#my writing style is still kind of flowery but what can i say i'm a maximalist

[sunshinesdaydream]

Happy birthday to your blog!! And thank you to Isa and Greatheart for taking on the tasks of match making us, what a lovely treat! I hope it's not too late to send one of these in, if it is feel free to ignore this! Wouldn't want you to get overwhelmed ❤️

You can if course call me Deeja and my pronouns are She/her

Physical description, I'm short and pretty small just all around, which has made me very good at climbing things lol I have shoulder length brown hair that's usually dyed red and brown eyes

My style/aesthetic is....I don't really know honestly??? I guess I would call it nerdy hippy. I have lots of collectables and wear geeky t-shirts a lot, but I also have lots of flowery decor, witchy themed stuff and wear patchwork skirts with flowy tops soooooo, yeah, nerdy flower child lol

For fun I primarily write now days, but I also love video games (especially RPGs or narrative driven games), painting, cosplaying, and making crafts in general. I'm one of those people who wants to try every creative outlet they can get their hands on but then let's them go by the wayside because of busy adult life.

As for my personality, I'm someone who tries their best to treat everyone with decency and respect, I always want to be kind to others unless they give me a reason not to be. That being said, I can be a little closed off at times. I have trouble letting others in and allowing myself to be vulnerable with them, even if we're close. It's something I'm trying to work on but, years of being put in a caregiver role who has to hold everything together makes it hard to rely on others. On a happier note, I love making people laugh, bringing that kind of joy to others is one of the best feelings ever and being able to be silly around my loved ones is very important to me! I'd also say that I'm pretty introverted, I don't mind going out with people I'm comfortable around, but I also love just chilling at home in PJs, whether it's us doing our own things near each other or actively doing something together I'm down for it 💙

As for a first date, I think going to a fair/carnival would be fun! It's a little adventurous and the rides and games gives us something to do, but it's not too distracting so that we can still talk and connect with each other!

I think that's about it, but I'll end by saying that I don't really have a "type" when looking for love, besides just wanting someone kind. I'd love to be with someone who makes me feel safe and as though I can open up to them and depend on them.

Thank you so much for doing this wonderful idea! You're amazing ✨💕

Hope you are ready for these two, because they are ready for you!

Isa: It's good to see you Deeja! Greatheart gave me a recommendation for you after speaking to this particular trooper.

Greatheart: I just brought your attention to him, cyar'ika, he seems very kind.

Isa: I thought so too. He is by nature very supportive and patient. But he is also funny. Very easy to talk to!

Greatheart: So to arrange this first date I did have to branch out. But I found good transport for you. There is a carnival in the southern hemisphere that will only take a short shuttle ride.

Isa: We think you will have an amazing time with Waxer, darling.

Isa & Greatheart

[fromjannah]

i want to get into poetry. help?

my dear i'm going to be real with you -- i may not be the best person to ask if you want to Seriously get into poetry because nearly Everything i read is contemporary (i know i need to branch out. i know.). that being said, a great method is to just go down an absolute rabbit hole after discovering a poem you like.

there are a lot of ways to read poetry. while it's good to pay attention to craft and all that comes with it, you don't need to be an expert in literary techniques to appreciate poetry -- plenty of good poems can speak to you otherwise! as you read more poetry, you'll gain more skills. the only way to begin is by beginning, etc. the only thing i can say is really sit with poems! don't rush through them. in short works, every word counts and will make your reading experience better.

i think hanif abdurraqib is a fantastic starting point for people who aren't super into poetry, especially if they find it flowery or difficult to understand. hanif is super grounded and real while still writing beautifully. some of my favorite poems of his are "and what good will your vanity be when the rapture comes", "poems on an email exchange", "when i say that loving me is kind of like being a chicago bulls fan", "dudes, we did not go through the hassle of getting these fake ids for this jukebox to not have any springsteen", among many many others.

my favorite poet of all time is kaveh akbar, who is actually the poet that formally got me really into poetry. he is beautifully lyrical without being over the top and i cannot recommend his collection pilgrim bell enough. that being said, "stop me if you've heard this one before" is the poem of his that was my gateway drug. other poems i love very much include "forfeiting my mystique", "the palace", "against dying", "heritage", "i wouldn't even know what to do with a third chance", and i'm going to stop here before i go crazy. if you're into poetry readings, he did this lecture/panel/thing a few years ago -- he has a really hypnotizing, gorgeous style of reading poetry that i love.

other contemporary poets who i love include cameron awkward-rich, franny choi, solmaz sharif, ada limón, natalie diaz, summer farah, ocean vuong, and dante émile (who is here on tumblr!). this is a very very short list shaped by my personal preferences -- if you send me a dm with the vibes you like, i can probably get a more specific list of actual poems. to sound a little cultured, a slightly older poet who i love very much is frank o'hara, which, you know, basic choice, but he's special to me.

in short: find a poem you like, and follow the rabbit! there are so many poems just online. a secondhand bookshop is also a great place to start building a physical collection, if you want to get into that (you totally should, eventually, once you find poets you like -- sometimes you have the worst day at work and you just need to lay in bed with your favorite poems in hand).

[crymeariveronceagain]

Do you have any recommendations for someone trying to get into poetry? All I've read so far is some Lagston Hughes and Edgar Allan Poe stuff. Like not even specific types just poetry.

I TOO STRUGGLE WITH POETRY! I AM A PROSE GIRL THROUGH AND THROUGH. I do have a deep appreciation for the poetry and those who enjoy it, though, so your interest is commendable and I love that you want to get into it.

but, basically, my favorites are the old guys from england

Willy Shakes, probably my all time favorite poet, from his plays to his sonnets, love pretty much everything he does.

Let me not to the marriage of true minds Admit impediments. Love is not love Which alters when it alteration finds, Or bends with the remover to remove: O no! it is an ever-fixed mark That looks on tempests and is never shaken; It is the star to every wandering bark, Whose worth's unknown, although his height be taken. Love's not Time's fool, though rosy lips and cheeks Within his bending sickle's compass come: Love alters not with his brief hours and weeks, But bears it out even to the edge of doom. If this be error and upon me proved, I never writ, nor no man ever loved.

Just. Vibes. Yeah. I love it. So much.

I love Tennyson. I'm a fool for him. I love is style, I love his writing. It's beautiful.

But in her web she still delights To weave the mirror's magic sights, For often thro' the silent nights A funeral, with plumes and lights        And music, came from Camelot: Or when the moon was overhead Came two young lovers lately wed; 'I am half sick of shadows,' said        The Lady of Shalott.

it's just so pure and crystal clear and i live for that kind of poetry, honestly. The simple, clean way of speaking through the poetry really makes me happy. I know a lot of people don't necessarily read poetry like i do(very literally. i love deep meanings but when it comes to poetry i usually aim for the most literal sense i can grasp).

Emily Dickinson is amazing, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow is so good with words. Keats is good if you like pages and pages of flowers. Literal flowers. I enjoy that on occasion. Robert Frost makes me want to take a nap either in the sunshine or cuddled up under a blanket. I love his poetry. Elizabeth Butler isn't bad, although she's not my favorite. T. S. Elliot makes me want to write kotlc dystopian fanfiction. I could live and die in the discussion of religion and progressivism that Wallace Steven's Sunday Morning poem brings up.

I would say to stay away from poets who don't have any sort of rhyme scheme or meter. They bug me on an intellectual level. It's like, why are you writing your prose all chopped up. Like. If you're gonna write flowery short form prose write that. Don't pretend it's poems. Idk. People are welcome to their opinions and this is mine. I'll die on this stupid highbrow hill of what I think makes poetry poetry.

But yeah. These are some of my favorite poets! I hope you like what you find of them!

Also. Langston Hughes. 10/10. Love his stuff. Poe is good too. They're both excellent picks, imho. :D

[spindleprick]

i’m not sure if you do writing advice and if you don’t, feel free to ignore this! i was wondering how do you come up with such beautiful metaphors/descriptions in your writing? and are there any authors that are good examples of how to create new + striking ones? i struggle with finding new ways to describe things and i fear it’s making my writing boring :(

hi!! firstly, thank you so much for the compliment, it's incredibly kind. secondly, if i'm not mistaken you might have sent me a very similar question some months ago, and i totally forgot until now because i started to answer, draft it, then never remembered to finish it. if that was you i'm so sorry (and if it wasn’t you, i’m still very sorry to the person whose question i never answered)!! i'm not sure i ever feel entirely qualified to give writing advice, and please don’t think your writing is “boring” because it doesn’t fall into a certain style. i fully admit that i lean heavily on metaphor (which is probably obvious give you came to me with the question), but i tend to get really tired of this and wish i could write more pointed, startling prose than manages to impart emphasis without excessive description or “floweriness” (the most widely known author i can think of to point to might be chuck palahniuk, but on tumblr i also think abby aka @exalibur manages this beautifully). we are always hardest on ourselves, and the grass always looks greener on the other side of the stylistic hill. 

ocean vuong discusses metaphor in particular better than i ever could, and there’s some reposts of stories he made on the subject here. i also think heather o'neill would be a fantastic person to look at for metaphor, particular her latest book when we lost our heads (albeit possibly my fave modern book is the lonely hearts hotel, if you read this please come scream to me about it). i pulled a couple quotes of o’neills from the former to use as example, which also fall in line with what vuong outlines:

The mansion was surrounded by a thick bed of beautifully kept pink roses. They were like ballerinas taking a break and sitting down in their tutus. darling. delightful. feminine. and with context, the home of a girl who would put sofia coppola’s marie antoinette moodboard to shame: precious, precocious, and doll-like. She found the violin, took it out of the case, and tried playing a note on it. It sounded like a black cat who was on the gallows confessing to all the bad luck it had caused.   this character refused to play piano because she found every sound it made too happy, and didn’t feel it ‘matched her soul,’ which is why she would eventually try the violin. for a girl who would inadvertently murder someone, and spend much of her life wearing black and writing startling erotica, it’s also entirely on-theme. there’s obviously a lot of ways one could describe roses or the sound of a violin, but each fits perfectly into the respective character. if in the first quote the roses has been described as heavy red roses bowing reluctantly under the weight of a snowdrift like angry russian courtiers, you’re going to get a very different impression of the moment. as with the sound of the violin, if it has been described as a lonesome widow calling to her drowned lover from the pier, it’s going to completely alter the reader’s perception. so while these devices can create beautiful things to read in isolation, the most impactful ones are about more than saying something in a creative way: they add to the desired ambiance!

i know none of that is particularly instructive as to how i or others come up with descriptions, but i think that’s going to be very individual to the person! i personally like to think of it as the association game. i’d like to say it’s something more sophisticated than that, but a lot of the time it really does some down to just pausing for a moment and running along an evolution of images: the roses are red. what other physical objects are red? what emotions do we associate with red? what acts are those emotions elicited by? what sensations do we experience in those actions? there’s no right or wrong way to come up with your descriptive text, but don’t be afraid to take continual leaps not only forward, but backwards and sideways until you find something you like. even if you struggle to feel like you’re not being ‘original’ in the comparisons you’re drawing, there’s always ways to make something more ‘obvious’ less cliche. want to describe the colour red but can only think of roses? that’s okay! just rip it up a bit. turn it to sit on its side. think of a way to make it new. apply the notion of trying to impart something in your metaphor: where can a rose be seen, in what context can they be given or seen? instead of saying her lips were red as roses, there’s something like her lips were the red of a rose you’d find abandoned at the stage door, leaning its forgotten head across the last stoop. finally, it’s overstated (and you probably already know this given how you framed the question), but it also can’t be said enough: reading is your friend! while i definitely recommend the authors i mentioned above (or catherynne m valente, or janet fitch, or i remember reading how much of these hills is gold by c. pam zhang in the summer and thinking there was a gorgeous command of language), i think reading of any kind is going to give you a benefit. it’s just stretching the creative muscle, taking in new phrases, words, and ways to apply them. if you’re feeling mentally a bit bogged up, you could even listen to some spoken word poetry on youtube! i never know if any of my ““advice”” makes sense, but i hope this does, or that it helps in some small way!!  ♡

[desertfangs]

writer's ask: 1, 2, 4, 5, and 13! i'm nosy 🤧

Ha love it! Thank you! :) 1. What is something you wish you could change about your most recent fic/chapter? So my most recent fic is Lace, which was based on a prompt for the kink blog, and I was written literally in one day. I wrote 2000 words, had to leave for the day, came home and wrote the rest. It's kind of rare when that happens but I feel like after I'm left with no energy to be creative for a long period, I get these sudden bursts where it comes pouring out.

So anyhow, I wrote it fast and posted it the next day after two quick editing passes. There were a couple places I spotted where I used the same phrase or wording too much, or maybe could have tightened up some of the writing, little editing things like that. I fixed some but I'm sure there are still a few word choices I'd change if I'd let it marinate for longer like I usually do! (I hope that's not a cop out answer but it is true!) I'm still really proud of it and happy with how it turned out. I don't think I'd change anything big for that one.

2. Share a snippet of an old wip that you never posted. - Gonna post this separately.

4. What is something about your writing style that you're really proud of?

Dialogue! I'm pretty good at it. I have an ear for it and I kind of "hear" the characters talking and try to figure out if it sounds right in terms of how I hear them speaking. If that makes sense. I'm definitely not perfect at it and don't always get it right. Sometimes I reread an old thing I wrote and I'm like "OMG I don't think he'd say it that way" but you know. In general, I'm pretty proud of a lot of the dialogue I write.

5. What is something about your writing style that you think you could improve upon the most?

Physicality. Like I tend to over think (and definitely over explain) where people are in a scene and what they do and how they move. This is especially true in fight or sex scenes. I get really hung up on where hands are and who's where and while it's important to have a good idea, you really don't need to mention every little time someone moves their hand. Right? I sure seem to think so. You can let some motions go, people will still follow it. Also I could stand to get a little more flowery with description. I have lot of places I could improve, actually, but those are the main two.

(And fewer typos.)

13. What motivates you to keep writing?

You can stop???? Okay but seriously, I've just always done it. I've had breaks where I was burned out and didn't write a lot but I don't know, it's just something I've always done. I love to tell stories and share them and I love when people read them and I can make them laugh or smile or think. With VC fic in particular, it's motivating to explore different aspects of these characters we love so much and seeing what happens when you throw them in different situations, and then having other people read it and go "OMG yes that is exactly what they'd do." Or maybe start a discussion about other things people think they might do in that situation. It's a conversation as much as anything and I love to talk.

[glimmeringtwilight]

hello i love your fics a lot! do you have any writing tips for beginners?

Oh sure!

So. First and foremost, reading helps a ton. I know everyone says this, but it does! You don't even have to read super critically like you have to for literature classes, just read. Find what books you like.

Then, once you've found what books you like, try to think about what it is about that author's style of writing you like. Do they use flowery words? Do they write dialogue in a way that feels real? Is their writing style serious, or do they pepper in jokes and personality into the narration? What kind of POV- first person, second, third? Do they write in past or present tense? Do they switch between the two?

I personally like to do this to get an idea of what I like to read, and then I try to emulate that. Sometimes I just skim a few pages of a book I once read to get myself into the headspace and get a feel for that particular author's style when I feel like emulating their specific style in a piece.

Fanfiction also counts! I don't think you have to read the classics like Dracula or Frankenstein just to get a grasp on a style you like. If you like fanfic authors' styles of writing, try to discern what it is about it you like and emulate it in your own writing. Ex: @bye-bye-sunbird has SUCH lovely prose, and I sometimes read their works when I need to get in a... idk, gothic mood. I think that's the best description of it KGJDJFMD

Another thing I try to do (and this is something I still struggle with) is banishing perfectionism, I guess? I try to just write. I doesn't matter if I'm using a semicolon improperly; I'm writing and people enjoy it even with the copious amounts of grammatical errors I don't edit out (lmao). I don't think there's anything wrong with trying to edit your work, but I've held the mindset for a while now that so long as it's legible, it's enough. Who cares if it has run-on sentences? Unless you're looking to publish something, it doesn't hurt to overlook the imperfections when writing is just a hobby (as it is for me).

I also have some writing tips for dialogue that I actually learned on accident but they turned out to be SUPER helpful in the long run!

So... If you're looking for realistic, natural dialogue that reads like someone actually said it? Transcribe videos. Seriously! Just find videos of multiple people chatting idly and transcribe it- be it for the fun of it, or you can try doing it for closed captions to generally help hard-of-hearing/deaf folks. The more natural the conversation, the better. Try picking small streamers or small youtubers who don't have an internet persona or who don't heavily edit their videos (raw footage and first takes work best!), or transcribe podcasts(so long as they're not reading off a script). If they're a little awkward or stumble over their words, that's GOOD. That's what REAL dialogue is like! People use filler words, and repeat themselves, and stutter, and slur their words, etc, all the time!

If you don't know where to add a filler word, or a pause, or anything like that to make the dialogue feel more natural, try transcribing real conversations for a while and it will genuinely help a ton with dialogue.

Source: I transcribed videos for a wiki for almost a year (maybe over a year, actually) and while I don't try to make my dialogue that natural it definitely made it read less stiff and... rehearsed? I guess. Banter also comes a bit more easily to me now, given I have a grasp on the character.

I hope this helps! <3

[leos-regression-cove]

I'm working on pov and trying not to head-hop as I write (because until now it's just been me, the narrator, telling the story without character voice (with some exceptions)) but I'm not too sure if I'm doing it right yet. The upcoming chapters of TNL are mostly from Sylvie and Mobius' perspectives but still in third person and (mostly) alternate with double line spaces.

Right now I'm just sort of reading over what I write in their (adult) first person voices and editing word choices accordingly but idk if that's a good method.

During Mobius' narrations, words are simplified, Americanized, and descriptions are pretty short (adverbs are cut. Adjectives are simple and surface level).

Sylvie on the other hand uses more British phrases, includes adjectives, adverbs, and tends to pick up on more of her surroundings.

I think the main difference between writing her and writing for Loki's voice is that Loki tends to ascribe metaphorical adjectives to objects, while Sylvie, although perceptive, doesn't. She also keeps things snappy and direct. Both her and Mobius do, and I am not that type of writer, so I'm trying really really really hard to make a balance there.

I think Loki goes for more poetic, dramatic and emotional, Sylvie's text is "realism" (to her) and describes exactly what is happening, Mobius is purely informational and just gives you the important (or really interesting) bits, and Thor... I'm not sure about Thor.

I don't tend to write a lot from his perspective (I say as I have a fic that's like half dedicated to that...) but I think he's kind of like a mix of Mobius and Sylvie. He's not very perceptive so he doesn't give you a lot of sensory details about his surroundings (not that Mobius isn't perceptive. He's a detective. But I think he's got a good eye for filtering information while Sylvie just takes everything in constantly), but when something catches his eye I think he can get really into it. We see this in the Team Thor shorts when he's describing monster battles to a group of preschoolers. So I think that's kind of what I'm going to end up doing for him? But I'm not sure yet. I'd really like more ideas of how to differentiate his tone from Loki or Sylvie's while still maintaining third person close narration.

I don't want my prose/writing style to feel boring or monotonous, which is my main worry, so I think using voice in this way could be really great, but also, I'm really nervous that by varying the detail surroundings are described in (since I'm already bad at that) could make it worse? Long and flowery descriptions put people off, but so can really simple ones because they can feel unnecessary and a total lack of description isn't ideal either.

So idk any ideas? Maybe ideas about things to add or change about my voice headcanons? Or clues on perspectives and descriptions?

[sword-dad-fukuzawa]

helloooooooo!!! for fanfic ask game: F, H, V!

SPARROOOOOW TY !!

Fanfic Ask Game

F: Share a snippet from one of your favourite dialogue scenes you've written and explain why you're proud of it.

“Do you know what this place is called?” Ei asks, lazily blocking his overhand strike. 

“Your hideout?” Shun sneers. He twists away from her retaliatory blow and rolls, getting to his feet a safe distance away. 

“My Plane of Euthymia,” she says. And Ei sounds as if she is dreaming, as if this fight is nothing more than a blink in a long delusion. “It is here that I achieve true eternity.”

Shun dashes forward, hits her again, and as she catches the strike with her blade, leans in close. He feels erratic like a fish on a line. “Eternity?” he snarls, breathing hard. “What eternity? I only see suffering! You would kill Kujou Sara to preserve your own loneliness!” 

Ei throws him off with a spin of her naginata, unphased. “For eternity, I would do anything,” she says then. 

“Your eternity is shit!” Shun shrieks, and in his desperation to make her understand, takes a slash to the arm from her blade. But he ignores it, even as it tears through rice paper skin and scores a line through the dark wood beneath, and drives his blade into her stomach. 

Okay, this one is pretty entrenched in Genshin lore, so lemme explain a little. Ei is the god of eternity and has shut herself away in a pocket dimension for the last several hundred years. She also has a policy of enforcing duels to the death. Just now, Shun fought her deputy and won, but spared her life because Sara's...in love...kind of...with Ei. It's complicated.

But anyway, I love this scene not just because my inner Nanami-from-Jujutsu-Kaisen came out to yell YOUR ETERNITY IS SHIT but because it's symbolic of how far Shun has come. He's gotten to the point where he can definitively call bullshit on Ei's weird ideas about mortality and the shortness of human life. This is the part where he's embracing his inherent humanity despite being a puppet and bonking Ei (his creator) that she's got it all wrong. I'm a sucker for the heel-face turn of a character embodying everything their creator didn't understand :)

H: How would you describe your style?

It's...been fluctuating recently. If you'd asked me a few months ago, I might've said it dips heavily into fairytale-esque prose. I still think my style is very flowery--I want my descriptions to be visceral, most of the time--but I'm trying to make my dialogue tighter, snappier. I want to say more in fewer words. And I've been trying to write more absurdist concepts, so I would also describe my style as more...wry? It depends entirely on the fic and concept.

But if I had to describe an overarching theme of my style, I'd say it's very character-focused. My stories are grounded in the people that populate them. And because I write from imagery a lot, I think it gets very theatrical; like I'm writing about characters on a stage.

V: If you could write the sequel (or prequel) to any fic out there not written by yourself, which would you choose?

OHHHH SHIT OKAY OKAY. Definitely Blakkat's Akatsuki Kiba series on Ao3, because I think she discontinued it? And I really love the series and its concept so I would love to write, or at least read, the sequel where Kiba actually gets to come home.

[themegalosaurus]

If you're still doing the writing asks: 3, 23, 28!

3, 23, 28!

3. How would you describe your writing style?

This is so hard, haha. I think I would say, hopefully, that it's quite immediate and vivid. I want to drop you right into whatever it is I'm describing and most of the time I would rather be direct than flowery. I have no idea if I manage to do that but that's the goal.

I think my fandom writing is different than my non-fandom writing in that my fandom writing has often got a comic element to it, which I really enjoy but haven't yet figured out how to transfer to original fiction. Fandom makes it much easier because you all have this shared corpus of knowledge to riff on; you have this thing and then you can make jokes about it. Original fic requires you to set up the situation first and then you can get to the jokes, which is harder!

23. Dialogue or description? Why is the other one so hard?

I love writing dialogue. Good dialogue is so efficient at telling you about character and relationships. I did a screenwriting course as part of my recent MA and it was SO fun to write in a way that didn't require you to narrate a scene in detail but just let you get to the action; it's definitely something I'd like to do more in future. But I don't actually hate either. Even though I probably find dialogue easier, there's a nice challenge in trying to get across the atmosphere of a scene or setting and I definitely enjoy both.

28. Any writing advice that works for you and you feel like sharing?

Something that works for me is not to try and write in a linear way but to start off by kind of mapping out the arc of what I'm writing and then just going in and writing the scenes that I'm most excited about. When you write a scene sometimes you figure out that it doesn't quite work the way you intended it - and that can shape the rest of the story - so you want to start with the most entertaining bits that you're definitely going to have in there. You don't want to spend ages slogging away at in-between bits that you then realise are boring and should be deleted anyway.

The other major tip I have is to find a beta or a selection of betas (not to multi-read every fic but so you have a pool of options) whose writing you respect and whose opinions you trust. Having someone close-read your work and give feedback is 100% my favourite thing about writing, whether inside fandom or out. (I also loooove AO3 comments for this reason but nobody will give you feedback in the same level of detail as a beta!)

(writing asks)

[partly-cloudyskies]

for the "Fun meta asks for writers" prompt, 4 and/or 16?

Share a sentence or paragraph from your writing that you’re really proud of (explain why, if you like)

Boof, a hard one. I had to think about this.

So, I think one of -- if not my personal favorite -- thing that I wrote is my 2nd Night in the Woods fic, The Haunter of the Cafeteria. It's a good, compact thing that's got a vibe and tells what it's meant to tell. And I really like the ending.

"They tumbled into the car, Bea turned the key, they pulled out of the parking lot. They passed the tree line. They crested the hill. Possum Springs sprawled below them, nestled between valleys. Horrifying, beautiful, a thing lurking in a corner, a comforting vastness, a butterfly unpinned."

I mean, I'll admit it's mostly style over substance and a bit flowery to boot, but the thing is, endings are difficult to write. I tend to fall into cliches when I need to end a fic and one of those cliches is "the characters literally run away from the story." I do that a fair bit.

But I think this is a good example of my writing that kind of cliche! In context, it's got good momentum. You can feel each beat of the actions and the actions flow, one into the other. And then it kind of pulls out to the rest of the town, nestled dark amidst trees. Idk. I think it sells a moment. Which is good because I'm not too fond of the elevator scene that came before it. But yeah. I dig it.

Tried anything new with your writing lately? (style, POV, genre, fandom?)

Idk... I guess the most recent thing that I tried to consciously experiment with is chapter 5 of The View From Mars. I dig Sasha Amphibia's whole deal and I wanted to use this chapter to communicate her perspective. But the entire story is very locked into Anne's POV so I tried to tell Sasha's POV almost entirely through body language.

Like the thing is that -- at this point in the story -- she's pretty 100% into lying through her teeth so almost all of what she says verbally is a feint. What she really thinks is meant to be communicated through body language. I hope I did a good job??? I guess??

Sasha's got good physicality to her and there's kind of a neat duality with her in that chapter. Wearing heavy red Amphibia armor and using body language that she used in school back on Earth. And the two kind of collide in a way that doesn't really match but still clash in a way that's, like, impactful. Examining her nails while she's wearing a metal gauntlet makes no goddamn sense, but it communicates something, you know? Subterfuge and power and pretense.

I also posted something that was specifically requested of me recently, which was a first. Was happy to do that. Also I guess I've been writing more explicit work, hope for more opportunities to do that.

[methodrones]

album review : spacegirl and other favorites

released: 1993 or 1995

genre: shoegaze, psychedelic rock

continuing strong with bjm's second album, spacegirl! similar to pol pot, there's definitely some confusion around when this album was released. it's essentially a collection of older demos, mainly recorded in '93 as far as i understand it, but the details get muddled around an actual release date. nonetheless, this is an album i've always really loved but i've never taken a deep dive listen into it before! let's just say this is shoegaze central and i'm excited to jump back into it. i'm also glad that i can finally analyze lyrics lol.

also, anton genuinely writing a special thanks to "our fans everywhere and women" for this album has me dying. i love it.

on to the songs!

crushed

this is definitely an interesting one to start the album off with, but bjm has never really been known for strategic song placements. anyway, the beginning is this weird guitar sound that grows into an actual riff that just blasts right through you, especially when the drums come in. i like the line "i can fly but i'm not free," there's some fun lyrics in this song that really speak to anton's songwriting. more poetic kind of stuff! which, he's obviously capable of writing pretty much anything and everything, but i always enjoy the more flowery lyrics we get in some of these songs. overall, a great track!

rating: 8/10

that girl suicide

to be so completely fucking honest, i don't think there's a moment in life where i could ever not love this song. it's a banger through and through, the riff just makes you want to move!!! a fast paced chord progression with the drums, and the lyrics def seem to refer to some kind of drug use ... which then all goes into this amazing fucking raw guitar sound that i can't even describe, you just have to listen to it. i do really enjoy the live version's switch up of lyrics ( as well as how they're sung ) and inclusion of maracas, i might even like the live version's lyric style a little better than the studio version's. and i will say, having heard this song live before ( twice! ), it's a mesmerizing experience and just. SO GOOD!!! the little "oooOooOoo"s also fucking kill me they're just great and so fun to sing along to. i didn't even think i was going to have much to say about this track tbh but apparently i was uh. wrong! i think it's just because i adore this song and always have, it's definitely one of my fav bjm songs and probably forever will be.

rating: 11/10

deep in the devil's eye & you

now THIS is a shoegaze ass fucking song. starts off similar to crushed, with this kind of droning guitar sound, then we get the drums coming in with this great beat and then the PICK SLIDE?!???? it destroys me every single fucking time the beat drops. i've got no idea what the lyrics to this song are, but i do enjoy the vocals a fair amount and i think all of the music works so well together. it gets a little repetitive for me, but it's not an insanely long song so i give it a pass. but i really like this one!! i still remember the day i first heard it lol i was like damn okay!! bjm beat drop!!! anyway.

rating: 8/10

kid's garden

a song that couldn't be more different from the last one, kid's garden is soft and melancholic and just speaks to me so hard!!! the maracas are great here and i just really love how the guitar notes align with exactly how anton sings. "angel, there's no sense calling out your name" has been one of my favorite bjm lyrics for a long time and remains my fav one in this song. i also really like "and lay the branches there at your feet." just these poetic little lyrics i can't get enough of!!! but fuck when we get to the 'angel's child' part and anton's voice rises up with the guitar following his pitch?!??? UGH. ugh. so fucking good. this song is long but i actually really like the length, mainly bc the song is so calming so it doesn't even feel repetitive ... it all just flows through you. it's definitely an experience, esp when we get a little switch into the keyboard and drums coming in, before it returns back to the soft melody from before. there's just something about this song that simultaneously heals me and hurts me. the feeling of an old friend. nostalgia. childish hope for the future. i don't know! so many emotions going on here and it pulls so much out of me. i really love it.

rating: 10/10

when i was yesterday

i really, really enjoy this song, rarely do i end up skipping it actually! it's hard to explain what's even going on but i looove how anton sounds in this and the lil guitar riffs between the lyrics ... very good stuff. the grain really brings this all together i think. this is a pretty average length song, it doesn't usually feel too long so i appreciate that. i also like the lead up into the ending a lot. not much more to say here!!

rating: 9/10

spacegirl

ahhhhh spacegirl ... almost twelve minutes of pure bliss to my fucking ears. i've fallen asleep to this song i can't even count how many times, it's very pretty and soft and is great for passing the time. i love the very beginning, anton's random ass line... then we get into it. truthfully it never gets old to me despite kind of repeating the same shit, "just let me love you," the chords are really soothing and i wish i knew what they were!! unfortunately i do not, my go to man for tutorials has not yet figured out the chords so we'll see if someone ever figures it out lol. anton sure as hell doesn't know. anyway, another song about love! from bjm?!?? insane ( sarcasm ). no but i love the lyrics of this song, they're def giving similar vibes to crushed and kid's garden. besides hide and seek, this is pretty much my go to song from this album, i really really love it. then the fade out into the next one ... good stuff.

rating: 10/10

spacegirl - revisited

leading out of what the last one left off with, we get walmart version spacegirl! kidding, kind of. anyway this is purely instrumental and continues a lot of the same themes, it def grows on me as it continues on but really it's just an extended version of spacegirl and there's not much more i can say on it! i kind of don't love it but i don't hate it either, it's just there for me ( but bonus points for it being a continuation of a great song ).

rating: 6/10

after the fall

i will say, i very much enjoy the drums on this song. and the chorus is good with the very echoed vocals ... honestly tho for me there's just not much going on here! i truly don't have much more to say, i think it's the most average track so far and gets a little repetitive for me, simply because there's noooot a whole lot happening.

rating: 5/10

thoughts of you

not to be mistaken with thoughts of you too from pol pot lol. i loooove the guitar on this song and it's actually really fun to play, the intro is emotional and the music really just works so well. again with the making me a little bit sad! but there's something about the chord progression that gives that feeling and it feels like emotion genuinely went into this. another really good lyric - "life has lost its mystique under trembling time." banger fucking lyrics in this one, very very poetic. i think anton's voice is good here and it all just WORKS. this just feels like ... longing. and i love it.

rating: 9/10

hide and seek

OOOOOOOOOHHHH BOYYYY. this one doesn't even need to be thought about, instant 1,000,000/10. i think this is bjm's best fucking song and there is genuinely nothing that can ever beat it for me. so uh. yes! hide and seek is my favorite bjm song, in fact maybe my favorite song of all time. i fucking LOVE the chords and the shoegaziness of it all?!??? you can barely understand what this guy is saying, can barely hear him actually, and it's just fucking great. amazing lyrics. chorus slaps like nothing else and i can't even properly describe the way it makes me feel. the "ahhh ah ahh" WITH THE 'WE PLAY HIDE AND SEEK'???!? fucking amazing. this is another song about longing and it shows so well in the lyrics and the music and ALL OF IT. all of it. fucking perfect song. it doesn't overstay it's welcome and even if it was as long as spacegirl i wouldn't care, it's that good. if you like shoegaze this should be your new favorite because nothing beats it, not even e to g. best track on this album for SURE.

rating: 1,000,000/10

never, ever!

winding down from good old hide and seek ... we have never, ever! i don't love the way anton sings these lyrics to be so real and the music doesn't do a whole lot for me, it stays pretty steady throughout the whole song. i like some of the soloing going on though! i don't even know the last time i listened to this whole song, it's definitely been like ... a year at this point probably. but it is six minutes so i don't really blame myself considering i already don't really like it. alright song, not my fav and def the weakest on this album. but it definitely keeps that same theme and feel we get with all of these songs! this would've been a 4/10 but the soloing really makes up for everything else so it gets a point added.

rating: 5/10

ashtray

wow, it's been a bit since i heard this one either. LOTS of feedback in the start of this song which i can't tell if it's purposeful or not... either way, nooooot my favorite, i mean it's alright! but it isn't doing much for me. i do like the solos as i pretty much always do in every bjm song ever, but that's about it. this feels a little misplaced on this album, considering all of the other songs follow a pretty set theme / vibe / style, but i know this is a collection of old demos so, hey! more bjm! but this definitely could've gone on another album i think. or gone to one of the compilation albums lol.

rating: 5/10

fire song

the notes and solos on this song are really catchy... would probs be very fun to play on guitar. this definitely fits in with the rest of the album especially with some of the lyrics like "there was a fire so i jumped inside / i got lost inside you." good stuff! a pretty simple song, not much going on here so i can't say too much on it. it's a good old average joe.

rating: 5/10

maleka - bonus track

this song being on here is so fucking funny i almost can't stand it. this is very much better suited to the next album it appears on, which is give it back!, but here it just sounds soooooo out of place. like ??? what's this country shit doin' on spacegirl! anyway as a song i do enjoy it but it's so terribly placed i hate it here. i mean i know it's a bonus track but guuuuuys ..... please. just listen to this compared to something like kid's garden it couldn't be any more different. but uh yeah a fine song! country ish for sure which i love so it gets a good little rating from me.

rating: 7/10

aaaaand that's spacegirl! definitely shorter than pol-pot's pleasure penthouse, but i think there are some great songs on this album and the entire overarching style really speaks to me. i like the vocals we get and especially the deep feeling of emotion that comes with so many of these songs. it's really just superb, especially in the songs that shine the most. and this album DOES hold my favorite song so it's even more special to me <3 overall i'd give this a pretty good score!

hits: hide and seek, kid's garden, spacegirl

misses: never ever!, ashtray, maleka

overall album score: 7.5/10

next up we've got methodrone! i've listened to the full album but it's been a while sooo we'll see what my rating ends up being lol. loved spacegirl tho!! so i have high hopes for their next ( and kind of last ) shoegaze album before we start getting into the alt rock and country stuff. which i also cannot wait for. but yes expect methodrone sometime soon probably!

[favoniuscodex]

some writing tips

this is informal. if you disagree with them, keep doing your own thing. i'm not a definitive source. however, this is stuff that has helped me grow as an author, especially in stuff that isn't related to fanfiction. sorry if any of these aren't actually useful? i'm not a licensed teacher LOL

-

1. develop a style.

this is the most important writing tip i can think of, but this can easily be misconstrued. a specific "style" doesn't mean you have to stick out with it forever - it just means that your writing should be authentically you. don't write to seem like everyone else - pour your heart into it, write on the pages/screen what only you can! you want to go for the funny jokes or the unique metaphors? then do it. set yourself apart. be you.

as a reader, it isn't fun to read something that feels like a formula, to read something that seems like its what everyone else is doing. coffee shop aus and the other "overdone" fanfic cliches and tropes are fun because people breath new life into them by being authentically themselves. you can write a trope everyone else is doing, but as long as you cultivate a style and really make it shine, it will glimmer with excitement as a fun piece of writing. the easiest way to show this is an example.

bland: i stared out of the window and at the field.

fun: the rolling slopes of dying grasses spread out for miles as the car puttered down the gravel road.

you get what i'm saying? the "fun" one isn't anything that is crazy or super noteworthy, but it's far more entertaining to read than the basic description of bland. this leads into number 2. you should be unique enough to where people aren't seeing the same repetitive phrases over and over, though.

2. "show, don't tell" is real.

this is... hard to balance with reader-insert fanfics. i get it. you have to tell what the reader character is doing. you have to tell what the characters are feeling. in small little fluff pieces, this rule can pretty much be discarded and your readers will still be happy.

it doesn't negate the fact that this rule is real, especially in longer fics. if you have no clue what this rule is, google can tell u way better than i am. it's one of the biggest creative writing rules :D

3. canon characterization generally shouldn't be disregarded

i read diluc fics. i'm a diluc girl, what can i say, y'know? but sometimes, i'll read a reader-insert and i'm like "wow, that was great! but that wasn't diluc." (side note: this isn't meant to call anyone out - i literally have no specific examples in my mind as i type this out, diluc is just my scapegoat for this example c:)

characterization is important for fics. AUs will alter characterization, but it should still remain in the realm of possibility. however, characterization is hard when the characters aren't your own. for romance fanfics, especially short ones, it helps a LOT to diagnose people in what i call the "four romance quadrants". on the x-axis, you have your range of distant to open and on the y-axis, you have your range of charming to awkward. for example, diluc and xiao are both distant and awkward, but characters like thoma and childe are charming and open! to me, characters like zhongli fall in the median between "charming and awkward" because he's kind of both at the same time. i legit have no idea if this quadrant helps anyone, but it helps me with actions??? idk.

as for characterization, the place where your characterization will show through the most is dialogue. genshin characters often have very... distinct ways of speaking. kazuha favors flowery language, while itto is incredibly informal and playful in his manner of speaking. look at the genshin wiki while writing - they have all of the character's voicelines. it helps a lot with figuring out what a character would realistically say.

diluc would not say something like "well, if you need someone to join in, i'm free this friday" with a wink, but kaeya and childe possibly could without it seeming out of reach. dialogue is cool and characterization is the best way to flex your writing as a fanfic author, i feel.

4. write what makes you happy.

don't feel like you have to write something. writing challenges are good, but only if you feel like you're learning something from them. however, they should still somewhat inspire you. if you're unenthusiastic about your writing, why would your readers be excited about it?

5. you will realize you're better at some things than others. use those strengths to help assist your weaknesses.

this is self-explanatory, i feel? it just means that if you know your strengths, you will know your weaknesses too. explore your weaknesses and make them better by tying them in with your strengths.

for example, i hate writing arguments. it's my weakness. i don't argue in person - i leave the room because arguments are lame and fighting is lame and i'd rather seethe in private. i'm avoidant with that type of thing. however, i know i'm strong at making my writing abstract and connecting the scene at hand to metaphors and different situations. i used this strength to explore argument scenes using more abstract scenes in this piece.

6. nobody is born good at writing.

you WILL see people that write better than you. that's life. nobody is the best at anything. you will always be envious or look up to someone. that being said, a lot of the authors typically perceived as "good" didn't just spawn upon this cursed earth as good authors.

by no means am i saying i'm an excellent author or a role model or anything, but i've been explicitly told by people that some of you look up to me. therefore, in typical axia fashion, i will use this as an opportunity to talk about myself c:

i wasn't just c-sectioned from my mother and started writing my diluc fanfics or even my academic/journal writing (yeah you guys aren't seeing this - it's a lot different from my current writing). i still have some of my earliest writing. i've literally just been doing this as a hobby since i was 8. i started with stories about talking animals scribbled down in notebooks during class.

if you don't train the skill, your writing will not be its strongest. its like playing an instrument or drawing pretty pictures - you get better with practice and application. you don't just wake up able to write well. you get better with time. if you keep writing, you will get better, so please don't be discouraged if you are unhappy with your writing at the moment.

7. dialogue

i like how i write dialogue. therefore, i am going to talk about it.

when you write your dialogue, look over it. dialogue is typically what makes a fic awkward versus cool. sit there. really look at it.

ask yourself the most important question you could ask: "would people actually talk like this" / "would these characters actually speak this way?"

conversations are fluid, yet people aren't constantly just spewing random information (unless if that is a part of their character - look at zhongli. characterization is important). humor in dialogue can be bad if it seems forced. it will spook your reader. i have read many stories where i just sit there like dear god, people don't actually talk like this and i KNOW some of you have. it can even be see on TV, where characters don't talk like actual humans and instead sound like bastardized versions of what some out of touch 40 year old thinks a 15 year old sounds like.

8. most importantly: have fun.

fanfics don't have to be works of art. you're here for fun. for escapism. don't sweat the technicalities too much, but don't leave yourself worse for wear. try to improve your writing and explore new things, but it's more than fine to be repetitive. i have countless fics about diluc. have i written a lot of similar stuff for him? yeah. but am i having fun doing it? yes.

if i'm having fun, then it isn't a waste of time. you all should have the same philosophy. if you are having fun writing it, then it isn't a waste of time. it is merely an act of leisure.

[relatablegenzwriter]

How to write erotic moments or short stories without making it convoluted, cheesy or tacky? I grew up very religious and although i no longer believe have lots of trouble with sexuality in general. I'd like to try writing stuff as exploration cause i find p*rn too exploitive and iffy and dont wanna support that industry. but i'm not really sure what to do to do it "right" instead of dull or cringy. I just sit for hours with a blank paper till i give up

Writing Non-Tacky Sex and Romance

I'll start right off the bat by saying that this is definitely not my writing area of expertise, and I don't know how much I can tell you that you don't already know. So I'm gonna offer a couple of tips and then send you to a lot of posts that might answer your question better than I can! (P.S. I know your question was about sex specifically, but as you can see from the title, all of this can be applied to romantic scenes as well, which I got similar questions about.)

1. Be careful with metaphors. Of course, no writing style is "right" or "wrong", but flowery language can often make or break any scene, especially romantic ones. Many times, the overuse of dramatic, romantic metaphors can overload a scene and make it feel cheesy and cliche. And let's face it, millions of tiny stars aren't bursting around a couple every time they kiss, and we all know that sex is not magical in the slightest. I think the biggest problem with these kinds of descriptors, though, is not that they make you groan with how sappy the writing is, but because they often feel impersonal to your characters. So instead of your character "hearing a symphony swell around them", maybe "for a moment all their worries about [plot conflict/subplot conflict] seemed to move toward the back of their head". (not my best descriptor i could come up with on the spot but you get it) Although, while this will remove the cliche aspect of your scenes, it can still go overboard. Bringing me to my next point…

2. Be realistic. Like I said before, not every romantic or sexual interaction your characters have is going to feel like a Nicholas Sparks movie. There are lots and lots of awkward, ordinary moments. Include these! Of course, you probably won't want to make every moment of every sex scene say "yeah it wasn't that special" (unless of course this is the direction you want your story to take). If your character enjoys kissing or sleeping with someone, say that. But there are very few people whose worldview has shifted after one night together, and I doubt this is true for your characters, either.

3. Be careful about your source information. It's okay to take inspiration from everywhere, but it's important to take everything with a grain of salt. Particularly with sex scenes, writers tend to take inspiration from two major places: porn and WattPad (you know, THOSE fics). Keep in mind that porn is not meant to be realistic in the slightest, and I could go on a whole other tangent about the horrible expectations it sets for sex in real life. And don't get me wrong about wattpad: there are great writers on there and it's a great option to share and read fiction (for free, too!). But a lot of the ridiculously smutty fics, while entertaining and well-written, depict fun-sounding but sometimes unrealistic sex, that may not fit into the fantasy novel you're writing, @sjmaas. (Disregard that last bit if you are writing something akin to wattpad smut) Also, just a little side note that you should never be treating porn or wattpad as legitimate sex ed for real life!

4. Try building your scene from the ground up. I did a post on this a while back, but I used to really struggle to write romantic scenes until I figured out a method that works for me. Basically, you picture your scene as a building that you first need to lay the framework for, then fill in the cement/bricks/whatever, then furnish and decorate. First, I go through and write all the dialogue that will be taking place and mark crucial events. (example: "Hey, can I tell you something?" "What?" "I think you're the best thing that's ever happened to me." [kiss]) Next, I rewrite the scene almost monotonously, in the plainest way actions can be written. ("They held hands." "She took her jacket off." "He walked across the room.") Once I have my "building", then I can go in and add all the emotions and little details. I do this so that I don't have to stare at a blank page, since I already know how my scene is going to go. Then all I have to do is fill in some little details that make the scene more personal to my characters. I highly recommend this to you, since you talked about how you know what you want to write but can get scared of a blank page (hey, me too!).

5. Extra Resources! Here's some people that can probably help better than I can with specifics:

Including Consent In Writing (SUPER IMPORTANT)

Non-Explicit Scenes

Explicit Scenes

Romance In General (with a section containing tons of nsfw writing advice)

Good luck with your story!

[usopp-writes]

1. Nickname: Holly

2. Pronounce: she/her

3. Character(s) you want to be paired with: sanji!!

4. Which writing style do you want (HC, drabble, sfw, nsfw)? drabble, sfw

5. Five personality traits about you: sorta flirty, motherly, sweet, caring, funny

6. Five things you look for in a partner: good humor, romantic-ness, loyalty, kindness, a shoulder to cry on

7. Five dislikes: amusement parks, hot coffee, coconuts, spaghetti, hot weather

8. Whatever you want to add (specific scene, place, sentence, ideas etc.): maybe something like taking a bubble bath together? as sfw as that can be lol, no smut

SPRING EVENT

@hollyberryfairy

Thank you for sending in a request for my spring event. I hope you'll like what my brain came up with.

Please enjoy <3

"Oh Holly? Last time I saw her, she was heading to the back of the ship." You heard Robin saying your name and you stopped up, turning around. The familiar voice of Sanji sweetly thanking her, made you smile lightly and you decided to walk towards him.

Upon seeing him, he quickly moved to stand in front of you, pulling you in for a hug and a kiss. "I have a surprise for you, Holly-swan." He smiled, grabbing your hand ever so gently and started to walk.

You followed him, to the bathroom and you lifted your brows in confusion. He didn't say anything, but smiled, as he unlocked the door - yes he'd locked it when leaving the room - and led you inside.

The flowery scent of soap hit your nose and you smiled brightly, seeing the bubble bath he'd made. You could feel your muscles ache from a long day of work and the prospect of soaking into the tub, letting the warm water ease your tension, made you sigh lightly.

"I was hoping you would join me for a relaxing bath. Just you and I, no one here to bother us, unless the break down the door, though I'm sure they won't." He let go of your hand and started to undress.

You felt your cheek light up, the idea of him and you alone in the tub, was making you a liittle giddy and hot, but you brushed those feelings aside rather quickly. This was about intimacy and spending time with your boyfriend.

"Of course I would love to. You're the only one that I want to wash my back." You chuckled and started to undress too. It was impossible for you to take your eyes off him, taking in every inch of his bare skin, as he stood there in front of you, loving eyes following your every move.

As soon as you slipped your bra off, you laughed a little, seeing his nose bleed. It wasn't as much as it'd been when you first got together, but he still couldn't help but get it whenever you showed off what was hidden for everyone else.

Wiggling your eyebrows, you placed all of your clothes onto the bench, took his hand and went to the tub. The water was still warm, almost burning hot, as you slid down, making Sanji sit behind you. Leaning against his chest, you sighed happily. It felt so good to feel his skin against you, feel his arms around you.

"I love you. Thank you for making a hot bath for us." You titled your head, placing a hand on his cheek.

He smiled and leaned down, kissing you gently. "I saw how hard you worked today, my love, so I knew I had to do this for you. Now let me wash you and knead the tenstion out of you." He grabbed the washcloth, fully focused on easing your tension and soreness away with his skilled hands.