it's likely those very things that made them initially appealing to the other! The Reader a precious little creature, that despite not having horns or sharp teeth lives their daily life bravely (enough to befriend a shadowy being). And Eclipse, a fascinating and fearsome creature, that despite it all demonstrates he's gentle and kind and capable of becoming that friend that provides the most comfort in Reader's life!

Ooooh I just adore how two very different beings, with way more differences than similarities, still have this experience in common. That fear and uncertainty about letting themselves be known, because past experience has thought them it's unwise, and yet they find relief from that terrible all-consuming anxiety when they let themselves trust that this time it will be different and that it is worth it, even if it is raw, to open up and let the right person in.

Now for Mothman Moon!

Just starting and the Reader is already turning the headlights on and off repeatedly jfhdsgkh Prime conditions for Mothman sightings! XD

Oooh I love how you build up the paranoia! Different situations, but it makes me think when it's late at night and for whatever reason you need to go out in a hallway of your home and you gotta reassure yourself that no, there's nothing lurking in the shadows of your home, be an adult and walk calmly jghdkfsj The feeling of being exposed and on edge is so very well achieved! But also all the little hints, like the raven falling quiet. And that instinctual feeling of being watched! Related to all this, I adore this line: "Your optimism slips in the slightest before you yank it back up by the throat and continue marching along." I felt that in my soul fkijhdfgkñjh

Aaaa I love how everything falls quiet at the flapping of wings! Everything knows to be quiet and freeze. And I love Reader is part of that everything. Like they are connected to the forest around them by virtue of not wanting to draw attention to themselves, something they share with all the creatures around.

And oooooo such a spooky sight when we finally get a glimpse of him!! Kinda gave me the urge to hold my breath as well as I read! Just the sight of the glowing red eyes coming from a shadow within the fog would paralyze anyone for sure! And then gjhfdkg poor Reader just shifts horror flavor from Creature-in-the-forest-that-could-kill-me to Stranger-Danger. Pick your poison and all that XD But man that instinct does seriously kick in when a stranger gives us bad vibes huh?

(As a sidenote, I love how you've given the different readers between chapters different responses to fear! Like the first chapter with Sun had Fight if I remember correctly, then the second chapter had Fawn, which I think it's trying to please to prevent from being harmed, even if the fear wasn't so much of Eclipse but of abandonment, and in this one we have Freeze! Which we see twice when Moon first appears and then when the car races towards them!)

Oh. My gosh??? The fact that Moon is just able to take on a car that's going full speed though?? Damn! And oooh he was not happy. He does not appreciate assholes/downright murderers in this area. (Btw I can't help but think that he did in fact break that second light slower on purpose to seem more menacing fjkhdaskjh)

Aaaa it's fascinating how he seems so perplexed by the Reader's response to everything that just happened! Like he doesn't quite understand the freeze response. It's something animals do as well, but I'm guessing if it doesn't work then most would ultimately run from the danger. It's probably the first instance of this he has encountered! And poor reader seems to just be very badly affected by it, physically as well as mentally judging by the lightheadedness.

(sidenote: "He looms, his wings flaring out beside him in magnificent flares of warnings and death." Me, helpless DCA simp, vivid image of the majestic view in my head: Um yes, hi, hello? 👉👈 GFÑLKDJHGÑLJ)

And aaaaa I loved the flight scene! I myself am pretty scared of heights so I likely would have screamed gkjhfdksj but! I love that we continue the theme of braving a bit of the fear to discover something wonderful! Despite my fear of heights I've always imagined how wonderful it would be to have wings and this scene just striked me as something terrifying yet beautiful because it really is an experience that Reader wouldn't get anywhere else! And despite the polarizing feelings of fear and safety just warring inside of them, the wonder was just so tangible as Moon carried them through the air!

And ooo I find it so interesting how he refers to multiple things as the "lights", which from his perspective must be the most notable characteristic of the stuff that emanates it! It's clear he's familiar with cars, and likely has witnessed what happens when one hits a living thing. And the light of the gas station tells him that it's a place humans go to. So he knows it's not just lights, but he still seems to perceive it as their most important characteristic. Aaaa I'm so curious about what the world looks like to him because of this!

And ough it's so sweet he keeps watch over them as they go trying to get the help they need. It seems to me he finds them really intriguing and the fact that he gave them his name could mean he hopes it will not be their last meeting!

And that's that!

Aaaaaa everytime I come back to your writing I keep being taken by surprise by how well you manage to make the reader immerse themselves in the story! Your descriptions are so vivid and your use of the language so *chef kiss*! Everytime I'm just dying to know what's the word that follows the previous one, what will happen, and when that tasty tension you build so well will reach it's snapping point! This little series was a delight to read and a very nice journey into what fear and darkness means to different people. And of course, meeting some very strange and fascinating creatures that make the unknown not as bad as it seemed <3

Thanks for this delicious chapters Naff! It's always a delight reading what you make! 

(Sorry if something is phrased weirdly btw, it’s kinda late as I’m writing this fgkjhdsk)

AHHH CHAOTIK! HI, HELLO! WELCOME BACK!!! I'm so glad to see you in my inbox again!!

Oh, I am rattling you so hard right now! I live for your analysis and I especially love that you caught how much Eclipse and Y/N complement and contrast each other—the same fears but different reasons. They are dear ones, your honor!!!

And Moon! My Mothman!Moon! He's so much fun to write! I'm really glad you enjoy his spooky entrance and his descriptions!

Also, with the readers, that's so funny that it changes from Fight, Fawn, and Freeze! I meant for Mothman's Y/N to freeze but I also think it's neat to explore different responses to fear, so I'm happy that stood out!

(He did break the second car light slowly—he's so dramatic lol)

He does have a different view of the world due to lights—humans have lights. Humans drive with them, live with them, and are afraid without them. Lights are just as foreign as those humans! But he does have a particular interest in Y/N—they were almost hit by the lights themselves. It's now every time he sees that, but he was curious from how they froze to how they were terrified yet in awe of flying. He even finds them cute but doesn't expect to see them again! But Y/N has plans of venturing back to the words with the mothman hehe

Gah, thank you so much, Chaotik! I love how in-depth you go and reading your thoughts makes my day, babe! <3

[aquagirl1978]

Hi Aqua! You seem so nice and down to earth so I have to ask if you have any advice for someone struggling with self doubt about their writing. I have spent some time in the tags, specifically the IkePrince tags because my favourite character is Clavis, and I was reading different fics but instead of feeling inspired, all I can think is how I can't measure up. My writing isn't "pretty" or very descriptive. I know every writer has value but I'm having difficulty finding mine right now.

Hi anon, thank you so much - every single word you wrote, I have felt that way at one point or another tho change Clavis with Chevalier lol. And I am going to offer what might seem like odd advice.

Stop reading other fics.

Take a little break. At least for now. Reading fics when you're in the headspace like that, you might only tear each fic apart and compare it line by line with your writing. You might only see that one writer used an amazing metaphor. Or another had a great line of dialogue. And anything great you wrote will only pale in comparison. Sound familiar?

While I think you can still be inspired by reading other fics at some point, there are other places you can look to find inspiration.

I find myself more inspired by chatting with friends. Take a look at the posts that are more rambles and brainrots. Find the posts from non-writers who wonder aloud...what would happen if? and then ask them if you can help flesh out their idea. And if you don't see any, write one yourself - pretty descriptions and metaphors are not required when rambling about the brainrots in your head. Who knows, maybe someone will respond and you'll find some inspiration that way.

Another thing you can do is to join a discord. These are more casual groupings of friends, usually catering to one or more of the games in the series. And some of them have spaces to discuss writing and ideas. I have my own Ikemen Discord and would love to invite you to join. I get alot of ideas there - yes, I am looking at you @yanderepuck right now.

Another great source of inspiration is the game itself. So often, Cybird starts what sounds like a great story, but then it falls short. It's a wedding event and there's not even a proposal, let alone wedding. Maybe the story mentions some past action that happened off-screen. Fill in the blanks to one of those ideas that speaks to you. (totally not doing this with will's current jp event)

As a writer who does not write with metaphors or "pretty descriptions", I urge you to not stop writing. There are stories inside you that only you can write. There is nothing wrong with being a "simple" writer.

[hgejfmw-hgejhsf]

Fic Writer Interview

So I decided to snag this from @sparklepocalypse and fill it out because I'm cozy on my couch on New Year's Eve and fighting off a nap like a grumpy toddler. I'm actually fairly certain I've done this one before, now that I think about it, but oh well. The numbers are different since last time, so...

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

60, apparently! 61 being posted later today!

2. What’s your total AO3 word count? 

178,579

3. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

Ghosts

Do we still have forever

Volume Control

Retaliation

Modification to the map of you

4. Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

I respond to each and every comment that I receive. I try very hard to leave a personalized message for each person, but no matter what, even if it's just a "thank you," I will always respond! Even if it takes me some time!

5. What’s the fic you’ve written with the angstiest ending?

To this day, the angstiest ending is Darkest before the dawn, which ends with hope, even if it doesn't end with an actual resolution. It's during canon, so the reader know what happens next.

6. What’s the fic you’ve written with the happiest ending?

I think my most recent Christmas fic, Oh what a laugh it would have been, has probably now overtaken one of my previous fics for overall happiest ending!

7. Do you write crossovers?

I haven't yet, but I'm absolutely open to it given the write parameters!

8. Have you ever received hate on a fic?

I haven't yet, and I hope I never do, although I know that the internet can be a wild place.

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

If you'd asked me back in July of this year, I would have said that I primarily write fade to black. Since then, I've written ridiculous amounts of smut. I'm still learning about various kinks I'd like to write about, because I don't want to just write without knowledge of the act itself, but I'm wading into the smut-verse now. I'd say the water's up to my knees, at this point. Got a ways to go.

10. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not that I'm aware of.

11. Have you ever had a fic translated?

Nope, not that I've been made aware of, but I think it would be so neat.

12. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

I haven't but catch me and @thinkof-england cowriting something amazing now that the new year has arrived.

13. What’s your all-time favorite ship?

Y'all are gonna need to sit down for this. I don't think you're ready. Deep breath in. Hold it. Now let it out slowly. Calm your mind. Are you ready? Okay because I know this is going to come as a shock to you when I say that it's FirstPrince.

14. What’s a WIP that you want to finish but don’t think you ever will?

A Star Trek fic with Jim Kirk x an OC. I started it back in the spring and then RWRB happened and now it's just languishing away in my docs at just shy of 18,000 words.

15. What are your writing strengths?

I've been told that I have realistic dialogue, so I'll count that as a strength. I also think I'm pretty skilled at metaphors. Love a good metaphor.

16. What are your writing weaknesses?

The description of surroundings, including clothing and scenery. I feel like I don't do enough of this sometimes, and I'm trying to better at painting a proper picture.

17. What are your thoughts on writing dialogue in other languages in a fic?

I've done so! Lots and lots of research and consultation with native speakers to confirm accuracy.

18. What was the first fandom you wrote for?

Pirates of the Caribbean, apparently.

19. What’s a fandom/ship you haven’t written for yet but want to?

There isn't really one out there. I'm super content with the permanent campsite I've built in FP land. Hopefully I'm allowed to hang out there for quite some time.

20. What’s your favorite fic you’ve written?

How am I supposed to pick a favorite out over 60 fics?!

I suppose if I absolutely HAD to pick right now, right this second, I'd say Ghosts, because the prompt for it as my first ever reader-submitted prompt on a comment from another fic. The reader enjoyed my fic so much that they asked if I'd write another, and Ghosts it what came of that interaction. I loved writing it and sharing it not just with that reader but with the fandom as a whole.

Gonna post my tag list for anyone who wants to participate!

@adreamareads @affectionatelyrs @anincompletelist @cha-melodius @clottedcreamfudge @cricketnationrise @daisymae-12 @duchessdepolignaca03 @gayrootvegetable @getmehighonmagic @happiness-of-the-pursuit @heybuddy-drabbles @indomitable-love @indestructibleheart @inexplicablymine @kiwiana-writes @leaves-of-laurelin @leojfitz @littlemisskittentoes @lizzie-bennetdarcy @magicandarchery @ninzied @priincebutt @read-and-write- @rockyroadkylers @roseharpermaxwell@ships-to-sail @songliili @ssmtskw @statueinthestonetoo @stereopticons @suseagull04 @thinkof-england @tintagel-or-cockleshells@user-anakin @vanillahigh00 @violetbaudelaire-quagmire @whimsymanaged @wordsofhoneydew 

[morgana-ren]

Do you have any tips on increasing word counts in fics?? Or is it just something that develops overtime? Thank you!!

So, for me, my wordcount comes from two different sources:

1: My erroneous belief growing up that the average chapter of a FF was around 7.5k words.

2: My overly flowery, pretentious purple prose.

I have a massive problem with going on for too long as opposed to not long enough. You know that writing advice that will tell you not to get too up your own ass with the details? Yeah, I do the opposite of that. I'll go on for eight years about how the rosy-wood sheen of a desk and by the time I've finished jerking my own writing brain off, no one is interested in the story anymore.

My advice to you would be don't worry about length. It's not quantity-- it's quality that matters. I've seen 2k stories that hit hard over 50k ones that just... drag. I would argue that length doesn't matter in the long run as long as you're getting across your point effectively, efficiently, and emotionally.

The only reason a fic should be incredibly long is if there is genuinely that much information to convey. As writers, and especially neurodivergent writers, sometimes we get a little carried away. A common mistake is people getting so caught up in the details that they forget to tell a fucking story. An obsession with word count really contributes to that in my opinion, because if it's not needed, it becomes invasive filler nonsense, and believe it or not, people can tell.

If the line doesn't fit, isn't needed, doesn't help, or isn't useful, cut it. Trim it like a hedge. Sculp a good story from the dirt with blooming aspects, not dead leaves and rotting twigs. Descriptions can be great, but they can also be a fuckin' anchor weight yanking your story down into the depths.

Think: Is it important to the perspective? Is it something the character would notice, subconsciously or not? Does it contribute in one way or the other to the story or the environment? Don't get me wrong, there are amazing authors who write the most useless shit (Victor Hugo is famous for writing like 8 pages of description about characters that literally don't matter) but when you're grasping the basics, it's best to try to keep it simple.

Another piece of general advice I can give you is to emulate the greats. Read FF authors that you love and adore, figure out what about their style that it is that you admire so greatly, and try to blossom your own style from it. Something about it deeply appeals to you, so figure out what and why!

If you're taking commissions and they want a specific word count and you're having trouble reaching it, there's a few reasons that could be. Maybe the idea just doesn't speak to you, or maybe you skipped over some detailing that you could have gone into. Re-read it outloud. Are the emotions being properly conveyed? Picture yourself in their shoes. What would you notice?

For example, say you have a character that is crying, and you have written them crying. What else about crying makes it hit home? The large, intangible lump wedged in the throat that makes it hard to swallow. The way your nose gets runny, especially when you look down and it's humiliating in front of another human. The way it blurs your vision and clumps your lashes together. That horrible, aching rake of razored claws down the inside of your chest that makes your body almost literally collapse on itself like a singularity. Being unable to breathe between heaving sobs and fighting for breath over your body's need to just completely break down. Maybe the character is prideful and spends a good two paragraphs trying to hide it. (These are bad deliberately, as you take them, fine-tune them, and then place them properly. Just write something general at first.)

Think about what descriptions really hit what it is that you're trying to sell. Tend to the environment around the characters to play positively into the story. Sneaking metaphors for whatever it is that's happening to them occasionally works well, but can be rough to pull off (say, leaky pipes dripping incessantly driving the character mad even though it's barely audible when they're remarkably stressed over a billion things and it's a breaking point. Drip. drip. drip. into a puddle that pools on the floor one measly drip at a time.)

I'm no professional, but these are just things I've picked up over just talking too fucking much and writing things that I am interested in, and it kills me every time I cut some useless bullshit from my stories because I like the way they sound even though I know it's just filler or even nonsense to the readers.

[wibzenadarksiderwithasoftheart]

5 things I like to write about

I was tagged by both @prahacat and @cocotter, thank you both for that 💜.

This is an excellent exercise.

Hmm 🤔 five things I like to write about, 😅 honestly it feels a bit like I'm all over the place with what I like.

I like to write fix it stories. There's just something about fixing what goes so horribly wrong in canon, and there are just so many moments where a small adjustment can change the course of the whole story. It's always a joy to tweak these small and big details and shift the course of the story, it's like a game… plus it gives me the chance to save them all (damn my soft heart)

But the second thing I enjoy to write is major character death (just to totally contradict myself). I just love killing my characters, especially Obi-Wan and Anakin, and maybe it's best not to think about why that might be 🤷. However, there does seem to be a pattern to it when my murderous muse strikes. Something about how sometimes death is preferable to living in suffering or without the ones you love… Oh well, I always make sure to give a warning when I kill.

Thirdly, I always enjoy writing atmusphere, especially nature descriptions. It's just pure pleasure to succeed with a good description, preferably infused with metaphors of various kinds. It's an art form and one that I enjoy both creating and reading (looking at you @prahacat who is a master of long, marvelous, beautiful and amazing descriptions packed with metaphors and symbolism).

Hmm a fourth thing I enjoy working with is short stories. The ones where I leave my readers (and often myself) wondering how it got to that point, what happens after and what's going on? These small, often ambiguous stories are one of my greatest writing joys 😄

And last but not least, I love writing threesomes. It's just and will always be a very, not particularly guilty pleasure. I know exactly why I enjoy this, as the reason is both personal, complicated, but also simple. I enjoy letting more than two characters find joy together, there's just something appealing about this dynamic between three individual characters that never ceases to fascinate me.

I think that was five things.

I will tag @underacalicosky @palfriendpatine66 @piecesofeden11 @barmadumet @grapenehifics @willameena @amadwinter and @heretolurkandnothingmore , no pressure of course.

[saynomorefic]

20 Questions For Fic Writers

thank you @darktwistedgenderplural <3 so sweet of you to tag me hehe

How many works do you have on Ao3?

15 - 5 YR and 10 one direction that I wrote like 10 years ago lol

What's your total Ao3 word count?

81,454 :0

What fandoms do you write for?

Young Royals, that's it <3

Top five fics by kudos: (I'm doing my top 3 young royals fics because I reaally don't want people re-reading my old 1d fic lol)(It is in the [public] archives)

Falling for you

All the rules to this game I bend

You Kill Me & Like birds do, I need to fly south (tied)

Do you respond to comments?

YES always!! I tend to have pretty long responses bc I love learning what people like and having a conversation <3

What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

I'd say I won't treat you like you're oh so typical. However, this is a WIP and so I'm just going off of where I left things.

What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

Hmm most of them have happy endings! My fluffiest fic is Like birds do, beginning to end.

Do you get hate on fics?

No

Do you write smut?

Yes I do! Not all my fics have smut though. I will say I prefer writing my characters talk about sex, and exploring their sexuality as a major theme, to writing actual smut, not because I don't enjoy it but because it's hard!! I sometimes struggle to be creative.

Craziest crossover:

None

Have you ever had a fic stolen?

No!

Have you ever had a fic translated?

No although I'd love to

Have you ever co-written a fic before?

I've gifted works, but never co-written anything. That would be so fun!

All time favourite ship?

Wilmon ofc <3

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

That one's hard. I hesitate to say because sometimes I get inspired by old ideas. I had one that is Wille as a new cat dad with a rascal of a cat who keeps breaking things, and Simon is called as a cat whisperer. The catch: Simon's methods are unique and involve him spending three days 24/7 at Wille's apartment. I just am not capable of this level of fluff lol

What are your writing strengths?

I think I develop really elaborate ideas and worlds in my head, and I do try to make them as convincing as possible. I only write AUs, so I think this is a big part of that. I like writing descriptively bc of my liberal arts degree, and I also try to work in as many life experiences and make things feel relevant to the world around us, aka writing from a critical perspective even if it's fictional. I hope I'm achieving this even slightly!

What are your writing weaknesses?

Oh god lol. I get writing exhaustion pretty hard because of idea overload, and I look back at the page and feel like I've lost my voice or style completely. I think I struggle with varying the sentence structure so things feel natural. I'm also working on incorporating metaphors and symbolism effectively - I've been writing papers for so long in college that metaphors don't come as easily anymore.

Thoughts on dialogue in another language?

I think it's great, although sometimes I won't do it because google translate is unreliable and I don't have a beta reader currently. However, I like throwing in phrases here and there we see on YR a lot :-)

First fandom you wrote in?

One direction

Favourite fic you've written?

It would have to be You Kill Me, although it's not done. I put so much into their world and have so much more to show!! I'm proud of directly tackling a lot of the power dynamics and their intimate effects (on Simon especially) that I feel weren't addressed fully in the show, albeit in another universe. (Also yay for Felice and Simon's friendship and talking about racial issues together <3) The recent love for it has been so amazing and inspired me to keep going.

I tag: @nothingadoaboutnothing @youngroyalsforeversposts <3

thank you so much! <3

[asimplearchivist]

I just wanted to let you know that I absolutely ADORE 'Promises Kept'! Your writing is amazing! The use of high-end vocabulary alongside language techniques like repetition and metaphors is so well done! You create such vivid imagery and descriptions of both Khonshu and the Reader's thoughts and feelings, and it's so beautiful to read that I sometimes well up. The relationship between the two is so well-built as well! The way you write Khonshu being semi-aware of the Reader tearing down on his walls and his consequent fear of it is just incredible! 👏👏👏

Not to mention your depiction of Khonshu himself, I absolutely love how you write him! The way you don't add speech marks when he talks and only bolden his words is a perfect way to depict his otherworldliness (and the fact that him speaking is more like an echo in one's mind), and the mannerisms of him sitting pretty much anywhere that's not a conventional seat is so accurate to his character! And I love love love how you write him holding his staff, it's such a little detail but the way you describe his grip tightening or him playing with it by rubbing up and down the rod to convey his thoughts is incredibly well thought-out!!!

I wish I could have the time to fully analyse your writing but I'm in the middle of exam season right now. I just wanted to send this in to let you know that I'm so glad I looked into the 'Khonshu/Reader' tag on ao3 and found your amazing work 💞💞💞

I want you to know that this means so, so much to me😭the latest chapter got next to no attention so I was really doubting myself on it. Thank you so much for taking the time to leave such a lovely comment for me to discover in my inbox on a morning I really wasn’t feeling it.🥹

I always feel like my writing borders on the line of too purple-prosey, so I’m glad to hear that the metaphors and such aren’t too on the nose. Same goes their feelings—I try to careful of showing and not telling. That they’re palpable enough to elicit such a reaction is such a relief!

I love showing his intimidation over the feelings that reader gives him but him just facing them head-on anyway, like standing in front of a big wave. He isn't sure he's ready for the brunt of it, but he's a little too curious and already in too deep to back out by now. He's in this weird state of "damned if he does, damned if he doesn't" at the moment.

And I'm so glad you picked up on his dialogue being directed to her mind! I showed the difference a bit at the end of the chapter when he shapeshifts, using quotations to show that he's talking out loud.

It's definitely a challenge to portray his emotions without him having a face. I feel like I rely on him holding his staff a little too much, but I do so enjoy the fist clenching trope haha

Thank you again, so very much. This gave me a very badly needed confidence boost since the last chapter didn't get that much attention. Have a great day/night, lovely! *blows kisses*

[harrowitzer]

8, 10, 13, 17, and 18 19: I know you know how much I enjoy Snake Oil but it really is one of the greats/makes me continuously hope that someday you will publish historical paranormal fiction. I have never read something so well researched and so consistently compelling. I think it's one of the best AUs in the fandom and also just one of the most genuinely well written things in the fandom period. I will always fondly remember discussing the new chapters with my writing group chat and leaving comments with all the little details I enjoyed so much.

Aw, thank you so much! I truly wish I had the time and energy to write more historical fiction right now. That story was so enjoyable to both research and write - the characters, the setting, it all fit together so well. Hopefully some day one of my poor neglected WIPs will get that kind of treatment again.

8. What kind of document do you use to you write? Microsoft Word? Google Docs? Straight in the AO3 text box?

Google docs, although I wish I was posh and used Scrivener because it seems a lot more well-organized. I like being able to open the same doc on my phone or any computer. Although, when I was writing Toxic it got so long that it started crashing gdocs on my phone, so I could only write it on the computer, lol.

10. What are your top five fics by kudos or by reads

By kudos: Better than Beyond Beef, Tear You Apart, Watching You Watch Me, Keep a Friend Serene, The Bell Jar

13. Have you ever received hate on a fic?

I don't think so. I think the closest I got was someone complaining that my tags weren't complete (or, they were applied sarcastically which...was not wrong) and then a few comments of people just being, like, confused? Like finishing the chapter and then not really getting what happened in it. I chalked it up to English not being their first language XD

17. Are there any writers and/of stories that you consider an influence?

Growing up I really enjoyed Tom Robbins for his flowery, descriptive language. Seriously I could drink his use of metaphor. I try to channel just the barest hint of it when writing Wade. I also love Neil Gaiman for the sort of narrative minimalism he uses while still being able to paint a scene and a mood very well. Kind of the opposite effect, I can read just a few lines of his and the whole scene is in my head. Also I love Barbara Kingsolver for how she writes characters whose lives grow and intertwine together so that they evolve in their relationships.

And probably just all my fanfic writer friends who write amazing stuff. I'm constantly seeing things here and there that I want to incorporate in my work (yoink). Sometimes I can't read fanfic because it makes me get in my head about my own writing, and other times I gobble it up.

18. Recommend someone else fic! (And tag them if they have a tumblr!)

I highly doubt there's anything I've read that you haven't. I'm definitely not a prolific fanfic reader, lol. One that intrigues me is As You Wish by @calciseptine. Even if it never gets finished, it's a great premise and very atmospheric.

[immediatebreakfast]

So, on the subject of poetry, and how to analyse it might not be my strongest force since despite being written literary works novels and poetry have very different structure, tone, and meaning.

A poem has the power to convey more feelings than a full text in a few sentences, and a novel can slowly break your heart through paragraphs. However, the structure of poetry makes it a little bit more difficult in my experience since on top of juggling with themes, metaphors, and history; you also have to take into account stanzas, rhymes, and metre.

Marmion seems to be a staple of poetry across english literature since so far three different authors from three wildy different books have mentioned it (Jane Eyre, the Tenant of Wildfell Hall, and Dracula). Moreover, unlike novels, the title of the first Canto immediatly sets the scene.

In Which Marmion, an English Lord, Comes to the English Border Castle of Norham.

What do we the readers need to know? That Marmion is an english lord, and that he is going to the Castle of Norham. Then the canto starts.

In the first part we get the description of the Castle of Norham. With adjectives like dazzling, lustre, broad and deep it paints the picture of a magnificent castle not only in it's height and magnitude, but also in security and power. The poem goes to describe how there are captives, and how the armor of the warriors guarding it shines in the sun.

It almost feels like a ballad telling any enemies how futile, or at least difficult it would be to try to siege the castle.

Saint George’s banner, broad and gay, Now faded, as the fading ray Less bright, and less, was flung; The evening gale had scarce the power To wave it on the donjon tower, So heavily it hung.

Yet there is a calmness washed upon the scene thanks to the banner not waving, but hanging. There is no wind calling for war, nor hurry to defend the walls. A calm heavy enough that the warder can let himself hum a song.

That is until lord Marmion appears.

A horseman, darting from the crowd, Like lightning from a summer cloud, Spurs on his mettled courser proud, Before the dark array.

And he brings a grand entrance indeed, announcing how his arrival should bring heralds, trumpets, and sounds of glee. Then how the guards immediatly answer his demanda by letting the drawbridge fall on his orders. What a character I can say, both a lord, and a knight, a champion and a leader with boots, and compliments to prove.

The scar on his brown cheek revealed A token true of Bosworth field; His eyebrow dark, and eye of fire, Showed spirit proud and prompt to ire; Yet lines of thought upon his cheek Did deep design and counsel speak.

A greater than life image of a man who has lived to fight, and to lead. However (and I don't know if I'm speculating), at the end of the canto there is this sudden shift in tone that tells of something More beneath the moustache, and the steel.

A falcon hovered on her nest, With wings outspread, and forward breast: E’en such a falcon, on his shield, Soared sable in an azure field: The golden legend bore aright, “Who checks at me, to death is dight.” Blue was the charger’s broidered rein; Blue ribbons decked his arching mane The knightly housing’s ample fold Was velvet blue, and trapped with gold.

Why use "trapped" to describe gold? Is there more to the golden legend? Blue ribbons, rein, and fold to give away to the gold. Plus, a falcon in her nest with her wings ready to fly, then the symbol of said falcon "trapped" in lord Marmion's shield.

All of it makes it an amazing opening to the poem.

[ghosts-of-love]

Twenty Questions for Fic Writers

Tagged by @impossiblyizzy , thank you!! <3 <3

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

25

2. What's your total AO3 word count?

434,105

3. What fandoms do you write for?

BBC Ghosts

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

adored - (755)

lost then found - (539)

how much longer will it take to cure this? - (392)

the quick and the dead - (359)

adored 2 (electric boogaloo) - (339)

5. Do you respond to comments?

good lord i really try, but the best i've been able to do is get to minus [redacted] recently (but no longer, alas, by a considerable amount). but please know that i read every comment in my emails as soon as they come through and think about them always!!

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

i don't really write angsty endings! i guess out of touch, out of time is melancholy because they know things can't really change so that's as close as i've gotten to a non-happy ending.

7. What is the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

lost then found and adored!

8. Do you get hate on fics?

i haven't (yet! now you've got me worried ahaha)

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

i certainly try haha. in terms of kind, i'm not sure what kinds of smut there are, i tend to just write the same two men boinking and hope for the best.

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

no crossovers from me!

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

not that i know of! (please let me know if this happens)

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

Yes!! it's such a huge honour I still can't believe it!!

Боготвори меня by pilfer_rinse (@pilfer-rinse)

adorado by Almu_de_Nada (@disclaimer-performatico)

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

i haven't but would love to!

14. What's your all-time favourite ship?

patcap i think! but have also been clown-conversing with my friend about jean valjean/javert because we both read the same amazing fic at the same time haha

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

fucking...all of them. i am determined to finish the quick and the dead so that doesn't count. But i'm worried i may never finish the uni fic i'm writing or three weddings and a divorce party.

16. What are your writing strengths?

hmm i think i am quite good at keeping people in character (as much as they can be in AUs and such like!) and keeping things light/funny even when emotional.

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

i know at the moment i am struggling with description of places/things. or i feel like i'm not taking the time to use fun language techniques, similes, metaphors etc and instead am being quite robotic in how i'm getting from A to B.

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic?

i have tried it before but i've only stuck to languages i've studied before so i already had a grounding in them, you know? I fully support including writing dialogue in another language if you want to do it!!

19. First fandom you wrote for?

les mis (the fic has since been deleted)

20. Favourite fic you've written? 

I honestly can't choose, which makes me very happy actually, that I'm finding so much to love in all of my fics!

Tagging anyone who sees this and wants to do it!! <3 <3

[twentyfivemiceinatrenchcoat]

Hi!! Sorry if u get this questions a lot but I’m also curious too becus ur such an amazing writer! Do u have any tips on how to do good descriptions and examples as well? When i read ur writing I very much feel transported into the world u created and I don’t have trouble picturing ur scenes bc u write them so vividly! Also do u have tips on similes as whatnot? How do u think of such beauty words such as “silhouette intact” when speaking of shadows in ur gojo satoru fic?? WOW you are amazing 😌😘

🥺🥺🥺 thank you sm anon!!!! no need to apologize, i’m more than happy to answer any writing related questions you have!!!!! i got a similar one recently that will hopefully answer most of it, but tldr; zoom in on tiny movements and actions, and make sure to include different sensations in your descriptions (sight, smell, sound, touch, etc!!) that alone will help you build a more vivid atmosphere!!!! <33

as for the similes 🥹🥹 tysm!!!! those are my favorite to write!!!!!!!! aaaaa i don’t know if i have any advice related to them though….. they come to me naturally as i’m writing…….. if anything, i’d just recommend reading a lot!!! especially poetry, since it’s the type of writing that tends to include most metaphors, similes, and etc!! :3 i love coming up with ones that are a little unorthodox but still very descriptive, and i think poetry does a great job of showing that, and teaching you to think outside the box!!!!

good luck with your writing journey anon, i hope this answer can help you even a little bit 🫂🫂🫂 i’m cheering you on!!!! don’t hesitate to send any other questions you might have, i’ll do my best to answer them as thoughtfully as i can!!!