#since i wrote another 'jim eat' scene right now lol

[lenievi]

things that get repeated in my spones fics: spock catching mccoy’s wrist (peak romance! - seriously, it’s like in 80% of my spones fics)

things that get repeated in my mckirk fics: bringing each other meals (mostly mccoy, but I had that one short scene where kirk made soup)

[sabulana]

Hardest and easiest characters to write for? Any writing advice? Do you listen to music while you write? Anything you’re planning to write in your fic that you’re worried readers might not like? Do you eat or drink anything while you write? A scene/paragraph you wrote that you’re proud of. Story with the most kudos (AO3)?

Oh wow, so many questions! XD I’ll do my best to answer them all properly. 

Hardest and easiest characters to write for? 

I’m really not sure anymore what kind of characters are hardest to write. :/ I had it in my head at first that it’s the witty, intelligent ones but that’s not always the case. Sometimes, it’s just when I’m not used to writing that particular character that I have trouble. I struggled with Oswald at first, when I began writing for Gotham, but as I progressed with writing Crocus in particular, I grew more confident and I guess I’m not too bad with him now, I think. I think I struggle most if a story calls for knowledge of a certain area that I don’t have, but I can research and talk to others who would know and then it gets easier.

As for the easiest characters, well I’m not too sure on that now either, because the more I write as different characters, the easier it gets. I guess I’m usually drawn to writing stubborn characters with limited emotions, because you know that just because they aren’t saying or expressing much doesn’t mean there’s not a lot going on under the surface. 

Any writing advice? 

1) Write a bit every day. Even if it’s just a ten minute sprint or something.

2) Writing sprints are awesome. Set a timer for five, ten, fifteen minutes and just write. Doesn’t even matter what you write. Just put words on paper/screen. I find this is especially helpful if I have writers block. I might have a scene in my head but be struggling to get it into words, but if I set myself a time limit and just write, I’ll do it and worry about it meshing with the rest of the story later.

3) Write what you want to read. Forget what others might think, and just write what makes you happy. or sad, or whatever. Sometimes people write to work through problems they might be having in real life, or have had but are still processing. Writing can help. Don’t think about what other people will think. (But even though I say this, I do often worry if people will like what I’m writing. I think that’s natural if you’re going to share it, but the important thing is to write anyway.)

Do you listen to music while you write? 

Usually, yes. I can’t usually have anything with lyrics, so songs are out but instrumental stuff - classical pieces, videogame and movie soundtracks or atmospheric stuff is all on the table. I particularly love Two Steps From Hell, or the Final Fantasy 12 soundtrack.

However, when I’m just not feeling the music, I’ll go to MyNoise.Net and pick one of their background noise generators, stick my headphones in and then get to work. 

Anything you’re planning to write in your fic that you’re worried readers might not like? 

I worried a lot when I decided to write Edward/Isabella in the Floriography ‘verse fics, but no one’s complained. XD I know it’s a mostly sweet and fluffy AU but I’ve had ideas for darker details to slip in - suicidal thoughts, sexual harassment and and stuff but there hasn’t been opportunity yet. Not that I’d go into detail, and I mostly worry about if I’d handle such things properly anyway.

In my original fic, that I’ll be working on again in November, I worry a lot about the portrayal of some of my characters. One is demisexual, and another is asexual, and I worry if I’m being accurate in their struggles with that part of their identity. It’s a fantasy though, so I decide the rules of their society and how such things are accepted. I’ve been on asexuality forums though, asked questions and had feedback from asexual people though, to make sure I’m being respectful about it. 

Another thing I worry about is my antagonists. I’m continually freaking out over whether they come off as cardboard cut-out villains. I don’t want them to be just one-dimensional ‘they’re bad because I say they are, look at how villainous they’re being’ so I’m constantly trying to go over their motives, and is it realistic and so on.

Do you eat or drink anything while you write? 

Anything I make to eat or drink while writing is usually going to go cold long before I remember it exists, but I do like to have a cup of coffee on hand. I drink it black, without sugar, and I’ve got used to drinking it cold now. 

A scene/paragraph you wrote that you’re proud of. 

lol, idk… Honestly, I get so happy whenever people point out particular parts of stories in reviews so I feel proud of all those moments, especially when someone tells me I made them laugh or cry.

But I think perhaps, if I have to choose just one moment, I might go with the scene from Snapdragon part 3, where Jim is in hospital telling Oswald to get out. I broke my own heart, writing that, but for all that it was painful, it was also easy because I knew they were going to have their happy ending eventually at the end of that fic.

Also I really wanted readers to honestly fear for the future of their relationship, so I was trying really hard to show Jim’s conflict and Oswald’s pain. 

Story with the most kudos (AO3)?

That would be my still unfinished Hobbit fanfic, All That Is Lost, with 940 kudos. I started it in 2013, and it’s only got 10 chapters, and I haven’t updated since last year, but I still get occasional kudos and comments on it. I do mean to go back to it, but whenever I do, I get annoying, pushy messages from readers and I just shut down. :/ I know I’m slow to update, but sending me private messages (not even reviews, just PMing me about it) just saying ‘update please’ or some variation the day after is super annoying and puts me off. I like that people like the fic, but messages like that annoy me. 

also every time i look at it i spot errors and never get around to putting them right. whoops.