#the font changes depending on the pov

[mandrakebrew]

Not Like I Do Playlist Lyrics

From Eden - Hozier // Spider and The Fly - London After Midnight // HELL TO HAVE YOU - Our Last Night // Calm Me Down - Mother Mother // The Silence - Bastille // Under Water On Fire - Vanish // Kettering - The Antlers // Dangerous - Son Lux // I'm Not Calling You a Liar - Florence + The Machine // Work Song - Hozier // Vore - Sleep Token

Images are free to use

[jackshiccup]

Hey I just gotta say your bind of OTNWAS is GORGEOUS! Do you mind explaining how you formatted the pages? <3

hello, thank u sm <3!! and yes ofc i can :)

i used Adobe InDesign to do all my typesetting! the document i have has a total of 948 pages (475 spreads) which all include: title page, contents page, chapters, and a few customized + blank pages.

starting with document size first — mine is in A5 (so that i can print A4 spreads) you can play around with the margins, i recommend having at least 3mm added on to it if you’re going to trim it (the bleedline basically). my margins are 15mm left, 20mm right, 15mm top, 20mm bottom.

i had 2 chapter templates - one for short titles (i.e. jack flies) and one for long titles (i.e. jack and jamie uncover the hidden dangers of hide and seek). if you look at the pictures i posted, i added a snowflake as part of that template as an indicator of whose pov the chapter starts in. i designed one for hiccup and jamie too so i change it accordingly! i also use it as dinkuses whenever there’s a pov change within the chapter.

my body text size was 10pt with a 12.5 leading (justified + hyphenated) but honestly that also depends on the font you choose and your personal preference in terms of how spaced out you want your body text to be. i suggest doing test prints so you can adjust !! standard book fonts are: caslon, garamond, minion and palatino.

here’s a silly diagram i made for my friends of my exact settings 📖

in terms of actually formatting the fic— i copy-pasted chapter by chapter from ao3 because for some reason InDesign doesn’t recognize italics automatically so i had to do that manually LOL.

what else .. uhhhh i’m pretty sure i’m forgetting something… i’ll just add on when i remember but crossing my fingers this helps!! i know InDesign isn’t what’s the most accessible to people (i have it bc of my job), but there are lots of tutorials out there on how to do it on microsoft word or even google docs!

hope your binding goes well ⭐️

[yc3iko]

Snowy Fonts Ranpo Edogawa x writer fem! reader

(BTW you still work in the ADA, it's just you decide to write stories based off the real crime, depending on what's going through a detectives head during a crime investigation)

As the winter fall was just beginning, many people were rushing to get the latest candies or books. One was getting lost and the other lost in words on a page.

-(Y/N)'s POV-

I decided to grab the latest book of mine to add to the collection of my very own books. I enjoyed writing the murder books of detectives thought process but reading my own work when published is very different than working on the story itself. I found my works unreadable once I had them in my hands, flipping through the pages finding every error of less detail. I got wonderful comments on my books but the very few hate comments made me shatter. I never had really good self-esteem and my writing was my escape. When someone comments hateful words to me or behind my back, I remember the nights I cried trying to figure out why my writing was not the best. My ability didn't make it any better. I may have a strong ability that lets me write about the future for only five weeks but the mental side effect wasn't the best. 'That's not going to help anyone!' 'Write a better future.' Even with the smallest mistake my brain will pinpoint it. Being in the agency helped me realise why I thought this way. My parents were the key factor. 'You're not doing your best!' 'Your gift is trash just like yourself!' The words they used are the words I use on myself.

"(Y/N) Are you lost in thought again?"

"Oh sorry Ranpo, I guess I was," I said. "Well you choose to come help me find the new winter candies but here we are having somebody's book" Ranpo said. "Oh, well I guess we can go get those candies!" I said, putting on a front to hide my hateful thoughts getting to me. "Yay! To the candy store!" Ranpo said, skipping along.

- Timeskip -

"How was the trip to the candy store Ranpo?" Kenji asked. "I enjoyed it but (Y/N) stopped at some book sale to buy their newest book," Ranpo said. "Oh that's right her newest book came out," Yosano said. This conversation was going on right in front of me. My desk was right beside Kenji's. "Good work on your writing, it was better than last time," Kunikida stated. "It truly was," Atsushi said. Atsushi was my greatest stan here. We both enjoyed books and he ended up finding out first I was a book author. "I didn't know you wrote books," Dazai said, coming over to me. "Yeah I do, but its mostly about detectives' voices inside their head and how they solve the crime," I said. "So that's why most of the time you and Ranpo have cases together," Kenji stated. "Y-yeah I guess that's right," I said. "Ms. (L/N) come here," the president called. "Coming on over," I said. "I guess I gotta go." I waved them all goodbye.

"Yes Mr. President?" I questioned. "I just wanted to say I was proud of your writing skills and how far you have come," He said. "T-thank you," I stuttered. He always would say nice things about my work, but I still never get used to it. 'He's only trying to please you.' 'They only want your ability.' My face changed from a smile to a frown. The thoughts were starting again. I guess it was noticed because the president asked "Are you alright (L/N)?" "Oh I'm fine!" I said. "I really should get back to work, anything else you needed me for?" "Yes, can you make sure Ranpo writes his report? I noticed you have only been doing the reports since you and Ranpo started working together," Fukuzawa said. "Ok," I said and left. As I was on my way, I bumped into Kyoka. "Where are you off to Kyoka," I asked. "Im off the buy your books so I can talk more with you," She said. "Aw you don't have to," I said. "No it's fine," She retorted back. "Ok have fun!" I said. Fronts were so much easier. They never really break character. They were like criminals. Also lying when really you should be telling the truth. True characters hurt people, so my front will always be there.

Once I got back to the office, I noticed that Ranpo was reading and not eating. "What is he doing?" I whispered to Atsushi. "I lended him the first book of your series, him claiming he wanted to know more about your writing," Atsushi whispered back. "Hey (Y/N) come here," Ranpo yelled at me. "Ok," I said, as I walked over. "What would you like?" I asked. "I wanted to know why this book is written about me," He said. "Excuse me?" I questioned. He knew. He was never supposed to know. "Well this first book is about the first case I solved, and the date this was published was months after I told you," Ranpo said. His eyes were opened. The prettiest emerald eyes ever. "I'm sorry, I never got your permission to create a book off it," I said. My head looking down. 'Now he hates you, how do you feel?' 'Aw, are you going to cry, crybaby?' "it's fine, I never had a book based off me before, as the greatest detective of all times I feel honoured," He said, going back to eating his food. "R-really?" I questioned. "Yes but your next book needs to be about me and yours relationship after I ask you out," Ranpo said, bluntly. "What?" Me and everyone else questioned. "You heard me, check the letter on your desk," Ranpo said, pointing to the desk. I walked up to my desk and picked up the letter. It stated:

'I hope this goes right. Will you write me like you write your books after this date I take you on?' Yes no

-Ranpo Edogawa

I checked one off and handed it back to Ranpo. He opened it and said.

'I hope this goes right. Will you write me like you write your books after this date I take you on? Yes no

'P.S Never ask someone out over a letter'

"And that is how I met your greatest father of all times," I whispered to the kids in their beds. "They truly love the story about me being the greatest detective of all times!" Ranpo laughed. "They sure do," I said back.

[eviefrie]

i just got the archive undying from hold on libby but i got the audiobook and i read your notes about font changes in the ebook, do you know anything about the audiobook/do you think it’s a book that would translate well to audiobook format?

good question!! i haven't listened to the audiobook myself, but i would hope that the narrator does different voices?

w/o spoiling too much, the font changes come when we're seeing things from the perspective of [redacted], and they become less necessary as the story goes on and the changes in POV become more clear.

i don't see any reason why the book wouldn't translate well to audiobook? depending on what the narrator does, it could actually be more comprehensible as an audiobook versus text format. that said: if you like being confused while reading/listening to books, you're definitely in the right place--it's a very harrow the ninth sort of book. if you prefer more straightforward storylines...listening instead of reading probably won't make much of a difference.

hope this helps !! and i hope that u enjoy the book 🥰🥰🥰

[joeys-piano]

2, 3, and 7 😘

2, a character whose POV you’re currently exploring

For Wind Breaker, that is Suo Hayato. I tend to gravitate towards characters like him, the little bastards who you're never too sure about and they actively hide a part of themselves they don't reveal unless you fucked up. That's a familiar flavor to me and I like those characters a lot. I like characters who are ambitious and cunning and have a wit to them; it kind of reminds me of a younger version of me who would've set the world on fire. You know, teenager things. I've since mellowed out a lot, but it's fun to explore that vicariously through a fictional character. For a Sasaki to Miyano fic I have on the side to make me laugh, I am playing with Ogasawara Jirou, a punk with a heart of a gold and the token straight guy of a BL love and friendship. He's just goofy and I love him. I like exploring his friendship with the BL cast and how he might not "get" a lot of things, but it doesn't matter to him when he's got a friend in need and both he and them are figuring out their respective love lives the only way guys can, through comedic timing and banters. He's also a fun character to play with when I'm exploring themes of masculinity and the flavors it takes on with relationships.

3, how you feel about your current WIP

I would like to stop work traveling so I can have energy to work on my WIPs.

7, your preferred writing fonts

Times New Roman, font size 11. Depending on the character I might change the font color so the POV feels more immersive to me. Colors I've used in the past are blue and yellow. I might explore pink.

[spice-honey]

The Fanfic Editing Process

Hello everyone! Today I've decided to share a few tips on editing your chapters, for anyone who is new to writing or would like to improve their writing. Editing is a skill in itself. For me, it takes longer than writing the actual damn chapter. I think good editing takes stories to the next level and it's worth taking a moment to do it, instead of just eagerly hit the 'Post' button

First, what is editing? You assess the text for grammar, spelling, sentence and detail clarity along with plot development. Editing is often rewriting, moving paragraphs around, switching scene orders, adding or deleting characters, and changing POVs (if applicable). It requires a lot of "rounds" before it's ready. Each step below is a round in itself. Remember: you cannot edit a blank page. If you hate your writing, remind yourself this is your first draft - you will edit it later to make it better or different. But you have to write it first.

I use google docs. You can easily share it with your betas/friends, and keep track of suggestions and modifications they make. They can leave comments on specific passages and words, to which you can also reply. Google docs also has a chat function to edit and discuss live.

Google docs has spelling and grammar check (it's under Tools) that will scan the document below where your cursor is. So if you just want to spell check past chapter 7, go to chapter 7 and use the tool. It will skip anything before it. If you want to do the entire document, start up top.

Crtl + F and look for the specific words that are commonly overused such as that, really, very, just, then, literally, thing and dialogue tags. You don't have to write them out entirely, but if you used 'that' 7 times in a paragraph, you might want to rework some sentences to 5 take out. Readers get tired of repetitive words. You also don't have to banish every single dialogue tag, but when it's a conversation between 2 people you should use them to indicate tone or action. 'Said' is not necessarily dead, but you can omit it 95% of the time

Avoid long sentences. Run-on sentences are okay if grammatically correct, but stick to one idea per sentence otherwise it can be tiring to read.

Adverbs ending in -ly. 'She runs quickly' can be 'she sprints'. 'He walks quietly' can be ' He creeps'. Choose descriptive verbs if you can.

Pay attention to verb tenses. If you are writing in the present tense make sure you don't slip into past tense when it is not appropriate and vice versa.

In your own notes write scene summaries explaining to yourself why this scene is necessary (I use bullet points in the comments). What information or situation is being presented in each passage that is important to the plot in the long run. It helps you to keep tabs on your outline (if you have one). It's okay to just have scenes that don't actually add anything to the story other than the joy of reading them whatever they may be. But if you are struggling with your plot, make sure your story doesn't have a lot of those.

Italics. Depends on your formatting, of course, but if it is to bring emphasis on a single word, my personal rule is to do it once per page. When I copy and paste my chapters into Ffnet/Ao3 it comes without any formatting (bold, italic) so I have to add them back in manually on my final read-through. Surprisingly, I end up adding a lot fewer italics in the final edit than in the original script

The Final Read-through: it is done in your browser, at the document editor of ffnet/ao3. You will catch a lot more errors/weird sentences there despite having it read 100 times on google docs. Your brain just gets used to - visually - to the text and it will skip words as you re-read without you noticing. Having a different font and background will make your brain read it as if it's the first time. I tried tricking myself on google docs by changing font and colour but I didn't find it super effective (it may work for you, I don't know). Grammarly is also good to use here. I disable it on google docs because it slows down my browser. I like it mostly for punctuation.

Read it out loud. Yes, you'll have to disable the cringe factor but you will catch so many clunky sentences and missing words. Make sure narration sounds like narration and dialogue sounds like dialogue. I usually do Step 10 and 11 at the same time.

Any questions, my Asks are open! And if you have tips you'd like to share I'd LOVE to hear it.

Happy editing!

[film-in-my-soul]

1, 27 & 28 for the writing questions?

You got it!

1. What font do you write in? Do you actually care or is that just the default setting?

It depends on what app I'm in. If I'm in google docs, I'll just use Arial (though there are some older WIPs I have in times new roman, so I keep them as they are), and if I'm using Grammarly I don't have a choice but to use the default.

27. Who is the most stressful character you’ve ever written? Why?

Oh god, uhhhh. I'm going to just use my current fandoms as a reference and, from there, my current top ships just to narrow it down (seeing as I think it would be a little too obvious to say a character I don't typically write is the most stressful.) I'm going to go with Jake Seresin from Top Gun: Maverick. While I enjoy writing Jake, I think I can often fall into the fanon "traps" based on my headcanons of him that fundamentally can change who he is as a character, and it's hard for me to reroute while writing his POV to keep his character voice clear and distinguishable.

28. Who is the most delightful character you’ve ever written? Why?

Based on the parameters of the last question (because my brain is soup and I'm a walking copout), I'm going to to with Tom "Iceman" Kazansky. I really love writing my version of this character because I feel like a lot of the time, he can be portrayed as someone super stoic and straight-laced, and I just really enjoy delving into the person behind that facade.

Weird Questions for Writers (because writers are weird)

[gwdesign420]

Communication Fundamentals Reflection

I'll begin with my reflection on my final project, the Nursery Rhyme book that I created for this course.

To begin with I started of with a completely different design in mind, my original design and idea was to create a musical themed book on songs that are recognisable from the movie series "Shrek", however after having some time to reflect on my work I ultimately decided to change my theme and approach to something that was in my view "cleaner". In contrast to traditional full length songs, Nursery Rhymes are short and sweet, easy for people of all ages to read, and are from a designer's POV the amount of text required to make it appear eloquently on the page was off great concern. It also pushed me to actually do some independant illustrations that were relevant to my Nursery Rhymes rather than using concept are from a well established movie series. Utilising different paragraph, text and fonts in my InDesign book project was also made easier by lowering the amount of text that I had to work with.

A lot of the issues I had in my original book design was fixed by changing my approach, content and the amount of content that I needed to juggle.

When I look back at the class as a whole I think it's important to be honest with myself. The main issue I see is with myself, I did not apply myself as much as I could off in a lot of the weeks leading up to the final book project, and didn't use my time efficiently early on during the semester for Fundamentals. This is from my pov at-least quite clearly visible in my work and In my tumblr quality as it varies greatly depending on what timeframe we are looking at. In regards to the individual skillsets on display for myself, Its quite clear to see that I "lack" some form of natural drawing ability, however when I apply myself and use my creativity even with my novice drawing abilities I was able to use Adobe Illustrator to create some decent looking cartoony artworks that I was able to use in my final book project.

My main goals going forward from this semester is to apply myself more, even In classes and subjects that I don't have a natural incline for. I believe that my skillset, being a strong foundational knowledge base for computers and the Adobe programs already have In a way "allowed" me to take it easy throughout a lot of the semester, and although I may pass no worries by taking this approach I really wan't to push myself to go above what I would usually do for things I don't enjoy, by applying myself more and pushing to do as good as I can regardless of my Individual skillset strengths and weaknesses.

[rphlrvw]

Manuskript

First thought: do not like the layout.

this is awkward and took me a minute, but it could just be me being an idiot tbh. Also probably more useful for someone who is better at planning ahead. You can edit it later, though.

Going tab by tab:

General is alright, I like the book information you put down. Title, subtitle, series, volume, genre, Author Name, Author email.

The Summary is pretty nice! You start with the situation - a "What if..." that you finish. Then you do a one sentence summary, then a one paragraph summary. Then you turn that into a one paragraph summary, then into a full/proper summary.

The character tab is nice! You can sort your characters under Main, Secondary, and Minor. Each character you can assign a color, either from a 'list' of colors or the color wheel, to go by their name, then whether they are a POV character or not. Then there are places for their motivation, goal, conflict, and epiphany, then their one sentence and one paragraph summary. There are three more tabs under each character - summary (for a longer summary), Notes, and Detailed Info, where you can pick a trait then a description. I always prefer to have a place for images, but you can link them in notes or somewhere else. Not my favorite layout for characters, but better than just a blank document.

Plots: I really like this! You can make a Main, Secondary, or Minor plot. These can be titled, and you can add characters from your character lists. There's a spot for a description, then a result, as well as a one paragraph, one page, and full summary. Under the second tab for each plot is the 'resolution steps', where you can insert what beat it is on various plot structures such as Hero's Journey, then a summary for that. Really love the plots tab!

Under the world tab you can insert any number of items, rules, laws, etc. If you press the heart (I missed this at first), you can auto populate with a large amount of empty tabs for Fantasy Worldbuilding. These include Physical (such as flora, races, climate), Culture (education, food, customs, medicine), Magic Systems (rules, objects), Important Places, and Important Objects. I hope they'll be adding others! Under each of these you can add sub items, with names, descriptions, and other notes.

Outline is really good too! You can set the POV character, the status (To-Do, First Draft, Second Draft, Final), and label it 'Idea, Note, Chapter, Scene, Research' in case you've opened the tab for something other than writing proper. You can also choose a word count goal for each chapter and scene, and it will track how many words you have for each, as well as what percent you are to that goal. There's also a tic box to mark the chapter/scene complete.

Editor is where you'll actually write. You can open one chapter at a time, which will show each scene as a note card, or Outline, or you can view all the text depending on how you set it. You can give each scene a title, or leave it as 'New'. While I love everything else about Manuskript, I feel like the writer proper is the weakest part. I could not find a way to change the font type or size, or indent. And while some people prefer markdown, I'm not personally a fan.

So as a plotter, I'd rate Manuskript at 8/10. But the writer proper at 2/10. So overall it's a 6-7/10.

[azifall]

Manuskript

First thought: do not like the layout.

this is awkward and took me a minute, but it could just be me being an idiot tbh. Also probably more useful for someone who is better at planning ahead. You can edit it later, though.

Going tab by tab:

General is alright, I like the book information you put down. Title, subtitle, series, volume, genre, Author Name, Author email.

The Summary is pretty nice! You start with the situation - a "What if..." that you finish. Then you do a one sentence summary, then a one paragraph summary. Then you turn that into a one paragraph summary, then into a full/proper summary.

The character tab is nice! You can sort your characters under Main, Secondary, and Minor. Each character you can assign a color, either from a 'list' of colors or the color wheel, to go by their name, then whether they are a POV character or not. Then there are places for their motivation, goal, conflict, and epiphany, then their one sentence and one paragraph summary. There are three more tabs under each character - summary (for a longer summary), Notes, and Detailed Info, where you can pick a trait then a description. I always prefer to have a place for images, but you can link them in notes or somewhere else. Not my favorite layout for characters, but better than just a blank document.

Plots: I really like this! You can make a Main, Secondary, or Minor plot. These can be titled, and you can add characters from your character lists. There's a spot for a description, then a result, as well as a one paragraph, one page, and full summary. Under the second tab for each plot is the 'resolution steps', where you can insert what beat it is on various plot structures such as Hero's Journey, then a summary for that. Really love the plots tab!

Under the world tab you can insert any number of items, rules, laws, etc. If you press the heart (I missed this at first), you can auto populate with a large amount of empty tabs for Fantasy Worldbuilding. These include Physical (such as flora, races, climate), Culture (education, food, customs, medicine), Magic Systems (rules, objects), Important Places, and Important Objects. I hope they'll be adding others! Under each of these you can add sub items, with names, descriptions, and other notes.

Outline is really good too! You can set the POV character, the status (To-Do, First Draft, Second Draft, Final), and label it 'Idea, Note, Chapter, Scene, Research' in case you've opened the tab for something other than writing proper. You can also choose a word count goal for each chapter and scene, and it will track how many words you have for each, as well as what percent you are to that goal. There's also a tic box to mark the chapter/scene complete.

Editor is where you'll actually write. You can open one chapter at a time, which will show each scene as a note card, or Outline, or you can view all the text depending on how you set it. You can give each scene a title, or leave it as 'New'. While I love everything else about Manuskript, I feel like the writer proper is the weakest part. I could not find a way to change the font type or size, or indent. And while some people prefer markdown, I'm not personally a fan.

So as a plotter, I'd rate Manuskript at 8/10. But the writer proper at 2/10. So overall it's a 6-7/10.

[crazytwentythrees]

GUESS WHO'S PLANNING ON A REVISED EDITION OF MY ANTHOLOGY, EVERY WHY HAS A WHEREOF?!?!?!?

That's right, I AM!! I am also definitely not unable to figure out how to keep writing BLS, but dw I do want to finish writing because the book means a lot to me personally (but also, like I said when I went on hiatus, I want to give you guys a good book, not a half-assed version of it).

AnYwAy, back to the poetry. Here's some basic info about the revised edition:

Will it be the same poems? Definitely, the main stuffing is all the same, only with a couple of extra poems (bonus, yay!!) and some shorter ones I don't like (like 2-3 of them) will be removed.

Can I read the deleted poems? Of course! An unedited version of my anthology is free for you to read here on Wattpad.

What's the difference between the original and the new version? In short, the main difference will be the reformatting and severe editing (with the knowledge I didn't have when I first published it). Also, I'd like to make the book a little smaller. I'm not sure if many of you are aware of this, but Amazon's self-publishing platform only offers certain standard sizes for books, and well, my 6"x9" book is probably the smallest I can go. That being said, I am considering reaching out to Amazon Publishing and some other publishers to see if they can help with this "downsizing" of sorts. Realistically, I know printing a smaller book has a 50/50 chance of happening, but it's definitely something I'd like for the revised edition.

When will the revised edition be published? This depends on the "downsizing". I hope to get the edits done in the next month or so, but a good part of the reformatting process is dependent on whether or not I get to make the book a smaller size. If not, then you'll have a semi-brand-new 6"x9" poetry anthology for you to cart around and annotate to your heart's content!

Will it look the same? For now, I intend to keep the cover the same, BUT if I work out something I like (since I design my own covers), then I will definitely consider changing the cover. The font will be different for sure, same as a whole lot of other formattings in the original version (reformatting, yay!!). Another thing I've been brainstorming is GRAPHICS!!! If you've read the first few chapters of BLS on Wattpad, you'll know about the banners I made for POV changes. I want to try some stuff like that for sure, so you'll definitely be seeing some cool changes ;)

Why are you republishing/publishing a revised edition? Ooooh boy. So the story is, when I put together all these poems and published them with Amazon KDP (which is a self-publishing platform), I had very very very little experience with the writing world, much less the editing and publishing world. The anthology was sent in as a submission for Amazon's Pen to Publish program, which is how I found out I could self-publish in the first place. But the main thing is, I put together the entire thing, formatting and all (minus writing a majority of the poems, which I'd done in the few months before), in about a month. Long story short, it was the definition of a rush job. So now I'm nearly three years older, a little wiser (I hope), and I want to put in the time and work that I know my 13-year-old self deserved when she first started writing, and the knowledge that my 14-year-old self didn't have when she self-published.

I think that's about it, but if any of you have anything else to ask, my inbox is definitely open. I hope you'll all love this new edition (once I get it out for you to read) and I'd absolutely love it if you have any extra feedback from the original!!

[itswildwinters]

Ask for writers

Thank you @theisolatedlily and @soldouthaz for tagging me, I really appreciate it! This lovely tag was created by @soldouthaz, which I think is brilliant to get to know other writers!! I love it, so thank you Sarah!

This is quite long, but I still hope it’s entertaining!

1. describe how you first started writing and when you first posted: I’ve always wanted to write. I know that I only began publishing this year (January 2020) but years back, I always would open up a blank document and just... write. Lack of confidence and language barriers (I wanted to write in English, but it isn’t my first language and I only became fluent three years ago) have made it so that I would never finish a story. I think we all had our wattpad moment but even on there I would never really publish because the platform just wasn’t right. But then I discovered ao3, where I’d read fics and also improve my English. Then I found out about fests, and I decided to participate in one last year (2019 BLFF) and my first fic then came out! 

And ever since, I’ve been able to write and finish what I start. It’s as if the lock that had been put to block my creativity had been destroyed; posting my first completed fic has acted as a turning point. I was extremely nervous when I first posted, still am, but now I have this need to write and I love sharing what I write and ever since I became a writer, my life’s been a lot better!

2. which of your characters do you typically resonate most closely with? do you base any characters off of yourself?: I switch between Louis’ POV, or Harry’s POV depending on the story; I tend to sprinkle a bit of myself in the characters I write, but then again they’re also completely different from me! I’ve never based a character completely on myself, which I find quite boring (haha); sometime unconsciously, I’d write a character based on someone I knew. I think some examples on how my characters can look a bit like me, is Hamlet in a sea of mist which has gotten his clear-headedness from me; or in my Murder Mystery fic, the way I describe Louis’ fear is heavily based on how I feel whenever I’m faced with something that makes me uncomfortable.

3. where do you often find inspiration?: art (paintings, music), books, quotes, poems and movies!

4. has quarantine helped or hindered your writing process?: having so much free time on my hands has definitely helped; I would seek refuge within my stories, to spice up quarantine!

5. do you listen to music/noise while you write or do you prefer silence? I love love love playing classical music (Chopin, Saint-Saens, Debussy, Yiruma, Einaudi, Faulkner, Schumann, Tchaikovsky, Mozart to name a few) while writing. I can’t write when it’s anything else. But I can also write when there’s nothing; hearing the rhythmic clicking sound of the keyboard as I press over its keys can be relaxing to me.

6. what is your biggest writing pet peeve in your writing or in general?: hm in my writing I guess I tend to write very long sentences, and also I still do grammar mistakes. I hope to work on those points. I also find the way I space my fics very annoying (which is why I’ve begun making outlines!).

7. describe your ideal writing setup: in a couch or a bed with several pillows piled up behind my back, classical music in my ears and a steaming cup of tea next to me.

8. favorite time of day to write?: I love writing when it’s very early, usually after I’ve woken up and freshened up. I don’t like writing when it’s too late because I’m not a night owl; rather an early bird. I especially love when I write and it’s still dark outside, then slowly dawn breaks in and the sky becomes tainted in warm hues of orange, yellow and sometimes even purple and pink.

9. favorite genre to write + one you’d like to try writing in the future?: I love writing fantasy, horror, suspense, action, thrillers. Especially angst and hurt/comfort, as well as slow burn. I’d like in the future to explore sci-fi and magical realism!

10. do you struggle with writer’s block? how do you typically overcome it? I haven’t suffered from writer block so far, which I’m glad!!

11. what is the easiest part of your writing process and the most difficult? writing is the easiest, but outlining (as in, coming up with plot ideas) is quite difficult for me. Also dialogues can be a bit of a problem to me.

12. how do you come up with original characters? (if applicable): I just make them up in my mind, and create them when they’re necessary to the story, giving them personality traits that will help the story develop.

13. what is your favorite and least favorite word? it’s hard to choose cause I have several but favourite: petrichor and least favourite: big

14. what is one thing about your writing that you’re really proud of and one thing you hope to continue working at?: I am proud of the way I describe, which allows me to really settle the story in its verse. I love describing, giving importance to the ordinary. Also feelings; I love describing them and exploring how I can translate them into words, so that the reader can feel them. But I have to work on my dialogues methinks.

15. what work of yours has your favorite ‘verse/world building? how did you come up with it?: those who from the Pit of Hell, roam to seek their prey on earth. I’ve always wanted to begin writing thrillers/Murder mystery fics and with that one I think I managed to? I had read an article on forensic medicine back in the 19th century and it sparked this fic’s plot!

16. what font and size do you write in? single spaced or double?: Arial, 11pt, single spaced

17. what is a typo(s) you find yourself making consistently?: I don’t know if this can be considered as a typo but I tend to repeat, within a paragraph, A LOT my character’s name instead of using pronouns. This is because I’m afraid of confusion when another character arrives in the scene.

18. (if applicable) do you separate fic writing from fandom?: I don’t know if I understood the question properly, but yes? When I use Louis or Harry in my fics, they’re completely different from real-Louis or real-Harry; they’re my characters, they only have the same names, but their personality reflects in nothing real-life Harry and Louis. 

I think to answer this better: I do separate fic writing from fandom, but I still think that fanfics are important to a fandom; I haven’t heard of a fandom without fanfics! Fanfics spice up fandoms, I reckon, they’re important to bring people together.

19. what emotion is your favorite to write? which is the most difficult?: Angst is my favourite thing to write, as well as fear. And I struggle with writing humour, I’m not a funny person to be honest

20. what is one thing you hope readers always take away from your works?: I always hope they like my writing and the plot, also the way I portray my characters. I want my readers to feel the writing, and the story in general. I just want my readers to truly enjoy what they read from me <3

21. what is the best and worst writing advice you’ve ever received?: I was told to always write very specifically and to fit my writing into a mould — don’t write ‘he’s’ but ‘he is’, or write shorter sentences, or stop describing so much. But in the end, there isn’t one way of writing — write the way you want.

22. which one of your works would you most want to see turned into a film/television show?: only one? ahhh this is hard! But I’d love to see those who from the Pit of Hell, roam to seek their prey on earth be turned into a movie. There are also a couple of wips that I could see on-screen but I’ll stick to that!

23. do you write scenes chronologically or out of order?: chronologically. Haven’t explored anachronies (analepsis/prolepsis) at all, but I might soon!

24. how do you handle criticism?: really well!! As long as they’re constructive and not mean, I love hearing what people think. Criticism is the best way for me, a person whose first person is not English, to improve!

25. what is the advice you would give to someone who is looking to start writing?: DO IT!! Honestly, don’t tell yourself, ‘I’m not good enough’. Just do it. Open a blank document and write your heart away, even if it’s not a story; just begin it. Explore your writing style, then maybe try to mould it into a plot. Writing is not limited to a certain category of people; it’s not just for those who can write. Writing is for everyone, and like most things, one must begin before improving (practice makes perfect!!) <3

26. what kind of feedback on your work always makes your day?: anything!!! Just the fact someone clicked on my story, read it, and took time to leave a comment — just that is enough to make my heart bursts with joy. I am so so grateful to every single person who’s ever read something from me.

27. which fic ‘verse of your own would you most like to exist in? which fic’s characters would you most like to befriend?: The verse I’m talking about is still a wip, but the siren/mermaid one that I’m currently building! I’d love to live in it.

28. what do you always enjoy getting asks about/wish people would ask about more?: Anything, really, my inbox is open to anyone and for everything! I love discussing books, movies and poetry as well as quotes, and maybe I wish people would come forth to ask me more about my fics or my wips, if they have any inquiries! Or I’d love to write drabbles! 

29. what has writing added to your life? how has it changed you?: It has made my life so, so much better. Writing has stitched up a gaping hole in my chest. It’s permitted me to improve in English, has made me more confident and has allowed my creativity to flow. I just... I love writing so much. It has also allowed me to meet some incredible people on tumblr, which I’m very grateful for!!

30. why do you write?: for many reasons; to spice up my life, to help me develop my creativity, and because I love it. I’ve always wanted to be a writer.

boost yourself + tags!

1a. share the last sentence you wrote:

The words echo around his head and collide with his temples like truncheon blows.

2a. describe the wip you’re most excited about:

I’m excited for all of them, but I’ll go with my third BLFF fic. It’s very angsty, post-war, ABO, exes to lovers. It tackles heavy topics, it’s such an emotional fic. I’m so so excited for her (she comes out in January).

3a. share the piece of dialogue from one of your works you’re most proud of: 

This is hard. But I’ll go with one from in a sea of mist cause the way Louis answers Harry... I love it:

“I feel like you want to kill me,” he pants out, using his right arm to hold himself up while his other hand comes up to rub at his burning cheek and nose, where Louis had hit him with the sole of his shoe.

“Before our date? No, never,” Louis blinks sweetly, chuckling and climbing up as Harry smiles to himself.

4a. share the best first and last lines from your work(s): I will do only those that are already published:

best first lines are from the hope that warbles in my fluttering breast: There, against the window, was stuck millions of snowflakes, their see-through quality no more as they huddled together, pushed against hard surfaces by the merciless wind. 

best last lines are from in a sea of mist: It takes a while for Harry to go to sleep, elation pumping through his veins so fast that the previous tiredness he felt has flown out of the window. But when he finally focuses on Louis’ heavened out breathing, and when he breathes in Louis’ natural perfume that always acts as an ambrosia over him, he manages to close his eyes, and for the first time in a while, he dreams of a future that’s devoid of any darkness.

5a. link the last fic you read: currently reading sweet like honey by @falsegoodnight and Spoonful of Sugar by @zanniscaramouche and they’re absolutely amazing!

6a. link the last work you published: in a sea of mist

7a. link to your ao3 (if applicable): tomlinvelvet

8a. someone that inspires you: Louis <3 his music and just his personality overall leaves so much scope for the imagination. There are also so many writers (both non-fanfic writers and fanfic writers) that inspire me daily.

9a. a comfort fic/work that you’ve been grateful for this year: even the best laid plans and just a flicker in the dark both by @falsegoodnight as well as eyes off you by @soldouthaz ... these fics are just so amazing, everything about them is top tier

10a. other writers that you’d like to tag! @falsegoodnight @scrunchyharry @hadestyles @mercurial-madhouse @youreyesonlarry @raspberryoatss @jacaranda-bloom @soldouthaz @behisoneandonly @vintageumbroshirt @so-why-let-your-voice-be-tamed @lougendarey @quelquesetoiles <3 no pressure ofc!

[blindbatalex]

2, 4, 9 & 15

send me fic asks!

2.  Favorite piece overall?

the ghosts of you and me!  I poured my heart and soul into this fic and it was incredibly difficult to write but the end product is miles above my usual writing quality, I think.  There are quite a few passages there that make me think how did I even write this.

4. Which has the most “you” in it, however you’d define that?

the ghosts of you and me and between your love and mine, which I always think of as a pair, as the two sides of the same coin. if i could make everyone who likes my writing read only two of my works, it would be those two, i think. because both could be summed up with this L Cohen line-  “I wish there was a treaty between your love and mine” and both are about two parts of yourself that are at war and you can’t give up one for the sake of the other no matter how much you try and that war is so very bloody.  and that is such a personal conflict for me irl, even if framing it as sexuality vs professional sports is to look at it thru stained glass.  

9.  Favorite character to write?

This changes a lot depending on the day. Jamie is a lot of fun to write, but I realized, I really enjoy writing characters from the POV of someone who loves them and/or someone who is trying to understand what even is going on in their head? so...maybe the answer is Gary after all, but, you know, indirectly. 

15.  Does font matter to you when you’re writing a draft?

OH YES.  I haven’t met a set of people more anal about formatting than people at my firm, so font matters a lot, and not only that, I legit use Word Styles I customized to organize wip files these days 🙈.  

A few months ago, while reading a New England Journal of Medicine study for work, I realized how nice its font (ITC Galliard) looked and since then have downloaded the font packet and used it exclusively for fic.  If I have to work in a google doc, then I will use TNR 12; I refuse to ever write in Calibri D: 

[thebirdandhersong]

Book recs asks: 10, 16, 25, 30, 39, 68, 72, 116, 120, 130

Thank you!!!! :)

a book that got you through something

Anne of the Island was The comfort book for me this past school year. I think I listened to the audiobook around three or four times just to Cope. It's just full of light and hope and optimism and encouragement. And I really needed that this year.

book you’d recommend to your younger self

(answered here!)

a book by your favourite author

I have a whole list of favourite authors!! So I will list the top 4 :) I totally did not spend an excessive amount of time thinking about this :)))

J.R.R. Tolkien: The Return of the King or The Silmarillion

Jane Austen: Northanger Abbey, Sense and Sensibility, or Persuasion depending on the day

L.M. Montgomery: Anne of the Island

Terry Pratchett: Night Watch

your favourite middle grade book

The Penderwicks series by Jeanne Birdsall. Also the Books of Bayern series by Shannon Hale. And the Mysterious Benedict Society books and the How to Train Your Dragon books.

a book featuring your favourite character

sldf;kdsfjsd who is my favourite character???

your favourite piece of classic literature

I am incapable of choosing a favourite ls;kdfj ls;kd but I will say that I am very interested in Victorian literature at present!!! Some of my favourite books are by Dickens, Hardy, and Eliot. There's just something about the way they address the changes occurring in their time that I find very, very interesting.

a book with a gorgeous cover

Very in love with the Vintage Classics Jane Austen collection. I did a lot of digging last year and managed to procure a few of them second-hand for decent prices. (Sense and Sensibility and Northanger Abbey were in very good shape!!! and the font size is nice, too!!)

I also really like the Discworld collectors' editions, though they are rather pricey and hard to find second-hand.

a book with multiple povs

Six of Crows. I loved reading from everyone's perspectives! You really get to see the most vulnerable parts of the characters who seem impenetrable.

a book about childhood friends

Little Women. (I read a younger readers' edition when I was a kid and it completely cut out the whole Jo/Laurie bit, so you can imagine my surprise when I watched the 1994 movie for the first time. And then I read the full version of the book, and then Good Wives. I don't think I ever fully recovered from the shock though sld;fjsdlkjsd)

a book featuring flashbacks and/or intersecting storylines

Terry Pratchett's City Watch series. The flashbacks don't really feel like flashbacks, though. The way he talks about the past fleshes out the story and characters even more, and you don't really realise that you've just read a flashback until you're back in the present.

[peachade]

Writing Asks

thank u to sarah @soldouthaz, lily @theisolatedlily and late @tomlinvelvetfics for tagging me !!

1. describe how you first started writing and when you first posted

started in eighth grade after moving which fucked me up (i’m still to recover lmao) n i needed a distraction, reading had always helped but writing is what let me see what the root of my agony was. (im not trying to be pretentious i swear) i first started on wattpad (love hate relationship to this day) and beginning of lockdown this year gravitated to ao3 which has been my saving grace !!!

2. which of your characters do you typically resonate most closely with? do you base any characters off of yourself?

so far i’ve mostly written in louis’ pov. i’ve had to ask this question in the early stages — i resonate the closest to harry. most of my wips are harry centric for that reason. i mean, yes and no — i tend to take some part of me and fit it into the character but at the same time i don’t like seeing me on a page so yes and no.

3. where do you often find inspiration?

EVERYWHERE. mostly others’ stories be it in the way of songs, music, writing, art. usually it’s me coming across a vaguely aesthetic picture and my brain spitting out one or two random scenes and me trying to make that a story.

4. has quarantine helped or hindered your writing process?

both !!! i have new wips but also i lost a lot of motivation to do anything for a bit. school is sucking the soul out of me — it’s both easier and harder with it being online, the worst part is i can never truly feel like i’m getting a break from it. recently it’s been easier for me bc of the friends i made (ily all) it’s hindered a little bit bc i can’t go out and watch people and streetlights and the blur of cars and try to pour out that feeling into words and create something. at the same time it’s helped me gain more perspective on people and relationships which has been a massive help to writing in general.

5. do you listen to music/noise while you write or do you prefer silence?

depending on the number of classes i have/attend, my mental stability, the story and my sensitivity. i often can’t stand loud noises so there’s that but there is always some noise or the other so it’s never truly silent. i like it that way. sometimes i just play intense studying playlist on spotify and write, Lucida by Odin Sørlie and Haunted Heart by Dawn, Dawn, Dawn are my favourites.

6. what is your biggest writing pet peeve in your writing or in general?

excessive usage of the same word in mine. in general, i’m not a fan of stereotypical characters or romanticising harmful themes.

7. describe your ideal writing setup

2 am, in bed, music still ringing in my ears, three texts from my best friend about a story or about their day. under the blanket, the room smelling of chocolate or something sweet.

8. favorite time of day to write?

anytime but afternoon. those hours are for naps.

9. favorite genre to write + one you’d like to try writing in the future?

fiction? i’d love to write a fantasy au 👀

10. do you struggle with writer’s block? how do you typically overcome it?

yep yep. i just edit an old story or read my old works or other writers’ fics. i gave up trying to force myself into writing — i hated the end product and felt bad so.

11. what is the easiest part of your writing process and the most difficult?

probably the emotions? dialogue without a doubt — i dread writing it. it doesn’t come to me naturally. i can write lengths without dialogue tbh. also smut — it’s an eh eh aspect.

12. how do you come up with original characters? (if applicable)

my wonderful friends. they do dumb shit and i want to tell the world about their dumb shit so i make characters out of them.

13. what is your favorite and least favorite word?

as of now it is fucker — delightful word that one. least favourite is probably squelch — just no.

14. what is one thing about your writing that you’re really proud of and one thing you hope to continue working at?

the dreamy feeling i manage to write without a doubt !!!! dialogue and pacing. i don’t have the best dialogue or the pacing or the length for fics but i’m working on all of those !!

15. what work of yours has your favorite ‘verse/world building? how did you come up with it?

still a wip so i can’t tell you much except that it’s a proper treat. will write this once i’ve posted that fic !!

16. what font and size do you write in? single spaced or double?

*nervous laughter* the font changes from fic to fic — crush is comic sans, size 11. October was Lora, 11. Twisted in bedsheets is courier new, 11. stargazing is spectral, 11. so yeah — whatever the fic demands. single spaced !!!! except when i’m overwhelmed i do double spaces.

17. what is a typo(s) you find yourself making consistently?

I Cannot Type. if you think i can — congratulations you were fooled. autocorrect is the loml.

18. (if applicable) do you separate fic writing from fandom?

of course !!!! i basically do not exist out of my writing.

19. what emotion is your favorite to write? which is the most difficult?

pain, pining, longing. lust.

20. what is one thing you hope readers always take away from your works?

we’re all fucked up but we’re trying and trying sometimes is enough. you shouldn’t spend your life carved out around one person. it’s okay to ask for help and need a shoulder to lean on. i hope these come across in my future fics !!!!

21. what is the best and worst writing advice you’ve ever received?

bold of you to assume i’ve ever received advice.

22. which one of your works would you most want to see turned into a film/television show?

a new fic. will update the answer once that fic is out !!!!!

23. do you write scenes chronologically or out of order?

chronologically. i can’t do out of order. i do have a page full of scribbles but they are to tell me the order sjakmd.

24. how do you handle criticism?

if it’s constructive then well. no thick skin tbh. makes me feel as if i need validation from someone else on my art which isn’t necessary but my brain is wired to seek it and it’s a hassle.

25. what is the advice you would give to someone who is looking to start writing?

write everything you would want to read. write it bad, don’t worry about the quality. don’t worry about the audience. end of the day, it should be something you can turn to for comfort not something that makes you feel bad.

26. what kind of feedback on your work always makes your day?

people telling me they like my writing and it could take them out of this world for a few minutes !!!!!

27. which fic ‘verse of your own would you most like to exist in? which fic’s characters would you most like to befriend?

probably crush verse !!!! harry — his is probably the one character where i dump most of me in.

28. what do you always enjoy getting asks about/wish people would ask about more?

rant to me about anything. i enjoy talking. ask me about wips so i can take the little guilt and write more.

29. what has writing added to your life? how has it changed you?

it’s nice to let go and express things and create characters with a better situation than mine.

30. why do you write?

keep myself busy.

boost yourself + tags

1a. share the last sentence you wrote

No kissing. No flashbacks.

2a. describe the wip you’re most excited about

a little something i’m writing inspired by @brickredtoe’s art !!!!

3a. share the piece of dialogue from one of your works you’re most proud of

ok. well. from 5436 miles

“Or we could always add a trail of stars to one of those moons,” he replies, words dragged out, rolling around in his mouth.

He can see the glint in his eyes even behind his closed lids. Everything about Louis is inked and etched into every fiber of his being.

He would’ve kissed him, words pouring from his mouth into Harry’s, only half his.

He snorts. “And make it seem like the moon has a buttplug? No, thanks.”

4a. share the best first and last lines from your work(s)

both my published fics have circular endings.

5436 miles — Louis always had more stars in his eyes.

these tornadoes are for you — His heart beats in peace.

5a. link to the last fic you read.

sugary sweet by the immensely talented @soldouthaz

6a. link the last work you published

here

7a. link to your ao3 (if applicable)

wheeee

8a. someone that inspires you

taylor. she’s so so wonderful.

9a. a comfort fic/work that you’ve been grateful for this year

all of riv, sarah, ris and late’s fics. they’ve been so so comforting. Event Horizon by @mercurial-madhouse

10a. other writers that you’d like to tag!

@mercurial-madhouse @harryanthus are the only ones coming to mind atm. i’ve been up for too long apologies.

[mellowmoonn]

Writing Help - Titles

I like titles. Series titles, story titles, section titles, chapter titles, all the goods. There are so many different reasons to have titles and options for how to do so. It’s really up to you. For more info outside my own knowledge and opinions, this article may be helpful.

What Kind of Story Are You Writing?

The type of titles that you use are really dependent on the type of story that you’re writing. While a lengthy title may take away from a serious novel, it may give a lot to a comedic one. This applies for both chapter and book titles. I suggest reading books in your target genre to aid with titling. This will also help you in terms of content. You’ll see what your readers expect, then being able to successfully provide them with what they want. Regardless, remember that the book is yours and the choice is up to you.

What Effect Are You Going For?

Titles can add a lot to your story. It can convey emotions, tease the reader to read more, or signify a break in text. For example, if you are one to separate your book into sections, “The Awakening” could signify the first act. This may be helpful if your story is not long enough to be separated into multiple novels, but difficult to understand if in one piece. 

If your story is told in multiple POVs, titling the chapters the names of the character’s that are narrating will assist the reader. While you can do this in other ways such as changing the font, color, or size of the text, I find that chapter titles are the most efficient. 

What Do I Do?

Titling is rather difficult for me, so don’t spend a lot of time doing so. Whatever comes to mind I use. I only title my stories and chapters, nothing else. For my stories, I think about the plot, the themes, the characters and how they handle things. Then, I try and combine all of that into one phrase or sentence. Though, I don’t always do this. 

If that doesn’t work for you, try and pick the most important thing in the story and use it. For example, The Hunger Games is named after the event that dictates the entire plot of the novel. You may even title it based on the name of a character or two such as Coraline and Romeo and Juliet. For chapter titles I more or less follow the same guidelines, focusing on the content of the chapter instead of the story in its entirely.

Conclusions

I really suggest reading the article I linked above. Titles aren’t necessarily my greatest strength, but I hope what I was able to provide helped. Anytime I feel my own knowledge isn’t enough, I’ll be sure to provide a link or two. Anyhow, don’t stress too much over titles. Yes, they will come to you at their own pace, but that is alright. You’ll find them. 

[Gif from Yuri!!! On Ice]