#not edited because i opened a doc then blanked and then this was what i woke up to

[earthtooz]

wrote this to fill the reo-shaped void in my heart, fluff, post-argument fic.

You don’t know what time it is when you feel a dip in the bed beside you.

It could not have been any time earlier than 4AM because the sun had yet to shine through the bedroom’s curtains. The only thing you do know, however, is the familiar weight of the arm that wraps around your shoulders and the sudden warmth against your back.

“Got tired of the couch, did you?” You ask.

“You weren’t supposed to wake up,” Reo murmurs from behind you.

“You should have been a little more discreet.”

He huffs, throwing a leg over yours, and all of a sudden, it’s too stuffy under the covers. Throwing them off your shoulder, Reo adjusts with your actions and settles against you once more.

“You didn’t answer my question. Did you get tired of the couch?” You repeat, trying to prompt an answer out of him.

“What do you think?”

“I think you were pretty mad at me before,” you turn around in his grasp. “What changed?”

His breath lightly hits your lips. “You didn’t wish me goodnight before sleeping.” 

“You can wish me goodnight, too, you know.”

“Was scared you didn’t want me to.” 

“Then what gave you the confidence to wake me up at 4am-”

“-3am, actually, and it’s because I missed you,” he digs his face into the crook of your neck. “And I’m sorry for being a dick.”

Your hands snake up to play with his hair. “Oh? Not mad at me anymore?”

“I can’t stay mad at you for long, you know that.” 

“Seems like you can’t stay away from me for too long, either.”

The chuckle he lets out is devoid of any cheeriness yet filled with relief. “You got me all figured out, baby.”

Neither of you say anything else. If the air between you was less vulnerable and sensitive, you would have asked Reo to shuffle over a little instead of crowding on your side of the bed. With the ridiculous amount of room on his king-sized bed, he chose to invade your space, even taking half of your pillow with it.

When his breathing evens and hold around you loosens, signalling that he’s fallen asleep, you prepare yourself for the overwhelming amounts of affection Reo will show you when you wake up. 

And how you’ll return it in kind. 

[she-who-fights-and-writes]

Do you have any advice for writing your first draft?

I’ve just finished an outline for a fic of mine, and like all my projects I abandoned them at the first draft because I lose interest in the story.

So, how can I stay interested long enough to complete my draft and move on to actually finishing the story?

HOW TO WRITE A FIRST DRAFT

A first draft is the hardest draft you will ever write; it’s creating something from nothing, without the benefit of using a previous draft as a base. Obstacles such as writer’s block and motivation may oppose you at every turn, and it can be easy to get sidetracked and frustrated when you have ideas for the “middle” of the story but somehow can’t get to it. 

Just know that everyone is different and writes in a way that works for them, so don’t feel pressured if these tips don’t work for you or don't fit your style of writing!

1. Start With a Good Outline

Since you don’t have a previous draft as a foundation for your writing, your outline will take the place of this! Refer to my posts below:

How to Outline

Plotting for Pansters and Pantsing for Plotters

You can also refer to my FAQ, which includes a variety of resources on getting started. This includes posts on how to get into writing fiction, how to write consistently, and how to combat writer's block!

2. Know that You Don’t Have to Write in Chronological Order

Write what inspires you! If you have no idea what your first scene is going to be but have very specific ideas about a coffee shop interaction during the middle of the book,  write the coffee shop scene instead of staring at your blank word doc for an hour and giving up!

Writing is better than not writing, even if it’s not the part of your story that you “need” to get done. In fact, it can be easier (and more cohesive!) to write all of the major scenes you’re excited about first and connect them together, than to write out everything in the order from start to finish.

3. Give Yourself Permission to Write Incomprehensible Garbage

This goes hand-in-hand with the tips I highlight in my post about overcoming writer’s block. When it comes to a first draft, DONE IS BETTER THAN PERFECT, and QUANTITY OVER QUALITY. It is totally okay if your first draft is covered in placeholders for scenes and conversations that you don’t feel like writing.

For example, rather than getting stuck on writing about your characters on the car ride to the carnival, just write and highlight in red “THEY DRIVE TO THE CARNIVAL” and come back to it later. That way, you can have fun actually writing the carnival scene instead of struggling to write the stuff leading up to it. Momentum is the key to getting your first draft done, not producing writing that “sounds good.”

If you’re just going to go back and edit it later, why bother getting stuck on that now? This leads me into my next point:

4. STOP EDITING!!!

When it comes to a first draft, opening up the doc and editing the things you already wrote for the 712123979843th time is not progress; now you just have one REALLY good scene and no rest of the story. Save the editing for later; you’re more likely to lose steam and feel stuck if you keep getting caught on the same things over and over again. 

I am calling myself out on this one, as I am INCREDIBLY guilty of using editing and rewriting as an excuse to not write new material, but unfortunately it has to be said. Having it in your mind that you’re making progress when in reality you’re using editing as an avoidant technique will not help you in the long run (as much as I wish it would). 

This can sometimes be helped by writing each chapter (or scene that’s getting you stuck) in a new document so that you have no choice but to focus on what you’re currently writing; sometimes the temptations of editing are too great to resist when you have all of your writing in one place!

5. Set Specific Goals and Document Your Progress

Setting goals helps you break up the huge task of “writing a book” into more manageable chunks. 

For example, heading into a writing session with the goal “finish this chapter” or “finish this scene” or “write this dialogue” can make it easier to overcome writer’s block; you are solely dedicating your focus on doing this specific task, and are less likely to get distracted. It’s better than barging head-first into it with no direction, and may also have the added bonus of keeping your writing cohesive.

Documenting your progress can help hold you accountable for reaching the goals that you set. If you like to perform under pressure, maybe you can document your progress online or with a friend; that way, you feel a bit of a pushback from outside sources to get things done! Keeping consistent will also help in maintaining a steady flow of inspiration—you’re always thinking ahead!

However, you should remember that life happens, so don’t beat yourself up if you’re struggling to reach your goals or deadlines! Nobody is a writing machine!

Hope this helps, and happy writing!

[sulfies]

this been in my doc for a while decided to just put it here, Its a bit edgy lol and tbh Im just not that into this kind of dynamic to build upon it. I don't even know what I did w Desmond in my head the apple kinda put him in this restart/reboot stage where it will take a while for him to come back (if he ever does). also didn't rlly re-read or edit this so probably there are some typos :D enjoyyy I wont ever finish it

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

“You cannot keep him here Ezio!”

“And where else? Don't suggest jail because I already told you he is of no danger to us!”

A Hand slammed on the table “How would you know! He has only been here for a week, It is not hard to keep up an act of mental handicap that long!”

“Machiavelli! Are you crazy-”

The door muffling the conversation slammed open with a boom of voices “Crazy?! The only crazy ones here is him and YOU for not getting rid of him, Ezio!”

The shouting figure pointed at him.

Desmond blinked slowly from where he was sitting.

“I know you are not as dumb as you talk to be Ezio , so please! This screams enemy spy all over the situation, please don't let the whole brotherhood be compromised for… him?”

Ezio sighed, he of course knew Machiavelli was right to be worried but he just did not understand it. He looked at Desmond's silent sitting form, as doll-like as ever. Barely blinking.

“I… listen if anything… anything happens it's on me okay Machiavelli?”

The other scoffed as he turned his back to exit “as if at any point of this I had a crumb of fault in on it, of course it's on you. Always is. Will bring the collapse of this branch just as you built it!” 

He stopped at the open door.

“When this goes all down, and you and I know both that it will, I will not help you clean it.”

Ezio smiled after him “You are the best…”

His reply was a slammed shut door.

“I swear he is nicer once he gets to know you” He turned to Desmond who stood exactly as he was left a moment ago. Ezio’s smile stood on his face.

“And he will come around… he just doesn’t get it but how can he?”

Walking next to him, his hand squeezed Desmond's knee.

“He doesn’t have what we share does he?”

His free hand clasped at the back of his neck and they stood there a bit with their foreheads touching as Ezio inhaled deeply.

“Let's get you ready for sleep”

He straightened up and pulled Desmond softly with him. He knew he could but Ezio was kind of glad he didn't need to carry him everywhere.

Desmond followed him silently as he was led through the hideouts halls and through the open door. Stopping only once the figure in the front did.

“There we are… was a busy day huh”

Ezio turned toward him, tugging at his hand delicately as he led him to sit down on the bed.

It was silent as Desmond got readied. Ezio took his time as he went over their now nighttime routine.

 His shirt and pants were peeled off of his skin, bearing the gold markings that covered his body onto night air. The origin points of the strange lines decorating his tan skin started from Desmond's left hand.

Ezio's finger gave a butterfly touch to one on his neck then pulled over a nightshirt to cover the man's whole form.

Next, his face was cleaned as Ezio wiped it with a damp warm cloth slowly, as if cleaning a beloved hand painted figurine. His fingers raked through his short curls giving them a brush they did not really need.

Few more extra steps and Ezio stepped back with a satisfied gaze. “My, now you look ready”

He lifted the blanket and patted for Desmond to get in “Time for sleep”

Desmond followed, laying down on the bed on his back, letting Ezio drape and tuck the blanket over him. Ezio hummed happily.

“Good night Desmond, go to sleep now”

Desmond's blank eyes stared back at him for a few more moments, his brown eyes gave a short low hum of golden glow before his eyelids closed over them.

Ezio squatted down near the bed and looked at Desmonds sleeping form for few minutes, listening to the mans almost dead silent breaths.

Satisfied, Ezio grunted in a job well done and stretched his back as he got up. Walking upto the couch facing the bed he plopped down face first onto it. Arranging himself to better see Desmond he got comfortable. It didnt take long for him to fall asleep with all the watching rather than keeping watch he did.

[fyonahmacnally]

20 Questions More

This is a deeper and more detailed version of the 20 questions for AO3 fanfic writers. Thanks to @casualsavant for the tag. I'm not even sure I did the first 20 Questions round, but rules be damned.

1) How do you keep getting ideas for your ship/fandom?

Well, like anything I write, I get ideas from everything around me - they come to me from dreams, something I see, from random prompts, etc. As most writers know, we are simply the vessel, it's the brain goblins that tell us what to do.

2) Which authors inspire you in your fandom, and why are they so freakishly good?

Geez, we have so many in the Supercorp/Supergirl fandom. I'm not even sure that's a fair question. HA. I will inevitably leave someone out, but here are a few of my favorites @searidings, @jazzfordshire, @chaotic-super, @lovesastateofmind1, @innamorament0, @someoneyouloved93, @lostariels, @luthordamnvers, @thornedrose44, and @fazedlight. I read such a variety of genres, tags, and tropes that I will give almost anything a chance so the authors I read will vary. There's oh so many to choose from in this fandom and the vast talent is beyond imagination!

3) Aside from the characters of your main ship, who are the characters you love to write?

Hmmm, I like writing Sam, Andrea, and Jack. The rest of the main cast is fun too, but those three characters are fun to explore in fics. The shenanigans they get into together makes it easy to play with.

4) Are there pairings or tropes you know for sure you'd never write about? Which ones?

Karamel, Lames, and Kalex. I am pretty open-minded, but those are my hard limit ships. To each their own. It's not my thing at all. I'm pretty open to tropes, too. Haven't had a chance to explore too many yet.

5) What is your writing process and why is it cursed?

I'm not sure how to answer this one, really. It can vary depending on what's going on in my life and how the idea came about.

Generally speaking, I get an idea, outline the basic premise of the story (usually in a word or google doc), do whatever research is needed (longer fics), and just start writing (or staring at the outline and empty doc). That's writing too, ask any writer. LOL

One shots tend to be more like: get idea, sit at desk thinking while blank doc stares back at me tauntingly, look out window, turn back to blank doc, write three sentences, back space all three sentences, look out window again, write three more sentences, repeat previous steps, then the brain goblins take over and suddenly it's 4 hours later, somehow there's several thousand words staring back at me.

6) What is your favorite part of your writing process?

Because I am a huge nerd, the research. I love to research the things I write. Not all of my stories require it, but when they do, I dive right in. Completing the story is a big one too. The anxiety and excitement that comes with yeeting something into the ether is indescribable.

7) What’s the weirdest thing you’ve had to research for a fic?

Weirdest thing...pagan rituals and ancient runes or bondage/fetish clubs in Amsterdam. There is some really interesting things out there. I learned a lot during that time.

8) Is there a particular writing rule you struggle with (grammar, spelling, tense, reality in general)?

I think tense is one that slips on me. I try to catch them all during rereads and edits, but those little bastards are sneaky.

9) What was your hardest scene to write so far and why?

The panic attacks and abuse scenes relating to Lena in Carterhaugh-Wood Academy (CWA). Lena is my absolute favorite character and writing anything that causes her harm hurts my soul.

10) Have your characters ever done something you didn’t expect, changing your plot completely?

Is water wet? My characters always do what the brain goblins want despite my initial protest. I am just here to convey the message, after all.

11) If you could converse with any of the characters, who would it be and why?

Oh, hands down, Lena. I wouldn't pass up a chance to speak with any of them, let's be real, but Lena would be #1.

12) What are some of the tropes or themes that you find yourself returning to in your writing?

I am by nature a fluff and happy-ending writer. However, I am working on an angst with a happy ending fic at the moment. The tropes I have written so far have been limited to friends to lovers and a little light angst with happy ending. I'm still exploring other things. Hopefully 2024 will be the year I can flex my writing muscles and expand into new territory.

13) What's your most important resource as a writer?

Friends and other writers. Nothing beats a good brainstorming session with writer pals. I also like to do improv writing to boost creativity. You never know where a story will go when that happens.

14) Can you share some of your strategies for editing and revising your work?

The strategy depends on the story. For longer fics, I have a few writer friends that help with reading over it and helping with typos, grammar errors, and helping fluff up the places that need it. For one shots or shorter fics, I will let it sit for a bit, go back and read it again to do the editing and rewrite the places that my brain doesn't like.

15) Which is worse: making the summary, picking the tags, or the anxiety when you post your fic?

Oooof, definitely the posting anxiety. I usually immediately find something else to do so I don't obsess over it.

16) How do you define success for your fanfic - hits? Kudos? Comments? Bookmarks? Or just if you like it?

Hits, kudos, and comments are always fun and rewarding, but I write for my own enjoyment and sanity. I have plenty of fics that barely get any love, but I enjoy writing them. It's therapeutic for me. The rest is just noise. Also, like any writer, I love to hear from readers and try to respond to all my comments because they mean a lot to me.

17) Do you have a playlist for your favorite character/ship?

Sometimes, yes. It depends on what I am writing and how I am feeling. Most of the time it is instrumental piano and/or cello music because I will start accidentally typing the lyrics of a regular playlist. If I am going for a specific vibe or writing because of a specific song, I will have the song on repeat or at least an album by the artist.

18) If fan art was going to be made from your work, which fic would you pick and which fan artist would you like to create it?

SCBB delivered that on a platter for me. CWA got art from the multi-talented @bigmammallama5. If you haven't seen it, you can check it out here.

19) How many WIPs do you currently have?

13 total with another one that is in the planning stages.

20) What's your advice to new fanfic writers?

Write for yourself. If you love it, it brings you enjoyment, and adds to your life, continue doing it. You're not going to please everyone and there will be people who are less than kind about something you publish. Those voices don't matter. There is someone out there that has read or will read your work and it will stick with them for the rest of their lives. Always do it for you.

Tagging but no pressure: @lovesastateofmind1 @casualkoalatea @fabulousglitch and @sssammich

[scottishaccentsareawesome]

Master Post of My Stuff That I’m Proud of :) (I update this ALL the time!)

https://www.tumblr.com/scottishaccentsareawesome/664154210592505856/scottishaccentsareawesome-ever-since-i-was?source=shareMy Hangaroo/Hangster Relationship Playlist (Youtube)

My Icemav Relationship Playlist

My Ineffable Husbands Playlist (Aziraphale x Crowley from Good Omens) 

(^ I am constantly adding on to these on YouTube, just FYI ^)

Fairytale AU’s

“Two Princesses Fell in Love...” (Rapunzel x Sleeping Beauty AU)

Cinderella Fake Dating AU potential

Top Gun

If Maverick isn’t flying that day, he comes home early... (IceMav ficlet)

Slider Gets an Inheritance from Iceman

“All-American Boy” (Goose x Carole and Hangaroo/Hangster ficlet based on ”All-American Girl” by Carrie Underwood)

What If Wolfman wanted to “adopt” Hangman (original post)

Hangaroo/Hangster Time Travel back to 1986 (very open ending in that I didn’t really end it, so if you want to take it and finish it just let me know so I can read it :) )

Parallel between the Top Gun awards ceremony and another event a few years later (IceMav)

Mav adopts little Bradley after Carole dies and Iceman becomes “Uncle Iceman”...

(^ this one was like the first story-post I did about IceMav and I cannot believe I didn’t have it on here already)

IceMav Holiday Headcanons (Thanksgiving & Christmas)

The REAL IceMav Ending of Top Gun: Maverick

“Top Gun” + “Top Gun Maverick” = “The Notebook” (IceMav)

TGM HEADCANON: The Daggers Take Care of Mav After Ice’s Funeral

Rooster and Hangman Talk after Iceman’s Funeral (Hangaroo/IceMav)

Poker Night Between the Daggers and the 86′ers

“Even Though I’m Leaving” by Luke Combs in the POV of Bradley with Goose, Maverick, and Iceman 

“Hungry Eyes” Hangaroo/Hangster Edit

Hangaroo & Bobnix 27 Dresses AU (27 Tuxes)

IceMav Sweet Home Alabama AU

Hangaroo/Hangster How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days AU

IceMav & Hangaroo/Hangster Letters to Juliet AU

IceMav Ocean’s Eleven AU

IceMav The Wedding Planner AU

IceMav Sleepless in Seattle AU

TOP GUN/MAVERICK ft. TAYLOR SWIFT

IceMav + “Long Live”

Hangaroo/Hangster + “Style”

Hangaroo/Hangster + “Blank Space”

Hangaroo/Hangster + “I’d Lie”

MCU

MCU Characters x Wizard of Oz Parallels

Tony/Pepper/Peter (Parker) Part 1

Tony/Pepper/Peter(Parker) Part 2

Peter Wants to be a Superhero like his Dad Iron Man (but Mom Pepper Finds Out)

Mamma Mia Spideriron Family AU

MCU Characters as Star Wars Characters

Peter Grows Up Knowing Tony (because he’s friends with Ben)

After Tony gets to heaven (IronDad-Spider-son post)

Tony Walks In On His Young Son Peter Drawing Pictures of a Guy Named Star-Lord (IronQuill)

Stranger Things

Billy Being Raised By His Grandma AU (ft. Harringrove)

Billy Being Raised by His Grandma AU Part 2 (ft. Harringrove)

Billy and Steve go to See “Top Gun” and need a second (or third) opinion

Our Flag Means Death

OFMD x “Grease” Parallels

Ed and Stede are the Parents of Another Famous Pirate

Blackbonnet (Stede x Ed) Corpse Bride AU

(S2 FINALE SPOILERS) There is an Inn near the RoP...(Blackbonnet)

****911****

Chimney Creates a Bachelor-inspired Office Pool (Bucktommy, Buddie)

Chimney, Hen and Ravi argue about altering the original office pool (Buddie)

What if Eddie kisses Buck while he’s with Tommy...? (Buddie, Bucktommy)

Three Earth-Shattering Events in One Week (7x04)

What if Tommy is in a Helicopter Crash...? (Bucktommy, Buddie)

“911″ -> “8 Simple Rules”-style (Bi Buck, Dad!Bobby, Buddie)

Athena Going Mama Bear on Tommy (Mom!Athena, Bucktommy)

Cruise Ship Doc Asks Buck if Bathena are His Parents (Dad!Bobby, Mom!Athena)

 “He Didn’t Have to Be” by Brad Paisley (Buck & Christopher, Buck & Bobby)

Bobby is the Parent Buck Has Always Needed (Buck & Bobby, Dad!Bobby)

The Theme of Parents and Children in 6x10 (Buck & Bobby, Dad!Bobby)

6x11 “Which one?” (Buckley-Diaz family)

Bobby Watching Buck Sleep in the Hospital after 6x11 (Dad!Bobby, Buck & Bobby)

Buck and Eddie Have Trouble Getting Engaged... (Buddie, Firefam)

When Buck and Eddie Become a Couple, They Have to Work Separately (Buddie)

“Hamilton”-inspired Buddie (Buddie, Dad!Bobby)

Multifandom Posts

This Blog Loves Found Father-Son Relationships

Gibbs & Tony - Bobby & Buck Parallel

Mary Poppins was the Doctor’s Nanny (Doctor Who x Disney)

[inkovert]

Writeblr Positivity Tag

Tagged by @pertinax--loculos. Before I begin I just wanna say...Pockets...this BFF-ship is not one-sided. You're super cool and I always love seeing you on my dash and I miss reading about your stories (haven't heard about ATN in a minute D: I know it's in the 'second draft/editing' graveyard so I get it). My only disappointment is that we evidently live in different time zones so we're never active at the same time :'(. But yeah just had to clear that up. So EHEM, onto the tag!

What motivates you to write?

Oof. I've been trying to remind myself of the answer to this because your girl seems to keep forgetting. I think @pertinax--loculos put it beautifully: 'I write for the same reason I breathe. Because if I didn't, I would die'. I don't think I'm necessarily motivated to do it at this point, it's just that I'm incapable of NOT doing it. Which inevitably makes it difficult when I find myself in a slump and desperate to give up because I can't produce anything I deem "good enough". I know despite my frustrations I will keep trying to produce something because giving up is evidently not an option. In the past though, I think I was motivated by the prospects of other people eventually reading my work and wanting to give those imaginary future people the same feelings/experiences my favorite authors have given me when I read my favorite book. But as it's gotten harder and harder to get eyes on my work, that's stopped being a motivator for me (which is probably for the best).

A line/short snippet of your writing that you are most proud of/happy with. If not, maybe share a line of someone else's work you love (just please credit them):

Can you believe it took me SO long to find an answer for this LOL. I think I'm mostly proud of how scenes I've written turned out, not necessarily specific lines. But I'll go with this one, because it stuck with me the most after I wrote it:

The last thing I truly tried to create was the destruction of myself.

Which OC makes you smile every time you think/talk about them, and what are they like?

Hands down, it's Vince. Like, I love that boy. I can think about him in relation to almost everyone in my cast of characters and I smile even harder. But I think the relationship that I love the most in my story is the one he has with Cami. It's just so...wholesome and pure and playful and loving. Like the two of them truly come to care for each other so much, in a way that almost transcends any kind of relationship (their relationship is fully platonic btw). But Vince is just a lovable idiot. He is the resident himbo. He doesn't take life or himself too seriously which makes him easy to get along with. But he also has such an incredibly big heart and is actually quite sensitive once you get to know him. But the care, respect and admiration he grows to have for Cami over the course of the story is just so beautiful to watch and is one of the parts of my story I look forward to writing/developing the most. I could ramble on and say more but I will reign myself in.

What process of writing do you enjoy the most?

I know this is an uncommon answer but...editing. Blank pages intimidate me. I hate coming up with words on the spot with nothing to build off of. But I love coming back to a chapter I've written, opening up a blank doc beside it and rewriting the chapter with stronger language/words/prose/dialogue etc. I'm often able to flex my writing chops when re-writing or editing a chapter rather than just writing it from scratch. The right words just come to me a lot easier and I can phrase things more eloquently than before. I know this is not what true true editing is...come back and ask me again in 6 months when I have to edit the completed second draft of my story and I'm writhing in agony.

What part of writing do you think you are the best at? (Yes stroke your own ego it's okay)

Dialogue. Dialogue. Dialogue. I struggle with writing an engaging narrative voice/exposition. Can't worldbuild for my life. Descriptions scare me. But ask me to write a compelling, emotional, humorous, realistic conversation between two characters and I will hit the ground running.

What is something in the writeblr community that is most enjoyable?

I think Pockets also had a good answer for this that I agree with - people never forget you. You can be gone for 4 weeks, 4 months, or 4 years, but the minute you log back on and make a post, people will welcome you back into the community with open arms like you never left. And you realize just how much of a place you actually had in the community whereas often when you're in it on the day to day it can feel like you're shouting into the void and no one's listening. But people are listening and lurking and liking your posts, they just may be too shy to approach you or prefer to be in the shadows. But I can think of like at least 5 writeblrs who I've thought about in the last month and wondered where they went off to because I haven't seen them on my dash for months. Despite my qualms with writeblr at times, there is a semblance of a community here that I don't think many other platforms have or can replicate.

A writing tool/device you use that helps you with writing? (It could be speech to text, a writing program etc)

Scrivener. Literally Scrivener. I would not be able to do anything if I didn't have Scrivener. Scrivener is my life. It literally has everything a writer could need and more. When I tell you that everyday I'm discovering a new feature on this shit as if I'm using it for the first time rather than the mf 10 years I've had it. It legit has everything. “But what about —?” Yes. The answer is yes, it can do that, too. And I'm so grateful for it. And it's a ONE TIME purchase which is such a steal. It provides you so much and asks so little in return.

A piece of worldbuilding that you like in your own story? (It could be the magic system, a particular place in the story, a law, etc)

HA

(what an anticlimactic question to end on but I legit do not worlbuild. I truly admire anyone who can but it's not me.)

Tag some people whose works you love/have been your biggest supporters:

@starry-sky-stuff @lady-grace-pens @rose-red-ink @freedominique @vacantgodling @kaiusvnoir

And anyone who sees this and wants to jump in! Feel free to say I tagged you, happy to read your responses.

[winterandwords]

🌞 Writeblr positivity tag

Tagged by @reneesbooks. Thanks, friend!

1. What motivates you to write?

World's simplest answer, but enjoyment. I just really, really enjoy writing and couldn't imagine not doing it.

2. A line/short snippet of your writing that you are most proud/happy of. If not maybe share a line of someone else's work you love (just please credit them)

This bit from November Breaks (you can read and download the whole thing for free at @novemberbreaksbywintersimpson!) will forever make me feel fizzy about my wordstuff...

Hovering above the boundary between potential and decision, I am opaque. He holds me at the edge of the void and I become transparent. I wrap my bravado in ribbons of tendons and bruise-kissed skin, and even that is not enough of an offering.

3. Which OC makes you smile every time you think/talk about them and what are they like?

All of them! If I absolutely have to pick one, probably Brett from November Breaks and Spin Cylinder. He's a terrible bastard, but he's so much fun. He's reckless, self-centred, manipulative, and usually high on something. He's a very "That's a terrible idea. We should do it immediately" kind of person with no conscience and enough charisma to turn most situations in the direction of his choosing. Not someone I'd be friends with in real life, but a great dude to have living in my head.

4. What process of writing do you enjoy the most?

Editing. Specifically line editing. Like final draft level line editing. Obsessing over the tiny details with the guts of the hard work already done.

5. What part of writing do you think you are the best at? (Yes stroke your own ego it's okay)

Dialogue, maybe? I write a lot in first person, so maybe that should be monologue. I hear character's voices really clearly in my head, so I always feel like I'm just writing down something someone else is dictating to me.

6. What is something in the writeblr community is most enjoyable?

The level of support and pure hype. How people will go absolutely feral over each other's writing. It's fucking beautiful. Also, I don't feel like the only fucked up weirdo here, so that's nice.

7. A writing tool/device you use that helps you with writing? (It could be speech to text, a writing program etc)

I recently discovered LivingWriter and I'm in love. I adored Scrivener, but I need to be able to access my writing on my phone as well as my laptop and Google Docs didn't have the structure I crave. LW looks like how the inside of my brain feels.

8. A piece of worldbuilding that you like in your own story? (It could be the magic system, a particular place in the story, a law etc)

The psychoactive frequencies in Bridge From Ashes and Project Aria are fun. I've always wished it was possible to get the effect of drugs or adrenaline-junkie experiences without the potential consequences, so I made a fictional way for that to happen.

9. What piece of advice would you say to encourage others to write if they are having a rough patch?

TAKE A BREAK. No, seriously. If you're feeling burned out, exhausted or lacking in motivation, let yourself rest and recharge. We're all so conditioned to push through and often the best thing to do is just chill, switch off or switch gears for a bit, and let the muse kick back in when it's ready.

10. Tag some people whose works you love/have been your biggest supporters

@kaiusvnoir, @indecentpause, @thegreatobsesso, @manathen, @nanashi23, @elbritch-kit, @reeseweston, @drabbleitout, @diphthongsfordays, @i-can-even-burn-salad (I feel like I'm forgetting people because there are so many amazing folks on here and I'm endlessly grateful for you all)

Tagging @cherrybombfangirlwrites, @clairelsonao3, @daisywords and @diphthongsfordays if they'd like to do it, with an open tag for anyone else who wants to take part. Blank questions are under the cut 💜

1. What motivates you to write?

2. A line/short snippet of your writing that you are most proud/happy of. If not maybe share a line of someone else's work you love (just please credit them)

3. Which OC makes you smile every time you think/talk about them and what are they like?

4. What process of writing do you enjoy the most?

5. What part of writing do you think you are the best at? (Yes stroke your own ego it's okay)

6. What is something in the writeblr community is most enjoyable?

7. A writing tool/device you use that helps you with writing? (It could be speech to text, a writing program etc)

8. A piece of worldbuilding that you like in your own story? (It could be the magic system, a particular place in the story, a law etc)

9. What piece of advice would you say to encourage others to write if they are having a rough patch?

10. Tag some people whose works you love/have been your biggest supporters

[abbiistabbii]

Using Obsidian to organise existing Bullshit

The Alternative title of this entry should be "How the Church of Obsidian saved by dirty heathen soul".

Anyway, I have a (now on Hiatus) youtube channel that I had fucktonnes of notes, scripts and suchlike for that were sat on my overcrowded gDrive unorganised and doing nothing.

I had heard of Obsidian before but it all looked very overcomplicated and I didn't think I would have a use for it from watching all the how to videos where members of the Church of Obsidian showed people their simple (read: complex) note taking system that they had optimised.

However the one thing I will say about Obsidian is that there is no one system and because everyone works differently, everyone will do shit differently. Take ideas from those videos on how you can organise shit, but don't copy their system because their system might not work for you. However, I have been converted to the Church of Obsidian so I'm going to stand here and testify.

Anyway, as I said, I had a big fuck off load of Youtube Shit, and I decided the best way to do that was using Obsidian. Why? Well unlike other note apps, it's all text editor readable .md files. It's a personal wiki system and you can literally change .txt files to .md files by changing the file extension. Yes you heard me. Also, there is no server. If Notion or Evernote's servers got hacked or taken down, you're notes are gone. With obsidian, your notes are on your harddrive (I have my vaults, yes, plural, on a pendrive). You can put them on a cloud server or a home server or just on your PC and you can copy them and fuck around with them all you want, they're yours and if Obsidian decides "Obsidian Sync" (their optional paid web sync service) isn't enough and decide to paywall the app completely, you'll be fine because your notes are literally just a load of files readable on any text editor.

Anyway, how did I adapt all my files on gDrive to Obsidian. Well first I went to drive.google.com and downloaded all the relevant notes, scripts, files and shit relating to my Youtube Channel. They download as .doc files so I had to convert them to text. Most web "doc to txt" services limit you to two files per upload unless you pay, but I found a free (if slightly janky) app called MultiDoc Converter which is free and did the job well.

Next thing I did was mass rename the files from .txt to .md, which you can do with the shell. Yes the shell! It took me a while to figure out but here's how I did it.

Go to the folder where the .txt files are.

shift + right click > Open Powershell

Type ren *.txt *.md

This converted the txt files to markdown files. Yes, it's as simple as changing the friggin file extension. If you do not change the files to .md, you will not be able to Edit them.

Next is to open a new vault in Obsidian (if you don't already have one). In Obsidian, make a folder for all these new files (if you want) and in the file explorer, move all the files from the folder where they were into the folder in your vault.

Congratulations, they're now in Obsidian.

Now what?

Well the files (for me) were unlinked and unorganised. So I took the subjects the videos were on (I had a lot of videos about closed stations) and put relevant hashtags in them to link them all together, then when an article mentioned something else, I would link to the article using that.

This was a history channel, so I made a lot of Ghost notes to link references to years together (some I made into blank MOCs) and gave them the Hashtag #year. You can't make hashtags from numbers I'm afraid.

The Result?

Organised, but searchable and indexable chaos.

I'm now using Obsidian as a note app regularly, albeit on a different vault in a different method.

[sweatandwoe]

Apologies for the looooong questions.

3,4, 31, and 68.

Hope you have a good day!

3. Describe the creative process of writing a chapter/fi

sit down

turn on computer

open outline document (if a one-shot fic skip to point 5)

look over current chapter section

open writing doc

stare at the blank document

weep

smash fingers on keyboard

don't look at the words

once done do not look at it (this is hard and sometimes I break it)

come back later and use read aloud to help me edit it by listening for anything funky

send chapter to friends to read

gnaw my keyboard

post chapter after approval

stare at notifications/email for internet readers approval for serotonin/dopamine hit

repeat process until I feel normal

Also random tip that helps me write the actual chapter is; writing sprints, there's a discord bot that really helps with this or you can set a timer. And also listening to an audiobook while I write I find helps inspire me to write better and just to write more. I think it's like urge to write a fic after reading a really good fic but instead, I'm listening to Hell Followed With Us by Andrew Joseph White and all the body horror/gore in that while I tiptap some fluff. I also have a youtube list of free audiobooks, and I'll post them if you guys want.

putting the rest under a readmore so this post doesn't get too long <3

4. Where do you find inspiration for new ideas?

Literally anywhere.

Anywhere.

It strikes when it strikes (unfortunately)

31. Do you start with the characters or the plot when writing?

Most of the time, Plot. Plot is usually a big motivator to get me to write fic.

I find that good plots are sort of versatile. Like I could very easily take a similar plot of SI and put it towards Ghost. Baker!Reader gets employed at the ministry. Papa and her start getting close, and closed-off man eventually opens up to sweet lady.

Also while I'll know the Love interest for who I'm writing, cause I mainly write x Reader fic, the Reader is something I don't really consider. I try to be careful not to describe red cheeks, or hair texture in fics for example (though I have done it still), though sometimes it does slip through, cause I want you to imagine an idealized version of yourself. It's like a meme now that like when Y/N says this we go "I'd never say that" but maybe you would in Runeterra. Cringe is dead, make your idealized self in a self-insert or in Reader fics, because that's self-love baby. You are deserving of love and you should always recognize that.

I was always really happy in SI when it got fanart to see all the different versions of reader, with darker skin, or blonde hair before I finalized my own version with @designfailure56 in Ros, though anyone can draw SI Reader however they want. I still really prefer the blank slate approach where I have no idea how they look like, all I know is how they sort of feel and think.

68. What, if anything, do you do for inspiration?

Slide into friends DMs, or look for prompt lists on tumblr. Sometimes I just need to start writing a little request fic or going over headcanons with friends before I can go on to write the larger fic. It helps me get into the zone for it.

Get to Know Your Fic Writer Asks

[rubykgrant]

A couple people asked how I do my MS Paint nonsense, so I shall explain!

(disclaimer; I did this fast, and the end result won’t be as nice as the stuff I work on slowly)

In particular, regarding roses; first I just make a small center spiral using the pixel pencil tool in MS Paint. I continue adding more shapes for the rose petals, switching between rounded ones and a few that are more angular. When the rose is the right shape, I pick the smallest pixel setting to divide up the outlines with new colors, then fill in the rest of the rose with the little paint bucket tool

The next thing I do is copy-paste the image into a blank doc of MS Paint. Once it is in there, I re-size it (because my original picture is always done on a small scale) so I can get a good look at what I’m doing, and copy-paste it once more at the larger size. Then I right-click on it to see different options, choosing the one called Format Picture.

Within Format Picture are more options, including Artistic Effects. First I pick the setting Paint Brush, this helps smooth-down the edges of the pixels. Sometimes I will combine other Art Effects together by copy-pasting and doing something different each time, but I need to get it just right first

Most of the Art Effects have sliders for their options, usually different forms of “intensity” or “transparency”. Often, I start at a low intensity, copy-paste, then add a higher intensity but make it somewhat transparent, causing the image to have a watercolor-like vibe

Now that all that is done, there is still MORE to do! With the edited image, I open up MS 3D Paint, a newer and slightly more advanced version of Paint that has higher resolution and the option to change the opacity with the various art tools (I LOVE this).

Here, I can add darker shadows for the deeper folds of the rose petals, and highlight shine for the edges. Because this doesn’t have a layers option, this means any lines you “color-over” might need to be re-done (I’ve re-drawn whole entire pictures like this, because I need to make it JUST RIGHT. for more painty stuff like this, I’m going easy on myself and letting it just be soft and a little messy for the aesthetic). I also add a darker blue color for the background (technically you can do this in regular MS Paint, which I usually do, but I’m gonna keep it real with you; I forgot until after I started editing)

Now I’m putting the image back into Word, but this time I’m going to play around with the Picture Corrections, changing the brightness/contrast, colors and saturation

I continue to copy-paste and edit several times, going back to the Art Effects eventually, using the Cutout setting (and adjusting the number of shades/transparency)

Finally, I copy-paste it back to the original MS Paint file, and save it as a PNG. This is where I will click on the image file, and use the Edit Image option

There are more options for colors and light here (it also used to have really cool filters, but the old ones all got replaced in a recent update, and I HATE the new ones. ANYWAY). The sliders let you play around until it gets where you want it

And that’s it! I save, then open it up in MS Paint one more time to add my signature, then save again, and it is DONE!

There are a lot of other options within Word for Art Edits, you just need to find one that works~

[rollercoasterwords]

hi rae!! i was wondering if you could tell us more about your writing process :)) im very curious about it. like, do you brainstorm then write or write whatever flows or both. do you painstakingly line edit after or just give it a glance for any mistakes. im mostly curious about atydsp bc its so exceptionally well written and it absolutely boggles my mind that you were posting a ch a day. how much of your time for atydsp involved editing/scrapping & rewriting/etc? xx

hi sure i'd be happy to!! gonna put this under a cut tho bc it got long lol

for atydsp (+ my captive prince rewrite) my process was pretty different from my other writing in that i basically descended into a feverish haze of obsession and literally abandoned all other hobbies just to write bc i loved the story so much lol. for atydsp especially that thing was like...my only hobby for half a year like i was not reading or watching tv or movies or playing video games etc bc the only thing i wanted 2 do in my free time was. write.

when i'm rewriting a story from another character's pov i usually have the ch of whatever i'm rewriting open next to word doc and just kinda go 2 town. i think it's much easier when you aren't having to do the heavy lifting when it comes to plot and are following an outline, bc obviously you aren't having to do much story planning urself--although for the later chs of atydsp where i sort of broke off from the og version + the chs where r + s are separated + i had to write new scenes for s i did have to spend more time planning, writing, editing, etc, but i didn't start posting the story until i'd already written the first 20 chs so. i had a pretty large buffer and that combined with the obsession combined with the shorter chapters + outline to follow is why i was able to post so frequently.

when i'm writing a new fic there's much more brainstorming involved bc obviously i am having 2 come up w a whole new plot!! but bc i'm only writing fic for fun i don't really take it too seriously and usually i just cobble together a couple of fun scenes or tropes that i like and then sort of...fill in the blanks? like if i'm like "ok i want to write a scene where x happens and then later a scene where y happens" i usually end up figuring out a plot/how to keep the story moving between those two scenes, rather than vice versa (having like...a coherent plot and then coming up with fun scenes that fit into it). like my current wip started as just a single idea of "ooh what if there was a werewolf fighting ring" and then it become a voldemort-won au bc i was like hmmm in what situation would r + s meet at a werewolf fighting ring...and then i decided it would eventually turn into a horcrux hunt bc i was like "ok if r + s grew up in a voldemort-won au...what would james be doing...." and now the story is continuing to change as i continue to have ideas of like "ooh what if i incorporated this trope" or "ooh this would be such a fun scene to write." like lily + james's entire dynamic in this fic basically grew out of an idea that i had for a single argument that i wanted to write lmao

anyway when it comes to actual writing process i usually go into a ch with just a vague outline of a few bullet points, and if i'm stuck on something i send a voicenote to my sister just like...talking through my thoughts + what i want to happen + usually by the end of the voicenote i'll have figured out what direction i wanna take things. or sometimes i'll ask her opinion (the ending i'm planning rn for atwmd changed completely after one such consultation...had an idea but then talked myself out of it but then my twin was like wait....i think that idea works better than what ur currently planning....and i was like damn maybe ur right....). so most of my planning + brainstorming is basically just me daydreaming + then talking 2 myself lmao.

when it comes to actual writing i'm pretty slow because i'm too much of a perfectionist and i need everything to sound right. immediately. like i have heard the advice so many times "just get something down on the page then go back and edit it later" but i am like. incapable of following it lol i will write a sentence and then read over it three times to decide if i like it before i move on. the plus side to this is that my chs usually need very little editing; i generally just read over them once or twice and make a few minor tweaks and i'm good to go!

anyway. i have had some similar inquiries abt my writing process etc in the past so i'll tag this ask w 'writing tips' bc i think that's what i've used b4; hopefully this satisfied ur curiosity!

[akaluan]

Hey, that stuff about Google Docs you just shared would be VERY helpful to share with some people I know but do you happen to know of any sources I can link about it besides your post? (No worries if that is not possible, but my search attempts are probably not using the right keywords and I'm coming up blank.)

Good search terms are "Google documents canvas" and "Google doc canvas implementation" although you'll need to skip past mentions of Canvas The Product.

Here's an opinion piece by someone at Zapier about what Google's changed, in layman speak, and why it is (theoretically) a good idea. https://zapier.com/blog/google-docs-canvas-based-rendering/

Realistically I do somewhat agree, but also I will argue that there IS no way to entirely unify the way things display... If you're talking about using different browsers. Because Firefox renders canvas slightly different from how chrome does, and things will never one hundred percent agree. But different computers all using chrome? Yeah, things will render very close to identically.

On the other hand. This change broke 90% or more of BROWSER extensions (not add-ons, which are like extensions for just gdocs/Gmail/etc) that tried to interact with gdocs. Many that still work only work on chrome. Of those that do, many of THOSE only work on editable Google docs, even if they're just an accessibility extension to read websites aloud.

So most of the points I listed past number one are merely things I've found while working with the code itself. However! Here's one of the initial documents that Google released about the update to canvas:

https://workspaceupdates.googleblog.com/2021/05/Google-Docs-Canvas-Based-Rendering-Update.html?m=1

Note that they say that SUPPORTED assistive tech will be unaffected, which means tech implementations that they approve for use. Specifically, it requires getting access to the API, and also they're talking about Add Ons, not browser extensions, which need to access a different API. I work for a pretty large education based company, and we were denied our request to access specific features that would allow us to Just Work As Usual, so I had to work around their switch to canvas in order to enable our specific features in Google docs.

And no one say anything about Grammarly still working on gdocs in both Firefox and chrome. You know why? Because I figured out my work around trick from examining THEIR implementation. Which doesn't use any API access (which thus means no Google integration is required to use their software) and thus works on both editable and uneditable documents. (Okay, so Grammarly doesn't APPEAR to work on uneditable documents but that's just because the coders told it not to. After all, why make grammar suggestions on a document you can't edit?)

Most of my points (the rebuilding of the canvas, how often it happens, etc) are only visible when I add debugging statements in my specific code, which lets me see otherwise "invisible" interactions happening beneath the hood.

You can see the use of four canvas with your own eyes, though! And it's actually pretty fascinating to watch the html move. If you want to see that bit, in your browser of choice, navigate to a Google doc (not a spreadsheet, a document) of your choice, and open the Inspector

(Chrome and Firefox: press Ctrl+shift+i )

Now click on the element picker icon in the corner of the inspector panel that came up

(it looks like this:

And hover your mouse over the Google document you're viewing. You should see part of the page highlight a light blue. Aim for the page of the document (so where the text is) and you should see a popup that reads something like "canvas.kix-canvas-tile-content" which is what we're aiming for! Click to confirm, and look back over at the inspector window you opened in the first step. Make sure you're viewing Elements -- these are the raw html components of the page you're viewing.

This is an example of the element inspector panel on Chrome.

Now, you don't need to know tooooo much about html to follow what's next. Clicking on the canvas when in selection mode should have highlighted a line in the inspector panel that should start with something like "<canvas class="kix-canvas-tile-content"" that's the actual canvas that Google is drawing on to produce your text document.

Now, right above it should be another line that starts with "<div class="kix-page-paginated"" along with a little down arrow next to it. This is the containing element that holds the canvas in a proper place, and you should see several divs with kix-page-paginated as their class. Pay attention to these divs specifically. Now start slowly scrolling down the page and watch the inspector panel. Note how after a point there's a flash and the z-index tag on the div changes? That's Google rebuilding the canvas inside that div to be a different page. Google lists pages starting from index 0, so what we would call page 1 is actually z-index 0, but otherwise it's the same. If you hover your mouse over the html element in the inspector, you'll see the element's location on the screen -- do this with a page outside of view, and watch how when the index changes, the location the div points to changes too!

Again, this part of the changes really isn't a problem, it's just a Fascinating Implementation that amuses me to play with.

[i-am-megalodonna]

Collector's Curse AU

I heard some interest so here it is folks, the Collector's Curse au textpost, copypasted fresh from my google doc. Well, part of it. Approximately two pages, to be exact. This is what I consider the main, need-to-know stuff before I get into anything else. Enjoy.

(Sidenote: As I say on the first point, not everything is figured out yet. When I do fill those plot holes I might make other posts, or I might just edit this one. Haven't decided yet. We'll see what happens.)

The beginning and the end cannot be fully developed just because there’s still so much we don’t know.  Until we know that stuff, there’s gonna be some blank spots.  After rewatching Eclipse Lake, however, we do know that the Collector likely isn’t involved with the portal, as we see Belos trying and failing to make a portal key and power the portal by other means.  Things he wouldn’t be doing if the spell or the Collector were planned to power it.  So the spell (and the Collector with it) and the portal are two different plots.  So that opens up the possibility of Belos throwing the Collector overboard the second he’s got everything figured out with the spell.  However, I could still be getting it wrong.  Like I said, nothing is confirmed so nothing can be finalized yet.  Just considered.

So while we wait on all that, let’s get right into the meat (aka the stuff that can be more finalized because it relies very little on the canon story).

The au is called the Collector’s Curse AU because the Collector, however Luz finds him, functions a lot like Eda’s curse.  Rather than possessing Luz as he would’ve preferred, he’s trapped in Luz’s mind.

In order to keep this au intact and keep the Collector from just taking full control and going on a rampage (be that in the form of some Classic CollectorLuz ChaosTM or barging right on into the Emperor’s throne room and killing him with their bare hands), the Collector needs to be nerfed, hardcore.  Which is how we get to the situation at hand.  As it turns out, Luz is not an ideal host, and these are not ideal conditions.  Shocker.  The Collector is an immensely powerful being, and is wholly incompatible with Luz’s body.  Especially without the rituals and preparations that would usually go into a proper possession.  Simply put, it’s like trying to run Resident Evil 5 on an Altair computer.  The software doesn’t exactly fit the hardware.

Point being, they need to be careful.

The two can talk in Luz’s head and the Collector can take form outside of it, but only Luz can see or hear him. They're basically a ghost, except now the pool of people they can interact with is even smaller than before.  With immense effort they can make their powers tangible, but they can only do so in short bursts and it’s incredibly taxing for both parties.  It also runs the risk of causing Luz physical harm, and harm to her is harm to him.  Either way, Luz is knocked out and the Collector goes completely silent, sometimes for several days.  After getting used to his voice, Luz can’t help but find it unnerving whenever that happens.

Because the situation functions similar to Eda’s curse, the elixirs actually help.  “Help” being a pretty loose term.  They taste terrible and Luz always feels sick after drinking them, but they shut the Collector up right quick, which he finds very unpleasant.  It only took a few elixirs to convince him to not be too insufferable.

The two are connected by a string, each end tied around one of their wrists. The string both symbolically represents their connection, and literally acts as a leash preventing the Collector from leaving a certain radius around Luz. The string is not affected by walls or other objects, and extends about three Luz's in length before pulling taut.

As cruel and chaotic as the Collector usually is, they have pretty good motivations for going along with this whole… thing.  First of all, survival.  If destroying the disc didn’t set him free, destroying this human he’s stuck in probably wouldn’t help either.  That and it would hurt.  He hasn’t felt pain in a long time, and he’s reminded quite quickly just how much it sucks.  So it stands to reason that if Luz dies, they die with her, and like most living things are, they’re very adverse to dying.  Secondly, while this situation is far from ideal, it does have potential.  Even if they were freed, it would likely be into the same shadow ghost form they were in before.  They haven’t had anything remotely close to a physical body in forever; now they at least have some influence over one.  It’s technically an improvement.  For the time being, he needs someone to be his hands.  He can make this work.

Oh yeah, forgot to mention (though you probably inferred it from the first bullet point), the Collector wants Belos dead.  Belos and them used to be buddies, you see, before that jerk went and sealed them away after they’d “fulfilled their purpose” or whatever.  So hey look at that we have a common enemy don’t exorcise me or whatever please.

The Collector has no power over Luz, so he needs to make appeals to her to get her to not tell everyone, because if she did they’d probably try to expel him in some way.  He doesn’t know how, but he’s not into taking those kinds of risks.  So he keeps everything nice and vague to make it as palatable as possible to his unwilling host, and offers her **insider info** about Belos, the goings on inside the castle, the Day of Unity, etc.  How much that changes the game depends on where in the timeline it happens.

Surprisingly, this works, although it helps that Luz is just a good person who believes that the Collector is just some random spirit or demon that’s now stuck with her.  This sucks for them just as much as it does for her, she tells herself, there’s no need to make it harder than it needs to be.

The problem with the information is that Luz has no way of knowing if what her brain roommate says is true, so the responsibility still falls on Luz to find that out.  A lot of the stuff she does to prove Belos is evil still happens, just with different context.

Bonus points if Luz refuses to believe some of it and tries to prove him wrong, only to do the exact opposite.  Emotional damage.

Bonus bonus points if when they go into the Emperor’s mind they see the Collector being cruel and sadistic and learn just how much he helped with Belos’ whole thing.  Emotional damage.

As stated above, the Collector kept his dealings with Belos very vague.  They told her about the draining spell, but conveniently left out that they were the one who told him how to do it.  Whoops.

I should say now that part of this au is a pseudo redemption arc because I’m a sucker for powerful beings being redeemed by learning how to see the beauty in small things they never bothered to look at or experience before.  I watched Peridot’s redemption arc and it changed my DNA.  Anyway, the Collector certainly isn’t making an effort to redeem himself to anyone in particular, Luz doesn’t know who they are, but there is a noticeable change in attitude overtime.  By the time Luz learns of their true nature they’ve become genuinely quite attached to the human, against all better judgment, so it’s really not a good look.

Okay that's all for now. Posts relating to this au in the future will definitely be shorter because it'll either be me exploring how certain events would play out or spouting random fun facts. See you then. :))

[grimescum]

how to download canva elements without pro (2 methods)!!

made this for a variety of reasons. mostly because i hate using any program that isnt ibispaint 😭 i'm pretty sure the first one will work with any editing/art program, though!

★ editing method

1. open a blank design from the "custom size" option. the size i used in both examples was 5000 x 5000

that's WAY bigger than you'd ever need. a better size is probably somewhere in the 1000-3000 range, but i was just testing it out here

2. start fitting elements onto your canvas. be smart about it and try to fit in as many as possible! don't be scared to resize elements, the quality won't be affected

working with monochrome elements

1A. what you need for this method are pure black and white elements. not all of them are by default, but you can easily recolor some of them by using the color tab here

the ones that aren't recolorable require using the effects/adjust/filter tools instead. i'll explain that in the "working with colored elements" portion since a good chunk of elements are already recolorable

either way, when you're finished, export it as a png!

2A. load it into an editing program of your choice. i personally use ibispaint, but i'm sure most art/editing programs have a similar feature

press "clear white (color)" from the three dots near the bottom, and then you're done! all you have to do from here is save as a transparent png

working with colored elements

1B. you'll want to wait until the page is full before you start changing the colors this time. once you're done, save this version as a png, you'll need it later.

2B. now, recolor what you're able to by using the aforementioned color tool. canva already speeds up the process if you have several elements of the same color. in my case, the 6 on the lower left could not be recolored. this is where the effects/adjust/filter tools come into play!

first and foremost: if you don't see the "adjust" option at first, tap "effects" and select duotone. you'll want the select the "mono" palette near the end to make this easier. once you've done that, unselect and reselect the element again. you should be able to see the adjust option now!

change the brightness, contrast, highlights, shadows, whites, vibrance, saturation, and clarity values to -100, change the blacks value to 100. this should work with most elements, but sometimes they're still too light, as pictured here:

this is easy to fix by going back into the effects tab, then duotone, then "custom". change both the highlights and shadows to pure black (remember to make sure of this, btw! you can always edit this in post if you forget), and then you're done! export this as a png and open your editing program of choice.

3B. import both of the finished versions onto the same canvas. select the "clear white (color)" option for the black and white one, then "select opacity", then select the colored version and copy that layer.

then you're done! note that the smaller the canvas, the more white artifacts you'll see around your pngs, hence why i made mine so big.

★ google docs method

this one kind of sucks to do. its good for getting the individual pngs in high quality, but its tedious, and some files will randomly corrupt for reasons i'm unsure of. i wont be spending much time explaining it as a result.

1. open a blank design. use the docs template. place in all of the elements you want (try to keep it at a relatively small amount— i usually had around 10-25 at once), and after you've done so, hit save. save it as a docx file!!!

2. open google docs and load in the docx file. you'll be able to view it without being able to download anything at this stage- that's okay!google docs should have an option to convert the file into a doc.

3. once you've done that (it took forever on mobile, i had to do it on computer instead), go to "save as" and choose the option that says "web page (html, zipped)". it'll save as a zip file with two folders inside. all you need is to unzip the one labeled "images", and you're done!

for more information (and pictures), check out this guide on how to extract pictures from different file types

[quinnsqueries]

Best Writing Resources (In My Opinion)

NaNoWriMo

This website is amazing! I love using it to help me achieve my writing goals. It helps you track how much you've written, and seeing a set goal is really helpful for me as a writer!

The Writers Digest

I get emails from The Writers Digest sometimes, so I guess it would be rude not to include them on the list! They give great writing advice, and there is tons of inspiration on their page as well. Go check them out!

Reedsy

Reedsy is a life saver for me, they have so many different prompts, and they run regular writing contests. I like to visit their website when I need inspiration, and sometimes even character names!

Grammarly

While I don't use Grammarly as much as most writers, sometimes it's nice to see what changes they'd make to my writing.

ProWritingAid

I use this one more than Grammarly for editing, mainly because they offered a lifetime subscription and Grammarly did not. I find that they both work the same.

The Young Writers Initiative

The Young Writers Initiative, also known as TYWI, is an amazing resource for young writers. I discovered it through The Summer Writeathon last year(?) and have been part of their discord server since. They offer many free resources like Beta Reading, Editing, Cover Design, etc. You can also make so many writing friends, too!

The Authors Of Tomorrow

Ah, another initiative worth mentioning! Similar to TYWI, The Authors of Tomorrow has a discord server, and there are a lot of writers to meet and befriend. They host Coach Hunts, where you can meet your writing coach, and have lots of helpful posts on their instagram and more! Go check them out.

GoodNotes

There are many notebook apps out there, but GoodNotes is by far my favorite. If you own a tablet and like writing with your hands, I recommend GoodNotes. I love using it for planning out my stories, because I can be a disorganized mess when writing, and this way I can reorganize my notes the way they should have gone down rather than the way they actually did. Plus, I mess up and rewrite things so many times, I create holes in my paper from erasing too much.

Google Docs

Google Docs is easy to use and free to use! Just open up a doc and write. Just...don't stare at the blank doc all day.

Final Draft

This one is pay to use, but makes screenwriting so much easier. I would never format my scripts right if it wasn't for them.

Pintrest

Character Boards. Need I say more?

Tumblr/Instagram

There is a ton of writing advice out there for writers of all ages on social media. I save SO many posts on Instagram and a LOT of them originated on Tumblr. Heck, I'm writing this on Tumblr. Just, don't fall into the rabbit hole and avoid writing TOO much.

[goddesspharo]

weird writer questions: 3, 25, 26!

weird questions for writers asks

3. What is your writing ritual and why is it cursed?

A billion years ago when we were all still beholden to PCs, I used to write everything in Windows Notepad and then copy to Word afterwards because I found it easier to write when I didn't have the distraction of fonts/sizes/italics. Over the years, I have thankfully broken myself of this habit, but sometimes when I'm stuck in the middle of a section, I'll open up a blank Word document and start writing in that - somehow the absence of all that came before and all that will come after takes the pressure off. I mostly write in word, but then update it into the google docs file corresponding to a story so that I have it on the go if inspiration ever hits. The annoying thing is that google docs always formats a space after each line break so every time I copy it back into word, I have to manually delete the space so it won't piss me off. (Also smart quotes on my iphone/ipad vs straight quotes on my macbook - just default it to straight quotes, google docs, so I don't have to find/replace every time I edit it somewhere else!)

25. What is a weird, hyper-specific detail you know about one of your characters that is completely irrelevant to the story?

There is no story so I suppose this is irrelevant, but I've always thought that when the Yellowjackets girls get rescued from the wilderness (circa 1998?), someone in the media gets wind of how the cinematic stylings of Sandra Bullock kept them going in the Canadian Wilderness, leading Kurt Loder and the MTV crew to hold a special screening of Practical Magic in Jersey for them. Years later, Van runs into Sandy B when they're filming a movie near her hometown and tells her that she's a big fan of her work, to which Sandy jokes, "You must not have seen Speed 2 then," which, let's be real, is the ONLY good thing to come out of being stuck in the wilderness for 19 months and having to cannibalize your teammates to survive.

Another hyper-specific detail re: Top Gun Maverick is that I've always assumed that Coyote's mom used to send mini-care packages to Hangman when she sent Coyote stuff because of course he went to one (1) barbecue at Coyote's when they were on leave and charmed the hell out of Mama Machado and immediately became "one of the family." (Except to Coyote's brother who has still never forgiven Hangman for innocently hitting on his now-wife/then-girlfriend at the party.)

26. How do you get into your character’s head? How do you get out? Do you ever regret going in there in the first place?

Not to be Sophie Nélisse about this but it doesn't consume me. If I liked the character enough to want to explore the characterization more, then it's probably fun more than anything else? I also think it's less about getting in a character's head and more about getting their voice right. Once you have that, the rest falls into place.